Late Republican Roman versus Mithridatic Pontic ADLG Game

 

View of the table from the Pontic side

Side view

Roman attackers advance

Light cavalry skirmish on the Pontic right flank

Roman centre with fortified camp

Pontic left flank

Last Friday afternoon Craig and Garry came over and we played a Late Republican Roman versus Mithridatic Pontic ADLG game out in the shed. The Pontic right flank was in trouble early in the game and the situation only deteriorated from there. The Pontic left flank was more successful and managed to survive and even win several messy combats with their cataphracts. In the centre the Roman legionaries gradually ground down the Pontic imitation legionaries and Galatians. It was a straightforward and convincing victory for the Romans once the Pontic left flank and centre were destroyed.

Light cavalry combat

Centre closes

Pontic right flank already under pressure

Pontic left flank is looking better

Pontic centre has gaps

Messy combat on the Pontic left

Ruspina 46 BC - Command and Colors Ancients Game

 

Initial deployment from the Roman side

Initial deployment from the Numidian side

Numidian cavalry advance

Romans advance in the centre

Numidians play a mounted charge card

Romans advance on their left

Labienus attacks with his cavalry in the centre

Last Sunday afternoon I played a solo Command and Colors Ancients game out in the shed. The scenario was Ruspina 46 BC with Julius Caesar's foraging party fighting a Numidian army commanded by his former lieutenant Labienus. I used Roman cavalry for Labienus' Gallic and German cavalry and for Caesar's cavalry as I thought they may well have been armed with Roman equipment. I was a bit short of painted Numidian javelinmen so I used Libyan javelinmen instead. Labienus' Numidians have five command cards and move first while Caesar's Romans have six command cards but are heavily outnumbered.

This proved to be quite an absorbing and close game. The unknown author of the African War describes the battle:

Caesar was confronted with a new type of battle tactics. He realized that his men's ranks were thrown into disorder whenever they made a charge: when his infantry ran forward too far from their standards in pursuing the enemy cavalry, they exposed their unprotected side and were wounded by the javelins thrown by nearby Numidians. By contrast, the enemy horsemen with their speed easily avoided the soldiers' throwing-spears. So Caesar sent an order through the ranks that no soldier was to move more than four feet ahead of his standard. Meanwhile, Labienus' cavalry, relying on their large numbers, were trying to surround Caesar's small force. As a result, the few Julian cavalry-worn out by the enemy's huge numbers, and their horses covered with wounds-started to give ground little by little while the enemy pursued harder and harder. So, in just a moment, all the legionnaires were surrounded by the enemy's cavalry, and Caesar's forces were driven into a ring formation. Penned up in this way, they were all forced to fight in a very confined space.

The Landmark Julius Caesar The Complete Works, African War 13.15, edited and translated by Kurt A Raaflaub, p.553. Anchor Books, New York, 2019.

In my game the Romans were hampered by rubbish cards and at one stage had three right sector cards and a mounted charge card, none of which they were able to use! The Numidians were able to wear the Romans down by shooting and Labienus' cavalry were able to finish off the job. The Romans counter attacked and destroyed some Numidian cavalry, killing their leader Petreius. The Numidians attacked on their left flank and also targeted the lone Roman light infantry bow unit. The Roman archers were able to evade and survive for a time but eventually ran out of space and were forced to retreat off the board and were destroyed as a result. It was a hard fought win for Labienus' Numidians, 5-4 victory banners.

Romans have rubbish cards!

Labienus' cavalry destroy legionary
cohorts in the centre

Labienus' cavalry destroy legionary 
cohorts on the Roman left flank

Romans destroy Numidian cavalry,
killing their leader Petreius

Numidians attack on their left flank

Roman light bow infantry are their other target

They evade successfully but are running out of space

Roman light bow infantry retreat of the board and are destroyed,
Numidians win a hard fought game 5-4 victory banners

2mm Roman Cavalry Bases

 

Here are some 2mm Roman cavalry bases that I've finally finished painting. Figures are by Antonine Miniatures. I still have four skirmisher bases and a marching camp to finish for the army. We have a 2mm Strength and Honour game lined up for next week, the scenario is Second Bedriacium/Cremona. I'm still working on terrain for the game but will post photos and a report of it shortly.

A command base, eight bases of legions,
five auxilia and two cavalry bases.

Silarus River 71 BC - Strength and Honour Game

 

Crassus' legions and Spartacus' slave revolt army deployed

View from the Roman left flank

The legions and slave revolt army advance

A raw legion with skirmish and reserve line support
attacks a cavalry unit

A raw legion on the right becomes disordered
and loses their skirmish support

Last Wednesday evening I went over to Rick's place and we played a Strength and Honour game. The scenario was Silarus River 71 BC, Spartacus' last stand against Crassus' legions. Gary and Rick commanded Spartacus' slave revolt army and I commanded Crassus' legions. This was another really fun, close Strength and Honour game, a perfect way to start the New Year! Quite a few of slave revolt units had Warband and Battle Trained, Characteristics which made combat interesting with the raw legion units. To boster these I deployed them with supporting skirmish lines and Gary did the same with his untrained slave units.

Both sides advanced and before long the Roman right flank was under pressure. A miraculous rally saw the Romans recover on the right and Crassus' veteran legion was able to exploit a weakness in Spartacus' untrained slave units who became disordered and then routed. Two opposing supporting skirmish lines on the Roman right survived multiple combats, while on the left two cavalry units were at it for most of the game. As the setback and disaster cards mounted I made an early Homunculus Est call and Spartacus' forces were fatigued and then broke a couple of turns later.

The raw legion are now retiring and disordered,
the Roman right flank is under pressure!

The Romans rally and another raw legion
attacks a Trained slave unit

Crassus' Veteran Legion push back Untrained slaves
who become disordered and then rout

Skirmish lines on the right survive multiple combats 

Spartacus' army becomes fatigued and then break

Late Republican Roman Legionaries

 

Here's a unit of Late Republican Roman legionaries that I've finally finished painting. They're plastic Warlord  Games figures, the last of four or five boxes I've painted. They're armed with gladius and are lot easier to rank up than those with pila. The cracking resin Aquilifer figure (of the Tenth Legion) was a freebie with the lastest Hail Caesar supplement Caesar's Gallic Wars.

Vosges 58 BC Strength and Honour Game

 

Romans left, Germans right deployed

German attackers advance

A superior Suebi Warband pushes
a legion back into the camp

On Tuesday afternoon Rick came over with his new 2mm barbarian war band army and we played a game of Strength and Honour out in the shed. The scenario was Vosges 58 BC with Caesar leading his Romans against the German forces of Ariovistus. We diced for sides and I was Ariovistus and Rick was Caesar with the Romans. The Germans were lucky with their dice and managed to advance and attack the Romans before they advanced at all. We were pretty rusty with the rules, our last game was back in April but the Romans had a lot of bad luck throughout the game. Before long the setback and disaster cards were mounting for the Romans. Caesar was able to cancel three German Homunculus Est calls with Generalship and Strategy points but all to no avail eventually as the Romans were easily broken.

Setback and disaster cards mount for the Romans

Romans bad luck continues

Fourth German attempt at Homunculus Est
Caesar's Romans are easily broken