Post by Roland on May 11, 2020 13:20:29 GMT
Celtillos led his band of hand picked warriors south along the old trader road. All were prepared for victory or death over the Romans rather than let the Tribune of Rome despoil their fertile homeland yet again. Scouting parties had alerted Celtillos that Tribune Septimus Newbius had encamped his legion south of a long steep hill. To the west were freshly plowed fields for the spring planting. To the east of the hill open plains for Celtillos's noble cavalry to maneuver. Reports were that the legions were assembling slowly into three battle lines, one in front of the other in the ancient style behind the hill with the Tribune personally commanding the middle cohort battle group. The Roman had his cavalry deployed to his right guarding the encampment. Celtillos's plan of battle was simple and direct. Use the speed and ferocity of his warriors to take the high ground and force battle before the Romans could fully deploy in the open with their legionnaires.
The first bound began with Celtillos discovering that Newbius had sent psiloi and fast auxilia to take the heights of the hill that commanded the center of the battle area. To win the day he first had to seize the high ground. With his warbands drawn up in depth centering his line, Celtillos sent a squardon of noble cavalry on his left flank opening out into the meadows east of the hill while he personally anchored the right side of the battle line with his household cavalry. With the skirmishers at his disposal the Gallic chieftain sent them deep through the farm fields to both protect the flanks of his advance and threaten the deploying Roman position. With a roar the barbarian battle line surged up the hill with great speed, Celtillos guarding the open ground between the fields and the hill while his left flank swept around to attempt to bottle up the Romans. the initial barbarian charge was too much for the auxilia and the psiloi and they fell back to the southern edge of the hill crest to await reinforcements.
Surprised with the rapidity of the barbarian assault and realizing the dire situation developing for his legion Newbius peeled off a cohort of legionnaires to his left flank to drive away the barbarian skirmishers and provide some room to deploy his battle line. He then deployed his first line to halt the barbarian advance. Wanting to avoid battle on the rocky slopes that would put his men at a disadvantage, Newbius moved the 4Bd battle line to fill the gap between the hill and the fields on the left of his line. The auxilia and psiloi will earn their ration of corn meal by continuing the battle in the rough terrain directly to his front buying time for Newbius to bring his cavalry around on the right. The next bounds clash put Newbius in a bind as the legionaires failed to drive of the psiloi threating his left. Worse still the legionnaires in the first battle line came toe to toe with Celtillos himself and were routed. Before the Tribune could give orders to his own cavalry he was forced to commit his personal battle to the front line with the reserve battle left to protect his left flank.
As the battle expanded to both sides of the hill and across the valley communications were becoming a challenge for both commanders and messengers to the developing cavalry engagement were slowed by terrain and confusion. None the less, Celtillos was determined to press home his advantage while it lasted. the Gaul shored up his battle line astride the hill where in the shadow of the hill itself he came face to face with the Roman general. The Gallic cavalry finally closed with its roman counterparts on the eastern side of the battlefield but were unable to deploy fully enough to take full advantage of their numerical superiority. Seizing upon this chance the roman cavalrymen dispatched one of the Gallic horsemen units on their very first clash. Perhaps Celtillos' had over reached. Was his advantage now slipping away as the morning gave way to the mid day sun? If Celtillos had second thoughts the Tribune was fighting for his very survival. Unable to maneuver on the open ground his elite legionnaires were forced to give up their combat advantages and fight the barbarians on the broken ground of the hillside in vicious hand to hand battle. Newbies's personal troops were deadlocked in a swirling battle with the cavalry of Celtillos's bodyguard. A dramatic barbarian breakthrough on the slopes suddenly spelled doom for the legion as Gauls poured down the hill. the valley rang with the echo of barbarian war cries as the Romans sounded the horns to fall back and retreat.
Game: Gauls 4-2
