Peter likes cracking problems and getting the Franks to beat Syagrius has been an ongoing problem. So we had another go at it, Peter commanding the Franks, yours truly the Romans.
In this game we tried another feature of Optio - the ability to fit two units into a single battlefield square. I do everything I can to minimise the really bad disproportion between unit width and depth that is endemic to Ancients gaming. Units are far too deep for their width, creating such absurdities as flank attacks being as effective as rear attacks. Making units as compact in depth as possible is one way of mitigating this problem.
Anyhow, the terrain pre-game produced this battlefield:
Which was set up on the gaming table:
Armies were then deployed. We created customised generals and commanders for this game (players write command and combat numbers on the general/commander counters) and Syagrius turned out to have a slightly better command rating than Clovis, so Peter began deploying first. He went with all his Warriors in deep lines with two Warrior units per square, in effect two thick lines of Warriors. His plan was to crush my infantry with sheer weight of numbers.
I deployed my troops as strongly as possible: Legions in front to bear the brunt of the Frankish attack, backed by archers and poorer quality troops in reserve. Bucellarii on the flanks deployed in depth and using the hill slope advantage on the left flank. My hope was to overwhelm his numerically inferior cavalry with my own, then rear-end the Frankish infantry.
Having deployed first, Peter moved first, so
Turn 1. Clovis.
Holding back his regular Warriors, Peter advances his Household Warriors and Cavalry.
Turn 1. Syagrius.
I advance my entire line, the point being to give the Bucellarii on my left the upslope benefit.
In this game any units of the same command can attach themselves to a battleline either in front or behind and move with it, so the Levy and Garrison troops move with the main line as they are in command with it.
Turn 2. Clovis.
Peter brings up his Warriors in line with the rest of his army.
Turn 2. Syagrius.
My infantry stand fast whilst my cavalry move up to engage the Frankish horse.
Turn 3. Clovis.
The Frankish cav charge my LH who choose the better part of valour and evade. Meanwhile the Frankish foot continue to advance and come in range of my Archers supporting the Legions.
Turn 3. Syagrius.
I stay put, except for my LH reforming after their previous evade move and my MC forming line from column. The Archers continue their donation of kebab sticks to the Franks.
Turn 4. Clovis.
The Frankish infantry approach the Roman line and the air is thick with weighted darts, arrows, franciscas and angons. The Frankish MC try sneaking between the Breton LH and the Roman infantry line. A risky move....
Turn 4. Syagrius.
The Breton LH moved to intercept the head of the Frankish MC column whilst the Roman MC cautiously approaches its rear. For the infantry the missile exchange continues to be fast and furious.
Turn 5. Clovis.
The Frankish cavalry escape the trap - seems this is all cat-and-mouse to buy time - whilst the Frankish foot charge the length of the Roman battleline. Franks are brutal in the charge and the Romans all lose morale.
Turn 5. Syagrius.
Whilst the infantry battle rages, the Roman LH and MC move up to try and box in the Frankish horse.
Turn 5. Melee.
Nobody routs yet.
At this point we paused the game (having started late that evening). I took close up photos of everything and set up the game a few days later at my place. The camera's viewpoint is from the other end of the battlefield, so Franks are now on the left and Romans on the right.
Turn 6. Clovis.
The Frankish cavalry again evade the Roman trap and head for the rear of their troops. Meanwhile a Frankish Warrior unit is routed by Roman Archer missile fire.
Turn 6. Syagrius.
The Roman MC and LH continue their attempts to box in the Frankish cavalry.
Turn 6. Melee.
Nobody routs, but units on both sides are getting worn down.
Turn 7. Clovis.
The Frankish cavalry form line, ready to engage either the Breton LH or Syagrius' personal MC guard.
Turn 7. Syagrius.
Challenge accepted. The Roman mounted units close in on the Frankish horse and javelins fly through the air.
Turn 7. Melee.
A bad moment for the Franks. Their Household Warriors and two units of regular Warriors rout. Ouch!
The victorious Romans occupy the squares vacated by the routed Household Warriors.
Turn 8. Clovis.
The second line of Frankish Warriors charges in.
Turn 8. Syagrius.
And the Roman cavalry charge their Frankish counterparts. One unit of Frankish cavalry is able to evade; the other is not and is routed on the spot. Meanwhile the Legion and Bucellarii unit on the Roman left move up to envelope the Frankish right.
Syagrius' guard MC occupies the vacated square. With the loss of the Frankish cavalry unit, the threshold is reached for average units to rout and the surviving Frankish MC quits the field. All Frankish infantry units are resolute so they stay the course.
Turn 8. Melee.
The Bucellarii and Warrior unit on the extreme right of the Roman line inflict a mutual rout on each other. In this case neither unit routs but they break off from each other, their morale now at the lowest interval. They won't be able to charge each other until their morale is raised higher (which can happen only if a neighbouring enemy unit routs). Essentially they are exhausted and have taken time off for elevenses.
Turn 9. Clovis.
Here we see the implementation of the bursting through rule. Impetuous units may burst through friendly units in front of them in order to engage enemy units. This can happen only if the unit being burst through is not engaged with the enemy unit. The Warrior unit in the second line bursts through the exhausted Warrior unit in front of it and starts donating franciscas to the Bucellarii unit whose situation is now problematic to say the least.
Turn 9. Syagrius.
The Legion unit on the Roman left charges the Warrior unit in the flank, disordering it. The cavalry move up, ready to charge the Warriors in the rear.
Turn 9. Melee.
Another Warrior units routs but a Legion unit also routs. Will the Franks pull a rabbit out of the hat?
Sadly, no. Whilst victorious units occupy vacated squares the rest of the Frankish army works out that enough Frankish stands are routed to push resolute units over the edge, and the entire Frankish army decamps. Game over!
Peter's impression (also mine) is that the Romans are a tad too potent in quality of legions and overall firepower. If and when we get around to these armies again, I'll experiment with reducing the morale of the Legions (they weren't after all the quality of Caesar's veterans) and possibly removing the archers.
Playing time overall was just over two hours. Seems to be a constant with Optio.
