550AD Pictish Wicker Man

2019 saw Livi sacrificing to the Pictish gods, with some muttering from the Pictish King that his wife's screams was finally doing some good. The Picts were invading the Saxons and I rolled up a marshy terrain.

We were using armies from the excellent Shieldwall supplement for Hail Ceaser.  Some of my Saxon figures are now 35 years old and veterans of many battles

 I must say the screaming did discourage the Saxon warriors on the left right off advancing towards the  burning tower of wicker. Only the one unit of gesith was able to go forward on its own initiative.

burning in the dawn

The Sacrifice Revealed!

Pictish battleline

The Pictish King had placed the wickerman in his centre his chariots out on my left overlapped me. I had stacked up my left "in column of companies" with the idea they would move forward with some of the light infantry going into openorder and slipping into the marsh.  They were having none of it only the Gesith went forward all the light infantry consistently rolled 9 for command roles and stayed  frozen in horror to the spot.

Saxon left

The highpoint of my battle saw Gesith heavy infantry advance from the centre to support the saxon right, punched a hole through the Pictish battleline suffering only one fatigue and complete a sweeping advance ended by crashing into the last Pictish unit on the table.  My oat takers wrecked that lone unit but didnt break it.  The Pictish King then did a follow me with a foot unit to take them in the rear in turn.

Saxon oat-takers

Saxon left being crushed

The centre had its own problems with moving, a bit sticky in this supplement, eventually they got into action, thes farmworkers are my newest troops Peter Pig Germans.  Here fighting as light infantry.

Saxon farm workers

The left just about to implode, all threee commands had been soundly beaten although my lord was able to race back to his meadhall and ruminate on this disaster.

Before the implosion

Livi's Hannibal in Italy

Hail Caeser  Late Republican Roman v Later Carthaginian 400point Army Battle in Northern Italy.  Livi's army is looking really good he has put a lot of effort into painting figures.  However he is looking for a change of elephants and a round shield punic spearman rather than a long shield which he has, they can become celtiberians.

This battle featured

•  Masses of Gauls who like Steven Seagal were HARD TO KILL.
• My 25 year old republican army with one unit of 3 year old Italian allies
• As befitting an Italian Army no upgraded  troops and only one unit ot Triari
• My 25 year old little town of Piceum on a hill top
• Vineyards and one straight road
• And one Jumbo in the middle of the field that just kept coming back for more

Numidians cutting through an olive grove, the Roam reaction was let them.  Gauls and carthigain spear hung back while Jumbo came at me like and exocet

Livi's Numidians

Velites move into Piceum, I didnt want to get tied up in the town I could just imagine JUMBO crashing around in there

Piceum with Velites

I lined up beautifully with the main command with Principes in the white shields at the front, Italian and Spanish on the far left flank and more Velites

First attempt to kill Gauls

all the Principes are dead, with celts running about the battlefield waving heads, one unit of Hastati lived but here we have the Numidians holding the line backed up by Triari, the triari formed the support in seven combats in the battle before tackling Jumbo

Second attempt to kill gauls

A final victory parade of Elephants under Piceum, closest one in the shot was the beast in the battle

Jumbo

Spanish

Add caption

spanish