20mm WarHamster Ancients - Marians vs. ABs

Good afternoon,

Yesterday I popped north to visit Dave again, this time bringing out an Warmaster Ancients Ancient Brit army...

• 1 Fanatic unit
• 8 Warband units
• 1 Skirmishing Infantry unit
• 3 Chariot units
• 2 Light cavalry units
• 1 General - Caractacus - in a chariot - @ a command value of 8
• 2 Warlords @ a command value of 7
• 2 Chieftains @ a command value of 7

...to go up against my Late Republican Roman army.

• 1 Veteran Legionary unit
• 4 Legionary units
• 1 Light Infantry unit (Greeks)
• 1 Tribal Infantry unit (Early Germans)
• 2 Skirmishing Infantry units (Numidians and Spanish)
• 1 Heavy Cavalry unit (Gauls)
• 1 Light Cavalry unit (Numidians)
• 1 General - Caesar - @ a command value of 9, with Portants (one command reroll)
• 2 Legates @ a command value of 8

We rolled for terrain, rolled for initiative, Dave was the aggressor, and he took the first move. The chariots roll forward...

...as do the flanking warbands.

Thankfully, nothing else does!

In response, I send my veterans 'tween the woods, and my mounted forward on my right.

My thin red line also advances in the centre.

Alas, my bid for the hill was too late, as Dave's Light Cav get there first.

Speaking of hills...

...this turn Dave's dudes descend like a deluge, the Fanatics finally foot it...

...while the Warband wait. Again.

My centre moves up...

...as do my Numidians...

...but, well...

...Caesar blunders...

...and sends the cav in the completely wrong direction!

Right up unto the point where we re-checked the rules.

Generals can't blunder.

Whew!

Back in the centre, the Fanatics scoot around their own wheelie bins to eye up my veterans...

...emerging between the wood, along with some Early Germans.

On my left...

...arghh, how'd they get there so quickly?!

Still, at least now I had the high ground against Dave's light horse.

And in we gooooo...!

My veterans charge Dave's fanatics, while my allied warband can't quite make it into the combat, getting stopped by the chariots.

First blood to me.

Huzzah!

Dave them charges them in...here they come again!

Huzzah, huzzah!

Next round, and...

...oh stink, one of my Legates blunders, and he's down a command rating for the rest of the game.

Stink indeed!

I charge my cav off the hill into the flank of the chariots...

...while the Numidians send back their AB opponents with a hail of javelins.

Not to be outdone, my legionaries also join the stouch in the centre.

However...

...speaking of a shower of javelins...

...my heavy's charge is driven back before reaching contact.

And as for my legionary unit in the centre...

...it inflicts a bit of a Pyrrhic victory against one of the chariot units...

...and decides that discretion is the better part of valour.

Back on the hill, this time the Numidians lose some riders to shooting, and...

...ummm...

...well...

...err...

...my heavies are driven back into impassable terrain (a cliff, no less) by shooting. Including Caesar hisself!

Oh stinkity stink stink!

There goes my right flank.

Poos!

And on my left...

...arghh!

In the centre, Dave finally moves onto the hill.

While those dreaded javelin waggons just pull into firing range.

Run away!

Run away!

Back to the left.

Stink...

...stink...

...stink!

And again I say...

...stink...

...stink...

...stinky...

...stink...

...stink!

Well, at least my legions pushed the smelly Brits back.

So, that's one decisive AB victory!

Well done Dave. I really enjoyed getting the Brits back onto the table. Even if they did table me!

Nick