Another Game - Blooding a new army

Last weekend it was a gathering of The Old Berks again, unfortunately without Steve this time, but we're very relaxed about attendance! As host, I'm the lucky one, and am always mindful that the others have to travel, a considerable distance (particularly in Steve's case), to come for a game. 

So, with Andy eager to try out a new army he's working on, and myself also having a new contingent to field, we settled on a 3rd Century action, stretching the bounds of possibility as my newly painted Middle Imperial Romans, allied with Andy's new Sassanids, to face John's Palmyrans.

Andy has been documenting progress of the ancients projects on his Flaming Pig Facebook Page, and just before he arrived, I put some flames onto the back of a couple of mini-pigs and placed them on the table...

And so to battle...

Above: my Romans deployed on the right.
Below: Andy's Sassanids on my left.

Below: JK's Palmyrans.

Below: Running repairs. The master craftsman at work (aka Andy almost managing to glue himself to a kontos!)

Note: Hydration Break!

Above and below: The Sassanids crunch into the Palmyrans

Now, the eagle-eyed will have spotted a slight anomaly, for which I beg forgiveness. Because my Middle Imperial Romans are only just beginning, I roped in some other troops to complete the force... Macedonian skirmishing javelinmen wouldn't look that different to Roman skirmishers from a few centuries later, i'm sure. After all, it's just blokes with pointy sticks, isn't it?!

And, following on from recent posts, I also fielded the Skythians, as just some generic ancient horse archers (remember, No Skythians, no Party!). Their recent run of form was continuing, and they held a lot of Palmyran heavies at bay for quite some time. 

Above: Good dice roll for shooting. Well done, lads!

But... then, they forgot they shouldn't always be throwing high dice ... so, rolling double 6, they managed a Hail Caesar Blunder and did a Skythian Skidaddle off to their right flank, departing the table to much derision. They later claimed they just wanted to have the Old Berks Wooden Spoon trophy in their hands, just one time.

As it happened, that particular episode didn't matter as the Sassanid-Roman unholy alliance managed, in the end, to narrowly defeat Zenobia's Palmyrans. They will be back for more, no doubt...

Then it was off out for a steak and a glass down at The Bear in Berkswell, followed by cigars on the patio. A fine end to the day.

Before I close this post, a quick pic of the Middle Imperial Roman force, about which I will do a post with further photos in a couple of days.

The miniatures are A & A Miniatures. Transfers LBMS.

Meantime, all the very best.