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Post by Gandalf on Aug 25, 2021 19:02:57 GMT -5
 As the army of Consul Lepidus crossed over the Alps, their scouts discovered a tribe of the Helvetii - the Tigrini - had joined with the Cimbri, and had sent an army to pillage the Padus valley in Gallia Cisalpina. Unfortunately for the Tigrini, they did not know Consul Lepidus had was in the vicinity or had indeed even taken command until the Roman legions appeared to their west, just as they approached the Tanarus river. The Tigrini, numerically equal (or thereabouts) to the Romans, had no time to choose their field of battle. Rather hastily they formed up on a flat plain beside the Tanarus, with the river covering their left flank. On a particularly dry and warm day did the two armies line up either side of each other, with the Gauls performing no manner of trickery or logistical wizardry. It seemed the battle would be a straight up brawl. {Celtic Forces}29,000 Troops:
King Ballarix
6000 heavy infantry
15,000 light infantry
4000 cavalry
4000 skirmishers
{Roman Forces}22,000 men
Marcus A. Lepidus (4 resilience, 1 command)
Lucius C. Sulla (2 resilience, 3 command)
Appius Claudius (1 resilience, 2 command)
Manius P Mugillanus (1 resilience, 2 command)
Legio I *
Legio II *
Legio III *
Legio IV *
Legio V *
20000 legionaries
2000 cavalry
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Post by FieldMarshal Bismarck on Aug 26, 2021 8:42:24 GMT -5
The Romans stood in their line. The center led by Lepidus, to his left his trusted associate Sulla, whom he had trusted with the flanking prone left flank and to his right was Mugillanus. Pulcher had the horses in reserve. Doubtful it was what he wanted but someone needed to do it. Lepidus spend the eve before battle in his tent, alone for most of the night but some time he was accompanied by his son, Claudius A. Lepidus. Schooling him on battle drills. His boy would be with the army, in the thick of it. He was of an earlier relationship Lepidus had, nothing of great standing like his current marriage to Sulla's daughter.
As daylight broke, Lepidus was awoken by one of his sentries. The barbarians were waking up. The bells among the camp were rang and soon the legions were ready to move. Formed up in a battle line his commanders flanked Lepidus for now. They went over the plan one more time before Lepidus rode out before the battle line, especially in front of his legions. "Proud Romans, I stand before you today as Consul, with the reminder that these barbarian that oppose us.. do so with a confidence they killed a consul before! They took away your consul, Marius!" Lepidus silenced, to gauge the reaction of the legions. It made them roary to say the least. Marius truly had been the people consul. Now the army was headed by a proud man of nobility, Rome's oldest families and leading class. Lepidus had to do much to buy these legions to his cause. Lepidus pushed on with orating. "When the trumpet sound, I want you to give your best, for Rome, for the Gods for the men next to you. Bring upon this enemy such a terrible vengeance that none ever again will dare stand against us, ROMANS!" Lepidus now screamed as loud as he could with the winded up legions behind him he faced the enemy. "ROMA VICTOR, ROMA VICTOR, ROMA VICTOR!"
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Post by Gandalf on Aug 26, 2021 9:23:03 GMT -5
The Gauls did not choose to stand on ceremony. Their King, a fearsome moustachioed blonde by the name of Bellarix, bellowed at his forces in Gallic to signal their advance. Trumpets blared, horns sounded, and tribesmen hooted as they thudded forward. Ballarix had taken the honorary position on the right, as was customary, leading the cavalry and the bulk of the heavy infantry.
First the skirmishers darted forward, and a few tentative javelins were thrown. Mostly they skidded off the shields of the prepared Romans, but a few cries went up as some chinks in the armour were found. Then came a volley of Pila in reply, stinging the Gauls in pointed response.
Phase I
Then the Gallic right crashed into the Roman left. Ballarix himself commanded the heaviest troops, and Sulla was hard pressed to keep his men from running. It was only seeing their commander leap into the thick of the fight that shamed them into holding their line.
Lepidus held the centre, which descended to nothing more than a shoving match, the Romans taking the ground inch by inch until the Gauls held the line. By now, the flanks were looking rather skewed, with the Roman left having pulled back and the centre having pushed outwards.
The right is where the Romans fared best. Mugillanus' two legions were more than a match for the mainly lightly armoured men of the Gauls. They were pushed back, many falling down the banks and drowning in the river. The Romans were gaining considerable ground.
Phase II
Suddenly, Ballarix's cavalry were on the move. Appius Claudius charged out to meet them from the Roman reserve, just about preventing the collapse of Sulla's flank - the legions took some time to catch up with him, and for some time they were outmatched by the Gallic cavalry.
The battle hung in the balance, but whatever good fortune Lepidus had courted smiled on him today.
Sulla had thrown himself into the thick of the fight, his personal bodyguard cutting a swathe into the heaviest of the Gallic troops. The Praetor was a robust warrior, seasoned from many a campaign in Africa. Even so, he found himself in unfamiliar territory when he faced down the Gallic king, who by good fortune (or misfortune) had similarly leapt into the fray.
Not since the days of Claudius Marcellus had a Roman claimed the legendary Spolia Opima. With blood dripping from his armour and a few fresh scars to boast, Sulla had slain the Gallic king in single combat; a Gladius through the throat ensuring he would be remembered gloriously for years to come.
Those who expected the Gauls to break had a rude shock, then, when they surged forward with war cries and death chants looking for bloody revenge. Discipline won the day, however, as Sulla's men took heart from their commander's exertions and pushed forwards. Slowly, the left began to turn.
As the shoving match continued in the centre with no ground won, Mugillanus broke through on the right. The Gauls were on the run. Despite his success, Mugillanus would be sorely embarrassed when his overzealous men then sought to chase down the Gauls instead of swinging to help Lepidus on the far side. The Tribunes would watch as he followed them into the distance, shouting curses in their ears to get them to turn back and aid their general.
Phase III:
Finally, Claudius' cohorts caught up. They made short work of the horsemen, using their Pilae as spears - and soon the Gallic cavalry were driven back. From there, the battle was a formality, with the horsemen rolling up the Gallic line. A Gallic chieftain rallied the centre and disengaged his men in good order, an effective rearguard action ensuring that the Romans would not claim many lives in their pursuit. However, Mugillanus, through the good fortune of his men's poor discipline, managed to seize the enemy baggage train.
"Imperator! Victor! Lepidus, Imperator!" The legions cried, cheering their commander. Sulla may have performed a deed of legend, but Lepidus was rightly hailed as Imperator by his legions for a great triumph
----
Roman decisive victory.
Post battle rolls, honours, rewards:
Claudius and Sulla both get minor wounds. -1 to resilience for 3 days.
Sulla gets +1 resilience for killing the Gallic king in combat, as well as his spoils. He may return to Rome with them to claim the Spolia Opima, a military accolade.
All commanding officers get +1 command for winning their phases.
Lepidus is hailed Imperator, a pre-requisite for triumph.
All legions get two veterancy points for the victory.
27,000 denarii is captured in the baggage train.
Roman Casualties
1132 Legionaries killed, 618 wounded (will return to battle in a day)
- 750 killed in Legio II and III
- 132 killed in Legio I
- 250 killed from Legio IV and V
400 cavalry killed, 100 wounded .
Gallic casualties:
200 Skirmishers
800 heavy infantry
2850 light infantry
1300 cavalry
Total: 5730 killed
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Post by FieldMarshal Bismarck on Aug 26, 2021 9:42:17 GMT -5
"VICTOR" Lepidus shouts with a fatigued voice. Through the battle he had been barking orders and fighting among the men for a brief stint. The legions cried back, 'Lepidus Imperator' which moved Lepidus. He shook hands with many of the legionnaires close to him. When the looting and congratulating was done news reached Lepidus dat Sulla had been injured. Thusly, Lepidus sent word to his other commanders to make it to his command head quarters while Lepidus went in search of Sulla.
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Post by Gandalf on Aug 26, 2021 10:04:54 GMT -5
Sulla had been right in the thick of the fighting, bellowing at the legions to hold firm as thousands of well armoured Gallic screamers broke into their ranks. The Helvetii were fearsome men, tall and powerfully built, and their blistering assault drove the Roman line steadily back, men being separated from the ranks and cut apart like swine. Blood and the smell of death filled the air. One man began to turn, only for the Praetor to give him a short, sharp shove in the back.
"Hold, hold, damn you!" Pushing forward, Sulla took the place of the reluctant soldier in the frontlines, shoving his shield forwards alongside one of the centurions. Seeing their commander in the fray caused the men to take heart, it seemed, because they began to edge forward, slowly but surely.
Then, the battle rage took over. Stab, push, stab. The rhythm took them into the enemy lines, blood and guts coming up to their elbows. One barbarian tried to climb his shield, Lucius stabbing him over and over while his well-armoured compatriot seized the opening. Sulla hauled the man into his friend and kept pushing.
A well armoured man stepped before him, a Gaul with a winged helmet. Their King, Sulla realised, as he pulled his shield up to cover his torso. He was quick, for his size, being a whole head taller than the Praetor. In a second, the Gaul was upon him, frothing like a rabid dog as he swung his blade like whirlwind. Lucius cursed angrily as the bastard got a lucky swing on his leg. Patiently, Sulla wore him down. One misstep was all it took for a sword to find unguarded throat.
The rest of the battle was a blur. The men hauled the corpse of the Gallic king back as his wailing subjects threw themselves at their lines, taking Sulla with them.
Whatever happened next, they had won. That was all that mattered.
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