Bring Me My Wine ! The Infamy, Infamy ! campaign continues

 Now, this is easier said than done !  The Roman Military Commander demanded more of his favourite tipple but there was none left in HQ so a luckless centurion was sent to collect it from the depot the other side of dangerous wooded territory inhabited by unfriendly German tribes.

This is the same centurion who came unstuck only a few days ago when he was sent to burn enemy crops and ended up receiving a tongue lashing from the Commander for failing to do so !

So, he has collected the new barrel of wine and only has this last stretch of country to cross before getting to HQ ... but it doesn't feel right.

He sends ahead Numidian allies to scout out possible ambush sites and other Roman scouts have also been out on the flanks and sent along the route.  This should prevent some nasty surprises.

A marsh and wooded hill ahead of the line of march have been checked - all clear.

so the centurion orders the wagon and its escort of legionaries to move

It was not all clear - the foot skirmishers are surprised by some German levy troops springing out of the marsh !

They take casualties and run for cover

but alert Numidian horse and foot cavalry appear and hurl missiles at the enemy levy

with devastating effect

Way out left of the Romans another enemy warband is running towards them

and Germanic cavalry are also skirting around the hut besides crops

They are out of sight of the Roman column but converging on them quite quickly

The remnants of the German levy have sought shelter in the woods

Now, German slingers emerge from woods out beyond the Roman line of march but heading towards them

They attract the attention of the Numidian horse

While all this is going on, the centurion has coaxed the wine wagon and its guard up to the marsh. The fear is that an axle or a wheel could give but not so far.

They edge past the marsh but the enemy war cries can be heard over by the hut

The Numidian horse have chased the German slingers back to the woods

Oh no ! A large German warband has emerged from the wooded hill with their tribal warlord

He is building up fervour to get his men in battle mood

More Numidian horse watch the approach of the enemy cavalry and smaller warband

They have been holding this position to prevent the enemy launching an ambush 

The wine convoy is now on the move again. At every halt, the centurion gets the troops to form an "Orb" defensive shield around the precious wine.

The ever active Numidian horse now launch missiles at the large German warband

The response to this is that a group of German fanatics charge out and attack them

but the Fanatics lose the fight

even so, the Numidians wisely withdraw

Numidian foot skirmishers have finished off the Germanic levy that hid in the woods earlier

The remaining German Fanatics have moved to the wooded hill close to the Numidians

They attack again but the wiley Numidians hit and run once more

The German cavalry have now reached the edge of the woods being screened by the Numidians

These same Numidians decide its time to finish off the remaining Fanatic

The convoy is well on its way but still has to get past the big warband

Their fervour has been building but the Germanic warlord is frustrated that this time he has been unable to launch any major surprise attacks

The small warband makes its way through the woods

The Romans keep moving towards their exit point, with one eye on the big warband 

The Germanic cavalry try to charge the Numidian horse but their hit and run tactics frustrate them

They get away

The Germans are trying a pincer movement with the smaller warband moving in behind the Roman convoy

but the convoy moves again and the exit is tantalisingly close

The German warlord has no choice, he has to charge the Roman "Orb"

but the Romans repulse them with many casualties which are compounded by the missiles from the Numidian horsemen

The Romans have successfully carried off the wine much to the relief of the centurion and the delight of his commander who reinstates him on the spot. He has also now come to the attention of the aristocracy and a young legatus has decided to lend his name to the centurion's career path. 

Well, well, how things can change - Merry Christmas !