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After finishing First Timers, Patch and I went to our usual round of Commands & Colors: Ancients. Up this time was Colline Gate from Expansion #3. This is basically the end of the fight between Sulla and Marius (who is already dead), and both sides are close in numbers, though Sulla has Mediums instead of Auxiliaries. Its a smaller battle, and only goes to five banners.

I had the Samnites first, and started with Move-Fire-Move, doing two blocks to a Medium and one to a LS (it had to retreat into the wall behind the Romans). Patch Ordered Three Center to get his line together, and I Move-Fire-Moved again, but didn’t do any damage this time. We both Ordered Center to get a solid line, and Patch Ordered Mediums to get us into contact on his left, doing to blocks to an Aux in return for one on his Medium.

I did a Coordinated Attack (all ranged fire) with no effect, and Patch engaged the flank more heavily with Leadership any Section, knocking out the weak Aux, and traded blocks with another and his weak Medium. I Ordered Mediums to strike back and move my MC on the other flank. The MC drove off a Medium and LS, but in the main area I lost two blocks for no gain. Patch Ordered Two Center to trade blocks (including making Pontius’ MC lose a block by retreating to the base line on two banners). Ordered Mounted got my MC in motion again, and I finished off an Aux and forced Sulla back with a loss on momentum, while doing a block to his LS.

Patch engaged his left flank again with Leadership any Section, knocking out two Aux and a MC. With my right gone, I Ordered Three Left, routing a LS, forcing his MC to evade with losses, but took four blocks myself. Patch Ordered Three Center to finish off a weak Aux. 2-5

For the second round we both started with a few turns of ranged fire which didn’t do more than force an Aux to retreat and take a single block. Patch moved forward with Order Three Center, and I countered with Order Four Left to come into contact with his LS, who evaded after taking a block, and his Aux took another block from further ranged fire. Patch Ordered Three Right, driving off a Medium with two losses. I Ordered Two Center to do two blocks to a Medium, retreating with one loss afterward.

Mounted Charge got his two MC in contact with my main line, and Patch took out both of my MC and Crassus and damaged two Mediums at a cost of one of his blocks. Order Three Left forced Patch back, but did no damage. Out Flanked let him finish off two Mediums. 0-5

Afterword

It’s a short, quick battle, and I can recommend it on that basis. Also, both sides are fairly similar, though Sulla’s Mediums give the red Romans a lot more punch, especially with the Marius’ Legions rule giving them missile capability.

Like anything short and quick, the dice will tend to dominate how things go. Patch had some brutal rolling in the second game, and once again Mounted Charge largely decided the battle. Losing Crassus just made sure that I was dangerously close to a loss, and I had to spend time getting Sulla back into action (both leaders start with the MC).