Friday, September 29, 2023

 ALONE AGAINST ROME

Part 2




As I explained at the end of Part 1, in this second installment of this solo campaign project, my intention is to provide several battle reports as well as remarks. I mentioned reviewing the 19 categories identified by Aaron Bell in his much admired September 2018 Taxonomy. Initially, I thought it might be an interesting experiment to try and write four different battle reports, using categories that I have not attempted before. After going over the Taxonomy again and eliminating those report types that would not work — for example, as a solo wargamer, it would not be possible to draft a ‘got the band back together’ narrative — I decided that I would place this random idea on a high shelf and try something else. After days (well, it felt like it) of internal debate and experimentation wherein dozens of initiated drafts were dragged, sometimes with too much force, to the trashcan on my computer’s menubar, it was decided to try what might be described as a “scientific journal entry-like format.” Anyway, as I understand that it is sometimes said: Here’s goes nothing. 


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Battle: Number 1

Date: Sixth month (approximate middle of the summer season) of 224 AD (CE)

Location: Disputed Border Region (worth 50 victory points)

Name: Yomlaedur (i.e., Dorylaeum, with the letters rearranged)

Recon Report: The Persians move 192 points worth of troops into the disputed territory. Theirs is a cavlary-heavy force, with 34 bases or stands of horsemen. The responding Roman army has a strength of  144 points, roughly evenly split between infantry and cavalry. The Roman commander sends word back to his superior officers (they are some distance from the border) and prepares for battle by arranging his formations in a traditional deployment. The Persians, being greater in number and more mobile, plan on enveloping and destroying the enemy forces. 


Summary of the Engagement: The Romans deployed with the marshy ground in front of and between their left and center. Their left was predominantly mounted, a mix of Cataphracts, Javelin, Cavalry, Horse Bow, and Bad Horse. Their center was composed of Elite Foot and Artillery, accompanied by Raiders and Light Foot. The Roman right was arranged across the several drumlins. Units of Light Foot and Archers occupied the gentle mounds closest to the center, while units of Javelin Cavalry and Horse Bow took up station on the other rises. On reviewing the Roman deployment, the Sassanid general deployed in a similar manner. His left consisted of a large number of Horse Bow reinforced by a small group of Cataphracts. His center was eclectic, as there were Elephants, Heavy Foot, Bow Levy, Skirmishers and Horde present. The Persian right was assigned to a small division of Horse Bow. The link between the center and right was occupied by a strong corps of Elite Cavalry assisted by a couple of units of Horse Bow. 


This first engagement was a fairly quick one. The Sassanid plan worked quite well, with the Roman left being dismantled and their right becoming demoralized as well. The surviving units on both flanks suffered from poor command dice. The Roman left was especially challenged, as their commander was rendered hors de combat. A formation of Sassanid Horse Bow on the left wing made the foolish and costly mistake of challenging a group of Roman archers on one of the drumlins. The fighting in this sector of the field was more attritional. The Roman morale collapsed a turn before the Persian morale faltered. The Sassanids had a strong force of Cataphracts in reserve, however, while the Romans had no additional troops. In fact, the Cataphracts had wheeled a bit toward the Roman center and were slowly making their way in that direction. Over on the opposite flank, the Sassanid Horse Bow, having no enemy units in their way and being lighter and faster, were beginning to seriously threaten the left side and rear of the Roman center. The Sassanid center, a heterogenous formation containing Bow Levy, Elephants, and almost everything in between, never made contact with their counterpart. This varied line did, however, hold the attention of the Roman center, thereby allowing the cavalry on the flanks to carry out the battle plan. Anyway, with their flanks in tatters and their center having to peel off units to prevent an envelopment, the Roman commander wisely sounded the retreat and saved what was left of his army. 


Victory Points: The Persians gained 50 points for securing the disputed border, 56 points for destroyed enemy units (they managed to bag a subordinate general on the Roman left), and 230 points in the post-battle dice roll, for a grand total of 336 victory points. The Romans, in stark contrast, were only able to collect 20 points for the handful of Sassanid Horse Bow units that were defeated and 45 points in the post-battle roll. This poor initial performance earned just 65 victory points for the Roman cause. 


Comments: The tabletop for this first contest was decorated with a marsh as well as several drumlins, which, according to The Battle Pack prepared by Richard Lockwood for the 2006 event, were “small, gentle-sloped, rounded hills - but they were tall enough to hide the Crusader flanking attack.” There were other pieces scattered about, but these were not “true terrain features.” Instead, their simple purpose was to break up an otherwise flat, featureless, a fairly monochromatic playing surface. To identify the various commands, small colored dots were placed on the various units so that they could be identified as belonging to this or that command. I thought this worked rather well. It helped in checking command distances as well as in knowing which units were part of a demoralized command. Somewhat surprisingly, there was no ‘Shower Shooting’ used in this contest. On immediate reflection, it appears that the majority of the work was done by the Sassanid Horse Bow. These light cavalry can move at a very good rate and make for a deadly weapon when they attack isolated or end-of-a-line units frontally and from the flank. I recall one instance when a unit of Roman Cataphracts was engaged by a unit of Persian Elite Cavalry (with a sub general) on its front, and then two units of Horse Bow, one on its flank and the other against its rear. Sufficed to say, the Cataphracts went down under a hail of arrows. Over on the Roman left wing, I did wonder about the impact of their Bad Horse or camel troops. According to my review of the battle card notes, camels are only effective against Knights, Elephants and Cataphracts. This struck me as curious. If it is a matter of smell, then all enemy cavalry should have a negative modifier. Thinking about this topic and how some other sets of rules address it brought up the age old question about camels vs elephants and other mounted. I am not sure if I am going to take the time to research this further with the intention of revising the battle card or drafting a house rule. While the Romans do have camel troops in their army, they do not have thousands of them.  



Battle: Number 2

Date: Eighth month (end of summer season, start of the fall season) of 224 AD (CE)

Location: Roman Territory I (victory point value of 100)

Name: Sheyat-Desph (i.e., The Hydaspes, with the letters rearranged)

Recon Report: Seeking to capitalize on the advantage of an initial victory, the Sassanids reinforce their army, bringing its strength up to 216 points. The force remains cavalry-heavy and most of the units are blooded so the whole force is pretty confident of another win. The Roman command, faltering and fumbling (at least it appears so), scrambles to assemble a new army for the defense of the threatened region. This cobbled together force has a strength of 144 points, of which 84 points are infantry and or artillery, and 60 points are cavalry. 


Summary of the Engagement: What could be called the Roman “blocking force” was arranged in three commands. Its left-most division was deployed approximately one foot from the banks of the wide and fast moving river. A combination of Cataphracts, Javelin Cavalry, Bad Horse, and Horse Bow secured the left and right flanks of the comparatively short Roman battle line. The auxiliary foot and artillery units of the wings were posted near the center of the position. The center of the Roman line consisted of Elite Foot supported by Artillery. There was also a reserve formation of more Elite Foot as well as a unit of Raiders. The more numerous and more mobile Sassanid force extended its own line of battle until the enemy flanks were overlapped from the start. Persian Horse Bow units were positioned on the extreme flanks. Those on the right were much closer to the river bank. Those on the left faced no opponent as again, the Roman line of battle was quite short or condensed. Two strong lines of Sassanid infantry were deployed in the center. The first group consisted of Bow Levy, Heavy Foot, and Elephants screened by Skirmishers. The second group contained Rabble, a couple formations of Heavy Foot, and five units of Horde. 


With respect to plans, the Romans hoped to repulse the inevitable advance(s) of the Sassanids. They hoped to wreck their infantry center while holding on to the flanks. For the Persians, it would be another attempt at enveloping the Roman position from both sides. This time, it was hoped that they could get around behind them and “close the box” or “seal the bag.” 


By the end of Turn 3, the Roman left had been virtually destroyed. A veritable tsunami of Sassanid Horse Bow had engaged and overwhelmed the outnumbered Roman cavalry in this sector. As they did in the first engagement, the Roman camel troops performed poorly. Due to their movement rate and ability to get on the flank of isolated or exposed Roman units, the Persians quickly demoralized the enemy left. Insult was added to injury when the Roman sub-general rolled a 1 for his command points the following turn. This abysmal roll saw several Roman units rout off the field. The Sassanids suffered no losses, although the “batteries” of Roman artillery did annoy a few units. There was no comparable action in the center of the field. The Sassanids were focused on moving their slow foot and lumbering Elephants forward. The assorted Rabble and Horde formations followed. The Roman center was forced to designate some units and more Artillery to guard their recently torn-apart left. Nothing was happening on the flank farthest from the river. The Sassanids pushed their Cataphracts forward, and their left wing Horse Bow began to wheel, angling toward the now even smaller Roman line. The situation looked quite dark for the Romans in this sector, as they were outnumbered in cavalry 2 to 1. To make things worse, almost half of the Sassanid units were Cataphracts. 


In the middle of Turn 5, the situation did not look at all good for the Roman cause. A sub-general’s unit and a formation of Archers had been ganged up on and ridden down on the left. This freed other Sassanid units to start putting pressure on the Roman center. This was done by engaging a small force of Elite Foot and Artillery. At the end of a round of melee, one of the Elite Foot units had been pushed back and the Artillery crews had been shot to pieces and or hacked down by the attacking Horse Bow. Over on the Roman right, more Horse Bow swarmed enemy cavalry, resulting in the destruction of 3 units. The Cataphracts were bearing down on the Roman foot in this sector. A volley by some Roman Archers proved completely ineffectual. This lack of success was interpreted as the final sentence of the weak Roman writing in this lopsided engagement. The Romans had not managed to defeat or rout a single unit of Persians. The Roman general gave the order to retreat, which his outnumbered men were only to glad and ready to obey. 


Victory Points: For securing this region under Roman control, the Sassanids earned 100 victory points. They gained an additional 51 points for destroying the Roman left wing in addition to other enemy units. For winning the battle, the Persians secured 240 points. All together, this second contest of a seven-battle campaign netted the Sassanids 391 victory points. Added to the previous amount, this gave the Persians a total of 727 victory points. The Romans were able to double their previous total, giving them a paltry sum of just 130 victory points when compared to the enemy. 


Comments: Well . . . that wargame was over rather quickly. If memory serves, this was one of those rare occasions when the losing side failed to inflict any damage during the battle. 


The Roman Bad Horse (i.e., camel troops) certainly lived up to the adjective describing the noun as these units could not hold off the swarm of Persian Horse Bow. Again, I wondered about the effect camels might have on enemy horse, or horses in general, during the brief melee rounds taking place on this flank. As the actual combat is abstracted by means of combat factors and die rolls, as it is in many other rule sets, I pictured the Horse Bow units riding to within 40 or 50 paces of the Roman Bad Horse and letting fly with arrows. The Roman units had nothing to offer in answer, save for very bad melee dice. When these several Roman units were eliminated, the Persian formations were free to swarm the rest of the Roman wing. Needless to say, it’s very difficult for a unit of Javelin Cavalry to stand up to an attack by 3 units of enemy Horse Bow when engaged from the front, when overlapped on that front, and then flanked on the other side. It appears, based on these first two contests, that the Romans do not have an answer to the Persian Horse Bow problem. 


On a somewhat related line of thinking, during this one-sided wargame, I wondered why Horse Bow were not allowed to have command stands. According to the army list, only Elite Cavalry or Cataphract stands/units can be labeled as having generals within them. This restriction tends to slow down the faster Horse Bow. To be sure, I can separate the Horse Bow line or group from the physical command stand of Elite Cavalry, but then I need to roll a 2 or better to ensure that all units in that division can move. 


Shifting to the Roman side of this recently cleaned up field, I cannot help but wonder if I should have permitted the Romans to prepare some kind of fieldworks like trenches or improvised barricades. I reviewed the army list and saw that there were no suitable battle card allowances for these kinds of defenses. After the fact, I wonder if I should have drafted a table of some sort and given the Romans a chance to roll a die or two and so, be able to set up some kind of anti-cavalry defense. Given that the Romans, though outnumbered, have twice elected to fight and have been thrashed on both occasions, I am wondering if I need to revise the tables presented under Steps 2 and 4, and if I need to amend the “will the Romans fight” procedure as well. 


For example, here is what I am considering as the new version of the “what is the point strength of the Roman army” table:


Die Roll Result

1 48 points LESS than the Persians

2 32 points LESS than the Persians

3 16 points LESS than the Persians

4 16 points MORE than the Persians

5 32 points MORE than the Persians

6 48 points MORE than the Persians


Moving on to the sub-process of checking to see if an outnumbered Roman army will still stand and fight, here is a draft of the revised process:


Outnumbered by 48 points will stay and fight on a roll of 1

Outnumbered by 32 points will stay and fight on a roll or 1 or 2

Outnumbered by 16 points will decline to stay and fight if double 1s are rolled


To my chagrin, I discovered some potential problems with the Roman composition of force table. For example, if a 6 was rolled and the Roman army had a strength of 144 points, then the army could not be evenly divided between infantry and cavalry. There would have to be 72 points MORE of infantry and or artillery units in the order of battle. Phrased another way, if a 6 was rolled on the old composition of force table, then if I had a unit of Javelin Cavalry (worth 4 points), then I would have to have 76 points worth of infantry and or artillery, which would add up to 80 points, which would leave 64 points for additional units. Even so, the majority of 72 points MORE of infantry would have to be maintained. So, as an experimental fix, I decided on the following modification to that initial table: 


Die Roll Composition

1 32 points MORE of cavalry units

2 16 points MORE of cavalry units

3 Approximately balanced between units of cavalry and infantry/artillery

4 16 points MORE of infantry units

5 32 points MORE of infantry (may include artillery in this amount)

6 48 points MORE of infantry (must include artillery in this amount)



Battle: Number 3

Date: Just 2 weeks after previous engagement, so the ninth month of 224 AD (CE)

Location: Roman Territory III (victory point value of 300)

Name: Omlanet (i.e., Telamon, with the letters rearranged)

Recon Report: Having rested and reorganized after their second victory, the Sassanids decide to create an all-mounted force and conduct a kind of “blitzkrieg” deeper into Roman territory. This fast-moving army, 192 points strong, runs into, on two separate occasions, hastily assembled Roman blocking forces. However, both enemy armies are smaller than the swift-moving Sassanids and with their morale at a low point, the Romans decline the invitation to engage in battle. These pair of refusals added more victory points into the Persian bank and caused more than one Roman senator to pull his hair out or rip his toga in frustration when the news was delivered to that august body.  


After 11 days or marching and moving, the Sassanid cavalry army finds a large concentration of Romans willing to fight. Although the sandal is on the other foot, as it is the Persians who are outnumbered this time, the confidence level remains high, and the squadrons of Horse Bow are eager to fall, again, upon the flanks of the slower-moving Romans. 


Summary of the Engagement: From the right edge of the wide defile to the left edge, the Persians arranged a division of Horse Bow, a division of Cataphracts, and then another division of Horse Bow. Due to the bordering hills and difficult ground, a small column of light cavalry was positioned on the far left of the Sassanid line. The general of this army arranged his strong division of Elite Cavalry (all with the Shower Shooting ability) behind the right wing Horse Bow formation. Well forward of this Persian deployment, there was a gentle hill and two patches of prickly desert scrub. The impressive Roman line of battle was drawn up beyond these terrain features. The Roman commander (i.e., a pre-battle die roll) determined that two-thirds of the available Roman horse would be placed on the left. As a result, the first line of this larger formation contained Bad Horse, Horse Bow, and a largish group of Cataphracts. The army general and many units of Javelin Cavalry formed a reserve. On the right flank, there was a single division of Javelin Cavalry. In between the various groups of quadrupeds, the Romans arranged a few lines of infantry. Two of the divisions were a mix of Light Foot, Raiders, and Archers. There was also a small formation of Elite Foot. These legionaries were deployed behind the Cataphracts. 


After just 3 turns of play, the Roman right had been very roughly handled. In fact, only 2 bases/stands of Javelin Cavlary remained of the original 6 bases/stands. These units were, of course, marked as demoralized. (The command had been labeled as such the turn prior, such was the havoc being done by the Sassanid Horse Bow.) In the center of the field, the Romans had moved up their Cataphracts and an infantry formation to the edge of the patches of rough ground. The Persians replied in kind, moving a wall of Cataphracts closer to these terrain features, but not so close as to fall within range of Roman Archers. It appeared that a staring contest was going to take place in this sector of the tabletop. On the Roman left flank, somewhat surprisingly, their Bad Horse (i.e., camel troops) and hired Horse Bow held their own against repeated attacks by the Persian light cavalry. This contest went back and forth; each side managing to eliminate just one enemy stand after a couple of periods of chaotic melee. 


Several more turns witnessed the final destruction of the Roman camel troops (i.e., the handful of Bad Horse units) along with their commander. Friendly reinforcements engaged the Sassanids and after a few more rounds of back and forth melees, the Persian Horse Bow on this flank were demoralized. A poor command roll saw half of the surviving stands making a rout move towards the friendly long-edge of the tabletop. The Sassanid Elite Cavalry, under the direction of the army commander, were next in line. It looked like these troopers would face off against enemy Javelin Cavalry. Over on the opposite flank of the dusty and noisy field of battle, the Roman right had been wiped out by another division of Persian Horse Bow. The Sassanids had suffered only a single stand of casualties, but were plagued by poor command rolls, which made reordering their jumbled and scattered ranks rather problematic. They were unable to exploit the temporary advantage. Units of Roman foot were jogging over to re-establish a presence on this flank. 


In the center of the table, the Sassanid Cataphracts finally took the plunge and moved forward against the enemy line. The attacks were local and impacted by the terrain features located between both armies. The Roman Archers proved especially effective and or stubborn, loosing volley after volley into the ranks of the armored horsemen and mounts. After a few turns of confused fighting, the Cataphracts had made some progress. In fact, the Roman infantry formation opposing their advance was at its morale tipping point, though the Sassanid sub-general could not see that. A quick survey of the “dead pile” for the entire battlefield informed that the Sassanids had broken 19 Roman units at the cost of just 4 of their own. Even though outnumbered, it appeared that the Persians were doing very well. It appeared that this might be their third consecutive victory. 


At the end of 11 turns of play, the field was an attritional mess, to put it mildly. On the Sassanid side of the affair, their left and center commands were demoralized. Roman luck and stubbornness had pushed both the Horse Bow and Cataphracts to their morale breaking point. The Elite Cavalry on the right wing, under the army general, was still in fighting condition. In fact, these units were cleaning up what remained of the Roman Javelin Cavalry division and were putting pressure on the enemy Horse Bow as well. In terms of losses, the Persians had seen 15 units destroyed in combat and 6 more routed from the field. 


The Roman army was a shell of its former self. Of the 4 commands still present on the table, half were demoralized. These were the Javelin Cavalry (what was left, anyway) on their left, and the Cataphracts with Horse Bow in the center. The infantry division on the right flank was still in good condition, and the small group of Elite Foot held in reserve had not had to throw missiles or draw swords. That said, the count of casualties taken far exceeded the number that had been inflicted. An impressive or sickening total of 35 Roman units had been destroyed; 3 of these formations were accompanied by a sub-general. To their credit, only 3 Roman stands had routed away during the fighting. 


Taking stock of the tabletop, it was decided to halt the action and award a minor victory to the Persians. What was left of both armies would withdraw to bind their wounds, rest, reorganize, and reinforce.  


Victory Points: Having decided that both armies would retreat in order to refit after a large and costly engagement, the victory points for the contested territory were not awarded to the Sassanids. The rest of the usual post-battle procedures would be followed. Adding up the Roman dead, the Sassanids earned 155 points. Having managed to secure a minor victory, they rolled the winner’s dice and as a result, earned 130 more victory points. (Interestingly, four of the six dice rolled came up 1, testament perhaps, to the perceived narrowness of the victory.) An additional 277 points were recorded in the Sassanid campaign chart. On the Roman side, their post-battle die roll netted them 40 points, while the destroyed Persian units added 60 points. An even 100 victory points was typed into the Roman campaign chart. 


Comments: The holes, some larger than others to be sure, that were not immediately apparent in the first draft and proofs of this idea, are starting to be noticed. As a result, I have taken a bit of solo wargamer’s license to attempt to address these flaws. For example, this third engagement took place only after the Romans had refused to do battle twice. Did this refusal mean that the Persians had pushed the Romans out of two regions or territories? If so, then 700 victory points would have gone to the Sassanids simply because the Romans, quite sensibly, decided not to take on a larger enemy force. Instead of awarding these essentially automatic points to the Persians and moving the campaign deeper into the Roman territory, I “developed” the idea that all this movement was taking place in the next area after the second contest. The third action then, would take place in Roman Territory III, and be worth 300 victory points. As related above, given the close outcome of the engagement, I decided that this area would be disputed and so, not under complete control of either side. 


The selection or determination of Telamon as the historical field of battle gave me some pause as well. For a few days, I went back and forth about how to landscape my tabletop and how to stage the scenario. I reviewed some material on Telamon, including my own meager efforts, and considered, briefly, staging a version of the historic battle. But then, it occurred to me very unlikely that a highly mobile Persian force would find itself caught (i.e., sandwiched) between two slower moving Roman forces. In the end, as I hope I explained or narrated, the campaign battle was fought over similar ground. The rough ground or scrub that was mentioned in the ancient sources played an interesting part in this contest. Both armies had placed their Cataphract commands in the center. Cataphracts and rough terrain don’t really go together, so more than a few turns of this recently completed action saw opposing units of Cataphracts staring at each other. When action was finally joined in the center of the tabletop, it was done in a piecemeal fashion. 


Staying with the topic of terrain for a little bit, while not much fighting took place between mounted and foot elements in these patches of scrub, I found myself wondering about the melee modifiers contained on the QRS. According to this playing aid/reference chart, mounted units fighting in difficult terrain have a minus 1 modifier. In that same terrain, close order infantry versus any other foot have a minus 2 modifier. It appears then, that open order and close order cavalry have the same ability if engaged in melee while traversing difficult terrain. It also appears that the category of difficult terrain is rather inclusive or extensive. While it is unusual to see cavalry moving through and fighting inside woods, it would seem that open order horse would have less of a problem with this terrain than close order horse. If the terrain feature is scrub or rocky ground, evidently this is difficult terrain and so, produces a negative melee modifier for mounted units. I can see this applying more to battle carts/taxis, war wagons, and chariots than I can to cavalry units, especially those that are classed as open order. 


Shifting from terrain considerations and questions to the topic of morale, I wondered about the life-span of demoralized commands. In the recently fought battle, there were a handful of commands on the tabletop that were marked as demoralized when the game was called. One of these formations was on the Persian side of the field and it contained a single base/stand. All the other pieces of this command had been destroyed by enemy action or had routed off the field. It just so happened that this stand was the sub-general’s stand, so there were no problems with reduced command distance and so forth. But I was given to wonder how long or how much of a demoralized command would stay on the field and near the enemy when they were in that state. For example, on the Roman left, their formation of Javelin Cavalry, under the overall commander, had become demoralized by the loss of a third of its points. The remaining stands were marked so I would know about reduced combat ability and command distance, etc. Over the next two turns, the command dice for this demoralized formation turned up 6 and then 5. Sufficed to say, this permitted the army general enough points to order his Javelin Cavalry to hold in place or to move up and attack the enemy, albeit at a disadvantage. 


Expanding the morale conversation to a “big picture” discussion, it appears, on almost immediate review, that I allowed this battle to go on for a little too long. While most of the Sassanid commands were demoralized, their army had not suffered as much as the Romans had. The casualty count at the end of Turn 10 informed that 35 Roman units had been destroyed. This number out of an apparent total of 62 units in their large army. Per the rules, I should have called the game for the Sassanids when the Romans lost unit number 31, as this would represent half of their strength and again, the Persians had suffered less damage. While this error of miscalculation has not greatly impacted the course of this fictional campaign, it does argue against my inexperience with the rules for bigger battles. On further reflection, it seems probable that I may have made some errors with the rules while umpiring the action, but again, I do not think these mental gaffes swayed the result one way or another. 


Speaking of results, a quick check of the victory point totals so far shows the Persians with a comfortable lead. The Sassanids have collected 1,352 points over 3 tabletop battles and 2 refusals by the Romans. The Sassanids have taken control of the border as well as 2 Roman territories. In contrast, the Romans have managed to secure just 230 points. They have not gained any territory and they have not won any battles, although they did give the Persians a slight bloody nose in this last encounter.


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It is with an appropriate level of disappointment, embarrassment and regret that I must inform readers that there will not be fourth battle report. It is with a greater measure of regret that I must inform readers that there will not be an ALONE AGAINST ROME - Part 3. Once again, despite repeated attempts at better planning and time management, Life has gotten in the way. Consequently, I will not be able to dedicate the time and resources needed to prove or disprove the hypothesis promulgated by John Hastings. I think it would be “bad form” to make an attempt with a “data” sample of only three wargames. 


Let me take this opportunity to thank you for investing your valuable time in reading Part 1 as well as this hastily drafted and barely edited version of Part 2. In the Kansas-accented words of TED LASSO: “I appreciate you.” 


I should like to believe that, perhaps, these two posts inspired a few enthusiasts to visit or revisit campaigning on the tabletop. Along that same line of wishful thinking, I should like to believe that maybe a handful of individuals have decided to conduct their own testing (or tinkering) with John’s clearly stated position. If or when Life gets out of the way, I am quite sure that I would enjoy reading posts, written by more capable as well as experienced and traditional wargamers, about these campaigns and or experiments. 


Thanks again for stopping by NO PAINTING REQUIRED. 







Sunday, September 17, 2023

ALONE AGAINST ROME

Part 1





In his engaging and enjoyable (as I could very much relate) article, “Solo Wargaming,” which appeared in the July/August 2021 issue of Slingshot, The Journal of the Society of Ancients, John Hastings offered the following “argument” or explanation:


It is a simple matter to set up two armies on a wargames table and fight out a battle but it is more 

satisfying to have a reason for the conflict. Every army, or at least their general, has a reason for 

being in that place at that time. Hence a scenario-based game is more satisfying. A campaign is a 

way of generating scenarios for battles—and for sieges and skirmishes, if you are so inclined. 

Personally, sieges have never particularly interested me and I have never invested in even a small 

number of 28mm figures that one needs for a skirmish.


Like the esteemed gentleman and comparatively prolific contributor to the long-running and read-around-the-world publication (his name is on approximately 30 articles, reviews, or letters found the aforementioned journal), I have no burning interest to wargame sieges on my tabletop. However, I do not mind reading books or academic papers about historical sieges. As I do not wargame with traditional miniatures, the purchase and preparation of three or four dozen 28mm models for a skirmish-level game is a moot point. Skipping to the first part of the transcribed paragraph, I was tempted to remark upon the cost as well as the time and talent required for the “simple matter of setting up two armies on a table,” but will reserve those comments for another post . . . perhaps. To be certain, I was more interested, albeit very late to this particular party, in John’s “argument” or conclusion about the “satisfaction level” of scenario-based or campaign-generated engagements. The following paragraphs, pages, and subsequent posts (a total of three are intended) represent my attempt or attempts to test the gentleman’s hypothesis or opinion.


As more than 20 years have passed since I last went on campaign, I borrowed and modified the ideas and work presented by the accomplished and well-known wargaming blogger Aaron Bell. [1] Approximately four years before “Solo Wargaming” was published, Aaron presented Slingshot readers with a brief and in my opinion brilliant explanation of how he and an associate fought a pseudo-Successor-themed war of three linked battles in a single day. (Please see, if you can manage, “Lost Battles Successor Campaign,” on pages 27-28 in the March/April 2017 issue.) Anyway, instead of trying to reinvent the campaign wheel or wheels, I figured that I would simply borrow and modify the excellent ideas and work provided by Aaron.


General Orders of Battle

Instead of using the Strategos/Lost Battles rules employed by Aaron and his colleague, my work-in-progress plan and often vaguely-defined goal was to use the TRIUMPH! and GRAND TRIUMPH! rules. As I have always had an interest in wargaming larger contests, I gave each side an “army account” of 2,016 points. (Sidebar: This number seems more appropriate for each army in a friendly game using the Tactica II rules.) This figure was determined by taking the strength found in Section 4.1 of the GRAND TRIUMPH! rules, multiplying the 144 points (including battle cards and camps) by 7, and then doubling that result. Described another way, each commanding general would have, potentially, an impressive if not unheard of total of 42 Standard armies (as described in Section 5.1 of the TRIUMPH! rules) under their control and direction. 


After considering a number of combinations (the Meshwesh site contains 655 army lists - please see https://meshwesh.wgcwar.com/home), I decided that this second solo campaign would feature Early Sassanid Persians (see https://meshwesh.wgcwar.com/armyList/5fb1b9e2e1af060017709948/explore) and Severan Middle Imperial Romans (see https://meshwesh.wgcwar.com/armyList/5fb1b9e1e1af06001770987e/explore). As indicated by the title of this present and medium-length in terms of estimated time effort, I would be leading the Sassanids. Of course, I would be hoping for a glorious victory, based on my (ahem) excellent campaign strategy and brilliant (cough, cough) tabletop tactics. 


The Campaign Begins

Reviewing the information contained in the opposing army lists, I decided that the war would begin in the sixth month of 224 AD (CE). The first battle (a total of seven were planned, as this seemed like a manageable and reasonable number) would take place in what was called or labeled the “disputed border region” on the adapted and modified campaign board. The winning army would gain 50 victory points in addition to those points accumulated in the battle. That sentence provides an opportunity to briefly discuss victory points and their very important role in this solo campaign game. 


The winner in this campaign would be the side that collected the most victory points. The degree or level of victory would be determined by the difference in those respective amounts. For example, the Sassanids might secure a Marginal Victory, a Tactical Victory, a Decisive Victory, or even a Complete Victory against the Romans. Admittedly, this degree of victory would be somewhat subjective. Anyway, as the overall commander of the Sassanid Persians, I could guarantee an initial and large number of victory points by taking a portion of my 2,016 point “army account” and placing it in reserve. At the end of campaign, after the seventh battle had been fought and the bodies of men, animals and other detritus had been burnt, buried, or cleared away, every point placed in reserve would be worth five times as much. For example, if I took 300 points and placed it in reserve, at the end of the campaign, I would have 1,500 victory points in addition to however many else I had secured by fighting, destroying enemy units, winning battles and taking Roman territory. If, however, I found myself in a situation where I had to dip into that reserve for additional points, each point would be worth ten times its original value, and this total would be subtracted from my victory point amount. To use the same example, if I had to borrow 300 points from my reserve, then this withdrawal would cost me 3,000 victory points. In summary, what I had to do, what I had to figure out was how many points I thought I would need to fight the seven battles, and how many points I could designate for the reserve “account.” 


After doing some scribbling, figuring, estimating and guessing, I decided to place 600 of the allotted 2,016 points in reserve. This would leave me with 1,416 points of troops with which to fight the fictional war. After more scribbling, figuring, guessing, and hoping, for the first engagement of this campaign, it was decided that I would take the field with an army that was 192 points strong. 


Battle Procedures

The following sequence is a work-in-progress and so, may be revised or tinkered with throughout the length of the campaign. The goal or intention is to follow the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Seriously).


  1. Sassanid Persian army strength is decided.
  2. Middle Imperial Roman army strength is determined. 
  3. Is battle accepted? If Yes, proceed to Step 4. If No, see Note A.
  4. The general composition of the Roman army is determined.
  5. Determine the nature of the ground for the engagement.
  6. The larger army has its choice of long-edges on which it will deploy.
  7. The general deployment of the Roman army is determined.
  8. The smaller army deploys first.
  9. Wargame the battle.
  10. Calculate the victory points for each side. 
  11. Determine when the next battle takes place. 


If the reader will permit me to offer an extended example of a practice turn, this will allow me to go through each step and explain, hopefully clearly enough, what happens. 


Step 1 - I decide to deploy an army worth 192 points on the tabletop. Referencing the army list, I can prepare several 48-point commands. I could also, if desired, build three 48-point commands and then have a couple of 24-point commands. (I toyed briefly with the idea of 16-point sub-commands.) Each division or corps would be led by a general. The army would be commanded by me, one of my alter-egos, or a trusted subordinate. 


Step 2 - The point strength of the Severan Middle Imperial Roman army is determined by rolling a d6 and checking the following table:


Die Roll Result

1 72 points LESS than the Persians, so 120 points

2 48 points LESS than the Persians, so 144 points

3 24 points LESS than the Persians, so 168 points

4 24 points MORE than the Persians, so 216 points

5 48 points MORE than the Persians, so 240 points

6 72 points MORE than the Persians, so 264 points


The enemy strength would be a “sliding scale.” If, for instance, I were to decide to bring an army worth 240 points to a battlefield and the Roman commanders rolled 6, then their army would have a strength of 312 points. This disparity would cause me concern and worry, obviously. 


Step 3 - If battle is accepted; if both sides choose to fight, then proceed to Step 4 and determine the nature of the landscape for the action. For declined battles, see Note A, which follows immediately.


Note A:  If, as the Sassanid supreme commander, I find my army outnumbered by 48 or 72 points, I might want to reconsider engaging in battle. The decision is mine and mine alone, of course. However, if I do decline the offer of battle, then not only do I give up the region or territory being fought in/over, but I also give the enemy force a chance to collect some very easy victory points. 


If an army decides that it does not want to fight, then the enemy army rolls six d6 and multiplies the result by 10. The product is the number of victory points automatically added to that army’s victory point total. For example, if the six d6 are rolled and add up to 21, then 210 victory points will be won without having to engage in battle. This number of victory points is separate and distinct from the victory points for taking the region or territory. The army declining the invitation, refusing to fight for the time being, does not receive any victory points. 


If the Middle Imperial Romans are outnumbered by 48 or 72 points, then their anonymous commanding general will roll a d6. On a score of 1 or 2, the Romans will elect not to fight. 


Declining a battle does not count as one of the seven planned engagements for this campaign. Seven wargames will be played before a winner is declared.


Step 4 - To determine the general composition of the Roman army, a d6 is rolled and the following table is consulted:


Die Roll Composition

1 72 points MORE of cavalry units

2 24 points MORE of cavalry units

3 Approximately balanced between units of cavalry and infantry/artillery

4 24 points MORE of infantry units

5 48 points MORE of infantry (may include artillery in this amount)

6 72 points MORE of infantry (must include artillery in this amount)


Step 5 - The terrain for the battle is determined by rolling a d20 and consulting the following table:


d20 result Ideally, the tabletop should be decorated/landscaped to look like . . .

1         Gaugamela

2         2nd Mantinea

3         The Sambre

4         Bosworth

5         Dorylaeum

6         Adrianople

7         Cynoscephalae

8         Telamon

9         Poitiers

10         Arsuf

11         Callinicum

12         Paraetacene

13         Zama

14         Pharsalus

15         Kadesh

16         The Hydaspes

17         Plataea

18         Montaperti

19         Chalons

20         Ilipa


Notes: 

This list was compiled from The Society of Ancients Battle Day History (see https://www.soa.org.uk/joomla/battle-day). I have had the pleasure of participating (albeit from a great distance) and submitting several accounts of how my interpretations and stagings went. This project gives me the chance to revisit some of those familiar battlefields as well as visit others that I have never been to. With regard to the modeling of my tabletop, obviously, some of these landscapes will be simpler to recreate than others. For example, Zama, Ilipa, Pharsalus, and Gaugamela were, according to what I’ve read and understand, large expanses of rather flat and featureless ground. With regard to the potentially more complicated battlefields, like those of Telamon and Poitiers for instance, I will try to create an impression of the historic landscape and may have to draft some scenario specific rules for this “complicated” terrain. By no means am I attempting to emulate the award-winning tabletops of Mark Craddock (he won the Best Terrain prize at Battle Day on a number of occasions), or the exemplary and stunning appearance of the table owned by James Roach. (For just one example, although admittedly out of period, please see http://olicanalad.blogspot.com/2021/12/what-if-vimeiro-1808-battle-report-part.html.) To ensure a variety of battlefields, if the first battle of the campaign is fought over ground that looks a little like the historical field of 2nd Mantinea and the die roll for the fifth battle indicates that it is to take place on ground that looks a lot like 2nd Mantinea, then the terrain die is rerolled until an unused battlefield is determined. 


Step 6 - This is fairly self-explanatory. If the Romans number 192 points and I have brought only 114 points to the field, and the field bears a resemblance to Chalons, then the Romans get to choose the side on which they will deploy their formations.  


Step 7 - Once again, using a d6 as a kind of AI, the general deployment of the Romans is determined by rolling and checking the result on the following table:


Die Roll General Deployment

1 2/3rds of Cavalry on their right flank/wing; otherwise traditional

2 Cavalry-Infantry-Cavalry-Infantry type of deployment along the line

3 Traditional deployment (cavalry on flanks, and infantry in center)

4 Infantry units concentrated in center; cavalry on flanks, so a shorter line overall

5 Atypical deployment - infantry on the flanks and cavalry in the center for example, or as 

indicated by terrain of battlefield

6 2/3rds of their Cavalry on their left flank/wing; otherwise traditional


Step 8 - This is also fairly self-explanatory. If the Romans number 192 points and I have brought only 114 points to the field, and the field bears a resemblance to Chalons, then, if I decide to fight, I will have to deploy my army on the long-edge of the table not already chosen by the Romans. 


Step 9 - Wargame the battle. 


Administrative Note: In terms of the real calendar, I am estimating about three weeks for each contest, so 21 weeks to fight all seven battles. This three-week window should allow plenty of time for me to set up the battle, play the wargame, type some notes during the turns, record the victory points, and clean up the tabletop. Allowing four to six more weeks for revising notes, drafting reports, preparing maps and captioning photos (not sure if there will be visual aids included at this point), and the necessary but time-consuming proofreading process, the project should be finished in about six months. This first part should “go to press” (i.e., be on the blog) much sooner. 


Step 10 - The calculation of victory points will involve a little bit of record keeping and so, require a little bit of math.


As stated above, prior to the breakdown of what can be called a campaign turn, the number of Sassanid Persian army points that would be placed in reserve was decided. The Roman command would not know how many points they had placed in reserve until the end of the campaign. Their process was a reverse one, as their armies for the seven planned engagements would be determined by die rolls. It seemed to make sense that their reserve points should also be determined by these die rolls. 


In battle situations, an army receives victory points for each enemy unit destroyed. Enemy units that flee off the battle field as the result of an evade, panic, or rout move are not counted toward this destroyed enemy unit total. Victory points are awarded based on troop type. So, for example, a unit of Rabble is worth 2 victory points when destroyed, while a unit of Elite Cavalry is worth 4 victory points when destroyed. 


Subordinate generals are worth twice the value of the base or stand they are embedded with. If a subordinate general is riding with a unit of Cataphracts and the Cataphracts meet their end on the field of battle, then that unit is worth 8 victory points to the other side. In a similar fashion, army generals have a value four times the value of the troop type they have attached themselves to. Staying with the example of the Cataphracts, if the army general meets his demise while fighting alongside those Cataphracts, that base or stand is worth 16 victory points. 


Winners of a battle will roll six d6 and multiply the combined result by 10 to determine how many victory points are gained for being victorious on the field. This amount is separate and distinct from the number of victory points gained by taking the region or territory away from the enemy. (Note: A region or territory may change hands a few times during the campaign. In each case, its victory point value goes to the side winning the battle in that region.) The losing army receives what might be considered consolation victory points. The losing army rolls three d6 and multiplies the combined score by five to determine how many victory points they can add to their cumulative score. 


Victory points are calculated and recorded after each battle has been fought. 


Step 11 - In the first paragraph of this necessarily long section, it was explained that this campaign would start in the sixth month of 224 AD (CE). After each battle has been “done and dusted,” two six-sided dice are rolled. The first die informs if it will be weeks or months between each engagement. The second die roll determines how many weeks or months will pass before the opposing armies meet again. 


1st d6 Result

1-3         Weeks

4-6         Months


2nd d6 Result

1         1 week or month

2         2 weeks or months

3         3 weeks or months

4         4 weeks or months

5         5 weeks or months

6         6 weeks or months


Just as a very hypothetical example, let us say that the Romans somehow manage to win the first battle. After the victory points are calculated and recorded, and after the tabletop is cleared, Step 11 is completed. The first d6 comes up a 4, which means that it will be at least a month until the next engagement is fought. The second die shows a 3, which means that approximately 3 months will have passed before the armies meet for the second battle of the campaign. This completed step moves the campaign calendar forward to the ninth month of 224 AD (CE). 


The Campaign Continues . . .

In Part 2 of Alone Against Rome, the plan (such as it currently is) calls for providing reports and remarks on several engagements of this solo campaign. I would hope to have this second installment posted in a few months. The current deadline or goal is the end of December if not before. In addition to dealing with other campaign concerns as well as more pressing and stressful non-wargaming matters, I am thinking about what kind of reports should be prepared. I have been reviewing Bell’s Taxonomy for ideas. (Please see https://prufrockian-gleanings.blogspot.com/2018/09/a-taxonomy-of-battle-reports.html.)  If time permits, space allows, and it is deemed important enough, Part 2 might also include comments on what is working or not working, and how these problem areas are being addressed. I do imagine, however, that this kind of critique or evaluation will be saved for Part 3. 


A Very Partial List of Sources 

In addition to the excellent and thought-provoking material provided by Mssrs Bell and Hastings, I would be remiss if I did not make an attempt to direct interested readers (those stalwarts who have made it this far) to some additional source material that might encourage or inspire them to take that first step on a the track, road, or highway to a campaign. In no particular order then, I would strongly recommend the following:


> John Hastings’ two-part article “Agricola Against the Ordovices,” which appeared in Issues 299 and 300 of Slingshot. 


> Indeed, there is a treasure trove of campaign-related articles under the ‘Campaign Systems’ sub heading in the Slingshot Index, which covers a few hundred issues of the journal. Please see pages 66 and 67 of http://soa.org.uk/joomla/images/Documents/SlingshotIndex1964-2010-1.pdf. 


> The TRIUMPH! rules forum has a discussion thread dedicated to Campaigns and Battle Scenarios. Please do visit https://forum.wgcwar.com/viewforum.php?f=16&sid=9ace9c3b3c74088bbba6addb1b2b6f38, and check out: https://forum.wgcwar.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1112, https://forum.wgcwar.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=45, and https://forum.wgcwar.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1017. The last site will take you here https://miniatureaddiction.info/sicily-campaign-for-triumph/, which I believe will capture and hold your interest. 


> As always, one can type “wargaming campaigns” or “solo wargame campaigns” into a search engine and then take the time to sift and separate the hundreds if not thousands of returned results. In so doing, I imagine you will come across Henry Hyde’s treatise on the subject. You will probably also see a video review of John Graham-Leigh’s booklet on ancient campaigning or simple campaigns. (For comments by Aaron Bell - that name seems very familiar - see https://prufrockian-gleanings.blogspot.com/2015/11/simple-campaigning-by-john-graham-leigh.html.) Deeper digging in the internet mines may see you uncover TMP discussions or even unearth the spectacular narrative and visual record of the Punic War campaign game developed by the inestimable James Roach. Please see http://olicanalad.blogspot.com/2012/03/punic-war-campaign-map-moves-mid-217-bc.html.


In summary, it seems fair to remark that the number of ways one could approach a campaign is approximately equal to the number of wargamers in the general population, or at least roughly equal to the number of approaches wargamers have with regard to their participation in and or pursuit of the hobby. 




Notes

  1. “ ‘It’s the Supply Situation, Stupid.’—The Third and Final Act in the Civil War between Prince John and Queen Polivka,” was published in the June/August 2002 issue, Number 118, of MWAN (Midwest Wargamer’s Association Newsletter). This was the fifth installment of a solo project which began, evidently, in 1998, as “FOR GOD, QUEEN, AND COUNTRY (Part 1): Being a set of rules - with much room for improvement - for the conduct of an ECW Campaign,” was published in Issue 125, January-March 1999, of LONE WARRIOR (The Journal of The Solo Wargamer’s Association).