{"id":8205,"date":"2023-10-14T10:00:17","date_gmt":"2023-10-14T09:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brigademodels.co.uk\/mws\/blog\/?p=8205"},"modified":"2023-10-13T17:45:38","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T16:45:38","slug":"the-roman-empire-strikes-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brigademodels.co.uk\/mws\/blog\/2023\/10\/14\/the-roman-empire-strikes-back\/","title":{"rendered":"The (Roman) Empire Strikes Back"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A \u2018Massed\u2019 28mm Skirmish Game Report, by Peter Merritt<\/em><\/p>\n

Background<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Somewhere in Germany, \u00a9 1st<\/sup> century AD, after the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest\u2026.<\/p>\n

The original idea behind the game was how to stage an increasingly large-scale \u2018skirmish\u2019 using quite a few very nice early imperial 28mm figures which I had acquired via eBay. Although it started off as 1:1 scale, the idea (and collection) soon grew so that we could actually stage larger conflicts but still retain some of the unique tactical flavour associated with each very different side. To achieve this in a fast, playable form, I turned once again to a fabulous old hybrid board\/figure game, \u201cStar Wars Epic Duels\u201d by Hasbro (see links at the end).<\/p>\n

THE GAME SYSTEM<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The key features of this design are that each player controls a small team, with one main character (say, Darth Vader), plus one or two little helpers (Stormtroopers in Vader\u2019s case). Normal movement is fairly standard, although some variability is introduced by means of a die roll. However, the design really scores because teams also get a dedicated pack of cards<\/em><\/strong> which are used for both combat and any unique \u2018special abilities\u2019 \u2013 such an elegant, simple way to reflect widely varying attributes, and without resorting to thick books of charts and +\/- tables!<\/p>\n

Although the original Star Wars game was very 1:1 oriented scale-wise (and thus fitted extremely well with early LOTR games featuring the Fellowship), I have also adapted the concept in the past to much larger affairs, with masses of Orcs, Wargs etc vs varying amounts of opposition from the Riders of Rohan. Whilst having so many figures would render a normal \u2018skirmish\u2019 unmanageable, by nominating so-many groups per player turn this can both speed-up the playing cycle and reflect the rather hap-hazard nature of combat before the advent of truly drilled and ordered units in the later gunpowder era. But to retain an element of massed if not co-ordinated movement, a simple movement rule addition allows an \u2018active\u2019 unit to also drag along a number of those adjacent groups, sometimes more so if enhanced by a special card.<\/p>\n

I really cannot stress how much the use of such dedicated card packs adds so much to the \u2018period flavour\u2019 of the game, hopefully reflecting the different combat options and other unique actions of the various Roman forces \u2013 legionaries, auxiliaries and stirrup-less cavalry \u2013 vs the massed ranks of fearsome tribesmen.<\/p>\n

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Roman Cavalry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For example, the Barbarians can gain advantage by deliberately sacrificing figures in massed attacks or an \u2018active\u2019 leader dragging one or more adjacent ones with him (at some personal risk).<\/p>\n

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Barbarian Druid and Warriors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the other side, the Legion ability to reorganise and their close-in pilum-throwing are deadly. Whilst your immediate choice of tactics may always be affected by the cards in your hand, like any \u2018real\u2019 historical combat, victory will go to the side which can maximise their peculiar advantages whilst exploiting the weaknesses of the enemy.<\/p>\n

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Legions advance with skirmisher support<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each turn consists of two phases per player, movement then two actions (Romans can do in any order, Barbies guys must move then do one action). Normal movement uses a grid or in this case 4\u201d hex cloth and a die roll to generate movement points; however, some \u2018special moves\u2019 via certain cards are also possible, such as reorganising all adjacent bases adjacent to a standard-bearer, or signalling an ambush! Play alternates in a random manner between one Roman then one Barbie group (hex), so it can be that not everyone is quite in the right place at the right time. This has had interesting effects in multi-player games, as the \u2018current\u2019 player can choose which groups to \u2018activate\u2019 \u2013 including any previously organised by a colleague! Finally, once a group has been activated and finished it can only thereafter defend itself until either (a) all players have moved, or (b) the current player uses their turn to \u2018rally\u2019 their forces rather than move\/fight, removing 1d3 active markers from units\/groups. This was especially useful in the game as it allowed for maintaining a degree of offensive.<\/p>\n

Combat was computed by hex vs hex, with a small list of +\/- factors. Factors were either \u2018straight\u2019 card numbers or \u2018specials\u2019 which could seriously affect your day. Things like \u2018arrow shower\u2019 or \u2018pilum charge\u2019 will be long-remembered\u2026 Hits were then converted to actual kills (removing a base), or \u2018disorder\u2019. The latter sounds easy but units with too much disorder were then increasingly rendered ineffective and vulnerable to a follow-up assault \u2013 thus the advantage of having a 2nd<\/sup> wave or reserve handy to blow-away that otherwise formidable unit.<\/p>\n

As we had long departed the original 1:1 skirmish idea, the figures were organised with four figures per base for the regular Legion or close-order Auxiliaries, and single-figure \u2018clouds\u2019 for skirmishers. Roman heavy units\/groups were normally 4-6x bases, which fitted very nicely in a 4\u201d hex! To me, this looked about right for a typical 80 to 90 man century. For the Barbarians, many of the figures I had were already on massed bases, so 2-3 of these constituted a \u2018unit\u2019 in one hex. Especially nice were the chariot units which their creator had turned into mini dioramas \u2013 the sort of thing which makes our toy soldier games a real pleasure, especially as you\u2019re getting hammered into the ground.<\/p>\n

Speaking of the games\u2026.<\/p>\n

HOW DID IT GO?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>In the end I had two players fool- I mean, kind and raring to give this experimental version of the system a go, so I thought that they would be best deployed together as the Roman forces with me running a large but disorganised Barbarian opposition (this also fits my style of generalship). I had long decided on an overall plan (\u201cOk, men \u2013 go get \u2018em!\u201d), which as sole umpire made it easy for me to both control events and make a hopefully convincing \u2018fist\u2019 of a tough time.<\/p>\n

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Opening shot of initial deployments, with beautiful chariots to the fore!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The scenario, such as it was, had a Roman punitive column probing the territory of the German tribes near the frontier of Gaul, trying to establish if another major incursion was being prepared. As such, Eric and Mark were suitably impressed by the initial set-up with the Romans marching on and suddenly facing an edge-to-edge arc of extremely unfriendly-looking tribesmen.<\/p>\n

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The hairy barbarian battle line<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, although it certainly had the appearance<\/em> of a tidal wave of terror about to engulf them, they gradually began to discern one of the key differences between the armies \u2013 the Roman organisation meant that units acted (fairly) smoothly in concert, whereas the Barbarian units were much more, ah, \u2018individualistic\u2019 let\u2019s say, requiring frantic interventions by leaders to get any sort of co-ordinated action!<\/p>\n

Early-on the chariot units thundered in from each flank, creating some wobbly moments for the Roman generals as they overran some outlying auxiliary units and routed a cavalry force which had scouted slightly too far ahead.<\/p>\n

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Roman Cavalry on their way to a messy end<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These chariot units \u2013 especially using their rapid speed and special attacks \u2013 surprised everyone (including me!), and ended their initial run threatening the flanks of two Legionary units in the centre.<\/p>\n

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Chariots and escort<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With no support to hand, however, the chariot attacks tended to run out of steam as they approached the main line, and as primarily offensive units, Eric quickly marshalled enough counter-force to ensure that they soon took so much disorder that they effectively fell apart. This was repeated on the Roman right flank by Mark, although the chariots here came in in waves (mainly due to terrain, not my planning), and thus caused a few sweaty turns as Mark\u2019s forces had to keep an eye on their own flanks. The downside for the Barbarian efforts was that the sweeping to and fro of chariots tended to block some warband units from advancing together (not that there was much risk of this as it turned out!).<\/p>\n

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Barbarian centre begins its ‘lunge to destiny’ (ignoring the left flank)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By now the Roman players were getting into both the system and the specific opportunities afforded by each card in the deck, so tactics and plans started to get more \u2018subtle\u2019 (as befits the early Empire?!). So it was that what should have been the main Barbie \u2018follow-up\u2019 punch by the full weight of centre warbands quickly disintegrated into a hap-hazard race towards the solidifying Roman line! True, several auxiliary units were overwhelmed or brushed aside, but the Legion, with a few awkward moments, held their ground and developed a really nasty-looking right-hook\u2026<\/p>\n

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As the Roman centre and left hold, the Roman right advance begins to advance…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the central slog developed and the Barbarian flanks signally failed to get their act together (the chieftain\/leaders were a might busy at this point, making some awful activation rolls or, err, dying at really inconvenient moments), it was then that two key factors began to sway the tide of battle:<\/p>\n