Celts versus Romans

Yesterday I, M, went back to St Albans to help run some participation games with Black Wolf Gaming in the museum. There were two games going on, one a fast paced Celtic chariot race through a village and over rough terrain, while being shot at by Roman catapults. The other game that I took photos of was a Celts versus Romans, in another race, this time to capture the Roman wagon train. Each player took a warband from a different tribe who were competing to get the supplies first. Each warband was made up slightly different, with alternative ratios of troops types. Wild cards were drawn each turn that could be played on your own, or other warbands. 

The rules were invented I believe by one of the game runners.      

The Romans were close to the safety of a town, one of the town watchtowers guarding the town bridge was overshadowing them. They were close to getting the wagons to their destination, when the sound of war cries and thundering feet echoed across the river. Three Celtic warbands rushed from the bracken where they lay in hiding.     

Standing on her chariot, Boadicea exhorted her men onto victory.      

The warriors of tribe Uain (my warband) rushed forward to the bridge, ignoring the hail of arrows and javelins hurled at them. However an argument sprung up among them as they were about to engage the Romans, and they halted to argue it out.

However the Seabhag warband on the far left were doing much better, farmers armed with bows rushed from the near by houses to join the rebelling Celts. The whole warband moving forward at a steady pace, sending showers of stones and arrows at the Romans holding the ford.

The Uain's, were still arguing when their Chieftain came up, clouted the warband leader around the side of the head and told them the real enemy where just over that bridge. With a unanimous roar the Britons rushed over the bridge after their Chief.        

The Roman Centurion steadied his men as the Celts, led by their tribe Chief thundered over the bridge.  

The legionaries unleashed a volley of javelins into the oncoming horde, but the Celts never faltered.  

The steady advance of the Seabhag's had given the Madadh-allaideh warband time to catch up, they now rushed up to the bank of the river.

The Seabhag's plunge into the ford, and start to wade across, still sending withering archery into the Roman ranks.

With deafening war whoops the Uain's stampeded into the Roman shield wall.  

They pushed the Legionaries back, hacking down all before them, the wagons were insight. The Centurion who had been defending the ford fell back alone, leaving his entire troops dead on the bank filled with arrows, to hold off the Uain's.  

The Uain's still hungry for blood leaped on the Centurion and cut him down as he attempted to defend the supplies. 

The Madadh-allaideh's suddenly hauled from the bracken hidden rafts from the heather and crossed the river making a rush for the wagons. The Uains still occupied with butchering the last of the Romans, had left the supplies open and the Seabhag warband sprinted for the wagons and grabbed them, winning the game.

This was the only game I managed to photo, but we played several more each with quite different out comes. We hope to be back in February for a Pike and Shott game, but that is still yet to be confirmed. Many thanks again to the great guys at Black Wolf Gaming.

By M     

  

Skirmish at Constantino - retreat to Corunna January 6th 1809 - home grown rules

The French gather to force the bridge at Constantino, the Royal Engineers having failed to blow it. Paget and Moore ready the rearguard to defend the bridge!

The French form an infantry column to rush the bridge, while skirmishers form on the flanks to cover its advance. Cavalry follow up to back up the assault, with dragoons on the left to force the gully

the column marches forwards, while the dragoons surge on the left. The flanking voltiguers, having taken heavy casulaties from Carthew's royal horse artillery, panic. Paget forms the 28th lights up as a reserve and sends forwards the riflemen to hold the gully

the column continues to suffer under artillery and rifle fire, while the voltiguers on both sides panic and fall back

the column, at last on the bridge, inflicts casualties on the 28th, causing them to scatter. However, the column, though solid, had taken heavy casualties, losing nearly half of its men

The dragoons approaching the gully side open fire on the riflemen, but caused few casualties.
The French cavalry now moved up to follow up on the column's halting attack on the bridge.

The column held firm, continuing to hold its own on the bridge

The riflemen and 28th lights continue to pepper the advancing Frenchmen

The small contingent of highlanders and the 28th nearby concentrated their shot on the bridge, demolishing the column, almost entirely

The steady advance of the dragoons and the concentration of British forces against the attempt on the bridge, now left the path clear to the dragoons to cross the gully

The British artillery attempted to fire on the dragoons, but they were too well covered to be hit.

The dragoons make their way across the gully

The dragoons congregate to prepare for their attack on the British

As the dragoons formed themselves up and began their column's attack on the British right, the cavalry brought their charge over the bridge, followed by the remaining voltiguers, who had suffered terribly from the British shooting

The Dragoons volleyed the British flank, but with the artillery enfilading them, their cavalry taking incredibly heavy casualties, and their own volley causing little impact, the French decided to fall back, and the British were allowed a clear march for the day.

 

British minor victory!

 

Battle in the Penninsular war - Black Powder, Albion Triumphant

We decided we had not played black powder for a long time, and as we had got enough 28mm models we used our larger scale figures. We used a scenario from Albion Triumphant. 

We played for victory points for 12 turns.

 The hills in the fields=1

The hill and the crossroads=3

The farmhouse=6

The building entry points, if uncaptured=1 or 3 to the captor

  

British victory (For M again!!)