Patrol Duty - check the farm ....

Another play-test of my Simple Combat rules, this time gauls 'without potion'....

---oXo---

A Roman patrol on the return leg of their route...

The roman patrol is being watched....

The patrol halts and takes up a defensive position as a detachment is sent to check out a nearby farm 

the detachment reaches the farm ...

the gallic commander orders the signal to attack

the gauls rush in to attack the romans 

the romans hold their ground.....

with fighting going on in the farm, another detachment is prepared  ....

as the fighting continues ...

the second detachment approaches the farm...

the romans finally get to grips with the gauls, starting to cut them down ....

the remaining gauls run for it ....

the farm is set alight and the romans withdraw, 

---oXo---

Result:

Romans: 1 legionary - single wound

Gauls: 4 dead, 1 warrior with 2 wounds. 

The rules worked well in the play test; the un-armoured gallic warriors eventually got cut up by the romans as expected, even when they scored a hit it was difficult to wound the romans due to their armour. The armoured gallic warrior was an even match for a roman.

Three Belligerent Gauls ...

A play-test of my simple combat rules applied to a Gauls V Romans scenario. I added a new skill level to the rules - Hero; plus a special +3 attack  bonus for those gauls who take a drink of  the magic fighting potion (with 10 moves of fighting before effects of potion run out). 

So time for the gauls to take it to the romans, 2 heroes and a warrior versus 28 romans ....

---oXo---

The patrol continues on its way back to the border fort ... they've strayed to close to a particular village

they have been spotted, the druid decides to test the latest batch of fighting potion ...

a little later, the patrol find their way blocked by three belligerent gauls, the romans advance confidently ....

The gauls wade in .....

the heros bash and knock the romans about severely ...

and proceed to beat up the entire patrol ....

picking their opponents with impunity ....

the roman casualties mount up ....

feeling a little tired the gauls disengage and leave, (before the effect of the potion runs out...)

the romans reform and hobble back to base as best they can ....

---oXo---

result:

gauls - no casualties

romans - 4 men disabled (3 wounds), 4 with 2 wounds, 12 with 1 wound,  8 bruised & shaken.

the rules worked well, the ordinary gallic warrior + potion was a match for a roman; the heroes made short work of up to three opponents at a time.  Gauls had 10 moves before the effects of the potion an out - they used up 8 moves to beat up the patrol.

The Nasturces attack Dervadunom...

The conflict between the Pretentiates and the Nasturces has been brewing for some time; cattle raids and skirmishes.

Somewhere to the north of the roman military frontier in the territory of the Pretentiates tribe.... At the settlement of Dervadunom,  all is quiet...

---oXo---

A woman out for a walk by the stream has spotted a large group of warriors coming up  the valley...

Scouts from the Nasturces tribe near the settlement

a group of warriors set out from the settlement to investigate ....

when they reach the stream some ways down the valley, they spot the approaching warriors ...

they sound the alarm ...

the alarm is heard in the settlement and more warriors are called to arms ...

As the warbands of the Nasturces approach down the valley, the warriors from the settlement position themselves to defend the line of the stream ....

They attempt to hold off the attacking Nasturces...

while more warriors form a second line of defence between the rocks that traverse the valley...

the warriors defending the stream fall back, they are outnumbered...

as the the lead warband of the Nasturces advances further down the valley, two more warbands are moving up behind them...

The lead war band attacks the Pretentiates defending the rocks ....

they work their way round the flank, but cannot make progress in the middle and fall back to wait support.....

while the Nasturces gather their strength the Pretentiates fall back towards the settlement ...

The Nasturces attack again ....

and push them further back towards the settlement

The Pretentiates manage to disengage and fall back into the safety setllement

The Nasturces make an attempt to attack and get into the settlement ....

the attack fails, they haven't sufficient warriors left to gain entry ...

the Nasturces mill about for a bit and then retire back down the valley... a successful fighting retreat by the Pretentiates has saved their settlement.

Livestock Raid

Somewhere to the north of the roman military frontier in the territory of the Pretentiates tribe....

At a small settlement, the local bard is trying out his latest composition on the chickens and ducks....

 Meanwhile the livestock is being brought back to the settlement ...

A group of warriors from the Nasturces tribe appear, they are after the livestock. They run towards the animals whooping and shouting - spooking the cattle slightly... two of the escort try to hold them off....

 The attacking group of the Nasturces has been held off but more come into view ...

they close in on the livestock, their herders and escort

the herders manage to move the animals forward as the escort hold off the raiding warriors ...

the raiding warriors get very close to the animals ....

but the escort gets the upper hand over the raiders and keep them at bay ...a couple of raiders try to drive off the goats ...

but have to turn to deal with some warriors who have come out to help from the settlement ....

the escort is still holding back the other raiders ....

one of the raiders attempts to attack the cow herder, who as the warrior rushes in, dodges and with a well aimed blow of his herding stick knocks him out cold...

the remaining raiders are now being dealt with, a couple escape but the rest are cut down ...

the animals are brought back to the safety of the settlement ....