Hail Caesar - Romans v Samnites

At this month's club meet, Nick got out his nicely painted 15mm ancient figures and Mr Steve L supplied the AAR. In between the other games I spent quite a bit of time capturing the set up and playing of this Roman/Companion versus Samnite/Gallic slug fest which produced some great pictures and a hard fought result.

Enjoy - JJ

A Roman/Companion army fighting a Samnite/Gallic alliance for the important farm and Sacred Site on a hill.

Deployed on the Table were a Roman Division in a farm and the Companion Division on a hill containing a sacred site. The Samnite’s had one Linen Division facing the Farm and a Coloured Division facing the Companions.

The game started with a further two Roman Divisions appearing from the South West along the road
between a hill and some woods. A Roman Cavalry Division came on from the South East. The Samnite’s brought on a further Linen Division and another Coloured Division and a cavalry division from the North and North East. The Gallic Cavalry came on from the North West.

Three moves into the game there was a very nasty surprise for the two Roman Divisions as, from the woods, they were ambushed by a big Gallic War band. After the ambush the Gaul’s retreated back through the woods to reform on a hill to await the arrival of their cavalry.

At the farm the Samnite’s proceeded to amass three Divisions to attack the poor Romans, who had been asked by the local inhabitants to look after it. Meanwhile on the hill, the Companions slept.

The two ambushed Roman Divisions shook themselves out and proceeded to the crossroads to be met by the Gaul’s ably led by the The Dice Master (Ian). At the farm Mr Steve amassed his Divisions and
attacked three walls of the farm. Steve H suffered his next dicing catastrophe as he lost his heavy unit in the first attack on the farm.

Meanwhile on the hill, zzzzzzzz.

The fourth Samnite division had by now positioned itself between the farm and the hill along with a division of cavalry. The Roman cavalry had positioned themselves as a threat to these divisions and started a running battle with the Gallic cavalry.

The Gaul’s and Romans were having a blood fest with The Dice Man in imperious form but the Romans were beginning to overwhelm them. At the farm the Romans and Samnite’s were slugging it out with the battle swinging one way then the other (Mr Steve and Steve H both throwing really bad dice) but the Samnite numbers were now telling with the Romans being pushed away from the walls with the loss of another unit.

Meanwhile on the hill, zzzzzzz.

Move Nine. The Romans and Gaul’s have by now almost exhausted each other, fighting to a stalemate. The farm was, by all intents and purposes, in Samnite hands with the remnants of the Roman division pulling out very badly mauled. Meanwhile on the hill….the Companions have woken up and are coming off the hill, or are they, DOUBLE SIX, blunder, two moves to the rear plus one casualty on each unit. Oh blast.

GAME OVER.
The Samnite/Gallic alliance claimed a victory citing the amount of casualties inflicted and the farm now in their hands. However as the Romans are writing this history, it was obviously a resounding Roman victory and the senate has been so informed.

The reality is that, whilst the Romans/Companions may claim a moral victory by still holding the Sacred site on the hill, they had lost the farm, were very badly mauled and were being beaten back.

This was a game that pitted a Roman & Companion army of 580 points against a Samnite & Gaul army of 820 Points. Hail Caesar was the rules used and also the basis for the point’s calculation. The Samnite, Roman and Gallic figures were by Xyston whilst the Companions were Forged in Battle. The figures were painted and based by Nick.