Birthdays become Birthmonths in my household but that didn’t stop Cardiff Dice Stud dream duo putting their new armies into action! This just in from Mike Lane….

After missing my weekly pilgrimage to Firestorm Games last week due to James Churchill succumbing to COVID 19 again, James and I were to play our postponed First Century AD Roman Civil War with our respective new armies. As usual we used “To the Strongest!” and 150 points each. The armies were similar though I used more eastern troops than James who had brought two units of ballistarii ready to deter the sadly absent Douglas Baldwin. He has an effect on us even when he isn’t there.

My army was based on the army taken west from Syria during 69 AD by Gaius Licinius Mucianus, Legatus Augusti pro Praetore (Governor) of Syria. His force was centred on four Cohortes of Legio VI Ferrata with accompanying Auxilary Horse and Foot and eastern client state troops.

I outscouted the enemy so I was able to deploy second and move first. I planned to attack with my Eastern troops from the client state of Commagene led by Prince Antiochus Epiphanes. I hoped to bring massed archery from my Bowmen to bear on the Roman horse. However the opposing Equites Contarii charged into my archers before they loosed a shot. However amazingly my archers, despite being disordered, held out to James’ chagrin for four turns. It was mainly a failure to hit on the cavalry’s part though I did save the occasional hit.

Meanwhile my eastern horse archers shot at the Roman Equites Alares and disordered them. Antiochus led his Hellenistic style Xystophoroi in a charge on the Roman Cavalry. They evaded and did so in subsequent turns until he decided to stand in rough going knowing that my men couldn’t use their lances. It did not avail them as they were destroyed.
Shortly afterward my bowmen too finally succumbed to the Contarii.

They pursued, overrunning my Ballistarii and threatening my camps. However Antiochus rallied his men and led another charge into the flank of some Auxiliaries but James saved all three hits. Doh!

The Auxiliaries then formed Orbis and Antiochus renewed his attack without success. My Tribune Domitius Sabinus led a Legionary Cohort in support and their attack managed to disorder the Auxiliaries in orbis. A unit of Moorish light horse which had been chased from the field by Cohors III Bracaraugustanorum, returned and attacked Antiochus’ horsemen in the flank. Antiochus was lightly wounded as he had been at Bedriacum.

However my Auxiliaries turned and pinned the Moors so Antiochus renewed the attack and finally rode over the unit in Orbis. I had done well on my left save that those Contarii were playing hell in my rear.
On my right all was not well. We started well destroying some Equites Alares but then all went awry, my General, Mucianus, was slain and my men, hampered by disorder and lack of command, fell back as their opponents pressed us hard.

In the centre I had started well with my first shot from my Ballistarii destroying a unit of James’ own Ballistarii, an example of counter battery fire. My advance by Tribune Placidus’ wing was stymied by drawing a “One” for group moves in successive moves. My other auxiliary Cohort, Cohors III Thracians Syriaca, was destroyed by James’ other Ballistarii unit giving him ample revenge for my counterbattery fire. James launched his centre in an assault on my centre but with little effect. I countered and did break through on my left with Sabinus taking his victorious Legionaries to assist Antiochos. My men had taken James’ Army Standard ie the opposing Legion’s Eagle. On my right centre the second cohort of VI Ferrata was broken by a combination of ballista shots and attacking Auxiliaries. However Placidus then joined the Legion’s First Cohort. They, inspired by Placidus and the Legion’s Eagle, attacked a disordered opposing Legionary Cohort and destroyed them!

At this stage each of us had a single solitary Victory Medal left so this attack finally won the day! Phew what a game. I had started well on the left accumulating medals from James but as chaos developed on my right I was soon haemorrhaging medals myself. I was the first to have only one medal left but Antiochos’ triumph reduced James to one too and then Placidus led the First Cohort to record a smashing victory!
It was quite a game!

This Thursday it’s the Gauls time to face the mighty of Rome! Stay tuned for more reports from Cardiff’s Firestorm Games.