Making War on the Warring States

A Headless Body Production
Venue: On Military Matters Book Store, Hopewell, NJ
Event: Classic Era Theme, 6 horse maximum, Round 3
Players: Phil Gardocki running Republican Roman
               Tom Zimmerman running Warring States Chinese
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 25mm, 200 points per side.

Dennis runs a military bookstore in Hopewell NJ.  And has an excellent mail service for providing little known tomes since before the internet.  Email him at onmilitarymatters@verizon.net and you'll get a weekly mailing for what's new, what's hot, or what is such a good story it simply must be told!

Podcasts I listen to.  Great for those long drives to the next game:

The Ancients.  Over 500 1 hour podcasts about this ancient culture or that.
Our Fake History.  Over 200 1-3 part podcasts about specific events in history.
True Spies.  Over 200 1-3 part podcasts about spies you may of heard of, or not.
Fall of Civilizations.  About 20 3+ hour podcasts about the rise and fall of our favorite armies.
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History.  About 20 3-4 hour podcasts.  Very in depth.  For example, the Pacific War covered in 5, 3+ hour podcasts.  

I didn't link the podcasts as everyone has different methods for acquiring them.  That and my podcast service is phone based, while my blog postings are computer based.

 

The Forces:

The Romans are commanded by Marius, the Second Founder of Rome, a Strategist.  His son, Marius, the Brilliant, and their cousin, Not-Marius, who is Ordinary.
8 Legionaries, Heavy Sword, Armor, Impact, some Elite
4 Velites, Light Infantry, Javelin, Elite
2 Italians, Javelinmen
4 Equites, Medium Cavalry
2 Numedians, Light Cavalry, Javelin
2 Extraordinarii, Medium Swordsmen, Armor, Elite
Breakpoint of 22

The Warring States Chinese are commanded by the Brilliant Ben-Hur Chan, the twins, Darryl Chan, both of whom are Competent.
4 Heavy Chariots, Impact, Elite
5 Heavy Swordsmen, Impact, Support, Elite
5 Medium Swordsmen, Impact, Support, Elite
2 Levy
4 Light Infantry, Bow
1 Light Infantry, Javelin
Breakpoint of 21

Display Conventions: When you see a word bubble like "Ouch!" or "Heus!" or "哎哟!", this implies a disorder from missiles. 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.

Inappropriately capitalized words are used to highlight terms that are specific to the game. For example Brilliant, Competent and Ordinary have specific game values for the commanders.

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

The Board:

The Chinese win the initiative and elect to attack in the plains. 

Deployment: 

In keeping with the concept of showing the deployments of the corps as they happened.  

 

Marius takes the field first with his legions and support troops.

Directly in front of him is an opposing force of Medium Sword, Impact with Support.

In the Roman center, a micro command of Not-Marius, and his Numedians.

Across from them is a force of Heavy Sword.

On the Roman right, is Marius-the-Younger and a force of legions and troops in ambush.

They will be facing a force of Heavy Chariots.

The view from the gods.

My first thought is how did he get 14 elites, and still have 21 units.  My army has 8 elites, 4 of which are lights, and my army size is 22.

Turn 1:

The Chinese horde advances.

The Chariots start as two groups.  A single chariot heads for the far side of the plantation.

Velites pop from ambush and maneuver to trap their opposing skirmisher.

Marius's legions advance just a bit.

Not-Marius advances to slow down the advance of the Chinese

Marius the Younger sends his Velites to the far corner of the plantation.  They are not going to be needed as skirmishing in front of the legions.

Turn 2:

The Chinese defang the Velite trap.  First, while the "trapped" Chinese skirmisher could not evade from that position if charged, it can "exit a ZOC" just fine.  Then ZOCing one of the Velites with a swordsmen is just gilding the lily.

The rest of the Chinese foot advances steadily.  Obliquely moving to their right to keep their flank secure.

The Chariots spit their formation further.  I am guessing to engage the frail and weak Roman Equites.

Marius tries to dominate the flank position with his Italians.  And possibly his Equites. 

 

His Velites also "exit a ZOC", but rolled short and are in charge reach of the Chinese foot.

Not Marius recalls his Numidians.  They have slowed the advance of the Chinese foot, so mission accomplished!

 

Not-Marius has two orders.  

            Distract the enemies center

            Don't Die

The Velites have been disabused of the notion that they are invulnerable to enemy missiles.  And retreat to the cover of the plantation.

Turn 3:

The Chinese continue to advance with a right oblique.

 

:) One of the Velites decides to go for a swim on the adjacent board. ;)

Roman horse pass on an opportunity to engage with the Chinese chariots.  While the net pluses is 2 to 2, the Chinese is also armored and elite.  The Equites are just meh.

Marius has given up on the idea of flanking the Chinese line and is just resolved to engage as best he can.  He withdraws his horse behind the lines.

Not-Marius sends his Numidians to harass the Chinese Chariots.  Marius withdraws his Equites to behind the plantation.

 

While the Chinese commander is Brilliant, there are limits to his ability to command.  If the chariots are split into 5 groups, the corps becomes uncontrollable, and opportunities will be presented to defeat them in detail.

 

Turn 4:

The Chinese foot continue to advance in an orderly fashion.  It's 8 to 6 against the Romans, in Elites it's 8-2.  But the Legions and the Extraordinarii have Armor, which is significant.

The Chinese center (foot) command moved first, advancing on Not-Marius.  Then the Chariots charged the Numidians, who fled behind the Chinese lines.

An ambush is revealed to be naught but a few boys and a fire starter

By placing his Equites in the line, Marius manages to extend his line to nearly match the Chinese foot 7 to 8.

Not-Marius, known for his timidity, takes a chance.  With the Numidians in the rear, he negates the "Support" ability of the Chinese foot.  But the dice were not kind, and the battle proved to be a tie.

Marius the Younger's legions advance to charge reach of two chariots.

Another ambush is revealed.  Italians race across the plantation, pinning the Chinese chariot with a ZOC.  The Equites then turn on their flank.

Turn 5:

A general charge down the line.  The Romans lose 4 of 6 fights, only tying the rest.

On the far left, one Chinese foot decides his companion unit can handle the pathetic Equites and moves off to flank the legions off frame.

Ben-Hur Chan is having command limitations. 

He was able to charge the Italians in the flank with his lights.  Which freed up his chariots to charge the Equites on their flank.  Fortune favored the fools this time though, as both the Italians and the Equites rolled well enough to avoid disorder.

Chinese lights are dispersed by the Velites.  But the Extraordinarii are defeated as well.

Marius's Equites were not quite in the line earlier.  And are now ordered to charge, but are rebuffed. 

Legions charge!  Surprising a chariot and heavily disordering it.

Off panel to the left, Not-Marius manages a disengage from the Chinese foot.

Fortune continue to favor the Romans with three wins on the right.

The Romans are have 10 points towards their break point of 22

The Chinese are at just 7 of 21!

Turn 6:

The Italians are defeated in the field.  Chinese swordsmen take the Equites in the flank, routing them, then continue into the 10th Legionary cohort.

Chinese chariots charge to support their friends. 

On the far right, a great victory as 3 Chinese units are routed.

Bringing the Roman score up to 14 of 22

to 12 of 21. 

Marius's legions barely hold on.

While Marius the Younger defeat a chariot.  His victorious Equites swings around the plantation looking for another flank to charge.

The Roman score remains at 14

The Chinese are now also 14.  A virtual tie!

Turn 6:

The Velites are now trapped.  Legionary Cohorts 1 and two are routed, 3 and 4 are now flanked.

Chinese swordsmen want to attack the other flank of the legions, but the Numidians are standing in the way!

The last chariot charges.  To great effect, almost routing the legions before it.

Velites are destroyed in the field, as well as cohorts 1 and 2 on right.

Not Marius orders his Numidians back, pinning a swordsmen.

Another chariot is routed.  The last one is flanked.

And that is the game, called on time.  With the score of 17 of 22 for the Romans, to 15 of 21 for the Chinese.