Lame Quilpius and the sad demise of a Pictish King

The Great Dawn Attack that the allies thought would break the Roman General Quilpius, and his Tribune the ever lucky Iammius Gittus (AKA the Cataphract Kid) had not been going well.  With the Vanking Saxons split during a succession crises they only seemed concerned with fighting among themselves.  More troubling was the fact that the Romans had a significantly larger army here, and that once again Quilpius was hiding on a hill.  

With most of the Saxons fighting their own war in the woods on the right flank it was left to the Picts to attack that central hill, and King Tugga, and his valiant and "IMPOSING" Vankguard to attack the right wing of the Romans.  In fact the Saxon King was held in such terror that the Romans determined to kill him and surrounded the guard as they fought.

That was never going to end well for the Romans...

In the woods Jarl Skvirt, On the Kings Right Hand, 
attacked the traitor Knobba Sore Wrist.  With a 
minimum of fuss the Saxons were avenged.  The Mumified wrist is now a key exhibit at the Sacriston Museum of Onanism.

The white dice reflect the favour of Vectron.  Four hits from seven dice.

The Picts lose a mighty battle in the centre as Quilpius Hill tactics prevail... again...

The Saxon VankGuard are surrounded but fight on, grimly punning to the end.  

The Pictish King proves his battle skills, killing the Huns who were harassing his rear.  After 30 years of waiting the Huns are seen off by Irregular miniatures chariots and a cow!  
Oh the shame!

  

The Picts roll Vectron`s favour, and Qulipius is destroyed. So much for Imposing Horsemen.  His Young Tribune continues the fight and kills the now weakened Pictish king.  Quilpius is later found alive, trampled by the chariots, henceforth to be called "Lame Quilpius" by Roman historians.

A word of advice, when you surround the Vankguard... expect them to do something like this.  A reasonable Roman roll against an unreasonable enemy roll...

And very much a game of two halves.  The Saxons prevail on one flank but the entire line is destroyed against that hill.

The Saxons finally come out of the woods, killers of Cataphracts, killers of traitors they launch into the Roman flank.  Things look nasty for Rome on this flank.

The end game.  The Romans begin to desperately move towards their flank where the Saxons have begun to rampage, but the Picts are all (and I mean all) dead and the 75% criteria if reached.    

And campaign moves on.  The next game is set up.  The Romans in a strong, but constricted central position.  


So, in the best traditions of moralising Roman Historians, what have we learned from the Great Dawn attack?

1.  Don`t do a Dawn Attack on a table the size of a province.

2.  If you manage to surround the Vankguard expect them to respond with the dice of Vectron's favour.

3.  The Saxons dislike Saxon traitors far worse than they dislike Romans.

4.  The Pictish King in his chariot is a mighty mighty force to be reckoned with... but even he will fall at odds of 2 to 1.

5.  Quilpius steadfastly refuses to die.  "Lame Quilpius" may refer to his injuries from the Pictish chariot wheels, or it may be a piece of satiric Roman name calling.