Prefect Figulus' first battle.

Written at Aduataca Tungrorum at the Camp of the Tungrian Cohort, 793 (anno urbis conditae)

Quilpius my dear young fellow,

Sad to say I won't be at your Orgy for the Emperor's birthday.  I have been sent out to Germania Inferior and ordered to take command of a new Cohort of Tungrian Auxiliaries.  As a Roman citizen I shall be one of the few Prefectus who isn't a jumped up Tribal chief.  Of course since I was born in Tungrorum when daddy was the Procurator here, I am a hairy arsed barbarian in the eyes of most folk in Rome, but at least I shall have my Family's equestrian narrow stripe to warm my prejudices.  
Once raised we will be posted to the Border near the Batavian Island.  What could go wrong?

As my friend you are doubtless thinking "Figulus? In the Military?  RIDICULOUS!"  May I say I wholeheartedly agree.  Fortunately my father consulted General Quintus and sent a retired veteran Centurion with me.  This man is a former First Spear of the 1st Germania and cannot settle to civilian life, an ancient, one eyed, veteran Centurion named Julius.  He claims to be a survivor of the Varian War some thirty years ago.  I will happily hide behind this worthy fellow and claim all of his decisions as my own.

My orders are to recruit the cohort up to strength and then report to the Legatus at the nearest fortress on the Rhennus.  Once again I am beyond Fortunate since the commander of that fortress is none other than Old Quintus himself, and I am to operate under his orders as Legatus of the 1st Germania.

It seems I need six full centuries, yet I found only some fifty men gathered by the Procurator.  He claims that raids by barbarian bandits from the Arduenna forest have prevented recruiting.  I suspect he has been dipping his fingers into the Emperor's coins and even selling off recruits as slaves.  He may even be in league with these "bandits."

Tomorrow I will head for the territory of the Tungri and attempt to recruit a few hundred more  of these big blond fellows, and perhaps deal with the barbarian bandits causing the trouble.

Your good friend,
Figulus

Getting a new project ready...

So I've been re-basing up the 1/72 Auxilia, onto individual 18mm washers, with my big men on larger ones.  The core force has six tent parties of eight men, and an attached group of six Slingers as skirmishers.  Clearly they are a small Century, but scaled up are a cohort at 1:10.

My Gallic/Germans (and Germania Inferior would have a mix of Belgae and resettled German tribes) have six groups of ten tribal warriors, a group of eight armoured Gallic nobles and two groups of six German javelinmen.

Yet to paint the Cavalry for either side but they will eventually have two groups of eight as optional extras.

Initially I'm going to tweak the Osprey Men of Bronze rules but I'm getting this ready for the forthcoming Lardy Ancients skirmish rules.  For accompanying terrain I was inspired by Big Rich's German village on YouTube, and have knocked up some "A" frame huts. 

I am intending to do the blog reports as a series of letters to my old friends Quintus, a Legionary Legatus, and Young Quilpius a newly appointed broad stripe Tribune.

The Game

The Belgae and Ulpii  have been raiding the Tungri for slaves to sell to the Procurator. An Auxiliary Century recruiting in the area intervenes...

The table has a Germanic village in the centre, surrounded by woods.  My Auxilia Century must occupy the village destroying the raiders.  If Figulus can save the village his reputation will increase and he can begin recruiting for the cohort.

Roman Auxilia force of four groups of 8 Auxilia, one Group six slingers and two Leaders.  

The Belgae force: one Group of Noble Warriors, three Groups of 10 Warriors, one Group of six javelin armed skirmishers, and three Leaders

The Tungri village looks to be a quiet sort of place

and the villagers are clearly former gladiators

Flavius Suspicious, my Optio, leads the slingers in advance of the column

The Centurion leads his men on behind the slingers

But that village seems no threat

Across a field of root vegetables of some sort the Optio spots naked javelinmen.

And behind them are warband warriors

The Centurion advances to the village.

Belgae rebels, and lots of them!

The enemy send in their armoured nobles

The scrap in the root vegetable field, the Optio and his tent party clear the attacking warriors.

In the big fight outside the village the Tungrians outclass the opposition - in dice throws anyway

The key moment as the Optio swings his tent party in on the barbarian warriors

A case of "don`t roll a 1" for the enemy General.  Dead!

First Spear Julius "One Eye" with his vine stick and a job well done...