Friday, November 15, 2024

Legion and Galley

 

Mark Cordone's 'Hoplite' strategic game, including as it does a naval aspect, was enough to distract me from the naval projects I had already going. It led to my building rival fleets of galleys, which might be those of historical Athens and Sparta, or perhaps of the imaginary Ionian Thalassocracy against Opforia. But, as i don't have any Greek armies, methought to translate the whole concept a few centuries and to another part of the Mediterranean Sea.

So lets have a Roman Civil War: The Optimates (the 'Best') against the Populares (supporters of the People). 

Above, the rival fleets have grown to 8 vessels apiece. The latest units are slightly larger than the original dozen. The nearer row is that of the Populares.

Red shield legionaries and 'star shield' auxiliaries and light troops of the Populares.


White shield legionaries and the green and blue shields of the light troops belong to the Optimates.

A tentative strategic map, with the Populares centred around Italy and Rome. The Optimates have armies in Africa, Spain and Gallia Narbonensus.
This little article is by way of a foreshadowing. I'll be reverting  back for the time being to my Jono's World navies for the next posting or two.

24 comments:

  1. Archduke Piccolo,

    This is looking very, very interesting … and I love your model ships, figures, and hand-drawn illustration! I can hardly contain my anticipation for seeing this campaign unfold!

    All the best,

    Bob

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    1. Bob -
      Judging by the number of comments this post has already attracted, I might be forced to visit this campaign a deal sooner. The irony is that, again following Mark's original ideas, I had already looked at the Caesar vs Pompey thing, and had even sketched out some 3x3 battlefields (based on the historical, e.g. Pharsalus). But I never really 'got into it'.

      I'll see what I can do to re-jigger my programme...
      Cheers,
      Ion

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  2. Your ships look wonderful with all their colourful sails.

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    1. Peter -
      Now I'll just have to figure out how to differentiate wa-hoo's wa-hoo! The were rather fun, and fairly quick to make, once I figured out a satisfactory method of doing the oars.
      Cheers,
      Ion

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    2. Maybe the generals for each faction could be Pompeus Minimus and Julius Cesarian? Or Marcus Sullinus and Marius Marius? 😁

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    3. Mark -
      I was thinking Julius Geezer on the one side, and, Gnaeus Pompompolus (or something similar) Junior in Spain. But one of Caesar's commanders was a Gaius Curio - a name so good it just has to stand as is (he seems to have had real military ability, but, after a good beginning, got too cocky in Africa). If I stay with historical commanders, I have the dramatis personnae all ready. The Gnaeus Pompey will in fact be the Minimus (Junior) version, since the Maximus had gone east.
      That, of course, is a whole other campaign.
      Cheers,
      Ion

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  3. Ohh! This looks good! Looking forward to seeing this one!

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    Replies
    1. Mark -
      I blame you. You keep coming up with ideas and notions that catch the eye, and the imagination as well. I'm not overfond of resisting temptation - and this time, I didn't.
      Regards,
      Ion

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  4. Very interesting campaign, like the ships and troops, they look superb. Looking forward to seeing it unfold.

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    1. Donnie -
      The way things are looking, I might just have to make it unfold!
      Thanks for the comments on the ships and troops. The Romans I have had for years, even before I adapted them for DBA about 30years ago. But I never did build the British Opfor for them.
      Cheers, Ion

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  5. Lovely Galleys Ion, and Airfix Romans are always good to see!

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    1. Maudlin Jack -
      Thank you! I bought the Romans - 6 boxes, the entire shop's stock at the time - 40-odd years ago. The enemy were meant to be Airfix Britons, but do you think they would ever appear in a Wellington Model Shop? Oh well. Maybe they'll get some employment this time.
      I wish I had kept the chariots, though. Very careless with those...
      Cheers,
      Ion

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  6. Superb work on the galleys, love the Romans and the illustration is just brilliant:)!

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    1. Steve J.
      I just happened to have that 'illumination' from when I was looking at a series on the Roman Civil War (without the fleets) a year or two back. But somehow I seem to have created at least the beginnings of a self-contained game.
      Cheers,
      Ion

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  7. That is a neat idea, lovely ship models too.

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    1. Martin -
      One thing that was gratifying to learn was that both sides did have (small) fleets of galleys in the Western Med. Of course, the coming campaign will be more or less fictitious, to the extent of my wondering whether to use historical characters or fictitious ones. Julius Geezer, anyone? Gnaeus Pompadopolus?
      I will probably stick with Julieus Caesar and Gnaeus Pompey, though...
      Cheers,
      Ion

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  8. A great idea, with the appropriate toys and a backstory. Well done!

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    1. Cheers, pancerni -
      Well, the thing seems to interesting to readers of this blog! But it's a nice little self contained project.
      Regards,
      Ion

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  9. Those fleets look very impressive Ion. Well done 👏👏
    I like your Airfix Romans too. Will the Roman chariot ever make an appearance? I don’t know why Airfix included it in the box, as some cavalry would have been soooo much more useful.
    Your artwork is, as expected, exquisite. Quite humorous, yet all wargamers can recognise exactly what the figures represent.
    Cheers,
    Geoff

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    Replies
    1. Geoff -
      Thanks for your comments. Chariots: yes. I wish like hang that I'd kept those. Chariot races. Didn't cross my mind. I think some of the horses fetched up as cavalry. They are top-half Airfix Romans, bottom half Airfix 7th Cavalry.
      Some of the Roman figures got round shields and became auxiliaries and velites. I did make an artillery piece, but it looks like a siege weapon instead of a field piece. That I might revisit, and place in the army of the Populares.
      Cheers,
      Ion

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  10. Replies
    1. Neil -
      Thank you! They are more Greek than Roman in appearance, which actually was my intention, but I reckon they will do. And then I absent-mindedly made a SPQR sail (quite a nice one, too, which, sadly, will remain unused).

      I'm just wondering if need round ships - transport vessels. I have just materials enough for two....
      Cheers,
      Ion

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  11. Lovely ships, and seriously nostalgia provoking Romans…[can it REALLY be 50 years since those same models fought my first wargames on the bedspread at home??!!]
    Excellent to see them, and looking forward to the campaign, when it reaches ‘front burner’ position 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

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    1. Martin -
      Judging by the enthusiastic responses so far, this campaign is likely to reach the front burner sooner than I had intended. I'm just finishing off the galley fleets with some merchant vessels for either troop transports or logistic support.
      Cheers,
      Ion

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