More Civil War

Alan, John and I played another game of our Roman Civil Wars game this week with To The Strongest

As much as we enjoyed our previous games at 250 points, the table felt rather crowded with no room to manoeuvre. We scaled this game down to 150 points (which was hard!) and the additional space really enabled turning movements, flank actions and break aways. It also added space for more terrain, making light troops far more effective in rough terrain dotted around the battlefield and breaking up big formations of legionaries.

The additional space really allowed the game to more dynamic and break up around the terrain

For games at 250 points with additional players on both sides, we are guessing another 50% table space would be give the same experience.

I learned a few additional points of the rules, especially in terms of Missile fire priorities. Clever use of light forces can really draw fire away from the main line - must remember that for medieval era games when facing longbows! 

Back in the ancient era, the effective use of missile troops continues to elude us. We also keep forgetting that ancient cavalry are javelin throwing units best used for screening and exploitation, NOT lance carrying shock cavalry or Panzers!

Also, the impacts of trying to flank and having the 'victims' turn to face and applying a ZOC- this forces the formerly flanking unit to either turn to face in turn (and attack) or retire directly to its rear, shattering the impetus of the intended movement. Lesson is to leave a square between if you want greater surety of slipping past to savage the enemy rear. Or better yet, have another of your units to its front

All that said the game look great, but we felt equally frustrated at the turn of the cards so it must be well balanced!

Thanks for hosting us again Alan, and for another epic feast!

Battle of the Fallen Eagle

So excited were Alan and I to see our Civil War project realised earlier this week, that we even got a second game in: superb! Joined by mates Marty (my Co-Consul) and John (duped into an alliance with Pompey)- the game was afoot.

Consul John - unwitting pawn to the perfidious Pompey

After I had won initiative and advanced with march move, Alan's first turn started inauspiciously when his centre command's group move failed with the dreaded Ace card, allowing me to steal 2 moves on him and press him hard with my veteran legions. It was at this exact moment that he knocked over the standard bearer model of Pompey Magus's command stand, breaking off the Eagle standard! A terrible omen indeed, and soldiers are known to be a superstitious bunch...

Nemesis accepts Caesar's offerings and strikes a deadly blow to Pompean morale

Marty and I thrust our whole line ahead fast, pushing hard to keep the initiative and restrict their options. Admittedly, Alan and John's cards didn't give them many anyway. Under Caesar's watchful eye, the legions clashed in the centre, pinning Alan against his baggage elements. 

No Mercy for Traitors!!!

My right flank was comprised mostly of Cavalry, both Roman equites and Gallic tribal, who gave ground when pressed by enemy foot troops. This traded space for time, and kept John's troops away from the main event in the centre. My left flank, Commanded by Marty, faced Pompey himself, who was pushing hard to force a flanking manoeuvre but again just didn't get the cards to be able to seize the opportunities.

Consul Marty holding the left flank well against Pompey 

Meanwhile, the grind in the centre continued, Alan continuing to loose units and committing his reserve of raw legions against my broadly undaunted veterans. 

"Push forward in the Centre - Attack! Onward to Victory!"

With their centre collapsing (and my being up 8 VPs to 1 at this point), the Pompean forces conceded the field and retired.

Caesar's veterans grind forward into Pompey's raw legions
(Alan modelled the new recruits sans armour to display their lack of preparedness - very cool)

The auguries were poor for Pompey Magnus this day and his army's morale never recovered from the incident of the Fallen Eagle (reflected by some very unfortunate cards it must be said). Meanwhile, Caesar gave thanks and libations to Fortuna and Mars for this glorious Victory!

We give you joy of our Victory!

Pompey Tristis and John...in absentia

A throughly enjoyable game in which our knowledge of TTS is growing and use of strategums adds a bit of unknown fun. I was pretty happy with how my strong centre formation with veterans and Brilliant General (that is, the leadership figure with a 3 square redraw advantage as opposed to me!) is working. Not much finesse to it, but it is historically correct as Ceasar often tried to rapidly force a result, relying on his veterans before Pompey's usually larger force and superior cavalry ground him down.

Thanks again Alan for hosting us all to a great evening of culinary delights, tabletop fun and camaraderie!

A Civil War 4 years in the making

Legionaries of Caesar and Pompey clash!

Today Alan and I finally got to play our first Roman Civil War game: Caesar vs Pompey! The first figs were bought in 2020 after which we were disrupted by job changes, moving house, a pandemic and a bold  decision to change rules and basing part way through the project.

Alea iacta est!

After all that it was great to fill the table with 28mm figs!  Many of these figs were painted across a few seasons of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge in the intervening years. We started with two starter boxes of the Warlord Plastic Caesarian Army and added to them over the years with pretty much every manufacturer we could find: Aventine, Foundry, 1stCorps, Relic, Baueda, Debris of War and even some old Wargames Factory figs. 

From little things, big things grow

We initially chose Infamy Infamy as our rules (which were newly released at the time) but as our vision and appetites grew we switched to To The Strongest for larger, table spanning games, which we are really enjoying in other periods- mainly Dark Ages.

Tabletop Megalomaniac!

My force is that of Caesar, focusing on his veterans from the Gallic Wars and campaigns in Britannia. It also includes tribal allies to swell the ranks, especially in cavalry where Caesar was traditionally short in comparison.

Alan's force represents that of the vile (though possibly more legally justifiable) pretender Pompey and includes a range of different support units with an Eastern flavour, such as Cretan archers and Hellenic Thyreophoroi spearmen, to represent his territories and recruiting regions.

Alan's army is characterised by his amazing handpainted shields and lavish attention to detail across every unit. His ability to tell stories through his dynamic basing is quite remarkable and the pics just don't do them justice.

When asked to comment on his army, Alan simply stated "it is very impressive and invincible". He is a Commander of few words, respecting only Victory enjoyed with a cup of fine wine.

Of course that is my unit with the dreaded Ace card next to it...

Let the Bellum Civile commence!

To the Strongest: Punic Wars

Slowpainter John and I enjoyed our first game of To the Strongest this week- club mate Gav hosted us and put on a massive table's worth of 15mm Punic Wars for us. Sporting a few thousand figures it was quite something to behold and shows that even in this day of cheaper plastic 28s, 15mm still has something to offer as a scale in terms of 'the massed battle look'.

Army wise John and I played the Reublican Romans with a core of 4 Legions and 2 Allied Legions, some Allied Cavalry and a small ala of Roman Horse.  Arrayed against us was a colourfully diverse group with everything from Gallic tribesman to Carthaginan Heavy Horse to no less than nine War Elephants.  All laid out on 12 foot or so of table, it was an impressive layout.

Republican Romans drawn up for Battle

Commander of the "COVID 11th Legion" - a resilient fellow!

I've watched Gavin build these two armies over the last year with great interest, and to be honest the odd needling about the extra attention he lavishes upon his beloved Carthaginians :-) Some of the details he puts into the elite units is really impressive.

Carthaginian Heavy Horse with wonderfully painted shields

We used To the Strongest by Simon Miller (of Big Red Bat Cave blog fame) which I have read something of but never seen in the flesh.

There are numerous reviews about the net so I wont go into specifics here other than to say its a gridded game that aims to play big games fast.  While we had a few questions and didnt get everything right, I quite liked the flow, and use of chits to give a 'push your luck - diminishing returns' feel

Elephants advance under cover of skirmishers - very imposing!

At this point I got involved in learning the rules and thus forgot the camera - broadly the Roman skirmishers won the screening battle, allowing the Romans to seize the initiative and start to advance in the centre. Meanwhile the Carthaginians were pushing the cavalry engagements on the flanks were they outmatched the Romans.

Skirmishers and Blades form a barrier to repel the elephants and the Carthagnian centre is desperately weakened

Seizing the initiative, the Legions advance strongly in the centre

One of the things I liked about the setup of the Romans is that each line is a single hit unit, unlike their enemies. However, on activation, the lines can exchange to volley pila from the fresh rank - giving a very thematic feel to using them. In contrast, the Carthaginian units felt more robust but less flexible/trained.

Roman allied cavalry on the left flank seeing off their Numidan harassers

Cavalry clash on the Roman right

Gaul horse finished off the smaller Roman ala

A Roman Legion advances before their flank can be turned, destroying their enemy

Like dominoes, the Carthaginian centre and left flank dissolve - Roma Victor!

It was a simple meeting engagement, but What did I like about the rules?

• Quick Play, even with thousands of figures.
• The battle felt like I had Command but not Control, reminding me quite a bit of General D'Armee 
• Liked the chit system (vice dice) for diminishing returns
• Different units felt and fought differently but without additional complexity

And 15mm offered a great massed battle look...I just don't want to paint them!

That said, I can see that for some ancient types it could bog down quickly where armies are very similar - this had been Gavin's experience to date with linear Hoplite battles. For this and many other periods though, I would be keen to try them again - perhaps with a view to our stalled Civil War project which I am keen to reignite. 

Thanks Gavin for the great game and for sharing such a wonderful table and set of armies. Thank you to my Co-Consul Slowpainter John - with our Victory, re-election for next year is all but assured!