Just about 105BC somwhere near Greece

Last week we played Romans versus the Macedonian /late Greek Mercenary armies, by the rules of "To the Strongest", 28mm at Peter‘s. Campbell and Bart proudly presented their Roman armoured proletarian raffle, while me and Peter presented our Seleucid Specialist Forces (by the courtesy of Peters magnificent miniature collection). 

We had large unwieldy phalanges and both flanking cavalry and an elephant, that should count for something! While Campbell and Bart had just tough Roman Republican troops and people on horses. And a ballista (scorpio) that would count for nothing!

I don‘t know what their plan was, but it sure didn't seem to work. They seem to wait for us to come to them, which we did, which was nearly fatal for us, and also their Romans shittiest cavalry held out for a very very unbelievable long time ... just to succumb at last. On Peters side the elephant made its way and the cavalry outflanked the Romans.

In "To the Strongest" out-flanking is somewhat the beginning of the end! My classical Greeks can vouch for that (which weren‘t allowed to come out that day, probably not to demoralise the SPQR civilians too much). 

So to cut their "pilae" and "iugulae" and the rest of the story short, we put an end to their sufferings by thrusting our "lancea" in their "sterna" of some more units and won by coins ("nummi"), which is what you get when you annihilate units of the opponent in those times. What a mercenary mindset - but hey thats what we came for, isn't it?

initial set up

our ranks

Barts Romans

Campbells nervous Romans

Us Greeks coming to the enemy

Romans climbing hills

Helenistic Greek Cavalry meeting Roman Horse dilletarii

Romans still climbing hills or forming up

Roman "Friends on Horses" are getting decimated

Romans still climbing hills

Romans forming up around hills - they really like them!!

Peters Cavalry at their flank 

My cavalry searching for Equestrian hobbyists of the Romans

FIW and Classical Ancients

Well here is buy one get one free - as I paid for them with defeats dearly, hahah!

French-Indian Wars (15mm, Rebels & Patriots):
We decided to put Mikes 15mm FIW collection to the test, me and his son Alex playing the Brits, while he umpired and Campbell and Bart were playing the French and Indians.

Well what turned out to be a disaster soon, was still enjoyable. Bart did get the Indians and used them as a steam roller against my feeble Brits and didn't let me near the wooden huts (scenario objective) - but I wiped them off board for this insufferable affront ... but it didn‘t change the outcome - we were beaten. And yes maybe the Indians are, just a tiny wee bit too strong ... and I miss my closing fire, the firing lines seem to be as effective as your usual common American open order rabbles ... but that is just me .. whining on high neveau ... (horse noise) ...

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Classical Ancients, (28mm, To the Strongest):

Me (Classical Greeks) and Peter (Macedonian Greeks) were facing the Romans (Campbell, Alisdair and Bart (a mix of times) on a straight board, what could go possibly go wrong! Aces, I tell you, Aces they were everywhere! Most re-occuringly in mine and Peters card stash it seemed!

The Romans proceeded and Even if Bart got stuck a bit and for a second it seemed I could just hold while Peter would trash Campbell ... Peter just got annihilated! I don't know how, can‘t be Campbell's tactical experience, he isn‘t used to that, yes you guess right a lot of aces on Peter ...

Well then again I stood in my second TTS game with an disintegrated flank there against a bunch of Romans fro the future. The only interesting thing would be how long it would take them to take me down now ... a quarter to ten they did, pulled the last phalanx off the table ...

Next time we need to mix these pesky Romans, TTS seem to be written just for them! I need a roman flank that does not dissapear within 3 turns!

Battle at the pint-trees

Back with a bang! After some traumatic-extended but successful relocation efforts, then some well earned holidays and then some additional catched up cold-flue  ... I'm finally back with some Greco-Roman-Latin-Celtic-Spartan bash with "To the Strongest" in 28mm, featuring Bart with some Latin-early Romans, the old/new Michael with Classical Greeks, Peter with some early Imperial Romans lend from Angus with a whiff of smoke (the minis were rescued from a fire), Campbell with some Romans (and elephants) me with some (un-)Spartan Greeks and finally Alisdair with a dash of Gallo-celtic barbarians - what a Mötley crew, haha!

Well, I was fighting alongside with Campbell‘s Romano-elephants and Alisdair‘s Speed-Celts against the might of the Roman Republic (Sedated Posh Qualude Renegades, in this case) and some Greek traitor allies. We didn‘t had a plan as each player had 100pt on a 8x4 table that just meant - forward!

I had a hard time this time, my Spartans were good shots but lousy fighters (I know) ... so I had to do the unthinkable and terminate my Lacedaemonian membership with immediate effect and, yes, tactically retreat. Actually twice, just to hold the line - and yes, it did hurt the Romans, BUT Alisdair already had stormed forward attacked Bart and continued to do so until he was wiped from the board.

So that's when our right flank collapsed, no disintegrated, now it was just a matter of time and after two turns, my Greek deep phalanges were collapsing under front AND flanking attacks. I can now officially blame the fanatical, unwashed and tattooed Celts and hide my Spartan shame in overtly accusative rants! (If I think about it, I even was able to gave the Romans (Peter) a hard time breaking me, while I was drawing shit cards ... ha!) ... but yes in the end a collapsing flank is the end in "To the Strongest". You can prolong and delay the inevitable but you cannot evade it. Still it was a fantastic game, I‘m warming up to them ... ;)

Some uncommented impressions of the antique slaughter for your personal entertainment (you won‘t get that in a circus!)