Sabis/Sambre 57 BC - Strength and Honour Game

 

Romans deployed, Belgae lurk in the woods

Belgae charge across the river, Romans are disordered

LC and skirmishers fight briefly before routing

XIII and XIV legions with baggage arrive on the table

Viromanui and Atrebates are pushed back

Nervii attack repeatedly

On Wednesday afternoon Rick and Garry came over to my place and we played another 28mm Strength and Honour game out in the shed. The scenario was the battle of Sabis 57 BC with Rick and Garry commanding the Gauls (Belgae), and I commanded the Romans. We modified the scenario slightly adding in some light cavalry, a single unit for the Belgae and two for the Romans - Numidians and Treveri. The light cavalry and skirmishers performed pretty much as expected, fighting briefly before routing, as they did in the actual battle!  

The Romans were extremely lucky at the start of the game rallying all four disordered legions in the first turn of the game. They also had the reinforcements, the XIII and XIV legions with the baggage train, arrive on the table exactly in turn three. Despite this it was quite a prolonged struggle that lasted many turns with quite a few twists in fortune and many push backs for both sides.  In the end we ran out of time, the Romans had the upper hand, the Belgae were demoralised but a result was still a few turns away.

Viromanui and Atrebates are pushed back over the river

They rally and fight back

Nervii are pushed back

Romans hold the line

Romans are pushed back

Belgae force is demoralised

Bibracte 58 BC - Strength and Honour Game

 

Gauls deployed on the left, Romans on the right

Opposite end from the Gallic side

Both sides advance

Helvetii cavalry and warband

Gallic advance is ragged

Boii and Tulingi flank attack appears in the woods

Romans wait on the edge of the hill

Romans charge downhill 

Last Sunday afternoon Rick came over to my place with his 9'x4' Deep Cut Studios 10 cm gridded mat and some Gauls. We played a Strength and Honour game of the Bibracte scenario which can be downloaded on the Too Fat Lardies Forum. We diced for sides, I was the Romans, rolling +4 for the Auguries, while the Gauls rolled +2. In the scenario a flanking force of Boii and Tulingi warbands could appear in the woods on the Roman right flank from turn three.

We played about ten turns of the game, and there was plenty of ebb and flow in fortunes before it ended in a draw. The actual battle continued on in to the night before the Helvetii broke. In the end we ran out of time but the Romans had their backs to the wall and were 14 breaking on 18 and only narrowly avoided having their fortified camp captured. It was a lot of fun, the Gauls definitely had the best of the encounter.

Combat in the centre

Raw XI becomes disordered, Caesar is attached to the Veteran X

Boii and Tulingi emerge from the woods

A Gallic warband is pushed back

Romans are pushed back

Gauls are on a roll

Roman setback and disaster cards mount

The Boii are Frenzied and charge but are pushed back

Game is a draw but Romans are 14 breaking on 18