Romans against Goths

hammy · Post by **hammy** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:27 am

I am looking to try to setup a historical or near historical game for the bootcamp on Sunday. I was thinking that Romans vs early Goths would be good. It seems that the battle of Argentoratum (Strasbourg) may be a good bet. Does anyone have any good info on it?

I found this: http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/battles/argentoratum.html which seems like a good basis.

Any other pointers?

rbodleyscott · Post by **rbodleyscott** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:38 am

Ammianus Marcellinus

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/R ... an/16*.htm

hammy · Post by **hammy** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:38 am

rbodleyscott · Post by **rbodleyscott** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:39 am

hammy wrote:??

My post was there but it didn't display. Bizarre. I have edited it so it does, but the link doesn't work unless you add the end bit. Suggest you cut and paste it.

If I use [url] it disappears entirely.

hammy · Post by **hammy** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:45 am

Cheers,

I will have a read of that and if I put together a scenario post it in the historical scenarios section.

The Romans look to be rather outnumbered if not outclassed, it could make for an interesting battle.

nikgaukroger · Post by **nikgaukroger** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 11:21 am

Of course Argentoratum was against Alamanni not Goths

hammy · Post by **hammy** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:08 pm

nikgaukroger wrote:Of course Argentoratum was against Alamanni not Goths

Yeah but my Goths are really Franks anyway

Or at least thats what Robbo put on the box he sold them to me in....

It actually looks like a good battle for an introductiory game.

I suspect that the legions should be light spear swordsmen by this point? If so then the Alamanni will have a POA at impact but be down in melee which is fine. If I have the Auxillia as superior armoured they should be able to stand up for a while.

nikgaukroger · Post by **nikgaukroger** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:46 pm

IMO at this date all the Roman infantry should be HF, Armoured, Impact Foot - for the good ones such as the comitateses anyway - regardless of whether they are legionarii or auxilia.

hammy · Post by **hammy** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 1:03 pm

I think I can do a reasonable representation of the battle which actually works out evenish in points

Alamanni - 647 points
3 TC
1 BG 4 Noble cavalry: cav, sup, prot, lt sp, swd
2 BG 6 Archers: LF, avg, unp, bow
1 BG 6 Javelinmen: LF, avg, unp, jav, lt sp
6 BG 8 Warriors: HF, avg, prot, imp ft, swd

Romans - 644 points
1 IC
2 TC
1 BG 4 Catafractarii: cat, sup, hvy arm, lance, swd
1 BG 4 Equites Sagitarii: LH, avg, unp, bow
1 BG 4 Equites Illyricanii: LH, avg, unp, jav, lt sp
3 BG 6 Legionaries: 2/3 HF, avg, arm, imp ft, swd 1/3 LF bow
2 BG 4 Auxilia Palatina: MF, sup, prot, lt sp, swd
4 BG 4 Auxilia: MF, avg, arm, lt sp, swd

It means that the Romans are being more generously represented than the reported numbers as there are 54 bases for 13,000 men while the Alamanni are 78 bases for 35,000. I would have liked to use more hairies but I only have 48 bases so that really set the scale.

I have assumed that 4,500 legionaries would be 3 'legions' and 6,000 auxiliaries would be 6 BGs but it looks like a decent enough force mix.

nikgaukroger · Post by **nikgaukroger** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 1:38 pm

hammy wrote:
It means that the Romans are being more generously represented than the reported numbers as there are 54 bases for 13,000 men while the Alamanni are 78 bases for 35,000. I would have liked to use more hairies but I only have 48 bases so that really set the scale.

Don't worry. It is likely that Julian had a bit more than 13000 and the Alamanni are highly unlikely to have been over 20000 in reality so you may well be spot on

timmy1 · Post by **timmy1** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 2:26 pm

Hammy, you had me worried. How could I have missed such a large battle when I read Heather, The Goths? I know my memory is poor but...

Nik, thank you for proving that I had not lost it totally...