FOG 300 Playtest V3 - LRR vs Hill Tribe Gallic 58 BC

The morning after the defeat of the Iberians, the Pilus Prior had us on the road early.  The march through the mountains was arduous to say the least.  While most of the winter snows are gone, the trail we follow is narrow.  Luckily, we brought no carts or wagons with us but the mules are struggling in the thin air.  More importantly, the rations are beginning to fail.  The few miserable mountain villages we encounter provide little grain for making bread but some stringy goat to add to our pots to keep the men going.  It is with some relief when we begin the descent into the hills north of the mountains.  Until the scouts return and reveal the trail is blocked by the Convenae of the Aquitani.  Pansa seems to relish the prospect of another fight.  Some of us are beginning to believe that Pansa has taken us along this route for his own personal glory...

For your reading pleasure, I give you another FOG 300 V3 playtest as my LRR continue their march to join Caesar.  This time you get LRR vs Hill Tribe Gallic circa 58 BC.

The Roman list and host:

The Gallic list and host:

The Gallic Chieftain won the initiative and opted for Hilly from the Roman list.  The Roman general selected the compulsory gentle hill and 2 brokens.  The Gallic Chieftain took the gully and a forrest. The Gallic gully landed on the Roman baseline and was picked up on a 6.  The 2nd Roman broken landed on the Gallic base line and would not fit.  All other terrain fell on the Gallic side.

After deployment, the Roman line looked as below from atop the gentle hill on the left of the Gallic line:  Gallic Allied Cavalry, two legions and the slingers.

From the ramparts of the Roman camp, the Pilus Prior observes that the Gallic Chieftain has deployed his light foot behind the forrest on the Gallic right, three BGs of medium foot war band stretching from behind the forrest and the broken ground in the center to almost the hill on their right.  The Gallic cavalry covers the Gallic left from partially atop the hill. 

The Gallic Chieftain gives the order for a general advance.  Four inches later the Gallic foot stop inside the terrain.  The Gallic cavalry move just under 4" to remain on the hilltop but to be in position to support the war band on the Gallic left flank.  All missile troops are still out of range at this time so the turn ends.

The Pilus Prior orders the legionaries forward on the quick march.  Eight inches and a one base shift right later their movement grounds to a halt.  The Roman slingers move a full move forward with a one base shift right as well.  The Roman cavalry move a full move ahead and shift right one base right to remain in position to support the right flank of the legionnaires.  Once more the missile troops are out of range of each other so the turn ends with the Pilus Prior moving to the right most legionnaire BG.

The Gallic 2nd turn sees the Gallic javelins move to just over 3" from the Roman slingers as they stay within the forrest.  The Gallic warbands move so that the front of their line stays 1/2" within the broken ground in the center.  The Gallic cavalry remains in their position on the hill.  With no shooting, the Gallic 2nd turn ends.

The Roman 2nd turn opens with no charges from the Roman troops.  The Roman slingers move a full move including a double wheel to come on line facing the Gallic javelinmen hiding in the woods.  The legionnaire line moves 2" straight forward.  The Roman cavalry moves 5" straight ahead to face the Gallic cavalry on the hill.  The missile fire from the Roman slingers is ineffective against the Gauls hiding in the woods.  

To open their 3rd turn the Gallic Chieftain orders his troops to hold the line, unfortunately the warband he is personally leading does not hear his orders and charges pell-mell into the Roman legionnaires to their front (CMT roll of 3 + 2 for the general = fail).  The Pilus Prior jumps into the front rank of the legionnaires and the Gallic Chieftain follows suit.  The resulting impact sees the Romans lose 4 hits to 5.  The leaders on both sides survive but 1 base of Romans do not not survive the 5 hits while the Gauls escape the death roll unscathed. The following cohesion test also does not go the Roman way and the legionnaires disrupt.  In the maneuver phase, the Gallic light foot move into the face of the Roman slingers and the right end Gallic warband moves to in front of the slingers and into side edge contact with the left legionnaire.  Neither the Gallic javelinmen nor the Roman slingers demonstrate any understanding of the effective use of missile weapons.  In melee, the Gauls score 3 hits to 4 (3 + 1 from overlap).  Neither general is hurt.  The Gauls lose a base but survive their cohesion test.  The Romans survive their death roll.

In the Roman 3rd turn, the Roman cavalry charge the Gallic cavalry on the hill.  Both cavalry units score 2 hits to no effect.  By this point their is no maneuver to be had.  Again the two light foot units demonstrate they do no know what a missile weapon is for and on to melee the turn proceeds.  The Roman legionnaires score 3 hits plus 1 from overlap while the Gallic war band manages 1 hit in return.  The Gallic Chieftain is struck down by a sword thrust through the gullet.  The warband suffers another base loss but somehow manages to survive the cohesion test by rolling a "12."  The Roman cavalry score 3 hits to 1 from their counterparts (even with the hill POA).  The Gallic cavalry lose a base and disrupts.  The middle warband does not seem to bemoan the death of their glorious leader and shrug off his death will no ill effects. In the joint action, the Romans attempt to rally the right end legionnaire but to no effect.

To start the Gallic 4th turn, The Gallic javelinmen and center warband charge.  The Roman slingers opt to stand again the Gallic lights.  The Gallic javelinmen score 3 hits to 2 on the Roman slingers who lose a base and then disrupt.  The charging warband score 4 hits to 5 on the legionnaires who pass their death roll.  The warband is not so lucky and suffer a base loss and disrupt.  In the maneuver phase, the right flank warband passes a CMT and turns into the flank of the left end Roman legionnaire [This turn should not have happened as the Roman BG was in front edge contact with enemy making the warband a legal overlap.  Missed that last sentence of the first paragraph on page 76].  There is no shooting to be had so the shooting phase gives way to melee.  The Roman cavalry score 4 hits to 2 on the Gallic cavalry who lose a base to the death roll and break cohesion.  The right legionnaire trades 1 hit with the opposing warband.  The other legionnaire, however, scores 5 hits to the warband to their front while taking 0 from their frontal opponents and the overlap.  The warband to their front loses a base and fragments.  The Roman slingers score 3 hits to 1 on the Gallic javelinmen who in turn lose a base and disrupts.  In the post battle cohesion tests, the warband on the left end of the Gallic line disrupts for seeing the Gallic cavalry break.  The Roman cavalry pursue the Gallic cavalry (both move 4") catches them and kills another base.  In joint action, the Roman cavalry stop pursuing while the Gallic cavalry disintegrates.  The Roman right legionnaires rally back from disruption as the end faces the Gallic army.

To start the Roman 4th turn, there are no charges.  The only maneuver is for the Roman cavalry who fail a CMT to turn and move and opt to turn 90.  Again, there is no shooting so the melee phase and the end game arrives.  Both Roman legions score 3 hits against their opponents while on the right end of the Gallic line, the overlap warband scores the only hit to the Roman legions.  Both skirmishers whiff in melee at their end.  The left end warband loses a base to the death roll and double drops to fragmented.  The middle warband loses a base as well but breaks on its cohesion test.  The resulting post battle cohesion test sees the left warband also break making the Roman victory complete.

Even with four turns per side, this playtest seemed to go a little faster than the LLR vs Ancient Spanish one.  There will be another Roman vs Gallic playtest as the adventures of this detachment of the Legion VI under Pilus Prior Caius Otacillus Pansa continues.

Our victory is complete and the subsequent sack of the Gallic camp and surrounding villages ensure that our men do not starve.  We continue our march to Tolosa where we are granted a few days rest as the Pilus Prior gathers intelligence and supplies for our next part of the march.  There are rumors that he will march us through the lands of the friendly Volcae in hopes of raiding the lands of the Ruteni.  Only time will tell...

Lines from the journals of Hastatus Posterior Lucius Lutatius Calvus