The Roman Pond at Roll Call 2023
Gallic vs Patrician Roman
Game 2 Gallic vs Patrician Roman
With a rather crushing defeat under the Gaul's belts, it was time to squeeze in an early school canteen lunch of relatively meat-free pasty and chips before the Gallic army would be dropped onto the field of play to either surprise, or more probably, delight its next unwitting opponent
Given I had only had one practice game with this behemoth before the competition I actually wasn't to unhappy with their performance against the Galatians either. I had managed to largely neutralise their Heavy Foot by dint of not taking them on at all really, and with the rub of the green the Thracians could easily have been swept away too, so with a bit more thought on the terrain and deployment fronts things still felt positive
And, hurling a load of warband at a surprised enemy was a whole load of fun even when it wasn't especially effective too!
The second round saw the Gallic horde drawn against a semi-proper Roman opponent, but unfortunately this was the very late Patrician Roman list. Hoorah - another army with better Impetuous Heavy Foot than mine, but with the prospect of better cavalry as well this time around.
In the Patrician era the Roman army was in a state of transition as the Western Roman Empire faced numerous challenges and external threats.
During this time, the Roman army faced significant challenges due to barbarian invasions and internal instability. The Western Roman Empire was under pressure from Germanic tribes, such as the Visigoths and Vandals, as well as the Huns in the east. The army had to defend the frontiers and often fought defensive battles against these invading forces.
While the Roman army still had capable generals and soldiers, its overall strength and effectiveness had declined compared to previous centuries. Internal political struggles, economic instability, and logistical issues had an impact on the army's ability to maintain its strength and respond effectively to external threats.
The lists for the Gallic and Patrician Roman from this game, as well as all the other lists from the games at Roll Call can be seen here in the L'Art de la Guerre Wiki.
The battlefield was yet again cluttered with fields and plantations, although sadly for me quite a few of them had ended up on the Patrician baseline, and relatively few were in the useful zone (the front half of the enemy side of the table).
This left a broad open space on the Gallic left, which looked like the obvious place both for the Patrician cavalry and Foederate infantry
With these two formations almost certain to be better than my Medium Foot Gallic infantry, I had elected to put a sacrificial command of a handful of infantry in this open space, then to drive the mass of infantry down the middle across open fields and also swing round on the right with the Gallic horsemen, using their speed to deliver a great victory!
The Romans had skewed their whole army strongly towards that more open flank, and as it turned out their mounted wing was somewhat less pokey than I had anticipated - and their Foederate infantry were also not especially high quality either.
Dat veniam corvis, vexat censura columbas! Seeing this, the Gallic plan immediately changed with a big slab of infantry from the centre swinging outwards, seeking to bully the light horse in the Roman cavalry formation out of the way and potentially try and overwhelm the relatively small block of Foederate foot as well.
One on one this was an iffy matchup for sure, but with an army designed on the basis of a plan that depended on the efficacy of sheer weight of numbers of cheap infantry, I felt I had to at least give it a go!
So, was the Later Roman army really a bit rubbish?
The Patricians had managed to get their barbarian infantry to struggle over their own fortifications and into the open, but as they emerged the Gallic skirmishers were busy taunting them with ineffectual archery, hoping to knock a few small holes in their confidence before the inevitable clash with the main body of Gallic foot
Annoyingly, the Gallic cavalry's attempt to recreate their Galatian counterpart's leap from terrain in the first game had already faltered
Roman (well, probably Hunnic) horsemen had raced forward at great speed, and combined with an unsteady start from the Gaulish horsemen, had managed to trap my cavalry in terrain. They were now standing just outside the terrain and unleashing archery at them to boot
These Romans are crazy! The Foederate foot had gotten suitably irritated by the Gallic skirmishers by now, and unleashed themselves in a series of disjointed charges, only to be met by a Gallic countercharge.
With little else in the enemy army that looked like it would be easy pickings for the fleet of foot Gauls, fighting the Foederate foot piecemeal was about as good as it was likely to get - so they grasped the opportunity with relish and prayed to the Gallic Gods of Dice
Sic transit gloria mundi! The initial clash was dramatic and spectacular, with the Foederate foot taking a bucket of hits as the Gauls smashed into them at full pelt. With the Roman mercenaries still at sixes and sevens the tide of Gaulish infantry looked immediately well set to drive onwards and capitalise on their initial success
It is important to note that by this period, the Roman Empire was facing increasing fragmentation and decline, which would eventually lead to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. The Roman army of 425 AD reflects a transitional phase in Roman military history as the empire grappled with various challenges and pressures.
In ADLG terms this leads to a pick and mix list in which the traditional strength of well armoured Elite Legionaries is replaced by a more Swiss Army Knife approach, using barbarian mercenaries, sub-par but still competent Roman soldiery and a range of different mounted options bringing interesting capabilities to the army as it gradually adapts both to better fight its historical opponents, and also in response to changes within Roman society and empire which impact on its ability to recruit and deploy field armies at the extremities of the Empire.
Gradually, step by step, the Romans were drawn into a lengthy line of battle against the coherent yet oblique formation of Gauls, filling in the gaps in their line with successive waves of infantry and cavalry.
The Gauls now urgently needed to press home the initial advantage this echeloned attack had engineered for them before the better and more resilient Patrician forces could sort themselves out for a prolonged struggle.
The pressure was also on Rome's mercenary contingent on the opposite flank, as aided by the Gallic Soldurii the Francophone horsemen had fought their way out of the muddy ploughed field and were starting to get to close quarters grips with the enemy mounted screen.
Whether this part of the battle was now one where the Gauls were seeking to maximise enemy losses, or to simply drive off the marauding Hunnic mercenaries and open a path to outflank the Roman centre was however now up for debate with battle already well and truly joined elsewhere.
The flanks are where many a battle is decided, and the Patrician mounted right wing was now making a serious bid to claim that honour in this particular festival of combat too, breaking through the "delaying" command of Gauls to set themselves up for a similar sweeping roll-up of the Gallic line.
Any Gauls glancing to their left would immediately have realised they now needed to break the Roman centre pretty quickly in order to emerge victorious in this game.
Rome vs Gaul
The solid and doughty dumpling and pork knuckle-loving Foederate infantrymen were now fully aligned in proper Roman fashion, and were starting to cause serious problems for the fleet of foot Gallic warriors as the battle of speed and shock slowly transformed into a drawn out slog, for which the greater numbers and density of the doughty Germanics seemed far better suited.
L'Art de la Guerre hint - Heavy Infantry (like the Foederati foot) have 4 hit points, Medium Infantry (like these Gauls) have only 3. Funnily enough, the HI cost 1/3 more than the MF in points terms too.
Suddenly the Gallic line collapsed, in a flurry of breadcrumbs, snapped onion strings and ancient bicycle parts as the Roman Foederate by and large broke through all along the line
Contraria contrariis curantur! Even the isolated pockets of Gallic success had come at a huge cost, with the near-exhausted Gauls left bereft of energy and fight as they hacked and staggered their way through the densely packed Germanic wariors
With Roman Foederate horsemen also enjoying pretty much the same outcomes, the whole Gaulish left and centre suddenly seemed almost lost!
With the game now seemingly inexorably heading towards defeat, the far flung reaches of the Gaulish battle line decided that their job was now to try and help improve their army's losing score, and instead of swinging into the centre they resolved to mop up as many Roman troops as possible.
The Hunnic horsemen in Patrician service however seemed to be possessed of different ideas, and fought back bravely to frustrate the Gallic attempt at a clean sweep in at least part of the table
L'Art de la Guerre hint - A typical ADLG event will see something like 80% or more of games ending with the total defeat of one side or the other, which is pretty decent all round really. When that happens, the losing player maximises their "losers score" points by killing more of the enemy troops - so if the game looks lost, it's best to go down fighting rather than trying to hang on!
This was now all about heroism, and trying to forge some great tales to tell any grandchildren (although of course the probability of battlefield mortality of the Gallic troops was increasing by the moment, so the opportunity to actually get home and tell those tales was diminishing rapidly too)
Quot capita, tot sensus! With that in mind, a couple of units of Gallic warriors raced forward eager to slam into and take on the quivering Mediocre quality Roman Auxilia lurking at the back of the table to try and claim a famous photo-worthy moment of heroism and success in what was shaping up to be an otherwise fairly bleak military picture of this game
The Gauls were now throwing everything they had into a flurry of last minute furious attacks on the stoic Foederate infantry and horsemen - this felt like the clock (OK, the time-calculating properties of the standing stones at Karnac maybe) ticking down towards defeat, so any success here would be a crumb of comfort to be celebrated.
But, with the Roman cavalry choristers battalion now in full hue and cry, things suddenly turned rather sour for the Gauls even at their moment of purely nominal triumph
With four-legged steeds and somewhat angry riders crashing into them from all sides, the exhausted and by now badly outnumbered Gauls started toppling over like aniseed scented Pernod bottles ill-advisedly placed at the end of a French-Swiss bowling lane frequented by gentlemen called Daveed.
Ad gladios! Infestis pilis! In the final moments the remaining, nay surviving, second wave components of the Gallic force did indeed manage to overcome many of the equally exhausted Foederate foot, but it was way too little and way, way to late
The Result is a second defeat for the Gauls, with around 75% losses inflicted on the Patrician army
Click here for the report of the next game in this competition, or read on for the post match summaries from the Generals involved, as well as another episode of legendary expert analysis from Hannibal
The Gallic Commander explains the result to his friend Obelix
Asterix: "Oh, Obelix, my friend, it pains me to say that we have suffered a defeat at the hands of those cunning Romans. Their cavalry proved to be a formidable force, and it played a decisive role in our loss."
Obelix: "But Asterix, we've always managed to outsmart them before! How did their cavalry make such a difference this time?"
Asterix: "Well, Obelix, you know how the Romans are always trying to come up with new tactics. This time, they focused their efforts on strengthening their cavalry, and it caught us off guard. They had skilled horsemen who executed their manoeuvres with precision."
Obelix: "Those Romans and their horses! I've never trusted them!"
Asterix: "Indeed, Obelix, their cavalry was fast and well-trained, giving them a significant advantage on the battlefield. They were able to strike quickly and overwhelm our own cavalry with better quality troops before we could mount a proper defence."
Obelix: "So, what could we have done differently, Asterix?"
Asterix: "It's a challenging question, my friend. In hindsight, we could have devised a strategy to neutralize their cavalry's impact. We might have had more luck with choosing terrain perhaps, limiting their mobility, or even had a bit more luck against their Auxilia too - but it was not to be."
Obelix: "But we've always relied on our wit and ingenuity to overcome the Romans. What happened this time?"
Asterix: "Sometimes, Obelix, even the cleverest plans can falter. The Romans have a vast empire with abundant resources, and they seize any opportunity to strengthen their military. We should not underestimate their ability to adapt and improve their tactics."
Obelix: "So, what do we do now, Asterix? How can we defeat them?"
Asterix: "We regroup, my friend, and we learn from this defeat. We analyse their army's strengths and weaknesses and find a way to turn the tide in our favour. We must come up with new strategies that capitalize on our Gaulish strengths and exploit the Romans' vulnerabilities."
Obelix: "Yes, Asterix! We'll show those Romans that our Gaulish spirit cannot be broken!"
Asterix: "Exactly, Obelix! We may have lost a battle, but we haven't lost the war. We'll train harder, think smarter, and find a way to outmanoeuvre the Roman cavalry. Remember, our determination and unity have always been our greatest assets."
Obelix: "You're right, Asterix! We'll make them regret underestimating the Gauls!"
Asterix: "That's the spirit, Obelix! We'll rally our forces, devise new tactics, and strike back with renewed strength. The Romans may have won this time, but Gaul shall rise again!"
Obelix: "Onward to victory, Asterix! Let's show them the might of the indomitable Gauls!"
Asterix: "Indeed, Obelix! Together, we shall prevail!"
Hannibal's Post Match Analysis
Thou art a pitiful strategist, unable to navigate the simplest of dilemmas, and this time you managed to give yourself a load of additional problems as well by trying to be too clever in deplying an army with no clever spark within it at all.
Thy understanding of military reason is as elusive as finding a Frenchman who refuses a baguette - you had a force designed to check enemy cavalry, but deployed it in a field on a flank where even a couple of skirmishing horsemen could keep it bottled up for ages!
Knowing your infantry were weakest against good quality mounted, and would probably lose in a battle of attrition against heavier warband, you chose to use them to take on the enemy cavalry and heavy foot warband, proving once ad for all that thy intellect in all things military is as fleeting as a soldier who turns tail at the first sign of danger!
Putting your mounted where they could face the foe they were designed to face, and shifting the rest of your army to the right to accommodate them would have changed the game dramatically in your favour. Lets just say that if I were your opponent in the next game I would engage thee in battle of wits, but soon find that thou art unarmed and defenceless.
Click here for the report of the next game in this competition
You may also like....
Game 2 Gallic vs Patrician Roman
View My Stats for My Match Reports Pages
