Our short L’art de la Guerre wargames campaign draws to a close with the climatic battle outside of Milan. The Eastern Roman army stood victorious on the Po and the West’s forces are sadly depleted. But, the scavaging barbarians are more than eager to enter the vacuum. The salt mines of the Venito may have Gothic masters.

The western army would not leave the city walls. The Ostogoths would fight alone against the Eaastern invaders. Their allies would be the roving bands of Huns , the survivors of the earlier defeats.

Herak the Hun brought only five units of Huns and these were downgraded to “ordinary”, battered by too many lost battles.  The solid core of the Ostrogoth army held the centre. Six units of impetuous heavy swordsmen, with bow units on each flank. The Ostrogoth right was elite lancers plus an untarnished elite Hun component.

The Eastern Romans were ready for a siege and not a cavalry battle. Massively outnumbered by steppe horsemen, the two units of horse archers were shot down. Herak’s renegades had regained their confidence and began showering the Easter legions with arrows. 

In the fields to the West, mercenary archers held back the advancing auxilia. With bow support, the skirmish screen withdrew slowly. The main fighting would be done by the huge warband.

To fight legionaries with only ordinary impetuous swordsmen is not for the faint hearted. If the barbarian wins then losses will be heavy but the Easterners have impact, support and armour ( from turn two at least)

The dice were kind and holes started to appear. It had cost the Gothic foot dear but the once invincible legions were faltering. On the other flank, Huns were cutting down legionaries and the heavy lancers were looming.

With an almighty melee, stretching from end to end of the line, casualties were heavy but the Romans were losing. Twice as many Roman units were lost and the Ostrogoths were victorious. Knowing that they were now unwelcome mouths to feed in the Italian winter, our reluctant Hun heroes left on the road south.

The campaign had reached an impasse. Both Roman factions are now licking their wounds. The new rulers of the Po basin would be Gothic but Visigoths or Ostrogoths? Thanks to all the participants- the much expanded Fall of Rome campaign will start again in the Summer. Congratulations to the gallant Ostrogoths!