Battle Reports January 2004

Galatians vs Augustan Romans

This was, timewise, a historical match-up: with the Galatians fielding average warbands as, by the late first century BC, they had lost their earlier fanaticism. However they could, and did, field some imitation Legionaries and units of Noble Veteran cavalry which are not in the published list.

Facing them was a tough Roman Army consisting almost exclusively of Veteran or Elite troops.

The battlefield had a river down one flank and a couple of patches of rough ground, none of which played any part in the engagement. Both armies deployed resting flanks on the river and then to the board edge.

Once the armies came into sight they discovered they each had overlapped the other's right flank and, to the Galatian commander's surprise, that he did not significantly outnumber the quality troops of the enemy.

The Roman cavalry started their right flank, with Auxiliaries, then Legionaries along the line to more Auxiliaries anchoring the Roman left. Initially opposite the Roman cavalry were the Galatian Legionaries, a unit of skirmishers and some armoured warriors, with warband running down to the right of the Noble cavalry.

The battle started with the Roman cavalry crossing the front of the Roman infantry to position themselves against the Galatian cavalry who already had Auxiliaries heading their way. The Galatian commander had given his warbands attack orders so they ground forward toward the Roman line whilst the imitation legionaries started a fruitless attempt to swing around to close with the enemy through the gap vacated by the Roman cavalry.

The first action commenced with Roman cavalry charging the outermost warband unit and one of the Galatian cavalry. The warband stood up to the cavalry charge due to an appalling double one thrown by the Romans, but their Noble cavalry fared worse and were forced back. Shortly afterwards the rest of the Roman cavalry got stuck in charging another warband and Noble cavalry unit, with both Galatian bases coming off far worse, losing the melees and becoming shaken. With the Roman Auxiliaries coming up, the remaining Noble unit made a furious charge into two units of the Auxiliaries and forced them both back, but did not cause sufficient casualties to do any real damage.

By now the main infantry lines were closing, and it was becoming apparent the Galatian left hook was going to arrive far too late. The Galatian warband leader doubled the depth of one warband in an attempt to give a degree of shock at one part of their line. Before the main clash the cavalry action was decisively resolved in the Romans' favour, as all the Noble cavalry were routed with even the successful Nobles swamped by superior numbers of Auxiliaries. The sole Galatian success of the game came as the Roman cavalry that originally attacked the outermost warband was flanked by another unit.

Shortly thereafter the four Roman legionary units charged the main warband line and essentially vaporised the Galatians as four of the five warbands involved routed immediately.

Game over and a massacre to the Romans.

Lessons Learnt

I should have held back the Galatian centre until my left flank, which was facing air, could have got into position to supply real support.

Romans do make mincemeat of warband troops without really breaking into a sweat...at least they did this time!

Paul Marsh

25mm Galatians from Newline Designs

Augustan Romans vs Late Galatians II

After their crushing victory earlier in the month the Romans replenished the few losses sustained and further strengthened the force with some additional cavalry and artillery.

Meanwhile the Galatians had gathered their last remaining warriors to meet the Romans in a final clash. They fielded about the same number of infantry but doubled their cavalry as Nobles and their retinues heeded the call from far and wide.

This would be a 600 pt game to re-match the earlier forces to see if the Roman obliteration of the Galatians was a fluke and test artillery for the first time.

Terrain placement meant the battle was obviously being fought further down the same river valley as before, with the river on the Galatian left again, and more rough ground which would again have no effect on the battle.

The Galatians formed up with the Imitation Legionaries and armoured Bodyguard forming the centre of the line flanked on both sides by warbands and both flanks this time anchored by units of Noble cavalry. The sole unit of skirmishers was also in the centre.

The Romans deployed all their cavalry on their left flank thereby outnumbering the Nobles facing them. To the right of these were Auxiliaries and Cohorts, then a tough centre containing veteran Legionaries and elite Praetorians, and the elite First Cohort. The Roman right consisted of more Auxiliaries and a unit of Auxiliary archers.

With no room to maneuver, both sides rapidly closed with only the Roman artillery, cart mounted in the centre, firing overhead at the approaching warband but not inflicting many casualties. Not surprisingly the first clash came on the Galatian right as the first two units of Noble cavalry charged the opposing Veteran Roman Horse who also launched a cavalry charge at a warband formed extremely deep to absorb the impact. Auxiliaries and an average Cohort also clashed with more warband on this flank.

Fighting with reckless abandon (ie better die than last time) the warbands held the line although they took heavy losses. The depth of the warband facing the cavalry also meant they held and the extreme right wing Noble cavalry unit, supported by runners and a leader, forced back the opposing Romans.

The Noble cavalry on the Galatian left were taking more time to close down as they were slowed slightly by rough going and the Romans refusing that flank. They did come under fire from the archers and would lose 2 points for the next 3 turns as they maneuvered into position to charge.

Back on the Galatian right the more heavily armoured Veteran Romans started to gain the upper hand as they forced back the Galatians, even the previously successful Nobles, with two warbands becoming shaken. The centres now started to come together as the Imitation legionaries and Bodyguard charged the Romans opposite them. Unfortunately the Galatians were worsted yet again as even their Legionaries were forced back by Auxiliaries. Even worse the best Galatian infantry, the Bodyguard, had picked on the Roman First Cohort and lost 60% of their strength in the charge (Jon rolled a double 6!!!!). However, showing true devotion, they survived the morale test.

The remaining warband and Veteran Cohorts, plus the Praetorians, also charged each other with the now usual result as the Legionaries effortlessly threw the Galatians back inflicting 40-50% losses.

However, the Nobles on the left were now in a position to charge the Auxiliaries facing them, with the Bowmen unable to inflict enough casualties to halt the charge.

This meant the armies were entirely engaged and the matter was soon resolved. The Galatian right enjoyed mixed success as the Nobles forced back one cavalry unit but another was forced back itself and the superior numbers of the deep warband began to tell. However, the other two warbands here routed but the Imitation Legionaries were still hoding out, as was remarkably the Bodyguard. To no avail as all four warband to their left now routed making a huge hole in the Galatian line. Some success on the right as the Nobles broke a unit of Roman horse, making up for the rout of one unit of Nobles, as did the deep warband finally see off their opponents. However, these units were now exposed to the victorious Roman centre who finally routed even the Bodyguard with the Praetorians demolishing another warband as it pursued another it had broken.

With all the warbands routed and only the Galatian left capable of maneuver the Galatians finally conceded the province to the Divine Augustus.

Analysis

The Galatians actually did better this time than last as my die were better than before which meant we actually survived the charge, but not the melee that followed, with the warbands. Had some definite success with the Nobles but should have done better. The deep warband worked well; it was a very close thing and Jon could have routed two units early on before numbers told. However, with the front unit taking all the casualties and providing the morale test we couldn’t afford to lose a melee. As before the veteran, or better, Legionaries massacred the warband with little loss to themselves.

The artillery got off a few shots and inflicted a couple of casualties. It would be worth pointing out that we used artillery at half strength as when playtesting before they were far too powerful. This seemed about right but we need more games.

I commented on this last time and would say so again. Casualties in the first round are horrific with Romans taking about 20-30% and Galatians 40-50%. This also happened in other games we played so we have a house rule not to include disorder in that first morale test otherwise you rarely get a second round and fights of any length are an exception. You do inflict fewer in subsequent rounds but the massive effects of the first bound will always be felt by the loser in the next.

I always thought the biggest proportion of casualties were inflicted in the rout but in our games most combatants are already dead by then.

(Ed.'s Note: when a base loses strength from melee, it doesn't necessarily mean people are dying but rather that the combat efficiency of the base is being reduced. Routed units successfully charged by enemy bases are instantly removed from the table: that's the people being killed!)

Paul Marsh