Romani ite domum !

Steve & Rob's Romans have invaded Britain again.  Jim & Mike faced them with Boudicea's horde.

The Brits (on left in pics) deployed Jim's infantry division (4 large warbands + 2 skirmishers) in the centre with his cavalry and chariots (1 medium cav, 2 small light & 3 chariot) on their left and Mike's infantry(4 standard warbands + 2 bows)  on the right.  Mike's cavalry division (2 medium & 2 small light) were behind his infantry.

The Romans put their mixed division in the centre (3 artillery, 2 legionaries, 2 Numidian cav), infantry on each side (each 4 legionary, 2 skirmisher) and cavalry on their right (2 heavy, 2 horse bows).  Steve commanded the Roman right, Rob, the left.

The Romans surprised the Brits by charging forward on their right.  The Brits countercharged the cavalry resulting in combat from turn 1.  But the cavalry fight was indescisive, both sides having wins and losses.

The Romans held back their centre and left as the Brits made a slow general advance of their centre and right.

The Roman infantry on their right continued to advance over the hill to be counterattacked by a warband.  They beat it off, but the warbands had overlapped the Roman flank which was exposed by the failure of the Roman centre to advance.

Meanwhile on the other flank both sides seemed content with long range sniping waiting for things to develop elsewhere.

With Boudicea herself taking control, a warband wheeled into the flank of the Roman right. The legionaries gave ground but held on initially.  A warband on the flank prevented the Romans outflanking the outflankers and they supported the melee instead.  The Brits threw in a cavalry charge supported by chariots and Boudicea herself joined in.

It was a complex combat requiring some resort to the rule book, but eventually the Romans threw some bad morale dice and the 3 cohorts involved routed.  In the same turn, the chariots routed the last horse archer unit and both Roman divisions on their right were broken.



The Roman left was still intact, but so was the Brit right.  It would take the Brit left a little time to reorganise and come over, but the Romans recognised that their position was hopeless and conceded the battle.

This was a complete contrast to the slogfest of last week.  There was some initial too-ing & fro-ing between the cavalry, then it all depended on one messy multi-unit combat.  But Hail Caesar handles these pretty easily.


Half the divisions of both sides were mere spectators this week as both sides tried to win on the far side of the table.  The Romans hoped to smash the Brit left and roll up their line, but the Brit cavalry & chariots held them up and the warbands swamped the exposed left of the Roman attack.  A weekend painting more Celts paid off - the large warbands had so much more punch.

The last pic is from behind the Brit right (added because the action was a long way from the camera in the pics above).  The figs in the distance are Romans fleeing from the Britsh V, one cohort and one Roman cav unit remain, but have to retire as they the remains of broken divisions.