The Forest Road - Turn II

Situation after the first turn

The start-of-turn-event die lands as a 4, which allows me to move one unit that is in command range of the Roman general, and is not engaged in combat. I take the chance to advance my extreme-left legion, which puts it just two hexes away from the falxmen, so contact can be made in the movement phase of this turn.

I start the movement phase by advancing two of my archer units in the main wood on the Roman right-flank, and put the other archer unit immediately behind the Praetorian Guard.

The single unit of Dacian archers advances a hex.

I advance my commander a hex diagonally right, putting him within command range of one of my units of cavalry, as well as keeping him within command range of all three legions. Since the further-right cavalry are out of command range, I roll three dice to see in which direction I can move them (using the compass at the bottom-right of the map), getting 6, 6, 3, which is satisfactory as I want to move the unit back a hex diagonally right. The other unit of cavalry moves in the same direction.

The five units of Dacian cavalry are next to be activated. They all advance, albeit tending to zigzag, rather than rushing straight down the map.

I leave the Praetorians where they are.

The Dacian swordsmen advance diagonally to their right.

I advance all three legions a hex, which puts the leading unit in contact with the Dacian falxmen, who therefor cannot move.

The left-flank Dacian warriors advance through the trees, putting them in contact with two of my units of legionaries.

The warriors on the hill advance into the hill's rocky ground, and their nearby comrades follow them, mounting the hill.

The melee on the Roman left should prove interesting

The Forest Road - Turn I: Attack Phase

My legionaries get first crack at the enemy

Legionaries need 7+ to score a hit on falxmen, but my forward unit has a -1 modifier for having friends also engaged with the enemy, and another for being adjacent to the commander. However, I roll a disappointing 4.

My other legion in contact with the falxmen only gets one -1 modifier, but I roll 7, forcing the falxmen to retreat two hexes.

No more combats are possible, so that ends the turn

The Forest Road - Turn I

Starting positions

The start-of-turn-event die lands as a 6, which means Roman ballista fire. This entitles me to shoot at the enemy unit furthest down the map and which is not in trees, on high ground, or engaged in combat. That means, in this case, the falxmen, but whatever the target, I need 7+ (with two dice) to score a hit. If a hit is scored, the unit retreats three hexes, ie there is no question of it routing and so being removed from the battlefield. However, this all proves hypothetical as I roll a pair of 1s.

The movement phase begins with my archers, who have an initiative number of 1. I advance two of the units a hex, and leave the third where it is, as forward movement is blocked by friendly units.

Next up, with an initiative number of 2, is the one unit of Dacian archers, and a roll of a die determines it stays where it is.

My cavalry are next, and I move both the units to the foot of East Hill (assuming North is at the top of the map).

Now it is the turn of the AI's five units of cavalry. They all advance, but as they do so they converge towards the centre of the battlefield, creating a distinctly formidable-looking mass.

I advance my Praetorians a hex, but the AI's swordsmen remain where they are at the north edge of the map.

My legionaries advance diagonally left, with two of the units engaging with the falxmen, and at the same time I advance my commander (he can move at any point when Roman units are being activated) to closely support the legions.

The falxmen cannot move as they are engaged, and I have no spearmen, which leaves the three units of Dacian warriors. The unit on East Hill rolls a 6, which means it can launch javelins at a range of two hexes in what would effectively be a bonus attack, but my cavalry are three hexes away, so the warriors have to seethe impotently where they are. The right-flank warriors advance a hex, which is what the rearward left-flank unit wants to do, but its way is blocked.

Unlike in the first scenario, it seems this time blood could be spilt in the very first turn

The Forest Road - Roman Dispositions

Dacian setup

It seems to me my early priorities should be to deal with a) the falxmen, who, although threatening my position, are isolated, and b) the furthest-forward warriors on the other flank.

Accordingly I have placed both cavalry units on my right, as they need only 6+ to score a hit against warriors, and placed my legionaries on the left, who need 7+ against falxmen

The Forest Road

THE second scenario in Mike Lambo's latest boardgame book, Commander - Romans v Dacians, is entitled The Forest Road.

Map

The human leads a Roman force tasked with advancing into heavily defended enemy territory along a forest road.

To win, I must have at least three units within the solid-red outlined area at the top of the map at the end of turn XII.

The AI, which commands the Dacians, receives troops worth at least 40 points, chosen in the usual way by rolling dice.

Die Unit             Cost   Total

2     Cavalry       5pts    5pts

2     Cavalry       5pts    10pts

4     Falxmen      3pts    13pts

2     Cavalry       5pts    18pts

2     Cavalry       5pts    23pts

1     Archers       3pts    26pts

5     Warriors      2pts    28pts

3     Swordsmen 3pts    31pts

6     Warriors      3pts    34pts

6     Warriors      3pts    37pts

2     Cavalry       5pts    42pts

This is very much a cavalry-dominated army, which, if the behaviour of Dacian horsemen in the first scenario is anything to go by, means I need to be prepared for swift assaults from the get-go.

The human receives troops worth at least 38 points, chosen in a similar manner, except that a Roman army always starts with the commander, who costs 5pts.

Die Unit             Cost    Total

-     Commander 5pts     5pts

2    Cavalry        6pts     11pts

1    Archers        3pts     14pts

3    Praetorians  5pts     19pts

5    Legionaries 3pts     22pts

2    Cavalry       6pts     28pts

5    Legionaries 3pts     31pts

5    Legionaries 3pts     34pts

1    Archers        3pts    37pts

1    Archers        3pts    40pts

Just like the Dacian army, my force is two points over the minimum, but I have 10 units, against the AI's 11.

I am pleased to have the Praetorian Guard among my recruits as they did not feature in the first scenario, but  I would have been even more pleased to have received some anti-horse spearmen.

The next step is to place the Dacians on the map, the units' positions determined by dice throws.

Thankfully, from my viewpoint, the Dacian cavalry are near the top of the map, and are fairly spread out across the width of the battlefield, but note the falxmen lurking behind trees near the Roman deployment area (dotted red line at the bottom of the map) 

Pyramids

THINGS Seen In Egypt is not your usual travel book, or, at least, it is not the sort of travel book I usually buy.

True, it qualifies as 'history' - it was published in 1908 - but is not really an account of a single traveller's journey along the Nile and its environs.

Rather, as the title suggests, it is a guide to what visitors can expect to see, and the best ways to do so.

Clive Holland was apparently the pen name of a lawyer who turned to journalism and photography

My edition is a reprint by Forgotten Books - it makes for an interesting read, but the reproduction of the book's many photographs leaves a lot to be desired.

Slingshot 364

THE May/Jun issue of the magazine of the Society of Ancients arrived earlier this month.

Striking cover ...

... and great contents

I find it hard to pick out a 'most-interesting' article, but for me the frontrunners are David Harvey's on a leading (East) Roman general, Mike Maddin's on a Dark Ages battle in 616, and Phil Sabin's on refighting Cunaxa with two of his rulesets.

Battle Of Ulai - Afterthoughts

THREE things stand out.

1. It was an incredibly exciting battle, fittingly decided in combat between the rival monarchs and their immediate entourages.

2. Reg was very fortunate - outrageously so, at times - in his dice-throwing, as he freely and generously admitted afterwards.

3. Open-order archers need debuffing. They are far too potent as things stand.

The last point is the most important, and I must admit I always thought there was a discrepancy in the rules, in that open-order archers and close-order archers both roll one die per base for shooting, even though a unit of the latter obviously represents many more men.

Accordingly, I am reducing the potency of the former by requiring open-order archers (and bow-armed light chariots) to roll a 6, rather than 5+, to score a hit. This, on average, will cut the number of hits by half.

I am also limiting units to one change of direction per turn, so open-order archers, for example, cannot swivel 180°, move 12cm, swivel back 180°, and then shoot. This will also make them much less effective.

We think these changes should prove to be exactly what is required, but only testing will show if this is really so.

Bloodied, but victorious - King Teumman and the surviving Elamites

Battle Of Ulai - Turn Eight

Both armies are down to four units, so the next to lose a unit also loses the battle

Teumman wins the dice-off (3-2) to see who goes first.

His four-base archers shoot at my biblical infantry, inflicting a hit, but it is saved.

The one-base archers nearest my cavalry are unable to shoot from where they stand, but can shoot by advancing to near the summit. However, they fail to score a hit.

The other one-base archers flee towards East Wood, before turning and shooting at my chariots, albeit ineffectively.

King Tuemman's chariots turn and are just able to charge my royal squadron. It is only after committing to this that Reg remembers his chariots count as light in melees, meaning that while they receive one die per base, my heavy chariots get three dice per base. In addition, both sides receive one die per base for being chariots in the first round of combat. My 12 dice produce four hits, while Teumman's eight dice are good for two hits. Two of the Elamite-suffered hits are saved, but a base is lost and the survivors fall back 3cm, albeit passing their compulsory morale test. One of the two hits my men suffered is saved, but the other causes the loss of a base.

Having survived that half-turn, it is now my chance to go for victory

I start with my one-base cavalry, who turn and charge the nearby one-base Elamite archers. The latter pass the terror-induced morale test. In the melee I inflict a hit, but it is saved (Reg rolls yet another 6!). The archers also inflict a hit. It is not saved, but only forces my men back 3cm.

My two-base professional infantry swivel and shoot with half their bases at the Elamite chariots, but unsuccessfully.

My two-base royal chariots charge the three-base Elamite royal chariots. My men's eight dice produce two hits, as do the Elamites' six dice. One of the hits I inflict is saved, and the other forces the Elamite squadron to reel back 3cm. Neither of the hits I suffer is saved, and both are resolved as the loss of a base, eliminating King Ashurbanipal and the royal squadron, and so ending the battle.

Battle Of Ulai - Turn Seven

Situation after six turns

For the third turn running, I win the dice-off (6-1) to decide who goes first.

My chariots charge the left-flank Elamites, who immediately lose a base to the terror rule. In the melee I receive three dice per base, plus another die per base for being chariots in the first round of hand-to-hand fighting. The 12 dice produce three hits, none of which is saved. Two cause the loss of a base, with the survivors falling back 3cm, although both compulsory morale tests are passed. The Elamites' four melee dice inflict one hit, but it is saved.

Under the rules I am able to immediately force another round of combat, this time receiving nine dice, which produce two hits. Neither hit is saved. One causes the loss of a base, and the other forces the remaining base back 3cm, which is just about possible despite friendly chariots being in the way of a direct withdrawal, and the subsequent morale test is again passed. The Elamites inflict no hits in reply.

My one-base cavalry advance 20cm along Ulai Hill and, thanks to a successful 50:50 roll, are able to shoot at the two-base Elamite archers, inflicting a hit, which causes the loss of a base. Despite this sudden attack from behind, the morale of the remaining bowmen holds, meaning the unit is not quite eliminated.

However. my two-base professional infantry turn and shoot at the same Elamites, scoring a hit. It is not saved, but is resolved as forcing the archers to fall back 3cm.

In the melee between my one-base professional infantry and the full-strength Elamite chariot squadron, both sides inflict a hit. Both units fall back 3cm.

Finally, my biblical infantry do their best to close with the right-flank Elamite archers.

I came agonisingly close to destroying a fifth Elamite unit, which would have given my Assyrians victory

Teumman starts by using his chariots to again charge my one-base professional infantry, scoring three hits, while I score none. One of the hits is saved, but one of the others eliminates my unit, meaning the Assyrians too are down to four units.

The one-base archers nearest my cavalry turn and shoot at the horsemen, inflicting a hit. It is not saved, but is resolved as forcing my men back 3cm.

The other one-base Elamites shoot at my chariots, but without effect.

The four-base archers move towards the big wood, but turn and shoot at my biblical infantry, inflicting two hits, neither of which is saved. My men pull back 6cm.

In the real Battle of Ulai, some Elamites fled into a wood, and that looks as if it could happen here