Pachyderms progress

    The next set of round 1 games saw the Spanish tussle with the Romans for control of a strategic hill and hamlet, the Carthaginians taking on the Gauls at a river crossing and the Greeks trying to wrest control of a temple and broken down Fort from some revolting peasantry.

    I'll let the Spanish /Roman and Carthage /Gauls comment on their games but from the little I witnessed the Romans had Superman on their side in the form of Biggus Dickus who singlehandedly routed a unit of Spanish. I'm sure he is light on the points cost in the list.

    Cartage sent its elephants to clear the way for their army to cross by the ford. Clearly the Gauls were transfixed and terrified by the pachyderms ability the balance a ball (or was it a Gauls head) on their trunks whilst walking on hind legs. As a consequence the main Gallic force fled and I think only rallied at the end of the game.

    The Greeks also had a pachyderm and unlike in previous games where it had been a liability it started off well. First it charged some skirmishers who fled in terror. Then it charged into a gallic German slave warband and saw them off. More success so far than in all other games combined.

    As this was happening the heavy cavalry saw off some singers and bravely launched into a unit of women and children. Clearly this was an elite unit of women and children as they held on for two turns of melee before fleeing.

    In the centre the phalanx clashed with the only unit of Slaves to actually have arms and armour and forced them back almost catching and destroying them.

    At the tumbledown Fort some sharp shooting javelin men caused the Dlave Skirmishers to panic and flee leaving only the ballista crew manning the walls. They should have asked the Spanish how easy it was to overcome the ballista crew. Even though they couldn't actually aim their ballista or fight they could defend. Actually in this game the ballista managed to kill a skirmisher. One casualty caused in two games.

    The only fly in the Greeks ointment were their fabled ride shoot ride cavalry who'd forgotten to put their chainmail pants on that morning a failed every single save they attempted.

    The elephant having seen much success charged the rallied javelin skirmishers. This time the skirmishers passed their fear test fought the elephant to a draw and killed the mahout in the second round of combat.

    In the centre after a series of close melee and with all their oracle's gone the Greeks eventually lost to the trained slaves.

    The heavy cavalry recognised the temple as being to Apollo and in a poor state. They couldn't allow this and went to get it back in some order. Obviously those slave women and children units had thoughtlessly left a lot of used wet wipes and nappy liners littering the place.

    And as the game closed that was it. After almost winning a crushing victory the Greeks had to be content occupying the temple and leaving the Slaves in control of the broken down Fort.

    Having blantly violated several Spanish copywrites in relation to armour and equipment. The Spanish forces attempted to serve a petition on the Romans.


    The Romans proceeded to occupy a house and hid from the Spanish General who attempted to deliver the petition on the end of a Javelin, having first dispatched a unit of Roman skirmishers and supporting formations.


    Two further units of scuttari flanked the main Roman force drawing them out of formation and charging the flank. It was at this point things went slightly downhill, particularly for the scuttari who had made the charge.


    Successfully winning the initial combat the Romans refused to fall back holding the position and allowing the supporting Roman units to flank the Spanish and forcing them off the hill.


    Supporting fire from a unit of skirmishers and a second charge by another unit of scuttari failed to dislodge the Romans by the end of the battle.


    On the opposite flank with one unit of skirmishers seen off and just a small unit of Romans cowering in the building, the Spanish commander looked back to his skirmisher support, not wanting to dismount and enter the building on foot.


    It was at this point he saw what appeared to be a single Roman pursuing 14 Spaniards through the woods, squinting he swore the Roman had a slender feminine outline...surely not....he had been told the lone infidel had been put to the sword...the lone warrior couldn't possibly have defeated his troops for a second time.....

    A distant cousin of famous general, Hamilcar, Sagrescar Barca was making a name for himself in Carthage and beyond. Mostly due to his, usually outlandish, attempts at misdirection. Nevertheless he had successfully pulled off a smash and grab heist against the Spanish, made a pin cushion out of a Greek general and dazzled the Romans with a skilful display of horsemanship.


    Now he needed to get his vanguard force across a small bridge to secure the flanks of a greater Carthaginian force. Expecting the crossing to be uneventful, Sagrescar had allowed his elephants to cross ahead of the main force to take advantage of some tasty vegetation, along with a small unit of hoplites.


    Unexpectedly a large group of rowdy unwashed Gauls approached at the double, accompanied by a smaller group of naked ginger-haired men and three chariots. Sagrescar quickly ordered his hoplites to form up and his remaining troops to get across the bridge as soon as possible, but the narrowness of the bridge would mean progress would be slow. It would be up to the elephants and the hoplites to hold the line to give the Carthaginians time to get across before the mass of cheese-whiffing Gauls blocked the bridge.


    The Gauls kept up their pace, moving at full speed directly for the bridge, while their chariots swept across from their left flank to the right, supporting the naked men.


    The Carthaginian elephants, enraged that their meal had been interrupted, let out a furious trumpet and charged straight into the Gauls. Or, at least they would have done if the Gauls hadn't decided that they really didn't fancy being trampled by 10 tonnes of angry pachyderm and promptly turned and ran.


    While their clothed kinsmen continued their flight, the group of naked short gingers fancied their chances charging into one elephant.



    ...and the rest of the Gauls keep running...


    The naked men fought bravely, and it was only after three rounds of combat, and the second elephant getting stuck in, that they finally collapsed under the weight of the great beasts.


    There remained time for a demonstration of Iberian slinger marksmanship, scoring 0 hits in 20 shots at the fleeing naked fanatics.


    Eventually 2 more fanatics died of laughing at the pathetic Carthaginian shooting, before the last member (and his member) left the field.


    All too late the Gauls finally rallied in time to watch on helplessly as the remainder of the Carthaginian force trooped across the bridge. The evil charioteers spitefully killed one of the mahouts but, rather than stampeding off, as the Gauls hoped, the elephant just returned to his well earned, and interrupted, meal.