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Author Topic: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread  (Read 3759 times)

Offline Easy E

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Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« on: November 25, 2019, 03:05:42 PM »
Greetings All,

You may know that I am the author of Osprey's Men of Bronze game in the Osprey Wargame Series of games. 



After that experience, I have contracted with Osprey to write two new books for the series.  One of those books will be an expansion of the Men of Bronze format into a different era of Ancient battle.  This time, I am going to be looking at the Wars of the Roman Republic. 

https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot.com/2019/11/random-official-news-from-blood-and.html

I am particularly excited to cover these period for a variety of reasons. One of which is that this will allow me to expand into a variety of fighting styles in the Mediterranean region.  Fighting styles from Roman legions, Macedonian Phalanxes, Greek Phalanxes, Cavalry armies, Warband combat, and more!  This is even a broader range of fighting styles and combat than Men of Bronze could hold! 

Here are some of the design goals:

1. Scale, mini and basing agnostic
2. Lot's of decision making
3. Big battles with small miniature counts
5. Expand and build on the Men of Bronze model
7. Somewhat accurate historical outcomes based on my fallible understanding of Ancient combat
8. Make it fun!

I need to have the rules to Osprey by June of 2020, and as such I have tentatively finished a draft and started playtesting.   I will catalog the playtesting I complete in this thread to give you a feel for the rules, some of the lists involved, army sizes, and game play.  This should give you a good feel for the game and see if it is something you are interested in.     

Anyway, our first battle is a Polybian Legion vs. Gauls.  A classic match-up. 



Sadly, I do not have armies for all of the possible opponents, so my paper templates will have to do for now.   

https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot.com/2019/11/battle-report-wars-of-republic-romans.html

Thanks for your interest.  More to come as it develops. 
« Last Edit: December 06, 2019, 08:04:46 PM by Easy E »
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Offline Easy E

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2019, 04:13:10 PM »
As part of this project, I scoured the Net for any and all feedback I could find about Men of Bronze in order to make improvements and updates in this book.  I am using the same base engine, but tweaking it to capture the right "feel" for the different fighting styles. 



Here are some feedback items I have found and am tackling:

1. Clarifying the Base Widths system
2. Clarifying multi-based units
3. Reducing abstraction with supporting units
4. Clarifying when Melee is resolved

Obviously, I will miss some people's favorite battles, armies, or groups but I will do my best on that front.  The scary thing about writing Ancients rules is that someone always knows way more about the subject than you! 




 

Offline Easy E

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2020, 02:31:12 PM »
So, I managed to get another Playtest game in....

Hamilcar surveyed the dusty plains beyond. His army of Libyans, Phoenicians, and Carthaginians were at the edge of their fertile lands. The furthest their irrigation channels reached. Beyond was the wilder lands of the Numidians. They had dared to resist the will of Baal, and now he was sent to show them the error of their ways. From Libya he had brought his heavy chariots, each pulled by four powerful steads. He had also come with loyal North African tributary soldiers and his fellow citizens to act as the backbone of the force.

Across the dusty plains were the barbarous Numidians. He could see that they had brought their own
horseman to the fight. In addition, he could see the white of goose feathers on the backs of their
soldiers. That meant archers would be present, and they most likely out-numbered and out-ranged his own missile troops. Speed would be the key to closing the distance, but the Numidians lighter horseman could slow him up. Perhaps Baal had been watching over him when the dry air from the ocean blew across the fields and kicked up dust. It would help screen his troops from the enemy archers.


Today’s battle will be using my test Wars of the Republic rules and features a battle between the rising power of Carthage in North Africa versus the army of the neighboring kingdom of Numidia. In actuality, we have very little records that such a clash happened, but it only makes logical sense that as Carthage’s power grew, there would be tension before Numidia became a client state. No real documents survive from Carthage to discuss their early history and we are left mostly with speculation from archeology and what records the Romans left us.

The big decision is to determine which army lists to use for such a hypothetical clash. If we place the
battle earlier in time, we can use the Early Republic Carthage list that aligns with the wars in Sicily and the Numidian list there. If we want a later battle, closer to the time of the Punic Wars we could use the Pre-Xanthippus Reforms army list and the Jugartha list for the Numidians. The main difference between the lists is the use of Hoplites and Heavy Cavalry by the Carthaginians, and the access to Elephants for both sides.

I decide to place the battle in a very early time frame for Carthage and the Numidians, before Carthage’s interference in Sicily. This would put the battle early in Carthage’s rise to power and before it extensively used mercenaries. Essentially, it is a rising city-state against a rival regional tribal power.



https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot.com/2020/01/battle-report-wars-of-republic.html

For those interested, the Manuscript is due back to Osprey by November..... so I need to get moving on this!

Offline seldon

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2020, 06:44:50 PM »
Carthage against Numidians... very Cool !

Offline wmyers

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2020, 07:41:10 AM »
Thank you for sharing this. 

Just to clarify, your earlier post stated June, the latter one November?

Offline Easy E

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2020, 04:31:48 PM »
Yes, I thought it was going to be June, but when the dust settled I have until November to get the Manuscript in.  I do not expect to see a release until mid-year 2021.   

I will keep updating as the dates evolve.  I know an artist has all ready started working on the new cover too. 

Offline Easy E

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2020, 04:30:12 PM »
Greetings.

I have been working away diligently on the manuscript for this, and have broken the period down into the following sub-categories for army list and unit organization.  I would love to get your thoughts on if this is the right division or if I am missing something. 

Early Republic- ER
This is mostly the time where Rome was still fighting wars to solidify control over Italy
- Kingdom of Rome
- Early Roman Republic
- Triplex Acies (Manipular Legion)
- Carthaginians
- Etruscans
- Syracusan/Sicilian Greek
- Numidians
- Samnites
- Magna Graecia
- Latin League
- Italic Tribes
- Rival City-States

Punic Wars
The name kind of says it all, the period of the Punic Wars and the initial expansions out of Italy.

- Triplex Acies
- Mamertines
- Syracuse/Sicilian Greek
- Pre-Xanthipuus Carthaginians
- Punic War Carthaginians
- Iberians
- Mercenary Revolt Army

Wars Against the Successors
Again, the Roman Republic is pushing out of their boundaries and facing off against the Successor States

- King Pyrrhus of Epirus
- Macedonia
- Ptolemaic Egypt
- Seleucids
- Satrapy/Minor State
- Jugartha

Slave Revolts
The famous Servile Wars as made popular in book and film.....

- Sicilian Slave Revolt
- Early Spartacus
- Gallic/Germanic Slave Army (Crixus, Gannicus, etc)
- Late Spartacus Army
- Praetor/Quaestor Army
- Italian Consular Army
- Crassus
- Garrison Force

End of the Republic
The time of the Civil Wars and the End of the Republic

- Roman Marian Legion
- Pompey Magnus
- Caesar
- Pontus
- Armenia
- Parthians

Edge of Civilization
The various barbarian tribes and factions around the edge of the Republic

- Gauls/Celts/Germans/Thracians
- Illyrians/Galatians/Thracians
- Cilician Pirates
- Scythians/Steppe Nomads
- Tribes of the Mediterranean (Sicels, Corsicans, etc)

I feel like there maybe way to many army lists and some overlap in design may exist.  However, I turn to you, the experts on this subject to let me know if you think I am on the right track, am missing something obvious, or that I should consolidate this list as it is too long. 

Your thoughts? 

Offline seldon

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2020, 04:42:42 PM »
That is an extensive list !!

Do you think you can fit them ?

It looks good !

Will you include scenarios for some inconic battlea ?

Offline Easy E

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2020, 06:02:00 PM »
Oh yes, I have the following ones on my list:

Lake Regillus- 509 BCE
Sentinum- 295 BCE
Heraclea- 280 BCE
Agrigentum- 261 BCE
Magnesia- 190 BCE
Cannae- 216 BCE
Mount Vesusvius- 73 BCE
Pharsalus- 48 BCE
Thapsus- 46 BCE

They might not all make the cut, but that is the plan right now......

Offline seldon

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2020, 07:07:47 PM »
very nice selection ...

Offline Easy E

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2020, 06:14:54 PM »
I have a very stupid question, that I can hope someone can point me towards the answer. 

I am not 100% sure if the Pontic army used elephants in their line of battle.  Could someone point me to a primary or secondary source to help me understand this issue?

Thanks in advance..... 

Offline guitarheroandy

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2020, 06:33:17 PM »
I have a very stupid question, that I can hope someone can point me towards the answer. 

I am not 100% sure if the Pontic army used elephants in their line of battle.  Could someone point me to a primary or secondary source to help me understand this issue?

Thanks in advance.....

There's no mention of elephants in the accounts of Sulla's battles vs Mithridates (in Plutarch) but beyond that I don't know...

Offline Easy E

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #12 on: January 27, 2020, 02:41:02 PM »
Yes, I am not finding any either. 

Some army lists seem to have Elephants in the Pontic army probably because it is a standard Hellenistic army trait, especially from the East.  However, I am not finding any evidence to support that decision.  I just wanted to double check.   

Offline guitarheroandy

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2020, 06:20:24 PM »
Yes, I am not finding any either. 

Some army lists seem to have Elephants in the Pontic army probably because it is a standard Hellenistic army trait, especially from the East.  However, I am not finding any evidence to support that decision.  I just wanted to double check.

Keep them out then, maybe? Makes Pontic armies a bit different from the other Hellenistic ones... I'd never heard of elephants in Pontic armies but then all I know is the Mithridates era.
Are you doing a range of options for the earlier phalanx-based Pontic forces and those later ones based on imitation legionaries, etc...?

Offline Codsticker

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Re: Wars of the Republic- Playtest Thread
« Reply #14 on: January 28, 2020, 02:19:39 AM »
I have a verrry minor interest in the Punic Wars so I am a little excited about following this. I feel I should buy Men of Bronze just to support you Easy E as it seems like we have been "internet acquaintances" for many years. :D