Battle of Angrivarii Boundary 16AD using When Warriors Collide

Introduction

This is game 64 in playing historical scenarios, mostly from the Peter Sides’ booklets.  Originally the idea was to playtest my own rules; game 63 was using an 8x8 grid variant of Phil Sabin’s Phalanx rules.  I found them too chess-like for solo play and so modified them to be chancier. I then realised it was not just chance but more chaos in moving, retiring, charging etc. was required for me to play solo, so decided to see if I could make Rally Round the King work on the 8x8 grid and also not use any markers.  Played a few test games – worked fine but too much dice rolling. Back to 1d6 8x8 gridded DBA but not enough solo friendly mechanisms.  So then created a combo of Phalanx and my solo friendly rules from 2016 that I have played the most – Ancient Battlelines Clash (ABC) verison 2.5 and that was OK.  But then pivoted to using the combat mechanisms for Bill Banks Ancients that I used in an ABC derivative (When Warriors Collide), adding back in a disorder result.  After a few test games I tried it without the grid on a 40cmx40cm board and that seemed to work fine.  So after a few more test games I am back to the Peter Sides scenarios.  These rules are best described as Bill Banks Ancients with lower movement values and some reactions to enemy moves. Will see how long I last using these rules!

Battle of Angrivarii Boundary 16AD

The last battle in the three year Germanicus campaign against a Germanic alliance.  This battle follows on immediately after Idistaviso.  The German alliance is defending a rampart with an ambush in the adjacent woods.

Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Angrivarian_Wall

Campaign description: https://erenow.net/biographies/germanicus-the-magnificent-life-and-mysterious-death/7.php

Troops

Roman

4 HI Legionaries

2 MI Auxilia

2 LI Auxilia

2 HC

1 HI warband

Breakpoint: 8

German

6 HI Warbands

1 HC

Breakpoint: 7

Scenario changes

I reduced the size of the forces to fit on an 40cmx40cm table.

Deployment

The Germans are defending the rampart with bad going to its front, with the cavalry unit hiding in the woods.  The Romans are aware of the ambush and have a unit ready to enter the woods to prevent it.  The rest of the Romans are in two main line to assault the rampart.  Germanicus is with the legion closest to the woods.

Deployment – Romans at the top, Germans at the bottom defending a rampart.  The light brown is bad going.

The Germans are in a great position defending a rampart with bad goring in front.  All they have to do is survive.  The Romans plan is to use the lighter forces to soften up the Germans and then send in the legions.  In hindsight, I should have also used the Romans in the woods to attack tat flank and then Germanicus and attached legion could try and turn that flank (rather than head on to the rampart).  In the actual battle Germanicus did turn the flank from the woods so I should have  done the same!

Game

The Romain Auxilia advance though the bad going.  The woods forces remain where they are to pin the Germans in the woods.  Auxilia are not disordered when entering bad going.

The Roman light line advances

The lighter infantry get some shots off for a disorder or two in the German line. 

The Roman light line in combat

The heavier Auxilia melee with the Warbands.  In the rules they really need to get a lucky roll to cause a disorder as they are facing units defending a rampart.  They don’t and are eventually routed by the warbands.

The heavier Auxilia have gone and only the Light infantry left

The lighter infantry cannot rout a unit defending a rampart by shooting alone so will also try and get lucky in close combat.  They do not either and rout also.  Time to send the legions in!

The legions now advance

Legions normally have the better combat value but are disordered in bad going and are also facing defenders on a rampart so it comes down to lucky dice rolling to see if they can rout a warband.  Germanicus really has the best chance with the leader bonus.  They get in a disorder on the warbands.

Legions in combat

But they just can’t see to get enough luck and either do the Germans.  Time has run out with no losses on the main battleline.

End

No side has broken but Germans win as they have actually inflicted casualties.

 Verdict

Not unexpected – a charge against a static defence with bad going.  Thinking of some other rules it would have been much the same outcome.  I should have really used the woods better and got Germanicus to flank the rampart from that side.

And the rules worked fine.  Onwards to the next game.