GAMING TIME

[Zingara]

Having completed a number of 1/72nd Ancients figures this time last year and through to February which had not seen the light of day on the gaming table I felt the urge to see them used. I have also been wanting to do something based in Hyboria for decades. So at last I have taken the plunge, using an Hyborian map taken from the internet to give the setting. So far I have set up 3 sheets in an excel spreadsheet.
The first is a diplomacy matrix of each country against the others, being a six step sliding scale from Friendly to Hostile. The idea being when neighbours hit hostile one will attack the other. This can have knock on diplomatic effects depending on relationships with the protagonists. I also roll at year end to see if changes are afoot. On a d6, A roll of 3 or 4 means no change, a 1 or 2 means a cooling of relationships one step, except a Friendly nation will only drop if a 1 is rolled. Similarly a 5 or 6 means a warming of relationships, except that a 6 is required to move away from hostile.
The second sheet is basically a list of the years in a 12 year cycle, with 12 month names. Any battles are recorded with year, month, attacker, defender, province, Map reference, victor, battle outcome.
The third sheet has the imported map from the internet, stretched out a bit. The beauty of being in excel is that you have a ready made grid reference!
I have managed to take myself down to my shed and play out a few games. For has.been some narrative.

Year of the Tiger

Argos had long had an eye on taking advantage of the minority of the Suffete Mago. When the drunk general Hamilco insulted the Argossian ambassador that was all the excuse that was needed, and in the month of the Siren (first campaigning month) regiment after regiment poured North towards the Kothian capital of Khorshemish. The Kothians under Hamilco, with Ophiran and Corinthian mercenaries, met them throwing themselves forward in an effort to come to grips. In a fiercely contested battle the Kothians, weakened by massed archery and javelin fire, succumbed the soonest in the clash of heavily armoured spearmen in the centre, as well as coming off worst in the cavalry battles on the flanks. Khorshemish was laid to siege.

The following month of Circe saw the Corinthians under Epidimes crossing the mountain passes that divided them from Nemedia and tried to force their way out onto the plains. Despite the ferocity of the attack the heavily armoured Nemedians under Count Lotho held firm. Casualties mounted on both sides and the affair ended in a hard fought draw. The Corinthians withdrew back across the passes, the Nemedians declined to follow up – yet.

Circe also saw a desperate attempt by a relieving Kothian army to break the siege of Khorshemish, this time with a large contingent of Shemite mercenaries including some elephants. In a frantic, bloody affair, neither side was able to claim victory, so the Kothians withdrew, the siege held and Khorshemish was taken.

To add insult to injury, in the following month, Narses, King of Khoraja tried to take advantage of the chaos in Koth and advanced on Daramish in the North East of the country. Somehow the Kothians put an army in his way, with a goodly contingent of Shemite mercenaries and some Corinthian skirmishers. This time the Kothians were victorious, driving off the right flank Khorajan mounted troops and rolling up the line. For days afterwards the vultures could be seen following the remnants of the invading force as it withdrew.
So 4 battles in the first year, with more battles generated and triggered in the year to come. From my collection: Koth – Carthaginians, Argos – armoured Spanish Muslims (“El Cid”), Corinth – Hoplite Greek, Khoraja – Early Achaemenid Persian, Nemedia – Medieval Knights – 100 years war etc.

[Zingara]

The lighting is poor at this time of year, but this gives a feel for the set up. The playing area is 6ft by 5ft - but for these games I am currently starting 21" in.

[RSDean]

Nice!  We keep fiddling around with a family campaign using the various 1/72 armies we’ve got...

[has.been]

Nice, I do like a bit of campaign background.
Please keep it up.

[MGH]

Nice!  Will follow this with interest!

[WuZhuiQiu]

Interesting stuff! By the way, I still have boxes of unpainted 1/72 ancients from abandoned projects somewhere. Do let me know if you would need reinforcements... 

[Grass-Hopper]

Nice set up, I am looking forward to seeing more of this.

[Zingara]

A list of months - the 3 at the beginning and end of year being outside the campaigning season currently.
AMPHISBAENA, GORGON, HARPY
SIREN, CIRCE, STHENO, GRIFFIN, HYDRA, CHIMERA, PEGASUS
MANTICORE, ORION, PHOENIX

A note on how currently running foreign relations
Roll 1 d6 in Month of Phoenix:            
1   Relations Detiorate         If already Hostile with a neighbour warfare breaks out
2   Relations Detiorate unless Friendly         
3   No Change         
4   No Change         
5   Relations improve unless Hostile         
6   Relations Improve           If already Friendly enter into Treaty / Dynastic intermarriage
                                                        (not applied this bit yet, but an idea going forward)

The Diplomatic chart is a 6 stage scale - Friendly, Warm, Neutral 2, Neutral 1, Unfriendly, Hostile . The above mechanism will over time tend to polarise things.
If neighbours turn hostile then warfare breaks out
When turn hostile will battle until lose a battle on enemy territory

Supplies can never exceed 6, if they do so reduce to 6. Two are added to supplies in month of Phoenix. Subtract one for every battle fought except your own uprisings.
For three years on anniversary of one of your cities being captured roll 1d6. Year 1 4+ revolts. Year 2 5+ revolts: Year 3 6 revolts. Thereafter absorbed.
NB. If a revolt occurs after foreign power has captured from another foreign power, the original country forms the rebellion.

[Zingara]

Some pictures from one of the battles in the year of the Monkey. The Battle in the Valley of the Gorgon where Nemedia forces the mountain passes. The entrance to Hermes temple in the central hills.

[Zingara]

Year of the Monkey

Violence and War gripped central Hyboria as the gods played wih the lives of men. Koth especially saw the advance and retreat of armies and the carcasses of the slain provided rich pickings for jackals and hyenas and areal opportunists such as the many vultures that circled among the clouds.
Siren saw the Cimmerians launch a strong raiding force into Aquilonia burning and destroying what they could not carry off. They were met by a strong Aquilonian force containing many elite Poitanian knights and the feared Black Guard. It was the Cimmerian cavalry, fierce and battle hardened as they were that could not stand against the flower of Aquilonian chivalry. With the flanks gone it was just a matter of mopping up.
In Circe Ophir took advantage of the chaos in Koth to launch an attack on Daramish, crushing the army sent to oppose them Daramish was besieged. To most observers (Ie me) this looked like the end of Koth, but remarkably a rebellion of local citizenry and remnant regulars with some Shemite mercenaries managed to over throw the occupying Argossian forces. Khorshemish was liberated, and in the following month (Stheno), the core of this army marched East and defeated the Ophirians, relieving Daramsih. So instead of the Kothic dynasty becoming a footnote in history, after two years of epic struggle Koth was free of enemy troops.
In the Stheno (the third campaigning month) the Nemedians sought revenge on Corinthia for the attempted invasion of the previous year. A force heavier in light infantry passed over the Aloadae mountains and descended into the valley for the Gorgon with the temple to Hermes (god of travellers). In a close fought battle that looked like it had swung decisively to the Corinthians the Nemedians prevailed. They set up a base of operations and headed for Yaralet, but it was before the gates of that city that their strength failed and the end of the year saw them back in Nemedia.

The Ophirian aggression against Koth had seen Aquilonia change their diplomatic stance against such blatant expansionism, and the month of Griffin saw Aquilonia launch an attack against the city of Tarantia. In a fierce, closely fought battle it was the Black Guard who were the difference, withstanding everything thrown at them and there was none left who could resist. Tarantia was sieged. Thankfully for the citizens, a relief force broke the siege.  The Aquilonian horse expected to drive everything before them, but on both wings got too far ahead of their supports and lost their flanks. Despite fighting hard the infantry centre then had no chance.

After 2 years and 12 battles back to square one !! However, the year end Diplomacy rolls saw Koth at war with 4 protagonsists, and with an already depleted supply reserve it looks like serious trouble.

[has.been]

Continuing good stuff.
I feel it would be very easy to 'borrow' a line or two from these histories,
and use it as a backdrop to a skirmish/battle.

[Zingara]

Interesting stuff! By the way, I still have boxes of unpainted 1/72 ancients from abandoned projects somewhere. Do let me know if you would need reinforcements... 

More figures - bwa ha ha.

Friends already tell me I have too many. I don't like waste so end up painting all the figures in a box and end up with large forces. Having painted them I want to use them - so I'm looking to use this Hyboria campaign to do that. The advantage with a setting like Hyboria is I can recruit in mercenaries to cover a troop type if I happened to need any or to add a bit of colour to a battle. I've got Republican Roman, Carthaginian, Spanish, Numidian, Sumerian, Parthian, Early Achaemenid Persian, Spanish Muslim, Spanish Christian, some hundred years war types, Hoplite Greek with some chariot and elephant add ons and some winged hussars and knights I use for Aquilonia. So I think I am sticking with 1/72nd. I used to have a lot of 15mm armies when I was doing WRG 6th / 7th DBM etc, but have got rid of those. Larger figures being easier to see for painting, and the plastics did work out quite a bit cheaper. They are also lighter to transport and survive being dropped etc.

[Zingara]

Pictures of Turanian column heading towards Daramish.

Year of the Leopard
============
A year of change, of fire and destruction.

The year started with the young Suffete Mago ordering the general Hasdribble to avenge him on Narses king of Khoraja. Consequently Hasrdibble crossed over the highlands into the valley of Petra and attacked the Khorajans arrayed against him. Hasdribble (who had a badly damaged lower jaw as a result of a hunting accident) routed the Khorajan right flank and rolled up the line with his elephants faster than the Khorajans could do to his forces.  Being somewhat lame and unable to ride a horse properly, Hasdribble had a front seat in his Howdah as his elephant scattered enemy troops  as he rolled up the enemy centre. Petra was then besieged, and the following month a relief force was even more effectively dealt with. Petra fell and Hasdribble had Narses dragged behind a chariot until dead and went about hunting down Narses relatives, many of whom fled to Khauran.

The following month (Stheno) however saw Koth launch another attack on Khorshemish, again seeing off the defending army and laying siege. Turan also invaded but were turned back in front of Daramish. The Turanian horse archers caused a lot of trouble, but were steadily caught or driven off, and eventually the Turanian cataphracts withdrew realising they could not prevail against Kothian spear with elephant support. There was to be no relief for Daramish for less than four weeks later another army was at the gates as Khauran invaded. This time the Kothians could not prevail and Daramsih was besieged. Koth was exhausted. No more money, men or supplies so both Daramish and Khorshemish fell. The suffete Mago was speared to his throne by the enraged Argossians who crucified anyone they suspected of participating in the rebellion last year. Some say that it was not Mago but a look-a-like who was on the throne, and Mago had in fact escaped.

Elsewhere, whilst Argos was marching on Koth,  Aquilonia, having come to an uneasy peace with Cimmeria, launched an invasion of Argos through Ophir, but their efforts were in vain and battered they fell back to Aquilonia only to find Ophir attacking the city of Tanasul, having brushed aside the local forces. Both sides refused their left flanks, but it was Aquilonia with its massed Bossonian archers and crossbowmen who eventually managed to break the enemy centre and right flank.

[has.been]

Like the cavalry advancing across the dry grasslands.
That is to say your cloth.

[Zingara]

After the Nemedian victory in the valley of the Gorgon, various Nemedian parties were sent out to hunt for game in the lower reaches of the Alodaae mountains. After one such party failed to return the unit commander asked for volunteers to go and find out what happened to them. Consequently six volunteers set out at first light, heading in the last known direction of thir missing comrades. They rapidly ascended through outcrops of trees, rocky passes and scree. After three hours hard climbing they came across signs of a struggle, there were crossbow bolts and broken swords, but no signs of any bodies. The six crossbow armed marksmen followed what looked like a trail, and there were signs that something large and heavy had passed that way. Eventually from just below a ridge they saw a group of five large figures sitting outside a cave entrance. The Aloadae mountains were so named for a reason. The plan was simple, the leader of the band, one Hugo by name led three companions on a wide sweep with the idea of bringing the Aloadae under fire and retreating to draw them away from the cave, leaving Baldric and Egbert to sneak up to the cave and rescue any of the hunting party still alive.
Whether it was the change in birdsong, or some sound or smell that reached the Aloadae Hugo and his men had not got into position before the Aloadae were bearing down on them.
What followed was a demonstration of lethal shooting and an amazing feat of arms by Herbert. Despite having his brains addled by club to the head by the Aloadae leader, he somehow was able to avoid the following blow, leap to his feet and put the enemy down. It was all over, the rest just a matter of mopping up. The hunting party were rescued apart from one unfortunate who was brained during the initial encounter. He was dinner the evening before.
[Notes on play: Played to Galactic Heroes rules. The party was detected pretty early, but what followed was some superb rolling as the Aloadae were butchered. Even against the highly combat effective Aloadae leader Herbert somehow managed to tie the melee when he was on the ground, and then with the queen of hearts lose his wound, leap back up, and though still at a disadvantage put his opponent down. Rarely see so one sided with dice rolls and cards combing to lethal effect]