Luzon Pass - Littoral Commander, Indo-Pacific

I set up scenario two of LC-IP last night to try a solo game. In this situation war has broken out between the US and the PRC. The PRC is trying to force access beyond the First Island Chain; the US is trying to deny that access. 

US marines have landed at Luzon and the islands to the north to defend against a PRC ground force aided by a naval flotilla.  

The marines have four platoons of combat infantry, six sections of long range missiles, six missile defence sections, and a logistics company.

American deployment looking west

The PRC force has four infantry platoons, a light armoured platoon, a heavy weapons platoon, two multiple rocket launch sections and two logistics platoons alongside three destroyers, a frigate and an amphibious assault vessel. 

The US has to defend the line between Luzon and Taiwan; the PRC has to breach it. There are seven turns. 

***

It is hard to do justice to how interesting this game is to play. On top of the units on table, there are also attached force packages, represented by off-table Joint Capability Cards (JCCs). These can represent anything at all, from surveillance drones to special forces troops to submarine attacks to CAP fighters to ballistic missile strikes and just about anything else you can think of. They all have a points cost, and you get to choose which JCCs you will purchase before the game starts. This means that you have a vast range of options for your game strategy.

The game pieces themselves all have a roster card as well, showing hit points, assault ammunition, long range fire ammunition, defensive missile ammunition, logistics replenishment points and so on.

Card rosters for the PLAN ground task-force, with attached JCCs, and various ratings for hits and different types of ammunition, which will be tracked in-game by coloured cubes:

Probably the best way to give a feel for the game is to go through a few turns. 

Turn 1: Initiative is with PRC. They elect to begin by activating Task Force Shanghai, their land-based force. They have three action points to use. One is used to play a JCC (AI-enabled targeting) which will be reusable each turn; and two points to activate both stacks of land units to move one hex each.

The US then activates Task Force New York. With no enemy yet revealed to fire at, they play JCCs only, to get Combat Air Patrol and their own version of AI-enabled targeting onto the table for future use.

The PRC then activates their flotilla, Task Force Beijing, to move. They move wider to try and avoid the US missile umbrella and sneak around to the west and north to exit the First Island Chain.

The US then activates their second task force, Chicago, which is deployed in the island chain offshore. They do nothing, having no revealed enemy to shoot at and no JCCs to play at present.

Turn 2:

Task Force Shanghai plays a Social Media JCC, revealing the whereabouts of the US logistics company and a HIMARS section. A second JCC is played, AI targeting, which is successful, meaning that the effects of decoys can be disregarded. The two MRL systems open fire using their full capacity, for five salvos against the logistics company and one against the HIMARS section.  Missile defence is engaged by the US, with four defensive fires for the logistics company and one for the HIMARS section. One of the PLAN missiles gets through, resulting in a hit on the logistics company. It has two hits remaining.

Task Force Chicago activates. It attempts a fighter attack on two of the PLAN ships, but is nullified by PRC Combat Air Patrol (in the form of a Joint Capability Card). An attack is launched against the missile unit. Of the six attacks initiated, one is successful. There are corresponding reductions in munitions for both sides. The logistics company is concealed so that it cannot be attacked.

Task Force Beijing moves the flotilla; Task Force New York elects to do nothing as all enemy units are either out of range or, if in range, unrevealed.

Flotilla navigates towards the gap while keeping out of range

As you can hopefully see from the samples related above, the turns are interactive. There are moments to lead, moments to wait, moments to intervene, risk-reward calculations to make.  

The pre-planning (in the form of Joint Capability Cards and positioning of on-table forces) means that there are radically different strategies to employ. 

We ended up here with the US being outgunned and out-manouevered. The PRC achieved their objective of getting through the First Island Chain with turns to spare. My assumptions about US ability proved to be overly optimistic, and the pre-battle positioning was accordingly flawed. 

US strength

Strength decimated, enemy passes by

US casualties

I highly recommend the game. It isn't cheap (not that many games are now!) but what is in the box is of excellent quality, and the decisions players are forced to make are of a most visceral quality!

New games

The last month has been a bit wargame-lite. I've gone into a different role at work which has added 75-90 minutes a day in travel / morning prep, so I've spent less time painting and playing and more time looking at boardgames online!

New purchases include:

Littoral Commander Indo-Pacific and Littoral Commander Baltic. These are going to be great additions to the collection. Have played Indo-Pacific once in person with four players and once over VASSAL with two. Plenty to go into with these near-future warfare studies but that's for another time.

Memoir 44 battle map expansions Through Jungle and Desert, Sword of Stalingrad, and Tigers in the Snow. The ready-to-play maps are just so convenient that it would have been criminal not to get them! I have plans afoot for multiplayer games so these will make that goal much simpler.

A Victory Awaits. The great Tetsuya Nakamura's version of Barbarossa on three maps using the A Victory Lost system. I decided to bite the bullet on this - A Victory Lost is still the most fun I've had with a WWII operational game, and while it's a bit tough on the wallet importing this from the States I couldn't allow it to sell out without getting a copy. Will I get to play through the whole thing? Not sure, but I hope so. Also playable one map at a time, so will be good value for solo play.

Lots here (or on the way here) to keep me busy. 

Anyway, just about time to turn in so I can get up bright and early for my commute!

Heraclea with Commands & Colors: Ancients

SP came over the weekend before last and it seemed like a good opportunity to test out the new 10.5cm hex mat.  

I wanted a little terrain but not too much, and the Heraclea scenario from Expansion 2 fit the bill.

From behind the Roman right at set up.

The armies are fairly evenly matched. Both sides have two leaders, one in the centre and another on the right, meaning that the lefts of both armies are, if not weak, at least vulnerable. Pyrrhus has powerful infantry, two units of elephants, a potent cavalry-plus-leader combination to strike from a distance, and light bow infantry.

Laevinus has powerful infantry caught slightly out of position, cavalry with no leader support, and standard light infantry.

Both armies have a hand of five cards.

View from behind the Epirote left.

The battle commenced with the usual jockeying for position and sniping from the missile troops. Playing Pyrrhus, I moved him into the centre left to be more influential. SP moved Laevinus up with his right, but behind the missile troops instead of with the main infantry line. 

What was this threat? I tried to change the focus to the centre.

The lines develop: Romans on the left, Epirotes on the right. Laevinus is visable behind the velites.

A wider angle at the same stage of the fight.

Somewhat afeared of the prospect of Laevinus storming forward against my left, I tried to get the centre forward and into contact as quickly as possible. 

Centres engage.

The central fight was fairly even in terms of units lost, but Pyrrhus had an advantage in positioning, with his forces better concentrated, and with more vulnerable units in range of his forces than Laevinus has in range of his.

Both centres battered after the initial clash there: three banners apiece. 

Centre cards began to run out, so it was time to engage on the right and try to push the Roman cavalry and infantry back into impossible positions. 

Advance on the right to force the Romans back against the river. 

Pyrrhus begins to build a lead as he chews up the Roman left with the help of some good cards and useful dice, 4-3 up, 5-3 up: two more banners to win.

With things at crisis point, SP decides to attack. An I am Spartacus card rejuvenates his chances. 5-4.  Another Pyrrhic turn sees the scores 6-4, with one banner to win. A leadership any section card sees SP try his luck in the centre: another Roman attack destroys one unit, kills Pyrrhus, and is one hit short of destroying another unit after the momentum advance and follow-up attack. The battle back roll kills the Roman: 7-6 to Epirus!

A fitting way the christen the mat, and a great fightback from SP.

War reaches northern Italy, 215 BC

News in from Ian P about the result of a battle between Hannibal Barca and Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus. Hannibal has come over the Alps, bringing with him a mixture of troops including Carthaginian citizes, Numidan cavalry and elephants, Spanish cavalry and foot. How much attrition the elephants and horses have suffered on the march is hard to say. At any rate, there are plenty of Gauls willing to support a man who will lead them against the Romans.

Report from Ian (posted on the Society of Ancients forum): 

So my approach was a little different. I decided on a Roman Army and thought how could they be disadvantaged – not quite the Trebia but they are crossing a ford and not appreciated how close Hannibal is. Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus is of course leading the right wing and has crossed the ford and deployed his troops in a pretty pattern sorry effective Battle formation …

The left wing, being lead by Silanus Punctilious is still crossing the river. At this point I decided to throw an average dice to see how many elephant units Hannibal had got across the Alps and rolled a 2 and wrote up an Army list to equal the Romans. I decided that Hannibal knew where the Romans were and enough about their deployment methods to risk a gamble. He has three divisions and plans to attack at speed. He has stacked the right wing in an attempt to block off the Romans entry / exit point from the Battleground and entrusted this to Maharbal the Numidian and conveniently it will contain the Numidian Cavalry and Elephants as well as two units of Iberian Scutari. Knowing he needs to keep the Roman right busy he has persuaded his Celtic Allies (ever disposable!) to attack Gracchus head on, knowing that, even if defeated, they will do a lot of damage to their opponents. He places a Hasdrubal to oversee this with his Punic cavalry. That leaves Hannibal following up with his main line of Battle hardened Libyans to deliver the coup de grâce if all goes well. 

To return to the Battle

Suddenly the Romans see figures appearing from the treeline in front of them…

(Sorry for distortion but this gives an idea of the overall battleground.)

The Romans win the first move and mostly freeze. Gracchus clearly spluttering in disbelief fails to get his troops actually moving (too busy drying their feet off?) Sempronius, having given orders that washed over the stunned troops has to bellow his orders again to get his wing moving to dry ground but not in any sort of good formation. The Numidians as expected sweep in to box up the Roman Cavalry crashing into the Velites en route who die valiantly but fail to stop the Numidians continuing into the Roman horsemen. The rest of the right wing and Hannibal in the centre advance. On the left wing both Cavalry units get stuck in breaking one opponent and forcing the other back. However the rest of the Celts have clearly had a heavy night of drinking and fail to follow up. However they will do so and well in following turns managing to get the drop on charging the Romans.

However the die is now cast. On the right the Romans struggle against the Celts but slowly dispose of Cavalry and one Waband but lose some units and are left out of position with two of the three warbands now effectively behind their main lines. On the left wing, having seen off the Numidians, the Romans [u]almost[/u] get their line together - The Campanian Legionaries are the unit in limbo at the back. The elephants are the beasts of the Battle as they finish off the Roman Cavalry in front of them and then take two Roman units away from the centre to hold them up leaving the centre far too weak to withstand the hammer blow about to land as Hannibal marches his Libyans into the centre of the Battle.

This is the situation at the end of turn 3 Hannibal has a solid battle line of mostly heavy infantry (light blue) where the Roman line is broken up (red) (In both cases double lines represent two units). The Romans are in real danger of being enveloped so the result from here is inevitable – a victory to Hannibal. 

Many thanks to Ian for another great report for the campaign.

We turn now to the campaign map after the latest actions of Turn 4:

Situation at 215 - 213 BC - Cisalpine Gaul and Greece disputed.

Actions to follow: there will likely be return battles in both areas as Rome and the Achaean League respond to the attacks on their respective territories. 

More to come!

Campaign history

Battle at Megara 213 BC (Med Campaign 12)

A report is in on the Macedonian excursion into Greece. Macedon under Philip V has waded into the confusing mix of political alliances and enmities in Greece proper by supporting the Aetolians against the Achaean League in a bitter struggle for influence. After a demand that Megara demilitarise and accept a Macedonian garrison is rejected, the Macedonians with Aetolian support attempt to bring this about by force. 

The Acheaan League musters troops in response to the threat and the armies meet north of Megara.  

Image attribution: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Achaean_League_192_BC.png

News from the front from John GL:

Hi Aaron

Fought today against Duncan Thompson (DBM).  The dice decided that I would command the Achaians and would be the attacker - bad news, as this pre-emptive strike against the invading Macedonians limited my terrain options.  Duncan placed only gentle hills; I added some rough going but only one patch was on my side of the table.  I would have to attack in the open.

At this date the Achaians are allowed a few pikes (only four elements) and have to rely on thureophoroi and Thracian/Illyrian mercenaries (all Superior Auxilia).  The Macedonians had more cavalry and of course lots more pikes.  The only important terrain was a hill opposite my left flank, and I planned to take this and turn the Macedonians' flank while my cavalry demonstrated on the other wing and my thureophoroi kept the pikes busy in the centre.  

Photo 1 shows the initial moves; the hill at the top of the picture was occupied by Macedonian light troops and then attacked by large numbers of Achaian and Thracian Ax(S).

Picture 5 shows the battle on that hill.  

Eventually the Macedonian forces there were worn down and a general intervened; he was outflanked, attacked by an Achaian general and slain.  His command broke.

In the centre it was a different story; the crisis is shown in Picture 6.  

Macedonian pikemen drove through lines of auxilia and their cavalry slew some more.  The central Achaian command broke, and losses to the other two commands made exactly half their army gone.  So a 9-1 win to the Macedonians.  

I've played Duncan dozens of times at DBM and that's my first outright defeat... good game, anyway.

And so Philip is victorious! Will the Lacedaemonians need to be roused from their slumbers to meet the invader? More to come. 

Campaign History

Attack on Sinope 216 BC (Med Campaign 11)

Jim Webster and friends have enlightened us on the reasons for the sudden appearance of the Kingdom of Pontus as an active player in our campaign. Here is the story:

Campaign Battle

We know from Polybius book 4 that Mithridates II of Pontus had got designs on Sinope.

56 1 Such was the state of affairs in Crete. At the same period Mithridates too went to war with Sinope, and this proved as it were the beginning and first occasion of the misfortunes which finally befell this city. 2 The Sinopeans sent an embassy to Rhodes begging for assistance towards this war and the Rhodians passed a decree to appoint three commissioners and to place in their hands a sum of 140,000 drachmae on receiving which they were to supply the requirements of the Sinopeans. 3 The commissioners got ready ten thousand jars of wine, three hundred talents of prepared hair, a hundred talents of prepared bow-string, a thousand complete suits of armour, three thousand gold pieces, and four catapults with their artillerymen, 4 on receiving which the Sinopean envoys returned home. These things were sent because the Sinopeans were in great dread of Mithridates undertaking the siege of the city by land and sea, and they therefore were making all their preparations with this view. 5 Sinope lies  p435 on the southern shore of the Pontus on the route to the Phasis and is situated on a peninsula running out to the open sea. The neck of this peninsula connecting it with Asia is not more than two stades in width and is absolutely closed by the city which is situated upon it; 6 the rest of the peninsula runs out to the open sea and is flat and affords an easy approach to the town, but on its sea face it is very steep, difficult to anchor off, and with very few approaches from the sea. 7 The Sinopeans were fearful lest Mithridates should lay siege to them by throwing up works on the side of the city next Asia, while at the same time effecting a disembarkation on the opposite side and occupying the flat ground over­looking the city; 8 and consequently they busied themselves with strengthening all round that part of the peninsula which was washed by the sea, blocking up the approaches from the sea by means of stakes and stockades and pla­cing soldiers and stores of missiles at suitable spots, the whole peninsula being of no great size but quite easily defensible by a moderate force.

So the game worked on the following.

It was obvious that landing on the plateau was possible. (Looking at google maps, it wasn’t going to be easy)

Mithridates obviously had access to ships to do it. Pontus controlled the city of Amastris (Its tyrant Eumenes presented the city of Amastris to Ariobarzanes of Pontus in c. 265–260 BC rather than submit it to domination by Heraclea.)

This time Mithridates decided to attack more rapidly before Sinope had started doing defensive works.

I had two maps, one was a plan from ‘Development of the city plan of ancient Sinope: Infrastructure as ideology.’ By Owen Doonan. The plan is credited to Bryer, A. and Winfield, D. 1985: The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos.

Bryer, A. and Winfield, D. 1985: The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos.

The other is a screen shot from google maps.

Over the last few months, at our club we’ve introduced people to DBA. They’re not ‘ancient’ players but are enjoying the rules. So I would do this battle as a multiplayer DBA game with each player having a DBA army. Actually some had more than one.

The defenders were divided into three watches.

1) Miscellaneous Anatolian Mercenaries. 4 Sp, 6 Auxilia, 1 Cv, 1 Ps

2) The Greek mercenaries. 8 Sp, 1 Cav, 1 LH, 2 Ps

3) The citizens. 8 Sp, 2 Cav, 1 LH, 1 Ps.

I counted Mercenary Thureophoroi as Sp in this game as I think it better represented what was going on.

The attackers were divided into three landing sites.

1) North landing. The Galatian mercenaries. 11 warband, 1 Ps

2) East landing. The Greek Mercenaries. 6 Sp, 2 Ax, 3 Bw, 1 Ps

3) South Landing. The other mercenaries. 4Sp, 3Ax, 3Bw, 2 Ps

The Bow were because Pontus always seems to have had them. The Ax were probably dismounted cavalry.

The game started with one base for each landing party appear on the table edge. The Watch on duty was rolled for at random, and this one was queuing at the city gate.

The Sinopean forces were to drive the enemy back into the sea. The Pontic forces wanted to get into the city.

Each move each Pontic player rolled a d6, that was the number of bases who’d scrambled up onto the plateau that move. Each move the Sinopean player rolled a d6 for each watch unmustered to see how many bases arrived at the muster point (the main gate). When a watch left the gate it could move up to 6” in column. But once it deployed, it used Pip dice as normal.

The battle lasted a couple of hours. The first action happened when the troops from the South landing came into contact with the Miscellaneous Anatolian mercenaries. 

The Galatians advancing: three Sinopean commands have the centre ground; the third Pontic command is still plodding towards the fighting.

Mainly due to dice luck, the Pontic forces triumphed comparatively quickly. But we used the rule where you can use pips to hold the demoralised remnants. So whilst the mercenaries broke, they managed to hold the line and slow pursuit. 

Then the Galatians hit the Greek mercenaries whilst on the Sinopean side, the Citizens deployed to face the South landing force. The fighting was tougher but the arrival of the Greek mercenaries from the East Landing meant the Sinopean Greek mercenaries broke.

All three Pontic commands are closing in. One Sinopean command has just broken and the Sinopean citizens are being turned round to cover that flank

Finally the Citizens, trying to withdraw to the city gate were hit by Galatians. Whilst they managed to fend them off, it meant that the troops from the South Landing finally hit them from the other side. The Citizen’s general was pulled from his horse by Pontic psiloi in the city gateway and the now demoralised Citizen contingent surrendered. The city had fallen. 

Many thanks to Jim for this account of how Mithridates II made a name for himself by conquering Sinope and turning his kingdom into a regional power!

The campaign continues.

Campaign history

Mediterranean Campaign, Turn 4, 216 BC (Med Campaign 10)

 With last turn's aggressors driven off, the map has not changed.

Turn 4, however, sees Some unexpected activity - the Kingdom of Pontus has become active, and is now shown on the board by an orange diamond.

216 - Carthage at last moves, no doubt troubled by Rome's venture into Carthage's sphere of influence. Led by a young-go getter called Hannibal, the Carthaginans are welcomed by the Iberians and urged to continue on to attack the Romans, which they cross the Alps to do. Some of the Gauls pledge to support the Carthaginians and Rome must ready itself for another campaign.

215 - Carthage vs Rome in Cisalpine Gaul. Carthage can use Numidians, Iberians, and Gauls to supplement its citizen army.

213 - Macedon attacks Greece after one demand and one arrogant response too many. Will Rome support Greece? Not at this time - they are occupied with their own wars. 

Map of the fourth turn, 216-213 BC.

Campaign History