Vespasian in the Westcountry

In 44 AD, the Legate of the Legion 2nd Augusta, the future Emperor Vespasian, left Noviomagus in the territory of the Atrebates to subdue the Westcountry which was guarded by many impressive hill forts that are still visible today. He marched through Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset and Devon following the line more or less of the A303 until he reached the land of the Cornovi - the Cornish. The only two Roman tin mines known in Britain are in North Cornwall - one at Treloy Farm which is farmed by the Paul family. I went to school with one of the Pauls and used to help with the harvest.

Cornwall is almost an island, seperated from the rest of England by the River Tamar. Shaun and I decided to refight Vespasian's forcing of the upper Tamar on his way to Bodmin. The most western Roman fort is near Bodmin at Nanstallon.

The pic shows the Tamar from a northern viewpoint. There are three fords. The Cornovi have warbands and slingers guarding the southerly fords and cavalry and chariots up at the northern. The 2nd Augusta have set up an artillery battery to give cover as they storm the southern fords. Vespasian has sent a single auxilliary cavaly unit to the northern ford to guard it.

Viewpoint from the east. The five cohorts in the first wave have crossed the fords in two groups with the  right flank alae (cavalry) in support. Three warbands charge in association with the chariots who sweep in from the north, wiping out two cohorts. The other three cohorts take a defensive position on a hill and wait for reinforcement.

The left alae cross the northern ford but are driven off by twice their number of British cavalry. The second line of five cohorts cross the river.

The chariots and two warbands break under the pressure of the Roman second line despite a ferocious fight. The remaining warbands put up an incredible show, refusing to break despite being compresseded into a disorganised mass and pushed backwards (I kept throwing 11s and 12s on the morale dice). The Cornovi have nowhere to run. Beyond Cornwall is only the World Ocean.

The Romans destroy the last of the Cornovi, but the 2nd Agusta has been badly mauled losing a quarter of its legionnaires and half the auxilliary cavalry. Britain is not going to be a pushover. After the battle, the 2nd Augusta moved into legionary barracks in Exeter in Devonshire.

 Shaun took the part of Vespacian and, as a trueborn son of Cornwall, I played the unknown Cornovi chieftan. We used Priestly's Hail Caesar Rules and 200 point armies. Congrats to Shaun for a well deserved victory.

Good Game, Good Game.

I am seriously thinking of producing a campaign game for The Invasion of Britain to use with Hail Caesar.