Strength &Honour: Battle of the Cilician Gates

This week my 2mm Roman and Parthian armies finally made their debut on the table in a game of Strength and Honour.  It's been a while since Anthony and I had played this (previously using my paper 10mm Romans and Celts).  Since there was an appropriate scenario in the book I decided that would be perfect.  It's also has fairly small forces so ideal for an evening game, we set of for 39 BCE and the Battle of the Cilician Gates.

A quick recap... S&H is a great set if rules from.Mark Backhouse and the TFL imprint Reissweitz Press.  It's specifically designed for games from around 106BCE to 200CE.  It uses a grid based mat and, as units are pushed back or worse, they accumulate Setback cards, or Disaster Cards which, unsurprisingly are a bit worse.  These have a value beginning at 0 and are drawn unseen.  At any point in the game your opponent can call 'Homunculus Est' and cards are revealed.  If they exceed the army break point then the game is over: if it is over half (but below the BP) then the army becomes fatigued.  They're a great set of rules for this period and make for a really quick but challenging game.

The battle pitched a combined Parthian and Roman rebel army against a smaller force which Mark Anthony had despatched to put a stop to the rebels rampaging across Asia Minor.

The Romans begin deployed on a hill with 2 Veteran Legions, some skirmishers and a cavalry unit.  The larger Parthians have their own, less experienced, Legions as well as Cataphracts and Parthian Light Horse, giving them a definite advantage in manoeuvrability and speed.

 Typically, my game opened with my Light cavalry refusing to advance after failing a Manoeuvre test and switching play to the Romans.  My opponent Anthony (not Mark Anthony, just Anthony) made a break from the historical battle and launched his troops down the slope of the hill, losing the uphill advantage but sensibly closing the distance and limiting my space to manoeuvre.

On my right flank the Light Horse got into a tussle with the Roman foot skirmishers, exchanging bow and sling fire.  This lasted all game and although both sides were able to push each other back at points, neither were able to exploit any advantage.

In the centre the Cataphracts charged the Roman cavalry and the Legions clashed.  There were several turns of back and forth with some spectacular saving throws from Anthony.  This, combined with the experience of the Roman Legions began to turn the tide in their favour.  My Setback cards were beginning to mount and I was expecting to have to declare them at any minute but Anthony sensibly bided his time until one of the rebel Legions were driven back off-table meaning I had to draw a Disaster card.  Sure enough, the Romans called Homunculus Est and I had to tot up the points.  

Somehow I was a couple of points shy of breaking.  It did mean I survived and was able to reduce my Setback points total significantly, but it also meant my army became 'Fatigued' meaning it was far less likely to move.  My camp lay undefended and open to plunder and the army was now fatigued so at that point we called it a night.

Great fun and a game that could have gone either way (with better luck, dice throwing and tactics!).  It also gave me a chance to get my 2mm Antonine Miniatures armies on the table and I'm very pleased with the mass effect.