Crisis in the 3rd Century

It was a year of turmoil, as many were at that time. Usurpers, pretenders, generals raised to the purple by mutinous soldiers. Another year of swords and fire and sudden murder in the dark.

Duplicitous, Comes of Raetia, along the Danube frontier was one such, and found himself marching west with some Roman troops that had declared him Imperator, and a host of Gothic mercenaries, to have a show down with a rival, Gladius Maximus, Comes of Germania Superior, who had a tribe of Franks filling out his army. The winner would get to march on Rome.

Dan was very excited and had searched through his figure inventory and pulled together a significant force of Frankish troops and was getting them nice bases for Midgard. So for Saturday's game we decided to pit our armies against each other. Each of us had a core of Roman troops supplemented by a significant contingent of barbarian feoderati. Both armies came to 450 points.

I won the roll and got to set up second, so I deployed my cavalry on the right, facing his Frankish foot and skirmishers. My center and left were in two lines. Gothic warriors in front and then four units of Romans supporting them from the seond line.

Duplicitous' army on the left, Gladius Max on the right

I refused my left and attacked with my right while advancing and pinning with my center.

My Gothic feoderati cavalry crash into some Frankish warriors

Dan maneuvers a band of Frankish warriors in to engage my supporting line

Gothic skirmishers about to get smacked out of the way.

Lines clashing in the center. I put the Goths in front with the Roman troops in support.

Gothic cavalry enveloping Gladius' flank

Facing off against Frankish skirmishers

Fighting is general in the center. Upper left you can see Gladius' Roman cavalry trying to turn my left wing which I've refused

Gothic Hero Hengist (R) level 2, takes on the Frankish chieftain (L) who is a level 3, but wounded (but presenting a really lovely command stand in spite of that)

Hengist wins after 2 rounds leaving the Frankish King food for the crows. This put Dan at -1 Reputation

So I had to finish the turn and not let bad dice or disaster steal the victory from me.

To finish the turn my cavalry keep pushing. I just need to stay in the Plus for Reputation

Equus Fornicatus, Gothic chieftain leading the cavalry, has his squadron of cavalry killed but challenges the wounded Frankish hero to single combat and slays his opponent!

End game on my right

End game view of center and left

My Reputation at the end. The replica Roman coins were Dan's idea for Reputation and Mighty Deed Tokens

This game saw our first two single combats which was very cool. Having them decide the victory was even cooler. I'm sure Wagner will be writing an opera about this in a few centuries.

This was my ninth game of the year. I'm doing pretty well on that front. I'm also really enjoying the heck out of Midgard.