Late Roman Midgard

 Today we had Rhod back with us (he had been busy with family the last few weeks) and he brought his newly finished Late Romans (10mm figures - yet another scale we now play in!)

We were trying Rhod's army lists, so used identical armies to test the classifications. Nominally, Phil and I were the Western Empire, while Lawrence and Rhod used the Eastern troops.

The Eastern Empire forces, Legions in the centre with Cavalry and light troops on each wing.

I commanded the Westerners left wing, 3 units of Legionarii, one formed Archer units, 2 bow armed Skirmishers and some light Javelin armed cavalry.

I rapidly got my cavalry and Light Infantry forward in an attempt to seize the wood ahead of the Easterners.

Phil advanced his cavalry wing supported by more Formed Archers and his Cataphracti.

Rhod had advanced his Skirmishers and Light Cavalry, but my Skirmishers had failed to get second moves so I was still short of the wood, I therefore flung my Light Cavalry in and attack with my Hero, and even had my Armenian Legion in support, I was playing safe, what could go wrong?...

Phil had charged his Equites onto their opposite numbers, his light Cavalry into the wood on the right, but his Light Cavalry charged the enemy lights, who evaded successfully, so Phil's light hit the Eastern Cataphracts!

Phil's Eguites beat the Easterners, but on his 'Risk to Heroes' roll threw 'Snake Eyes'. Phil saved one 'One', but the C-in-C was injured!

The Light Cavalry had no chance against the Cataphracts, especially as they got to counter charge.

The Light Cavalry caused no damage and melted away!

In a second round of Melee, Phil got ANOTHER 1 on his 'Risk' roll and the C-in C died!, at least his Equite unit routed the Eastern Equites!

Phil charged his Cataphracti into the enemy ones, and the Light Cavalry from the wood charged the Eastern Cataphracts in flank too!

As expected, the Westerners won!

Lawrence had charged the Western Equites with 2 Light Cavalry units, but Phil won!

Next to the big cavalry battle, Phil's formed Archers fought Lawrences, and again, Phil lost his Champion to a random arrow!

Back on my wing, my Light Cavalry were destroyed, despite my preparations!, fortunately, my Skirmishers had driven the enemy from my wood and were pursuing.

My Skirmishers failed to hit the enemy Skirmishers, with their Hero, but the other unit destroyed the Light Cavalry which had beaten mine so completely!

Phil had 'Got in' with his Equites on the second Eastern Light Cavalry unit, and also had his Light Cavalry in as a secondary unit!. He also charged his Cataphracti into the Eastern Formed Archers.

Phil's Equites, of course, destroyed the Eastern Light Cavalry. The Eastern Hero fled to the centre!

Rhod had given his Legionarii and Archers the 'Replacements' trait...

...so the Cataphractarii were now fighting a fresh Legion.

The Legion made short work of the blown Western Cataphractarii!

At this point, a turn end, we found the Eastern army had 1 Reputation left, whereas the Westerners had -1 with the loss of the Equites Cataphractarii 

Ah well, at least we Westerners had a moral victory. We mainly lost due to my Light Cavalry loss early in the game, and the unlucky loss of both of Phil's Heroes!

It was a fun game though, so really we all won!

Christmas Lullubi?

Today we were doing Midgard again, but this time going back to the Ancient Sumerians. In the past we had done inter state wars, but I recently finished my Zagros Highlanders (a Lullubi and Gutian force). This was therefore one of the many raids made by the mountain tribes into the Sumerian plains. I got Lawrence to play alongside while Phil got Tony with the Sumerians.

Amazingly, We both did 'Omens' for our forces, we got a '6' and the Sumerians a '1' which meant our starting Rep was 15 and the Sumerians 8! Surely this would be a walk over for the barbarians...!?

My left wing, 2 units of Slingers and 2 of Javelinmen, alongside 4 units of Gutian warriors.

In the centre, a thin line of Lullubi warriors.

Lawrence had a mix of Lullubi Archers and Javelinmen, and 4 units of Lullubi warriors.

Tony, opposite Lawrence had a wing of 'Nim' archers and slingers.

The Sumerian centre was a solid line of spearmen.

Phil, on their right, had the Battle Carts with a slinger unit flanking his half of the spearmen.

The Sumerians.

My light infantry was a bit slow getting forward, as were my warriors, as they side stepped to back them up.

As we had agreed, Lawrence also sent his lights forward on the flank, to overwhelm the Sumerian 'Nim' (light infantry, it means 'Flies' in Akkadian!).

The Sumerians were able to occupy the wood first.

My wing was trying to outflank the Sumerian right and overwhelm the troops there with numbers.

Lawrence was trying to destroy the Nim facing him, before committing his warriors.

Lawrence soon had the Sumerian Nim Javelinmen on the run!

Tony detached a spear unit to chase away the victorious Lullubi archers.

On my wing, I made a mistake awaiting the enemy slingers, as Phil committed his Battle Carts in as well!

My dice failed and I did no damage before getting run over!

Lawrence continued driving the Sumerians out of the wood.

The Sumerian centre advanced, keener to engage our centre before our wings could win and outflank them.

Lawrence was crushing Tony's light troops!

My Gutian warriors beat a Sumerian spear unit, but my light troops were fencing round the Sumerian Carts, which I could not damage for toffee! I felt like I was facing elephants!!!

The Sumerian centre approached our withdrawn centre.

Lawrence was finishing off the Sumerians in the wood.

Phil detached more spears from his centre - his slingers beat mine as he cleverly put his Commander in Chief in support, potentially risky, but it paid off!

Back with Lawrence, his archers were damaging the Sumerian spearmen.

His other archers massacred the Sumerian Hero leading their light infantry.

Unfortunately, his other bow unit was caught by the spear unit, but did well in the melee!

The Sumerians caught one of my Gutian warrior units, I caused no damage to them, but Phil got over the 8 hits he needed to destroy me!

My other Gutians broke a Sumerian unit supporting Phil's Carts.

My slingers routed, no surprise!

My supporting Warriors destroyed the cocky Sumerian slingers, but my warriors were destroyed too, having taken damage supporting my slingers!

At great cost, I had now isolated the Battle carts.

I suicide charged my weakened unit into the flank of another Sumerian warrior unit.

In the centre, our units were now engaged by the Sumerian centre.

Lawrence managed to support his archers against the left wing Sumerian spear unit.

Sadly, the archers didn't survive.

Lawrence's lights were now getting into the Sumerian rear.

The Sumerians were a tough lot for the lightly equipped Lullubi!

Lawrence's 2 units of spears managed to break an isolated Sumerian unit.

Our centre units were getting beaten elsewhere, another unit lost!

I tried charging the Battle Carts with a warrior unit! - another great roll from Phil and my unit was destroyed!

Another of Lawrence's warrior units broke too.

...and another!

Phil's Battle Carts took out my Javelinmen, I again only got 2 hits, not enough to damage them, and his general wasn't injured either, which had been my hope!

At the end of this turn, our Lullubi had zero reputation, our centre had been almost destroyed!

Both sides had suffered on my wing!

Those Battle Carts were the star of the show though, I don't know how they did it!

Ah well, one up for civilisation I suppose!