Seymourium: A Dux Britianiarum AAR

ABOVE: The Saxon host on the field of battle!

Hi Guys

Stan and I followed up out last game of Dux Britianiarum (DuxBrit) with a pitch battle.
Read on:
The sun shone brightly. A light morning mist was quickly burnt off. Osic the Victorious looked across the field and could see the 'Romans' forming for battle. The Saxon host was tired from the march from the beach, and the voyage across the channel had been rather unpleasant.

 ABOVE: Champions go forth to do battle

Osic the Victorious called his Champion Olag forward.
"Olag,.. we need to lift the men's spirits. Put on a show for them and dispatch that Roman dog"!
Osic pointed the a well armed Warrior who stood before the Roman line.
"One dead Roman coming up,..".
And with that Olag dashed up the hill to confront the enemy champion,.. and then promptly dashed back. The duel wasn't going the big Saxon lugs way, so he was recalled.
"I guess an inspiring speech will have to suffice" grumbled Osic.
After a rousing speech the Saxons soon forgot about Olag's flight. Moral was raised (8 on the Moral Chart).
The Romano British commander did better however and not only did the 'Romans' spirits rise (8 also), but an extra FATE Card was added to their hand.
(I had 5 cards, and Stan had 6).

"It seems the Romans intend to fight this battle sitting on their arses".
Osic observed the enemy had anchored a flank on a wood and their other flank on the edge of a ravine (that's the table edge to you).
"Best we move them off their arses then". Growled Votigen, Osic's second in command.
BELOW: The Romano British position as seen from their rear. The Saxon host can be seen in the distance.

ABOVE and BELOW: Romano British (Above) and Saxon hosts (below)
The Saxons moved the bulk of their troops (three groups of 'Warriors') off to their left behind the hill. Their plan was to fall in one devastating charge on the Levies on the Romano British right flank. As this was happening the Hearthguard (two groups of 'Elites') would move towards the woods hoping to draw the 'Roman' elites or at least some warriors away from the Levies.

ABOVE and BELOW: The Saxon warriors move off to threaten the enemy levies while the Hearthguard advance on the woods. The Saxon skirmishers (4 archers) move off to start sniping away from the vicinity of the hill.

Things went badly for the Saxons initially. The Roman archers in the wood managed to kill two of the hearthguard as soon as the moved forward and when the hearthguard did charge they pulled up just short of contact. They did however draw the Romano British Elites and a group of warriors into the woods.

That was the que for Osic and Vortigen to unleash the Warriors on the Levy Shieldwall.
As can be seen, the run of cards I had was pretty good, and I had high hopes that after a round or two I'd blow right through the levies!
BELOW: The cards I played for the big assault.

But expectations were soon dashed, and the Romans gave as good as they got. After two rounds of combat the Saxon warriors pulled back. At least a smal group of the Saxon hearthguard had managed to catch the enemy archers in the woods and routed them from the field.
BELOW: Despite the run of cards, the Romano British levies held on. I sustained 9 dead and 4 'SHOCK'. 7 'SHOCK' on the levies and a small group of warriors and 8 dead total for them.

At this point bot armies took 'a breather'. The Saxons continued to pepper the levies with arrows, killing 2 or 3 more and adding 'SHOCK' which the Romano British leaders spent their time removing.
Frustrated Osic decided on a gamble:
"Vortigen! Take the warriors and try and get behind these Roman dogs! I'll hold my Hearthguard here with the archers and keep them busy. NOW GO"!
With that the Saxon warriors moved off and Osic preparde for another attack on the levies.
BELOW: The situation after the first charge!

BELOW: The Saxon Warriors move in behind the enemy. The Romano British 'Elites' can be seen in the woods.

The Romano British attempted to prevent the movement of the Saxon warriors with a charge out of the woods, but it was somewhat uncoordinated and was beaten back.
The situation was now ripe for another carge by the Saxons.
BELOW: The Romano British are caught in a vice. Is this the end for them?

Osic's Hearthguard crashed into the levies and much slaughter was witnessed. Soon the levies threw down their shields are ran.
The Romano British Warriors and Elites were made of sterner stuff however, and despite their casuatlies were busy doing slaughter of their own on the Saxon warriors. Vortigen was last seen swiging madly with his sword at the best of the Romano British.
Osic took one last slash with his mighty blad at the Roman priest nearby who quickly fled the field before he ordered the remnants of his host back to their boats and Germany.
BELOW: The situation just at the end of the game.

In conclussion another great game. The terrain was a a real bugger, but credit must go to Stan for a battle well fought.
Highlits were the death of two hearthguard from the plucky Romano British archers and the brawl between the Levies and my Warriors.

All the Saxons are a mix of EUREKA Miniatures and Foundy Miniatures, except for my archers which are RENAGADE MINIATURES 'Guals'. I now have some EUREKA MINIATURES Archers that I'll paint up soon.
Stans Romano- Brits are a mix of EUREKA, ESSEX, BTD, Gripping Beast and Old Glory Miniatures.
As usual, your comments are welcomed

Village Raid! A Dux Britanniarum AAR

ABOVE: The Saxon raiders arrive at the sleepy village of Stanfordium; "Anyone home"!
Hi Guys
As some of you might know I've always been a huge fan of all things 'Too Fat Lardies'. Their rules and Scenario books, and 'Summer Specials' etc are quite choice. If you can afford them, (and you can 'cause they are also sooo afordable) then I highly recommend their tasty treats.
One of their more recent offerings has been Dux Britanniarum, which one can use to game / simulate war in Romano Britain just as it's all falling apart at the seams.
The rules come with an exceptionally fine campaign system and my usual gaming buddy Stan and I jumped straight in.
I can't recall if I picked or had forced on me the option to be the Saxon Raiders, but either way I do like them.
Obviously Stan picked up the Romano-British.
Characters were generated; a Lord each and two subordinate 'Nobles' and we were off.
The first encounter was a raid on a Watch Tower that resulted in a victory for me, with a Brit Noble being carried off for ransom, (after Cedric the Confused had his way with him).
After that was a raid on a church. This was a real ding-dong afair that resulted in a lot of dead on both sides, and a 'drawn' result. We now have some nice leadlight windows back at the Great Hall in Germany.
That brings us to the third raid. This time a village raid.

ABOVE: First house searched "O Bugger it, nothing here but moldy bread and stale ale. And what a mess!  HOW DO THESE PEOPLE LIVE LIKE THIS"!!!

We had two turns head start on the Brits, which was enough time to get to the edge of the village before the first of the Brits arrived to try and spoil the party. The first building was entered by the Saxon Loard, his Champion and his Hearthguard and their searched revealed nothing, but the large villa (essentially classed as two buildings) being searched by the 2nd Hearthguard came up trumps two turns in a row (rolling a 6 and then another 6)!!

BELOW: Olaf the Bloated grabs a wife and a refreshing beverage as two of his mates engage in less civalized pursuits. Savages.

ABOVE: Saxon Lord and Champion together with two of his Hearthguard survey the Saxon Archers in the woods.

BELOW: The British arrive in force

BELOW: The Saxon warriors pour into the village.

While the villa was being plundered my archers started peppering the oncoming British without much success, and before you could say, "someone might lose an eye" the 2nd group of Hearthguard was making off with armfulls of loot.
As this was happening the Saxons sent a group of Warriors to pounce on a group of British Levy who had advance to close before forming a shieldwall.
Surprisingly they managed to give as good as the got and both groups virtually destroyed each other!
As this was happening another group of Saxon Warriors entered the villa to collect their share of loot and were about to exit when they found their exit barred by a group of British Warriors.

ABOVE: The 2nd Hearthguard make off with the loot.

BELOW: Warriors attempt to leave with the second lot of plunder but some British Warriors think not!

BELOW: Warriors V Warriors. It started pretty well for the Saxons and then as was the recurring pattern of my day, it went south quickly.

These two groups again butchered each other. Initially the Saxons seem to have the better of it, but yet again the British died hard and both groups were destroyed.

ABOVE: Lord's, Champions and Hearthguards do battle.

Now the two Lords Hearthguards clashed on the edge of the Village. Yet again another see-sawing stoush but ultimately The British lord triumphed. Only the Saxon Lord, his Champion and one of his hearthguard managed to escape.

At this point the Saxons called it a day and headed back to their boats.

BELOW: The situation at the end of the game.

Though not a success, the saxon Lord still has sufficiant funds to share some spoils and has been declared a 'Warlord'!
The next encounter will not be a raid, but rather a Battle for a chunk of British land.
Comments Welcomed.