Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of Myths, Gods and Empires => Topic started by: Sheepman on 14 April 2017, 12:00:07 PM
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Now this particular post will not include many pictures of figures, but I would like to use it as an intro to how I intend to use the excellent Columbia Games boardgame Julius Caesar to re-fight the Roman civil war of 49-45 BC (or BCE, I'm showing my age here!). I intend to post regular updates of each battle as they occur in the campaign using my collection of 10mm Caesarian Roman figures:
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-K2qqskqXo/WAo7HgZ8gdI/AAAAAAAABf0/XKv2iYgxK4AamaPmNKVVEQBuSFIDp57HwCEw/s1600/IMG_0365.JPG)
The boardgame itself uses a card driven point to point (or city to city) movement system and resolves combat using dice as per normal with these games. I looked at this system and quickly decided that this would lend itself very nicely as a tool for fighting the battles simply by having one strength point on the board represent one unit on the table. Paint up an appropriate number of figures (not as easy as it sounds as you guys all know) and hey presto, my first campaign.
So initially here are a few pictures of the game map and counters:
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iD7CYdkGDQw/WN1as-SVbyI/AAAAAAAACc0/FRH4qdtOnWQ1kb4m1XqYMONYTNo31ex9ACLcB/s1600/IMG_0649.JPG)
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XfnkFaISo0s/WN1aQeVVgwI/AAAAAAAACcc/c0jvJ5_pZSUCY2vYjjSVNnYQgnFxhlilgCEw/s1600/IMG_0650.JPG)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XlvoWjJrf6s/WN1aRiHfrzI/AAAAAAAACc4/751LaLGLTy0ixQeseEAbKnNl7iYA8IhUgCEw/s1600/IMG_0653.JPG)
The first few moves have resulted in Pompey occupying the city of Rome, Mark Anthony heading south to intercept and Caesar himself rushing to reinforce.
I will get photographs of the resultant battle on here as soon as it has been concluded.
If you wish to read a more detailed description of my thoughts around the campaign please feel free to drop in here:
http://thenorthumbrianwargamer.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/10mm%20Caesarian%20Roman
Dave.
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Very impressive! :-)
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All battles to be re-fought using To the Strongest of course Simon!
Dave.
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Stunning army! :-*
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Great looking army.
Excellent idea of using Julius Caesar.
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Great idea and armies. I will look forward to following this.
We plan to do something similar for the Punic wars using Avalon Hills Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage for campaign generator and To the Strongest for battles. We have had a few games of Hannibal and have so far had to much fun to actually go over to the table and the miniatures. The games is really good.
When we finally get around to it though, the armies in Hannibal are all between 2-20 points which easily lets itself convert to what ever game system you are using. The biggest challenge at the moment is representing the generals on the table. In Hannibal good generals really make a huge difference and are very tough to beat even with a larger army. I know To the Strongest include great commanders, but I doubt it will be enough.
Cheers
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TtS!, super, Dave!
In terms of generals, aside from making one brilliant (certainly Caesar), the best way of reflecting superior generalship is to give one side a rather higher general-to-unit ratio.
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Well here we go, The First battle of Rome 49BC. A few pictures but I won't spoil it. Bare in mind that I will be using a hex system rarther than a square grid as Simon recomends, I do agree that this allows more flexability of manouver than is recomended in To the Strongest but it's what I've got so there you go. It looks a bit more functional than some of the more asthetically pleasing games you see on this forum but it works ok.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K-EJ3jmxTpI/WPM43j5akMI/AAAAAAAACnM/kHlF4X3LuIgfxg9reuXlAEFD2R_At6KLgCEw/s1600/IMG_0697.JPG)
The table at set up, Pompey top of the photo, Mark Anthony to the bottom. Caesar will reinforce on turn three from the left.
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oCTmBS3u4cc/WPM45sYwlyI/AAAAAAAACnM/Q3Oq4HiFXd4Fh3if1cACw5CMaVgHEPj6wCEw/s1600/IMG_0704.JPG)
Contact.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-btRVWp2-LJM/WPM47-SMVYI/AAAAAAAACnM/9Y8juzL9E00jwE6OkYuNJweAgrHje4FQwCEw/s1600/IMG_0709.JPG)
Caesar's forces arrive.
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zxBclDeIcLU/WPM49Cj6elI/AAAAAAAACnM/8AyDFcpFds03HF55yZq6gVqnwFmy30YiwCEw/s1600/IMG_0711.JPG)
The collapse of Pompey's centre.
It was a great game, played solo which I relly enjoyed. Though severely maulled Pomey retreated south to Naples laevin a victorious Caesar in control of the capital.
Will Pompey now vacate Italy and regroup in Greece and what will happen in the Iberian peninsular? We shall see.
For more of this game see here:
http://thenorthumbrianwargamer.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/To%20The%20Strongest
Dave
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I like it!
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Never played the board game but love your idea to use it for your campaign. I do really enjoy playing TtS though, it
is our group's go to rules for ancients.
I will be following your campaign with interest, thanks for sharing.
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Thanks folks, Neal and I are fighting the battle of Narbo in north east Spain at the moment and will finish on Tuesday night. The inexperienced Pompeian forces have advanced on the city but the Caesarians are very strong. There may be a twist in the tail - if Neal can pull it off!
Dave.
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Really neat idea, and quite a beautiful army!
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Cheers Richard, 10mm is ideal for these representations of large battles as the table I have available is seven foot by five foot. I love 28mm and have a reasonable collection but you couldn't hope to do this type of battle in 28mm or even 15mm without substantially increasing the table size.
Dave.
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Excellent start.
Have really enjoyed your blogging about your campaign.
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Second encounter of the campaign occured near the city of Narbo (Narbonne) in southern France, an inexperienced Pompeian force of three legions and some cavalry bravely (or stupidly) taking on five experienced Caesarian. Utilising an element of suprise could Pompey's forces secure southern Gaul?
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SLXvXNo54EI/WQOccO-rYxI/AAAAAAAACpc/E8Ytva8QZb0xQMBOjNfK5qbNYqtUPpguQCEw/s1600/IMG_0715.JPG)
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M9tr2cExLaI/WQOcewDP5oI/AAAAAAAACqs/tQpfgIDeYSYhjmDqgizn30QvBvG4OqAKgCEw/s1600/IMG_0719.JPG)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-svpeKMBq0u8/WQOcihZm9nI/AAAAAAAACqs/uk9eNj3lL-oXijkT5NNKK_Q4QcfMSoTUACEw/s1600/IMG_0724.JPG)
As usual I won't spoil the ending but do look in and see what happened:
http://thenorthumbrianwargamer.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/To%20The%20Strongest
Dave.
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The more I play "To The Strongest", the more I like it. This was another really enjoyable game.
Neal
http://3rd95th.blogspot.co.uk (http://3rd95th.blogspot.co.uk)
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Thank you Neal, it may have helped that you kicked my **** :'(
Dave.
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Can an outnumbered Pompey avoid a crushing defeat by Julius Caesar? The third battle in the ongoing campaign set in the Roman civil war 49-45BC.
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SVKs8vkrM7A/WQylhQL7oHI/AAAAAAAACvA/3hkXU2MA8msvfasTSRd-kak70OPQuLa5ACEw/s1600/IMG_0735.JPG)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NrBR1g4d930/WQyllFSKvrI/AAAAAAAACwQ/29wiXttiOLUgrgHJ_HWJo0Bv0Y30aaAKwCEw/s1600/IMG_0743.JPG)
Not a huge encounter but great fun none the less, if you wish to read the full account please feel free to look in:
http://thenorthumbrianwargamer.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/To%20The%20Strongest
Dave.
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As this campaign may well drift into the African provinces I thought that I had better get these guys painted up:
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QoFrr6jlIGg/WSBibJITasI/AAAAAAAAC0A/F67p-4EUl3wN3cnhJ38GH1t0UW6EYHkFwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0794.JPG)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r5r26zytWO8/WSBibc21fyI/AAAAAAAAC0E/Rq1yXjw30ZAqxxRPwdD_ctX4zFw1up3wACLcB/s1600/IMG_0795.JPG)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-51AL4Du6frE/WSBiaD2Cn4I/AAAAAAAACz8/pmGs8ZBTniUyXXqdNWtI-qA0QTF84tIqACLcB/s1600/IMG_0796.JPG)
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQdHj4kwr_U/WSBib8iPrhI/AAAAAAAAC0I/3RDWtd9GoIEJqi_bL7pvhHtNl0am8ssyQCEw/s1600/IMG_0797.JPG)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uKt8WtHdFBw/WSBicSjuFmI/AAAAAAAAC0M/mOXCu_HVXycspzYtzmyRAH4iRbFN3KBCQCEw/s1600/IMG_0798.JPG)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R_jivV-ZMyM/WSBidFnyGWI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/QvICVyGLxDg4bU4krTbZ-bNPyUbIVISjwCEw/s1600/IMG_0799.JPG)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BaXv1hNa-Ag/WSBidjLVMcI/AAAAAAAAC0g/EUJucERJ5t8KNL-Nddi0Q1gzXQuq56OSQCEw/s1600/IMG_0800.JPG)
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KLCRHepUwpI/WSBieYuvglI/AAAAAAAAC0g/kwSmygW7tkA9c7Zp07O6f8oIQ_1MYS_vwCEw/s1600/IMG_0801.JPG)
http://thenorthumbrianwargamer.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/10mm%20Caesarian%20Roman
Dave.
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Very nice. I am painting numidian horsemen at the moment my self, but in 28 mm. Those Victrix miniatures are just to good to say no to.
I very much enjoy reading your campaign blog. As I mentioned earlier we really want to do something similar, but there just never seems to be enough time ;)
Cheers
Erik
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I know Erik, life does seem to just keep getting in the way of our hobby ;)
Dave.
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This is so cool. :-*
I normally don't use the smaller figures,
but to play this campaign, they are prefect.
Thanks a lot for sharing.
I look forward to seeing what comes next.