Collaborative Campaign Year 9:Part 1

 2026 starts here at P'n'P with the next game in our Collaborative Campaign: This was played by Mark Cordone. Actually, Mark played this last year, but posting was delayed due to festivities; apologies.

Year 9 of the Campaign (the Year of the Ape) witnessed the Ziguran war chest benefitting greatly from the discovery of gold in the hills East of Ganuk. King Xeroz has once again cast his eyes at Pylonian territory...

After the previous year's conflict in the Picenian Province of Luss, the Provincial Governor sought to quell the rebellious tribes, permanently...

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 The Battle of Tibron.

11th day of the 10th month of the year of the Ape

Having grown tired of the incessant raids by the Wend and rebel Luss, governor Auteus Callosus convinced the Senate to grant him the resources to put and end to the threat with a massive punitive expedition into the mountains.  The plan was to launch a devastating raid, pillaging burning and taking captives with the aim for forcing king Hadwyn to battle to defend his realm.  The plan worked, and Hadwyn was forced to assemble his host or lose his crown because he was unable to defend his people.

Hadwyn chose to meet the Picenians in a vale around the two villages of Tibron ( the larger on the right) and Divea on the left.  He deployed his ferocious Huscarls in the center and experienced warbands in the two villages.  In reserve he had his cavalry and younger missile armed men and war dogs.  (Both unreliable).

Auteus had the veteran 6th and 7th legions (on the left and right, both disciplined) and his now regular limitari archers in the center.  In reserve he had his cavalry and more (unreliable) limitari, some mounted and some on foot, both primarily missile troops.  The armies were about even in terms of numbers with the Wend having some 14,000 men, 2,000 of whom were cavalry and the Picenians 15,000 with some 3,000 cavalry.

The weather was fine, cool with a mix of sun and clouds as the Picenians opened the battle with an ineffective volley of arrows at the Huscarls in the center.  For their part, the Huscarls were content to hold their ground as the warband in Divea surged forth with savage cries to attack the veterans of the 6th legion.  The legionaries made short work of them and advanced to occupy the village.  Deeply affected by the panicked flight of the survivors, Hadwyn's reserve infantry could not be induced to advance.  This left the 6th free to roll up the Huscarls from the flank and rout them as well.

Hadwyn tired but failed to rally them as the Picenian archers began to shoot at the defenders of Tibron.  Their arrows had no effect, and then the Wend cavalry charged in the center.  This time the limitari found their mark and killed many horses and men as the cavalry were effectively destroyed.

Next, the war dogs surged forth only to meet the same fate.  The archers then let loose a series of ineffective volleys into Tibron as Hadwyn finally managed to get his slingers and javelin men to advance in the center. They were no match for the archers however and were quickly put to flight, king Hadwyn being killed by an arrow to the throat.

This hugely one sided victory caused all resistance to collapse and both the Wend and the few remaining rebel Luss submitted to the Picenians.

Auteus was awarded a triumph, however Rionach, with a handful of bodyguards, servants and her infant son managed to escape over the mountains to Thule.

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Thanks again to Mark for another exciting game report. It appears that Picenia has finally secured Luss; however the escape of a high born infant sets up the possibility of future conflicts, perhaps...