Titus Thwarted in Games Day Shocker

Well I was on holiday and the weather was naff, so what was I to do? Get the toys out of course. 

I managed to get 3 games in; two solo and one at the club. The latter being the culmination of this season's Infamy campaign.

But first off, it was Blood and Plunder; a personal favourite and one that I don't get to play enough. This was my first attempt at an amphibious scenario and, as I was playing solo, I used the solo 'AI' system, available, as a free download, from Firelock Games.

This game saw an English Buccaneer force attempt a landing, against a Spanish militia force, in the 'Breakthrough' scenario.

English holiday makers approach the Spanish resort

Last one off the boat gets the drinks in!

Spanish employ pointed sticks

English militia, out in the midday sun, foolishly start a firefight in the open 

Lucky Jack Quilp and his Freebooters clear the woods for an English win.

A great game and a lot of fun, but wait there's more........

I recently bought into another Firelock games system - Blood and Steel; a skirmish level game set in the Victorian era.

This was only my second game with the rules and was more a test of the mechanisms than a proper game. I played with my 20mm Sudan collection - although I can see the temptation to get some 28mm figures is going to be strong.

Sudan playtest with Blood and Steel

Mounted Infantry about to meet their maker

The Mahdists swarm forward in game two

The British firing line holds firm

After only two games I'm still learning the subtleties, but the two games gave completely opposite results. In game one, the British were massacred on their baseline. In game two successive waves of Mahdist attacks were beaten back by disciplined fire. 

I wasn't sure about the rules, at first. These are much simpler than Blood and Plunder (although some might say more streamlined) and I thought I'd miss some of the nuances of the original game. However, after 2 games I'm well impressed and can see these being my rules of choice for colonial skirmish gaming.

And finally, it was off to the club to play out the next scenario in our Infamy campaign.

This time the Romans were 'attacking' and were tasked with escorting a cartload of wine through German territory. 

The route. Romans enter top right. Germans enter centre left - plus their 6 Ambush points of course. 

A spot of luck for the Romans and they get to remove the nearest German Ambush point.

Vorsprung deploys to block the Roman's passage. Auxilia archers protect the flank
while skirmishers race for the nearest Ambush point. Meanwhile Sextus' legionaries plod on.

Furius Tempor and his group of Auxiliary skirmishers run to close down the German Ambush point.

But Curius Decurius and his cavalry aim to get there first.

Sextus stays with the wine

More Germans appear ahead and on the flank and the Romans are now surrounded.
Titus' boys are bothered by slingers, archers and javelineers.

Titus forms up whilst Sextus hides in the woods

Titus protects the cart, Furius deploys to protect the flank and Sextus is still hiding in the woods. 

Vorsprung skulks in the marsh and gets all fervoured up

Titus is attacked by javelineers - what can 6 blokes with sticks do? 3 dead and a shock - are you kidding!!

The Germans close in.

Furius falls.

Titus fills ranks in a vain attempt to postpone the inevitable - and is wounded in the process.

Sextus finally gets his arse into gear.

But cannot prevail against Vorsprung's mighty dice.

With Furius dead and both Titus and Sextus wounded, the Romans were pushed back on all fronts. As Force Morale was down to 4 we called it a day and conceded a defeat.

However, in the campaign events, Vorsprung failed to rise further up the wall and Sextus also remained in his current position. As for Titus - well I drew one of  those bloody Infamy cards again didn't I. Someone in Rome really has it in for Titus and back down the wall he goes!

There's probably another 2 or 3 games left, this campaign season, but real life means we won't be able to finish the campaign this time. Nevermind, we can resume at a later date and I have a few ideas to streamline the campaign games a bit next time. Anyway, at this rate, I may need the time to paint up some Germans!

Titus vindicated

 The Mission: protect those pesky engineers, again

The man responsible: Auxiliary Centurion Titus Neutus (rumour has it in Wome that the "neutus" refers to his lack of genitalia following a sharp encounter in an Eastern brothel)

Sextus in a wood whilst Titus gets the fortifications.  Hang on!

The Germans appear.  And it seems they have a cunning plan.

But the German second team get held up crossing the fortifications

Titus sidles his boys left, in an Auxiliary shimmie 

Whilst Sextus just wants to kill someone

And those damn engineers make a meal of packing up their kit.

Vorsprung and the main German body try to flank us.

The view down table

Sextus closes up and braces.

Heaven yries a Charge, only to move an inch.

And the Germans thump the Auxiliaries 

It's a beast of a fight.

And the German dice are just fabulous.

And our Auxiliaries are whalloped

Titus charges in to flank the Germans and rolls them back

Sextus closes in and volleys pila.  His charge... another roll of one.

The German horse go for the engineers.  Clever!

But Titus gets stuck in.

The German horse are seen off, as the engineers finally march off.  Pretty much game over
Titus promoted after a vindicating display

Next door, a bloody big battles game.  The Austrians were proud of their Cavalry and Sir Elliot's infamous dice luck deserted him.  "Is this what  it's like when people play against me?" will go down in the club book of dark sayings.

Dominatrix rolls high

Last week saw the conclusion of game three in our Infamy campaign.

We last saw our heroes, Sextus and Titus, valiantly attempting to relieve a watch tower surrounded by Germans. A difficult task, partly of our own devising,  as despite the Germans attacking into Roman territory, we set the game up as if we were in German territory. No wonder we were immediately surrounded!

As the German main force, under Dominatrix, had appeared on our right flank, it would be up to the legion to force a way through to the tower, whilst the Auxilia screened the right.

However, a German ambush point, on the flank of the legion, presaged potential problems.

Therefore, the plan was for Sextus to detach a group of legionaries, under the Optio, to chase off the German javelineers and close down the ambush point, whilst the remaining legionaries pressed on through the marsh.

All we needed was a good run of cards..........

Turn one, card one and it's a German leader. On comes a mob, under Airfix, deploying from the dangerous ambush point.

Airfix deploys on the flank of the legion

Titus and the Auxilia deploy on the Roman right flank

Optio Bilius Bibulus chases off the German javelineers

Sextus steps out and chases off the German slingers

We just needed the Roman cavalry card to come out .........and the next card is...German cavalry. Oh dear hit in the flank.

Curius Decurius leads his men in a fast tactical withdrawal to the rear.

Syd the slinger deploys to plug the gap and give the German horse a nasty shock.

The action is hotting up but there's still a gap in front of the tower.

Vorsprung drags his cart through a Secret Way through the marsh and deploys his faggots.

The Auxilia make a dash for the gap ............and roll snake eyes!

Titus and the remaining Auxilia chase down the German cavalry

The legion are looking surrounded.

Dominatrix charges the lone Auxilia

The Auxilia break - exposing the legion

Roman flanks threatened by Airfix and Dominatrix

The Romans roll mighty but the German roll mightier.

With several push backs and a wounded leader, Roman morale crashes and it's game over.

So another win for the Germans and Dominatrix climbs the wall and is now classed as Victorious.

On the other hand both Sextus and Titus descend the wall and are Errant and Barborous, respectively. Titus is lowest on the wall and is heading for disgrace. This is despite him doing nothing wrong, playing the best game for the Romans AND commanding for the only Roman win of the campaign so far! Life's tough in ancient Rome.

The next action is on the nones of Iunius and the Germans are once again attacking into Roman territory.

It's the Ubique scenario with a party of engineers (surveying for a replacement watch tower presumably!) escorted by Titus and his auxiliaries.

The Romans deploy to protect the engineers.