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The
Sambre, 57BC
The
Society of Ancients Battle Day 2005
Apologies
for the lateness of this report, but I promised I wouldn't post it until after
the various pieces had appeared within Slingshot, the magazine of the
Society of Ancients!On
Saturday 16th April 2005, that excellent organisation, The Society of
Ancients, held their second Battle Day in Milton Keynes. Last year, the
featured battle was Gaugamela, where Alexander trashed the Persians, this year
it was to be the Sambre: Julius Caesar verses what seemed like every
Gaul in the world!
The
report, below, is presented as it was in Slingshot:
Umpire's
Introduction (Robert Avery)
We
decided to fight the battle in 15mm at a figure scale double that of a normal
game i.e. an open order base would represent approx. 1,300 figures rather than
the usual 650, and each pair of Roman legions would be five bases rather than
ten. This still meant that we needed 20 bases of Romans (240 figures) and 73
bases of Belgae (657 figures). That's a lot of Romans and an awful lot of
Gauls!
No
matter, rosters were drawn up as soon as the battle pack was available, and a
series of marathon painting sessions begun. John Hills, James Forrest
and Robert Avery provided the Belgae (John and James providing around 25 baess/225
figures each, with Robert providing the rest courtesy of Andy Bryant's
excellent AB Painting service), with the Romans provided by John, James and
Mike Tittensor.
That
many figures requires a big table and a lot of players. On the day, we fought
over a massive 12 ft by 6ft terrain, with John, James, Mike and VB newbie
Derek Boyle as the Gauls; and Chris Lowe and Steve Austin as the Romans.
Finally, there was a highly anachronistic siege train wending its way along
one edge of the table (in theory straight back from the Roman edge) consisting
of some wagons, a group of time-traveling Christian monks, and two huge
Assyrian siege towers: those Gallic hill forts are tough to take!
 
As
with the Gauagamela game last year, I didn't need to make any adjustments to
the rules specifically for the Sambre battle.
Units
in Vis Bellica can only move in accordance with their orders, which can only
be changed by an officer with appropriate command points. Simulating the Roman
start position was therefore easy: the individual bases of each pair of
legions were scattered around their sector of the battlefield, on hold orders,
with the foraging bases being in disorder as well.
That meant that before each pair of legions became an effective fighting
force, their officers had to gather them together, remove their disorder, and
change their orders as appropriate. That’s
a lot of command points needed, especially in the face of the advance of the
Belgic hordes!
However, these were Romans, so I was able to give them plenty of officers.
That meant that they should be able to react as they did historically (i.e.
have time to get into position to fight the Gauls) but that there was a chance
that they wouldn’t. Likewise, I gave the Gauls the minimum number of
officers possible, which meant that their command would be badly coordinated
and always trying to play catch-up to the hopefully rapid and decisive actions
of their enemy.
Player's
Introduction (James Forrest)
On
first hearing about this event I knew I had to go for it even though it meant
committing myself to buying and painting a whole new army within 4 months.
I, still a newbie gamer who had only two wargames under my belt:
well, three if I counted that AWI participation game at Partizan 2004
where I looked after the British artillery for 20 minutes while the player
wandered off to get a burger.
But I couldn’t resist the concept of a gaming day where proponents of
different rule sets fought separately the same battle according to their own
cherished systems all in the same room then got to compare notes afterwards.
What an opportunity to see and learn!
Once I had impulsively committed myself to the others on the VB Yahoo group I
should really have sat back and thought about what I had let myself in for.
For one thing, I had never painted a single 15mm figure before let alone 350
of them. What if I couldn’t do it? But that’s one of the great things
about being new at anything: ignorance is bliss. Like a raw recruit to the
trenches, I was full of enthusiasm.
Preparation
Buying the figures was easy, I have never had any trouble spending money.
My kids looked on with interest as Dad’s evenings began to be spent
ruining his eyesight and cutting his fingertips cleaning out flash from
miniature armpits and groins. That was the tedious part, but I got through it
as quickly as possible by taking quantities to work with me to clean up during
lunch breaks. I was relieved to find that painting wasn’t too difficult, but
slow, I was too slow! It took me a whole week to do my first base of twelve
Romans. The feeling of triumph was tempered by the knowledge that I would
never be ready in time at this rate! Luckily an appeal to the Yahoo group gave
me loads of tips so I soon streamlined everything into a conveyer belt system
that saw units finished at four times my original speed.
My wife looked on in growing horror as my stuff began to pile up all around
the house. “It’s much quicker if I don’t have to keep getting it out of
the shed every time, love” I placated her. “It’s only till April,
anyway, then I’ll do the tiling in the bathroom I promise!”
One thing I would recommend to any newbie is to be part of a group or club,
even if like me you are only connected by internet most of the time and
don’t meet face to face often. Talking
to others about the project kept my enthusiasm high throughout.
The Day
The day finally dawned, with everything painted and based on time including a
few trees. My travel arrangements were sorted weeks before and thanks, Nik,
for the lift!
Walking into the hall, “the Boss”,
Robert Avery
, and John are already setting up the table. I look carefully at all the other
wargamers as they arrive. Short ones, tall ones, young and old, bald or hairy,
one or two unhealthy looking specimens to be sure, but mostly just normal
looking blokes. With one exception to prove the rule, we are all male.
To outsiders we are all anoraks, but who cares? Today Caesar’s
legions march again.
There is a good feeling in the air, a sense of coming together for something a
bit special. I try to get around and talk to a few people from other games in
between helping set up and greeting my VB friends, who I have only met once
previously, but as always time gallops by when you’re having fun.
The differences in terrain set-ups from the same basic battle map were
interesting. Ranging from a no expense spared 12ft X 6ft layout carried in 3
pieces and worthy of a
Hollywood
film set (the WAB group) to painted carpet tiles (cheap but very heavy I was
told by the Strategos team) to ABSOLUTELY no expense spared at all (that was
us!): green cloth and separate trees and hedges.
I scrutinized closely all the figures I could to see what the general standard
was. Mine were within the limits of acceptability I was relieved to see. I had
maybe overdone the groundwork a bit; mine looked like they were wading through
a paddy field. I was surprised though that apart from the plastic 20mm figures
from the Matrix game, mine were the only gloss varnished figures.
Seems most gamers prefer matt and some don’t varnish at all!
Nobody seemed to be “precious” with their figures.
We piled into the bar for Phil Sabin`s introductory talk. For me, who knows
almost nothing about anything, this was a most valuable briefing which helped
set the scene of the battle. His talk was concise and to the point, as a good
briefing should be. His emphasis on the importance of the march times as a
factor in the actual battle was to be proved correct in our re-fight.
Although it didn’t happen until one o’clock, I am going to mention Adrian
Goldsworthy`s talk now so I can give an uninterrupted battle report.
Adrian
’s offering was an interesting contrast to Phil’s and complemented it
perfectly.
He mentioned several times that there is an awful lot we don’t know about
the Roman army of this period, and much that we take for granted is
supposition sometimes based on supposition. But for all that, there is much to
be said for hearing an expert historian’s more informed opinions and
suppositions and being able to ask direct questions rather than just reading
info from an Osprey book. The questions asked were intelligent, and
Adrian
clearly enjoyed answering them.
Eventually however the questions turned to those of a more general nature such
as comparisons with other periods, which I consider to be rather profitless.
As this coincided with a need to empty my bladder I left at this point, as did
a few others, and soon it was back to gaming.
On Scale and Table Size
Some general points that are probably obvious to experienced gamers but which
surprised me:
1) All wargames are usually played on more or less the same size tables: the
limiting factor being how far people can lean over.
That means that units in 28mm games are much closer together and must
take more liberties with ground scale and figure ratio than 15mm. There is
nothing right or wrong in this, of course, it’s just that until now I had
not realised it.
2) Following on from this, 28mm units spend less time marching about the table
before bumping into enemy figures, so 28mm games don’t take as long to play.
At the
Battle
day all the 28mm games were finished by lunchtime while the 15mm games were
still going.
The
Game Itself (James Forrest)
Initial Deployment
The Nervii deployed on the left flank: seven groups each of five open order
bases, commanded by Mike Tittensor and myself. The Veromandui attacked the
centre: two groups each of four bases under Derek Boyle. The Atrebates were on
the right flank: two groups each of five bases under
John
Hills
.
The Romans had eight legions at their disposal. This translated into twenty
close order bases: fifteen of
which were dispersed around the camp site; the rest (the raw legions) some
miles away en route to the battlefield with the baggage train. All were under
the combined command of Steve Austin and Chris “6mm” Lowe.
Robert Avery
was umpire and also in charge of moving the very
cosmopolitan baggage train including a truly magnificent Roman siege tower.
The Kick Off
The battle started well for the Belgae with excellent dice rolls giving enough
command points to activate all bases. The whole Gallic army poured out of the
treeline down the slope of the valley. The Veromandui in the centre especially
looked set for an early combat as they descended on the Roman ally troops out
in front of the hill on the valley floor.
First blood did indeed go to Derek’s Veromandui. They inflicted heavy
casualties on the Roman lights, but the smallness of the
Gaul
force meant they did not have the strength to roll over them as hoped, and the
situation developed into a fierce fight on the banks of the river Sambre.
Things still looked good at this point, though, as the Nervii streamed down
the slope on the left. With the centre to keep the Romans busy, we hoped to
wheel behind the grape-eaters opposing us on this flank.
Over on
Gaul
far right John’s Atrebates were advancing steadily in a solid two forward,
one back formation, but had the farthest distance to cover. Chris’s Xth
legion had been the first to activate on the Roman side and these were now
begin to advance purposefully towards the Atrebates, but were still several
turns away.
Inevitably with such a long distance for the Gauls to cover across the valley
the Romans by now were fully awake. The Roman centre marched out of the camp
and formed up in a menacing battle line before advancing on the Veromandui
still engaged at the river bank. The
Xth legion were still on a collision course with John’s fifteen Atrebates
bases.
The Romans opposing the Nervii on our left came out of the trees and formed up
on the top of the slope, making no attempt to come to meet us: just waiting.
Across the river, but still with two movement turns to go before impact, the
leading units of the Nervii slowed to half speed to let the following units
catch up and form a solid continuous battle line. In retrospect, I believe
this was a mistake…but more of that later.
Calamity now struck. The
Veromandui, exhausted and already with heavy casualties, met their end at the
eager swords of the two fresh legions arriving at the river.
The Sambre was stained red with the blood of the dying. It was over so
quickly I was stunned. Of eight bases, only one remained to be routed.
Romans couldn’t be that good could they?
I began to feel a little nervous of what awaited the Nervii.
But surely this huge screaming mass could not be stopped? We were a
solid mass, ten bases wide and in places four deep. Opposing us were only four
Roman bases (representing approximately one and a half legions) in a shallow
arc with one end anchored into the forest and the other by a high impenetrable
hedge.
We charged, crashing into the Romans, trying to punch through. But to our
despair the attack failed to push back the resolute legionaries. The attack
lost its momentum as the following units could not advance through the melee.
It became a desperate bloody struggle for
Gaul
and Roman alike.
Miles away across the valley floor on the other side of the river, Caesar’s
own reinforced Xth legion and the Atrebates charged one another, at a point
almost exactly where another of the high impenetrable hedges cut across the
terrain. A short, extremely violent but one-sided battle ensued. The Atrebates
reeled back in tatters, finished as a fighting force.
Meanwhile, turn by turn, Robert had been advancing the baggage train and the
two raw legions up the road, the rules allowing the marching Romans to
overtake one cart every turn.
In the centre the hardly excercised legionaries pursued the single base of
routing Veromandui into the forest for one turn before receiving orders to
return back across the valley.
The Nervii by sheer force of numbers were wearing the Romans down, but only by
dying in droves themselves: three Gauls for every Roman. Entire Gallic bases
were removed to be replaced by fresh units behind.
The outermost legionary base against the treeline fought and died to
the last man without giving a single inch of ground; Nervii began to filter
into the trees. The two centre Roman bases, weakened to a fraction of their
strength eventually broke and ran back into the dark forest, pursued by naked
blood-soaked warriors. The innermost Roman base, encircled and with it’s back
to the hedge , broke in the opposite direction and fled out onto the valley
floor. They would survive the battle, but only in shame; no doubt they would
be decimated later.
It must be said that Julius Caesar did not seem to be influencing events much;
he had spent most of the battle gadding about on his horse in the centre and
at the moment his last cohorts broke he was hiding on the other side of the
hedge.
Deep in the forest, the two Roman bases rallied and made a last stand before
being overwhelmed.
A strange calm now came over the battlefield. Nothing stood between the
remaining Nervii and the empty Roman camp.
All remaining veteran Roman units were heading back up the valley
towards the camp. The nearest were the centre legions, who met first their
routing troops then began to push up the hill towards the rear of the Nervii,
a proportion of whom turned reluctantly, wearily, to attempt to block them.
The Xth legion was still miles away but marching steadily.
Out on the road, although they did not know it, the two raw legions were
exactly the same distance away from the camp as the Nervii now rushing through
the forest. They would both hit the camp at the same time. The baggage train
was left far behind. One can only imagine the emotions of these men as they
marched. It is late afternoon; the forest looms dark and menacing either side.
From the right side had been the noises and screams of battle and dying men,
growing gradually louder; but now it had ceased. None would admit to fear, but
every mouth was dry. Many had
cramps in their bowels; but even had they been allowed to stop none would have
wished to enter that forest to relieve himself.
So they marched.
The Nervii rearguard met the 2 Roman legions coming up the hill with a
suicidal charge. They knew they were about to die; there would be no glory for
them this day. Already down to half strength, these units went under quickly,
most dying on the spot but one base routing parallel to the river.
One cheeky move deserves a mention. Remember the single base of Veromandui
pursued into the forest? With nothing much else to do, when the coast was
clear Derek had sped this unit across the valley to take possession of the
empty Roman camp unopposed. Down to half strength, this base represented about
300 Gauls.
Next turn however the Xth legion arrived and hacked them to pieces just as
both the Roman reinforcements and the Nervii arrived.
The final climactic battle now took place on the very perimeter of the camp.
The Romans formed a front line 2
bases wide, while the Nervii were 3 wide and up to 4 deep. However, the
leading units were the ones who had borne the brunt of earlier fighting in the
forest and were all but spent. They went under without a single casualty to
the Romans. The following bases, some of whom had not yet tasted battle, did
so now but any hope that these raw legions would be any easier to defeat were
sadly dispelled by a run of bad dice throws on our part. We finished the game
there, with Robert declaring it a draw, but a strategic victory for Caesar.
What a battle!
After The Battle (Robert Avery)
The
game quickly divided itself into the three sectors defined by the hedges
running down from the Roman position, with each pair of players (one Roman,
one Gallic) starting the day fighting almost a separate battle. This wasn’t
an issue, as that is what happened historically, but it did mean that I had to
make a real intervention to make sure that turn sequences of the three
sub-battles kept in time with each other.
With the different numbers of figures involved in each sector (the Nervii army
was twice as big as that of either the Atrebates or Veromandui), and the
different moments that melee was joined, this was actually quite difficult.
All the players were experienced VB gamers, so could run through the game
systems extremely rapidly, and this unfortunately meant that sometimes two of
the three pairs were ready to move onto the next turn phase before the other
was ready. This, however, is something I think is a function of the battle
played rather than the rules used. At
Gaugamela
, where the two sides deployed facing each other with each element relatively
equidistant from its immediate opposites, we didn’t have this problem at all.
Another thing that I noticed was the perceived slowness of the game. At
Gaugamela
, again, the two sides started off very close to each other, and the action
was fast and immediate: we were
even able to play the game twice in one day. At the Sambre, the large
distances involved meant that at any one time the action in one or two of the
three sectors of the battlefield was all about movement rather than melee.
This was particularly evident towards the end of the battle, when the
victorious Roman centre and left flank legions were rushing back to their camp
to save the rapidly crumbling right flank legions. Here you had one sector
with a massive melee obviously taking more game time to resolve than the other
two sectors, where moving figures was the only thing going on.
At the end of the day, however, it all worked out very well. The three sectors
of the battle came together in a simultaneous climax that had the Nervii that
had survived the right flank legions and the reserve legions crashing into the
much-travelled Romans from the centre and left flank. All the players and the
referee were finally involved in the same fight at the same time!
Lessons
Learnt (James Forrest)
I believe we made a tactical mistake slowing the Nervii on the valley floor to
form a battle line. We temporarily forgot the time pressure factor: the race
against the Roman reinforcements arriving. Any delay was a mistake, and the
bulk of our force was bunched up behind the lead units unable to move forward.
We compounded this by wheeling in too early, we should have bypassed the
outermost Roman unit and outflanked it. Had we done this, we would have had
fresh Gallic units inside the camp two turns before the reinforcements
arrived. But we still may not have won.
Other points: Being an umpire is not an easy job in a big battle like this.
Most of the other games seemed to have a similar experience to our own in that
the fight separated into three separate battles. Each tribe fought and died on
its own. Robert had to sometimes tell us off for not keeping a strict turn
discipline.
I should have marked which bases belong to which leader by colour coding. I
will definitely do this in future.
Finally I learnt that shouting at your figures: “Fight you ungrateful little
bastards, I went without sex to paint you!” has no effect on dice rolls.
The
Result and Conclusions (Robert Avery)
The
result of the day’s affair is still in some dispute. The Romans were
severely battered, but held the field. The Belgae had lost the Atrebates, the
Veromandui and over half of the Nervii, but still maintained a core of
warriors that could perhaps have fought another day. I think the compromise
worked out involved a tactical victory for the Romans and a strategic victory
for the Gauls…but it might have been the other way round!
The rules worked as well as ever, giving a result that fairly closely tied in
with history. I think that if we had reduced the size of the Belgic army to
take into account any self-promoting exaggeration that Caesar might have made
in his account of the battle, then history would have repeated itself almost
exactly.
What was particularly interesting was the difference between this game, last
year at
Gaugamela
, and a typical evening’s wargame. The tabletop encounters we generally
fight represent, say, only a couple of hours of action, and our rules are
designed to play games like that. That was also what
Gaugamela
was like: immediate and fierce
action. The Sambre, on the other hand, was a day-long, much-movement,
hard-fought, grinding slog of a battle…so it’s unsurprising that the game
we played was as well!
To run the Sambre as an evening club game, therefore, when time is at a
premium, I would recommend fighting only the last phase of the battle i.e.
start the Nervii within charge distance of the Roman right flank, with the
other Romans half way home having already destroyed the other Belgae. I do,
however, acknowledge that this wouldn’t properly represent what the Sambre
was, and removes the reason why it was chosen as this year’s Battle Day
battle!
The most important thing was that everyone involved in the VB game really
enjoyed themselves: both in terms
of preparing for the day and the playing the battle itself.
We are all very much looking forward to next year’s event, with the
Crusades being the favoured time period. Another
perfect excuse to get a new army!
Finally, I’d like to thank Richard and Nik for
organising the event, and the players and figure providers for the VB game for
working so hard both before and on the day. The icing on the cake was winning
best game of the day, so thanks for that too!
Robert
Avery & James Forrest
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