Byzantiad - Some Campaign ideas...

 

Work on the Byzantiad campaign moves along; yesterday was productive of ideas. My thanks to those who have made suggestions. The fruit of those might be seen in the following.

First: the map now in its third or fourth incarnation. This has been simplified down to 'battle-boxes' with links (thanks to Neil Patterson for the idea). Additional places are present because I simply haven't removed them. 

'Byzantiad' Campaign Map Version 3.2

This is designed to be a solo campaign, but there is no reason why, say, fifteen like-minded types can't get together for a multiplayer sort of game. The purport is that of an empire in a continual struggle for survival, in the face not only predatory and parasitical neighbours (who no doubt view the Empire in the same light), but also against corruption and treachery within. Surrounded by eight potential enemies, the empire must guard its frontiers with armies built for the purpose. In the heart of empire more powerful forces stand ready to defend any breaches in its outer defences.

For their part, those eight 'barbarian' peoples, two or three at least with claim to civilization, eye hungrily the  richesses of the Imperial lands and cities. At the same time they fear Imperial ambition to expand into their smaller realms and territories. On the other hand, they know that, in its dealings with its neighbours, pays well to set one against the other...

This need not be a campaign of the one against all eight. My own armies - especially the 'Barbarians' are quite limited. I have no Fatimids at all, nor Armenians. Some of the others, Lombards/ Normans, Rus, and Seljuks can be plausibly represented by 'ring-ins', and my Bulgar Army doubles as Abasgians. My 'sample campaign', when I begin it, will probably be confined to the Empire west of Constantinople - quite sufficient to be going on with! 

Apart from the Byzantine Empire we have:

1.                                                   1. Lombards/ Normans
   
   
   
2. Bulgarian Empire
3. Pechenegs
4. 'Kievan' Rus
5. Abasgians/ Georgians
6. Armenians
7. Seljuks
8. Fatimid Egyptian

The Byzantine Empire (Purple) is the 'central player' in this campaign, surrounded by enemies and potential enemies. The Green is the Bulgar Empire; and the others are various realms, territories etc home to different peoples.  

Movement is carried out between locations represented by boxes via the coloured routes between them.  Dotted sea lanes allow for the inclusion of a naval component, or at combined operations.  

Inside the Byzantine Empire, the boxes with stars are home to 'provincial' governors, each with an army of under command. These armies are provincial, gathered from the regional 'themes'.  The governor of Nicaea is called the 'Domestic of the Schools'. His army is more Imperial - 'Tagmatic' - in nature, with better quality troops. The six-pointer star at Constantinople signified the Empire's capital, where lies the main Imperial army and its elite troops such as the kataphraktoi and Varangian Guard.

Inside the Bulgar Empire, the capital is represented by the white star.  

Except the Rus, all the other peoples' territories are represented by 3 locations, mostly cities, but in the case of the Pechenegs, by laagers. The White Star cities are the objectives of any army that essays the conquest of the territories associated.

Each 'people' has associated with it a measure of it hostility towards the Byzantine Empire.  This level ranges from 0 to 7:

0 = Allied with, or in the pay of Byzantium against a neighbouring non-Byzantine country.
1 = Friendly towards Byzantium
2 = Neutral
3 = Neutral
4 = Neutral
5 = Neutral
6 = Hostile, will undertake a raid into the Empire
7 = Hostile, looking to conquer Byzantine territory

The starting friendship/hostility stance is to be diced for by every power at the beginning of the 'Campaign'. Each campaign turn all countries roll, with their current stance being modified according to the scores:
1,2 = subtract one from the friendship/ hostility stance
3,4 = no modification
5,6 = add one to friendship/ hostility stance.

The Byzantine Empire itself will have certain attitude towards the surrounding 'barbarians'. The dice are rolled as before for each 'barbarian country':

0 = Allied with, or the client state of, the Byzantine Empire
1 = Friendly 
2-5 = Neutral
6 = Hostile, Byzantine undertakes a punitive raid upon the enemy country (The Emperor orders local provincial governor to carry out a raid to the enemy 'capital').
7 = Hostile, The Domestic of the schools OR the Emperor himself takes the field, the objective to add to Imperial territories.

This stance, however, is not diced for any neighbour that exhibits friendliness or hostility towards the Empire.

Trapezetai

 Army Lists:

Battles may be fought under any rules regime, but for now I'll be looking specifically at the battles under the FP3x3PW set, for which the following lists are designed.

Byzantine Provincial (Thematic) Army:
Commander: Provincial Governor
3 x Thematic Kavallarioi regiments - Cavalry, lance bow (some may be 'poor')
1 x Skoutatoi regiment - Infantry, spear, bow
1 x Hyperkerastai regiment - Light Horse, bow OR Kavallaroi

1 x Peltastoi regiment - medium Infantry spear, javelins OR Prokousatores - Light Horse, lance, bow

Byzantine Imperial (Tagmatic) Army:
Commander: Domestic of the Schools (δομέστικος τῶν σχολῶν)
3 x Tagmatic Kavallarioi regiments - Cavalry, lance, bow (one may be elite)
2 x Skoutatoi regiments - Infantry, spear, bow
1 x Prokoursatores regiment - Cavalry, lance, bow

Byzantine Imperial (Tagmatic) Army:
Commander: The Emperor

2 x Tagmatic Kavallarioi regiments (one may be elite)
1 x Kataphraktoi regiment - Extra-heavy Cavalry, mace, lance, bow (elite)
1 x Varangian Guard regiment - Heavy Infantry, spear (elite) 
1 x Skoutatoi regiment
1 x Trapezetai regiment

1. Lombard/ Norman
Commander: King or Duke
3 x Charging Cavalry, lance (one may be elite)
2 x Spearmen
1 x Bowmen

Normans ... or maybe Lombards.

2. Bulgar Empire:

Commander: Kavkhan, OR the Tsar if objective is conquest or defence of the realm
2 x Cavalry, javelins, bow (one may be elite)

2 x Spearmen

2 x Light Horse Archers

3.Pechenegs:
Commander: Khan

1 x Heavy Horse Archers, javelins, bow (elite)
4 x Light Horse Archers, bow, possibly javelins
1 x Bowmen OR War Wagon

4. 'Kievan' Rus
Commander: Prince of Kiev
1 x Axemen or Cavalry, lance (elite)
4 x Spearmen
1 x Spearmen or Axemen or Light Horse 

5. Abasgians/ Georgians
Commander: Prince
2 x Charging Cavalry, lance (one may be elite)
2 x Spearmen

1 x Bowmen

1 x Light Horse Archers (javelins, bow)

6. Bagratid Armenian
Commander: Prince

1 x Charging Cavalry, lance (elite)
1 x Cavalry
1 x Light Horse Archers
2 x Spearmen
1 x Bow Light Infantry

7. Seljuk Turk
Commander: Sultan
1 x Heavy Horse Archer, javelins, bow (elite)

4 x Light Horse Archer
1 x Light Horse Archer or Bowmen or Bow Light Infantry

8. Fatimid Egyptian
Commander: Appointee of the Fatimid Caliph

2 x Cavalry, lance, bow (one may be elite
2 x Spear/Bow Foot 
1 x Loose Order Spearmen 
1 x Light Horse Archers

Bulgars? ... or Abasgians?

Revolt in the Provinces:

In the absence of any other activity, there is a chance of one (or more) of the provincial governors to take into his head that he would look good in purple. There are two possible ways to discover whether a given star city is governed by one harbouring imperial ambitions.

(A) Roll (1D6) for each star city, a 'six' signifying the revolt of that governor, who will then, of course, set out with his army to take Constantinople.  This could result in more than one revolt going on.

(B) As with the neighbouring countries, roll for 'loyalty'. A 'six' will mean open revolt and a declaration of independence. This army will defend its own city, and undertake no other activity, even if 'ordered' by the Emperor. The number thus assigned will be adjusted up or down as before. If the number reaches 7, the governor is bent upon usurping the Imperial throne. 

When a provincial governor is in open revolt one of the Imperial Armies will set out to recover the province's loyalty. It it happens that the Domestic of the Scholars is the serpent in the undergrowth, then the army sent to deal with him is to be sent from Constantinople itself.

...

Palace Coup: 

It is also possible that treachery lies at the very heart of the Empire, within Constantinople itself. The Capital begins with a loyalty factor of '1'. If it ever reached '6' there is a revolt in the city. This may result in a battle within its walls, or the Emperor will flee to the nearest friendly army to try and recover his crown. I've deliberately made this event pretty unlikely, in the short term at least, but all these numbers will be subject to tweaking if it is discovered that there is too much going on ... or not enough.

War at sea:

Only the Byzantines, Fatimid Egyptians and Rus have sea going navies. The Bulgars may have a riverine navy of sorts on the Ister (Danube) River. The Lombards (or Normans) may acquire a navy if they conquer the Byzantine hold on Italy. Sea going travel is by the dotted lanes on the map.

I drew this sketch of a Byzantine dromon back
in 1988, from a postcard picture original.

  

There will be no sea battles (at least until I acquire enough suitable vessels), and it seems unlikely that the Rus navy is designed for sea going battles anyhow. The Byzantines have a huge advantage with their Greek Fire. So far the plan is that the sea lanes are used to mount army landings upon islands of Crete or Cyprus, and/or for transporting troops across the Strait of Otranto.

Battle between Bulgars and Byzantines 
on my 10x10 square grid table

Loss of a governor's city:

If a Byzantine 'Star City' - the centre of local government is lost, the Emperor may order the Domestic of the Schools to recover the place, or set out himself to do so. Given the particular vulnerability of Thessaloniki, this is is mandatory to set up a sequence of battles should the place be lost in the first battle.

To come:
1. Tweaks to the Fall of Rome (FP3x3PW) rule set.
2. 'Sample' campaign.