Online battle report - a Roma Victor

**czePowerslave** · October 10, 2007, 10:11 AM

As Aetibus Veritus marched his army throughout the plains and forest of the Macedonian soil, his units encountered what appeared to be much more than just a scouting force. A huge army of phalanxes with serious archer support was waiting on the plain for their foes to come...
Roman general, aware of the fact that his men are outnumbered and also without missile support, decided to deploy in a defensive formation, with 2 hastily raised hastati units, made from poor people along the way, who, seeing the posibility of eventually gaining Roman citizenship for their service, without much questioning took some of the old equipment and now formed the first line, a hastati units. Behind them, a force of Urban Cohort formed, with strong middle and another units guarding the left flank. A veteran triarii unit took position behind the entire force in the middle, standing very close to the Roman General, who was commanding his elite unit of Praetorian cavalry.

The Macedonian general, apparently overconfident with his force, decided to deploy in somehow universal formation, a large phalanx box, with his best units in very reserve and flanks protected by some cavalry. In the middle of the Macedonian formation, a large contingent of Cretian archers was present.

But what was the Macedonian commander unaware of, was a strong supporting cavalry force of the Romans, that was very well hidden in small but dense forest on the Roman right flank.

Blind to this threat, Macedonians formed up and started their advance.
They moved down the hill, reformed and prepared to move onto the plain to engage the Romans. Senate army meanwhile retreated and reformed bit more behind, while attempting to lure the Macedonians to the open to spring their cavalry trap.

As their enemies closed in, Roman general realized that his front line is too exposed and ordered a fall back for the hastati, well it was slow...and first volley of fire arrows clouded the sky and wiped out nearly half of the unit. Legionnaries, given their superb training and skills, realized the danger quicker and formed their testudos, on which the enemy missiles fell without any bigger effect.

Seeing the fact that this tactic will not be effective, Macedonians, tho greater in numbers but lacking the training, had to move in. In formation, they advanced furthermore into the trap, but made a terrible mistake of just holding the ground, relying on their archers. While the arrows hopelesly tried to penetrate the tower shields of the cohort´s, hastati and triarii units came to a quick charge against the frontline of the Macedonian army, which was held, again carelessly, just by a few units of militia hoplites.

However, middle hastati unit, fighting on its own, fell under the spears and begun to panic and run back. The other unit, supported by the tough triarii troop contingent, was more succesful and even after being charged by the cavalry from the right Macedonian flank, they threw them back and created a gap in their lines. To maintain this advantage, one cohort from the left has been sent to fight the hoplites on the triarii left. Seeing this advance and realizing that archers are of no use in such close distance, Macedonian general ordered his missile units to fall back. One group fell back behind the lines of the Royal pikemen unit, other however, run right into the hidden cavalry spot, and the ambush scene was now complete. The rest of the Urban cohorts were prepared to launch an all out attack against now confused lines of Macedonian army...

As the archers closed in, the cavalry detachment charged them and very easily slew nearly all of the archers present there. Seeing the left of the enemy wing breaking down, Aetibus Veritus and his cavalry hasted up the front line to deliver a blow from the left Roman flank, to cause more enemy units to rout. Right flank in the meantime, although under fire from now reduced archer units, launched their attack just in time to catch re-positioning Macedonian phalanxes unprepared and prevent them from turning to their cavalry. With their right wing collapsed, only enemy hope laid within their still strong middle reserve units, who were now about to engage the proud and battle-eager Roman Legionnaries.

As Aetibus Veritus moved towards the frontline, Macedonian general ordered both his cavalry units to charge one Urban Cohort, which was causing his right flank very much pain. Timely arrival of the general routed both enemy cavalry units, before his charge stopped on the spears of the enemy, so he turned back to circle around and finish his foe.

But as the first group of archers fell under the glorious Roman charge, so did the second, and without hope, enemy general as well died udner the spear of the 2nd Praetorian cavalry unit leader Maximus Vaebitus. With the archers and general dead, phalanxes fixed by the cohorts in the middle, Macedonian army routed, being no match for the Roman skills in warfare.

And so the battle was over, Roman arms have crushed the enemy, and throughout the battlefield, a mighty Roma Victor!! sounded, like a thunder, which will those who survived this battle remember for the rest of their lives...as a Roman slaves...

**Prince_of_Macedon** · October 10, 2007, 05:21 PM

This is a great battle report. Well-written, simple, unconfusing, concise (while being able to tell the whole story).

Good use of pictures too.

It's interesting to see all of the text in a different language.