Battle of Milvian Bridge, 312 AD using Ancients Battlelines Clash

Introduction

This is game 72 in play testing my ancient rules by replaying historical battles.  I started by using my own rules Ancients Battlelines Clash (ABC).  A friend is looking for a fast game an so I went back to where it all began - ABC was originally based on Bill Banks Ancients (BBA). So started with BBA and then judiciously added some of the ABC mods from over the years: converted the CRT to 1d6, tweaked some of the combat values, shooting using same table as melee, grid based movement, more detailed pursuit and mandatory charging for impetuous units.  No reaction moves, no rolling for activation.  I may add these later.  ABC is designed to finish in around 30 minutes on a 2’x2’ or smaller table; I am currently using a 40cmx40cm table.

Battle of Milvian Bridge, 312 AD

After the death of Constantius his son Constantine invades Italy to overcome the usurper Maxentius.

Scenario source: Peter Sides Ancient Historical Battles Volume 1.

Link(s):

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Milvian_Bridge

Troops

Romans (Constantine)

2 LDR, 1 HC, 1 MC, 2 LC, 3 HI, 2 LA.  

Breakpoint: 3

Romans (Maxentius)

1 LDR, 2 HC, 1 MC, 2 LC, 2 HI, 4 LI.

Breakpoint: 5.5

Scenario

Map: Open.  There is an unfordable river on Maxentius's deployment edge.

Special rules: None

This scenario was setup and unplayed for several weeks.  I just could not bring myself to play it as I could not see any way Constantine could win historically - he won on the right flank using  cavalry superiority.  The older scenario I had drawn up had parity of cavalry, in fact one less Light Cavalry for Constantine.  The issues with using so few units and scaling down the scenario!  I added a Light Cavalry to Constantine’s right flank, and also moved the “leader” that was with the legions (aka made them elite) to the medium cavalry.  This gives Constantine just a slight edge on the flank but at least means the historical result is more likely than not.  

Deployment

Romans (Constantine):

LC LA HI HI HI LA. MC* HC* LC in front of right LA

Romans (Maxentius):

LC MC HC*HI HI HC LC. LI split behind Cavalry on both flanks

Deployment (Constantine on the left)

Game

Constantine’s immediately advances his right flank into melee where possible.  Worked out ok for Constantine.  A few disorders but most importantly Constantine and his heavy cavalry does not get one.  Constantine’s cavalry is still stronger on this flank.

The centre legions advance but Constantine withholds his weak left flank.

Constantine’s aggressive right flank

Maxentius quickly advances his strong right flank.  He does not do much else but on his left flank he does engage the enemy light cavalry with his own and disorders them in the arrow exchange.  Note: in these rules melee is optional unless or charged or have an advantage.

Maxentius advancing his right flank

Missile fire continues into the next round and Constantine’s Light Cavalry routs.  Heavy Cavalry combats continue but with no change.

Maxentius continues to advance his right flank and disorders the Light Cavalry.  The heavier cavalry does not advance in fear of being flanked by the legions.  M moves his light infantry up to harass Constantine’s legions.

Maxentius continues the right flank advance

On Maxentius’s left flank, the Light Cavalry advance to the flank of the Constantine’s Medium Cavalry.  This helps the Maxentius cavalry drive home the attack and rout the opposing Cavalry.  Oh dear (for Constantine).

Constantine’s Medium Cavalry about to be routed

Constantine manages to rout Maxentius and his Heavy Cavalry!  The Constantine Light Archers move up to plug the gap from the previous turn’s cavalry rout.  A rebel legion moves into the spot where Maxentius was.   Note this sliding across to plug a gap is what brought me back to grids.  Never happy with gaps appearing that units then just charged through.  Worked on various options – zones of control extending to the side etc.  Not sure where I came across this but think it was when playtesting Dominion of the Spear on a grid and I already had the house rule for reserves being allocated to a sector but able to slide into  adjacent sector to plug a gap.  Anyway, grids are back in my life.

Constantine routs Maxentius and his Heavy Cavalry

Constantine advances the legions, the Light Archers pushes back the cavalry on the left flank.  But Constantine’s left flank Light Cavalry routs under missile fire from the enemy cavalry.

Constantine’s left flank not going well (as expected).

On the rebel left flank the cavalry advances to the flank of Constantine and his cavalry.  The resulting melee see Constantine and the cavalry rout.

Constantine surrounded

The rebels win!

End (Constantine still on the table – forgot to take the unit off)

And I realised when writing this up that I finished the game one unit too early - Constantine needs to lose one more heavy unit to lose.  Luckily I still had it setup so played a couple more turns (no pictures).  The rebels lose a legion in the centre but then the rebel cavalry arrive in the centre as well and Constantine loses a legion and then exceeds their army breakpoint. It made it a much closer game as Maxentius was close to losing as well.

Verdict

I should have advanced Constantine’s legions at the same time as the cavalry and possibly held Constantine’s Light Cavalry back so they would not be engaged so early.  If Constantine’s Light Cavalry had survived, the game would have seen Constantine’s likely win, or at least not lose so quickly!

Oh, and for the second outing with the rules, quite liking the feel of them still. 

Battle of Immae, 272 AD (take 2) using Ancient Battlelines Clash

Introduction

This is game 71 in play testing my ancient rules by replaying historical battles. It is a replay of my last battle of Immae but with different unit types – the last game was based on an internet scenario with bow armed cataphracts and lots of camels.  Gone are the camels and bows, and also the Palmyrene’s have a little more infantry weight in the centre.

I started by using my own rules Ancients Battlelines Clash (ABC).  A friend is looking for a fast game an so I went back to where it all began - ABC was originally based on Bill Banks Ancients (BBA). So started with BBA and then judiciously added some of the ABC mods from over the years: converted the CRT to 1d6, tweaked some of the combat values, shooting using same table as melee, grid based movement, more detailed pursuit and mandatory charging for impetuous units.  No reaction moves, no rolling for activation.  I may add these later.  ABC is designed to finish in around 30 minutes on a 2’x2’ or smaller table; I am currently using a 40cmx40cm table.

Battle of Immae, 272 AD

Aurelian's veteran legions reconquest of Palmyra from Queen Zenobia's mixed forces.

Links:

World History: https://www.worldhistory.org/Battle_of_Immae/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Immae

Troops

Romans (Aurelian)

 2 LDR, 2 HC, 2 LC, 2 HI, 2 MI.

Breakpoint: 3

Palmyra (Zenobia)

1 LDR, 2 KN, 4 LC, 1 HI, 3 LA.

Breakpoint: 5

Scenario

Map: Open.

Deployment

Romans (Aurelian):

Deploy: LC HC* MI HI HI* MI HC LC

Palmyra (Zenobia):

Deploy: LC LC KN LA HI LA KN* LC LC.  LA in front of HI

This translates to:

Deployment, Romans on the left

Game

The Romans move first.  I have changed from rolling for group activation to just moving groups from right to left. And a group can be as large as you want.  I have done some testing with smaller forces on a 6x6 grids and seems to work fine without restricting movement.  As units split up with melee and shooting over the game it is hard enough to get units where you want them to go!

Romans all advance

Light Cavalry have a shooting range of 2. The Palmyrene have twice the Light Cavalry of the Roman on both flanks.  On the Palmyrene right they move up and to the side and in range of the Roman Light Cavalry.  In these rules, if you move into range, the opposing side will fire.  If both can fire, then just roll as if in melee.  So the Light Cavalry exchange fire.  The Palmyrene Light Cavalry are disordered.

Palmyrene right flank advances

The Palmyrene left flank sees a similar movement.  The Roman Light Cavalry and Palmyrene Light Cavalry exchange fire and both are disordered.

Palmyrene left flank

Note that the centre spread out slightly and advanced so the Archers are in range.  This forces the Roman to either advance or sit there and take multiple rounds of missile fire.

If you can fire you must fire.  The Roman Light Cavalry don’t move so the Palmyrene Light Cavalry exchanges fire with them.  Neither impacted.

The right flank Roman leader and Heavy Cavalry must charge the opposing Cataphracts.  Both disordered.

Roman right flank - clash of the cavalry

The Roman centre advances and the Archers responds with arrows. None of the fire does anything.  It makes me recall this lines from the Justified Ancients ruleset I do remember the line “don’t get too excited by missile fire, in this period it was pants.”

Roman centre advances in the hail of missiles, none doing any damage

The left flank Roman Heavy Cavalry must charge the opposing Cataphracts.  The Roman Heavy Cavalry is disordered. The Palmyrene Light Cavalry exchanges bowfire with the Roman Light Cavalry.  The Roman Light Cavalry is disordered.

Roman left flank

A Palmyrene Light Cavalry moves to flank the Roman Light Cavalry.  The Roman Light Cavalry fires at the Palmyrene Light Cavalry that did not move, but no effect.  The Cataphracts melees with the Heavy Cavalry and the Roman Heavy Cavalry routs.  In these rules, missile fire is mandatory and melee is only mandatory if you have a larger combat value than the opposition.  This way you can take chances, or let the melee go on longer if you are likely to lose, but melee will still mostly happen as so lead to a result.  Just make take a turn or two longer to do so.

The Roman left flank with the Roman Light Cavalry being surround and the Cataphracts rout the Heavy Cavalry

On the Roman right flank the Cataphracts rout the Roman Heavy Cavalry (and leader) as well!   The Palmyrene Light Cavalry also moves to flank the lone Roman Light Cavalry.

Roman right flank going the same way as the left, badly

The Roman right Light Cavalry moves away from the Light Cavalry.

The Roman centre advances.  The missiles again have no effect at all.  In melee, two Archer units rout and the other two units are disordered.  The Roman are unharmed.

The centre, as expected, not going well for the Palmyrenes

The Roman left flank Light Cavalry also moves out of range of the Palmyrene Light Cavalry.

The Palmyrene right flank sees the Palmyrene Light Cavalry surround the Roman Light Cavalry but fail to rout it (very unlucky!)

The Roman Light Cavalry surrounded but not out

The Palmyrene Cataphracts flank attacks the Roman Auxilia but again,  unlucky and only disorders the Auxilia.

Cataphracts on the flank of the Roman Auxilia

The Palmyrene left flank sees the 2 Palmyrene Light Cavalry surround the Roman Light Cavalry and this time they are successful in routing the Light Cavalry.

Palmyrene left flank will see the surrounded Light Cavalry rout

The centre see the Roman flank attack the Palmyrene and they are routed.

The Romans have destroyed the Palmyrene battleline

The Cataphracts both are in melee and the Palmyrene right flank Cataphracts manages to rout the Roman Auxilia.  The Romans have lost the majority of their non-light units so flee the field.  The Palmyrenes win!

End

Verdict

History was reversed!  The Palmyrene Light Cavalry and Cataphracts really carried the day.  The Roman Heavy Cavalry should have lasted a bit longer but they were unlucky.  The Palmyrene were unlucky mid-game with some of their rolls to make up for it though.  It was a close game and could have seen the Roman win with some better die rolling.  I have updated the scenario to reduce the Palmyrene by 2 Light Cavalry.  They did lose the battle and have noted they have the stronger force in this game.  Rules see to be fine and give a quick game.

Aside on rules

Regarding rules: I started this set of rules played above to be able to play a fast ancients game with a friend.  We have been playing Amarti II but we recently get to chatting so end up not having the 1.5 hours to play.  So looking for something 30 minutes or less.  I looked at others I do like - Justified Ancients, DBA (although not that fond), pure Bill Banks Ancients, Irregular Miniatures Ancients rules, Mighty Armies Ancients, Fantasy rules TCE, Rally Round the King and my own ABC versions.  Narrowed down to Justified Ancients (original version), Fantasy Rules and Bill Banks Ancients, mainly as they are fast and can be played in less than 30 minutes. Finally went with Bill Bank's as they are the fastest and I like them the most anyway! Justified Ancients was very tempting too (with my modifications).  But needed to modify them a little to streamline the mechanics.  Did this based on the 100s of games I have played with my own ABC.  So the rules are a work in progress.  As ABC was based on BBA, the rules are fairly similar.  I will likely continue developing from these rules as a basis and just add in a few solo friendly rules to add some uncertainty.  But maybe not.  Happy so far with my one 10x10 grid play and half a dozen 6x6 grid plays.