Waitangi Weekend (4-5 February) 2023 saw the regular Christchurch Wargaming Club “Warclouds Tournament” which featured both 15mm and 28mm L’Art de la Guerre (ADLG) Ancients events – both run in the friendliest of atmospheres, with the 15mm being an informal tournament, and the 28mm event was a nominally more formal (albeit relaxed and loose) ‘swiss-chess’ style draw – with 8 participants. I was one of those participants…
My army for the tournament was Early Imperial Romans, of 106AD loosely from the era of Emperor Trajan and the Dacian Wars. It was constructed for the Warclouds ADLG Tournament as follows:
85.Early Imperial Roman 106AD Initiative: 4 Corps I: Emperor Trajan (strategist, included) 1 Equites Alares* (heavy cavalry, elite, general) 2 Equites Contariorum/Catafractarii (heavy cavalry, impact, elite) 3 Auxiliaries (medium swordsmen, armour, impact) 1 Auxiliaries Sagitarii (light infantry, bow) Corps II: Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus (competent, included) 1 Legionaries* (heavy swordsmen, armour, impact, support, elite, general) 4 Legionaries (heavy swordsmen, armour, impact) 2 Auxiliaries Sagitarii (light infantry, bow) Corps III: Decimus Terentius Scaurianus (brilliant, included) 1 Equites Alares* (heavy cavalry, general) 2 Numidian Cavalry (light cavalry, javelin) 3 Auxiliaries (medium swordsmen, armour, impact) 1 Auxiliaries Sagitarii (light infantry, bow) 1 Fortified Camp ARMY SIZE: 22
An Historical Aside – My Generals
Emperor Caesar Nerva Traianus (Trajan): Born in Spain he was Emperor from 98AD to 117AD. Remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presided over one of the greatest military expansions in Roman history and led the empire to attain its greatest territorial extent by the time of his death. He is also known for his philanthropic rule and his enduring reputation as the second of the Five Good Emperors who presided over an era of peace within the Empire and prosperity in the Mediterranean world. [source: Wikipedia]
Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus: From Pergamum, he lived from 70AD to 117AD and was a Roman senator and general. He was legatus of Legio XI Claudia from 99AD to 101AD. Followed by command of a vexillation drawn from several legions, including the IV Scythica and XII Fulminata, in the First Dacian War for the years 101AD-102AD. Bassus then served as commander of Legio X Fretensis, a posting that was combined with the governorship as the 8th legate of Judaea from 102 to 104. He was Consul for 4 months, then governor of Cappadocia and Galatia in 114-115, and later Syria. During this time he was made commander of a second vexillation of soldiers drawn from a number of legions, including III Gallica and XIII Gemina – that fought in the Parthian War. He was imperial governor in the province of Dacia when he died in the Dacian revolt of 117AD. His son, Gaius Julius Bassus, was also a governor in Dacia; the imperial province of Dacia Superior from late 135 to 138. [source: Wikipedia]
Decimus Terentius Scaurianus: A plebeian (ordinary free citizen, a commoner), he was a Roman senator and general, and also consul (in 102AD or 104AD). He commanded a legion from 96AD-98AD and again during the Second Dacian War. He was military governor of Dacia from 106AD to 111AD. While governor he was the patron of Dacia’s new capital city Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa (which was later destroyed by the Goths). He is also believed to have been well decorated for his military service suggesting he was a highly competent & above average, if not exceptional, commander. [source: Wikipedia]
Lusus I
Game 1 saw my EIR army up against Andy Tucker’s Republican Romans. So a temporal-civil-war. I won the initiative so attacked the Republicans in the Plains – Andy’s army was approximately as follows (this is my recollection of Andy’s army so may have some errors):
53.Republican Roman Initiative: 4 Left Flank Corps: C-in-C (strategist) 1 Triarii (heavy spearmen, armour, elite) 4 Hastati & Principes (heavy swordsmen, armour, impact) 2 Italian Extraordinarii (medium swordsmen, elite) 2 Velites (light infantry, javelin, elite) Centre Corps: Commander (ordinary) 1 Triarii (heavy spearmen, armour, elite) 4 Hastati & Principes (heavy swordsmen, armour, impact) 2 Velites (light infantry, javelin, elite) Right Flank Corps: Commander (competent) 3 Equites (heavy cavalry) 2 Illyrian Cavalry (light cavalry, javelin) 1 Fortified Camp ARMY SIZE: 22
Both Andy and I were novices to some degree (he had played as few more ADLG games than me, but hadn’t played for some time – while this was only my third game ever, and my prior game was 6 months ago). So we were a bit slow getting through turns which contributed to the final result.
With a whole pile of heavy infantry facing off against each other there was a universal desire to select a fairly clear battlefield (terrain was three fields and a couple of gentle hills) with both sides fortified camps centrally placed. I deployed (left to right) Trajan, Bassus, Scaurianus – which meant my heavy cavalry corps was facing their Republican counterpart, my legion was facing one of the Republican legions, and my light or mobile corps was facing the strongest of the two Republican legions (as it was reinforced with Italian Extraordinarii). My battle plan was simple – march rapidly into contact along almost the line, look to break his right flank heavy cavalry while the heavy foot ground out an attritional slog in the centre; and on the left obfuscate and tie down as much of the second legion as possible.
The critical first combat saw my Equites Contariorum (heavy cavalry, impact, elite) taking on the Republican Equites (heavy cavalry) – after the Illyrian Light Cavalry thought better of tangling with the Contariorum and promptly galloped to the rear (i.e. evaded)! I chickened out at the last minute though and didn’t throw Trajan in, leaving one of my Contariorum exposed with no support. This was a mistake and undermined the intended aggressive attempt to quickly eliminate Andy’s heavy cavalry at the start of the battle. The initial combat was inconclusive, but the exposed Contariorum unit took a hit. I also initiated the combat a turn too soon, as my medium and heavy infantry hadn’t got close enough to pin or engage Andy’s infantry.
The mounted combat on my right/Republican left continued and two key things happened – one of the contariorum was destroyed, and Andy got a Velites onto the other one’s flank! At this point Trajan thought better of this whole aggressive left flank thing, and promptly rode off with his unit of Equites Alares to the rear – well away from the Republican cavalry.
Amazingly though the surviving unit of contariorum held on for more than a couple of turns (my memory fails me on how long), despite the nasty velites hanging on to their flank, and even inflicted 2 cohesion hits on the Republican Equites opponent, In fact it held on long enough that the big medium & heavy infantry scrum was well under way before it succumbed (on I think the final turn of combat before our time ran out).
There then proceeded to be an ongoing grind-a-thon between the Medium & Heavy Infantry – however our inexperience meant we did make a key mistake in not discounting armour due to both sides being equal, meaning we added to the attrition by reducing the number of hits being inflicted – a lesson for the future. All the time the lone contariorum on my left held off the entire Republican Cavalry Wing of Andy’s force for another turn and then another turn… By this time my right was not looking so good and Scaurianus took his Numidians in against the Italian Extraordinarii, unsuccessfully – and he personally led his Equites Alares bodyguard against the Hastati & Principes threatening the flank of his Auxiliaries (see photo below).
With the second contariorum finally destroyed on my left, my Numidian Light Cavalry also gone on the right, and the infantry smash fest casualties slightly favouring Andy it looked like the favours of the gods of war were turning against the EIR. And then it was time – 2 hours had gone and round 1 of the tournament was over. Due to our slow play (care largely of regular rulebook references, etc) we regrettably didn’t reach a definitive conclusion. The game was a draw, but Andy’s Republican’s had definitely had the better of it and had a clear advantage in the total casualties inflicted when time was called. A great game against a great looking army.
Continue reading the balance of the Day One action in my ADLG Warclouds 2023 Pars Duo post.