Titus goes foraging

Game 3: Foraging Party

This scenario sees a force sent out to find forage. The table must contain at least three areas of habitation. Bring the total areas of habitation to three by randomly adding others in different table areas to any that are already present. 
The attacker’s objective is to forage in two areas of habitation. They have one cart with them to collect their forage.

Deployment Zones
Variable. Both side deploy from opposite table edges; dice to establish which.

Victory Conditions
The foraging party must visit the two of the three areas of habitation with the cart. 
In each area one Group must achieve a Task Roll of 7 which represent them sourcing the forage and loading the cart. They must then leave the table with the cart via their Deployment Zone. 

Having won two games Titus has gained the name "Famous."  This is a purple temple name. 

Purple Temple: Jupiter, Optimus Maximus, greatest and best of all  Gods, favours you.  The Pontifex Maximus  presents  you  with  the  breast  plate  of Alexander the Great. You may avoid rolling for a hit on your Leader once in each game.

His current retinue comprises a Valiant Vexillarius, a Medicus Cohortis and his loyal (?) Optio Felix Flaccidus.  He also has a Super Numerum leading his Legionary recruits.

The Centurion's Force contains two tent parties of trained legionaries, and two legionary recruit groups.

Three farms, but two are on the Spanish side of that river.

The Spanish select field defences along the river's edge.  Its probably not exactly square with the rules but they have lost two in a row so I allow it.

In an oddly lit picture the Spanish arrive on table

And Titus leads his legionaries on

The Spanish reveal defensive works at the ford

My Supernumenary in the Optio's helmet begins to gather forage.  They can do better than that

The Spanish chief gets into the river and poses

Slingers foil the Roman's attempt to slip their javelinmen over the river on the flank

Face off.
Except that the distance is over 6".  The Spaniards javelins reach the Romans,
whose pila don`t have the legs for that throw.

The slingers spank the Roman's javelinmen

Titus is beaten back, and has a shout at his men.

The Spanish jeer from across the river, having finally
gotten the measure of these Romans.

Titus burns the crops

Centurion Titus (Currently enjoying the title of "Vigorus") mission is to inspire some shock and awe into the natives and burn the crops at a nearby village.  8 Task points to burn the crops.  

No sooner 

Titus moves forward.

The Romans bring their allied tribal javelinmen on.  To be honest that's the wrong side. 

The Spanish javelinmen come on in the central woods.  A much better choice

Optio Flaccidus takes the recruit tent parties into the village fields

And he comes out first next turn too.  I note the incomplete bases on those recruits.

Titus comes out of the deck straight after his Optio.  He burns his Signa cards with two volleys of Pila, followed by an aggressive attack.

The Romans carve through them really easilly

The Hispanics try to sort this melee out, but its a rout...

Meanwhile Flaccidus creeps through the gardens rolling task points.

And the last Roman attack speaks for itself.  The number of hits are overwhelming

The Spanish chief falls

All the Hispanics have left are their javelinmen and cavalry.

The Super Numerum in charge of recruits (I gave him an Optio's helmet) rolls the last points for crop damage.  The Victory conditions are met,

With the main Spanish force on the run Titus rallies his men.

And on that note the Spanish Cavalry finally appear.

But they are flanked by javelinmen and in serious danger of a pila volley as the Tempus Fugit card comes out and the Romans win the game.

Next game Maius I

Titus rolls a 4 and gains the name "Famous."  This is a purple temple name.  Purple Temple: Jupiter, Optimus Maximus, greatest and best of all  Gods, favours you.  The Pontifex Maximus  presents  you  with  the  breast  plate  of Alexander the Great. You may avoid rolling for a hit on your Leader once in each game.

He also adds a Valiant Vexillarius to his current retinue of a Medicus Cohortis. 

Next mission will be Scenario Four: a Foraging Party.  Pity I just burned all the crops...

The Romans at the Arse End

The Greek colony of Saguntum in Iberia was founded as the city of Arse.  I'm not making this up.  Possibly attributed to the god of war Ares, it's probably not pronounced in the Anglo Saxon manner, however the chance to defend the city of Arse cannot be easily passed over.

Saguntum was of course the location of the Sertorian War, 80-73 BC, where the exile Quintus Sertorius, former governor of Hispania, and enemy of the dictator  Sulla, stood against all comers until his murder in 73 BC.   The locals called him a second Hannibal, and he sort of lived up to that, seeing off army after army sent against him. I'm going to mix history up a little and have some fun using Infamy to fight the Hispanics for Arse.

Titus Arsinius and
his Optio  Felix Flaccidus 

The Centurion Titus Arsinius, one of Sertorius' Officers,  has been sent out to garrison a fort on a vital mountain pass West of the main army in the city of Arse.  The local tribes are revolting, and Titus will need his wits about him to ensure the safety of his small command.  

The terrain differs from the main Infamy rules, since this is Hispania.  Rather than trees and marsh we have rocks and scrub.  My Greeks and Samnites will be posing as the Spanish, Marian Romans as Titus' Century.

If the Romans do well they may be able to win over Spanish tribal allies, or recruit among the Arsies for Auxiliaries.  This all rather depends on Titus personal standing, which to be honest hasn't been great so far...

Centurio Titus Arsinius (Notable)
Optio Felix Flaccidus (Pugnacious)

‘Into Action!’ Table 
Titus rolls a 1.  Is this a sign of things to come?

So the first game will be in Martius III

Hispania
Terrain	1-3	4-6
Hills	3	4
Woods	0	1
Scrub	1	2
Rocky	1	2
Habitation	2	3
River Crossing	Ford	Bridge

Scenario Generator 
Roll of 3.  The Romans have a patrol scenario. Titus takes half of his century out to scout out the terrain of the Edetani tribe. 

Scenario Three:  

On Patrol This  scenario  sees  an  attacker’s  patrol  attempting  to  scout  an  area  of  enemy  territory.  The attacker  must  visit  four  distinct  terrain  features  in  four  separate  areas  of  the  table  AND  remove one enemy Ambush or Deployment Point. 

Deployment Zones 

The  attacker  will  enter  the  table  on  a  short  edge.    The  defender  will  have  Deployment  Zones  on two  table  edges.    These  may  be  on  the  short  table  edge  opposite  the  attacking  player,  or  the either  of  the  long  edges.    They  should  choose  the  edges  and  dice  as  normal  for  the  Deployment Zone  location.    The defender’s Deployment Zone may not be in the same area or an area adjacent horizontally or vertically to the attacker. 

Victory Conditions 

The  attacker  may  not  count  any  Ambush  or  Deployment  Points  shut  down  in  the  pre-game Scouting  phase  towards  their  objective.    Each  of  the  four  terrain  features  visited  must  see  a minimum  of  one  Group  moved  into  it  completely.  The  game  ends  when  the  fourth  terrain feature has been visited.  

Iberian troop Types 

Iberian Caetrati  -  Warriors
Strength Armour Weapons Points Aggressive Stepout   Characteristics
    8    Light  Mixed    13    Attack 1      1       Supra Numerum, 
                                                                        Flexible Drill, 
                                                                        Horse Killers, 

                                                                        Foot Cavalry

Iberian Cavalry  -  Skirmish Cavalry
Strength Armour Weapons Points Aggressive Stepout   Characteristics
   6         Light       Javelin       10   Attack 1           1         Foot Cavalry

The Campaign Game:

Triumphant

Invincible, Adored

Heroic, Glorious, Exalted

Ivulnerable, Punative, Famous, Conspicuous

Victorious , Valiant, Vigorous, Prodigious, Wise

Bellicose, Pugnatious, Notabe Diligent, Moderate, Virtuous

Errant, Invidious, Dolorous, Feeble, Puerile

Barbarous, Perfidious, Sinister, Despised

Bestial, Degenerate, Cowardly

Cursed, Ludicrous

Infamous!

Martius III:  The Patrol

A nearby Hispanic village.

Titus leads his men forward.  Three tent groups from his Century

Exploratores clear the first terrain

My second Exploratores clears the village

But the Hispanics turn up in a raging mass.

A volley of Pila as they come in.  Quite why I didn`t throw two is a mystery to me!

The trained Legionaries batter their opponents.  A box of the Warlord games and an extra sprue game me enough figures to muster the three groups. 

The Romans are unbeatable on the dice

The Hispanics come close to breaking

My Super Numerum turns up with a base of recruits.  I`ll be replacing these guys with red tunic Hastati

All the Hispanics have left is some skirmishing to delay the scouting of the four terrain areas.

It`s a valiant try but doomed.  And those throws are rubbish.

Titus captures the rocky area.

The Optio scouts the fields as the Romans close up, but the game is essentially done.

Optio Felix Flaccidus scouts the fourth terrain area.  The Romans have met the victory conditions.

A last chuck from the javelinmen, poor dice again.  Its game over as the Tempus Fugit card comes out.

Campaign turn ends.  Titus is given "Vigorus status.

Flaccidus gets an unlikely "Valiant."  Its unclear what he did to deserve this... 

Next game Aprillus II will be a village raid, to burn crops

And it looks like a difficult job

3 crop areas to burn...

A Night out in Rumtown

The Isle de Le Gros Garçon has never been a tourist destination.  The smaller of the island's two settlements, Rumtown, is notorious across the Carribean for its dilapidated appearance.  Henry Morgan himself once quipped, "It is as if the whole edifice had been scratch built by a madman."

The diaries of "Tipples" Morgan, Captain of The Rumtown Militia, are perhaps an unreliable source, yet an incident during the summer of 1670 illustrates the very essence of island life to any would be traveller.  

Since the Morgan Plantation had provided the firelocks  used by the Militiamen, "Captain" of Militia Timothy "Tipples" Morgan, the rum soaked idiot son of the family was invested as Leader of the "Companie."   The main duties involve "getting the first rounde in." Newcomers  to the Isle de le Gros Garçon generally evince surprise that the Militia spend the majority of each day imbibing local spiritous liquor.  

"Tipples" journal records an action fought on the southern edge of the town against a Spanish force.  These unwashed rum soaked worthies had landed in Rumtown to smuggle poor quality Haitian tafia rum ashore, thus avoiding the Jamestown Excise Duties.  Their contact in town is "Bristol" Black, brothel keeper and vintner.

Rules used are "Fistful of Lead"

The Militia
Captain "Tipples" Morgan
Sergeant Bakardy @21

6 militia extras, firelock armed and drunk.

Appleton Molasses of the Rumtown Freebooters  

Spaniards

Don Manuel Di Barthelona

Sergente Hethe Hethe-hethé

El Gato Rosas, infamous smuggler

Six soldiers armed with rusty firelocks

Characters in Rumtown

Sergeant at Arms Bakardy Plantation Field Boss
Corporal Breezer The Morgan Plantation Blacksmith
Appleton Molasses ner-do-well swamp hunter
Carlos Mojitos  the Plantation Factor, and Militia supply.
O'Hara, Bosun of the Sea Wolf, aground on Cape Panza de Cerveza this last year.
Bristol Black an infamous Freebooter and rumoured Pirate who keeps the Rumtown Brothel.
Brandi the Captain's Lady Friend.

Screech, local fisherman, pilot, wrecker and pyrate.

Tafia, first mate to Screech and possibly female.  Possibly. 

The Rumtown docks, in all its glory

Don Manuel di Barthelona and his Spanish Regulars

The Rumtown Militia leaving the Cantina

I deal the cards for the Militia first, and order them fro play.

As each card is played I draw a card for the Spanish.  If it is higher than the Militia card it interrupts.  If it is lower it is assigned to a figure for later in the turn.

Faceoff.  Captain Tipples wanders over to the water fountain to urinate. 

A Spanish Soldier mounts the wall and fires his firelock down into the Militia, killing one of the extras.

The Joker is played.  I roll d6, and a 3 indicates that it is the rabid town dog, who attacks and bites Don Manuel.  The dog bites him but it is the dog that is injured.

The militia let off a volley, shockingly poor.

Tipples mounts the wall and fires his pistol down into a Spaniard.  Shocking miss.

The Spaniard lets loose his firelock on a wildcard and misses the Captain.

Appleton Molasses appears and fires into Don Manuel, wounding him.

A Spanish soldier fires inti the Militia, killing another extra.

Tipples swings his sword and using a Jack, cuts down the Spaniard in the garden.

The Spanish Sergente attempts to kill the Captain, but misses.

Sergeant Bakardy swings that halbard and cuts down another enemy.  Spanish morale breaks.

With some wounded, and a case of rabies, the Spanish flee.  Its game over.

The Nun and the harlot, waiting in a queue for the town outdoor toilet.  These were other options for the Joker card.  Don Manuel can feel fortunate that he only encountered the rabid dog.