The Battle of Chalons

20
th
June 451 AD
Introduction
This project has been designed as a Kings of War battle supplement for use with Rome's Rise and
Fall from www.hourofwoles.org

This battle! fought from mid"afternoon until late into the night! represented a watershed eent in
#estern histor$. %t remoed the &un terror from 'urope! and foreshadowed the rise of the &ol$
(oman 'mpire ) which was neither *hol$+ nor *(oman+. ,halons was a clash between a highl$
eoled (oman societ$ and a nomadic steppe societ$. The (omans! had ruled for nearl$ 1200 $ears!
through a polic$ of *carrot and stic-+. Trade was their preferred method of con.uest. The &un
preferred subjugation and obedience through terror. (ome seldom embar-ed upon a campaign
without first debating the cost. The &un considered onl$ the personal prestige of ictor$/ the spoils
could be counted later. %t was this fundamental diergence in their aims and objecties of war that
ultimatel$ defeated Attila and his &un arm$.

#e tend to thin- of the &un inasion of #estern 'urope as a series of large battles. This is not the
case. The &uns relied almost entirel$ on light horse shoc- tactics! whereb$ parties of horse mounted
archers would une0pectedl$ raid deep into enem$ territor$ then! just as suddenl$ withdraw! leaing
behind chaos and alarm. 1o one -new where the$ would stri-e ne0t/ rumor was rife! but their sieges
were often unsuccessful due to a lac- of e.uipment and training in siege"craft.

(oman historian Ammianus 2arcellinus who lied and wrote in the da$s of the 'mperor 3alens!
left us the following contemporar$ description of them.
4The$ all hae compact strong limbs and thic- nec-s and are so ugl$ and misshapen! that
one might ta-e them for two"legged beasts! or for the stumps! rough"hewn into images! that
are used in putting sides 5adorning6 to bridges7 (oaming at large amid the mountains and
woods! the$ learn from the cradle to endure cold! hunger and thirst7. The$ dress in linen
cloth or in the s-ins of field mice sewn together7 The$ are not at all adapted to battles on
foot! but the$ are almost glued to their horses! which are hard$! it is true! but ugl$7 The$
are all without fi0ed abode! without hearth! or law! or settled mode of life! and -eep roaming
from place to place! li-e fugities! accompanied b$ the wagons in which the$ lie78

Jourdanes! in his History of the Goths! written about 100 $ears after the eent! writes9
4:or b$ the terror of their features the$ inspired great fear in those whom perhaps the$ did
not reall$ surpass in war. The$ made their foes flee in horror because their swarth$ aspect
was fearful! and the$ had! if % ma$ recall it so! a sort of shapeless lump! not a head! with pin
holes rather than e$es. Their hardihood is eident in their appearance! and the$ are beings
who are cruel to their children on the er$ da$ the$ are born. :or the$ cut the chee-s of the
males with a sword! so that before the$ receie the nourishment of mil- the$ must learn to
endure wounds.8
Daid ,hild"Dennis ;2012< 1 daidchild=slingshot.co.n>
The Battle of Chalons
20
th
June 451 AD
The Battle
The e0act numbers of troops inoled is un-nown! although it must hae been substantial.
,ontemporar$ historians estimate there to hae been about 50!000 a side. The ground oer which
the battle was fought was a t$pical northern :rench plain! with a prominent rise on the left flan-!
where battle would commence. The weather was dr$ and probabl$ warm.

The (oman troops appear to hae been of mi0ed e0perience! coming from a combination of field
and garrison units! hastil$ assembled for the relief of the town of ,halons! then under siege b$
Attila. The 3isigoths! under the leadership of Thoederic ;then some ?0 $ears of age<! reali>ing the
&uns were a far greater danger than the (omans! joined forces with Aetius+ legions and adanced
on ,halons. At dawn! on 20
th
June! the$ were within sight of ,halons! forcing the &uns to brea- off
their siege and prepare for open battle. @angiban! with his Alans! joined the #estern Arm$
sometime later in the da$. %t appears the three groups were appro0imatel$ of e.ual si>e. 'ach
contained caalr$ and infantr$.

The &uns were accompanied b$ Theodomir+s Astrogoths and Adaric+s Bermans. Again! their
numbers are uncertain! but % assume the$ were of appro0imatel$ e.ual si>e. Anl$ the Bermans and
Astrogoths contained infantr$. The &uns would hae consisted solel$ of horsed archers.
A modern Mongolian rider who is almost identical to his Hun predecessor.
Coth Attila and Aetius -ept their commands in the centre of the battlefield. The 3isigoths on the
right flan-! adanced to sei>e the high ground immediatel$ to their front. Dnbe-nown to them! an
Astrogoth detachment was attempting the same thing. The 3isigoths arried on the feature ;a low
hill! probabl$ no more than 20 meters higher than the surrounding plain< driing the scouting
Daid ,hild"Dennis ;2012< 2 daidchild=slingshot.co.n>
The Battle of Chalons
20
th
June 451 AD
Astrogoth caalr$ from the hill. %n the resulting s-irmish! Theodric was unhorsed and trampled to
death in the melee. :ortunatel$ for the #estern :orce! his son! Thorismund! immediatel$ assumed
command and continued the adance against the Astrogoths.

The Alans and Bermans under @angiban adanced against Attila+s &uns! onl$ to be split in two and
threatened with annihilation after 'lla-+s &uns succeeded in attac-ing them from the rear. Cut
@angiban+s forces held until Aetius+ forces had managed to dispose of Adaric+s Bermans and
Bepids! then! with the 3isigoths pressing in from the right flan- and the (omans from the left! the
&un centre collapsed ending in a general withdrawal of the &un forces. C$ this time night had
fallen and confusion reigned on the battlefield. Aetius was almost captured when he joined a band
of &un he misidentified as 3isigoths in the dar-.
Rules modifications for the King of War rules
&istorical supplement for the Eate %mperial (oman period

Troop types and models
% use 20mm %taleri plastic figures from their current range. F1G? Eate %mperial Eegionaries! F1GH
Bothic ,aalr$! F022 Bauls! and F124 2ongols as &uns. Ie>da also produce beautiful 2ongol
figuresJ

(oman Eegionaries9 1"base of 4"5 figures ;% use 100mm b$ 40mm bases< of 20mm %taleri plastic
figures. The Bothic caalr$ are too large to fit more than 4 figures on a single base.

nit types
% hae redefined the basic unit t$pes to suit the historical (oman organi>ation of the time. Kla$ers
should assemble units b$ base! rather than how man$ figures are on an$ one base. This is because
there are small ariations in actual figure scales! and poses! which often complicates basing.
&oweer! there was a historical difference between the si>es of a &un pon$ and a Ballic &orse! it is
not a scaling error b$ the manufacturersJ This is the purpose for including the photo of a modern
2ongolian rider. &un @teppe ponies were considerabl$ smaller than the 'uropean horse. ,ohorts
from different Eegions were often brigaded together to preent the total loss of a Eegion. 2i0ing
figures with different shield designs! on the same base! especiall$ from the %taleri F1G? set! is! .uite
acceptable.

Daid ,hild"Dennis ;2012< G daidchild=slingshot.co.n>
The Battle of Chalons
20
th
June 451 AD
A Eegionar$ Troop ;4"10 figures on a base< becomes a 3e0illum! which means *troop+ or *standard+
in Eatin.
A Eegionar$ (egiment ;1F )20 figures< becomes a *,ohort+. :or simplicit$! T#A"3e0illum ma-es
A1' ,ohort! een though this ma$ onl$ be a total of H"10 figures on two bases. %t+s important
pla$ers use this form of organi>ation.
A Eegionar$ &orde ;G2"40 figures< or 1F infantr$ bases " becomes a Eegion. %t was unusual for a
legion to fight as a single bod$! their cohorts being split into detachments as re.uired. Cattle
hardened cohorts were often deplo$ed among less e0perienced cohorts to stiffen the line in battle.

Au0iliar$ units ;bow! artiller$ and caalr$< attached to Eegions should be Au0iliar$ ,ohorts or
3e0illum. The$ ma$ onl$ be described as *s-irmishers+ if the$ are infantr$ deplo$ed as a s-irmish
line! usuall$ in front of legionar$ hea$ infantr$. Au0iliar$ *s-irmishers+ must alwa$s withdraw
;using the nimble rule< when charged b$ Eegionaries! warbands containing a larger number of
bases! or an$ caalr$ unit. %f the au0iliar$ unit is within one moe distance of a friendl$ legionar$
unit! it will immediatel$ withdraw! at the beginning of the opponent+s charge moe! to behind that
unit. %t ma$ do so using the *interpenetration+ rule. The fleeing s-irmish unit ma$ onl$ moe. %t ma$
do nothing else but remain stationar$ to reorgani>e in the following friendl$ game turn.

!pecial Rules
Roman "egionary #testudo$
A Eegionar$ ,ohort of two 3e0illum ma$ turn its bases bac- to bac- to form the *testudo+ ;tortoise<
when attac-ed b$ &un caalr$. This gies the ,ohort an e0tra L1 in defense! ;raising the D' to *F+<
as long as the$ remain in that formation. The$ ma$ not moe! but ma$ fight as normal.

%halan& '!hield Wall()
% can+t understand wh$ Au0iliaries would be gien such a formation rule! when it re.uired *e0pertl$
trained+ troops to perform the manoeureM %t was an attac-ing formation deeloped b$ the Bree-s!
not a passie defensie formation implied b$ the rules. % would suggest the phalan0 rule onl$
applies to a stationar$ au0iliar$ unit drawn up in a *shield wall+ formation to meet an enem$ charge.
This would re.uire a unit to remain stationar$ for that game turn! in order to claim the rule. The
pla$er claiming the use of this rule! must first declare it to his opponent! before the opponent orders
a charge against the defending unit.
Daid ,hild"Dennis ;2012< 4 daidchild=slingshot.co.n>
The Battle of Chalons
20
th
June 451 AD
Adding some historical fla*or to the mi&+
The Army ,enerals
'ach allied and enem$ force has one Arm$ Beneral ;Aetius and Atilla< to lead their forces!
accompanied b$ an Arm$ @tandard Cearer. The$ will also hae one commander ;senior officer< for
each of their allied commands. These selections will be without points cost.
Aetius
The (oman commander Aetius was considered a gifted tactician and able leader. &e was a well
e0perienced! battle"hardened campaigner! in whom his legionaries had confidence. % would allow a
)2 on his first *nere test+ dice roll total.
The Roman Allies
There is little doubt the 3isigoths and Alans -new the terrible price of defeat! this battle would
bring. The 3isigoths withstood some of the most saage fighting in the centre! pa$ing a hea$ price!
after being attac-ed in the flan- and rear b$ the &uns. %n this battle! the (oman allies proed utterl$
reliable.

Atilla
The &un commander! Atilla! was a brutal! but cleer leader of his forces. All &un! forces should
hae a )2 on their first nere test! while Attila remains commander. %f he is -illed or drien from the
field! this adantage reerses to a L2 on their first nere test after the eent.

The Hun Allies - .strogoths and ,ermans
',epids)
These were *allies+ in name onl$! being considered nothing more than *assals+ b$ the &uns! to be
e0ploited as the$ saw fit. #hile Atilla had originall$ raised man$ of the Bermans in reolt against
the e0cesses of (oman rule! the$ soon reali>ed the$ had managed to e0change one arrogant master
for a t$rant. %n the eent of a nere test! the$ will add L1 to the score. %f their commanders are -illed
or routed! their entire command tests with a L2 added to the dice roll.

Daid ,hild"Dennis ;2012< 5 daidchild=slingshot.co.n>
The Battle of Chalons
20
th
June 451 AD
War /ngines
&istor$ does not record the use of ballista! scorpio or onager in the (oman order of battle! at
,halons! but % find it unli-el$ ballista or scorpio were not included. %t was usual for each cohort to
hae 4 scorpio under direct command. @uch weapons were e0tremel$ effectie against massed
targets! at long range and % cannot imagine the (omans leaing them out of their battle line.

The forces
'ach command will contain units to the alue of 1!000 points from the No# supplement! Romes
Rise and Fall.
The (oman arm$ will use the Eate %mperial (oman Armies list! the Eater 3isigoth Arm$
,omposition and the Alani or Alan Arm$ ,omposition lists.

The &un arm$ will use the &unnic Arm$ ,omposition ;p21< the 'arl$ Astrogoth Arm$
,omposition! and the Bepid Arm$ ,omposition ;p1O< lists.
!ome further thoughts...
The final part of the battle too- place in the long twilight of the 1orthern &emispherePs earl$
summer. % would therefore recommend a total game length of si0 turns with the final two turns in
dar-ness. C$ earl$ eening! units had become spread across a large area as three separate lines of
battle were fought. The &uns had wor-ed their wa$ behind the Alans and Bermans! but in turn had
been cut off from their wagon lager b$ the 3isigoths. ,onfusion reignedJ
To simulate this Pconfusion factorP in game terms! % would suggest a simple single dice roll off!
between opponents! to determine who sees what and when! before a charge is declared. The
charging pla$er ma$ test ) once ) for eer$ enem$ unit within their arc of isibilit$. Ance haing
made a successful test! the$ ma$ immediatel$ charge the unit the$ hae successfull$ identified. %f
the$ decline to charge! no other charge ma$ be attempted in that game turn. The$ ma$ not continue
to ma-e identification dice rolls then select a target from all the successful rolls.
Coth pla$ers roll a single dice and the highest dice roll wins. %f the pla$er! whose game turn it is!
wins! the$ ma$ charge or shoot at their nominated enem$ target unit. %f the$ lose! the$ ma$ not! but
ma$ moe as normal or remaining halted. The onl$ PunitP that would hae been unli-el$ to be
mista-en in the dar- was the &un wagon lager.
Daid ,hild"Dennis ;2012< F daidchild=slingshot.co.n>
The Battle of Chalons
20
th
June 451 AD
Daid ,hild"Dennis ;2012< ? daidchild=slingshot.co.n>