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Monday, February 14, 2022

Battling Phil Sabin

A couple of weeks ago Phil Sabin of (amongst other things) Lost Battles, Simulating War, and The Face of Roman Battle fame, got in touch to ask if I would be interested in trying out a battle remotely. Phil is now retired and living in Chile, which was greatly to our advantage in terms of timezones. His afternoon would be my morning, so we set up a time and date. 

The Battle would be Cannae and the rules Legion II, his revised hex-based grand tactical ancients rules published by the Society of Ancients.

Not having played Legion before, I was a little apprehensive about taking on the designer himself. Thankfully, Phil directed me to a video playthrough 



that gives a good example of the rules in action, and talked me through the main elements of the gameplay before we began.

Being a Lost Battles fan (or bore, depending on how tired people have got of my blabbing on about it!), it was interesting to compare Phil's vision of ancient battle across the two sets of rules. Legion is more granular, but there are quite a few rules that are mirrored in both sets (skirmishers requiring the support of heavier infantry to be effective; the primacy of human factors such as experience and command ability; the inclusion of rules for marching your armies onto the field, and so on). 

Legion may have been new to me but it was, in a word, recognisable. 

Generously, Phil gave me the more interesting side to play, and it was with some excitement that I poured myself a cup of coffee and watched Phil, genius of the Roman Republic, direct his legions onto the field.

He has put up a report of the action on Boardgamegeek, which can be seen here, and is titled Cannae Across the South Pacific


10 comments:

  1. An educational, interesting, and inspirational read. Thanks for posting (it has been far too long since your last appearance) and for providing the link to the account written by the Professor Emeritus and author/designer.

    One is given to wonder if you two might "conspire" to play a long-distance version of Adrianople, providing a technology-driven account of this year's Battle Day?

    Cheers,
    Chris

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  2. Thanks Chris. Yes, it has been a while between posts! Life has just got in the way :) I hadn't thought about doing a remote Adrianople, but yes, I'm sure it would be possible.

    Are you planning on doing something for battle day?

    Cheers,
    Aaron

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  3. Very exciting (to me anyway) I have an old copy of Legion but I found it confusing, while with Lost Battles and with your helpful posts seem more straightforward and more suited for solo play. It would be nice to have a bit more granularity however!

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    1. Hi Tony, Phil is working with Justin Swanton on a possible VASSAL module which would make online player via zoom or similar very easy. If it gets to that point, would be happy to organise a game with you if you'd like to try it.

      Cheers,
      Aaron

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    2. Certainly something to consider Aaron hopefully circumstances down the line will permit it. I have been meaning to continue working on my homebrew set of rules but I've been struggling to get things to progress hobby wise.

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    3. I know how you feel, Tony! Great that you are working on your own set. Always good to have a labour of love on the go. It will be waiting for you when you are ready to pick it up again.

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  4. A great report and Legion II seems like a great set of rules. I have been following Phil's Legion II journey with interest. I have read the reports, downloaded the rules but haven't got up the enthusiasm to create a hex board for the figures. One day... Of course, I have said that about Lost Battles but not played that yet either!

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    1. Yes, it's a bit of a barrier. I'm thinking of just ordering a custom mat when I have a bit of spare dosh...

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  5. Cheers, Aaron.

    I have not made any specific plans re Romans vs Goths and the wagon "fortification." It might be interesting to do a variant though. Something involving different armies and a different century.

    Presently, I am working on a Burgundian vs Swiss "report." I am also looking at another swipe at Murten. Then there is my Spartans vs Vikings ongoing experiment. Add to this a long-delayed solo campaign and a kind of autobiographical effort based in part on your September 10 post about painting and never being able to as well as points from a Gordon Lawrence article in Slingshot.

    As you say though, this "agenda" could be derailed or changed due to Life getting in the way.

    Thanks, too, for tempting me with a Successors contest. I wonder how TRIUMPH would fare with Paraetacene?

    Cheers,
    Chris

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    1. You have an amazing number of projects underway, Chris. I admire your get in and do it spirit!

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