An audible feast

There was a poll recently on the Society of Ancients forum about whether members listen to wargaming podcasts while they are painting. Curiously enough - and perhaps proving once and for all that we are indeed crusty, cantakerous old coots - most of us said no, or not much.

I suspect that if the question had been more general - do you listen to podcasts of one type or another while painting, say - the answers might have been different. 

For myself, I don't listen to wargaming podcasts at all. When it comes to wargaming, I prefer the written word. I also enjoy the occasional accompanying map, illustrative graphic, apposite picture, or short, sharp, how-to youtube video, but for me reading works best: it allows me to control at what pace and level I engage with the content. 

Listening to wargaming chat (unless one is taking part in it) strikes me as a bit boring and a bit distracting. I don't think I could listen to it properly while painting, nor paint properly while listening. 

I've tried history podcasts, and had the same issue. Either the inner critic engages or else I switch off and then come to finding I can't remember what they've been talking about.

What has worked for me in the past is lectures. I had a great series on noteable Greeks and Romans that I would listen to on repeat while painting. Sadly, the format I had them in is no longer current (and besides, it was in another country). 

But what does work for me at the moment is the marvellous Mary Beard. I signed up to Audible a few months ago, found it to be not really my medium, and exited. But I had a few credits to use before I left, so on a whim I grabbed a couple of Mary Beard audible books. 

I have of course seen some of her documentaries and read SPQR, but I hadn't thought about her being a good accompaniment to painting Greek light horse.

Well, I started listening to the audiobook version of her Emperor of Rome the other night while doing the dishes. You have to love Mary - she reads the book herself. It turns out I could listen to her all day, part of the evening, and even when I paint.

If you don't know her, I would recommend checking her out. She is an absolute treasure. Quirky but carefully considered narrative structures capture your interest, and she presents familiar material in new ways, finding parallels you hadn't thought of, or approaching things from angles which surprise. You shouldn't expect military focus, but you will get great, thoughtful storytelling. 

Anyway, consider her Prufrock-endorsed!

  

Clusium 225 BC with Commands and Colors: Ancients.

I've had a hankering to play some C&C: Ancients recently. I went for a Gallic scenario, Clusium (or Faesulae as it's also known) 225 BC, pitting Gauls against Romans in the decade before the 2nd Punic War commenced.

While describing ongoing Roman / Gallic struggles for power in Italy, Polybius tells us that in the year 232, during the consulship of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, the Romans divided Picenum, previously a territory controlled by the Senones, amongst its own citizens.

Gaius Flaminius was the originator of this popular policy, which we must pronounce to have been, one may say, the first step in the demoralization of the populace, as well as the cause of the war with the Gauls which followed. 9 For what prompted many of the Gauls and especially the Boii, whose territory bordered on that of Rome, to take action was the conviction that now the Romans no longer made war on them for the sake of supremacy and sovereignty, but with a view to their total expulsion and extermination. (Polybius's Histories, 2.21)

Against this backdrop of Roman expansionism the Boii and Insubres made common cause with 'Gaesatae' tribes dwelling in the Alps and near the Rhone to make war on the Romans. Not needing too much convincing, this coalition gathered a combined force of 50,000 foot and 20,000 cavalry and chariots under the command of the kings Concolitanus and Aneroëstus and prepared to descend on Etruria. Fearing the consequences of such an incursion, Rome sent a Consul to Ariminium, a Praetor to Etruria, and levied troops both citizen and allied. 

On every side there was a ready disposition to help in every possible way; 12 for the inhabitants of Italy, terror-struck by the invasion of the Gauls, no longer thought of themselves as the allies of Rome or regarded this war as undertaken to establish Roman supremacy, but every man considered that the peril was descending on himself and his own city and country. (Polybius's Histories, 2.23)

The Praetor in Etruria appears to have been commanding allies from the Sabines and Etruscans, presumably in addition to whatever citizen force he led. This force amounted to 4000 cavalry and above 50,000 foot, says Polybius. The rest of the Roman troops were with the Consuls Lucius Amelius in Ariminium and Gaius Atilius in Sardinia. In reserve was a force stationed in Rome itself.

The Gallic army made its way through Etruria, laying waste the countryside and gathering spoils. Three days march from Rome, at the town of Clusium, the unnamed Praetor caught up with them. The Gauls left cavalry in a forward position and retreated north overnight towards the town of Faesulae, seemingly hoping to draw the Roman force into a rash assault.  

According to Polybius the Romans moved on the cavalry at daybreak, at which point the rest of the Gallic force 'left their position' and attacked. The Romans had the worst of it, losing some 6000 men in casualties, and the rest fled to a nearby hill, where they made a stand and drove off the pursuing Gauls. It had been a long day: too fatigued to continue the attack, the Gauls settled in for the night and waited for what the next day would bring.

As it turned out, the next day brought the arrival of Lucius Amelius and his consular army. He had force-marched from Ariminium to bring assistance to his countrymen. Seeing the campfires of the newcomers, the Gauls held a council of war and decided to move north, taking their booty with them. 

Rome had been given a bloody nose, but Lucius Amelius's timely arrival had warded off further immediate danger.

So where was Clusium? If you look at the map below, draw an imaginary line between Volsinii and Arretium, then find Perusia and draw another imaginary line due west. Where those two lines intersect is about the site of the town. 

Link to map.

The Commands and Colors scenario presents us with the first day's battle. With not a lot to go on in the ancient sources, the scenario is necessarily just an impression of events. The map below shows the terrain and dispositions.

Map taken from the commandsandcolors.net site.

The Gauls have a numerical advantage but they are positionally compromised: there is a camp forward of their main line, garrisoned by cavalry only, and their forces are scattered. The Romans are formed in a solid line with a formidable centre of medium infantry and leaders supported by a heavy infantry reserve. If the Romans can take the camp hexes it will yield a victory banner, and their proximity to the central ridge also gives them first opportunity to take the high ground should they want it.

Both sides have five cards in their hands, and the game is played to six banners. At first glance it appears to be quite a balanced scenario, with the central tension being whether the Gauls can coordinate their forces well enough to challenge a Roman advance through the centre.

The Gauls move first. 

The battlefield at game start, viewed from the Roman side.

The Gauls begin by pulling back one of the exposed cavalry units to the right centre, moving a leader to join them, and advancing a unit of auxiliaries towards the closest camp hex. The plan is to have leaders positioned to make use of the initial card hand and to provide options for attack on both ends of the Gallic line.

The Romans use a Move-Fire-Move card to drive off another unit of cavalry from the camp, occupy a camp hex, and take the hill on their right centre.

The Gauls use an Order Two Units Centre card to get their auxiliaries into a camp hex and the last of the vulnerable cavalry out of the way.

The Romans use a Coordinated Attack card to bring the Heavy infantry into contact with the main line and reinforce both flanks. 

So far there are no losses on either side.

 

The situation after two card plays each.

The Gauls pull out a big play - an Inspired Right Leadership card, which they use to attack the auxiliaries and light infantry of the Roman left. A combination of missile and melee attacks damage two units and force the left to retreat. 

The Romans respond with a Double Time card. They bring forward their centre, occupy another camp hex, and attack the lead units. There are casualties on both sides, but no banners are taken as yet. The auxiliaries in the last camp hex under Gallic control fight hard and hold on despite taking heavy losses.

The situation after the Roman Double Time play.

An Order Medium Troops played by the Gauls brings warriors and cavalry into action. Attacks on the Roman position on the hill are futile, resulting in more damage to the attackers than the defenders, but on the other flank the Gauls destroy a unit of medium infantry and an auxiliary unit to take two banners, damage but can't finish off another medium infantry unit, and drive the light infantry back to the Roman baseline.

The unnamed Praetor and his assistants survey the damage.

The Praetor does not need to survey too long: a Clash of Shields card is produced, allowing all Roman units adjacent to Gallic units to melee with plus 2 dice! The Gallic groan is audible. Two units are destroyed, and three others take damage, but it could have been worse. Banners are even at two each, but the Romans have now occupied the last camp hex, so will gain an extra banner next turn unless dislodged.

After the Clash of Shields. How you like that, as Blackpink might say.

Gallic plans have gone awry. With few good options, a Double Time is used to activate the weakened warriors on the Gallic right to drive forward against the light infantry on the Roman baseline. It is a 'pick off the vulnerable' and 'distract the enemy' move, but it gets the warriors out of immediate danger, evens up the score to 3-3, and gives the Romans something to think about. 

The unnamed Praetor uses a Line Command to keep the pressure on in the centre where the Gallic cavalry has nowhere to retreat to, but is not able to add any further banners to the tally. 

The Romans press forward against the vulnerable Gallic centre. Note the warriors in the foreground who have pushed through to the Roman baseline.

The Gauls have some good cards, but given that they need to destroy three units in the next turn or two, they go for immediate effect - an Order Four Units Left which they use to attack the Romans on the hill. They kill off the auxiliary infantry, and drive off the cavalry, but can only take one block off the light infantry. 4-3 to the Gauls.

 

The Gauls are on the hill and the Romans are disordered, but the Gallic centre is pushed back right to the baseline and has no room to retreat.

The question now for the Romans is what cards they have in their hand. With vulnerable units across the board, there is a sense of urgency. They play an Order Medium Troops: it gives options to get the three banners needed for victory. 

Cavalry is moved into position to attack the warrior unit in the Roman rear; the centre moves forward to threaten the weakened unit in the woods and the cavalry on the Gallic baseline. Lastly, the medium infantry is activated on the hill. 

The first attack is against the warrior infantry. Two hits are needed, or else a hit and a retreat, which can then be followed up with another attack. Disastrously, only one hit is scored, and no retreat is rolled. The warriors battle back, forcing the cavalry off the map. 5-3 to the Gauls!

The next option is the centre. The unit of weakened medium infantry attacks the auxiliary unit in the woods. One hit needed; two dice. Success! 5-4 to the Gauls. The Roman medium infantry with leader attack a unit of medium cavalry on the baseline. If they succeed, they can use their leader to advance into the emptied hex and attack again. The result? Two retreats. The cavalry are forced off the board. 5-5. The leader and unit advance into the gap, and attack the chariots to their left. 

Attack to come - how will it go?

A roll of two light (green) hits is good enough! 6-5 to Rome. 

A good final roll!

And in a reversal of the historical result it is a victory for the unnamed Praetor.

Board at game end.

The win was a good example of the Commands and Colors: Ancients principle of playing what is in front of you. A conservative play by the Romans on the final turn may well have cost them the battle; but you never quite know. In this case they took the risk and it paid off. 

The cards played each turn, in order, Gauls to the left.

It was a most enjoyable game. I had hoped by this time to be able to play with figures on the 4 inch mat I ordered some time ago, but as it has not yet arrived, I decided to just go ahead and play with the board game version. 

To close, I must salute, once more, the great Richard Borg, designer of not only this superb game, but a superb family of the things. He is a legend of the hobby! 

Greek cavalry and Successor elephants done.

And together at last! Thebans and hamippoi from Xyston along with a test pair of the Potbelly Miniatures Successor jumbos (sans towers).

 

There's nothing negative to be said about Xyston, and the Potbelly models were good to work with. I do fear for the pikes, as the 3d printed plastic is quite brittle. To replace them was going to cause problems as well, so I decided to leave them be and if they break I will cross that bridge when I come to it. It would be great to have the option to order them with open hands, but they are very good value and take paint nicely. They are a little larger than your usual 15mm Indian elephant, but they should look good on the table and on the whole I am very pleased with them.

A new approach to painting.

As a painter, I've tended to be one of those people who works in big batches. In my case it has made for periods of great progress followed by long fallow patches. Having just come out of a fallow patch that, for various reasons, lasted about five years, I've been wondering if it's time to change my approach.

Back in May I took stock of the leadpile and thought about what I was going to do with all these figures I had yet to paint. Was I going to give up further progress as a bad job and start selling things off or was I going to get back on the metaphorical horse? I wondered if I could set myself a goal of painting two figures a day until the end of the year. If I could do that, I thought, it would give me a) more figures to game with and b) a potential way to move forward with the rest of the unpainted collection.

As per usual, my default was to go into big-batch mode. I got about 80 foot painted, and then started on a large cavalry lot, which I have just finished. All of this of course requires decision-making at scale, time spent prepping in large numbers, and then painting one or two steps a session (64 spears in brown, 32 tunic base colours in light grey, 32 in a variety of others, etc...) until the batch is finished.

What this means in practice is my hobby space is completely taken up with prepped figures, paints, bits and pieces, and the sense that you are on a big job. You can't, for example, set up an evening game if you feel like it, because to do so would require you to pack everything away to clear space, play the game, and then put everything back out again.

So I decided to try a new approach. For the moment, I'm calling it 'four for now'. Four to a base is how my infantry figures are organised for painting, so why not just do four figures to (almost) completion in a session? You see immediate progress, you shorten the time frame for playable numbers, and you can do it all in a much a smaller space footprint. I can store prepped figures elsewhere, so when I want to play a game, I can. 

I suppose the idea is to make painting less of an all-or-nothing thing, so that I can work on getting through the figures I have but without making it all-consuming, and by making painting something I am always doing in little bits. 

My first 'four for now'. Washes, base painting and shield patterns to come when I'm up to bigger numbers.

We'll see how long I last!