Below is an After Action Report and Narration using the mini-campaign scenario for Battles of the Warrior Queen that comes from one of our customers, Vladimir Vladov. He had that scenario published on InsideGMT and it can be found here. Enjoy! -Rachel

Battle of Camulodunum

Deployment of the armies:

The IX legion with the cavalry and the scorpion were on the left wing, the auxiliaries with slingers and archers on the right.

The Trinovantes and Iceni heavy infantry with two light infantry units on chariots and two slingers were advancing against the Romans. Iceni cavalry, 3 units light infantry (two on chariots) and two slingers with Boudicca and Galchobar were placed on the left wing against the auxiliaries.

The Battle

The Roman army had taken strong defensive position. On the extreme right Teutorigos with the Trinovantes advanced few hexes in the woods but it was a dead end.

Turn 4 Boudicca made a feint move, sending the slingers with two cavalry and two light infantry units (one on chariots) toward the river, as if they were going to reinforce the center for attack. Worried by this maneuver Cerialis ordered Donnerus to move his forces toward the center and to send the archers and the slingers closer to the river. Against the auxiliaries right wing there were only two cavalry units and a light infantry unit on chariots but there were Boudicca and Galchobar.

Donnerus did not perceive the danger and moved the units on his extreme right out of the forest. Boudicca and Galchobar seized the opportunity and immediately attacked them. The auxiliary infantry units were routed and the rest retreated. Donnerus took position in the small wood and turned his right wing facing south. Cerialis was still worried about the center and send back only the slingers to reinforce the right flank.

Boudicca was also reinforced by two cavalry and one light infantry on chariots and stormed the wood.  The leading Iceni cavalry unit was routed and Galchobar escaped by saving dice but the next turn the auxiliaries were defeated and compelled to retreat. Donnerus was killed, two infantry units and the previously routed units were eliminated.

Only then Cerialis with two cohorts, two cavalry units, the archers and the scorpion came to reinforce the defeated right wing. He tried to defend the river but the barbarians attacked and broke his line. The next two turns the Romans were pushed back close to the northern forest. The Iceni had two more cavalry units routed and Galchobar again escaped by saving dice. The Romans had lost another auxiliary infantry unit, the slingers and one cohort was routed. The archers were compelled to leave the battlefield but were successful with the saving dice and reached the nearest Roman settlement.

The 14^th turn was decisive. The Romans had two cavalry units and the Iceni only one, the other three were routed. Cerialis should defend the open space south of the forest with his cohorts and the scorpion and send the cavalry behind the Briton line. Instead he left the cavalry to defend the right flank. The Briton attack was crushing. The two cavalry units, the last auxiliary infantry unit and the scorpion were annihilated. The cohorts were compelled to retreat in the woods. Cerialis and Valerius were first to leave the battlefield leaving their men to the mercy of the enemy. Nevertheless, thanks to the saving dice, five of the nine cohorts reached unharmed the nearest Roman settlement. The remaining cohorts, including the first were massacred by the Britons. After the defeat Cerialis and Valerius had half legion and an archer unit to reinforce Paulins at Bannaventa and eventually to redeem their honor.

Battle of Mona Insulis

Deployment of the armies:

XX legion advanced on boats on the left flank, the XIV on the right. With them were cavalry and skirmishers. The auxiliaries waited on the beach for the boats to return.

The Britons were positioned in the center, close to the small wood near the beach. Only the two cavalry units were far on the right flank.

The Battle

When the Romans reached the island they began to debark along the whole shore. The Britons concentrated their forces, attacked the Roman center, depleted two cohorts and compelled the invaders to retreat. But on the flanks the Romans successfully debarked on the shore and most of the boats sailed back to transport the auxiliaries.

Cynbel the Decleangli chief with the cavalry, two infantry units and a slinger unit tried to delay the advance of the XX legion. A Briton heavy infantry unit was routed but Cynbel provided the necessary time for Cadeyrn with the rest of the army to defeat the XIV legion.

The legate Flaminius could withdraw and sail to the southeast shore where the XX led by Paulinus and Coelius advanced almost unopposed. Instead he decided to defend the beach hoping that the barbarians will be smashed between the two legions. His decision was fatal. A successful fire from the slingers depleted a cohort and broke the Roman line. Cadeyrn attacked with all his forces.  During the next two turns four cohorts were eliminated, both cavalry units were depleted and Flaminius was killed at the head of his men. Only then his tribune Petronius ordered retreat and the survivors from the XIV sailed south to join the XX. There were not enough boats and a depleted cohort was left in the shallows. It was protected by an archer unit.  The cost of the success was insignificant. Only one Briton cavalry unit was depleted during the fight.

The 7^th and the 8^th turns were critical for the battle. Cummius with two auxiliary units has reached the beach at the south side of the cape.  The Decleangli slingers and infantry succeeded to delay the advance of the XX thus the auxiliaries came some distance in front of the Roman line and were attacked by the Briton cavalry. Cummius was killed and the leading Batavian unit was annihilated, the other retreated in the sea. After the successful attack Cymbel become reckless. Instead of concentrating his forces to cover the cavalry, his sent all slingers against the XX. They missed their targets and he protected them with two infantry units. Led by Paulinus and Coelius the XX attacked. These four units were depleted and retreated in disorder and one of the cavalry units was eliminated. The Britons might have lost the battle if the Romans have pursued them but Paulinus was shaken after the death of Cumius. He was worried that the Briton reinforcements can turn his left flank and ordered the army to take a defensive position. Later there were rumors among the soldiers that the Druids with their magic rituals misled the Roman generals about the size of the Briton forces. The next four turns were spent in maneuvers and insignificant skirmishes in which an auxiliary archer was depleted. And on turn 13 the Briton hordes advanced from the northern edge of the map.

At first Paulinus intended to withdraw his forces from the island but when he saw that the barbarians were not so numerous, he decided to continue the battle. The next six turns were marked only by maneuvering and insignificant skirmishes. The Romans concentrated their main force on the right flank. Led by Paulinus, Coelius and Petronius cohorts from XIV and XX, supported by cavalry, skirmishers and a scorpion, were constantly pushing back the Ordovices gaining more terrain each turn.

On the left Sigfridus with the Germanii auxiliaries and Agricola with few cohorts, supported by archer unit and a scorpion, were holding their ground. Cymbel sent two slinger units to reinforce the Briton right wing. They fired on the enemy from the edge of the forest but succeeded to deplete only one auxiliary unit. The Roman scorpions were even less effective. Both positions were very strong and neither side dared to attack. On this flank the battle came to a stalemate.

Cadeyrn was in serious trouble. The Romans were advancing steadily along the beach and there were only two rows of hexes behind his line. The Romans had archer, slinger and scorpion unit and to oppose them he had only two depleted slingers. The remaining two slinger units were on the other flank and could not come in time. He had two options, either to retreat northwest and try to defend the second level or to attack. The Ordovices chief preferred the second option but the Roman line was too strong. So he took a desperate decision. Cadeyrn moved to the front the depleted slinger units with their right flank unprotected. He positioned himself with the elite Ordovices units on their left in a line reaching the sea with light infantry in reserve. The Druids came closer to encourage the warriors.

The Romans had also problems. After the initial defeat many soldiers of the XIV were reluctant to fight. They believed that the Druids were invoking demons which fought alongside with the Britons. Paulinus rejected such nonsense and ordered his soldiers to capture the Druids, who will be sent to Rome in chains. He prepared his forces for the final assault. The XIV, reinforced by the archers was on the right, its line stretching to the sea. Paulinus and Coelius with the XX and the scorpion formed the left wing. Petronius with the cavalry was in reserve.

Turn 19. Paulinus saw the exposed enemy slingers and was determined not to miss his chance as it happened in turn 9. He ordered two cohorts, one of each legion, to attack the Britons but he did not dare to assault the whole line. On the right the cohort of the XIV, still shaken from the defeat, succeeded only to push back the enemy unit, but on the left the legionnaires of the XX annihilated the slingers.

The two attacking cohorts were one hex in front of the Roman line. This was the moment Cadeyrn waited for and he ordered general assault. Both cohorts were routed and barbarian light infantry poured into the gap. The archers and the 1^st cohort of the XX were depleted and compelled to retreat.

Despite the heavy loss Paulinus ordered counterattack. On the right Petronius managed to deplete the remaining Briton cavalry which left the battlefield. On the right the proconsul and the legate depleted two barbarian infantry units. This partial success could not stop the Britons and at the end of turn 20 the Romans were defeated.  On their right all units were routed or depleted and running toward the boats. On the left the cohorts of the XX were compelled to retreat, many suffering losses. Coelius escaped with saving dice. Only Paulinus and his cohort and the Atrebati, which repulsed an enemy attack, withdrew in order.

The last four turns the Romans continued to retreat. They managed to hold a thin strip of the beach until nightfall and later safely reached the mainland.

Next day Paulinus marched with the remnants of his army to fight Boudicca. On the way he recruited almost every man able to carry arms from the Roman settlements thus restoring the depleted units to their full strength. The routed units were also reinforced and were ready to fight as depleted. When he reached Bannaventa he had enough forces to crush the rebellion. The XX legion, led by Coelius and Agricola, had eight intact cohorts (1^st, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, 9^th and 10^th), two cavalry units, a slinger unit and an archer unit, a scorpion and five auxiliary units (four Batavians and one Atrebati). The XIV, led by Petronius, included four intact cohorts (5^th, 6^th, 8^thand 10^th) and one depleted (2^nd), one intact and one depleted cavalry unit, a scorpion, one depleted archer and one depleted slinger unit, six Germanii auxiliary units, led by Sigfridus. Paulinus was reinforced by the surviving five cohorts of the IX (3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 8^th and 10^th), led by Cerialis and Valerius, and an archer unit.

The Romans barely managed to complete their fortified camps when the Britons advanced against them. The battle that will seal the fate of Roman Britain had begun.

Author: Vladimir Vladov