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The Battle of the White Horse - Game 4
After their close victory at the Roman Watch Tower, Hummus Disgustsus' forces were nearly depleted. On their march back to their barracks the surviving few Romans under Disgustsus command learn that Bigus Chickenus was returning from Londonium with fresh legions. Hummus Disgustsus and his ragtag surviving veterans decide to meet up with the Imperial army.
With their two forces combining, the two Roman commanders decided to eradicate the entirety of the Otrix tribe (including any Brtions named Bagotrix. Sackotrix, Boxotrix, Trunkotrix, Pikupstix, Getafix, HaowIgedmaifix, and MyDogLix) and their legionnaires march toward village of Uffington the home of Bagotrix!
Hearing of the news and the defeat of his family members at the Watch Tower, Bagotrix is somehow able to rally his remaining tribe's warbands and seek out an alliance with the Duntomuch and Cantgetenough Tribes. Together with the massive Briton army, Bagotrix and friends march upon the ROman town of Aquabowels to reap their vengeance.
But along the way the two armies come face to face and the Village of Uffington. Let the battle of the White Horse Begin.
This game consisted of 375 Points, our biggest game yet played. In this bout it was Graham and his son Robert that both came out. I was the Romans and they were the Britons. Robert and Graham shared the Briton divisions.
I have lost my own army list... but Graham and Robert's forces were well documented:
Robert 3x warbands
1x med cav
2x small slingers
1x light cav small
Graham 3x warbands
1x chariots
1x fanatics
1x small archers
1x small light cav
1x chariots
2x small slingers
From what I remember: The roman forces contained five units of legionaries, one of them a unit of veterans, Heavy Auxiliary Spear men, Medium Auxiliary Cavalry, archers skirmishers, a medium artillery piece and a scorpion battery.
(I have been very busy in October, and this report's details may not be as fresh in my mind. We played this out about half a month ago. I will do my best to recall based on the photos! Also, our regular gaming place was occupied by another game's tournament, so we switched locations for this game and went to Imaginary Wars in Calgary)
Bagotrix' tribe (division) was controlled by Graham while Robert had reins over the allied force!
The Romans had arrived first and had taken the prehistorical landmark of Uffington's White Horse as their starting position.
On the opposite side of the field, the Celts gather, ready to defend the village!
This battle was situated on the fields just off to the side (maybe west?) of Uffington as you can see in the pictures. Few landmarks between either side stood in the way - The Trees were too thin to offer any real protection in this fight and we did not consider them to be terrain that hindered movement or blocked line of sight.
TURN 1
The Romans began this battle! Bigus Chickenus had his division march forth with one order. Hummus Disgustsus, having recovered somewhat from his wounds suffered in his last battle, had difficulty commanding his side of the field, and the artillery and troops under his command stayed put.
Bagotrix tribesmen, eager for revenge, hastily make their way through the field. Good commands and hearts flaming with vengeful wrath pushed these brave Celts forward ahead of their allies! The allied division of Cantgetenough's and Duntomuches tribesmen managed to get all their troops on the field but their commander did not put as much fervor into his men when compared to Bagtorix' efforts.
TURN 2
Disgustsus division marches up alongside Bigus Chickenus and his legions to make up for lost ground. The Scorpion battery takes the hill and they fire arrows into the oncoming Celts and the artillery forces the Fanatics back. But this is only a momentary setback for the Britons! Disgusts us tries to re-position some of his Romans (seen in next pictures).
The Fanatics turn around and start to march back and refill the ranks they left behind as Roberts forces approach and line right up with the Bagotrix Band... A group of Celtic slingers are able to pummel the Roman Medium Cavalry, causing them to flee back behind the lines!
Likewise, archers from Bagotrix's skirmishing groups force is able to force the Heavy Auxiliary Troops back behind their commander.
TURN 3
Not a whole lot happens in Turn 3 - The Roman skirmishers gather in the centre while the legions under Bigus Chickenus spread out to fill the lost cavalry gaps. The celts under the Cantgetenough tribe fail to follow their orders, but Bagotrix manages to gather all his men into one massive line. Ranged weapons exchange shots on both sides but the Celts end up getting extremely lucky, and somehow drive the Veterans back towards the table edge and cause some decent damage!
Though not yet shown in the picture, some Celtic Cavalry start making their up on to to the Horse Hill and start to threaten the artillery.
TURN 4
The Romans on the left side do not hesitate - they charge the Briton's entire line and the skirmishers join in to support. The Roman forces are able to push back some of the Cantgetenough tribes warriors and chariots, but the rest of the line holds. The Cavalry and Veterans fail their orders and remain at the table's edge!
On the right Flank Hummus Disgustsus is unable to do much and has his Heavy Auxiliary return to the front, ready to hold whatever charges them.
The Celtic Fanatics and other warbands rush in to meet Disgustus' men while skirmishers attach the Scorpion Battery. Bagotrix has one of his Warband Units head towards the engaged warbands to assist them... One of the Celtic Warbands with Chariots in support manage to wipe out a unit of Legionnaires thus leaving no resistance in the centre of the battle!
With such a big gap allowing the Celts to squeeze through it seems that the Romans were now in trouble!
By this time the Artillery on the Roman side had been made useless. The crewmen either had no decent target or they were engaged in combat.
TURN 5
The Romans fight hard and manage to destroy one warband , forcing its chariot support to flee, but the rest of the Celts fight on - they are quite stubborn and remain. The Veterans and Cavalry fail their orders - The Briton's fared much worse as not a single order seemed to have followed through! At least for the Briton's there was much fighting and many Romans were slain. The legionnaires on the far left of the roman side were destroyed..
This turn was a nightmare for Roman's everywhere. Hummus Disgustsus entire division along with he artillery died or fled - the esteemed protector of Skidmarcus Tower himself also lost his life!
On Chickenus' side one legion was surrounded on both flanks and front by swarms of Celts, while on his Right both the Roman forces under his command the Celts tied the combat and they both gave ground together with supports!
TURN 6
A frantic Bigus Chickenus tries to line his Auxiliary Cavalry up for one last charge!
The Cavalry prance about in good order and get ready to throw in a final assault, while the Romans ahead of them seemed lost behind a sea of enemies.
Here the Roman's failed to get any ordering done, as disorder had wrapped its ugly hand around the bruised Romans.
Here the Briton's were dancing around with Hummus Disgustsus' head, flailing it about for all to see there were standing before the Uffington Horse!
The Celts shift about their ranks and begin to completely surround the Roman General and his legions!
TURN 7
The Romans, seeing the waves of Britons preparing to barrel into their lines begin to form up. There would be a last stand ! The brave auxiliary cavalrymen charge into the Briton ranks while the Romans behind enemy lines try to find their ground...
The Roman Cavalry are able to break the Briton's on the far left and break one of their supports... but those pesky slingers simply ran flew back.
The Celts from Bagotrix' tribe clashed hard with the Roman Veterans and were able to beat them back somewhat. Meanwhile, slingers from the Duntomuch tribe pummeled the cavalrymen back a few yards... they really smacked them about! The rest of the Romans took the odd wound from the javelins that the Celts were hurling at them!
TURN 8
The Roman Cavalry moved in to support their veterans and Chickenus joined the battle. The rest of the Roman forces acted on their initiative and were just meandering about the field, lost, hungry, confused, and may have been crying for their mothers.
Yes! With the combined forces of Cavalrymen and their General, the Veterans were able to wipe out one warband!
Turn 9
The Roman Veterans charge the unit that had been previously been supporting their vanquished foe while the Cavalry and the closest Legionnaires tried to form a defensive line around the fighting Veterans and their Commander... The surviving light archers hid behind the soldiers to add in what support they could!
But the Celts weren't having any of that! Mass amounts of Briton's threw themselves at the line!!! Meanwhile, the Romans farthest from the fight took heavy casualties from missile weapons and they all fled.
The Cavalrymen and the Roman Veterans were wiped right off the face of Britannia! Bigus Chickenus fled the scene of the slaughter! His division had lost over two thirds of its forces and all that remained were some light archers and legionnaires fighting off the raging celtic warriors!
And so the game was officially done, but that did not stop the celts from extracting the most revenge possible!
Somehow the light archers and legionnaires were able to beat off their attackers!!! But look!!!
The end came badly for this lot! Being shaken, disordered, and dumbfounded all at once, the surviving Roman forces had no way to escape. The remaining Briton's gathered round the lot in a circle and throw all their throwing weapons and shot all their arrows from every which direction at these legions. The sky was full of arrows, javelins, stones, shoes, heads, and whatever else the celts could throw at them!
Due to the violent nature of the final scene where a sea of missile weapons completely eats the last Romans, we've decided to leave the viewers here with a fine view of Ancient Uffington. Here two celtic damsels exit their fine huts to watch the fight that is happening off in the distance while their little dog sniffs about the yard.
And that ends that!
Sorry that one took awhile to write up. October was a very busy month. This game was played on the 14th and it is now November 4! It was a lot of fun to play two vs one, and finally see a Roman defeat. And it is now 12:41 AM and I am going to bed!
By the way, Bigus Chickenus, the General of this battle, has been demoted to Roman Marching Camp Head privy cleaner due to his cowardliness and having depleted much of Londonium's soldier reserves to only lose badly in this fight. The Briton's taught the Roman invaders a fine lesson!
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