Stand Off At Strontium

Bikkagernand Baldinus again locked horns, a small probe by Bikkagern was met by a similar force if Romans.
Neither side was eager to make the first move, the Romans were first to break the deadlock, the Equiete charging the Goth cavalry on the Roman right. Over on the Roman left the Moors goaded the Goth noble cavalry with javelin showers while themselves coming under fire from Goth foot archers. The Goth nobles were content to weather the storm while the casualties mounted on the Moors.
Meanwhile the Goth cavalry finally got the better of their Roman adversaries, themselves being severely reduced retired and let fresh troops take their place in the line.They in turn were charged by the other Roman cavalry again the same result occurred while over on the left the Moors finally broke.
The Roman infantry were now left with no cavalry support but their flanks were protect by the rough terrain either side, they could not risk an advance and leave their flanks in the air, even though the Goth cavalry had been severely mauled.
The Goths were not keen to attack the Romans frontally so a Mexican stand off ensued, the Romans would attempt to melt away at night fall it was decided.
Some pictures of the action/inaction follow.

The Goth incursion will continue next month with the last game of 2019 here at OHQ, when we will be using To The Strongest rules to decide the outcome.

TTFN

Back To The Future

Back to my post Roman Britain unit upgrade which proceeds at the rate of a speeding slug. Below is the seventh Saxon unit to be made up to four bases, another twelve figures will get them up to the eight unit target while their opponents require me to paint a further twelve infantry and eight cavalry. However I do have a bolt thrower that can be used to make eight units when the infantry are done.

Gripping Beast figures, LBMS shield transfers, Warbases bases.

The future? Well the rather funky new early Byzantines from Aventine Miniatures are just to good to resist,a new project for 2020, with the added bonus that I can use my Goths to oppose them, although do I hear Sassanian war drums beating?

TTFN

Anarchist Attack

This one's for you Nigel, you beat the bastard once, you can do it again, no passaran!

OHQ's turn to host this week, Dave came over for a Spanish Civil war game, we used Rapid Fire rules with some of the modifications suggested by Mark Hannam and a fire chart to replace the unwieldy one in the current version, gleaned from the Rapid Fire Facebook page.

The Republican aim was to neutralise a Nationalist bunker which dominated a strategic railway line, various air attacks had failed in this task.
The attack would be carried out by an Anarchist militia platoon, with support from an army 75mm field gun, an armoured truck and a BA10 armoured car. The bunker would be assaulted by a shock squad armed with dynamite and a captured flamethrower.
Facing this was a platoon of Spanish Foreign Legion, supported by a Pak36 anti-tank gun with a HMG emplaced in the bunker.

The defenders learn of an early dawn attack and stand too

The Anarchist attack begins

The Nationalists move troops forward, too little and too late

The Anarchists surge forward to steal the prize

An overwhelming victory for the Republic, as is my want when defending I waited far to long to deploy additional troops letting my forward squads together with the Pak36, which in its turn deployed far later than it should have, get decimated by concentrated vehicle and infantry fire. No blame on the dice gods this time I hasten to say.

TTFN