At 552 AD at Plains of Busta Gallorum (near modern Gualdo Tadino) the polyglot Byzantine army under Narses collided with the highly motivated Gothic army under King Totilae the prize. control of Italy. Narses proceeded to defeat the unimaginative Totila with tactics that foreshadowed the English victor at Crecy 794 years in the future! The Armies: Ostrogoths & allies CON'T'ROL: HEAVY:4 LIGHT:3. Initiative 5. BREAK POINT: 6 *14 - HC 5 [0] 0 -1 PROT Lances (Nobles) *2 - AC 6 [0] 0 -2 PROT Lances (Totilia's bodyguard) 3 - HC 4[1]0 -1 PROT Lance& Bow (Byzantine deserters) 2 - HC 4 [0] 0 0 PROT Lance (Impoverished Goths) 4 - WB 5 [1] 2 0 PROT Various (Gothic Farmers) 4 - SI 2 [1] 1 -2 PROT Bows (Skirmishers) Command:. King Totilia -2. Telas -1 *KEY UNITS FOR I3RFAK POINT. Byzantines CONTROL: HEAVY:6 LIGHT:6 Initiative:7. BREAK POINT:6 8 - HCd 4 [2] 0 -2 PROT Lances & Bow s (Cataphracts) -2 - ACd 5 [2] 0 -2 PROT Lances & Boys (Bucellari) *1 - LC 2 [0] 0 -1 PROT Various & Bows (Huns) *4 - FT 6111 1 -1 PROT Lances & Darts (Byzantines & Gepids) 4 - Ft 5 [0] 1 0 PROT Lances (Dismounted Lombards) 6 - SI 2 [111 -2 PROT Bow s (Byzantine archers) Command: Narses -2, John the Glutton -1 *KEY UNITS FOR BREAK POINT. Byzantines are not under obligators' charge rules, Goths are. Terrain: a series of rolling hills to the rear of the Byzantines formino a natural bowl. The ground itself was fat as both sides did not want to terrain to impede their horse. Special Rules. The sub commanders add their melee bonus to any division they are attached to. If either Great Commander is killed, it counts as one Break Point against his force_ If the sub-commander is killed after the loss of the Great Commander, it counts as I Break Point against his force. Darts: Darts are thrown before the melee. Count as Javelins. but the fire takes place in the melee phase. before melee. Arty's "Stand Games" Reviews Introduction Armati: Arty Does Good (Review) Busta Gallorum (Taginae): A Battle Scenario for Armati Shako'ed, but not Stirred: Review of the New Napoleonic Rules Set Back to Table of Contents The Messenger December 1995 Back to The Messenger List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1995 by HMGS/PSW. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com