Ahh Marian Romans, not for us the glamour, glory and dash of Imperium, but the manly republican virtues of Blade, Blade and more Blade.

Or in this case Blade, Blade, Blade and some barbarians to do all the dangerous bits.

My A list had Arab allies (hence the A bit) and my B list Galatians (B for Barbarian nutters)

A List

CinC Cv O, 10 Bd(O), 3 Ax(S), 2 Ax(O), 3 Ps(O), 1 Art(O)

Sub Cv(O), 8 Bd(O), 3 Ax(S), 2Ax(O), 3Ps(O), 1 Art(O), 2 LH(O)

Sub Cv(O), 2 Cv(O), 1 LH(F)

Ally LH(O), 4 Cm(O), 2 LH(O), 2 LH(I), 6 Bw(O), 4 Bd(I)

B List

CinC Cv O, 8 Bd(O), 3 Ax(S), 2 Ax(O), 1 Art(O), 3 LH(O), 1 Ps(O)

Sub Cv(O), 6 Bd(O), 3 Ax(S), 2 Ax(O), 3Ps(O), 1 Art(O), 3 LH(O), 1 LH(F)

Sub Cv(O), 6 Bd(O)

Ally Wb(S), 16 Wb(O), 2 Cv(O)

Fiendishly cunning you see, the big commands all have the same number of elements to allow set up options.

A list was supposed to be for most opponents to cover up the slowness of the bd who had totally failed to capitalise on early successes– I kept killing a command then watching as the rest of the army withdrew.

This lot were only ever going to attack one flank, so I would deploy in one quarter of the table only and hit that side with everything. Rather relies on attacking so you don’t face open space, but as I attacked all weekend, I was happy.

So….

Game 1 – Wayne Dare with Early Hungarian.

Ahh a mounted army, just want I wanted to avoid. And yes not a single foot target for me – maybe we should hide in our camp. But after having another player pointing out how lucky Wayne was to have such a poor opponent with such a useless army I thought I ought to do something more effective.

I attacked and the Hungarians put down a road along their base line with a BUA on a hill and a couple of other gentle hills. One of which fell in my centre sector near the edge (which was the most important bit of terrain in the game).

So I deployed with my camp behind the hill, the micro command on the hill, my two Roman commands to the right of the hill and the Arabs all the way on the right flank.

The Hungarians deployed 3 commands of large numbers of light horse, with the left most (from my position) having a load of Kn O and S and facing open plain and the others having Cv(S).

So to get the ball rolling the Arab camels launched themselves at the LH opposite them, the centre Legion rolled forward and the flank legion wheeled towards the oncoming horseman on their unprotected left flank.

The Hungarians then threw themselves at the microcommand on the hill and died in droves, the Arabs eventually caught the LH and gave them a good kicking. The Legions though had taken a leaf out of Crassus’ book and were getting mugged. But even mugged Bd can still be and anvil for a brave Cv general. With 2 of the Hungarian commands on the brink of collapse and my LH on the edge of the Hungarian BUA and baggage I managed to set up a double overlapped LH(F) with to take the command. Then forgot to move the (obviously not very brave) general in to do the frontal attack. My gallant opponent even pointed this out to me and I still didn’t remember to make the move.

Of course at this point my CinC finally went down under a pile of LH along with his command. Luckily so did both flank Hungarian commands taking the army 8-2 to me and 26 points for the Senate and People of Rome.

 

Game 2 Simon Hall with something unpronounceable

This game basically amounted to ‘Help I can’t breath at this altitude’ as Simon handed me a total spanking with some fiendishly cunning manoeuvres (well they looked it to me). And very pleasant it was too. Always nice to be beaten by a scholar and a gent.

I invaded down a road with steep hills which I was shocked to find full of Ax(S) waiting at the top for me.

My camels then succumbed to 2 bw and my army seemed to spend the whole time pined and then, well, punched.

 

Game 3 Trevor Cooper with Russ

To Wb or not to Wb – should it be nobler to use the Arabs to kill any LH ally and then get behind the spear of go in through the front.

Well I had just spent the last week painting the blighters, and there could be a Polish Ally with Bw, so out come the Galatians.

So a cluttered board with a WW on my left and a few bits of difficult going, with 2 large and important rough hills falling on the Russ side in the central sector and on the opposite flank to the water way.

The Russ filled the gaps between the terrain with supported Sp and a Pecheneg ally hiding behind the lines and one command of Sp on the central rough hill.

The might Romans chose the right flank and massed all 3 large commands pointing at the gap between the 2 steep hills with the Wb in the centre and the now familiar hope nobody makes it round the flank too quickly.

So with the off the Bd and Wb throw themselves at the Spear between the hills, and a load of Ax(S) , (O) and Ps head off to point out the folly of putting Spear in the rough.

The Sp kink in the face of the Galatians, cunningly revealing a flank to the Bd who take advantage and start rolling up the line. The Galatians then show their disdain for kinks and go in anyway.

My pips are dreadful and the Russ have 2 6s in nearly every bound.

The Pechenegs run round the flank by the waterway and start to look worrying while most of the sp remove themselves from the terrain.

By bound 10 the micro blade command had disappeared under a pile of LH and the Russ had lost the kinked command to the first ranks of the Galatians and the Legions. The rest of the Galatians were trying to turn towards the flanking Sp command, but wb don’t manoeuvre that well. With only 1 or 2 elements taken from the central Russ command and no other Roman casualties we decided to finish as last bound was called. At which point the Thracian Ax(S) had a rush of blood to the head and proceeded to chop up the sp and Ps in the rough taking 8 out of the 8.5 needed.

5-5 with nightfall saving the Russ

 

So off to the bar and far too much beer and talking bolux.

 

Game 4 Andy Ellis with LPIA (after a night spent on what felt like a plank of wood on bricks – hooray for British boarding schools)

List B as I was too scared of the Bw potential to bring out the Cm.

A few bits of camel friendly terrain and the armies came out to play.

I had my wb on the flank, then 2 Big commands filling the distance to the centre, and my micro command in reserve.

The Arabs deployed with a big Cv and Ax command opposite the Wb, then Bd(O) in the middle and more Ax and LH on the open flank.

The Romans decided to be very subtle and attack everywhere at the same time. The Wb beat up the Ax while the Arab cav failed to make much impact on the combined LH and Cv of the Galatians and the Roman sub general. Things got worse for them as the dice really didn’t like Andy that morning and every half chance went my way, while Andy’s opportunities failed on the dice.

Eventually both flank commands went down to heavy infantry piling into Ax(O). 10-0 and a Triumph in Rome.

 

Game 5 Andrew Wilcox with Christian Nubian

Hmm Wb and Cm(S). After a hurried rules reference re do Cm(S) ride down Bd(O) like they used to (no thank Jupiter) I was ready with my Wb to face the Camules of doom.

Deployment is where it all went wrong. The Nubians put Cm, LH and Bw on each flank and Wb(F) in the middle. Rather than following plan A of hit one flank with the entire army, I tried to hit both flanks at the same time. This was not a good idea as it left a big hole in the middle with only to Cv(O) to protect the Wb flank from rampaging CmS.

So we tried to attack, then chickened out, then got on to it again. Basically I broke every rule of generalship – change the plan at the last minute, change your mind about the advisability of plan B, and leave your flanks hanging in the wind.

Andy took advantage of all these stupidities and punished the Legions for their temerity of getting to table 13 on the last game of a comp. 10-0 and exile for me.

Well I am a poor player with a useless army after all.