Celtic swordsmen and others

I've completed the first unit using a mix of converted sword and spearmen.

It gives a better impression of a warband with a range of different figures.

So now I could probably get by with another 7 or so units...

One figure gives me an armoured swordsman or spearman converted from the infantry standard bearer.

Infantry conversion from a cavalry figure - simply turned the left foot forward and put it on a base. There is also a swordsman version of this.

Finally a simple conversion of the infantry spearman.

A lot of the conversions on the mould broke up when the mould was being made. As a result, they needed some work doing to them. As such, I'll be sending a load of them off to be made into a new mould... a mould that will also include some Sarmation medium horse archers. It'll be a while before I get this mould made - got plenty of other stuff to do first...

Spain v the Celts - double DBA-ish Part the Second

Second phase of the battle as in second session - so  I've also reset the tree counter!

Scene at the end of movement in Move 5.

Another river proved no obstacle for the Celts - both rivers threw a 1, could have made a difference on the other flank if it had proved uncrossable on a 6. Really, though, on this flank nothing much happened!

The Spanish forward hill is starting to get a bit surrounded by Celts...

While the other hill awaits the onslaught. The Spanish general and other cavalry are meanwhile fully occupied.

The battle for the Spanish left continues...

Move 6 sees the Spanish advanced hill looking a bit fragile as it's completely surrounded.

And... the onslaught starts on the other hill.

And... The Spanish left is a bit crumbly.

End of the move see dead warbands and auxilia all over the place. Mostly warbands.

The position is pretty even at this point - both sides have lost 7 elements. The Spanish are a mix of troop types, the Celts are all warband! Mainly due to frontally charging Auxilia on hills.

It isn't as even as the casualties imply though - the Spanish left flank is about to go under.

Meanwhile there is a clash of generals. The Spanish general is actually Carthaginian - ex-Harry bodyguard, and the fact they are on palominos suggest he painted them - think Harry likes palominos. Don't remember where I got the general from, could have been Harry.

Closer view of the Spanish left at the point of contact.

Closer view of the Spanish left after contact - LI pushed off the edge of the world and cavalry pushed back without being able to go anywhere.

Lots of infantry dying on a hill.

View from the Spanish right...

View from the Spanish left... At which point the Celts had lost 8 elements, the Spanish 12. More importantly, the Spanish position didn't seem to be viable so battle over.

An interesting battle. I tried to play it as a battle rather than a wargame - as a competition wargame I wouldn't have launched the warbands against the hill the way I did here and I would have held the Spanish left back rather than go for the river line. I would possibly have been a bit more aggressive with the Auxilia on the second hill. Might even re-run the battle doing that sometime. It was good finding out the way the terrain affected everything - good battle.

Spain v the Celts - double DBA-ish

That very uneven and hilly terrain setup just seemed to shout 'Spain'... so gives me a chance to use the Spanish component of my Minifigs PB Carthaginian army - though 3Ax are being fielded a 4Ax. As an opponent, thought a Celtic invasion would work - gives me a chance to use the Garrison Celtic infantry though they have yet to be rebased. Which is fine - treat them as if they are single based and they look better with the added depth anyway. The rules themselves, again doing things solo allows me to use and alter them as I like.

At the start of the battle the Spanish plan is to try and hold the high ground and river banks.

However the Celts easily crossed the river on their left flank... I'm doing my usual thing of using trees as move markers.

On the right, the Spanish lights reach the line of the other river before the Celts reach. In the centre, the Spanish are perched on two hills - with the disadvantage that there is a gap between the hills.

The fight on the Spanish left has started and the Spanish cavalry are facing the ends of the Celtic right centre. I used 15mm trees for this battle as they fit in with the terrain better size-wise.

The forward Spanish hill is about to get attacked to the front.

Those Spaniards holding level ground between the hill and the river don't fare well.

A view of the Spanish right flank show it under pressure - the Celts on the other bank are approaching the river as well.

Meanwhile on the Spanish extreme left the Celts are making headway.

The Spanish left and left-centre. The cavalry are doing well, the light infantry less so.

Right centre is a similar story - Spaniards on the hill killing off an assault while the Spaniards on the plain die bravely.

Spanish right flank the Celts are quickly approaching the river line as the Spanish try to cover any possible crossing.

Meanwhile the second Spanish line awaits the onslaught.

Spanish extreme left looking increasingly fragile.

A view of the battle at the end of Move 4 taken from the Spanish left flank.

And a similar view from the Spanish right.

The natives are a bit hostile.

So the Roman cavalry are just going ballistic and the infantry marching along quite happily thinking of burgers... meanwhile, I'm going through the rules and had forgotten or not realised something - all those Germanic (OK, Gauls pretending to be Germans) warbands.... are also on a -2 in the forest... so, instead of Romans down to 3, Warband on 3 with lots of overlaps... suddenly it's 3 v 1... And my recollection of pushbacks being fatal... not as much...

Perhaps not going to be such a foregone conclusion after all.

Well, yeah, OK, probably still foregone, just slower.

So here are the Roman cavalry being reckless.

Those cavalry on the Roman left were having a great time - took out a cavalry element, then a psiloi element, then a warband. Got swamped eventually though. Meanwhile on the other side of the action look at the cavalry hitting those 3 warbands head on...

They died. I took the element off and realised.... they were Gauls. It had been a couple of days since I put them there and I sort of forgot they weren't Romans and didn't notice it? Could have just ignored the result but - well, if they want charge their own people and die as a result - let them.

So eventually the infantry catch up to the action - cavalry all dead by then.

Lots of fighting, but slow to kill as the Romans had quite a good factor advantage.

Gradually whittled down though until finally...

The last lot went. And not a burger in sight.

I enjoyed that. Fun encounter, easily set up, helped me re familiarise myself with some parts of the rules I'd forgotten and lots of dead Romans. That's a one that goes back to my days wargaming in Bradford back in 72-73 - it was Pete's fault.

Army Review 2019 - the Celts

Being one of the smaller armies it's one of the easiest to sort a Review.

It's currently a 4 part army. The first 3 are all ex-Harry. The Minifigs infantry and cavalry have all been rebased and include some remedial work on the cavalry. About 30 of the infantry were actually painted by me - originally sent to Harry then came back to me when I bought the army. This part of the army (and chariots) have already been shown here. The Garrison infantry have yet to be rebased. The chariots were ex-Harry but unpainted - so they have been painted and based by me.The final component are the recently purchased ones. 

This lot form a smaller force than originally bought from Harry as many figures  have been 'purloned' by other armies - for example, the Dacians and the Atlanteans.

The army...

Cavalry are Minifigs but mounted on Garrison horses.

Minifigs chariots, Garrison infantry. A few Garrison figures aren't there - some cavalry and infantry archers.

Minifigs component mounted as 3Wb - The Garrison figures will probably be mounted as 4Wb.

New' figures - the cavalry are probably the most useful part.