The Corlears Hook Fencibles started playing our version of ‘First Man in Rome', a simple DBA mini-campaign. We used 1/72 plastic figures who have been sitting in the closet for a while. The premise is that a Roman player first fights a Carthaginian army. If he wins, he then fights a Gallic army. If he wins again the reward is a fight with a Parthian army. A simple score is kept. Each player gets 1 for each element killed. I assume generals and camps count as +2 elements. The game winner also gets 2 points. Once all Roman players have had their run, the highest scoring Roman is First Man in Rome while the highest scoring enemy is the First Enemy of Rome.
I took the first run. Carthage invaded and I went for my usual neutral terrain, one steep hill, one gentle hill and a woods. Tom led the Carthaginians forward. We were both rusty, not having played DBA in a year or so. A scrum broke out over the steep hill on my left center. It was indecisive. After some waffling on both sides, I attacked his left. I pushed it back but then his Celtic warriors broke a hole in my center. In desperation, I attacked with my left. The dice gods rewarded me by killing his general. I was declared winner – though I think a close read of the rules would reveal the game should have continued. I had killed 2 elements (+2), the general (+2) and won the game (+2) for a total of 6. Tom had killed 2 elements and scored 2 as an enemy of Rome.
Bill's Gallic army invaded Rome. I used the same terrain. One of his warbands fought onto the hill, was overlapped on both sides and wiped out. Another group attacked the hill and was driven back. My velites didn't pursue, as a squadron of Gallic horse were nearby. A scrum broke out in the center. One bunch of warriors broke through. A large group was flanked and slain. I pulled out a 4-1 victory, thanks to the dice gods. My score was 6, Bill 1.
With a Roman score of 12, I now won the honor of facing a Parthian army (the Mongols stood in for them). I invaded Parthia. Tom set out a spare field that included a river. I left a triari unit in my camp to dissuade light horse raids. The rest of my force advanced near the river, ready to form square. Tom's cataphracts trotted onto a gentle hill and watched as their light horse swarmed around my right. I formed the right side of my square, then the rear face and finally put a legionary unit to cover the left side. Here I made a mistake. The legionary unit blocked the retreat path of a cavalry squadron on the rear face. The light horse attacked.
The blocked retreat path was moot, since Tom rolled high and slew my cavalry outright. My general's squadron drove back their attackers and a legionary unit sent their attackers fleeing. The right face of the square held or drove off their assailants.
A squadron of cataphracts advanced on my left. They charged and rode down the legionary unit there. A legionary unit in the front face turned and fell on their flank, while my general attacked them in front. My attack failed, and another legionary unit on the right side of the square was slain. The general had no space to retreat, so I lost 4(G) – 0.
Tom gained 8 points for this, with his previous 2 making 10, a formidable enemy of Rome.
It was agreed after that I should have hugged the river tighter, and Tom should not have put the river down in the first place. The Parthians are some "reward" for beating the first two. We played three battles in 2 and a half hours. It was a load of fun. We will play this out on further game nights, not necessarily consecutive ones. Having earned all my possible Roman points, I look forward to being an enemy of Rome.
steps into the arena with two gladiators from 