Across The Danube - Setting Up

Here is the relevant spread in the book - scenario-specific rules on the left, battlefield on the right

Close-up of the map, with the turn counter at the bottom - the wheel, with numbers, at bottom-right will be explained when the occasion arises

The first thing to do, apart from placing the turn counter on turn I, is to select the AI's Dacian army, which for this battle has at least 38 points.

Dice are rolled, with a running score kept of the units' total value.

The first die lands as a 3, which means a unit of swordsmen, costing 3pts.

I cut out the counters from the back of the book and mounted them - not always precisely - on 10mm-square steel bases from Products For Wargamers

The meaning of SW is, I hope, obvious, while the bottom left and right figures refer respectively to the number of hexes a unit can move and its attack range.

The top-right figure is the unit's initiative number, used to determine the order in which units move in a turn, and the order in which they attack.

The next die lands as a 2, meaning a unit of cavalry, which costs 5pts, and has the numbers 4-2-1 (initiative-movement-attack range).

Another 2 is rolled, meaning another unit of cavalry, then a 4, falxmen, the unit costing 3pts and having the values 8-1-1.

A 1 means archers, costing 3pts and having the values 2-1-3, followed by a 4, a second unit of falxmen.

The first warriors appear on a roll of 5. They cost just 2pts, and have the values 10-1-1.

Yet another unit of falxmen is activated, bringing their total to three units, and a roll of 2 means a third unit of cavalry.

A 3 brings a second unit of swordsmen, and a 1 a second unit of archers, which takes the cost of the Dacian army to exactly 38pts, and so ending recruitment.

The full Dacian army - 11 units

You may have noticed no 6 was rolled. If it had been, it would, like a 5, have indicated a unit of cheap (2pts) warriors, meaning that this army's contingent of warriors is unusually small, which hints at how the selection process randomises each scenario.

The next step is to place the chosen units on the battlefield, and this is achieved by rolling dice, eg each cavalry unit is placed on one of six hexes (there can never be more than six units of one type) marked C1, C2, etc.

The hex markings do not show up in my images of the battlefield, but this zoom-in shows you what you could see if I were a better photographer

The Dacians in position, mostly on high ground, or sheltering behind trees

The Roman army is selected in a similar manner, except that it always starts with the commander and his entourage/personal bodyguards, the unit costing 5pts.

The commander can move three hexes in a turn (one more than cavalry), and has an attack range of one.

The Roman commander - X for initiative indicates he can move at any point when the Roman army has the initiative (more on that later)

The red three is a reminder that the Roman leader has a command range of three hexes. Friendly units within three hexes are much more likely to do what the general wants.

The human, as well as having a commander, twice has the option during the army selection process of paying extra points to obtain a specific type of unit.

Being completely new to the game, I am not sure how useful this is, and anyway I will not be availing myself of the opportunity in scenario one.

As with the Dacians, I receive at least 38pts, and my first die lands aa a 2, meaning a unit of cavalry, costing 6pts. It can move two hexes a turn, and has the numbers 3-2-1 for initiative, movement and attack range.

A 6 brings a unit of spearmen, costing 3pts, and having the values 9-1-1, and this is followed by a 5, meaning legionaries, also costing 3pts, the unit's numbers being 7-1-1.

I next roll a 4, which also means legionaries, and then two 2s, so two more units of cavalry.

Then a 5 recruits a third unit of legionaries, and a 1 means archers, who cost 3pts, and have the values 1-1-3.

By coincidence, this also brings the Romans to their exact allowance of 38pts

The Roman army - nine units, but with no Praetorian Guard

I now get to set up my forces, each unit starting in a water hex of the Danube at the bottom of the map. Bear in mind that to win the scenario I have to ensure there are no Dacian units below the red line at the end of turn XII.

Lambo's Latest

REGULAR readers of this blog will know I am a big fan of Mike Lambo's solo boardgames, particularly Battles Of Napoleonic Europe.

I was so impressed by BONE hat I took the trouble of converting it into a tabletop wargame, using 10mm miniatures by WoFun, the Hexon II grid system from Kallistra, and simple but effective scenery.

His latest release goes further back in time, to wars between the Roman Empire and Dacia (a sort of expanded Transylvania) at the start of the second century AD.

There are 10 scenarios, with the human acting as the Roman commander in each

In addition to the commander, the human receives an army drawn from units of archers (called sagittarii in the book), cavalry (equites), legionaries, spearmen and Praetorian Guard - yes, the famous elite body of infantrymen.

The guard, originally formed during the republic, played a leading role in the Dacian wars.

The AI commands a Dacian force, usually made up of archers, cavalry, swordsmen, warriors and falxmen, the last being infantry armed with a sickle-like cutting weapon.

The actions of the Dacians are completely controlled by the rules, and, specifically, by throwing dice - the human never has to make a decision for the 'enemy'.

In this series of posts, I intend fighting the book's first scenario, Across The Danube, explaining it in sufficient detail to give what I hope will be a good feel for what the game is about.

It should, in effect, act as a review, as well as help me learn the game - this will be my first time playing it!

Full Force

I AM glad I decided to take stock of my biblical forces as it turns out I have quite a bit more of a collection than I realised.

This is what comes from buying and painting in dribs and drabs, rather than following a plan.

Some troops, eg the bulk of the Egyptians, have such a distinctive appearance that it would be difficult for them to pass as anyone else's.

However most troops, especially open-order archers, slingers and javelinmen, are much more interchangeable.

Here are the unit totals:

Close-order infantry 16

Open-order archers 15.5

Close-order archers 4

Chariots 12

Camels 9

Open-order slingers 6

Auxiliaries 7

Open-order javelinmen 3

Close-order cavalry 2

Open-order cavalry 12

Close-order infantry with spears and bows 3

It seems the one troop-type I am definitely short of is open-order javelinmen, and I am taking steps to rectify that.

I fielded massed chariots at Kadesh, but perhaps a few more squadrons for my collection would also come in handy

Elamites

Archers - nine units in open-order, and one in close-order

The open-order archers could certainly appear in many other biblical-era armies, and the close-order archers in a few.

Nomads?

These 12 units of javelin-armed open-order cavalry are unlikely to get much of a chance to show their stuff in biblical battles

Light cavalry were not much of a thing in the early days of warfare, especially light cavalry armed with javelins rather than bows. Nevertheless they will probably come in handy at some point.

Syrians

Two squadrons of Syrian chariots - suitable allies/vassals for many biblical armies

Hittites

The core of almost any Hittite army: five units of biblical infantry and two squadrons of heavy chariots

Both the infantry and chariotry can be used in other contemporary armies.

Midianites

Front row: four-and-a-half units of open-order archers; middle row: five units of camels and one of slingers; rear row: four units of camels and two of slingers 

These troops can easily be used in the armies of other nations, if only, in the case of camelry, as allies.

Hebrews

Left to right, front row: open-order javelins, three units of slingers, two more units of open-order javelins; middle row: six units of auxiliaries; rear row: five chariot squadrons

The 17 units allow me to field any Hebrew army for Neil Thomas's biblical rules in Ancient & Medieval Wargaming up to the end of the reign of David's son Solomon.

After him, Thomas recommends using the Canaanite & Philistine list for both the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah).

The troops' lack of uniforms, and generally undistinguished clothing, means all the units could easily be fielded in many other Middle Eastern forces without looking out of place.

Egyptians

Left to right, front row: close-order archers, two units of spear-armed biblical infantry, bow-armed chariots, the royal chariot squadron, bow-armed chariots, marine archers; back row: spear-armed biblical infantry, Sherden, marine spears

Egyptian clothing was distinctive, which means, with the exception of the Sherden, none of these troops can stand in as part of other nations' armies.