Principate Roman vs. Early German. ONE MORE TIME!

[Niceas]

Domitian still wants that triumph.

Romans
3 TC's, 1 FC.
4 x 6 Legionnaires, HF, armored, average, drilled, impact foot, swordsmen
2 x 4 Legionnaires, HF, armored, superior, drilled, impact foot, skilled swordsmen
2 x 4 auxilia, MF, armored, average, drilled, light spear, swordsmen
3 x 4 alae, CV, armored, average, drilled, light spear, swordsmen
1 x 4 Equites sagittarii, unprotected, superior, drilled, bow

Germans
4 TC's
4-5 x 10 warband, HF, protected, average, undrilled, impact foot, swordsmen
1 x 8 warband, MF, protected, average, undrilled, impact foot, swordsmen
2 x 6 youths, LF, unprotected, average, undrilled, javelin, lightspear
1 x 8 archers, LF, unprotected, average, undrilled, bow
2 x 4 noble cavalry, CV, protected, superior, undrilled, light spear, swordsmen
1 x 4 light cavalry, LH, unprotected, undrilled, javelins, lightspear

Germans won initiative, and decided to skulk in their woods.

The terrain ended up with a steep hill on the Roman left just on the German side of the field, a wood nicely bisecting the German rear edge, and a marsh pretty much right in the middle of the field. Another wood was on the Roman Right, also in the German Zone, and a gentle hill in the Left Roman rear edge. (which the Romans pitched their camp on).

The Romans deployed pretty much to the left of the marsh, 3 legions up, with the rest supporting, the higher quality legion units in rear support. The auxilia were on the Roman right facing the marsh, with 1 unit of cavalry covering the right flank. The rest of the Roman horse went on a flank march with General Maximus, the Roman, FC.

The Germans deployed 2 lines, opposite the Romans, with lights in one battleline up supported by 3 warbands. a 4th in reserve. and the German right covered by their heavy cavarly. The German left was covered by a warband and the light cavalry, and it turned out, the medium warband off in the woods in ambush. (Not that Romans went anywhere near it.

The Roman flank march showed up on turn 1. (Nice job Maximus) The Germans turning their cavalry to face and committing their reserve warband. The Romans advanced, met the German skirmish line, and promptly chased them off through their supports, The Roman first line sort of echeloning in Right to left. From the 6's on the variable move dice, the Legionnaires were eager to come to grips with the Germans.

The Roman cavalry flank march came on, but one unit straggled, and the one Roman heavy cavalry unit got mobbed by 2 German units, and got destroyed in one turn. And I mean destroyed. Maximus hoofed it over to the horse archers, who fled up the steep hill and harrassed the German cavarly.

The Roman right advanced, the Roman cavalry charging and catching the German light cavalry, who blew their evade, and were destroyed. The Auxilia cleared the marsh and split up, one attempting to head toward the German camp, the other getting stuck in front of the German left wing warband. The Germans charged the auxilia, who barely held their charge, (with the help of a Roman general in the front rank), and held on long enough for the Roman cavalry to turn around and charge the warband in the rear.

While this was going on, the Roman first line got into a hack-fest with the German front line. Two Roman generals were committed to the fight, and The Germans and two of the German warbands were broken by casualties, with the left legion unit in the Roman 1st line likewise being auto broken by casualties.

The Roman second line was fed in and held the German right, (the German cavalry taking a very long time disentangling itself from trashing the Roman cavalry), and the victorious part of the Roman front line chased the German lights off the board, although one unit of LF javelins passed a CMT to stand and held a unit of Roman legionnaires for 2 turns, before being auto broken by casualties. Never have so many 11 and 12's been thrown.

It did not save the Germans in the end. This ened up being a more expensive victory for the Romans than the last action, and the Roman flank march went badly wrong. (Not sure I'm going to try that again).