Greetings...
As I have now painted up enough figures for two small forces, I thought that I would have a little solo game to see how they perform...
It’s been a while since I have played Lion Rampant or any of its variants, so this was a nice opportunity to refresh myself of the rules...
I got the Roman and Sassanid stats from the I live With Cats blog...
http://ilivewithcats.blogspot.com/search/label/romans
So each force was six units strong and I played them pretty much as basic stats...
I used playing cards to decide whose move it was to add a little uncertainty... Red cards for Rome and Black cards for the Sassanids.
When a unit failed an activation roll ... Instead of the turn going to the other side... I turned another card over.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqt-hW4fMDomQM9PloLm0EzmNliBR3yeoOeEn11VBuvYWszTWgvKrQWop2Li3sdw9zERuebI1ppZSAmv2eE5x8XclAZ9eogh4Y2rc1HOkpplKWkge1BoYe7ssvee-KBLJMoNy_HOCwKPzY/w400-h314/5FB60B1B-77BB-4720-BA34-D109FE2896F1.jpeg) |
This is the initial set up after the first move... no subtle tactics... More a case of “let’s get in these and see what happens.” |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTjZthFLTL9wRX1WOuKa1MsnFYzzf00sppOS760Znc6oOF-Kt7gq06PJtqNQ875kO_qlYruVvrzYRMVV11tSwQsV1bVtXSVpML2xQNBw_hpcVvqM7NGizPFNQou90mRWi4lVcuYr7mnoi/w318-h400/D42CD7B1-2443-4E11-BFDA-2D7CCFEE20C5.jpeg) |
The Sassanids |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDHp9qHrCVStnUT7Y5vXiyOLZtUe-iBNTdPT48NDWmpOOhIDM8_QqbBnzTQhgjMKyQ8uXmZzUArnIg5m2fZ0voB-kLJvs10hyt-bcgSNsNhECdBDGLuOsVIG-_nXqXBc9Auhc_45VXPRX/w296-h400/F4FB453E-E97B-49E3-935E-577E88E5C7CA.jpeg) |
The Romans |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_JjDpV-DTHXzXiDB-LvUoMXun6G3oNj-N-alMbiH2kTXg21HNU4vDOL7MPc9gTAlmM7Ees88PNAU1fNSPr12328hgBmxNOtGKXs6TGpLBG1CJjU4OAzNn4ulkdmgUJ1HYbQnZjAmaKlB/w345-h400/32810E07-38A4-4089-91DB-2DEF353A5A17.jpeg) |
The Sassanid light cavalry make a move towards the Roman Temple. Due to... predictable activation roll fails... this is where they stay for a bit. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ARDLzyAviabiLFt7wVuOi1C52MSw1ANmMGMglMVTQk319LPoW04fkXw2vbKRBNGqJGxWLDMk6lysu_ILiBFCy4cVNfLNG2h61Q1l_3NAvfZ2JkQa23w1zqpWwTFXHclCSC6FEjNC8LJn/w289-h400/98F2BC76-F940-4ADE-A645-2C41DEC21EF8.jpeg) |
Sassanid heavies moving forwards slowly. It does make a nice picture though. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsDALsTKWRly87DeaiT5GdknPMTaU7FQ7t5JVG3ow-vCGdpdoOrcE2Er7rQMxgBGGGY62SdOVNfG59EQ8aIrcOM5dYd2U-57yosdRpmX7VwhsUhSPhNiRjM9JVOFjqJodlpVs4JeBioBA/w310-h400/EE3E043B-A08D-48AF-AD98-D7A2D09A0161.jpeg) |
The Romans start a steady advance. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FpazDGKz-ds0YJdkiPy5SQ18N3KhVFocLEQm6Hgpvezc-Adpv8UslnQcc-GQdVbB8S7gwQr_7GLVM_tw6-kr_AXJc2SPp3I3Rg6Z59U9NsdargaKOwf8rsTncXH7lFN9WeHr3QCCZx2P/w309-h400/CF916EC7-281C-4C9C-89F1-D7296724EBCC.jpeg) |
Sassanid skirmishers in the woods. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kf-a8nr130t1ZUS85rUs1ic3iZ1VuVAWL6CZ68M3YQoe1slsFAzEAD90BTFEtV1tWEqsmO5-exybo2puHaaaXWlYPXxhPQCl7N-oUl6V4z5QFdzUBuc_YhyphenhyphenHHTKI9LZvL3Vklf8audk5/w324-h400/76134354-562D-4E86-9586-B51C1339EA9A.jpeg) |
The Sassanid Levy Infantry... loiter. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFRs0w-KdNNXlBcXgLIvyNvSLnkiWBr_3QCrkFmo1xTZhT3EqRWkIkJIWPOPLHDsO6_82RAqEmwdkiy3Gj-JM1nuvRCsZCM6BMmFKE2zu3mi7g_tvhLlXIf0Oo58sQtZ8bJgCb90OFhCG/w300-h400/DA8116BF-151A-49F4-9435-0E30ACFC514B.jpeg) |
The Roman Noble Horse charge the Sassanid Cataphracts. And bounce off. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwW0Mipm5Mzzndh2yrVtp-HrSIWCu1VtGNwe6PdEM4ZWdJoEEx_30x4aoWSpSev7N_aovI39Q2dLkMK8jrY1_0-ro7KDCi8K4OFMSulufLMWeba4nqNBn3IV8loj5fTeJbREZTx9V6d8CI/w400-h381/158BB8D0-AAF9-4AD7-860F-B1A96453B8D5.jpeg) |
Encouraged by this the Cataphracts decide they want to move forward |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikc3c1T4bgXOtq0sQv8t5iDxm9Ajn9LM3-9nA7cMDXCYiO50KUT4cIC0TvOou32NPJLgFVy2SeSAVxq7_7c7MVY3OXOnCKxFIi_8oXRTq7n8ZaqyUmBOAt1Zn3DtnmYSlm5Ha7nzwvtdjc/w400-h251/0186C8F1-0EB7-4A6C-B01C-FDC429AC4D02.jpeg) |
The Roman and Sassanid Light Horse skirmish with little effect. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjIvyzHI2m9mlRxhNlm-3k1pTWSWtZRNL4Z_jPVYmpziK-N0FKIUq9Ds7_g7rU2vVhqPJ2H7kGl0gnkzWhZ9-jFClCsDAV-Cqih9XxxoS-AxlGU_rEcqxov0PjuAlpCyM7eV7jdr78_De9/w400-h266/D5D2B736-89CC-43BC-88B4-C67F767E7111.jpeg) |
The Roman Infantry look tough. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ru_sX-1BRf4BXc6poSri918PR-_HXteEJmTGbHDB1Qxi_s9C5KpXem29lJtOZ0bR8H0TpDrOXEQuK_gTgQeBUvWVx5iLpU1oIRcfXnJe-Fk9wsCBK9TuY2DtbOvTCsLOo4Uk-Hxx-eaP/w400-h294/E90F809D-25FD-4106-9A06-54A2EDD506B4.jpeg) |
The Sassanid Levy... loiter...sigh! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiR91yCDRMljOeoLtUVYRwuwv47baGtsttPHIjymx-vX0TPMa73XLPOzJJGohS5wuvMSwpsXMQqP4oiVvm82kHbPbzkPrJbh2ztAZI407of399aWjTIEuk7TMIC-G7eLewk8XuQ7XNsv3/w400-h286/D227A873-DCCB-4DB2-A761-49FA885DB023.jpeg) |
Having gotten the worst of the skirmishing. The Sassanid Light Horse fall back |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXo2W_-MN2Fe8rreJI6bsDrhzakb-PXGGcMG85yzVwPkb7-IWBs604rnY9sGAaNzaPHQk27eZDb0NaDaOWO0ph4fCuOu9u20FAAtogmt3yC0hNsBdS4HmtSBjjcQWYfuDvz2wmGGLsbcNe/w400-h314/16F095F7-A6EE-4BAA-8E80-7CD57B417416.jpeg) |
My Leader eyes up some Romans as a possible target. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38ELS2vhGbgaqenL_Vpnmh3E-AvW6u4xb9B2fBOc64gijySDx1DhMHVuX3nPFdxgPBe6064gVIIk2PGmATlhyphenhyphen58kiXoxUL1sk4UW-1CWF3L9G8-UuHzOjaSfSE5APCdvrmgBsbgt14d5n/w400-h193/AC0DDEFE-7DCA-4D88-81A2-8EC935375999.jpeg) |
The Sassanid Levy decide to have ago at the Roman Auxilia. What could possibly go wrong? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYcwgYe-IYRQN6P0541Nrl9sHKYHdZpZTLoBYUidb3jHDfP-f9kJe7DJcFqhgd-nt7yHPYJSJxxlO_qSkvtwCyTJrkhSBn21gm-iTN7ZKj_u9hh1Qeu4zikI3RSkxi9tj0yyPsPZdEuNlr/w276-h400/E79EEA8D-EFC3-4758-9897-E298F6308534.jpeg) |
A Raven’s eye view of the battlefield. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHa1sMGN37P0ZkCfuMbCGirDrAjDarnxf2IO0YlE3fnJ3-Jh0w_4wvhajTMX_037eh_13iK4i8HJUadGReo9TUjYFqx4SEx4vx8_azE4KqkFOfd4nfuwWZXAI8vZc0jY7RXGFjT-ermrqq/w400-h320/E2BF6BAF-4589-40E9-8DA4-330DA824F056.jpeg) |
Having managed to charge the Romans... The Levy decide they may have bitten of more than they could chew.
|
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwB1T5Qv5i_eeDz9YJRYrlsp02NLRAAKHXqm1vWYZPVkm1mgBVMkuNNsAm1GwbazX6omz4vPiAX9JYTZ0qJFiAKAoO3dOGp8Wbra5WgJxelt8aYkTZLiol_Yl293VbO5wxXI19zm5PNkx5/w368-h400/E259AE07-AC4D-4291-8FA8-3F6CDC03623E.jpeg) |
Sadly no before picture... But here is the after. The Sassanid leader has disappeared in a puff of... Death! |
At this point I decided that this was a good point to call a halt to the action.
I thought that the cards work well for the turn sequence, but by the way my dice were rolling the basic Lion Rampant none activation result felt a bit brutal... next time I will lift the Double One/Double Six rule from Pikeman’s Lament and see how that works... I also think that the Cataphracts could be a bit more aggressive/easier to move.
I also need more Light Horse for the Sassanids.
I really enjoyed this it was nice to see the toys on the table... I already feel like painting more up.
I shall set up a new table and have another game...