Lusitanians versus Mongols Lion Rampant Game

 

Forces deployed

Mongols advance

Lusitanian ginetes and skirmishers

Nearly in bow range!

Last Thursday afternoon Craig came over for a Lion Rampant practice game, as there is a Lion Rampant event as part of BelCon on Saturday 24 March 2024 at the Raiders Club in Kippax. There are various other comps/events, including 15mm MeG over two days, tickets and details are available on the Olympian Games website. Craig has been painting a Late Medieval Portuguese or Lusitanian force for Billhooks but still has some unfinished units. I thought I’d try my Mongols but had to draft in some Huns as substitutes to make up the numbers. 

Both forces advanced to within firing range and the Mongols eventually routed both units of ginetes (Portuguese spelling) and the spearmen. The Lusitanian crossbowmen and skirmishers proved very effective and accounted for the Mongol elite cavalry with leader and a unit of heavy cavalry. The Lusitanian elite cavalry barely advanced the whole game but the crossbowmen and skirmishers did enough to win the day.

    

Mongols target the spearmen

Whittling away

Lusitanian skirmishers prove effective

Lusitanians win the day

Lusitanians versus Republican Romans ADLG Game

 

Lusitanians on the left and Romans on the right

Opposite end

Roman right flank and camp

Roman centre

Roman left flank

Lusitanian right flank 

Lusitanian centre

Lusitanian left flank

Roman camp with Triarii on guard

Last Thursday afternoon Garry, Robert and Craig came over and we played a Lusitanians versus Republican Romans ADLG game out in the shed. I'm currently reading Weapons, Warriors and Battles of Ancient Iberia by Fernando Quesada Sansz, a really great book, beautifully illustrated too. This inspired me to make up a Lusitanian army list from the time of Viriathus, active as a military leader from 147 - 139 BC. I was a bit short on painted scutarii units so had to draft in some Celts to make up the numbers. 

We removed the -1 modifiers for disordered and uncontrolled charge for impetuous troops in ADLG, as we particularly dislike this. Historically it seems first charge was when these troop types were usually most effective. This seemed to work fine and our game turned out to be a hard fought affair with the Spanish allies on the Roman side performing nearly as well as the legionaries.  In the end neither side broke but the Romans were well ahead in the game despite suffering a flank charge on a cavalry unit.

Lusitanians advance

Iberian allied light cavalry
charge Lusitanian cavalry

Armies close

Iberian allies charge Lusitanian infantry

Two sides in combat

Gaps appear in the lines

Roman right flank holds

A flank charge on the Roman cavalry
but the Romans win the day