Game Year 5 (Year of the Fox): Notes from the Campaign Diary
War continues in Luss between the invading army of Picenia and the Luss tribes and their new found allies, the Wend.
Zigura has invaded Pylonia with a view to grabbing more territory from the weakened King Hipohap.
We start Year 5 with the further fighting in Luss. Mark Cordone has once again taken up the story...
The Battle of Bibracte
Prologue: Multiflavus was under a great deal of pressure to bring the war to an end. To date years of conflict had not yielded a decisive result. For each two steps forward there seemed to be one step back, and a number of Picenian armies had been destroyed. To many in the Senate, and increasing numbers of the public it seemed the cost was way too high. With each passing day the peace party was gaining ground, and Senator Galenus and General Multiflavus knew that without a decisive result this year they would lose power.
I have been using One Hour Wargames to generate battlefields and influence my scenarios, for this game I rolled #17. This is an encounter battle and I thought it would be interesting to try it out with the Dominion of the Spear rules. I rolled for initiative each turn, with each side having the number rolled for the units arriving each turn. For turn one both sides had their cavalry present.
Determined to achieve final victory, Multiflavus marched north in the spring of the year of the Fox with his victorious army from the year before. (1+3 legions, disciplined, 5+6 legions and his cavalry, all regulars.). Opposing him the allied army was essentially the same as the one that was victorious at the battle of Marmar (2 Luss infantry and one cavalry and one each Wend infantry and cavalry all regulars. In addition a unit of Wend war dogs, ferocious but unreliable melee cavalry, were present.) This time King Hadwyn of the Angrivari was present and in overall command.
Multiflavus began his campaign with a methodical advance, laying waste to the countryside as he went, seeking to force a decisive battle. The allies assembled their united host and took the field to stop him. On the 13th day of the Sixth month of the year of the Fox the cavalry van guards of the two armies met near the town of Bibracte. It was a windy day with occasional light showers when the opposing cavalry forces spotted each other. The Picenians won the race to the high ground which dominated the field and held it against a furious assault by the allied horsemen who outnumbered them 2:1.
Multiflavus's better disciplined troops arrived first. 3rd legion quickly came up on the right and took the Wend cavalry trying to out flank the Picenian horse on the hill in the flank and routed them. The rest of the Allied army then arrived, except the dogs and Rionach and her escort who lagged slightly behind. An indecisive infantry combat then broke out on the left.
Multiflavus then unleashed his cavalry who routed the Luss horse in the center. As Rionach and the rest of his army arrived Hadwyn sent his Wend infantry to attack 3rd legion on the right then left the field in an unsuccessful attempt to rally his Wend cavalry. His foot fared no better and were routed in turn by the veterans of the third legion.
No quarter was given during the pursuit as Multiflavus was determined to end all resistance once and for all.
Aftermath: Hadwyn, and his bodyguard managed to escape the carnage and return to hid strongholds in the mountains. In the process he also 'rescued' Rionach and took her with him. Her uncle, Augwys, was conveniently killed in the rout.
Multiflavus had yet another triumph, and to the great surprise of many relinquished his powers of imperium and dictatorship immediately afterwards and retired to his seaside estates to resume the family tradition of producing very high quality blended wines.
Another excellent account of the action…many thanks!
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