Lanciarii Iuniores

Lanciarii Iuniores

Next unit off the desk this week Lanciarii Iuniores, I used a mix of armoured and unarmoured Musketeer and Crusader miniatures in this unit. All hand painted shuiled with a GB draco, which i intend swapping with a Vexillum soon, I have armed them with a Lancea and two 'subarmales'-light lancea. Speidel suggests that they may of had up to five lanceae each.

A few interesting arguments continue about the actual role of the lanciarii. Brian Campbell believes that lanciarii were associated with the 'sacer comitatus' ("sacred retinue") and was part of the small mobile field force accompanying the emperors, he also argues that the lanciarius ranked above a legionary, but below a guardsmen.

Phil barker suspects that the are light armed troops that performed the skirmishing of a Legio and later in the period were formed into their own troop type.

Speidel argues that there were two types of legionary in a legion and uses Arrian description of two types of longchopohoroi - fully half of the regular legionaries, who throw their weapons overhead of the other half. Arrian's legions in Cappadocia (XII Fulminata and XV Apollinaris) deployed in 10 rank deep formation, ranks five to eight were armed with lancea, nice was archers and ten was horse archers to counter the Alan Cataphracts.

Duncan Head suggests imperial Roman lanciarii had their origins in the republican Antesignani.Duncan also notes that a similar split among the legionaries can be found in a papyrus detailing donative records of Legio II Traiana in Egypt ca. 300 AD, from which it appears something like 45% of the men mentioned are lanciarii.

cheers

Matt

German heavy cavalry

Goth Heavy Cavalry 

Another addition to the Late Roman army some German Heavy cavalry a real mix of ranges, gripping beast, foundry, old glory on gripping beast horses (I think?), the shields are a mix of hand painted and LBM dark age transfers. The Draco is from the WF plastic Saxons I think..... I will be using these in my Frank, Goth, Alamannii and Roman armies

cheers
Matt

Halani Sagittarii

Some Alan Or Goth horse archers off the table this week who will no doubt get use in my Roman and Sassanid armies. I am very pleased with the result of their stripey pajamas, The A  and A range captures the movement of the horses well, again I have based them in a circulus cantabricus.

Only five more bases to go of horse archers, which I ordered from A and A last week and my Sassanid army will be nearly ready for action!

cheers

Matt 

Late Roman Sagittarii

Roman Sagittari

A few more late Romans off the desk additions for my late Roman army in the east. A mix of 28mm A and A, Black Tree and Crusader miniatures. They will join my Impetus army that forever grows. 

cheers

Matt

Roman General and Bucellarii

Roman Bucellarii

One of several units off the table this week my general for my late Roman army with his private bucellarii. The shields are a mix of hand painted and LBM transfers.

The General is from Black Tree Design, his horse is A & A, the remaining horses are gripping Beast, the std bearer is foundry and the remaining figures are Gripping beast, the draco is BTD but with a wire pole.

cheers

Matt

Sheaf Hall ECW BatRep

Greg (unlucky General) finally came up for a game before he returned to work this week, as I was hosting  the game I elected to pull out my ECW collection that doesn't really get much table time and put on a Scottish vs Royalist game. We used the well tested WECW rules

My Scot Army consisted of
Maquis Montrose  143pts
Army std 100pts
Col General Lord Gordon 53pts
Gordon horse 7 strong  158pts
A McColla 120pts
Macollas Lifegaurd 108 pts
10 Scot dragoons 112pts
1 light gun 55pts
1 Scot steady tercio of 32 228pts
1 Irish Tercio of 32 468 pts
3 Scot 25 figure clan units each with a Highland gentleman 429pts

1974pts

Unlucky Generals English (my figs also)
King Charles 100pts
3 buffoons 60pts
army standard 103pts
Elite Regt trotters 11 fig 274pts
three vet Pike and shot blocks of 32 1212pts
2 Falconets 130pts
8 steady dragoons 128pts
32 clubmen 69pts

2076pts

The game kicked off we me losing the toss, therefore becoming the aggressor so I advanced on both flanks and in the center, I also set up my hidden unit McColla and his lifeguard in the Sheaf Hall itself, things looked onomous when Greg's guns both hit units in the first turn and managed to route the scot gun crew and kill two members of the gordon horse, Unlucky generals luck was turning.....

turn two
I advanced with the Irish on the right to within musket range of the Kings Regt of foot, The scots advanced through the middle of the town and the highlanders on the left. Gregs  artillery were still shooting well and hitting the Irish and the Gordon Horse again! The Kings Regt of foot move up to the hedge so they have some cover, and the Horse advance on the Highlanders.

turn three
I advanced again with everything, I open fire with McColla's bodygaurd killing a single Horseman,Gregs shooting from the Kings Regt sent more Irish to their maker, and the return fire from the dragoons and Astleys regt into McCollas manage to kill a member of McColla's bodygaurd, Gregs arty were also on target again killing another Scot Dragoon, they pass morale just!

Turn Four
I advance and fire my Irish shot, causing a single casualty to the Kings Regt, I divert one unit of highlanders through the village to threaten the Kings Regt flanks, my Scot pike block continues to the edge of the town and fires a volley at Astley's regt, McColla and his bodygaurd open fire on the Kings Dragoons killing one, I move my Dragoons to the right to help with the assault on the Kings Regt, my highlanders line up to receive the Kings Horse regt.

Greg , declares a charge with his Horse against the highlanders, they fail to get a single kill and lose the combat and flee, my Highlander units both chase but fail to catch him, this causes morale checks all over the place, Gerards regt  flees completly off the table in fear, the cannon and the clubmen along with the retreating Horse are all that remains of Greg's left flank. He also returns fire with Astley and the Kings Regt, both manage to wick off a few more casulties.

Turn Five
I charge my highlanders against the Kings regt, along with the Irish who fail too reach, my Gordon horse charge off chasing the Kings Horse off the table, I advance my Highlanders against the Clubmen on the left, remove McColla from his lifegaurd so he can join a Highlander unit, unfortunately on the right the Kings regt beats the highlanders, they recoil and run a long way taking the Irish and the dragoons with them, Greg decides not to follow up with the Kings regt.......still disaster on the right for me!

Greg decides to charge Astleys regt in the middle who beat the scotish pike and run the down and put them to the sword, the remaining members of McCollas Lifegaurd surrender.......my center now has collapsed

Turn six

I manage to rally the Irish, the Highlanders and the dragoons, the Highlanders on the left charge the clubmen and cut them all down, the cannon decides to flee at this site, the second Highland unit moves to attack Astleys regt in the flank, the Gordon horse charges the Dragoons who elect to fire and flee.....the charge fails to catch them. Greg reforms Astley regt, and adds the king to stiffen them, so they can face the coming highland charge, and manages to rally the dragoons.

Turn 7

I charge two units of highlanders into Astleys regt, rolling like a hero they cut down both front ranks, leaving only two pike to fight back, Montorse challenges the king and cuts him down, the remainder flee and are all cut down by the highlanders, the Gordon Horse charge and cut down the dragoons where they stand, the remaining flee of the table, greg rolls the panic roll and the Kings regt flee along with the remaining gun....A victory from the jaws of defeat to the Highlanders!

A good day out was had by all

cheers

Matt