Saturday, October 27, 2007

DBMM 400pts Hunnic vs Late Roman


400pt Dbmm game using Hunnic vs Stephens Late Imperial Roman

I had 3 Irr Cmds

CIC CvS 2 CvS 15 LhS
SG CvS 1 CvS 15 LhS
SG CvS 11 LhS
Gepid Ally KnF 4 KnF
No Baggage
An Ambush and Feigned Flight strategem were paid for

The Romans had 3 Reg Cmds plus usual Baggage/Camp Pip Dump
1 Cmd had several Cataphracts with couple of Huns
A Cmd with Legionnaries backed by LI Bow and LH and 4 ArtF (I hate these sods !)
A Cmd with Bow and Aux (Lanciarii)
several Cav and LH interspersed

Huns invaded and had plenty of open terrain with only a small wood of any note
Romans managed to get a DH on their right and 2 RH on their left with no real room to circumvent them basically providing them with a terrain 'fort'
The Roman 'fort'


The Hun LH where therefore nullified as no real opportunity to outflank on or off table (I was loathe to use flank march after non-appearence in previous games)
As expected the Romans lined up between their hills with Inf on the hills.
Huns had little option but to line up opposite. I did place a 4 element ambush of Lh in my wood hoping to use the feigned flight to draw enemy on DH towards them (bit optimistic as wood fair distance from hill)

Huns advanced with Lh and Gepids. The Roman bolt-shooters on carts moved to their right immediately to face the Gepids. They fired several times at Geipds but thankfully no kills just several of recoils.

Battle was joined with several Hun Lh charging into Blade and being charged by KnX
Couple of Huns spent and 1 killed by KnX but nothing too drastic. But they lack power to deal with a wall of foot or mounted if they cant gain overlaps. The Gepids managed to charge in despite attentions of bolt-shooters and they had an overlap on the right flank of Legionary line. This was facilitated mainly by use of a feigned flight by my left Cmd forcing the Roman infantry to halt.

But.........isnt their always at least one.............the Gepids could not kill any Legionnaries !! this was true for a full 3 combats...................

Meanwhile I was taking some losses on my right from the Cataphracts so I decided to hurl my CiC with his accompanying Nobles (a 3 element line with Gen in middle) through my Lh into the Legions to try to punch a hole.

But................told you there is always at least one !............of course this failed with my Nobles recoiling leaving the Cic overlapped twice in Roman turn and.................wait for it................the loss of my CiC !!!!

True to form on my next Pip roll this Cmd rolled a tremendous 1 meaning I could not even halt anyone so my largest and central Cmd routed (at some speed being mainly Lh)
This of course meant doom for neighbouring Cmds (in fact game nearly finished their and then as the temporary 2ME morale hit almost broke my left Cmd !) as their flanks now exposed.
The Gepids had at last quick killed two Bd plus 2 Ps (this was to be total Roman losses for game !!!!)
but too late as they also lost a 2ME element and my left Cmd became broken next turn ending the game.

Despite yet another drubbing (25-0 this one) it was as ever a good game to play with the Gepid charge and my Cic charge being two events that could have easily gone my way against the Blade.

The feigned flight was interesting to use but needs a lot of careful planning and timely Pips. Still at 5pts and capable of being used 3 times its a useful stratagem.

The Roman Art F is potent with ability to move and also to 'gang up' on single target (I was lucky not to lose anything to their shooting). Blade with PsO in back rank are tough for mounted to defeat (even the Kn) usually even or better factors for Bd.
The terrain was major factor as the hills robbed me of flanks to target.

Hunnic array


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