Sambre 57BC

The Battle of the Sambre 57 BC

CAESAR v. The Belgium Tribes

A game adapted for DBM/DBA by Ulrich Schulte-Ebbert and James Orpin of The Dortmund Amateur Wargamers

Gauls attacking the Roman camp

The Viromandui had crossed the River Sambre and attacked the hastily regrouped Roman center near the Roman camp (on the right) (Game staged by The Dortmund Amateur Wargamers, figures mainly 15 mm Essex with some Chariot, Irregular, Museum and Donington)

The story so far

The battlefield

The armies

The rules

Casualty status of the Roman army

Casualty status of the Gallic army

References

THE STORY SO FAR

In the year 58 BC Gaius Julius Caesar became governor of Gallia Narbonensis (see map below) the Roman-occupied southern part of Gaul. Being equally governor of Gallia Cisalpina (modern times northern Italy) and Illyricum in the Roman-occupied Balkans Caesar was well provided with recruiting-ground for troops and eager to consolidate the high military reputation he had established against the Celtiberians and Lusitanians in Spain in 61 - 60 BC.[2]

Gallia Narbonensis lay immediately adjacent to free Gaul, in whose political affairs Rome already interfered constantly by frustrating any attempt to unify the Gallic tribes. A conquest of free Gaul offered the chance of amassing great wealth at a time when Caesar was seriously in debt.

In the year 58 BC the Helvetii, a Gallic tribe, moved westward into free Gaul to escape the German tribes pouring across their territory. This was the case Caesar had been waiting for. He moved swiftly forward into free Gaul, meeting the Helvetii at Bibracte (present days Autun) and inflicting a sound defeat and many losses [2]. In the same year Ceasar defeated the Germanic Suevi in Alsace and planted garrisons in Sequanian territory east of the Saône River.

The Belgian tribes, clearly seeing Ceasars intention to conquer the whole free Gaul, united against him. But the alliance failed during the siege of a large Roman camp in the swamps of the Asine River. Due to severe problems in foraging a large army over a long period the individual tribes separated and went there own ways. Ceasar defeated the much weaker single tribes one after the other, beginning with the Suessiones, followed by the Bellovaci and Ambiani [3]. Only the Nervii managed to form a small coalition with their neighbours, the Viromandui and Atrebates [11] and met the Romans on the banks of the Sabis River (modern times Sambre River near the town of Maubeuge in present days France[3])

Back to scenario ideas Top of this page

THE BATTLEFIELD

When Caesar moved through the territory of the Nervii he became aware from prisoners, that the Nervii, Atrebates and Viromandui had camped on the banks of the river Sambre. They had planned to attack the Roman forces on their march, getting a good haul by capturing the baggage of the first legion (the baggage of a legion consisted of approximately 1000 pack animals and some wagons [11]).

The battlefield on the River Sambre

The battlefield (after [9])

Caesar, who suspected such an attack, had changed the normal Roman marching order. Instead of the usual marching sequence where the baggage of one legion was directly following the legionaries, he decided to concentrate the baggage of all his eight legions and let it march at the back of the army guarded by only two legions [11] .

The Roman main force (6 legions + some auxiliaries) under the command of Caesar began to entrenche the camp for the night on rising ground above the river Sambre. The troops were busily working on the camp and dispersed over a large area collecting the necessary wood and other materials. Caesar had ordered the whole cavalry and some auxiliary bows and slingers (under the command of legatus Labienus - we assume this for the game, in reality he was commanding the left flank of the main force) to cross the river that was only three feet deep [11] and to reconnoitre the plain and the wooded hill on the other side. The baggage and the remaining two legions were expected to arrive later on in the day (under the command of legatus Tullius - the name is fiction)

The Gauls were waiting in the cover of the wooded hill to attack. The Nervii under the command of Boduognatix - who was also commander in chief stood on the left flank with a large force of infantry. The Viromandui were positioned in the center under the command of Kleptomatix (the name is possibly fiction) with another large force of infantry. On the right flank Megamix (fiction ?) and his Atrebates, a large infantry force with some cavalry, were eagerly waiting to attack the Romans. The Gallic camp lay well protected on top of the wooded hill.

The Gallic warriors charged from the wood and attacked the surprised and unorganised roman legions. This is where the game begins.

Back to scenario ideas Top of this page

THE ARMIES

ROMAN COMMANDS:

Vanguard
Legatus Labienus

Main force
Caesar C-in-C

Reserve
Legatus Tullius

4 Psiloi
6 Cavalry

24 Blades
6 Psiloi

8 Blades
4 Psiloi
2 Cavalry
3 Baggage

GALLIC COMMANDS:

Left flank
Nervii (Boduognatix C-in-C)

Centre
Viromandui (Kleptomatix)

Right flank
Atrebates (Megamix)

18 Warband
9 Psiloi

15 Warband
6 Psiloi

12 Warband
5 Cavalry
5 Psiloi

Back to scenario ideas Top of this page


	THE RULES Rules are standard DBA [7] with the following amendments inclusive of some inspirations from DBM [8] and Anthony Clipsom [5]: SCALE 5 cm = 100 Paces ARMY ORGANISATION Armies are dissected into separate commands. Each command has its own commander and its own combat and movement (PIP) die. DEPLOYMENT The Gauls will commence the game having been deployed in the middle of the wooded hill. The Roman Main Force under the command of Caesar will be situated on the opposite hill in the process of building a camp. The Vanguard will patrol on the North side of the River Sambre. The Reserve will come into action at a later time. SEQUENCE OF PLAY First bound belongs to the Gauls who automatically receive a score of six without having to roll a die. In the Gauls second bound the commands will roll a 122334 die and will receive a score of three or better. From then on all Gallic commands will use a 122334 die for movement. The Roman Main Forces first move or action shall only take place when the first Gauls appear from the wooded area or under first contact. The Vanguard will patrol along the river and first reaction shall only come likewise when the Gauls are sighted or under first contact. From then on the Roman mainforce and reserve will use a D6, the vanguard a 122334 die for movement. The Roman Reserve will only come into play until under one of the following circumstances: In the fourth bound with a roll of 5 or 6 In the fifth bound with a roll of either 3,4,5 or 6 Or in the sixth bound automatically then using a D6 in the same bound for movement. Until all Reserve elements are on the battlefield the command will remain in column. Commands on both sides will receive one die for movement and one die for close combat (D6). TERRAIN The River Sambre, lightly wooded areas and the incomplete Roman camp are bad going (walls and interior). All hills are good going. Densely wooded areas are impassable to all troops. MARCH MOVES March moves may be used by both Armies in the duration of the game. March moves are identical to a tactical move in the DBA rules with the exception of the following: A march move cannot start or go closer to known enemy than 400 paces. An element can make or join in as many march moves during each bound as there are sufficient PIPs for, but cannot also make a tactical move that bound. The third and fourth march move will cost an extra PIP. COMBAT Close combat and combat outcome are to be taken from the DBA rule book. Roman Reserve baggage elements are to be used as camp followers in close combat and as other foot when moving. Other baggage elements on the battlefield are for show purposes only. The following factors apply to both Armies: When the commanding general of a command is lost, the command immediately loses the number of elements necessary to reach the next casualty status (e.g. from disorganised to demoralised) due to out breaking panic. Elements are chosen by die. Lost commanders are not replaced. When a command loses a 1/4 of its elements it is classed as 'disorganised' and will lose 1 PIP in each bound. When a command loses a 1/3 of its elements it is classed as 'demoralised' and will lose 1 PIP in each bound and receive -1 in combat. When a command loses 1/2 or more of its elements it is classed as 'destroyed' and will commence fleeing. WINNING AND LOSING The losing Army is the first Army to lose half or more of its elements (taken from play or in destroyed commands).
Back to scenario ideas Top of this page
Back to scenario ideas Top of this page

CASUALTY STATUS OF THE ROMAN COMMANDS

Print out the following tables and use them during the game to keep track of the casualty status of the Roman army. Simply mark one of the yellow fields in the corresponding table for each lost element. Begin with the first field in the first row. When the last field of a row is marked, the PiP and combat restrictions following this line become imediatly vallid.

Main Force (CAESAR C-in-C)