In the dim and distant past, a past so far away that my memory only recalls it in black and white, the Petains followed the way of WRG and the works of Phil-Barka the Zorka expert. Our primary and pretty much only playing period was ancients (until that fool of a treasurer bought some Napoleonics, but that is something best glossed over) The Holy books were the biblically complex WRG 5th edition and the New Testament of Phil's Army lists.
As historical fiction goes these were quite imaginative. Leaving aside the 3000 years of Chinese history in one list, there were some very odd forces listed in there, armed with a very strange and detailed collections of fictionalised weaponry.
One of our favourite lists was the so called "Barbarian Conspiracy." loosely based on the reported events of 368 A.D the list imagined a collection of Picts, Scots Irish and Saxons gathered as a single allied army. We never actually gamed this, and even in our callow youth we realised that this was probably nonsense.
Revisiting ancients with Dux Bellorum the Barbarian Conspiracy idea once again raised its somewhat fictional head. Since the club Secretary had dug out his time capsuled Minifigs Late Romans, as well as untold Saxons, and our Chairman revealed his magnificently painted Picts, we plotted to use Dux Bellorum to run a campaign.
There is a limited historical basis for the conspiracy. In the spring of 368, a relief force was sent by Emperor Valentinian, with the mission of reclaiming the Province of Britannia which had been overrun by "barbarian" raiders, described as a conspiracy of Barbarians and revolting Roman units. The army included four units, Batavi, Heruli, Iovii and Victores.
In our game the Roman relief army is commanded by Flavius Quilpius, (well the Minifigs are his after all!) and have gathered in Gaul. Landing in Britannia the Romans face a series of battles against conspiring rebels and barbarians in a ladder campaign.
One of our favourite lists was the so called "Barbarian Conspiracy." loosely based on the reported events of 368 A.D the list imagined a collection of Picts, Scots Irish and Saxons gathered as a single allied army. We never actually gamed this, and even in our callow youth we realised that this was probably nonsense.
Revisiting ancients with Dux Bellorum the Barbarian Conspiracy idea once again raised its somewhat fictional head. Since the club Secretary had dug out his time capsuled Minifigs Late Romans, as well as untold Saxons, and our Chairman revealed his magnificently painted Picts, we plotted to use Dux Bellorum to run a campaign.
There is a limited historical basis for the conspiracy. In the spring of 368, a relief force was sent by Emperor Valentinian, with the mission of reclaiming the Province of Britannia which had been overrun by "barbarian" raiders, described as a conspiracy of Barbarians and revolting Roman units. The army included four units, Batavi, Heruli, Iovii and Victores.
In our game the Roman relief army is commanded by Flavius Quilpius, (well the Minifigs are his after all!) and have gathered in Gaul. Landing in Britannia the Romans face a series of battles against conspiring rebels and barbarians in a ladder campaign.
48 points of Late Romans as Flavius Quilpius army, with his son, the future Emperor Quilpius I (Quilpius Minor) and the later usurper Maximus Minimus as subordinate officers and leaders. Roman losses will be replaced as the rebel units scattered throughout Britannia come back into line and more units arrive from the continent (for a replacement pool of a further 48 pts).
The game is a ladder campaign, comprising four separate territories, reflecting the Roman's march northwards to reclaim Britain. The Romans must win at each battlefield to push through the Barbarians and reach their ultimate goal, to relieve (or possibly punish) the units at Hadrian's Wall. They have only two opportunities at each battlefield, although they may retreat further down the ladder if defeated, until they are pushed back to game area 1 and forced to retreat to Gaul.
The Romans will field 48 points in battle, unless victory cards allow the conspirators to whittle them down. Their commanders being Quilpius Maximus and his Tribunus, Richus. In game 4, the great showdown each army may field an additional 24 points, ie... 72 points between their two wings..
Saxons... Tossa son of Vank, Lord of the Vank-Guard, (Me)
Picts... the McWhitmore (What bloody man is this?)
Scotti ... the Mad O' Finnigan
Rebelling Romans from the wall... The revolting Quintus Whitmorus in a purple Toga and speedos, who has declared himself Dux Bellorum.
Losses by the forces of the conspirators are not made up, since these are essentially raiding, and not on home territory. They must be faced in turn, as the Romans march northwards, but since this is a conspiracy they will be able to use 48 points. Thus if the Saxons lose half their forces the next battle may include 12 points of Scotti to make up the numbers.
The campaign game uses the scenarios from Dux Bellorum:
Open battle x2
Dawn attack
Village attack
Siege
River attack
End of Reign
The Bard's Tale
(the poet Marcus Obsequilis or the bard Catweasle of Lugvallium)
Cards from spoils deck at the commencement of the campaign, randomly, one to each of the conspirators, four to the Romans. Each side may play up two two cards for a battle, one for each command.
On dicing to determine Aggressor and Repeller it is the Repeller who has the option to play a scenario card for this battle, if they have one, otherwise the Aggressor may play a scenario card. If no scenario cards are played the game is a fair and open battle (or a normal battle under the rules) Repeller's strategies are revealed first.
A victor in battle can draw more cards from the spoils deck, a selection of scenarios, strategies, unit upgrades, additional resources and bonus LPs that you may add to your army, or remove from your opponents. A Maximum of four cards may be drawn by each side following a battle.
Destroy a unit of Nobles 1 card each unit.
Scotti ... the Mad O' Finnigan
Rebelling Romans from the wall... The revolting Quintus Whitmorus in a purple Toga and speedos, who has declared himself Dux Bellorum.
Losses by the forces of the conspirators are not made up, since these are essentially raiding, and not on home territory. They must be faced in turn, as the Romans march northwards, but since this is a conspiracy they will be able to use 48 points. Thus if the Saxons lose half their forces the next battle may include 12 points of Scotti to make up the numbers.
The campaign game uses the scenarios from Dux Bellorum:
Open battle x2
Dawn attack
Village attack
Siege
River attack
End of Reign
The Bard's Tale
(the poet Marcus Obsequilis or the bard Catweasle of Lugvallium)
Cards from spoils deck at the commencement of the campaign, randomly, one to each of the conspirators, four to the Romans. Each side may play up two two cards for a battle, one for each command.
On dicing to determine Aggressor and Repeller it is the Repeller who has the option to play a scenario card for this battle, if they have one, otherwise the Aggressor may play a scenario card. If no scenario cards are played the game is a fair and open battle (or a normal battle under the rules) Repeller's strategies are revealed first.
A victor in battle can draw more cards from the spoils deck, a selection of scenarios, strategies, unit upgrades, additional resources and bonus LPs that you may add to your army, or remove from your opponents. A Maximum of four cards may be drawn by each side following a battle.
Destroy a unit of Nobles 1 card each unit.
Rout the enemy army. 2 cards
Win scenario conditions 3 cards.
Win scenario conditions 3 cards.
If Quilpius can destroy all four of the conspirator's armies he becomes Dux Bellorum.
If the conspirators destroy all possible 96 points of Quilpius' Romans the Province is lost. The largest of the conspirators forces remaining is the winner, and may be crowned Grand Mugwump of Britannia, Dux Bellorum.
The Terrain Rules.
With the Petains unhappy about the (lack of) terrain rules we will standardise on the following... Each of the four players rolls 1D6 to position the terrain, and 1D6 over each played piece for terrain adjustment:
Terrain Position:
1 Left table edge Terrain piece is placed where the player chooses, in contact with the specified table edge.
2 Right table edge
3 Player’s base edge
4 Opponents base edge
5 Opponents choice Terrain piece may be placed anywhere on the table.
6 Player’s choice
Terrain adjustment
1 No change
2 No change
3 Adjustment move 3 BW
4 Adjustment move 5 BW
5 Adjustment move 7 BW
6 Player who did not place it may either move it up to 7 BW in any direction or remove it
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The actual history bit...
In the spring of 368, a relief force sent by Emperor Valentinian, commanded by Flavius Theodosius gathered at Bononia. It included four units, Batavi, Heruli, Iovii and Victores as well as his son, the later Emperor Theodosius I and probably the later usurper Magnus Maximus, his nephew.
Theodosius took advantage of a break in the winter weather to cross the Channel to Richborough, leaving the rest of his troops at Bononia to await better weather. This enabled Theodosius to gather vital intelligence. He discovered that the British troops had either been overwhelmed, refused to fight or deserted; many also may not have been paid.
Once the troops landed, Theodosius marched with them to Londinium which he made his base. There he began to deal with the invaders:
There he divided his troops into many parts and attacked the predatory bands of the enemy, which were ranging about and were laden with heavy packs; quickly routing those who were driving along prisoners and cattle, he wrested from them the booty which the wretched tribute-paying people had lost. And when all this had been restored to them, except for a small part which was allotted to the wearied soldiers, he entered the city, which had previously been plunged into the greatest difficulties, but had been restored more quickly than rescue could have been expected, rejoicing and as if celebrating an ovation.
An amnesty was promised to deserters which enabled Theodosius to regarrison abandoned forts. A new Dux Britanniarum was appointed, Dulcitius, with Civilis granted vicarius status to head a new civilian administration.
After discovering that the local Areani had collaborated with the invaders, Theodosius removed them from their positions.
By the end of the year, the barbarians had been driven back to their homelands; the mutineers had been executed; Hadrian's Wall was retaken; and order returned to the diocese.
Theodosius also overcame and defeated the force of Valentinus, a Pannonian who had been exiled to Britain and joined the invaders.
Considerable reorganization was undertaken in Britain, including the creation of a new province named Valentia, probably to better address the state of the far north. Claudian suggests that naval activity took place in northern Britain.
It is possible that Theodosius mounted punitive expeditions against the barbarians and extracted terms from them. Certainly, the Notitia Dignitatum later records four units of Attacotti serving Rome on the continent. The Areani were removed from duty and the frontiers refortified with co-operation from border tribes such as the Votadini, marking the career of men such as Paternus.
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