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Rumble on The Rhine - a Roman themed MeG event. Round 1 vs Geoff and Early Imperial Romans

Oh look, a civil war!
I have stated before, given the long, glorious and turbulent history of the Roman state, the most likely army for the Roman Army to face was the Roman Army!

Geoff brought a lovely classical Roman army, a good mix of combined arms, auxilia, legions, heavy and light cavalry and skirmishers. You really could not ask for anything more as a Roman player, on either side!

The terrain even looked like a classic Roman fight! Woods and rock ground secured the right, a town and a wood sat on the left, while the Campus Martinus was empty between. The scouting counters show a nice asymmetry too.

Despite Geoff having four decent skirmisher units, I out scouted him by 20% which allowed me to get the slight drop on his deployment.


By the end of turn 1 it was obvious to see our battle plans, line up and beat seven shades of hell out of each other! Perfect! I tasked my two cavalry units to take on one of Geroff's and one of his light horse. My 8 superiors and my exceptionals faced down his archers, his auxilia and his two (red) average legiosn, looking for a quick breakthrough. In a holding action were the rest of my average legions and my archers against his two superior legions, another auxilia and more light horse and cavalry on the right. His 13 units vs my 9, would quality or quantity win out?


Things started well enough, as my Guard cavalry in a six caught and mauled Geoff's four of average horse, while my averages look on at his approaching auxilia.


The action was quickly joined along the front as I tried to put my units so they would catch at least two of his and stop the flanking manouvers that could cost me so dearly. The Presidenties (superior 8) had to peel right to support the horse as Geoff had four units vs my 3 on the left, but they did have a juicy six of archers to their fore. The Guard Legio Secunda Britannia were really not too conerned, they had two average legions to go and play with! Seing a possible flank coming in, the Honorii Seniores cavlry expanded, but failed to do any damage, suffereing a wound themselves as the cantabrian of Geoff's light horse came into play on their flank.


My superior, impact weapon armed legion charges, and on a red dice (+1 superior, +2 impact weapon, it doesn't get much better than that on a charge), misses! Drat!


On the left, Geoff charges in with his auxilia, my cavalry decide that throwing a pointy stick might help, and on a black dice, it does!


In what would become a theme for both Geoff and my armies all over the weekend, archers prove how much better they are at EVERYTHING than elite legionaries! Geoff's other cavalry takes two wounds, a double slow and do not really fancy spending much time fighting in the front line after that.


Over on the left, things are getting better, or worse, depending on your viewpoint of pro-Roman, or pro-Roman! I break Geoff's cavalry (2-0), but in return, my cavalry have lost two bases and a wound, mostly from shooting from the cantabrianing skirmishers. They have, however, dealt two kills to Geoff's auxilia, who are now looking fragile, and my superior legion despite taking losses has killed a base and a half of archers, but throwing yellow dice was not helping them as miss after miss would plague them.

Back on the right, Geoff tries to send his righthandmost auxilia into my archers (a nice, squishy target for him) and again, my archers shoot well, slowing up the inevitable charge by at least three hits and three slows, stalled auxilia...


Which allows one of my legios to charge back at him, catching both the beaten up auxilia and cavalry. The cavalry evaded out the way and to safety.


The general situation, as the day draws on, the Romans are beating up the Romans. Howevre, it's my Romans on the left that are definitely taking the worst of it as my eight of superiors has been mauled by Geoff's archers and is now down to five bases, with a fresh six of average legions approaching fast. My superior cavalry is now down to three bases while causing no hits on weaker and weakend opponents, and I have had to bring up my average cavalry to try and plug the inevitable gap. In the centre, my exceptionals plough into and through the other average legion, while my average legions take on the superiors and the light horse.


The exceptionals take out an average legio with a satisfying pop (4-0).


But it is NOT good on the left! My superior cavlary collapse (4-2) as do my superior legion (4-4) leaving a rather outnumbered average cavalry unit which loses bases to closing faire and KaBs for friendly breaks, vs the remains of the bows and the enemy auxilia, the bows only need a wound to break, the auxilia, a base! The curse of rolling yellow dice, just could not hit! On the right, beyond a rather confused ruck, my archers watch on as I drag one of Geoff's auxilian down to a hit off breaking too.



In the centre, the two victorious legions turn to face each other.


I could really have done with some decent counters this turn!


Without scoring a hit, my average cavalry collapses. That archer unit is now accountable for three of my units! (4-6)


Geoff's cavalry hold on on the right, now needing only a base to go, but he has killed two of my bases in retyurn! But, we do break his auxilia (6-6).


But, as they say, too little, too late as my centre collapses to Geoff's superior legions. Two of my average legions disintergrate in a turn, and Geoff walks off with a very well earned (6-15).


His absolute stars were those archers, accounting for three of my better quality units! Squeak! What a game, and again, we were the first game finished!

Round 2: vs Pete E and Turcilngi

Round 3: vs Peter R and Palymrian

Round 4: vs Hunter Hope and Later Moorish

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