Middle Imperial Roman vs Roxolani

I have a passion for third century AD roman military history. I would like to collect all the armies of the campaigns fought by Aurelian for example, and the many enemies Rome had to fight, as the rising Sassanids, the Palmirene threat, the might Sarmatians and all the germanic tribes.  After many years I am now the proud owner of a MIR army. The miniatures used are for the most part Essex, one of the few manufacturers that produce correct miniatures. The army has also some Khurasan and Old Glory figures.

My first opponent were the Sarmatians, in an historical match up. Marco, the army owner, has yet finished to paint his host, made mostly by Old Glory and S&T figures. Both the armies are gorgeous, so we spent an equal amount of time playing and close looking at each other armies.

I invaded, to retaliate to the many annoying raids by the nomads, and this was the battlefield

I set up two big marshes to cover at least one flank, while the sarmatians tried to have a bare battlefield and chosed a large gentle hill. I had to deploy first echeloning the army. My plan was simple, use the marshy ground to protect one flank, and attack the enemy with the legions. I needed to smash the enemy before he could outflank my army.

The Roxolani as expected had a large Alan ally on my open flank, and many lancers deployed two deep away from the marsh.

Romans tried to concentrate their troops to attack on the left wing, while the light horses avoided the contact with the enemy. Sarmatian left wing was exposed, so big CiC corps manouvered to attack the roman center and relieve the expected pressure on the smaller roxolani corps.

The Alani kept pursuing, moving away from the battle. In the meantime the romans manouvered to outflank the nomad left. Sarmatians started to have some pip crisis in the pivotal manouvers

The legions boldly advanced to attack head on the enemy knights

The main Roxolani corps lead by the King Boetticorus. Figures from Old Glory.

The Roxolani to protect the open flank had splitted the knights in several groups. When pip lacked, the knights could not be held anymore and the Sarmatians charged in all directions in disorder

This was what Romans waited for, The nomad started to take losses, surrounded by the disciplined Romans

Romans were able to deliver the first charge over all the line, and Sarmatian casualties rised

The Alans were out of the fray

The battle reached the zenit, with all the corps engaged and trading blows. The Pretorians survived to several wicked charges

The Sarmatians were able to pierce the roman line but was too late, because they took many casualties in the process, and once a corps broke, all the others followed suit. Roxolani run away. ROMA VICTRIX!!!

A tough battle for the Romans, in a bare battlefield with a flank exposed. The lack of Alan commitment gave the victory to the Romans, that used their better discipline and C3 to outmanouver the Roxolani and force them to fight disordered.

The Danube front is stabilized, but there are many more enemies to face.....