HEAVIES TAKE ON THE LIGHTS

 

This time it was our third crusader game and we had the Romans face the Nunimides. Points value was 2000 pts roughly.

Roman Army.

1 Army commander.

2 units of regular legions of 4 bases each.

1unit of green legions 4 bases.

2 units of skirmish of 4 bases each.

2 Units of Roman Cavalry of 4 bases each.

1 unit of Auxiliaries 4 bases.

1 scorpion.

Nubians Army.

1 Army commander.

1 unit of noble Cavalry of 4 bases.

1 unit of Season skirmish cavalry of 5 bases.

2 unit of skirmish cavalry of 6 bases.

2 unit of Warriors of 6 bases.

2 unit of Trained Warriors of 6 bases.

   Sunday Game: Greg came over a bit before 1PM for our 28mm Ancients game using the Crusader rules. I played the Romans, and he played the Barbarians…mainly Nubians. He had a 500+ point unit of Noble cavalry that died against my Regular Legionnaires, but the rest of the story was less rosy. These Nubian light horse javelin throwers of his were a pain. I kept getting casualties from them but they always retreated when I tried to close with them. In the centre I won a few & lost a few. He finally destroyed my left flank, my bolt thrower hardly hurt anyone, and all my lights were soon dead. Having no other obvious strategy, I tried to force his lighter forces off the table. This actually succeeded in several cases, but near game end I was down to my catapult & 1 Legion. The Legion cut its way off the Northern board edge & the Catapult retired off the south. Victory to Greg the Barbarian!!!!!

   An excellent little game. Luck was about equal. We both managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on many occasions. Good laughs as well, despite the tragedy of the situation. How can a warband get forced back by a catapult crew? How can Legionnaires die like flies in front of light horse or a disordered armed mob? Thanks for running it Greg, and we even got some “low angle” photos this time. I’ll put them up next week, though doubtless Greg will be faster on his blog( http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bundygamers/).

 

Yes it was a very interesting game and fun, which is want war gaming is about.

Any ways may the dice roll high.

Greg

CRUSADER

 

On the 4th, we played a game of Crusader and I took the pictures and Britt wrote the report(thanks Britt).

Greg came over about 12:30PM for our weekly game. Today it would be 28mm Ancients using the “Crusader” rules & his nicely painted up 28mm hard plastic Romans and Celts. An innovation this week was the introduction of 2 units of Cavalry to both sides in our Roman Civil War. Terrain was all about…mainly low hills…but the only bits that affected the battle were the town near the centre and its adjacent orchard and a steep hill on Greg’s left that he kept evading his light infantry into.

   Things started off as usual…Greg threw ‘snake eyes’ for initiative, and the battle was on. I had my cavalry on both flanks, which soon died after several unsuccessful attacks on Auxiliaries & a Legion (horses are hard to keep controlled). This also kept my main army from moving much as this caused me to loose the initiative. Greg’s cavalry attacks were more successful, and even wiped out my ‘Green” legion before both died. With all cavalry dead, we could now start the battle!

   “Who are you, and what have you done with Greg?” One of the many joys of playing with Greg is that his luck is as bad as mine, usually. So what was going on? He was rolling 6’s on a D6 like that’s all they had, and three 0’s on 3 D10???? What the h@#@! ?  He explained that these were his normal D&D rolls, and since he hadn’t played last night, they were coming out here. Actually, by game end, he was only a bit ahead luck-wise….but it just wasn’t Greg!

   On went my Legions of Terror! We got held up in the town when his lights forced back mine. I sent in my Heavies for support, but with the death of my rightmost legion and the temporary retreat of his lights, this strategy had to be abandoned. The death of my General as we fought an opposing legion didn’t exactly help matters.

   In the end I was down to but one Legion. It tried to cut its way out, but was instead surrounded. Desperate men fought valiantly, but soon the Standard wavered and then fell. All was lost.

   Victory to Emperor Gregorus Caesar!!!!

   Great game Greg. Thanks for getting all the minis & rules as well as the organization done….and for being a fun opponent as well. We’ll be at “Crusader” next Sunday. Anyone who’d like to join in is more than welcome.

   Happy gaming everyone, Britt

ENJOY AND HOPE THE DICE ROLL HIGH FOR YOU.

GREG

First Game of Crusader

On the 20th, we played a game of Crusader and I took the pictures and Britt wrote the report(thanks Britt).

Greg arrived today at about 1PM, bearing a new set of rules to try (Crusader) as well as his beautifully painted 28mm hard plastic Romans that you’ve probably seen pictures of on his blog. I had set up some terrain ( a line of woods on my left flank, a few hills near our table edges) which played little part in this Roman Civil War battle. We had identical forces. I placed my 2 Veteran Legions in a deep formation in my centre with 2 Skirmisher units in front of them. To my left were my Green Legion and my right held the Auxiliaries. Greg’s (Pompey’s) force was deployed in a thinner line, overlapping me on both flanks. The forces were about the same, but his skirmishers were placed on either flank…a major concern to me throughout the game.

   The game was mainly to learn the rules and have a bit of fun. Both sides moved forward, and those flanking Skirmishers of Pompey began to remind me of Cannae . My skirmishers managed to kill a base of Legionnaires in the centre, leaving them shaken. Greg’s Auxiliaries attack my Green Legion, but it routs them. My skirmishers fire, then retire behind my Veteran Legions who then charge their opposite numbers. My deeper formations win the day (but we later learn I should have been using fewer dice). My Green Legion pursues Pompey’s Auxiliaries. The enemy Skirmishers are now even with both my flanks. A cause for concern! Pompey’s charge on my left Veteran Legion, comes to naught, and it routs back.

   But then things started to fall apart. My Veteran Legions attacked his shaken one, but he not only held, he threw me back Shaken as well. Pompey then makes a drive on my right with his Legion pushing back my Auxiliaries and his skirmishers inflicting missile casualties on them. Repeated attacks in the centre failed to budge Pompey’s Legions, but finally one died and then his Auxiliaries. Luck (or my tactical dice rolling skill?), saved my Auxiliaries but I lost a Legion. The two Skirmishers now shot it out, and Pompey’s loss here caused that Great General to call it a day. Caesar should be back in Rome in time for the “Ides of March”! My friend Brutus says he has a surprise for me.

   This was an excellent learning game and many thanks to Greg for buying and learning all the Crusader rules as well as teaching them to me. Those 28mm Roman minis were a nice aspect of the game. Very easy on the eyes! Next Sunday we should be doing another Crusader game, this time with some Cavalry.

The pictures below are in no order, I wish I had taken more.

 

Any ways, may the dice roll high for you.

Greg