Sword and Spear Ancients 15mm

This Thursday evening saw a 400 point game of Sword and Spear with Early Imperial Roman against the forces of the Pontic King - Mithridates. Rob returned to the earlier Roman list after trialing a later list with large units of impact troops which didn't match his expectations. 

The Romans above with their fortified camp. They decided to drop a sub-general hoping that the camp would keep troops in command. The Romans are always wary of being flanked and like to pay a defensive game. 

Mithridates can be seen behind two units of pike. These are discipline 5 units and can be hard to motivate to move, charge and they just don't rally. But they are still pike and with 6 hits don't moev too easily. 

I was trying my scythed chariots for the first time in this battle. I think they look great but would prefer to have another unit of light cavalry or peltasts for the points. 

The Temple of Apollo stands in the background and before it the Pontic left wing. Heavy cavalry backed up with thracian foot and javelinmen. These would try to turn the Roman right. (Sword and Spear is usually always decided on the flanks.) 

The early turns saw the Pontic plan materialise. Don't fight the strong Roman centre and work around both sides. My imitation legionaries would try to hold the hill while any bonus dice would drive the scythed chariots into the Roman horse. 

Mithridates struggled to get the pike block moving. They weren't too keen to go forward at the Romans in any case. I hoped I could decide the battle elsewhere before most of the Roman legion could march into contact. 

The Romans decide to storm the hill ... a little sooner than I hoped. 

Those pesky auxilia on the far right had moved into a position which prevent my chariots from smashing into the horse. But, in turn, the horse would have to charge my heavy foot ... then my chariots would thunder in ... what a plan!

Wait for it ... 

Blast and bugger ... the Roman horse charged and annihilated the imitation legionaries in a single combat then pursued through ripping apart my chariots before coming to rest on my second line - the Thracians. This medium foot unit bought this monumental charge to a halt inflicting two hits on the horse. There was now a gap in my line. But now Tyche - who had smiled so favourably upon the Romans with this charge deserted them ... from here onwards in the battle they would struggle for good activation and combat dice. 

This photo should have been just before ... you can see the gap created by the Roman cavalry as they race onto the hill ... their pursuit will have them impact into the Thracians in seconds. 

Here is cavalry versus medium foot. In the background my cavalry has charged into the auxilia on the end of the line. Another Pontic horse unit is moving around the flank. In the distance are two dead cohorts ... I'll describe the fight in the centre soon.

The centre saw two Roman units assault the remaining imitation legion manning the hill. This was the first sign that Fortuna had turned her back on the Romans. Two cohorts charged and both recieved three hits for their trouble. When Mithridates goaded a pike unit into charging the Roman cohorts their final hit was taken. Now the Roman flank was in danger. 

This is quite simply going to hurt ... the Roman line was being rolled up. 

One Roman cavalry unit against 4 Pontic units ... it didn't last long. Six Roman units had routed from their Right flank. The battle was drawing to a close. 

The Pontic right flank executed the plan very well. They were deployed far out in a position to ride around the Romans and threaten their camp. The Roman general committed three units to try and prevent this and it also delayed the advance of several other cohorts who were wary of exposing their flank if the Sarmatians turn back into the fray rather than continue to flank the Romans. 

This is what they did and their ferocious fighting qualities soon won over the Romans whom the dice gods had cursed. 

And thus it ended ... a steadfast cohort was caught in the rear by Sarmatians and flanked by more imitation legionaries. In the rear can be seen two Roman units who were simply left in the dust after trying to guard the camp against a more mobile enemy strike force. 

The Romans were decisively defeated. Pontic losses consisted of one pike block and one imitation legionary unit. The cavalry advantage of the Pontic army is hard for the Romans to deal with ... especially if deploying in the centre of the table. Trying to defend the fortified camp was also probably a flaw as the additional cohorts could have decided the contest in the centre. There was only a one unit advantage for the Pontic force over the Romans but both their flanks were turned. After an early incredible charge things did not go the way of the Romans. A comely goat should be sacrificed to Fortuna at once. Mithridates and his Pontic force will rejoice at humbling the greatest empire in the world ... the last heir of Alexander has triumphed. Rematch in a fortnight. 

Dark Age Sword and Spear

It was a chill morning that greeted the men from Wessex and Merica as they rose and readied their weapons and formations. Athelstan had pressed far to the north and York, his target, was visible in the distance. The men of the Danelaw, and those Northumbrians who stood for an independent northern kingdom, stood firmly in their path united by the fierce Eric Bloodaxe. He had sworn to stop this tyrant who threatened to gather all Britain under his sway by the point of his sword. Now nothing could prevent a collision that would force a new political reality upon all - English, British, Danish and Scot ... even the slavers of Dublin would be forced to pay heed to victor of this momentous day.

Part of the Viking line. 

The rules used were Sword and Spear and the armies were (roughly) 400 points. Both armies had a General and two captains. 

The Saxon force consisted of ... 

3 Lesser Fyrd 

6 Select Fyrd 

4 Thegns 

2 Javelinmen 

(I chose to reduce the points cost of all Thegns and Fyrd by ignoring the spear cost. In this battle no cavalry would be used and spear offers no benefit against foot troops.) 

The Viking army was ... 

3 Huscarls with Two Handed weapons (dane-axe) 

8 Warriors

2 Archers 

(Despite the image in the background of some photos the Viking stockade does not resemble a Fortified camp - even though it could. Maybe in a later game ... hmmm ... perhaps an attack by Mercians to retake Repton ... will need a saxon church though ...)  

The Saxons deployment with a double line of troops protecting their longhall camp. Athelstan stood proudly in the centre of his men. 

The Saxon right relied on this steep hill. It was difficult going which slowed all movement to a crawl and prevented units from generating impetus dice (which we only recalled near the end of the game.) 

The Viking centre pushed forward with Eric Bloodaxe leading the huscurls. These experienced warriors wore stout coats of mail and wielded large daneaxes - enough to splinter any shield. 

On the Viking left a strong force pushed toward the hill. Bloodaxe had little depth to his formation and spread his troops in a line trying to extend past the Saxons on both flanks. Lurking behind here can be seen the beserker unit which would play a bloody role later in the game. 

The first blow was struck by the Saxons as a unit broke ranks and tore down the hillside impacting heavily into one unit of huscarls. It took three hits in the initial combat. 

The Saxons strove to fit their large numbers into a confined space between steep hill and wood. 

Athelstan led the fyrd of Wessex against the Huscarls of the Danelaw. Theoretically this should have been a massacre but the farmers would stand their ground manfully. 

The Viking placed their troops in a near straight battle line across the field. 

Both sides paused before widespread conflict insued. Bloodaxe was struggling for good activation dice to press his advantage on the wings. This was slow in coming allowing the Saxons to advance in the centre.

Forward! 

Send them back south! 

Four 1's is no way to fight and in this dire roll the Viking unit advantage on their right side was lost. The Jarl commanding this flank was also cut down reducing command and rallying possibilities across the field. Odin, Thor and Loki were subsequently invoked by Bloodaxe to mend this disaster. 

Across the table now battle raged. The Vikings were hesitant to mount the hill without their flanking force in position. They relied on their two handed axe men in the centre of the table. 

Fatigue mounted on the Viking side but they clung in the battle. One fyrd unit fell sending a huscarl force barreling forward in pursuit. Here it fell afoul of the Saxon reserve force and it was forced to struggle against two Saxon units. At this stage the outcomes for the Northmen looked bleak. Despite a rush of initial command dice from the cup, two Huscarl units were each beaten in turn by a single Lesser Fyrd unit. 

Finally the Viking left plodded through the rough terrain. 

The Beserker were finally in position. 

The red numbers indicate the numerous points of damage/fatigue suffered by the Vikings who were clinging on. 

The archer unit turned the flank of the furthest Saxon unit and routed it in one turn. Their shieldwall did not protect against flank attack. The archers continued straight into the next Saxon force inflicting more wounds. 

The pursuing huscarl unit fell leaving a hole in the battle line. A thegn unit surged through. 

The beserker charge with impact smashing a Saxon unit. Now Bloodaxe furiously sent orders to the Viking units on their left to turn toward the centre. But the terrain slowed their relief march. 

The centre near the end. On the left the beserker were almost across the hill after breaking two units. With two huscarl units fallen Bloodaxe stood alone with the last remaining. It needed only a single hit to rout it. A unit of Saxon thegns has broken right through and would soon be in position to threaten the Viking camp. The archer unit's pursuit and destructive charge had finally stopped but it had inflicted many hits. All other Viking units had fallen in this area (3 alone in the final turn.) 

The other angle. Viking units were sparse but the Saxon army had fallen from 13 units of heavy foot to just four. Their army had broken. Bloodaxe had reached his demoralisation point and if he rolled a 1 for his huscarl unit these too would rout ensuring a mutual break. However this was not to be and Eric Bloodaxe's iron resolve held his men in place. 

It has been close ... very close. The initial combats and command dice favoured the Saxons but (as usual with sword and spear) momentum usually shifts. The Vikings steadily took units from the Saxons who sustained over 30 points of damage as 8 of their 13 heavy foot units were lost. The Vikings in turn lost six - three in the final turn almost routing their army. For the Vikings, finally turning both flanks won the day although the deeper formation of the Saxons certainly wore down the main Danish line. Athelstan did not try to bring his superior numbers to bear but instead used the terrrain to wedge his army in then funneled troops in from the back as the front line fell. For a game that essentially used only heavy foot units (about 24 in all) both players certainly had fun and felt it was a more tactically interesting game than it might appear on paper. 

The impossible had happened. Athelstan's grab for total power and widespread tyranny had been temporarily halted. Bloodaxe was triumphant. Sound the horns and prepare the meadhall! Danelaw and Northumbria remained free. But Eric would need to reorganise his forces as Athelstan would be sure to draw on his reserves of manpower and return for another attack. Time would tell. 

The Maurice Campaign Continues

The third battle in the War for Maria's Mirkin saw the bellicose French striving to stave off a Prussian thrust across the Rhine. Unfortunately, things did not go the way of the Gauls and the Prussians have tipped the scales of the war to the favour of Protestant powers. It has even been rumoured that Versailles has lost the taste for war!





The defenders line up. Attacker is still choosing a spot for his cavalry.







And off they go ... A french infantry push begins.




A seemingly sensible French infantry formation. 1st line and reserve.

On a rain soaked day it was the French that were the aggressors and massed for an attack in depth against the Prussian left flank. At this the Prussians were slightly relieved as here were their better troops. The other flank was held by conscripts who played no role in the battle. The French used their usual tactic of marching quickly and directly into contact. Cavalry met on the flank and infantry were not long after committed. The French created two local points of advantage where two of their units fired on and fought against a single Prussian unit. The Prussians clung doggedly to their defensive line which infested village strongpoints but could rely on no reserve force. The French on the other hand possessed what seemed to be a strong reserve of infantry awaiting in column formation to be injected into the fray.



French dragoons fight Prussian cuirassiers.



Can the Seydlitz hussars hold on against the French infantry?







The cavalry lines continue to surge back and forth.




The French reserve awaits the order to advance.



The French advance continues ...



The Prussians are ready.



Close in fighting. These two images show the local advantages gained by the French. These were not to count as somehow the Prussians not only held but overcome their foes.



Despite these apparent advantages the Prussians earned their reputation as the 'blue wall.' The Prussian fusiliers loaded and fired with precision, seemingly unaffected by the wet conditions, mowing down the French attackers. The Gallic marshal was heard to bemoan, "Ils re mort pour moi," as he turned his steed toward Metz and retreated with the last of his troops.








From here the game was suddenly over with the cameraman unable to secure images of the French line's collapse. How did it all go wrong? Maybe someone did not keep their powder dry?


As the smoke cleared and the rain continued to fall, the colours of seven French regiments had been taken while only one Prussian unit had routed. (French = 1 Epic Point - Prussia = 5 Epic Points)

The cut and thrust of the battlefield may well subside as the discourse of ambassadors takes precedence. Or will Austria make a last ditch sortie into Hanover and cut the Protestant supply lines thus forcing the Prussians to retreat? Time will tell.

An Amphibious Blog

Throbbington Manor has had another froggy visitor in the last week. He was very welcome. Never much of a cameraman, i have included flashed frog and unflashed frog.