Ave Imperator!

I first met Dan (aka "Pasha Dan") many years ago at a Late Empire game he was running at a MIGSCON, when it was still at the Hamilton Holiday Inn, so early 90s I think. He is a professor of classical history and was an enthusiastic play tester for Legion & Empire as well. So Dan and Romans and I are a common theme.

A&A 3rd century "Middle Empire" figures. They were going to be a cohors equitata for Infamy, Infamy! which is why they all have the same shields designs.

When I painted my A&A Severan era (3rd century) Romans in 2019 Dan excitedly called me, proposing that he fight them with his later, more Diocletian era (4th century) Romans. Well, our schedules never let us get together and then Covid ruined everything and I haven't played with Dan since well before the pandemic hit.

He is now available and brought his cohorts and foederati down to play using Lion Rampant last night. Monday being a holiday, we could shift our usual time slot to accommodate people's long weekend availabilities. Patrick and Mikey joined us to pushed lead, roll dice and gently tease each other.

Each army totalled 74 points. Scorpions were counted as crossbows.

Some of Dan's auxilia palatina. Foundry I think

Dan fielded this as a unit of heavy cavalry; the notorious, highly speculative cataphract scythed chariot, which hasn't been on a table since his last WRG Ancients tournament in the 80s. I think "Elite" cavalry, or given the fantastical nature of it, "Greater/Lesser Warbeast" is more appropriate to be honest.

Dan's Gripping Beast Late Roman plastic cavalry. Nice kit. I'm thinking Gondor? Or joining my 3rd cent Romans too.

Dan's auxiliary dromedary unit. I ran these colourfully exotic guys in that first game I had with him. Sadly my other shots of Dan's army were out of focus.

My skirmishing archers explore some aquarium terrain, a ruined aqueduct, that has never been on table before either 

Warlord Romans hold my flank

Close up of A&A Equites

I used these Warlord slave girls to mark my commander

My Rohirrim are wondering where the Orcs are? This was their first game playing their alternative identity of Goths. 

More of Dan's troops

My wing of Gothic auxiliaries are looking pretty beat up. Mikey did a good job keeping Dan's larger wing busy. He put in some good charges and knocked out a few units (that pile of figures to the left of the trees is Dan's dead pile before he started boxing them up), but lost a lot of warriors doing it.

Opposite me, Patrick is starting to crumble under sustained archery and scorpion fire plus a well timed cavalry charge. As he begins failing courage tests I sound the advance 

A good night. It was pretty fun playing a Roman era game again. Dan conceded defeat, but observed: "Do you realize how great it was to be playing with Romans and rolling dice again?"

Of course now I'm thinking about how to expand my Severan era army. There are options for plastic Picts (Gripping Beast), and more Goths, plus a rival Roman force using Aventine, A&A or Wargames Atlantic would be fun too. A biography of Septimus Severus coming in the mail won't help me with that at all I'm sure.