Introduction
This is game 68 in play testing my ancient rules by
replaying historical battles. I started
by using my own rules Ancients Battlelines Clash (ABC) but recently using a
similar set of my rules, When Warriors Collide (WWC). I recently updated ABC with some learnings
from WWC, so back to using ABC! I am
play testing rules by replaying all the Peter Sides scenarios from his
Historical Battles books, and some others I find along the way. ABC is designed to finish in around 30 minutes
on a 2’x2’ or smaller table; I am currently using a 40cmx40cm table.
Battle of Lugdunum, 197 AD
Septimus Severus as Emperor faces another ursuper,
Clodius Albinus, in Gaul. This battle is
said to be the largest ever between Roman forces.
Scenario source: Peter Sides Ancient Historical
Battles Volume 1.
Link(s):
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lugdunum
Command and Colors scenario: https://www.commandsandcolors.net/ancients/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=733
Troops
Romans (Severus)
2 LDR, 3 HC, 2 HI, 1 LI, 1 LA.
Breakpoint: 2.5
Rebels (Albinus)
1 LDR, 2 HC, 3 HI, 1 LI, 1 LA, 1 CP.
Breakpoint: 2.5
Scenario
Map: Open except for a patch of rough ground 1BW
wide and extending 3BW from Severus's left flank in front of his forces
(concealed traps).
Special rules: None.
Deployment
Romans (Severus):
HC LI HI HI* LA HC* HC
Rebels (Albinus):
HC* LA HI HI HI LI HC. Camp is behind left flank on the table edge.
Deployment, Severus on the left
Severus needs to win on his right flank and make sure he does not lose in the centre, or at least the centre needs to hang on long enough so the right flank can be turned.
Severus left flank is weak as moving through the
rough round will disorder the cavalry.
Game
Severus advances the right and centre. The rebels advance their centre and left flank in response. The archers on the flank forces Severus and his personal heavy cavalry back.
Light archers forces Severus back
The other Severan heavy cavalry charges but is disordered. Severus and his cavalry charge the archers. The archers disorder the cavalry, the cavalry continues their charge and disorder the archers
Right flank, part two - the melee
On the left flank, the Severan light infantry move into the rough. In response the Rebel light infantry moves to just outside of range. These are both in place to support their main battle line and threaten the enemy.
Light infantry standoff
On the Severan right flank, the HC manages to win the equal melee and Severus destroys the archers. The camp is wide open!
The right flank is open and the way to the camp is clear
The Rebel battleline advances and clashes with the Severan troops. Disorders mostly all round (the Severan side coming out slightly worse off.
Ancient battlelines clash
The next round of melee one of the rebel legions is routed.
The rebels lose a legion
And the next round has Severus lose a logion and their archers to the Rebels. A lone elite legion is left in the centre.
Severan centre not looking good
However, Severus and the heavy cavalry have been advancing on the camp and finally manage to attack it. They manage to break in and begin looting.
At the camp gates
This means the rebels reach their breakpoint and flee. Severus wins!
Verdict
While this was one of the largest numerical roman battles ever, my scaling it down probably did not do it justice. But it was fun and quick to play. It was also quite close. The rebels could have won if they had managed to destroy a heavy cavalry (it was a 50/50 chance either way for the heavy cavalry clash) and routed the last legion in the centre.
An aside on rules
I kept tweaking my Ancient Battlelines Clash rules
and about a year ago was over doing so. I went back and updated When Warriors
Collide that were similar but for grids and also using a CRT based on Bill
Banks Ancients. I recently moved them
from a CRT to 1d6 combat but the combat just seemed a bit too complex with a
build-up of modifiers. I then went down
a rabbit hole of looking at the Pz8 based ancient rules as I was looking at
using the Pz8 as a basis for some skirmish rules. And then looking at doing 3x3 grid ancient
rules. And then realised I could just
retro fit a little of When Warriors Collide into Ancient Battlelines Clash and
I could be satisfied and continue to play battles on the 40cmx40cm table. And I have been for a week so far, a good
sign. Lol
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Interesting battle, don't think I have ever seen a game of that done before.
ReplyDeleteI assume the forces for the scenario are just guesswork as there is little on the battle itself. I haven't seen any more scenarios other than the Command and Colors one. One of the reasons I do enjoy doing these replays of the battles is reading up on them, and the background. Lugdunum was apparently the largest battle between Roman forces and yet I had never hear dof it before.
DeleteYes, exactly. I think I had heard of the battle before (literally, I have the audiobook of Gibbon) but that is it. Always fascinating when a big/important battle you know almost nothing about comes to your attention!
DeleteThat was a close win for Severus. Fortunately his forces managed to seize the enemy camp in time (as Albinus’ forces in the centre outnumbered the Severans).
ReplyDeleteI can see why, in a game like this, you might have gone down the 3x3 grid route. FWIW Maudlin Jack Tar has created a small (fits in a matchbox) 3x3 Portable Wargame set-up. Very nice - if you’re interested checkout https://pampersandp.blogspot.com/
Cheers,
Geoff
Thanks Geoff. All the 3x3 games being posted on blogs recently took me down the 3x3 ancients route. I already have some 3x3 rules I am using for some small SF skirmish but wanted to see if I could create some similar based rules for ancient massed battles. Alas I did not come up with anything I was satified with and so decided to just update my existing rules and play a game :-)
Delete3x3 is fine as far as it goes, but you have to figure out how to do the match ups and supports. One day I'll figure out a playable version of Strategos as I like the 5x4 grid. In the meantime, your series of games are very enjoyable. I'd also not heard of this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks Martin. I actually went back today and had another stab at 3x3 rules. Early days but I think it will come down to less units (or more units can stack in a square) for a bit more tactics. My 3x3 attempts are fun to play out as a narrative but find tactical decision making is wanting a bit.
DeleteI have yet to play Lost Battles - such interesting rules but just haven't found the motivation to give them a go.
Always good to get a game in, but I think with so few units to hand, the lack of tactical decision making as mentioned above would frustrate me.
ReplyDeleteI agree. But I want to make it work somehow! It is quite likely I will just get distracted by something else and move on :-)
DeleteNice report, Shaun. I can imagine the myrida corrections and occasional over-corrections that can occur in a set of rules as well-used as yours!
ReplyDeleteI will get in touch with you in the new year about getting a remote game underway using Phalanx, but perhaps ABC could be an option too?
Thanks Aaron. Sometimes the rules don't change for a dozen games, then they change for each new game. lol
DeletePhalanx would be great, happy to give ABC a go if you wish. Also, my copy of 300: Earth and Water should be arriving next week :-)