Conwy Wargames Club 15mm Sassanids vs Middle Imperial Rome

This month Dave put on a Hail Caesar middle Imperial Roman vs Sassanid game using the scenario 'Go meek in to the desert' supplied in the main rule set.

Scenario

The Romans were defending an oasis with 3 divisions on board. The cavalry division had to dice to come on from turn 2. The Sassanids started off table and had to dice to arrive from turn 1. Their objective was to oust the Roman invaders from the vital water resource.

Board

We used a 6ft x 4ft board with the oasis marked by palm trees in the middle. We didn't have a hill or tower as in the scenario.

Forces

Rome:
Cavalry Division
2 x Heavy Cavalry
1 x Light Cavalry
1 x Camelry
Left wing Division
2 x Auxillaries pilum
1 x Auxillary archers
1 x javelin skirmishers
1 x scorpion
Centre Division
2 x Legionary
1 x Auxillary archers
1 x scorpion
Rightwing Division
2 x Legionary
1 x Auxillary pilum

Sassanid:
Heavy Cavalry Division
2 x Heavy cavalry
1 x cataphracts
Light Cavalry Division
2 x Light Cavalry
Infantry Division
3 x Elephants
4 x Infantry
2 x skirmishers with bow

The Game

Gaz's leftwing division occupies the oasis

My centre and right wing 

The Romans start on the board minus their cavalry. At this stage regardless of what you can see there are no Sassanids on the board

Sassanid light cavalry appear and take hits from the scorpion

Poor Sassanid command dice allow the Romans time to form a battle line

Roman right wing looking good

Left wing equally happy in the oasis

Close up of Roman left wing

Sassanid light cavalry division advances

Roman left wing still facing no opposition so archers and scorpion begin to angle to target Mel's Sassanid light cavalry

The Roman cavalry roll their dice successfully and appear

Finally more Sassanids arrive in the form of Tony's infantry and elephants

In the distance having struggled to arrive on board Pete is now waiting patiently to get the right dice to move the Sassanid Heavy Cavalry division.

The Roman cavalry move off to intercept their Sassanid counterparts

The Roman battle line made up of the left wing, centre and right wing divisions refuse their left flank anchored on the oasis and begin to move towards the Sassanids

The Sassanids watch glumly the slow Roman envelopment, but they could still punch through this thin line

Inexperience with the rules leads to an unfortunate Sassanid muddle as the infantry set off before the cavalry have moved out of the way and the Umpire has to step in. No one is made to be disordered but the infantry movement is stalled

The Sassanid heavy cavalry still awaiting successful orders

The Romans are now growing very confident

At last the Sassanid heavies are on the move but sadly they lose their commander whose left turns up early and he has to depart - just as well otherwise he would see his division trot into a semi circle of waiting Romans

At last the Sassanid shake themselves out and begin their attack. Their light cavalry make way for the infantry and ride across  the Roman line suffering numerous traversing shots shaking a unit but the division survives. Now the infantry are unmasked the Romans charge home not waiting to be peppered by the Sassanid arrows. 1 legionary unit is shaken but the Romans win the combat and the Sassanids are pushed back. The elephants luckily don't panic and even luckier don't disorder the follow up infantry they retreat through. In the second round of combat the Romans win again and Sassanid infantry unit is destroyed. At this point we'd run out of time.

The Sassanids were certainly not a spent force with no divisions broken and the Roman right wing had taken a hammering, but the Romans were certainly in a better position tactically. It was decided by all that the Romans had won this time.