Collaborative Campaign Year 2: Part 1

 Continuing the Collaborative Campaign started in the last post, there has been further action, this time kindly gamed by Mark Cordone.

Game Year 2 (Year of the Antelope). Notes from the Campaign Diary:

In Zigura there was a glut of crops at harvest time. The High Priest of Taran, ever the diplomat, has suggested that the Gods have looked favourably on the success of Xeroz, (King of Kings, praised be his name etc) in the previous years’ civil war. The abundance of food, and boost to the economy, has aided the rebuilding of the Army and pleased the people considerably.

Picenia has launched an invasion into Northern Luss hoping to gain a Province. The Picenian General Multiflavus led the attack that has seen great success so far…

The initial contact between the two combatants, The Battle of Twin Bridges, follows: Mark's own report and photographs describe the action. (The battle was fought using Dominion of the Spear Rules with some additions by Mark.)

 I am pleased to have been asked to contribute to Maudlin Jack Tar's collaborative campaign.  Having been asked to game out the Picenian campaign against the Luss I decided to use my 15mm mini armies from my Roman Civil War campaign.  I will be using the Dominion of the Spear rules With the random activation rule and One Hour Wargames to generate the scenarios.  I think it will be fun to adapt them to the Dominion rules.  The battle mats are hand drawn on 8.5x11" cardstock.

The year of the Antelope saw Senator Calenus Galena elected to be Council ship.  Events were to present him with the long sought pretext for a war of conquest against the neighboring barbarian Luss.  The event in question involved a dispute between a wealthy Picenian merchant and the Lussatian warlord of Dubrovium.  The resulting violence between the Picenian community and the natives led to a massacre of the Picenian's in the city.  Wasting no time Calenus got a declaration of war from the Senate and the army under his brother in law general Multiflavus, crossed the frontier right after the festival of the Sol which marked the spring equinox.  He then took the city through treachery, but disappointed his army by forbiding a sack.  (The city and it's trade far more valuable in the long run intact.)

Meanwhile, high King Vepotalus holding court at his massive hill fort Palace complex at Lusatia having learned of the Picenian invasion, called forth the Lussatian host and marched south, picking up tribal contingents along the way with the intent of crushing the invaders in glorious battle.  Learning of the approaching Lussatian army Multiflavus marched north to meet him.  On the 30th day of the 5th month of the year of the Antelope the two armies met at a pair of bridges across the river Sallust, A tributary of the Sulla.

I generated scenario 3 from One Hour Wargames for this battle.  The river can only be crossed at the bridges.  There is no penalty for doing so, but the hill in the right hand sector of the Lussatian position provides a defense bonus.  The Lussation army is composed of 3 melee infantry, deployed in the center and right sectors and the reserve, Vepotalus's bodyguard, ferocious melee infantry on the left and melee cavalry in reserve.
The Picenian army was composed of the 1st legion on the left and the 2nd on the right, both disciplined melee infantry, the 3rd legion in the center and the 4th, coming up through the woods on the western road, both were melee infantry, and the (melee) cavalry coming up on the eastern road.  P followed by a number is a Picenian turn, L a Lussation turn.  The weather was clear and fine.
The battle opened with the 1st Legion storming across the western bridge and up the hill only to be massacred by the defenders.  Vepotalus countered by crossing the eastern bridge at the head of his bodyguard but they met the same fate as the first Legion.  Both generals then tried to rally their vanquished troops and failed.

Turn two saw 2nd Legion cross the eastern bridge and then put the Lussatian war bands coming up from the reserve to flight.  Vepotalus then sent his cavalry forward to try to stabilize the flank.  This they did but the combat was indecisive.

Turn three saw the Picenian cavalry, impatient and seeking glory, charge across the western bridge only to meet the same fate as 1st Legion.  4th Legion finally arrived after getting lost in the woods and took up a position at the western bridge.   Meanwhile, Vepotalus choose simply to try to hold the line with his now much depleted army.  ( I rolled a 2 for the unit activation and since the river was unfordable in the center the Luss did nothing.

Turn four.  After a lull, 2nd legion renewed the struggle and put the Lussatian cavalry to flight.  Vepotalus shifted his infantry from the center to attempt to dislodge them, but they too were routed.  What was left of the Lussatian army then quit the field, retreating to the refuge of the hill fort of Lusatia.  The pursuit was not very vigorous as the Picenian army had also suffered heavily in the battle.
Arriving at the fortress, Multiflavus settled down to conduct a siege.

My thanks to Mark for the above report which I think once again proves that a very engaging game can be provided by the Dominion series rules. I'm looking forward to reading what happens at the siege of the Hillfort at Lusatia. If anyone else has some Ancients figures that are eager to fight and could spare the time to contribute to the campaign, please let me know; otherwise I'll have to keep bothering Martin and Mark!!