Well, I promised I worte the entire rpeort.. I hope not to be so long, but I enjoyed much, I hope you too:
TURN I BRITONS
Celts had the intiative, so firts Ventomarus ordered all his army to go attack with a pretty good esful division order, so all warriors moved 2 steps forward. I identifed all unjits so that the Action can be clearly followed by you..
Sadly, Chariots were not close enoguh to reach the roman cavalry, they had need anothe rmovmeent step. (The picture shows the immediate situation when the roman cavalry charged them!)
TURN 1 ROMANS
Tribune Audax was aware, he was in inferiority.. The soldiers were ordered to keep in position, excpet the auxiliary cavalry which received order to attack the incoming chariots
The scorpions shot at long range to the attacking warband, making some casualty of them.. first blood of the day...
The tiny skirmishing unit could not hit anything
The romans had charegd, but the celtic chariot had the option also to countercharge, so everypne attacked with an extra +1 in the dice !!! It was a big crash! The romand had the worst part taking 3 causalties; britons took 1.
Roman had lost by 2 but they bravely passed the break test with "Hold the ground /no penalty"
As barbarians were approaching, Centurio Quintus Aelius on the right (Centuria I) relaized they were positioned closer to h attackers than Centuria II..
That meant , they were to hold the attack first.. Was it a plan of the Tribune?
Tribune M. Audax was realizing the same at the same time.. actually he had not noticed that...It could be a bad new but also an opportunity..
TURN 2 BRITONS
Ventomarus gave orders and again 2 movements for anyone,
The Warband on the right went for the skirmishers, they were bloodthirsty.. The poor auxiliary archers tried to make closing shots but they ere totally shattered and detroyed...
The other warband ran to get in contact with the romans... But as the roman offcers had noticed, only left warband had enough movement to charge againdt Centuria I on the roman right...
So there was a clas on the roman right, whole the central warband and the II cneturia woroked as supports adding their short range attacks to tehe main fight
Although the britons had a super clash attack of 9 dice with possibility of three re-roll, the results were quite goot for the romans (specially because they had an advantage to be on uphill defensive position, they used the pila and they had better loricae and scutum than the celts) so britons took 3 casualties and romans only 1.. Roman Warfare was succesfull ....
The britons had to test for Brak and they had to "retreat disrodered togehter with supports", that meaning, the first heavy briton attack wave was resisted...
Audax gave orders to the legionaries not to follow the retrrating enemy and keep defensive upper positions.. it had helped certainly a lot...
The Warbands left an central resulted disorderedm so they could not make moves next turn...chief Ventomarus lookd angry to his druids.. What was happening there????
At the briton left flank, the romans took 3 further causalties by none of the chariots... so the cavalry got shaken...
..And got a "break" result in the Test.. So they fled form the filed after wearing more battle load than expected
The celtic champions on the chariots were exultant and eager for more Glory!!!
So at the end of briton turn, things were still not critical for romans but they had both flanks exposed...
ROMAN TURN 2
Marcus Audax was in delicate position,,,,
Tje legionaries had fought well in the center (or had they just luck?), but the fast chariots were threatening this right and a buig warband flanking form the left--.
He had to think anything.. and time was running!!
Then he took a critical decision for the battle.. As the central attack was temporarily contained, he ordered centurio Sextus Vorenus on the left to turn furthe rleft to wait the warband attack...
At the same time, Centuria I of Aelius on the right was also ware of the danger.. So the unit made one "initiative move" (allowed if close to enemy as they were after engagement) without risking a failure,
Centurio said to his men "
Form a deffensive Square"
Then they could have a defensive bonus for any upcoming attack in any direction, but too less offensive capacity.. Aelius was really an old war surviving fox from battles in Britania, Judea, Germania and even against other romans in Italia as well...
All shots from the scorpions were missed.. At least they made the clets to keep the heads low... No further roman action this turn...
TURN 3 BRITONS
Chief Ventomarus was dissapointed for the previuos central poor clash, but also at the same point anxious because of having a good bet on the flanks, even if roman invaders were trying to face the new attackers there with their ridicule and coward maneouvers...
The center could not work as two warbands were trying to reorganise again during the turn, but he put faith on flanks.. Orders were dispatched (3 movement steps!) and Chariots turned and rode fast to reach and attack the roman square in the left
..He was again very overconfident, as uphill position, roman closing ranks and the arrow of pila made 2 Casualties on the chariots agains 1 on the romans...
Previously winnning Chariots now become defated and broken, riding away from the battlefield..
.
Ventomraus started to get full with anger, while Druids told them to be patient and wait for the result on the right... The fresh warriors form the right charged uphill to clash against the also fresh legionaries of Vorenus...
And once again good dice and the strategy and training advantage gave the victory to the roman legion: 2 celtic cadsualties to 1 roman
The warband had a result of "Retreat in disorder"..
So the third turn was actually bad fot the celts: charits had fled and the last warband was also retreting disordered and out of combat next round.. At least the left and centralwarband recovered for next turn
Ventomarus was furious and started to ay blasphewmies against all gods, druid could not answer this time-...
Both roman infantry units remained in position and started to feel a boost of Morale.
They had resisted already three briton attacks.. God Mars was helping them!!!!!!!
TURN 3 ROMANS
Audax was happy, the briton attacks were resited again, but enemy units were still strong and if they won time they could organise a better coordinated attack and finish the brave but small roman remaining army..
So this time it wa sbetter to exploit the previous sucess.. He gave orders..but he failed with a 6+5!! fortunately he could re -roll as he was the army general... So The units got 3 movemements...
And then came the second an last critical (and as we will see, also polemic) decision of the battle..
He ordered the left centuria of Vorenus to turn again to better face a quite probable attack from the briton centre, and then to the right centuria or Aelius... to disfrom quickly the defensive square t adopt battl eline, and then charge down the hill to take the recently re-ordered warband in a violent attack!!
Centurio Aelio could not believe that
"the tribune is mad! We aren´t able to do that "
NOTE-(Actually old veteran Aelio was right as the rules do not allow that!! I did not relaize while thinking the movmeent, i just knew it after watching the rules again afer the battle,,
but for the narrative, at the very moment this unexpected roman counter attack was quite Epic to me!!!! )
But well, in that moment, the Gods were with Rome and the legionaries were incredibly fast to remake the battle line and charge the britons!!
And wthat a violent clash!!! Both units got shaken.... But romand had inflcited 7 casualties against 4 !! So they won the fight and make the left warband break!!
With divine help, Rome gave a heavy stroke to the enemy army!!!
Aelius could not believe what whad happened..they had won, but they had supported many causalties.. The century stopped to take care of wounded and reorganise the line,, they could not attack again for the rest of the battle..And still many barbarians in front of them...
llllll
TURN 4 BRITONS
Chief Ventemarus was losign the faith in the victory and was totallty nervous,,
No thinking much clearly after losing one third of his infantry, he made the central warband attack again uphill!!!! Poor warriors had lost once against the roman defsnese, but they obbeyed with loyalty,
The right warband was disordered but they made and effort and they could anyway support their brothers of centre bthanks to faith on celtic Gods
NOTE. (I believe I did also something wrong here, if disodered, they were suppsoed not to support? Ok another olemic situation here but for the narrative it was extremely good all the time)
The poor skirmishers wich had not made a hit during the whole game were also forced to attack the shaken Centuria I.. t hey could have maybe and advatange becasue of that
It was the last briton offensive effort
And once again the attack was repelled!! Both warbands retreated again disordered
Romans got only 1 casualty!!
Auelius last shaken men could also still destroy the poor skirmishers ,even as weak as they were
Things were aready bad for the celts...
TURN 4 ROMANS
After the incredible suicide fourth celcit attack on the hill, Audax was decided to finish with the game..
They were fighting for hours and the Hill was covered with blood of fallen warriors and corpses...
He succesfully ordered the almost fresh II centuria of Vorenus to charge donw the hill to hit what was remaining of the britons..
Ventomarus saw that he could not longer trust the Gods and that on that day, he could be only victotious or dead together with his brave warrior,s, so he jumped to the middle of the fight to earn his final Glory and adding 3 dice to the last briton battle..
Roman general saw that, and dobuted for a second.. It could still change the fate of the battle!!!!.. he musted encourage their men!! Audax also rode fast to meet the enemy in the last engagement, he did not want to risk 3 dice but only 2...
..Last battle started with even generals fighting
There were again a lot of causalties.. And both generals failed the test of "hitting oficilas"" (the more attacks they make, th emore poribble is they get wounded or dead!)
BOTH GENERALS DIED AT THE SAME TIME IN THAT FIGHT, HAVING WON SUPREME HONOURS FOREVER IN THAT BLOODY HILL (MONS SANGUINUS"!)
It was so much for the remianing fighter... The britons definetely broke and fked from the battleflield..
Both roman strongly weakened legionary units (and the supporting scoprio ) remained as masters of the field... Many dead comrades and a lot of new battle scars for the men of both centurios Quintus Aelius and Sixrtus Vorenus ..
But by Jupiter that briton land was still under Roman Rule!!!
-We have to write a report of this to Governor in Londinium, Sixtus,,,
-Yes Quintus you are right.. but let´ss rest and have a drink first!
