Battle of Cibalae, 316 AD using Ancients Battlelines Clash

Introduction

This is game 73 in play testing my ancient rules by replaying historical battles.  My last game was using a revision of my own Ancient Battlelines Clash rules and I do like them.  During that time though I have played a lot of Dominion of the Spear.  After a while I decided to try and combine ABC with DotS.  Then went to a gridded game. And finally thought I should keep playing these historical scenarios. ABC is still designed to finish in less than 30 minutes on a 2’x2’ or smaller table; currently using a 6x10 grid on 40cmx40cm table (while the grid on the board is10x10 I am only using 6 rows).

See this post of a bit more detail on the rules and changed since last time.

Battle of Cibalae, 316 AD

The Eastern Roman Empire vs. Western Roman Empire.

Scenario source: Bill Banks Ancients.

Link(s):

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

Troops

Lucinius, Augustus of Byzantium

1 LDR, 1 HC, 1 MC, 3 HI, 2 MI, 1 LA

Breakpoint: 3.5

Constantine, Caesar of Rome

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

Breakpoint: 3

Scenario

Map: Open.  There is a hill on the deployment edge of Constantine.

Special rules: None.

Deployment

Lucinius, Augustus of Byzantium:

HC* LA MI HI HI HI MI MC.

Constantine, Caesar of Rome:

MC LA MI HI HI HI LA HC*.

This produces:

Deployment, Constantine on the left, Lucinus on the right

Game

Very similar units of both sides so tactically not easy to figure out what to do.  Lucinus’s centre legions are facing slightly weaker units so advance, Constantine advances is legions in response.  Note that activation alternates between units (or groups of up to 3).  Can activate unit/group that was activated the previous turn. 

Both sides advance their legions

Constantine advances his left flank in support of the battleline, as does Lucinus.

One flank see both advancing in support of the battleline

Lucinus advances two legions against an opposing Auxilia and Legion.  They advance only two and not three to leave a legion to protect their flank on the left.  The Auxilia is routed and the Constantine Light archers move to take their place.  Combat is the same as previous versions - roll 1d6 add attacker value, subtract defender values.  1 or less sees attacker routed, 6 or more sees defender routed.  The difference now is a natural 1 is also attacker routed and a natural 6 is defender routed. And on a 2 or 5, both a re routed.  Makes for a fast game.

A clash in the centre

The centre Constantine legion moves to the flank of one of Lucinus’s legions, the other legion advances to protect the flank.  The Lucinus’s legion is routed!

Constantine centre attack!

The leftmost Lucinus legion is in danger of being flanked so attacks the legion in front of it.  This legion is not in melee so turns to face the attacking legion.  The Lucinus legion wins the melee!

Lucinus legion Vs Constantine legion

The leftmost Constantine legion advances to the flank of the Lucinus legion in combat with the Light Archer.  As the Lucinus legion is combat to its front, the attacking legion will not take adverse results.  Note I am torn up whether should put in the shooting units to front do not stop the defender from turning to a flank attack, but choose to keep the rules as they are and simple.  The Lucinus legion survives!

Constantine legion flank attacks a Lucinus legion

The remaining Lucinus legion attacks to the rear of the Constantine legion and routs it.

The Lucinus legion now flank attacks!

Note that while it looks messy it is mainly due to the grid.  I can imagine the various opposing legions finding a gap in the defences of the other side.

The Constantine Light Archers fires at the opposing legion.  Fails to hit and the legion advances into melee and routs the Light Archers.

The Constantine Light Archers and legion

Constantine advances his right flank as this is the only slightly superior place on the battlefield.  The Lucinus legion in the centre attacks the legion on the Constantine right to prevent it being used here.  They are locked in melee.

Lucinus and Heavy Cavalry charges Constantine (the rules mandate this) and Constantine and his Heavy Cavalry is routed.

Lucinus and Constantine in combat

The Constantine light archer moves to protect the remaining legion by attacking Lucinus.  Fails to rout them by shooting but the subsequent melee sees both routed.  So the shooting must have weakened the Heavy Cavalry.

Constantine Light Archers Vs Lucinus

Constantine only has two units left.  Like Dominion of the Spear, games ends when one side down to 1 or zero units. The Lucinus Auxilia moves to the flank of the legion but fails to inflict any casualties. The Constantine legion melees with the Lucinus legion to its front and both are destroyed!

Auxilia moves into melee with the remaining Constantine legion 

Constantine is down to only one unit and flees the field.

End

Verdict

There was a lot of 6s rolled in this game that are automatic defender routed. And Lucinus rolled more of these than Constantine!  The game could have easily gone the other way.  It was very close.  Overall the first outing of these latest rules with my 15mm figures was fun.