So, it’s been a while. I’m sorry about that. At the beginning of April, I started a new job, which has taken up a lot of my time. Combined this with a few weeks of not playing games for various reasons, and you don’t blog. It's also up to a nearly 1000 views which I find quite exciting.
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| Games were played with giant floating space triangles |
However, this is now resolved. My painting has been going on, much as it always has, and I’ve now passed three hundred painted models this year. I’m currently 34 ahead of schedule which is nice. Other recent highlights of the year have been a trip to Salute and an influx of models for that American War*
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| The trees are alive with the sound of war. |
And the reason for this next post, the second battle in Warlord Games’ Hail Caeser supplement, Germania. Escape from Aliso. The two John’s and I were the Germans, whilst Jim, Ben and Terry were the Romans.
As you can see from the photos’ we had a road running, more or less, straight through the diagonal of the board, which the Romans would advance through. Whilst the Germans waited for the opportune moment to jump out and give them a good bashing.
Turn 1
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| Right lad, at the double, quick march. |
The Romans set off down the wooded path, careful of what the night time shadows may hold. Terry, commanding Lucius Caedicius, made a quick dash down the road, leaving his two other divisions far behind. Jim lead his men through the thick undergrowth, hoping to find the Germans and give them a good taste of Roman steel.
Meanwhile, due to a misunderstood order, Ben's troops milled around at the back, until we remembered that the Romans were drilled and on a road, and so were able to make one move.
Meanwhile, the Germans moved forward. The scenario is all about a surprise attack of three German warbands. To do this, the scenario gives you six cards, one for each warband and three fakes. To try and give the Roman players the element of doubt.
Turn 2
Deep in the heart of the forest, Terry became a bit cagey and, jumping at shadows, ordered his men into battle lines, with the veterans, showing the less experienced troops how to do things, moved
forward. |
| Wait, did you hear that! |
In another part of the Forest, Jim moved his troops forward, hampered by the low hanging branches. Ben rolled well and his men moved forward, hoping to catch up with Terry before it was too late.
Sadly, Ben had missed the opportunity and Jim had moved forward, bringing John S and my warbands into play. We held back, not ready to charge, but letting off our best blood-curdling scream and in John's case a flight of arrows, none of which did any damage.
Turn 3
Caedicius got his men ready to charge in. He ordered his regulars to reform and charge forward. Whilst the veterans, were eager to charge forward to put the Germans to a quick end. However, a serious of bad dice rolls left Terry with only the regulars reforming to face their foes. In other parts of the forest Jim and Ben advance forward, but were delayed and so Caedicius was left to face the Germans on his own.
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| And on 3, charge. 1... 2... 3 |
However, he had a secret weapon. A battery of Scorpio's that opened fired on my skirmishers, causing two wounds.
The Germans charged. It was a simple plan. After much discussion, John S was going to charge his cavalry was going to charge the recently reformed regulars in the flank, whilst I charged into the front. John got
his cavalry in, but I fell short, only able to shout abuse at my victims. There was some good news in that one of my units was able to support John in his combat. Probably by shouting some obscenity at the Romans.
Our shooting phase was a mixed bag. I tried to damage the artillery with my skirmishers but failed to get past the armour. Meanwhile, John was able to hit and wound Terry's veterans. Twice. Terry rolled his dice and got a double 1. Good and bad news for the Romans. Terry's role had damaged and disordered his veterans but had brought on a unit of cavalry, which appeared behind my warband.
The combat was a quick and brutal affair with John causing four wounds on Terry's unit to his one in return. The unit broke and was destroyed. First blood to the Germans.
Victory Points
Romans: 0 Germans: 7
Turn 4
Terry tried to charge his veterans into combat, but because of their disordered nature, they were going nowhere. His other units, including the recently arrived cavalry, were helpless to do anything. Meanwhile in the darkness of the forest, Jim's orders became confused and his division began to discuss what to do. Meanwhile, Ben, seeing the peril of his comrades, raced forward, but was still too far away to do any help.
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| Parley..... |
With a lucky shot, taking the head of one of my skirmishers clean off, Terry added another wound and had now disordered my skirmishers. It was now time for the German turn, and for the Romans to form ranks and wait for the inevitable onslaught.
And come it did, with John moving two of his three units into combat with the Veterans. With his cavalry charging into the side, taking my supporting unit with them.
I manoeuvred my units under initiative whilst hoping that my commander, would be able to rally the skirmishers. However, a bad d
ice roll later and they were left in their unhealthy state. John M carried on advancing under, the cover of darkness, towards Jim.
Despite being disordered, my skirmishers were able to wound and disorder Terry's Scorpio's. I feel that this is fair recompense.
However, all eyes turned to the combat in the centre of the table. Terry's closed ranks. The Romans were pelted from all sides with attacks, with 17 hits getting through. However, Terry's dice rolling was good and he managed to save 11 of them. However, in return, he was only able to cause one wound on John's warband. The Romans were cut down to a man, and Terry's division was now broken. John's warband, buoyed by their success, moved forward, getting ready for their next encounter with an enemy.
Victory Points
Romans: 0 Germans: 21
Turn 5
Being broken, Terry's division began to retreat. The recently arrived cavalry retreated off the board edge, leaving no sign of their presence behind. With the other units heading towards the nearest board edge.
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| This is my line, there are many lines like it. But, this one is mine |
Hearing the screams in the wood, orders were given and Jim and Ben's division formed a line in the wood. Despite retreating, Terry tried to shoot my skirmisher again, but in the retreat the sights had taken a knock and the bolt landed harmlessly in the woods somewhere. Jim was also able to shoot at John S's cavalry which hit and disordered them.
At this point, John M's forces appeared, and the three German players moved their forces towards the two remaining divisions. John S shot at the archers and was able to score a disordering hit on them.
Victory Points
Romans: 0 Germans: 28
Turn 6
In an act of cowardice, Ben and Jim both fell back, increasing the gap between the two forces, and making the Roman line more compact. Meanwhile, Terry kept retreating towards the board edge. Still taking the pot shots with his Scorpios. This time, one of my warbands had strayed into his line of sight, and he was able to disorder them.
This was it, the turn for the mass charge. The three Germans players got together and planned who was going where, and we let John S start, as he had the bigger division. One blunder later and our plan ground to a halt. Though I was able to move my skirmishers forward for a better line of sight.
Victory Points
Romans: 0 Germans: 28
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| Now, one three lads, we charge. |
Turn 7
There was much discussion between the two Roman commanders about what to do and in the end, knowing that the Germans were over one move away, they held their ground, waiting for the enemy to come to them.
Meanwhile, Terry's division was now nearing the board edge, and his civilians, worth ten victory points to us, left the table. However, his Scorpio's and Jim's archers did try to shoot at us, but the darkness was playing havoc with their shots and they fell short.
This time, we decided to play it a little safe and moved forward only one move. Jo
hn S let rip with his archers, hitting Jim's archers again, and causing another wound on them.
Victory Points
Romans: 0 Germans: 38
Turn 8
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| I say, Sir, there are quite a lot of them. |
On one part of the table, the Romans were unmoving, playing a game of who will break first and charge, with the Germans. In other parts, they were high-tailing it off the board as quickly as humanly possible, when stopping to take pot shots.
However, this waiting game carried on. Each side, waiting for someone to blink. However, my skirmishers were now close enough to lob some javelins at one of Ben's unit's which caused a wound. Whilst on the other side, John M did the same trick, but went one better, and caused a disordering wound onto one of Jim's units.
Victory Points
Romans: 0 Germans: 38
Turn 9
Sensing someone was going to break, and charge forward, Jim pulled his lightly armoured archers to the back ranks and moved forward a unit of Legionaries. Whilst Terry moved further and further towards the board edge.
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| This can't go wrong, can it? |
And in a blink of an eye, the Germans charge forward, John S and I were able to make contact with the enemy units led by Ben, but John M fell a little short. This allowed his units to throw a variety of missiles at Jim' causing four hits, two of which got through the tough Roman armour, and disordered
the unit, twice.
John S also allowed his commander to join the cavalry and was able to rally them. But with that, it was time for combat. Ben ordered his men to form ranks, but against John it was not good enough and he lost 4-3 and retreated disordered with John following up. However, against me, Ben had better dice rolling, and my units were beaten off and I retreated disordered with Ben hot on my heels.
Victory Points
Romans: 0 Germans: 38
Turn 10
Thier was precious little movement from the Romans, with the enemy close at hand, but Terry carried on towards the board edge and with his last shot, finally got the final wound on my skirmishers, breaking them.
Ben's troops slammed into my disordered warbands, and when the dust had settled down, had destroyed two of them and the third was hurrying away as quickly as possible. Remember that they had left the gas on. The centurion was heard muttering, "tu tantum vivere bis"
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| It's getting tense down there. |
Jim, also shouting out this new latin motto had charged into John s's forces and was able to hack their way to a victory, but the combat carried on.
With a broken division in my hands, all I could do was fall back. Things had, in the last turn, gone from looking good to looking decidedly iffy. However, fearing no interloper, the two John's charged forward into combat.
In this whirling mass of combat, John M took on Jim and won, with Jim holding his ground and muttering something about "this is my line. there are many lines like it, but this line is mine". Jim fought John S. This time, Jim comes out on top and wins the combat, shaking John S's unit and causing them to retreat.
Finally, Ben fought John S and lost, retreating in good order. The Romans were starting to fight back but were not moving towards the exit point and the victory points that it brings.
Victory Points
Romans: 0 Germans: 38
Turn 11
An important turn for the German Tribesmen as Terry finally retreated off the board edge, giving us another 22 points. Meanwhile, having taken some damage, both Ben and Jim decide to use their commander to rally some of their men. Ben was able to make this role, but Jim was unable to.
The ongoing combat between Jim and John S carried on, with Jim gaining the upper hand, but John as going nowhere.
As I continued to head home, my job done for the day. John M charged into Jim and was also able to get a flank charge in the ongoing combat between Jim and John S. Meanwhile, John S, seeing the vacant hole, from where I had been, charged into Ben's forces, which his commander was hiding in, with his commander led cavalry.
In the three-way combat, Jim closed ranks, and by doing so, was able to win the combat, however, the Germans were going nowhere.
Jim then lost horribly against John M, taking many hits that left both of his units shaken. With the benefit of charging in John S, was able to hurt Ben's unit with Ben unable to do much in return. Both players were unable to kill each other's commanders. However, both sides then retreated in good order.
Victory Points
Romans: 0 Germans: 60
Turn 12
The final turn was here, the Romans were hanging on, but it was getting to the wire. Both Jim and Ben were able to rally their units, with Jim taking a wound of a unit that was now no longer shaken.
There was only one combat to be decided, and that was the swirling mass between the two Johns and Jim. The dice rolled poorly for Jim and his unit broke, only to find the Germans were faster and they were massacred to the last man.
As we began our last turn, my men retreated again, but stayed on the table, which in the case of the skirmishers, was only just. John S charged his men forward, taking a unit of skirmishers and archers as support into Jim. And on the other flank, he charges Ben again with commander led cavalry.
However, this was a wise choice, as the combat was a draw, four wounds apiece, but to John's Commander's horror, one of the Romans blows crashed into him, shattering the skull, killing him instantly. Which loses the combat to the Germans.
In the other combat, the Romans get the upper hand, but the unit become shaken, and with that every Roman unit was now shaken. The game was over. The Germans had won.
Victory Points
Romans: 0 Germans: 67
It was a fun game, and could have gone very differently. Roman legionaries are very hard to damage in face to face combat. To do maximum damage, you really need to charge them in their flanks.
I also think that, by charging ahead, Terry let himself get separated and he should have waited for the others to catch him up.
So, that's it for now. I hope you enjoyed the game. It was a lot of fun to play.
David.
* That American War: An alternative name for a war that took place between 1860 and 1865 and by planning to play it has seen the demise of two gaming venues. Its true name must now case of breaking the world.
not be spoken in