We interrupt this Campaign....

 ...for a quick playtest

Having submitted my very simple SciFi Skirmish rules to Bob Cordery for the 4th Portable Wargame Compendium, I thought I'd better give them another go. (I came across some old 20mm SciFi figures while looking for something else and decided I needed a simple ruleset for them. The figures were (possibly) from Wargames Supply Dump).

Two opposing squads are fighting for dominance in the ruins of a city. The majority of troopers are veterans and treated as unarmoured in this playtest. The two figures with purple markers are Elite and armed with Heavy Weapons (roll two dice when firing).

Green Squad (furthest from camera) moved first
The foliage is impassable

Turn 1 Green are already a man down

Turn 2 Blue Squad have taken out another of Green's force
The white die indicates that a figure is wounded

Turn 3 One of the Blue Squad has run across the open
space. The wounded man has moved back

Turn 4 Green's Heavy Weapon falls back, Blue's
is wounded

Turn 5 Green takes down the Blue trooper nearest 
his position

Turn 6 Green's Commander falls to Blue's Heavy Weapon
The rest of the squad withdraw

My next step with this project is to make more grid squares to allow more movement. Perhaps I'll have to consider bl**dy drones as well...

The opposing General was unimpressed and really just
wanted to sit on the battlefield. C'est la guerre.

Collaborative Campaign Year 4: Part 4

 Today's post sees the last action in Campaign Year 4, and the introduction of a new people (Germanic in appearance), the Wend. The following text and photos are the work of Mark Cordone.

Prologue:   Concerning the Wend

The Wend, are a people who dwell in the valleys of the great northern mountain range (the Mihstaz mountains).  They are divided into three loose tribal Confederations.  In the east, from the shores of the Frozen Sea and into the mountains bordering the eastern part of the Kingdom of the Northern Luss are the Kurgan.  The central part of the range is home to the Angrivari who's lands border Luss and eastern Picenia.  The western portion is home to the Glommani.
The Wend have no towns, living in fortified villages none of which is home to more than 1000 people.  They are known for their ferocity, physical size (the men average a towering six feet in height), blood thirsty customs and their use of huge dogs in hunting and war.  They are head hunters and also sacrifice prisoners to their dark god know as the Wendingo.
Most of the time they pose no great threat to their more civilized neighbors, engaging mostly in small scale raids, as often as not against each other.  However, once a generation or so there will arise a powerful and charismatic Warlord who will succeed in uniting a significant number of the tribes under his banner.  When this happens it means war for the Picenians or the Luss or sometimes both.

The year of the Mountain Lion, Autumn.

With the death of Catacius the Northern Luss were left without a high king.  The sub kings met to choose a new leader, but after weeks of debate and single combats were unable to reach a consensus.  In desperation, Catacius' widow Rionach stepped forward and made an impassioned speech about how they must stand united of face complete destruction at the hands of the Picenians and also the Wend, who had long coveted their more temperature and fertile lands.  All were moved by her speech, her passion and charisma, but still they could not agree.  Then her uncle, king Augwys put forward her name as queen.  This was not without precedent, but had only happened twice before in the long history of the Luss.  To the surprise of all however, when the ballots were counted she was chosen queen.
The task before her was seemingly hopeless, but with clarity and intelligence she pointed out to the Kings they had three basic problems.
1) the Picenians and their intent to subjugate all the Luss.
2) the Wend, sensing weakness were already launching large scale raids.
3)  lack of resources.  The war and the Picenian occupation had left large parts of the Kingdom depopulated.  There simply were not enough men to oppose either of their two foes, let alone both of them.
She proposed a novel solution.  Invite the Wend to settle in the now vacant land in exchange for their aid in defending it.  Reluctantly, the sub kings agreed and an embassy was sent to the Angrivari.
Within the month a conference was held between Rionach and her sub kings on the one side and the young and ambitious high king of the Angrivari, Hadwyn on the other.  In the end, a hard bargain was reached which saw the Angrivari recognized as full members of the realm and their king as the equal of any of the Luss kings.  This ment that Hadwyn was now eligible to become high king of the Luss, either by marriage to Rionach or election in his own right.  Accordingly, he began the formal process of wooing her.  Deftly, she put off having to make A decision by pointing out she was in mourning, and by custom couldn't entertain suitors for a year.
Meanwhile, general Ciaus Sulpicius, who had been given command of the northern army while Multiflavus invaded the south, launched his own assault.  As they advanced they ruthlessly pillaged and burned, seeking to bring the Luss to battle quickly, before any Wend allies could intervene.  However the Luss, in actuality commanded by Augwys, did not take the bait, but continued to slowly withdraw until a Wend force caught up to them at a place called Marmar.

The Battle of Marmar, or Marble Rock.  11th day of the 10th month of the year of the Mountain Lion.

The battle took place between two large hills that straddled the road heading east near a large red marble rocky out cropping said to be the home of A local god called Marmar.  The night before the battle, in a cold, slushy rain Rionach made lavish sacrifices to the god as her army prepared to give battle.
Dawn saw the rain give way to a cold drizzle as the armies deployed.

The Luss and Wend, henceforth called the allies, deployed their packs of war dogs in the left sector (fierce but unreliable melee cavalry).  The Wend foot on the hill in the center and half of the Luss infantry on the right.  In reserve were the rest of the Luss foot and the Wend and Luss horse.  The rest of the army were rated as regular.

Sulpicius had a very large army of his own ( All considered regular).  On the left he placed a large body of Limitarri archers.  By law, the Limitarri could not be made to serve outside of Picenia, however Sulpicius had convinced a large number of his men from the spring campaign to volunteer.  On the hill in the center he had the 5th legion and to the right the 6th.  In reserve he had the 10th and 11th legions and his cavalry.

The battle opened when the 5th legion advanced in the center and attacked the Wend on the hill opposite them.  In very heavy fighting both units were spent, their places taken by the Luss foot and 10th Legion, respectively.  As this was happening the Picenian limitarri advanced and began shooting at the war dogs on the left.  The Wend handlers attempted to charge, but heavy and accurate archery all but wiped them out.
The Wend cavalry then charged on the left and met the same fate as the dogs.

As this was playing out heavy fighting was taking place on the right, when it was over both units were all but wiped out.  Sulpicius tried but failed to rally his legions and was forced to commit his cavalry on the left.  Meanwhile Rionach rode among the defeated Wend, and shamed them into following her back into the front line where the Luss foot had been destroyed by the 10th Legion after they had routed the Limitarri archers.  This stabilized the situation on the left.  

On the right the bloody combat continued, in the end the Luss cavalry emerged the victors and then proceeded to roll up the Picenian line.

General Sulpicius, along with many of his men, met their ends nailed to trees, their heads taken as trophies by the Wend.

The allies had won a great victory, the union having proven very successful.  Multiflavus postponed his triumph, instead spending the winter in Dubrovium planning and preparing for a spring campaign in the north.

***

Thus ended the Year of the Mountain Lion. I think we can look forward to more conflict in this part of the imaginary world as Picenia looks to be avenged. Thanks again to Mark for a fantastic report and for introducing his bloodthirsty creation! 

Collaborative Campaign Year 4: Part 3

 

Continuing the Picenian Campaign in Luss, during the Year of the Mountain Lion, a further battle has been played out (words and photographs from Mark Cordone). Enter Multiflavus, Praetor Maximus:

Autumn saw Multiflavus finally ready to take the field with his newly raised army.  Beligerans had not been idle following his defeat at the Anio however, and had raised a new army to oppose him.  The war had put an extreme strain on his manpower resources with the result being a notable decline in the quality of the army.  (As a result of the battles I gave the Luss 10 points worth of troops for this battle).
The first day of the ninth month of the year of the Mountain Lion saw Beligerans take up a very strong position about two days march from Dubrovium between the villages of Dertosa in the right sector and the smaller village of Baem in the left hand sector (both provided defensive advantage).  His three units of (regular) melee infantry were spread evenly across his front.  In reserve he had his (regular) cavalry, and one unit each of unreliable missile foot and horse.
Multiflavus had the (disciplined) veteran 1st and 3rd legions posted to the left and right opposite the villages and the new 7th legion in the center.  In reserve he had his (regular) cavalry and the new 8th legion.

The day dawned bright, humid and hot after a tremendous thunder storm the night before.  The priests from both sides claiming the storm was an omen of disaster for the other side.  One of them would prove to be correct.

Multiflavus opened the battle by ordering the 7th legion to advance in the center, only to see them put to flight by Beligerans men.  Not a favorable beginning for the Picenians.  Unfazed, Multiflavus ordered the 8th forward to take their place while he rallied them.  Seeing an opportunity for a quick victory Beligerans ordering his troops in the center forwards to exploit the enemy confusion.  The 8th moved forwards just in time to plug the gap, but the bloody fight that followed left both units spent and falling back from the front.  Beligerans tried and failed to rally his men as Multiflavus led the reformed 7th back into the line.

Beligerans tried to to get his (unreliable) reserve missile infantry to plug the gap but they were carried away by his retreating infantry.  This left a dangerous gap in the center of his line which Multiflavus attempted to exploit by ordering the 7th to advance and attack Baeum in the flank while the 1st attacked from the front.  The attack was not well coordinated however, with the result that the 7th and then the 1st were both repulsed in turn, with the 1st legion being forced to withdraw due to heavy casualties. (I decided that only one attempt per round can be made to move a unit forward from the reserve.  Since the unreliable Luss infantry rolled a one, they were eliminated giving the Picenians an opportunity to launch a flank attack.)

Both sides then sent their cavalry forwards to plug the gaps.  The Picenian cavalry, under Licinius Stolo, victor of the battle of the Anio river, took their place in front of the village of Baem, while Beligerans personally led his cavalry forward in the center where he charged the 7th Legion but was routed.  Beligerans then led his last reserve forward to take their place.

Licinius Stolo then attacked Baeum, but could make no headway.  Beligerans then charged again in the center but his untried cavalry let fly an ineffective volley of arrows and then fled.  A wounded Beligerans only barely managed to escape and join his infantry in the village of Dertosa.  Multiflavus once again attempted to attack Baeum from the front and flank and once again could make no headway.

Seeing the battle slipping away, Beligerans attempted to save the day with an attack on the 3rd Legion.  In an epic fight both sides fought until they could fight no more, but Beligerans had his horse killed and was wounded again.  Thinking he had been slain, his army broke and fled.  The unfortunate Beligerans was captured, and survived his wounds as a result of the excellent care he received from the Picenian surgeons.  Multiflavus was elated, as the defeated Beligerans would be the centerpiece of his upcoming triumph.
Meanwhile, Licinius Stolo launched a relentless and savage pursuit of the defeated Luss, completely destroying what was left of their army.
Three days later Multiflavus made a triumphal entry into Dubrovium, the city had quickly and unconditionally surrendered and thus avoided a sack.  The next two months saw the Picenians take complete control of southern Luss.

A big thanks to Mark for another excellent battle report. Picenia has gained a territory again; will they hold it this time? A lot will depend on the action in the North of Luss, which is, I believe, being played and reported in the near future...

Collaborative Campaign Year 4: Part 2

 Further action from the Year of the Mountain Lion:

Battle of the Mouth of the Ypokos (the B movie)

In response to attacks on Cyraenian merchants by pirates (thought to be of Pylonian origin), a fleet was sent from Therissa (commanded by Praxitos Mytes) to the coast of Pylonia. Fearing an invasion, the God King Hipohap dispatched his own fleet under the command of Admiral Amenemsou. The two fleets met at the mouth of the river Ypokos.

The game was played to give me an excuse to try out Mark's Dominion of the Oar and Ram rules which I believe were posted on Facebook. After a few dummy games, the main event was fought. Regrettably the light was poor, so the pictures are rubbish. Suffice it to say, the larger Cyraenian ships won the day, though Praxitos didn't have it all his own way, and half the Cyraenian fleet was lost.

Murky image of the action, Pylonian fleet to port, Cyraenian to starboard

   

Defeat for Amenemsou

And now for the Main Feature (words and photographs by Mark Cordone)

The battle of the Anio river, or Rullanius, after a nearby villa.

This battle was fought using the Dominion of the Spear rules.  Once again, I only gave the Picenians 10 pts, but they had a good position.
Picenia:  1 disciplined melee infantry (1st Legion), 1 melee infantry (5th legion), 1 melee cavalry, and one each Limitarri missile cavalry and foot (unreliable).
Luss:  4 melee infantry, one missile infantry (slingers) and a melee cavalry.

Having learned of his rivals' victory at Ferentium, Licinius Stolo, commanding the Picenian southern army, decided to give battle so as not to be out done.  He chose a good position along the Anio river.  At this time of year, it was fordable along its entire length and offered a defensive advantage only in melee.  He had to defend a bridge and ford, which neutralized this advantage, but a short way from the bridge in the right sector stood the Rullanius villa which did give an advantage to defense.  Licinius posted 5th legion to defend the ford, and 1st Legion to defend the bridge and villa.  In the center he placed his Limitarri archers.  In reserve he had his regular and limitarri cavalry.
Beligerans was very happy to accept battle. With his much larger force and was very confident of victory.  He posted foot to the left and right and his singers opposite the Picenian archers in the center.  In reserve he had two more bodies of foot and his cavalry.

It was a windy, cool and cloudy day as Beligerans opened the battle with a charge by his foot down the road and over the bridge on his right.  The veterans of the 1st legion easily dealt with them and the survivors fled back down the road and exited the field.  As this was happening the archers and slingers in the center exchanged fire, to little effect at first.

Infuriated, Beligerans sent a second unit of infantry to attack the bridge again, only to see them meet the same fate.  After rallying this unit Beligerans decided to shift his attack and try his luck at the ford.  Both units were spent in heavy fighting and Licinius sent his Limitarri cavalry to shore up the left sector while Beligerans committed his last unit of foot. 
Meanwhile in the center the limitarri arches got the better of the slingers and Beligerans was forced to commit his cavalry to hold the line.

 

At the ford a prolonged combat saw the Limitarri forced to withdraw.  Licinius then charged at the head of his cavalry and swept the Luss foot away, then continued across the ford and up the hill into the flank of the Luss cavalry who broke and fled.

His army shattered, Beligerans was forced to retreat back over the frontier.  Fortunately, the Picenians had suffered heavy casualties and were unable to mount a vigorous pursuit.  Still, it was a decisive victory and once again a smaller Picenian force had defeated a larger Luss army, leaving the promising Luss spring offensive shattered.

Thank you, Mark. Another success for Picenia as the Gods' look with favour once again upon their military endeavours. Will their luck hold? More action is to come from this campaign.

Collaborative Campaign Year 4: Part 1

 Game Year 4 (Year of the Mountain Lion): notes from the Campaign Diary

Campaign Map at the Start of Year of the Mountain Lion

The dice have rattled and the Random Events have been checked:

War continues between Picenia and Luss. A scandal among the elite of Picenia threatens internal security

In Zigura a year of peace follows the successful capture of more territory

There are no further attacks on the Cyraenian Pentapolis, however a fleet has been sent from Therissa to the Pylonian coast after attacks on merchant shipping..

The following background regarding the war between Luss and Picenia, and the latter's civil woes, has been received from Mark Cordone...

Picenia

After the Twin disasters of the previous year, the Senate had appropriated a huge sum to raise six new legions and made Multiflavus Imperetor to command the new army.  He formulated a plan whereby two frontier armies, A northern one under Caius Sulpicius and a southern one under Lucinius Stolo were to contain the Luss while Multiflavus trained the new army and launched an offensive in the fall.  The second and fourth legions were disbanded to form cadres for the new formations while the first Legion along with the new fifth legion was to form the backbone of the Southern army and the third and new sixth would do the same for the Northern army.  The bulk of these armies would be made up of Limitarri (militia) units drawn from all over the Republic.
However, the process was not to be an easy one.
In Agrina, old political rivalries came to the fore when Senator Lucus Paetus (of the Axius family) a retired general of some note, accused Senator Valarius Verres of the Calventius clan, of embezzlement and supplying sub standard equipment to the army after he had managed to win the very lucrative contract to supply the new legions.
A certain amount of graft was normal in situations like this, and Valarius didn't exceed the expected level of corruption, but in the politically charged atmosphere of the times he managed to get enough votes for a trial and subsequent conviction.  Valarius was sentenced to exile to Kartos and his family hit with crippling fines.  The verdict met with predictable levels of political violence between the supporters of both factions.  At first this fell within accepted levels but an incident at the Hippodrome would send things spiraling out of control.  Both families were prominent supporters of two of the racing teams, the Calventius backed the Greens and the Axius the Blues.  During the final race of the annual tournament held each year to commemorate the founding of the Republic Arulius Tatiannis, driving for the Blues, forced Flavius Scarpus, driving for the Greens, into the wall on the final lap.  Flavius was killed, and Arulius won the race.  The ensuing violence in the stands spilled out into the streets and bloody riots followed.  The city guard proved completely incapable of putting an end to the violence, and after the second day a delegation under Senator Galenus went to Multiflavus's camp to seek his aid in putting an end to the violence.  Multiflavus was drilling his new troops at the city of Terrarium ( with it's famous gardens and temple dedicated to the Goddess Marta).  He received the delegation cordially, but indicated that legally, he could do nothing.  He proposed that should the Senate vote him the powers of Dictator, then he could legally act.  Seeing that there was no other choice, the Senate reluctantly convened an emergency session and conferred the title and powers on Multiflavus.  He was now in complete control of the army and government and acted quickly to restore order.  His troops entered the city six days after the riots had begun and within 24 hours they put an end to the violence, but not before more than 6,000 people had lost their lives, and 20% of the city had burned to the ground.
Multiflavus, mindful of his fathers rivalry with general Paetus, then staged a trial in which general Paetus was found guilty of inciting the riots.  He was then exiled Heralion with huge fines to his clan as well, to pay for the damage done during the riots.

Luss:
Beligerans called a council of war in which he and Catacius successfully argued the only way to end the war was to utterly destroy the Picenian armies and sack and burn their cities.  Flushed with victory, the sub kings agreed.  The plan for the spring campaign was for Catacus to mount a large raid deep into Picenian lands to the north, and hopefully draw off troops before Beligerans launched the main effort in the south with the intention of taking Areligno.  At the end of the fourth month of the year of the Mountain Lion Catacius crossed the frontier, to be met by the northern army near the town of Ferentium.

The Battle of Ferentium

After nearly a month of devastating raiding, the northern Picenian army under the command of Caius Sulpicius finally managed to intercept Catacius near the town of Ferentium.  The battle was fought on the 25th day of the fifth month of the year of the Mountain Lion.
It was a fine day for a battle, cool and breezy with a mix of sun and clouds.  Caius drew his army up blocking the road to Ferentium and on the high ground alongside the road where it emerged from an extensive area of woodland.  He had at his disposal his old Legion, the veteran 3rd (disciplined) which he deployed on the road, the new 6th Legion (regulars) on the high ground and a body of Limitarri archers ( regular) to the right of the heights.  In reserve ( unreliable) Limitarri missile cavalry and his regular cavalry as well.  ( To reflect the ad hoc nature of his force I only gave him 10pts of troops)
Catacius had his own elite force, 2 ferocious melee cavalry and one ferocious melee infantry.  The cavalry were deployed in the left and center sectors, the foot in reserve.  His ranks were also swelled by large numbers of unreliable but eager younger tribesmen seeking wealth and glory with a warlord of great renown.  They consisted of A large body of slingers and javelin men posted to the far right in front of the woods and bodies of missile armed foot and hotline reserve.

The battle opened with Catacus's cavalry charging down the road only to be put to flight by the disciplined ranks of the third legion.  As this was happening the archers and slingers on the right began an exchange of missiles that would continue for some time without a decisive result.  As Catacius rallied his cavalry his seasoned foot advanced only to be crushed by the 3rd Legion who then advanced down the road.  They were met by Catacius who led his rallied cavalry in a counter charge.  The resulting bloody combat left both units utterly spent. 

As the combat on the left settled into a lull the Luss cavalry in the center charged up the hill and routed the green 6th Legion.  Having committed the last of his Limitarri to shore up the left sector and continue to block the road, Caius rode among the exhausted men of his old Legion, crying out, "Brave soldiers of the sixth, without you the day is lost!  Will you follow me to death or glory?!". With a great cheer they followed him in a charge up the hill that routed the Luss horseman who had put their comrades in the sixth legion to flight.

As this was happening Catacius led the last of his cavalry forward to plug the gap in his center and sent his green foot to hold the left.

The climax of the battle saw both sides suffer the collapse of a wing, with things finally being decided in the center.  On the left, the Picenian Limitarri advanced, and the Lussation foot men in front of them lost their nerve and fled.  On the right the Luss slingers finally won their duel with the Limitarri archers, who broke and ran.  The victorious Luss then swarmed up the hill taking the third in the flank, but the legioniers calmly formed testudo and repelled the attack.  As this was happening the Limitarri charged the Luss horseman in the center from the flank, and pinning them against the woods, destroyed them.  Brave Catacius, along with his personal guard was slain as they made a desperate last stand.  With his death his army disintegrated, only to be hunted down and slaughtered by the jubilant Picenians.

The first part of the Luss offensive had ended in disaster.  Next we will turn our attention to affairs in the south at the battle of the Anio river.

This game was played using the Dominion of the Spear rules, with the Picenian army having 10pts worth of troops and the Luss 12.  Both sides featured a number of unreliable units, most of whom performed well, except at the end, which likely cost the Luss the battle.

***

Thank you Mark! A success for Picenia, at some cost. We wait with bated breath for the next installment. There may even be a chance that I get to play a game in my creation this weekend - stay tuned...