Non fortunatam nocte

73BC Near Vesuvius

Spartacus' orders had been clear and simple enough. Of all the Roman forces approaching the hideout, one was clearly under the leadership of a superb officer. That man posed a serious threat, and to ensure the outnumbered gladiators and other escapees stood the slightest chance in the coming fight, that man had to die. Now Umbrus was leading a small party, ten men with another group guarding their backs against Roman patrols, to a small peasant farm to carry out those orders they seemed less simple and more suicidal. The dark night was playing tricks on his mind as he crept forward with his men, each slight clink of metal armour or weapons, each shifting rock or animal noise seemed deafening. Ahead, he could hear the crunching of hobnailed sandals on gravel as the Roman sentries paced about. He nodded to Silas, who led his small team off to the east, the plan being to hit the farm from two ends. It had been a long time since Umbrus had fought against the legions, and now he would have his revenge on the nation that had taken everything from him.

The Scenario

After a quick playtest with my Dad over Christmas of his gift from yours truly, Osprey's new Black Ops rules, I had to get myself a copy for the stealth rules alone. This duly done, I set about devising a game to make best use of them with my current collections (although I won't rule out getting some ultra-modern or sci-fi special forces and foes at some point). The game is set in the immediate aftermath of Spartacus' escape as he is first gathering a following. Romans are closing in and one particularly capable officer has been targeted for removal by the gladiators. While the stealth rules will be those from Black Ops, the combat will be run via the rules from Osprey's Ronin (with the Gladius supplement)

The Romans were set up encamped in a small farm, with the officer, one Lucius Vorenus, a centurion acting as a prefect for the city of Capua, his trusty sidekick Titus Pullo (thanks to Warlord Games handy character models), leading a force of 12 local militia and 4 veteran triarii. Eight of the militia would form the sentries, the rest of the troops were sleeping in the farm buildings. The milita were Level 2 troops, with Medium Armour, swords and shields, while the veterans were level 3, armed with spear, sword and shield, with heavy armour and the attribute "Intuition" giving them an extra defense token each combat round, given these guys would have come through some pretty tough fighting in the civil wars immediately preceding the Spartacan revolt they must have had a solid survival instinct.

The farmstead at the heart of the action prior to the arrival of the Romans, looking east. The gladiators entered the playing area from the north (left)

The gladiator assassination squad consisted of 10 individuals. The first group consisted of Umbrus, a level 5 champion, armed with a trident with the powerful, fast and acrobatic attributes, Hyspax, a level 2 Hoplomachus armed with spear and shield, Xilus, a level 3 Dimachaerius with the fast attribute, armed with two swords, Bomilcar the level 3 Secutor with the powerful attribute armed with spear and shield and Scylax the level 3 Retiarius with his traditional trident and net and trident mastery as his attribute. The second group was two led by Silas the level 4 Crupellarius, armed with sword and shield, wrapped up in heavy armour with the Intuition and tough attributes, Corvus the Thracian, level 4 with sword and shield, with sword mastery and powerful attributes, Vestus the Murmillo, level 2 with sword and shield, Garrus the level 3 Secutor with sword mastery and Silo the Provocatore with sword and shield.

The Game

The farm was close, so Umbrus signaled the group to leave the track they were on before they were spotted. Bomilcar followed him off to the east, heading behind some scrub and a hedgerow, while Xilus lead the other two of his team to the west of the track into the marshy area. The Roman sentries could be heard ahead, they were far enough off that they couldn't see the approaching gladiators, but it felt like there were several heading in his general direction. Umbrus hoped the interest the Romans were showing in this end of the village would clear Silas' route into the village.

As quietly as they could, Bomilcar and Umbrus clambered over the hedgerow into a field, slipping out of view of Xilus and his two companions. Scylax cursed softly as he slipped in the marsh, seeming to draw the attention of a pair of militia who advanced on their position. Xilus was certain they'd been spotted, and he waved his men forward, hoping Silas and his team were on schedule and hitting the farm from the east. He and his men burst from cover, startling the sentries who began to call for help. Xilus grimaced as he, Scylax and Hyspax formed up opposite the two Romans as he saw a third militiaman rushing to their aid. As the men sized each other up, just for a moment Xilus though he heard the sound of fighting.

Roman sentries are surprised by the sudden appearance of gladiators from the marshes.

Silas could only watch as the rest of his group began to outpace him. Even flat out, the weight of his armour was slowing him enough they could outpace him and get ahead. They were advancing up the eastern edge of the fields north of the farm. Corvus had reached the corner and glanced up the track into the farm. "Two sentries coming this way." he hissed "Don't look like they know we're here." Silas nodded. If those sentries came much closer, chances were they'd spot them and the advantage of surprise would be lost. "Take them." he whispered. With that, the entire group rushed out from the hedgerow, pouncing on the terrified looking Romans. Silo and Garrus caught the nearer Roman, as he turned to face Silo, Garrus stabbed over the Roman's shield, slicing into his neck and felling him instantly.

Silas' team rush two hapless militiamen, cutting one down in a heartbeat.

Silas snarled, unable to reach any enemy, but pleased to see his men were doing well. He watched as the second militia soldier faced off with Vestus and Corvus, terror was etched on the Roman's face, but he clearly wasn't going to back down. As Vestus closed on the soldier, the Roman feinted low and Vestus' dropped his shield just as the Roman reversed his swing.

The Roman's swing (those are 6s)

Vestus' block.

With his shield in the wrong place, Vestus was next to defenseless as the sword sliced through his arm just below the shoulder, nearly severing it before carving into his neck. Vestus dropped like a stone, leaving Silas almost as stunned as the militia soldier. Corvus avenged his comrade moments later with a thrust into the Roman's guts. He went down screaming, leaving the gladiators free to seek out fresh blood.

At the cost of Vestus, the gladiators cut down the first pair of Romans they come to grips with.

Ahead a pair of Roman sentries had reacted to the sudden assault by rushing to form up, presumably as their basic training kicked in, but their two person shieldwall looked almost tragic and far too good a target for Corvus to pass up. Heedless of the risk, he charged the pair of them alone, with Silas and the rest trailing behind him. He slammed into the shields, knocking the Romans off balance, before fending off their attacks, snatching a fleeting opening in his opponents' defense to get in a strike that drew blood.

Corvus clashes with a pair of militia, getting the upper hand despite being outnumbered.

The sound of steel on steel and screams reached Xilus, convincing him that Silas' men had engaged the Romans. Knowing Bomilcar and Umbrus would be sneaking towards the farm buildings, he needed to keep the nearby sentries' attention fixed away from the fields. With a roar he and his two companions charged the three sentries.

Xilus, Scylax and Hyspax clash with three Roman sentries to the west of the farm.

Hyspax tried to use the reach of his spear to strike his opponent before the Roman could get in range to use his sword and was rewarded with a slash across his forearm for his trouble. Stung, he made a more measured attack, outwitting the Roman who took the spear through his hip, the strike was angled up to emerge from his lower back just below the rib cage. The Roman fell back and Hyspax placed his boot on the Roman's chest to help lever the spear free. Scylax used the prongs of the trident to trap the next Roman's sword, before twisting to rip it out of it's owner's grip. In desperation, the Roman slammed his shield into Scylax's foot. The pain seemed only to enrage the Retiarius, and two quick thrusts later and the Roman's thigh was ripped open and his flank was punctured, leaving him in a heap on the ground, bleeding profusely as his lungs slowly filled with blood. The final Roman fended off Xilus, taking a flesh wound but managing to stay alive.

The town militia prove inadequate to the task at hand, and pay for it with their lives.

Silas felt like things were going their way, when suddenly he heard the cry going up "To arms! Intruders!" from the buildings. The doors burst open and Roman troops rushed out. Some were militia like the men they'd been fighting already, but others were clearly better armed and equipped, older and tougher looking. One he caught a glimpse of was clearly a brawler, a legionary and the final man he saw emerging was an officer, his transverse crested helmet identifying him clearly. Their target was at hand, but he was out of reach, standing in the door to the large farm building beyond two of the Roman spearmen. Two of the veteran looking Romans joined the two militia fighting Corvus, surrounding him, while Silas found himself being rushed by three militia. In a vicious melee of blows and blocks, Silas fended off the militia, not having enough time to inflict any real harm, but Corvus could not stand against the veterans coming at him, taking a spear thrust through the chest and falling, spitting blood into his killer's face as he fell.

Romans rush the gladiators as they emerge from their quarters, the sudden assault costing Corvus his life.

Xilus heard the arrival of the Roman reinforcements as he blocked a blow from the militia soldier he was fighting, enjoying the look of surprise that passed over the man's face as Scylax's trident appeared in his stomach. A savage twist before it was wrenched clear left the man curled up on the floor trying to hold his innards in. Knowing he was no longer a threat, and seeing their comrades needing their aid, Xilus led his men towards the fighting, seeing Bomilcar storm towards the Romans from the field, while Umbrus tried the farm's side door and slipped inside. Ahead, Silas and his surviving comrades turned on the militia emerging from the smaller farm building, squaring off. With almost disdainful ease, Garrus parried a poorly executed blow, before delivering a strike on the withdrawing sword arm of his opponent, cutting it off. The man fell away, curling up to protect himself from a finishing blow even as he tried to stem the flow of blood from ruined limb. Garrus didn't even pause before stabbing the helpless man just under the shoulder blade. Silo fended off his opponent, leaving a small slash on the man's shin that was sure to slow him down, while Silas failed to inflict a telling blow on his target, although his heavy armour protected him from any harm.

An unholy mess of a melee dominates the farm, leaving the dead littering the ground, while the wounded and dying try to drag themselves clear.

Umbrus rushed through the farm building, knocking aside the jumbles of gear the Romans had left scattered about, aiming to get to grips with the Roman officer who was standing in the door ahead of him. At the last second the Roman turned and faced him and they began to spar. To the right, Umbrus was aware of Xilus and his men smashing into a ragged line of militia and the veterans, joined by Bomilcar, while ahead Silus, Silo and Garrus faced more Romans, both Silo and Silus taking on two apiece. Silo managed to hold off the two militia he faced, doing better than Umbrus had ever expected of him.

The rookie gladiator holds off two Romans, buying time for his compatriots to achieve their objective.

To the right, Scylax cut down by the Romans, while Xilus managed to overwhelm one of the militia and put him out of action. In the central melee, Umbrus saw Garrus take a spear through his knee, leaving him unable to fight. A second blow, delivered with the haft to the side of his head, knocked him unconscious. Umbrus realised that if Garrus was luckless enough to survive the fight, only a cross awaited him. The fleeting distraction this thought provoked proved costly, as the Roman centurion found an opening and smashed his shield into Umbrus' arm, the pain from the impact slowing his ability to move it. Fortunately, the Roman caught his shield on the door frame, leaving just enough of an opening for Umbrus to catch him with a blow from his trident, only a small cut, but a start, probably bringing them back to an even footing. Beyond his personal duel, Umbrus caught a glimpse of Silas, surrounded by four Romans, getting a gladius thrust between his shoulder armour and his helmet, leaving his head hanging at a crazy angle. Not content with cutting down one opponent, the tough looking legionary who had killed Silas then turned and attacked Silo, inflicting a savage blow across his back.

Defiant to the last, Silas goes down amid a scrum of Roman blades

The gladiators were finding themselves increasingly outnumbered, as more of their number fell. Silo was surrounded by four Romans, while Xilus and Hyspax, toiling with wounds already suffered, were felled in quick succession. Bomilcar took a powerful blow, a large cut across his ribs. Silo was cut down in a flurry of blows, never having a chance to strike out before he died. Umbrus faced the Roman officer, the restriction provided by the doorway preventing nearby Romans assisting him. Not that he seemed to need assistance, as he stabbed Umbrus' thigh just below the hip. Umbrus dropped to one knee, realising he would now never be able to escape.

Silo goes down against overwhelming odds.

The Roman officer clearly was thinking the same way, and he prepared to deliver the final blow to Umbrus. Drawing back his sword, his shield moved slightly, but it was all the gap Umbrus needed, he struck hard with his trident, punching through the man's chainmail, puncturing his lungs. With a shocked expression, the man fell away, into the melee outside.

Despite his wounds, Umbrus manages to fell the Roman prefect, snatching victory even as the gladiators are being massacred by the Romans.

 Fully aware that he was going to bleed to death from his wound, Umbrus dragged himself deeper into the building. Outside he heard the arrival of a Roman column, screaming as the last gladiators outside were caught, overwhelmed and massacred. After the fighting died away, he heard more screams as the Romans cut apart the wounded gladiators scattered about the farm. From his dark corner, Umbrus saw the hated sight to Roman crests as the men stormed into the building, and then a flash of steel.

Results

With the death of the Roman prefect, the game was a victory for the gladiators, although given the death of almost the entire force before that happened, and the near certain death of the two survivors, it was very much a Pyrrhic victory. The Romans would certainly not be bragging of the nights events, with most of the militia having been killed. The loss of Vorenus and the determination shown by the gladiators would not have done the morale of the force any good, giving the gladiators an edge in the coming battle.

Everyone who was playing had a lot of fun, both with the stealth section of the game and the main fight. Both sides had a good shot at winning up to the last turn, and the victory snatched from the jaws of defeat was a good end to a fun game, worthy of the best Spartacus film or TV adaptions.