Classic Petain Games. 1. Late Roman Britain 1991

In the Summer of 1991 the Petains gathered in Cockermouth (no sniggering at the back there) to tackle the Barbarian Conspiracy.  The Club Treasurer provided the figures in his war office, complete with snazzy wall maps.

The Saturday evening featured a visit to "buy a bottle of wine for the ladies" during the course of which all three committee members became quite hammered, making up the world's longest and most far fetched excuse to explain our absence.  As excuses go it was a resounding fail.  Probably a resounding hangover too.

Some good games though.

Having talked about classic wargames during a lockdown Zoom this week I remembered that I had a record of most games I've played, on paper, among my obsessive War Journal records.  I dug out one of my oldest journals (the hunt for my 1970/80s journals continue -  maybe in Durham)

The weekend took the form of a campaign, with six armies from/in Britain circa 380AD.  Mr P played the Dux, Captain Q was the Comes, and I, as ever, was the Barbarian.

Fall of the Roman Province

Part 1.  The Roman Expedition to Dalriada.

Terrain:  Scots Ringfort.

Roman Forces:  2 Cohorts from the Wallsend and Carlisle.  The Field army from York.

The Roman line came forward, only to find that the chariots had routed their cavalry and were now poised to take them in the flank.  the Irish warband came through the woods and held there, whilst their skirmishers threw javelins from the village in the centre.  The Romans lost quarter of their forces and withdraw.

I named my Irish chief after this as Niall of the One battle.  He is recorded as killing two Roman cavalry units and was added to my Roll of Honour.  The Irish won by destroying the Roman cavalry, establishing an ascendance that was to last the entire campaign.  I seem to remember however that I was allowing them a light cavalry move rather than a normal cavalry move so these boys swarmed around rather unfairly.  Win for the Barbarians.

Game 2.

The Army of the Dux Britanniae.

The Lincoln Field Army 8 Cohortes, 4 Mounted Cohorts and a skirmish unit, 

vs. 

the Army of the High King of the Irish.

6 Chariot units

4 warband and 2 skirmishers

I have a clear memory of this game, charging my chariots down into the ford, won once and was then broken three times in a row.  Not the Irish finest hour, and the King and Nial of the Two Battles were both killed.

Game Three

Quintus Whitmorus takes the field as the Comes.

A thumping game.  I charged the warbands across the table into the teeth of a wall of Romans who then hit my flanks.

The Jutes lost three warbands and a skirmisher unit.  The Romans Lost one.

My war journal has one more terrible tale to reveal.  After the battle The Dux was recalled and executed, and the Comes Promoted to Dux.  

Roman Justice? 

Game Four

The Former Dux was now disgraced, and took command to the Attecotti, Picts and celts, who were pouring over the border.  The New Dux Quintus defended the city of Chester from the Attecotti with his Army of Northern Britania. 

A win for an aggressive Rome, although the War Journal records that the Attecotti put up a good fight.

The Last Game

With Britain as the prize the Petains faced the last fight.  A victorious Dux Qunitus, a subordinate Comes Quilpius and the Barbaric Irish Celt now squared off.

One of those odd battles that could have gone either way. The Roman cavalry put up a fight but then slunk away into the village, leaving the infantry vulnerable, but it didn't matter.  The Roman General was killed, morale collapsed and the Irish swarmed into Britain.  

Five games over the course of a weekend in 1991, all greatly enjoyable.  

Classic Petain Games 2 will involve the Notorious Transalpina Campaign, WRG 7th, an ambush, and my teddy being flung from the pram in disgust at Phil Barker's "Oh you rolled a 1 for deployment and are being ambushed" rules.

No, still can't laugh about that one...