'Byzantium' - Heads Up

Yes, yes, I know: I should be writing up my 'Shiloh' narrative. I have made a little bit of a start, but a long way to go yet.

The first play test battle, seen from the Rus point of view

Meanwhile, I thought it high time to revisit my 10x10 'Byzantiad' project, about which I posted some articles about April last year (2025). I wanted to polish up the rule set I had been putting together.  There was also a combat mechanic that occurred to me at the time, but which I thought might put the Byzantine skoutatoi - 'protected bowmen' as I styled them - at some disadvantage against the spearmen of the Rus.

My original idea was that both units had 4 Strength Points, but the skoutatoi could shoot; but the spearmen got an extra die for close combat.  The idea that had occurred to me was that instead of counting all 4SPs for shooting and close combat, the skoutatoi counted two SP only for both, although the unit as a whole still counts 4SP. Instead of adding a die for the spearmen, they would count their standard rate (1 die per SP). I was a little concerned that such a scheme would leave the Byzantine foot outclassed, but wanted to see how it would go. Note that the same consideration limits the kataphraktos archery to 2SP only, but they do count the full 4SP for close combat.

So I tried it out. The results were startling, to say the least - and not in the way I had apprehended. Three battles the Byzantine Imperial Army has taken on the Rus, for three crushing victories. The dice haven't been kind to the Rus, but even so, I would not have anticipated the level of drubbing they've taken. The first battle was pretty bloody, but the Rus were routed for a loss of 14SP against the Byzantine loss of 7. Two more battles have been equally decisive.

All the battles have standardised in 25 Strength Points, on a 10x10 square-mesh grid. One SP is for the Army Commander, the remainder for the types of troops. The number of units to the army varies, the Rus fielding just 7 (on account of all their 4SP spearmen), the standard Byzantine army, 9. But, as the imperial army includes the 12-figure kataphraktoi (a.k.a. klibanophoroi), the SP equivalent of 2 cavalry (kavallarioi) units, the army I used for play testing fielded 8 units only.

Rus army. Two units have seized a ridge line...

The Rus:

1 x Command element (mounted) = 1SP 
1 x cavalry unit: 'Charging Cavalry' = 2SP
5 x Spearmen @ 4SP = 20SP 
1 x Horse Archer light cavalry = 2 SP

Seven units, 25 SP, exhausted on -9SP; rout on -13SP
90 figures (excluding command), 80 foot, 10 horse. Represents an army 4,500 strong.

Byzantine army less its light horse.

Byzantine Imperial Army:

1 x Command element (mounted) = 1SP

1 x Kataphraktoi  fully armoured horse = 4SP
3 x Kavallarioi cavalry @ 2SP = 6SP

1 x Prokoursatores lance and bow armed light horse = 2SP
3 x Skoutatoi 'Protected Bowmen' @ 4SP = 12SP

Eight units, 25SP, exhausted on -9SP, rout on -13SP
82 figures (excluding command), 48 foot, 34 horse. Represents an army 4,100 strong.

If there is to be a Fifth Wargames Compendium, I propose submitting a rule set for the the editor's consideration. I will have a follow-up article here to discuss the design considerations, terrain generation and possible army lists for the 10x10 game. 

Before the battle lines could close, Byzantine archery 
drives back two Rus units, and then the kataphraktoi
smash through a third unit of spearmen, wiping out the
whole unit for the loss of 1SP.

Interested readers might like to look at last year's 'Byzantiad' articles here:
'Byzantiad' - a Pecheneg Raid  
'Byzantiad' - Doing the Math
'Byzantiad' - Further Tests
One thing to note: there will be changes to the table of troop types.

To be continued...