The Battle of Pen Foel Aman.

On The table:

Play interrupted by, well, a play (Six performances  over the weekend - plus a "public dress". Pretty exhausting.), but the forces are are in place.

I have gone for ratio of 1 bod on the table representing 2 chaps in "real".

I'll need to be doing a bit of fudging with the wee guys; I don't have 180-odd auxiliaries in the same kit. But then, we don't actually have any uniform plates (each century may have had something different anyway...).

The Battle begins....

The locals have taken up position on the higher ground, as expected. Both sides have opted to deploy in reasonable depth.The Auxiliaries approach in line of battle. The locals, divided into three kin-groups, with their combined skirmishers, acting as a separate unit, to the fore, wait on their hill.

However, Burriena has with him three locals from Hillfort Cluster XLIII, elders of that area. With an escort of two auxiliaries one of these men walks towards the hostile line carrying high a green branch of leaves, indicating a desire to Parlay. He is allowed to approach within shouting distance of the defenders' line; whereupon he calls on them to see sense and disperse to their homes.

"Men of Cmwaman and the Aman Hills and The Green Slopes of Taff, and to Eudaf, predominant chosen head of the men of Cmwaman and the Aman Hills and The Green Slopes of Taff. Many of you will know me, Gwaednerth, son of Gwaednerth of Duneath. I call on you to remember how, in days past, before the coming of the Steel Helms, brothers we have been. Together we have hunted head. From the Western Dogs, Rich in Sheep, to the Northern Dogs, the Hammer-Men, and The Women-Men of the River-Lands and the Lead Hills we have heads and booty taken, brothers in blood. For the sake and memory of that brotherhood I ask your trust when I speak.

For my people those days of raiding and head-taking have passed. As oath-sworn on sword fire and salt by our High King to the High King of the Steel Helms from beyond the Lead Hills, we to keep the peace have pledged, and so prospered without fear of raids from enemies or kin. It is to call upon you to honour that oath by our High King that I now speak to you.

Before you stood aloof, as was your right and your choice. But that was before the Steel helms came to your door. Now it is here that they are. Therefore I beg and urge thee, Eudaf, to come and to the prince of these Steel Helms speak in peace. And to the rest I say return to your crofts, and do not with the Steel Helms fight; for even in victory that will bring a black doom on the Folk of  Cmwaman and the Aman Hills and The Green Slopes of Taff, and upon Eudaf and all his house. For the Steel Helms are beyond numbering; and do not forget....."

Eudaf calls back - something short and offensive.

[Eudaf's reaction is diced for. Then I dice one ave. die to see how many factions there are among the locals, and get a 3. I then dice for each faction to see if they are affected by the speech. Oh boy.. I then dice for any reaction..]

The home team did NOT like Gwaednerth's efforts - and start throwing stones.

Worse (potentially) Eudaf's faction begins to move forwards - and it is only the actions of Eudaf himself, and the failure of their flanking brothers to move at all (Reluctant? Caught on the hop?), that stops Eudaf's centre from rushing down the hill.Gwaednerth is hurried back to behind the Roman line by his escorts.

So the battle begins. The auxiliary foot advance, but the line becomes slightly ragged (nothing to be worried about, and to be expected when moving as fast as is reasonable to cut down the amount of time under fire from the enemy skirmishers, on roughish ground). 

 As the foot advance Burriena decides (a bit late?) to move his leftmost cavalry over to the right, where the slope on the enemy flank is shallower, while the horse on his right push forwards to discomfort the enemy's left.

 

The leftmost of Burriena's centuries pulls ahead, clambering up (and taking disruption from) the steeper slope on their part of the field, and charging the skirmishers, who skip back.

However, as the Dalmations advance, still disordered by the steep slope, they are suddenly counter-charged by the Silurian right, and pushed back.

In fact, over the next move they will be pushed right back down the slope up which they have struggled.

But as the leftmost century are pushed back the rest of the Roman line advances, till a move by the Roman reserve onto the flank of the enemy right unit - now some distance from their fellows - and some rallying by Burriena encourages the Dalmations, and, after some serious hand to hand, the enemy right unit is forced to recoil.

Meanwhile, in Burriena's centre and centre right, the other two leading centuries have made a run up the slop; intending to scare off the skirmishers and charge the remainder of the hostile line - the left of which had angled back, for fear of the Roman right cavalry.

Here, again, the fighting of the defenders is fierce, and the lead century is pressed back. Things are not going as well for the Romans as planned.

Meanwhile Burriena, seeing the threat to his left, countermands the order to his left horse turma, and orders them to swing back to the left, and attack the now discomforted Silurian right-hand unit. They do so, and the enemy right scatters in panic.

To the enemy's rear the Roman right cavalry charge the hostile skirmishers, driving them down the slopes towards the Cwmaman Valley. But the horse keep themselves in hand, and do not pursue.

As all three first line centuries advance towards them, the Silurii centre and left make one last charge on the Auxiliary foot - and cause these to falter. But so focused are they on the wavering centuries that they ignore the horse to their rear.

An Optio falls, a centurion is wounded and Dalmations drop to the ground in the fierce fighting.

But losses among the Silurian leading men, and one last push by the Auxiliaries, personally inspired by Burriena, plus the auxiliary left century moving to rejoin the fray - and with cavalry hovering to their rear - the home side's spirit falters. 

They are forced back then, finding themselves molested by the Roman cavalry, break.

As the enemy left and centre scatter down towards the Caenoa Valley, and the unbroken skirmishers and broken right kin-group, pull down towards the Aman, Burriena orders the recall sounded.

It was a short fight, and there was no serious pursuit of the beaten side, so local casualties were not as bad as they might have been. 

On the Roman side, however, the Dalmation foot did not exactly excel themselves, and the action felt more touch and go than it ought. Burriena now has wounded to tend - and a decision to make....

Technical Notes: 

The battle was fought using SP tokens for unit leader and Overall Commander Activation, with ad hoc dice tests for detached friendly and Hostile decisions using IMP options. I used the "Stack and Stop" method (NMTB) rather than a SP-style token draw with Tiffin token process. Movement, Morale and Combat rules were my usual cannibalised House Rules.

As always: queries, thoughts & comments encouraged.