A Pūʻulu Nui of Hawaiians

 A Headless Body Production
Venue: An undisclosed basement
Event: Preparation for Barrage!
Players: Phil Gardocki running Republican Roman
               Steve Turn playing Polynesian, Hawaiian option
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.

The Forces:
Hawaiian (Polynesian), list 300 (the last one in the book)
Commanders, two competent, one ordinary
4 Pike, Mediocre
21 Foot Warriors, Medium Swordsmen
10 light foot, javelins and slings
Breakpoint around 35

Republican Roman. list 53
Led by the consoles Larrylious and Darrylious, both Brilliant, his brother Darrylious, also Brilliant, and their other brother Darrylious, the Ordinarilious
10 Hastati and Princeps, Heavy Swordsmen, Armor, Impact
1 Triarii, Heavy Spearmen Armor, Elite
4 Velites, Light Infantry Javelin, Elite
2 Cretans, Light Infantry, Bow, Elite
2 Extraordinarii, Medium Swordsmen, Armor, Elite
2 Illyrian Cavalry, Light Cavalry, Javelin
Breakpoint of 21

Conventions: When you see a word bubble "Ouch!", or "ʻOka!", this implies a disorder from missile volleys. Letters in parenthesis represent some value change for the specific unit. For commanders it is s for strategist, b for Brilliant, c for Competent and o for Ordinary, u for unreliable. For troops it is e for Elite, and m for Mediocre. Other abbreviations, Hvy Heavy, XB Crossbow, LB, Longbow, Jav Javelin, 2HW 2 Handed Weapons, B Bow, Kn Knight, HKn Heavy Knight, HC Heavy Cavalry, Md Medium, Sgt Sergeants, LC Light Cavalry, Chr Chariot, Cat Cataphract, Pa Pavise, LI, Light Infantry, HG Hand Gun, FKn Foot Knight, Hvy Spear, Heavy Spearmen.

"XX" implies a unit killed in that location on that turn.

The Board:
The Romans win the initiative and elect to attack in the mountains. They select a road and a coastal, the Hawaiians two steep hills and a gully.

Deployment:

Crassus, in an attempt to raise his reputation in the Senate, attempted to prove he was just as good a military commander as that over promoted upstart, Julius.  Arriving in Syria with 3 talents of gold, he hired the local Roman legions, merging them into the 2 legions he bought in Rome and some 6,000 Hellenistic cavalry.

But Crassus wasn't the only opportunist in the republic.  Larrylious with his brothers Darrylious and Darrylious, landed in Egypt, there co-opting the local legions with the promises of riches to be gained while Crassus was drew the ire of the main Parthian army upon him.

But fate is fickle, and while on the road to Parthia, a vastly different folk were run into.  Polynesians! 

Following the Egypt to Parthia Spice route, along the scenic Mare Erythraeum

On the Hawaiian right, a strong force of pike, supported by many warriors.

Many, many warriors

Many, many, many warriors...

Darrylious takes the left flank.  His mission is to hold and protect Larrylious's flank

Larrylious's legion is to charge up the coast.

 

But where is Darrylious and his command?

When you camp is an outrigger canoe, it has to have it's own photo

Beats that dilapidated, paint chipped camp the Romans are using.  Those camel figures are 35 years old!

The Extraordinarii go wide. Darrylious's legions keep pace with Larrylious.

They take advantage of the new Heavy Foot gets extra movement rule to close in on the Hawaiians

The Hawaiians advance.  But with caution, the pike collapse an element in anticipation of a flank march.

Steve was concerned about some serious cavalry on the flank.  In the v3 lists, Heavy Cavalry was a requirement for the Republican Roman list, but not v4.  Like the fortified camp.

Cretan Archers score first blood.

More general advance by the Hawaiians.

Turn 2:

The legions charge, the Hawaiian slingers flee, followed closely by pursuing Velites and Cretans

The same tactic is applied on the Roman right flank

There is dust on the horizon.  The Roman flank march will arrive next turn.

The Hawaiians have a shortage of command points and only turn their lights around.

I have since found out that when lights evade, they get a free turn around at the end of the evade.  Another v4 change.  Page 49, 10th bullet point.

The missile exchange is not going well for the Hawaiians

Turn 3:

Darrylious arrives and will try to slip by the pikemen arrayed against him.

Darryilious holds his legion awaiting the results of Larrylious combats by the coast.

But Larrylious is a bit late on the mark here.  He charges the lights, hoping for a + on the variable distance, but fails.

The commander of the pike is indecisive.  He reverts to "type" and attempts to engage the Darrylious's light horse.

But realizing there is no percentages in pike chasing down light horse, the center commander parses off a blocking force of it's own.  On unit of warriors is enough.

The left flank Hawaiians hold.

Why hold?  Because the results do not change if this turn or the next, but the Hawaiians have had their best units snookered and are out of place, and need time to get into contact.

Turn 4:

The Extraordinarii charge the Javelinmen taunting them, and roll up to the Javelinmen's down on the variable roll, dispersing the skirmishers.

The Cretans are destroyed by a lucky pair of rolls.  Darrylious orders his Velites to withdraw, relying on Roman armor to protect his cohorts.

Larrylious finally gets in his charge.  Winning 4 out of 5.

Hawaiian warriors approach for revenge. 

Their last skirmisher takes position on an annoying flank.

The scrum continues by the sea.  One unit of warriors has been routed.

Turn 5:

The Extraordinarii charge and live up to their reputation.  Rolling favorable dice will do that.

With the Hawaiian right cracking, Darrylious calls for a general charge.

Because 35 points is a long way to go.

The score is 19

to 7.  The Hawaiians are half way to their break point, the Romans a third.

The Hawaiian pike are just out of charge reach of the Extraordinarii, whose flank has been turned.

So is Darrylious's flank

Larrylious's troops have broken through and are in the clean up stage  on the right.

Taking the score to 21

to 9

Turn 6:

Darrylious's light horse decides to interfere with the pike

A Velite disperses an enemy light

And more warriors continue to fall

Too many pike, too few light horse.  The Extraordinarii are flank charged for a hit

The Hawaiians turn Darrylious's flank, destroying one cohort, and break through in the center for another.

Larrylious's cohorts have only two warriors left, but they are in the rough, and supported by lots of lights.

The score is 30 (out of 35)

to 15 of 21

Turn 7:

The arrows are mismarked here.  the only units moving are the Velites, and looking at this, I don't think that is a legal charge.

Yeah, those Velites can't make that charge.

Darrylious tries to hold off the the Hawaiians on his left, but they are already behind as well.

Larrylious decides to reform his lines rather than go for an almost auto kill on the last warrior in the rough.  The Square base  in the rear of the rough is a commander.

34

to 17

The pike charge, but armor saves one Extraordinarii, and blind luck the other.

A cohort sandwich in the center.  At +3 to -1 Only armor saved it from destruction

The Triarii manage to eliminate their foe, taking the Hawaiians to their demoralization point of 35 for the win.