The Consular Wars Begin

Game Overview
The Consuls have existed on an uneasy peace for the last decade, so it was inevitable that war would eventually come to the Republic. The various factions have been vying for power throughout the empire and now the first two parties have taken to the field. It is interesting to note that these two adversaries have until this point been ardent supporters of one another, and so many see this action as merely political maneuvering between the erstwhile allies to ‘renegotiate’ their understandings.

The sides

Brutus Gleeson (Warren Gleeson) leading a Consular army with Gallic Allies

Julius Evans (Mike Evans) leading a consular army with German allies

The Armies

Army One – Brutus’s Gallic Host

Unit Name                       ##  Mv  WS  BS  St  To  Wo  In  At  Ld  Sv    Cost

 

Gaius Brutus Gleeson            1   4   5   5   3   3   3   6   2   9  X/4   156.0

                               Sword; Light Armor; Large Shield; Army

                               General; Any unit within 12″ of the

                               General may use his Leadership when it

                               takes a Leadership test; Must always test

                               before other units in army; Drilled;

                               Stubborn

 

Army Standard Bearer            1   4   4   4   3   3   2   4   2   8  X/4    96.0

                               Sword; Light Armor; Large Shield; Battle

                               Standard; Unit accompanied gains +1 Combat

                               Result; Any unit within 12″ may re-roll

                               any failed Break tests; Drilled; Stubborn

 

Barbarian Chieftan                 1   5   5   5   4   4   2   5   3   6   X     73.0

(Within Gallic Warriors 1)     May lead any allied unit that is subject

                               to warband psychology. Must remain

                               attached to this unit.; Sword

 

Legionaries 1                        15  4   3   3   3   3   1   4   1  7/8  4    245.0

                               Sword; Centurion; Unit gains +1A;

                               Musician; Standard; Hvy Throwing Spear;

                               Light Armor; Large Shield; Drilled;

                               Stubborn

 

Legionaries 2                        15  4   3   3   3   3   1   4   1  7/8  4    245.0

                               Sword; Centurion; Unit gains +1A;

                               Musician; Standard; Hvy Throwing Spear;

                               Light Armor; Large Shield; Drilled;

                               Stubborn

 

Legionaries 3                        15  4   3   3   3   3   1   4   1  7/8  4    245.0

                               Sword; Centurion; Unit gains +1A;

                               Musician; Standard; Hvy Throwing Spear;

                               Light Armor; Large Shield; Drilled;

                               Stubborn

 

Raw Legionaries 1               15  4   3   3   3   3   1   4   1  7/8  5    185.0

                               Sword; Centurion; Unit gains +1A;

                               Musician; Standard; Hvy Throwing Spear;

                               Large Shield; Drilled

 

Raw Legionaries 2               15  4   3   3   3   3   1   4   1  7/8  5    185.0

                               Sword; Centurion; Unit gains +1A;

                               Musician; Standard; Hvy Throwing Spear;

                               Large Shield; Drilled

 

Gallic Warriors 1                  23  5   3   3   3   3   1   4   1   5   6    107.0

                               Sword; Leader; Musician; Standard; Shield;

                               Warband; Light Troops; Skirmish

 

Gallic Warriors 2                  24  5   3   3   3   3   1   4   1   5   6    111.0

                               Sword; Leader; Musician; Standard; Shield;

                               Warband; Light Troops; Skirmish

 

Numidian Javelinmen 1        8   5   2   3   3   3   1   3   1   7   6     53.0

                               Leader; Javelin; Buckler; Skirmish

 

Numidian Javelinmen 2        8   5   2   3   3   3   1   3   1   7   6     53.0

                               Leader; Javelin; Buckler; Skirmish

 

Gallic Cavalry                      10  8   4   4   3   3   1   4   1   6   4    245.0

                               Sword; Throwing Spear; Leader; Musician;

                               Standard; Javelin; Light Armor; Shield;

                               Warband

 

Army 2 – Julius’s Germanic Host

Unit Name                       ##  Mv  WS  BS  St  To  Wo  In  At  Ld  Sv    Cost

 

Army General                    1   4   5   5   3   3   3   6   2   9  X/4   155.0

                               Sword; Light Armor; Shield; Horse; Army

                               General; Any unit within 12″ of the

                               General may use his Leadership when it

                               takes a Leadership test; Must always test

                               before other units in army; Drilled;

                               Stubborn

  Horse                               1   8                           X    [0.0]

 

                                         ##  Mv  WS  BS  St  To  Wo  In  At  Ld  Sv    Cost

Army Standard Bearer       1   4       4     4   3     3   2      4   2    8  X/4    95.0

                               Sword; Light Armor; Shield; Horse; Battle

                               Standard; Unit accompanied gains +1 Combat

                               Result; Any unit within 12″ may re-roll

                               any failed Break tests; Drilled; Stubborn

  Horse                               1   8                           X    [0.0]

 

Barbarian Chieftan              1   5   5   5   4   4   2   5   3   6  X/4    82.0

                               May lead any allied unit that is subject

                               to warband psychology. Must remain

                               attached to this unit.; Sword; Throwing

                               Spear; Javelin; Light Armor; Shield; Horse

  Horse                               1   8                           X    [0.0]

 

German Cavalry                  11  8   4   4   3   3   1   4   1   6   5    235.0

                               May count +1 rank bonus; Sword; Leader;

                               Musician; Standard; Throwing Spear;

                               Javelin; Shield; Warband

 

Legionaries                     12  4   3   3   3   3   1   4   1  7/8  4    212.0

                               Sword; Centurion; Unit gains +1A;

                               Musician; Standard; Hvy Throwing Spear;

                               Javelin; Light Armor; Large Shield;

                               Drilled; Stubborn

 

Legionaries                     12  4   3   3   3   3   1   4   1  7/8  4    212.0

                               Sword; Centurion; Unit gains +1A;

                               Musician; Standard; Hvy Throwing Spear;

                               Javelin; Light Armor; Large Shield;

                               Drilled; Stubborn

 

Legionaries                     12  4   3   3   3   3   1   4   1  7/8  4    212.0

                               Sword; Centurion; Unit gains +1A;

                               Musician; Standard; Hvy Throwing Spear;

                               Javelin; Light Armor; Large Shield;

                               Drilled; Stubborn

 

Raw Legionaries                 24  4   3   3   3   3   1   4   1  7/8  5    308.0

                               Sword; Centurion; Unit gains +1A;

                               Musician; Standard; Hvy Throwing Spear;

                               Javelin; Large Shield; Drilled

 

Raw Legionaries                 24  4   3   3   3   3   1   4   1  7/8  5    308.0

                               Sword; Centurion; Unit gains +1A;

                               Musician; Standard; Hvy Throwing Spear;

                               Javelin; Large Shield; Drilled

 

German Warriors                 24  5   3   3   3   3   1   3   1   5   6    135.0

                               Sword; Leader; Musician; Standard; Shield;

                               Warband; Stubborn

 

German Warriors                 32  5   3   3   3   3   1   3   1   5   6    175.0

                               Sword; Leader; Musician; Standard; Shield;

                               Warband; Stubborn
 
The Battle

What follows is a somewhat biased and misremembered account of the battle by an aid of Brutus.

The two protagonists faced each other across the eastern plains of Hispania Citerior, just west of the city of Tarraco.  Julius Evans had pursued the Brutus Gleeson, second member of the Triumvirate,  to the West and hoped to confront him before he could utilise the money acquired from the Senate to fund a fully trained army.  Brutus had had little opportunity to utilise the recently acquired funds.  His army was composed of legions loyal to his grandfather, some recently recruited raw legions, as well as forces from a local Gallic chieftain in Gallia Narbonensis. 

Supported with a couple of units of Numidian skirmishers Brutus stoically confronted his older mentor and deployed his forces for battle.  Julius only had the few units he had managed to call upon from his Gallia Cisalpina heartland as well as some Teutons who had a score to settle with the Celts at Brutus’s side.

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The battle opened with Brutus seeking to turn the right flank of Julius, whilst Julius sought to exploit the perceived weakness of Brutus’s right flank. Brutus sent his regular infantry in fast columns around his left with one of the large Gallic Warbands in Support. His centre was held with light troops whilst the right flank advanced cautiously. Julius sent his German hordes in a fast advance on his left flank in an attempt to turn the Gallic flanks.

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The two forces danced their way forward.

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The troops charged into combat. The German cavalry hitting the Gallic infantry in the flank but they held. The loyal legionaries of Brutus surged forward to engage Julius’s right flank but were held by the stubborn troops.

Soon the entire fronts were engaged, and Brutus found himself fighting hard at the front of his troops. His cowardly opponent had remained to the rear of his troops observing the battle from the vantage of his horse. Julius sent word to his troops that those who captured Brutus would receive a find reward, and so soon every legionary worth his salt was pressing the attack upon the brave Brutus himself.

On the right flank the Gallic foot withdrew before the German horse, whilst in the centre the loyal legionaries faced off against the centre of the enemy and held.

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Suddenly, whilst Brutus was hard pressed by the enemy, his right wing collapsed. The Gallic infantry broke, and were ridden down by their German adversaries. Panic swept the entire right wing, and neighbouring units broke from combat. The Gallic horse, which had been originally designated to combat the German horse, fled the battle having never ventured into combat.

In that moment Brutus lost his concentration and whilst observing what was taking place to his right he neglected to observe the nerve of his troops about him. Suddenly his loyal troops seeing their flank dissolve, and their centre begin to crumble took this as a choice time to flee the fight. Loyal retainers of Brutus sought to hastily hustle him away from the combat but to no avail. The entire left wing collapsed and the forces of Brutus were dispersed.

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The few loyal troops remaining withdrew from the field, leaving their dead to the victorious forces for Julies Evans.
In the dying light of the evening sunset Julius Evans was led to an orchard in the hills to the south of the battle. His men had tracked Brutus and his entourage to the farm and took watch until Julius arrived. He rode forward into the olive trees to where a group of Roman elites stood quietly around a prone body. One stepped before Julius to prevent his progress. “My lord, Brutus is sorely wounded and now lays dying before us. I beseech you not to intrude, and allow him to die in peace and with dignity.

“Julius smiled with rueful contempt “get up you fat fool! Do you take me for an imbecile?” He yelled towards the prostrated form of Brutus who lay under an olive tree groaning. “I know you’ve still got the money from the Senate, so don’t think that you’re getting off this lightly.” He pushed through the bystanders on his way towards the groaning figure of Brutus. He gave one swift kick to Brutus’s side. “Oh quite with the melodramatics’ why don’t you? You never were one for acting.”

The eyes of Brutus flickered open surreptitiously, and seeing the situation sat up. “Does this mean that I’m your prisoner now? I’d be a very poor prisoner”

“Oh do shut up! You should have stuck with the Greek philosophy; the theatricals really don’t suit you. Are you going to give me the gold or not?”

And so it was that Brutus Gleeson was the first to join Julius Evans in forming the next triumvirate utilising the Senate gold to reform their shattered forces.

They were not to go unopposed though, and they were soon to hear of a new force being raised under the ministrations of Francis Crassius, and Lawrence Sulla. This is for another tale though.