Dacians vs Sarmatians MeG Pacto Game

 

Forces deployed

Opposite end

Forces advance

Dacian Allied Sarmatian lancers
threaten Sarmatian horse archers

Dacians and Sarmatians close

Last Wednesday afternoon Garry and Robert came over and we played a Dacians versus Sarmatians MeG Pacto game out in the shed. We diced for sides, Robert and I commanded the Sarmatians and Garry commanded the Dacians. The forces advanced and the Sarmatian lancers charged the Dacian infantry. The combat didn't quite go according to plan for the Sarmatians and those on the left flank fell back for another charge. On the Dacian left flank the Allied Sarmatian lancers charged and this combat proved decisive. The Sarmatians broke with the Dacians winning 15-10 victory points.

Sarmatian lancers charge the Dacian infantry

Sarmatian lancers fall back for another charge

Dacian Allied Sarmatian lancers charge

Sarmatians break, Dacians win 15-10 victory points

Battle of Adamclisi - Hail Caesar Second Edition Game

 

The Dacian deployment is rather congested

The Romans are a bit more organised

Roman Auxiliary and Foederati cavalry

Roman right flank

There's a log jam around the woods

On Thursday afternoon just before Easter, Craig, Garry and Rick came over and we played a Hail Caesar Second Edition game, of the Battle of Adamclisi, out in the shed. We used to play a lot of Hail Caesar games back in the day at the club and Craig wrote the Rome's Dacian Wars supplement which was published in 2013. It was quite nostalgic really, the game proved to be a fairly chaotic affair, but provided plenty of laughs. Craig and I were the Roman commanders with four divisions and Garry and Rick the Dacian commanders with five divisions. 

As usual the Dacians had a hard time fitting all their troops on the table. The scenario had both forces deployed on the short sides of the table and this created a bit of a log jam around the woods in the centre of the table. The Romans got off to a shaky start on the right flank with Trajan's two divisions. The guard cavalry here were eventually broken. On the left flank Sarmatian cataphracts charged the Romans and a legionary and auxiliary cavalry unit were broken. The Foederati cavalry managed to avert disaster by forcing one Sarmatian unit to retire disordered. At this point we ran out of time, it was a minor victory for the Dacians, although neither side had any broken divisions, the Romans were in trouble.

Roman cavalry and skirmishers fight on the right flank

Skirmishing continues on the left flank

Sarrmatian cataphracts charge

Dacians versus Early Imperial Romans Mortem et Gloriam Game

 

Armies deployed - Dacians left, Romans right

Opposite end

Dacian nobles and warriors with falx

Dacian warriors and archers

Sarmatian lancers

Dacian nobles and warriors

On Friday afternoon Garry came over to my place and we played a MeG Pacto game out in the shed, with his Dacians fighting my Early Imperial Romans. We used our standard 28mm 80mm base widths with no reduction in distances but reduced the Kill a Base test range (a type pf morale test) to two base widths rather than three. We haven't played MeG, or with these armies, for a while and it proved to be a very close and hard fought game.

The Romans were the attackers and the armies closed and were shooting before long. The Dacian nobles and warriors with falx launched their devastating charge. The centres were destroyed with heavy casualties, including commanders, on both sides. The game went right down to the final turn with Romans having lost six units and breaking on seven, while the Dacians had lost nine units breaking on ten. In the end the Numidian light cavalry were able to break a Dacian archer unit with missile fire handing the Romans a very tense 15-10 victory.

Dacian nobles, warriors and skirmishers

Decebalus

Armies advance

Armies close and shoot

Dacians charge

Centre of both armies is destroyed

Dacians break - a hard fought 15-10 Roman victory

Dacians versus Early Imperial Romans Mortem et Gloriam Game

 

Armies deployed from the Dacian side

Dacian hordes!

Roman camp

Dacian left flank

Roman left flank and centre advances

Sarmatian lancers

Roman centre

Dacians charge Roman right flank

Roman left flank and centre

Last Tuesday afternoon Garry and I went over to Craig's place and we played a 8000 point Magna Mortem et Gloriam (MeG) game, with his Dacians taking on our Early Imperial Romans. It was a pretty big game and Garry had a hard time fitting all his troops on the table edge. We were pretty slow playing this, it was only Garry's second game, there were various distractions including visitors and neither of us are exactly experts on the rules anyway. The Dacian falx men charged the Roman right flank and soon the entire Roman army was engaged in combat. A highlight on the Roman left flank was when the Roman auxiliary cavalry broke the Sarmatian lancers. In the end we ran out of time and the game was a draw with both sides level pegging in broken units and casualties.

Roman left flank and centre again

View of the battle from the Roman camp

Roman right flank in combat 

Roman army is fully engaged

Sarmatian lancers break

Roman auxilia break

Dacians versus Early Imperial Romans Basic Impetus Game

Armies deployed - Dacians on the left, Romans right

View from the opposite end of the table

Infantry in the centre close

Here are a few photos of a Dacians versus Early Imperial Romans, Basic Impetus game we played down at the club last month. Garry and Rick commanded the Dacians, while Craig and I were the Roman commanders. Unfortunately it was to be another day of shame and ignominy for the legions! Craig got things off to a pretty dismal start with some appalling dice rolling and the game continued on in that vein. The Dacian falxmen routed the Roman right flank and it was all over far too quickly! Still it was fun to get these armies out, as we haven't played many games with them since Craig wrote Rome's Dacian Wars, the Hail Caesar supplement, about five years ago.

Dacian warbands get stuck in

Romans retreat

Romans break