The Civil War Begins...

The battle lines drawn upon a battle plain
not far from Massilia. Optimates -
Pompeians - in the foreground

The growing hostility between the rival claimants for power in Rome finally led to the gathering of forces, to an ultimatum, and at last open warfare. Deciding that, as the dice were already cast he would abide the outcome, the leader of the Populares - the Commons, so to speak - Julius Caesar, defied the prohibition, crossed the 'Red Line' of the Rubicon river, and marched on Rome with his veterans.

Swiftly overrunning northern provinces, his rapid advance induced the leaders of the Optimates ('Upper crust', 'Creme-de-la-creme', 'Toffs', take your pick) faction - Pompeius Maximus and the Consuls to quit Rome in a hurry, and to hie themselves down to Brindisi where they were putting together a fleet to transport an army across the Ionian Sea. Caesar was just too late to catch them. 

Rome lay at Caesar's feet. Unable for the moment to come at Pompey's forces, Caesar decided upon a campaign to bring the whole of the Western provinces under his sway. Sending Gaius Trebonius ahead to take massilia in the Gallia Narbonensis, he followed on with his main  army...

...

The Leader of the Populares,
about to cross the Red Line... Sorry: Rubicon

The Optimates Party had a considerable presence in the west: L. Domitius Ahenobarbus (Red Beard) guarding the Narbonensis approaches to Iberia; Lucius Afranius with an army at Tarraco and Lucius Nasidius with a fleet at Narbo. North Africa was held for Pompey by M. Tarantius Varus, with a fleet under - well, let's call him Q. Querilus Querus.

Against these forces Caesar had ready to march:
Gaius Trebonius with an army at Luca, C. Scribonius Curio at Capua, together with a fleet of galleys and transports under C. Caninius Rebillus, and his own army at Rome, with a fleet under Decimus Brutus ready to sail. 

Strategic situation in the Western Mediterranean Sea 
at the outset of the campaign.

So, both sides had three armies and two fleets.

The armies comprised:

4 x Legionary units @ 3SP = 12SP
2 x Auxiliary units @ 2SP = 4SP

1 x Velites light infantry = 2SP

1 x Equites heavy cavalry = 2SP

uniquely, the Optimates also had 1 = Equites light horse = 2SP

For each land battle, both sides could field 6 units, selected at random from (and bearing in mind the limits of) the available list. The army commanders are not separate figures, but remains attached to one Legionary unit, which is classed as 'elite', or 'veteran'. It is very tempting to give at least the Caesarian legionary units a combat edge, as being a deal more battle-hardened than their opponents. After one battle, though, I haven't made up my mind about this.

The fleets each comprised 8 galleys: 
2 x Heavy Galleys - call them septiremes @ 3SP
6 x Medium Galleys - quinquiremes @ 2SP
The fleet commander may be in any vessel, add +1 to any combat roll. 
Attached to each fleet, optionally, is a fleet of 6 transports @1SP 
Transport and galleys can all transport troops:

• Transports: 1 unit
• Galleys: 1 Strength Point
  

Note that which vessels are carrying which units have to be identified, so that their loss means the loss of their passengers. 

Battles are fought between just 6 vessels a side. How many of the heavy galleys are present is determined by a die roll: 

• 1-2 = no septiremes present; 
• 3-4 = 1 septireme present;
• 5-6 = 2 septiremes present.
  

All the battles, sea and land, are fought under the Fast Play 3x3 Portable Game system pioneered by Mark Cordone. I have made some small tweaks specifically for this campaign.

Land battles. 

For these I have begun using a convention similar to Martin Rapier's as briefly outlined in the original Wargames Compendium. 
All combats are competitive, except when shooting at a target that can't shoot back. Only the velites and light horse can shoot. Although the Legionaries are armed with a heavy throwing weapon, this is really a close combat weapon, of very limited range, designed as much to hamper the enemy as to hurt him.

Higher roll forces enemy back.
Score of 5 or 6 scores a hit that reduces enemy by 1SP. This can be combined with a force-back. 
Examples:

• White 3 - Red 4 = White is forced back
• White 5 - Red 2 = Red takes an SP loss and is forced back.
• White 6 - Red 6 = Both sides take an SP loss.
• White 6 - Red 5 = Both sides take an SP loss, and Red is forced back

The only troops that can give direct support to a lead unit in the same square, are the velites. With velites in support, legionaries or auxilia add +1 to the combat score. However, velites so placed do not shoot. If the lead unit is forced back, when the velites are offering direct rear support, the velites are also forced back (but do not take any SP loss).
The rear unit in the same square remains in place if the lead unit follows up a victorious combat, or retires after a defeat. It may be engaged by a following up enemy. 

The army reserve area may hold just two units. If a third joins them having been forced back there, the incoming unit is at once destroyed, its SPs lost.

If the army has no units in one (or more) of the left, centre, right sectors, it must at once attempt to restore restore some presence there. This assumes that they army has the initiative, and the troops available. If the enemy has the initiative, the battle is lost.

Sea battles.

All combats, shooting and close (ramming, raking, grappling, boarding) are competitive: both sides roll, per ship, 1D6.
The die score is added to the current SP value, plus +1 for the commander's ship when in close combat. 
The higher score forces back the enemy ship, whatever its value.
A 5 or 6 scores a damaging hit upon the enemy.
A tied score results in the ships remaining locked together, except if one (or both) sink. 
If the combat result is 6-5, both ships take a hit, but the lower score, if still afloat, gets driven back. 

Caesar's opening moves...

Battle of Massilia.

The army of C. Trebonius was met outside Massilia by a similar sized force under L. Domitius Ahenobarbus. The 'random' selection resulted in the following forces available:

Trebonius:
3 average Legionary units @3SP = 9SP - first line
1 average Velites unit = 2SP - second line right flank direct support
1 elite Legionary unit with army commander: 3SP (+6SP for the army commander) - second line centre
1 average Auxiliary units = 2SP - second line left

Total: 22SP

Ahenobarbus:
1 average Equites light horse = 2SP First line - right flank
2 average Legionary units @3SP = 6SP - first line centre and left
1 average Equites heavy horse = 2SP - second line right flank
1 elite Legionary unit with army commander: 3SP (+6SP for the army commander) - second line, centre
1 average Auxiliary unit = 2SP - second line, left flank.

Battle lines: Pompeian POV.

This action was brief and to the point. Winning the initiative from the start and maintaining it throughout the battle, the Populares - let's call them Caesarians - were at first successful on the right, forcing back the opposing legionaries with loss, but were then forced back in turn by the Pompeian auxiliaries. In the centre, the caesarians got rather the worse of the fighting, losing 2SP to none, and being driven back to their original deployment area. 

Hard fought Caesarian victory, but losses have been heavy. 

The decisive action was on the left. The Pompeian cavalry found themselves driven all the way back, between them 3SP the poorer, into their reserve zone. A beaten legionary unit already being there, the cavalry were destroyed, and the army unable to restore the situation when the Caesarians again won the initiative. Losses were 4SP on the Caesarian side; 6SP on the Pompeian.

The Sea battle.

Loading his troops upon his galleys and transport, Gaius Curio set off to Syracuse, where he decanted his passengers ashore for a little carouse before taking the second leg to the African shore at Thapsus.
In response,  Terentius Varus ordered the fleet, commanded, apparently, by one Q. Querulus Querus to intercept and attack the Roman fleet before it left Syracuse. Seeing the Pompeian approach, Caninus Rebillus brought out most of his fleet to face the enemy.


 
Caesarian Fleet:
1 Elite Heavy galleys = 3SP with commander aboard, +1SP
1 Average heavy galley = 3SP
4 Average medium galleys @2SP = 8SP
Total: 15SP

Pompeian Fleet:
1 Elite Heavy galley = 3SP with commander aboard, +1SP
5 Average medium galleys @2SP = 10SP 
Total: 14SP

The fleets lined up. Caesarians on the right. The ships are differenced
by white markings on the Pompeian stem and fishtail stern posts;
red markings on the Caesarian. The latter being indistinct here, 
I have re-done them since this battle.

The action close to the shore line, both sides advances with 5 out of 6 vessels in line, the remainder forming a reserve. The Caesarians placed the heavy units at the seaward end of the line, with the reserve unit behind them. The plan was to smash through the Pompeian right, then to turn in upon the enemy centre. For their part, the Pompeian commander placed his 'flagship' in the left-centre of his line, with the hope of punching through the Caesarian centre.

Heavy losses already: 4 Pompeian SP, 5 Caesarian
and a central unit sunk besides!

The fighting was fierce from the outset, and, far from having it all their way, things were not going well for the Caesarians. At the seaward end, the lighter Pompeian galleys were giving as good as they were getting - with heavy losses on both sides. In the centre, the matching medium galleys were mauling each other as much. But Querus's septiremes smashed through the Caesarian line, forcing the commitment of the latter's reserve.



On the other hand, at the shore end of the line, the Caesarians were getting somewhat the better of the action. Which would succeed: the Caesarian 'periplous' or the Pompeian 'diekplous'?

Caesarian centre sunk, the reserve sweeps 
into action to save the day.

Momentarily it seemed the Pompeians would prevail. Completely destroying the Caesarian centre squadron, they set about dealing to the flanks. At this point, the ratio of ships lost were 3 to 1 against the Caesarians. Possibly I ought to have called the battle here, with a decisive Pompeian victory. But as the combatants were still locked in battle. I allowed it to continue.



This rather turned in favour of the Caesarians. As their reserves engaged the victorious Pompeian centre, the Caesarians turned the encouraging situation on both flanks more decisively in their favour. Although the Caesarian reserve was summarily despatched, the wings sank their adversaries altogether.


Both sides ready for a fight to the finish, the 4 - 4 loss ratio was enough to persuade both sides that enough damage had been done for the day. They drew off, caesarians back to the safe harbout of Syracuse; the Pompeians along the coast, before the survivors returned to Thapsus the following day or two. The losses marginally favoured the Pompeians: losing 4 medium galleys, they had sent to the bottom one of the Caesarian heavies, along with the 3 mediums.

End of the action: both sides too battered to continue...

Tactical draw as the battle was, it seemed strategically inconclusive as well. The Caesarian expedition was not stopped outright, and had retained enough shipping to carry their entire force across the Sea of Sicily into Africa. But the Pompeians still had a fleet in being - and maybe a whisker of a superiority among the fighting ships. Perhaps the rump of their galley fleet might yet achieve something...

To be continued: The remainder of the Pompeian 'first moves'.