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Patch took a while to come up with a setup for our next Hatten game (and I didn’t do much better), so we returned to Commands & Colors: Ancients, with another Expansion #3 battle. Pompey has caught two of Sertorius’ subordinates away from their commander, and he plans to give them a drubbing. They cooperate in this by refusing to work together; all the Sertorian units that start in their left flank can’t be ordered with any units from outside that set (making Coordinated Attack and the like much less useful), and here they use the Greek blocks to set them apart.

Patch had Pompey the first time, and started with Double Timing his center into contact, eliminating a LS (caught with a solid wall of Mediums and Aux behind it) and doing a block to another, which did one block in return. Leadership Any Section let me bring the main line in, and reduce to Mediums to block each, which were then finished off by Herennius, at the cost of three blocks on an Aux, and one on a Medium. Clash of Shields did two blocks to Herennius and forced him to retreat.

Line Command let me rework the center and bring up my right, with ranged combat doing one block. Order Mediums brought Patch in again, chasing off a LS and losing a weak Medium to battle back after doing one block to an Aux. He also finished off Herennius’s unit and killed him, doing another two blocks to a Medium on momentum. I Ordered Mediums, pulling back a weak Medium, and doing two blocks to a MC in return for one on mine. Mounted Charge saw Patch to more than rearrange his cavalry, and Perperna finally moved with Order Three Left.

Three Units Center finished off my weak Aux and forced a LB to evade with a loss. I Ordered Three Center too (but only had two units) to pick off a block at range, and Patch did another Three Center to attack my weak Medium, but my First Strike only did one block before he went down. Move-Fire-Move let me put together a light line, but didn’t cause any damage, and Patch Ordered One (Heavy) to pull his depleted Medium out of the way, but Mounted Charge caught it and finished it off and got a hit on a LS as it evaded. Order One (Inspired Center…!) let my MC take on his 1-block MC, but I missed and lost mine in battle back. 4-6

For the second game, Order Mediums followed by Line Command let me get the center into contact, while Order Lights let Patch rework his line a bit. I managed to take blocks on a LB and LS at range, while knocking out an Aux. Patch tried to repair the damage with Order Three Right and did a block to a Medium, but a second Line Command let me engage in two sections, and destroy a Medium taking two hits on one of mine in return.

Order One (Heavy) pulled a Medium out of danger, but then Double Time let me slam into the formation that was quickly coming apart, and forced Herennius to evade off-board, while taking hits on two Mediums while nearly getting an Aux. Order Four Right let him get behind me, knocking out a Medium and forcing Pompey to evade through an Aux to a new Medium. Order Mediums finished a weak Aux and we traded blocks on a pair of Mediums. Patch’s Order Mediums finished off my weak Medium, traded blocks on another pair, and lost him a Medium after doing two hits. I Counter Attacked to finish off a Medium and Aux after failing to get a LB stuck on the baseline. 6-2

Afterword

It’s a nice scenario. The city makes a nice obstacle, and the special rule really does hold Perpenna immobile. Between that, four cards, and a lighter force (other than Perpenna), the Sertorians have a really tough time, but it’s still fun.

The first go was a hard-fought, tough battle. The second went really fast as I had a lot of great cards (largely drawn as I went), and my dice did well the entire time. I smashed into the line, and kept going without giving Patch any time to do anything.