....aaand another Syagrius vs Clovis game. Peter is someone who likes to crack a puzzle. Theoretically the Franks should be able to beat the Romans: they have tough Warriors and more troops than Syagrius. So we keep on playing until Peter finally replicates history. Suits me. 😁
We got this battlefield with the terrain pre-game. Romans (yours truly) on the left, Franks (Peter) on the right.
Deployment
Each army had 3 commands, both being classified as poor command (a predominance of unwieldy infantry).
Turn 1. Clovis.
Here they come.
Turn 1. Syagrius.
Here I come.
Turn 2. Clovis.
Peter moves his infantry to his right, getting clear of half my infantry line. What is he up to?
Turn 2. Syagrius.
I decide to halt my infantry line and wait to find out. Meanwhile I shunt my reserves to my left and move my cavalry up.
Turn 3. Clovis.
Peter's infantry drive forward whilst his cavalry fall back.
Turn 3. Syagrius.
Chaaaarge! In go my MC, led by the great man himself, whilst the Breton LH move up in support.
Turn 3. Melee.
Nobody dies yet.
Turn 4. Clovis.
The Frankish infantry do what comes naturally and charge the Roman infantry. So does the unengaged Frankish MC unit, undoubtedly inspired by their example.
Turn 4. Syagrius.
Time to get on the flank of the Frankish cavalry.
Turn 4. Melee.
A Frankish MC unit is routed and its commander wounded! First blood to Rome.
The wounded commander manages to flee to his surviving MC unit whilst the Roman MC occupies the vacated square.
Turn 5. Clovis.
The unengaged Frankish Warriors filter through the forest and prepare to swamp the Roman left flank.
Turn 5. Clovis.
The Roman cavalry surround the Frankish MC unit whilst the Bucellarii move to the exposed left flank of the Frankish infantry.
Turn 5. Melee.
Two Frankish units go down. It's beginning to look less than brilliant for the Franks.
Victorious Roman units occupy the vacated squares.
Turn 6. Clovis.
The Franks drive furiously on the Roman left. They must win the battle there.
Turn 6. Syagrius.
Syagrius moves everything at top speed towards the centre where the fight will be decided. The Roman MC moves up to flank the Franks on the Roman left whilst the Breton LH reorganises itself into a battleline in column. The Levy troops distinguish themselves by charging a Warrior unit in the flank, disordering it. This will buy crucial time for the Garrison Troops the Warriors are engaging.
Turn 6. Melee.
Two Warrior units go down before the elite Legionary units. Things are looking up for the Romans.
The Legionaries occupy the vacated squares.
Turn 7. Clovis.
The uncommitted Warrior units move up on the Roman left, charging the Garrison troops in the flank. Can Clovis turn the battle around?
Turn 7. Syagrius.
The Legionary units move forwards, clear of the approaching Warriors whilst everyone else moves up for the decisive moment of the battle.
Turn 7. Melee.
The Garrison Troops hang on for now, thanks to the earlier charge by the Levy.
Turn 8. Clovis.
The Warriors creep forwards.
Turn 8. Syagrius.
The Legions move to the flank of the Warriors whilst everyone else keeps moving up.
Turn 8. Melee.
The Garrison Troops finally crack.
And the Warriors occupy the square vacated by their flight.
Turn 9. Clovis.
The Warriors shake out two lines facing the Romans to their front and flank.
Turn 9. Syagrius.
The Bucellarii and Legionaries move up. No melee this turn, so on to....
Turn 10. Clovis.
Chaaaarge! The Roman MC evade whilst the Levy have no choice but to take it on the chin.
Turn 10. Syagrius.
Bucellarii move up to the flank of the advanced Warriors.
Turn 10. Melee.
The Levy don't last long against the ferocious Warriors....
Turn 11. Clovis.
The Franks continue to drive ahead, eyeing the Legionaries and charging the vulnerable Archers.
Turn 11. Syagrius.
The MC pull right back to avoid being shot to pieces by the Warriors. Meanwhile the Legions and Bucellarii charge a Warrior unit in the front and flank.
Turn 11. Melee.
Nobody routs.
Turn 12. Clovis.
The Warriors charge the Legionaries. Will the Franks win the battle after all?
Turn 11. Syagrius.
The Breton LH move up to support the threated flank whilst the legions advance.
Turn 11. Melee.
And then it's all over. Another Warrior unit routs, tipping the Frankish army over its panic threshold. Game over!
You'll crack it one day Peter.
Given the fact that Peter has shown himself competent in playing the rules in other games, is it worth looking at why he can't achieve a historical result here?
ReplyDeleteIs there an issue with the scenario (e.g. troop numbers) or the relative effectiveness of the Frankish and Roman forces (infantry in particular, as these seem to be the backbone of the game)?
The core problem (which he nearly solved in our last game) is that he deploys his infantry too wide, which means a large part of his Warriors are out the fight for too long, leaving the Romans free to dispose of the part that is engaged.
DeleteI've done all sorts of things to encourage players to deploy larger forces in depth, as happened historically. In our next game I'll be using the Franks and my plan is to deploy right opposite the Roman infantry in two lines: a thinner one in front and a thicker one behind. The thinner one to weaken the Romans before it routs, and the thicker one to finish the Romans off. The Frankish cavalry will (hopefully) play hard to get, keeping the Roman MC and LH horse busy long enough for the infantry to win the battle. We'll see how it goes.
Historically, Syagrius was confident of winning the battle and did not delay to march out against Clovis. Something unexpected happened to make him lose, but we'll never know what it was.
Syagrius ruled over a large realm and had a good army which included the legacy legions from the former Empire. He should by all accounts be difficult to beat.