Little Great War - Prologue

Tensions throughout Europeia had been tightening as the Settee Empire of Turcowaz found itself under increasing pressures from all quarters. They began with the Ruberian expedition up the Pardis River that was only barely defeated a short distance from Sakhdad. There followed a desperate war (First Blacklands War) against former territories whose nascent independence proved insufficient to assuage their hostility towards their former overlords. More recently, a border war against the forces of the Czar, had, after a fine start, stalled after a sharp defeat that wrecked one of the main Turcowaz columns. Accounts of these campaigns may be found elsewhere in this blog spot.

Meanwhile Turcowaz had found a powerful ally in Azuria, itself having a long history of conflicts against its mortal foe, the Kingdom of Ruberia. Certain rivalries of trade, manufactures and primary production had long threatened to tip the Pax Europeia into all out war. We need not here go very far into the immediate causes, except to suggest that the rapprochement between the President of the Republic and the Sultan did much, if not to light the match, then to fan the flame.

Azuria and Hellenic scout ships approaching a
strait between islands Serifos and Snifnos

One of the first acts of Azurian goodwill was to send a great part of its Mesogesian fleet to visit Ionople. It was in this little mission that a 'bit player' in the recent conflicts chose to show its own displeasure. Any attempt, quoth the King Constantine's ambassador to Lutetia, by the Azurian fleet to contact the Supreme Door, would be opposed by the Hellenic fleet authorised to use force to prevent it.

Georgios Averof's opening salvo scores a hit!

Disinclined, as usual, to accept the dictates of any power, let alone the yapping of a newly created nation of no great size, wealth or strength, Azuria went ahead with its expedition. Rounding the Peloponnese without incident, the fleet entered the Aegisean Sea, the ironclad battleship Amiral Duperre scouting ahead. About to pass through the strait between the islands of Serifos and Snifnos, observers aboard Amiral Duperre discerned smoke upon the northeast horizon. The approaching smoke resolved itself into a steamship, a warship, withal, and finally to the formidable armoured cruiser Georgios Averof.

Ouch: Amiral Duperre takes a hit in the bows.

Ignoring the Hellenic vessel's signals to stop and/or turn about, the Azuria vessel ploughed on. At last, Georgios Averof loosed its final warning: a well aimed salvo that struck the Duperre in the bows. At once, the battleship swung off 60 degrees to starboard and began to engage the Hellenic vessel with its entire main armament. The battle was on.

At long range, Amiral Duperre 'crosses the T'.

Before continuing further, we'll outline the comparative strengths of the war ships. Although quite disparate classes, and Amiral Duperre was a much older vessel, they were something of a match.

Azuria:
Amiral Duperre - Ironclad Battleship
Flotation: 12FP, withdraw when FP reduced to 4.
Main armament 13.4", range 6 hexes:
Broadside - 5/4/3/2/2/1/-/-
Forward only - 3/3/2/2/1/1/-/-
Aft only - 2/1/1/1/1/-/-/-
Secondary armament 6.4" and 5.4", range 4 hexes:
Broadside only - 8/6/4/2/-/-/-/-
Torpedoes: 4TT

Hellenia:
Georgios Averof - Armoured Cruiser
Flotation: 12FP, withdraw when FP reduced to 4.
Main armament 12", range 6 hexes:
Broadside - 6/5/4/3/2/1/-/-
Forward or Aft: - 3/3/2/2/1/1/-/-
Secondary, 7.5", range 4 hexes:
Broadside only: 4/3/2/1

Superb gunnery on both sides, but the Azurian is 
formidable! Averof takes a hammering.

As the range closed, the fire grew deadlier with increased accuracy. But, formidable as the battle cruiser's gunnery was, the training aboard the ironclad would have won prizes. Georgios took a terrible hammering; its speed reduced by damage to its screws.

The tale of damage: four criticals on Averof to one
on Duperre. The damage to the former's motive 
power is the most serious.

With such a 'passing of honours', the combatants drew somewhat apart. Amiral Duperre completed a turn about to bring it closer to its own fleet, and in the hope of drawing Georgios Averof after it. After a bit, and spotting dense smoke far to the southwest, the latter vessel rather thought better of it. Georgios Averof began to reverse course, but, its speed badly impaired began to apprehend that its retrograde move had begun too late.

Averof takes a second hit to its drive shafts and screws

This was not helped by a second hit received under its counter that reduced its speed still further. 

It was very fortunate that the rest of the Hellenic fleet was also in the offing. Would it arrive in time to haul Georgios Averof out of the maelstrom - or, indeed , to exact a revenge upon the Azuran fleet? 
We'll leave the narrative here for next time... 

The main fleets arrive at the same time. How that happened
will be accounted next time...

Imagi-Nations - Work in Progress

What I've been doing lately - instead of writing up my latest 'Chubby Marine' naval battle.

Khevenhuller Dragoons and Nadasti Hussars now have their bases flocked...

Batthany Dragoons newly painted. I've added a squadron of chevauleger using Airfix RHA mounted officers on spare Revell horses.

The mounted arm in the service of the Principality of Ursaminor. They - or at least something very similar - have occasionally been seen in the service of the Reine d'Oro Royalists in the Gatonegro War of Independence.

Ursaminor foot. These were painted well over 25 years ago to create an army for my daughter, Ursula. I added to it about 10 years ago.

Additional units (5th and 6th Foot) in Ursaminor service. I have added a second Grenadier Battalion HQ. The 6 line infantry may then be organised as 8 battalions, 6 line and 2 grenadier.

Ursaminor militia battalions, and artillery. The nearer militia battalion was created out of some Airfix Imperial Guard (horrible figures, but they made OK militia. The other was made from selected figures from an American War of Independence set - manufacture unknown (to me).

Latest paint job: Palffy Hussars in Imperial service. 

Two units that have been adapted for service with the Landgravate of Hessen-Rohr - Cuirassiers and Uhlans.

Some of the horse and all the guns in the service of Altmark-Uberheim. 

A final pic of the Palffy Hussars. I wonder if my new phone has a flash...

W still very much in P, but the light at the end of the tunnel is looking a deal brighter!

 

'Byzantiad' - Further Tests

Further to play testing 'my' 'Portable' rule set for my 'Byzantiad' campaign in my 10x10 square-grid table, I ran three more battles. The Pechenegs were doing very well. Was that due to an inherent bias in the rule set (unlikely), an inherent bias in the army balances (I was more concerned they might favour the Byzantines), or was I playing one side very badly (or the other supremely well)? Battles Three and Four need not detain us long, apart from the pretty pictures: the Pechenegs won both.

Battle Three:

This one was pretty close, but the Byzantines exhausted themselves first. 

The Byzantines began well enough. Pushing the left-hand skoutatos unit well forward into the faces of the Kagan's elite horse archers, the akontistai javelin men penetrated the wood flanking the enemy. This ought to have been decisive. The Pecheneg heavy horse were driven back, but the Byzantines failed to destroy them.

Meanwhile, the Pechenegs enveloped the Byzantine right, and were able to develop the superior force on this wing. Early exchanges were fairly level, and the Byzantines even began to edge back the enemy light horse.

But the Byzantines were becoming the more worn down. The skoutatoi and akontistai were decisively defeated (terrible luck, this!), and although the battered Byzantine right chased away a unit of light horse, there were plenty more to take their place.

In a final 'throw of the dice', the peltastoi (loose-order spearmen), took on a troop of war wagons. The dice tell the story: no damage to the war wagons or their crews, whilst the 4SP of the spearmen were reduced to 1SP. The conclusion to be drawn from this - although the rolls were a little bit extreme - is that the War Wagons are bally near invulnerable. Sure, they can not initiate of themselves a close combat, but they don't need to.

The upshot is that I have reduced the War Wagon SP to 3 only - 3 'hits' to kill; 3 combat dice for shooting and close combat. That will make them quite formidable enough, thank you very much! In 'compensation' for the 'loss' of 2SP, the Pechenegs will get another light horse unit. The 'Byzantines' presenting the standard 9 units for this table, equalising the Strength Points will give the Pechenegs 11.

Battle Four:

When this battle was fought, I had not yet determined upon the 3SP war wagons. In this one, the Pechenegs placed most of their horse to the right of the village, bringing forward the war wagons, together with a horse archer flank guard, to the left of the place. For their part, the bulk of the Byzantine horse were there to face the mounted Pechenegs.

I have an idea that the ideas of a certain Vegetius Renatus might subliminally been at work here, massing the Byzantine horse of the left. Maybe. However four units were facing six, with very little advantage to the Byzantines for their weight. The Byzantine heavy horse get +1 for close combat only, and none for shooting. I have a feeling that the +1 for 'shooting before contact' ought to be appropriate. Although less well protected at a distance, the light horse are nippier, and possibly harder to hit. Maybe.

And then, of course, the opening archery exchanges drive the point home: the horse archers knock 1SP from two of the Byzantine cavalry, and force the remainder of one of them to retreat. In reply, the Byzantines chase of one of those pesky enemy units. More likely, the Pechenegs simply took themselves out of range.

Ouch!

The Byzantines are doing well here!

In the above picture, we see the Byzantines giving a pretty good account of themselves following the opening setbacks. Assailed by a unit of horse archers, the Byzantine toxotai bowmen flatten their assailants in short order, but at the cost of a strength point. In the distance, the Byzantine army commander drives off his enemy counterpart (the +1 for army commanders cancel each other out). Five Strength points of Pechenegs bite the dust  - and two whole units - for just 2SP from the Byzantines.

It didn't last. The cavalry of both sides were badly worn down, with little remaining as the battle drew to a close. On the weaker wings, the Byzantine prokoursatores took on double their numbers, which soon became three times their numbers in the mutual blood-letting. 

As a final act, the skoutatoi once again took on a war wagon, with a result more doleful than the previous go. The exchange of archery did some damage to the war wagons, but before the skoutatoi could get to within spear length, the whole unit was obliterated. 

Yet another Byzantine defeat.

Battle Five:

For this battle, the Strategos of the Byzantines changed slightly his methods. Clearly, the usual formation of infantry in the centre and cavalry on the wings simply left the Byzantine cavalry at the mercy of superior numbers of Pechenegs, whilst the foot-sloggers looked on.

On the other hand, the (my) Pecheneg method of massing most of the horse on one wing, holding the centre with war wagons and keeping a small flank guard on the other wing seemed so far to be a pretty effective formula.

For a change, I looked to the method associated with the Praecepta of Nikephorus II Phocas. Translated to this war game format, this spread the infantry across the front, leaving intervals for the cavalry, between infantry blocks and on the wings. The effect of this was to bring the foot units more reliably into the action.

This layout did not prevent the Pechenegs outflanking the Byzantine line. My rule set does not permit the deployment of any but light troops (light horse and 'psiloi' types) in the two columns of grid cells on either flank. That leaves the 6 centre columns in which to deploy the heavies. This is great for the Pechenegs, 7 units out of 10 (soon to be 8 out of 11 with the SP change to the war wagons) being light horse. The Byzantines have one light horse unit (lance-and-bow armed prokoursatores), and one light foot (javelin armed akontistai).

As expected, having won an early initiative, the Pecheneg line curled around the Byzantine left, committing the left hand Byzantine horse. At the same time the left-wing unit of skoutatoi found themselves assailed front and flank. 

I think at this point one ought to codify carefully what happens with flank attacks. Units should shoot directly in front only. If close assaulted front and flank, the defending unit gets the full combat dice allocation, and may divide them between opponents, not more than half being directed against the flank attack. Of course, the enemy get all the dice coming to them.

So a skoutatos unit facing a light horse attack front and flank is in real trouble, but might get lucky and chase off the enemy. So it happened here. The skoutatoi lost heavily - 1SP - but they handed out a few licks of their own.

Although the light horse has some success with their flanking manoeuvre, the prokoursatores drove back their immediate adversaries, and began pushing them into the rear of their embattled comrades.

Although they lost half their number, the Byzantine light horse chased the enemy well to the rear of the Pecheneg lines. The weakened kavallarioi also managed to force back their opponents, and relieve the flank of the skoutatoi.

This left the skoutatoi vulnerable once again on the flanks, but they wiped out the light horse immediately to their front.

 

Gradually the Byzantines were forcing back the Pechenegs on their left front. Meanwhile, the centre and on the other wing a stand-off prevailed whilst affairs were settled on the embattled flank. A unit of kavallarioi was brought over to help out the remains of the prokoursatores, and shortly afterwards, the peltastoi in the centre and the Strategos himself began to insert themselves into the struggle on the wing. The Byzantines evinced no special desire to try conclusions against war wagons, and the javelin men in the village seemed to offer an effective enough flank guard against the Pecheneg lights.

Fact is, the way the activation dice were running, neither side was getting enough to start anything funny in this part of the field.
 

With the reinforcement of the left wing, the Byzantines began a push and a drive that was eventually to force the Pechenegs from the field.

Not that the Byzantines had it all their own way. The Pechenegs had one more attempt to flank the line. Seeing this off, the blue-pennon kavallarioi cleared the skoutatoi left flank. These gentry had in the meantime chased the Pecheneg heavy horse up and over the rise in front of them 

 The final pictures show the Byzantine drive on the left wing, followed by a general Pecheneg retreat following on from that defeat. But before departing, the horse archers had one last fling.

Just as a weakened light horse unit collapsed in rout, another weak unit boldly attacked the Strategos's cavalry. It achieved success! One SP lopped of the elite horse, but the Strategos himself survived unhurt. The Pecheneg horse disappeared.

So ended Battle Five: a clear cut Byzantine victory. It was close enough fought 9 Pecheneg SP lost against 5 or 6 Byzantine. After the string of Pecheneg successes this was perhaps something of a relief.

A few small issues did crop up.
1. At the moment I think the +1 for the heavy cavalry solely in close combat is insufficient differentiation by weight. I've decided to add +1 in the heavy cavalry's 'shooting before contact' against light horse.

2. Although the 'shooting before contact' is easy to remember and administer (retreats being applied immediately, and not after the close combat phase), it is tempting simply to conflate the s-before-c and close combat, by adding one die (only) to units so capable in the single combat roll. Having said that, under the present system, an attacking unit whose shooting before contact forces a retreat may follow up to re-engage in the same way as allowed by such success in the close combat. However, only the assaulting unit may follow up. 

3. Units assaulted (not merely shot at) in flank turn and face provided there is no enemy in contact in front. A unit merely in the grid area in front does not count as being 'in contact'. One or other side will have to encroach across a grid area side (That is to say: one or other has initiated a close assault) to count as being in contact.

3. War wagons are now 3SP, not 4.

4. Note that javelin armed units don't do 'distant shooting', but are capable of 'shooting before contact'.

Suggested Provincial Byzantine and Pecheneg Raiding Force lists for a 10-square base line gridded table:

Provincial Byzantine: 

1 x Strategos (1SP, added to kavallarios unit to which attached)
4 x kavallarioi heavy cavalry @ 2SP (i.e. 2 stands) = 8SP
1 x prokoursatores light horse (lance, bow) = 2SP
2 x skoutatoi protected bowmen @4SP = 8SP
1 x peltastoi loose order spearmen (spear, javelins) = 4SP
1 x akontistai light infantry (javelins) = 2SP

9 units, 25SP including Strategos.
Exhausted on -9SP; rout on -13SP

Pecheneg Raiding Force:

1 x Kagan (1SP, added to the heavy horse archer unit)
1 x heavy horse archers = 2SP
8 x light horse archers @2SP = 16SP
2 x war wagons @3SP = 6SP

11 units, 25SP, including war leader
Exhausted on -9; rout on -13SP.

Byzantiad - 'Doing the Math'

A couple of moves into a recent battle between 
Byzantine and Pecheneg. The Byzantines began well, but 
were defeated in a bloody battle, losing 10SPs to 7.

 Lately I have been play testing my prototype 'Byzantiad' rule set for larger gridded tables (hex or square). The recent battles have featured Byzantines versus Pechenegs - and I'm here to tell you, the Pechenegs have been doing very well!

So well, withal, that I have had to take a long look at my combat factors and the mathematics of the combat mechanics. This has led to considerable changes. We'll start with the 'Stats Chart':

The Byzantine heavy cavalry units comprised 300 men (theoretically, of course) - 180 lances and 120 archers arranged in 5 ranks. At 1 figure to 50 men, that gives us a 6-figure, 2-stand unit.  The exception is the unit of kataphraktoi (klibanophoroi, according to most sources, but I prefer the nomenclature of Nikephoros II). This unit formed a trapezoid something over 500 strong. Rounded, this allows us a 4SP unit. At the Battle of Silistria, the Emperor John Tzimiskes fielded two units of such kataphraktoi (as distinct from the heavy kavallarioi), but they were each only about 380-odd strong. I daresay I could split my unit into two separate wedges of 2SP each!

Now, this list fits in with the rule set I have in mind. This could be played on a field 6x6 or larger of squares, or a field of hexagons instead. Note that in the above list, distance is determined in 'squares', but hexagons is implied if played on a hex field.

This will be a kind of hybrid Portable Wargames/ Command & Colours set, using my system of combat resolution. We'll start with this. In combat, roll as many dice per unit as its Strength Points. The results to be:

1 = hit on artillery, vehicles, war wagons, fortifications, naval or camp.
2 = hit on cavalry (optional retreat or SP loss)
3 = hit on cavalry
4 = hit on infantry (optional retreat or SP loss)
5 = hit on infantry
6 = hit on infantry

Now, though theoretically the Byzantines at least fielded artillery, they don't actually feature in my armies. However, my Pechenegs will have at least one war wagon, probably two for a DBA-sized game (12 units a side). 

• Each unit rolls 1D6 per SP for all shooting and close combat. 
• A general with a separate stand accompanying the unit adds 1SP for combat, and 1SP for the unit.
• A general integral to the unit adds 1SP for combat only.
• The number of combat dice might be added to or subtracted according to target or circumstance.

There have been one or two gaps and areas to play test, lately.

1. Artillery:

I have given the artillery just 1SP. One imagines that if any enemy actually makes contact with them, they wouldn't last long. But even just 1SP shooting at long range is likely to do some damage before the enemy get close. However, it may turn out to be desirable to add +1 to shooting at all but light troops (foot or horse).

2.  Unit Activation System:

I have extended the Portable Wargame unit activation system.  After rolling for initiative for each IGoUGo turn, the side moving rolls for the number of units that may do something
1 = median -2
2 = median -1
3 = median
4 = median
5 = median +1 
6 = median +2 
The result, if an army has, say, 12 units, is that it may move anything from 4 to 8 units, depending on the roll.                          

3.  Close Combat:

...is initiated by moving the front of a unit to overlap a grid area containing an enemy. This counts as moving 1 grid area. If the combat remains unresolved at the end of the turn, it continues to be fought out in subsequent turns unless and until one or other side breaks off, is destroyed or retreats. The idea behind this is the notion of 'holding attacks' to pin the enemy down and/or to gain time to bring up reserves. The foot troops in particular are suited for this role; less so the horse.

An attacking unit may follow up if the enemy retreats or is destroyed, and engage a second time in the same move. Whether the same opponent or a fresh one, there is no 'shooting before contact' for either side.

An attacking unit forced to retreat retires not only to the square it is attacking from but to the square behind it (you could think of it as retreating one-and-a-bit squares).

4. Size of Mounted Units:

At just 2SP, the horse will be pretty fragile for the most part, especially compared with close order foot. This is experimental, but I am hoping it will lead to more 'realistic' handling and effects.                                                                                        

Extra double-stands to be added to the other 
red and blue-shield units.

5. Shooting Ranges:

I have considered extending the shooting range for foot bows (any) and war wagons out to 2 squares (read 'hexes' if using a hex grid). However, I'm inclined to think that the action will be reduced to distance shooting only, with no one getting to close quarter grips. So no change - but something one might choose to experiment with.

I have added 'Naval' who who might want to field galleys or dromons upon a waterway flanking (or, in the case of an opposed landing, say, or a 'Turnus at the ships' scenario in rear of) one's army. Mounted bows shoot out to 1 square only. Javelins 'shoot' only when about to engage in close combat (i.e. 'shoot before contact').

6. Army sizes:

The army sizes are tailored towards the size of the battlefield. I suggest that broadly speaking, the number of units should not exceed the number of 'squares' along a base line. However, in drawing up an army for a set unit count, one might find a considerable disparity to the Strength Points (SPs). One army - usually that with fewer SPs - may adjust the number of units to equalise the SPs.

In my recent battles, the Byzantine Provincial Army has been represented by 9 units, at 25SPs (counting the 1SP commander). At nine units (1 heavy cavalry with army commander, 6 light horse archers and 2 war wagons) the Pecheneg army comes out with 4 fewer SPs (21 - this is counting the War Wagons as 3SP) than the Byzantine. So the Pechenegs get a seventh and eighth light horse archer unit. 

These battles have been fought on my 10x10 square grid, for which the 9-unit standard seems to have been a good 'fit'. The standard army size for my hex-grid table will be 12 units (though the Pechenegs will more than likely have 14!)

Here are pics from a couple of battles fought between these two armies (the first two of five). You will find the same 3 terrain pieces on my 10x10 square-grid board - a village, a woodland and a hill. They were rearraged (more or less randomly) for each battle.

Battle One:

Two moves in, the prokoursatores contact Pecheneg
light horse archers...

... where forensically precise horse archery wipes
out the entire Byzantine light horse unit (threes required: job done)

Pecheneg left wing versus Byzantine right

Heavy losses on both sides, but Byzantines can't 
quite make up for that opening disaster

Fierce fighting, both sides taking hits...

...but the embattled Byzantine right wing is crumbling...

The exhausted Byzantines draw off in good order...

A decisive Pecheneg victory, though a costly one: Pechenegs lose 7SP, the Byzantines 10.

Battle Two:

Opening moves: Pechenegs push war wagons to the fore

Byzantines seize the ridge, and occupy the woods

Pechenegs engage the whole of the 
Byzantine right and centre... 

The centre foot unit's archery scatters the horse archers, but the Pechenegs get much the better of the cavalry fight: two SP hits and two retreats for nothing.

Byzantine horse under heavy pressure

Byzantine counter attack does some damage

Mutual blood-letting...

The Byzantines get slightly the better of a drawn battle, losing 8SP but inflicting 10SP in the Pechenegs.

Next time: 3 more battles...