Last month finally saw the first in person game since my last outdoor game with John back in October. The purpose of this game was to introduce two old gaming friends to the To the Strongest! rules. From the several armies available, a Punic Wars game was selected. I drew up the army compositions, throwing in just about everything but the aqueduct in terms of troop types for this game, to give the guys a feel for how a variety of different units function in TTS!
Punic Faith: Rome (Peter A) vs Carthage (Thomas/Peter C) 200 pts
ROME 200 pts VM 49/3 = 16
CARTHAGE 200 points, VM 56/3 = 19
Peter C and Thomas K, both recently retired from jobs in Civil and Mechanical Engineering, respectively. The armies have both had one Move at this point.
Peter C commanded the Carthaginian right, and Thomas the Carthaginian Left. I commanded the entire Roman army. With so long between games, we all took a bunch of photos!
View from the Roman Right; Peter's powerful Carthaginian right Cavalry force has twice failed Group activations!
The Carthaginian left flank cavalry, commanded by Thomas, has no such difficulties and is aggressively taking the fight to the Roman horsemen, lead by Giaus Terrentius Varro.
Close up of the center; the Roman left center, under Quintius Fabius Maximus is demonstrating Fabian tactics failed Group activations for them, too!)
Close up of the Tardy right flank Carthaginian mounted troops.
Opposed by 2 units of Gallic MC, 2 units of Numidian LC, and 1 of Carthaginian Noble HC, the outnumbered Roman equites are perfectly content to hang back as far from harm as possible!
Fabius' three Legions display impeccable order, if not much mobility!
The new Army lists for TTS! have a third attempt to handle the Polybian Roman infantry, ansd I thin the most successful.
The Polybian quincunx (“chequer”) is a new unit that models the famous formation that the Romans used in the fighting against Pyrrhus, the Punic Wars and the destruction of the Successors. Small, flexible maniples (“handfuls”) facilitated the replacement of exhausted soldiery by fresh reserves. Its small maniples were able to move around, or through rough terrain with relative ease.
In TtS! the quincunx is represented on the table by a base of hastati, placed in front of a base of principes which is, itself, in front of a base of triarii. In a large battle, a single quincunx unit and associated velites might represent a legio; in a smaller battle two quincunx and two velites might represent a legio.
The TtS! quincunx incorporates the hastati, principes and triarii into a single deep unit of foot, with special rallying properties, described below. It is treated as a standard unit, rather than a deep unit, for move/charge purposes. It has an initial save of 7+ (and always saves at 7+ if charged in the flank or rear), three hits and a shock missile, and costs 15 points.
In any friendly activation phase, the Roman player may conduct a first special rally activation to replace the unit’s hastati with its principes, or, later, a second to replace its principes with its triarii. Unlike all other rallies, this special rally activation may take place within an enemy zone of control, and the usual penalties for enemy units capable of charging the unit do not apply, except when the enemy units would be charging from the unit’s flank or rear. If the first special rally activation, and the subsequent rally save, are successful, then the principes replace the hastati (whose base is moved to the rear), the unit’s save increases to 6+, a single disorder is removed and the shock missile, if expended, is replaced.
A second special rally activation may, later, be used to replace the principes with the triarii. If the activation and rally save are successful, the principes are moved to the rear, behind the hastati. The unit’s save remains at 6+, a single disorder is removed, and the unit is, thereafter, considered to be armed with spears.
Should the special rally activation be unsuccessful, the unit may attempt it again, later, as many times as desired; however, each of the two special rally activations may only succeed, once. As well as the special rallies, a quincunx may rally in the usual manner, but not within an enemy zone of control.
In several Roman battles, the triarii were detached from the quincunx and used to extend the front line or perform a separate mission. So long as the quincunx is not disordered, and the hastati are still in front, the triarii may detach by making a difficult move activation. If the quincunx has already moved in that turn, then, to detach, the triarii must exceed the value of the quincunx’s activation card. The triarii must move to either side, or to the rear, by playing an activation card, as described in the movement rules. The triarii become a single hit, spear-armed small formed unit with a save of 6+. The remainder of the quincunx becomes a two hit standard unit of hastati and principes. The triarii may not, later, re-join the quincunx.
Fabius' 3 Legions are still hanging back.
All quiet on the Roman Left!
Fabius' boys finally get it together and advance!
TheRoman Bolr thrower takes a pot shot at the Elephants... and misses.
The Carthaginians push the advance on their left, however.
Close up of the veteran Liby-Phoenician cavalry facing off against their Roman opposition, with the Spanish Light cavalry preparing to gain the flank.
Spanish MC opposing more Roman horse near the hilltop.
The Carthaginian left center.
A Roman charge on a Gallic Warband has caused them Disorder; note the black "Scarab of Death". Being Deep, they can take 3 hits, as can the Legionary Quincunx.
Fabius advances!
The Battle is well and truly joined!
The Blue Legion is hesitant to advance where it might be flanked by the African spearmen.
The opposing Cavalry face off at Dexter Hill.
Maneuvering with unanticipated agility, the African Phalanx turns the flank of the Blue Roman Legion!
Crunch Time!
Overview from the Roman right.
the Roman right itself.
The Roman Left Center.
Martus Atilius Regulus, commanding the sparse Roman cavalry on the right, is not unhappy to see the Carthaginian cavalry still quite distant.
Close up of the Roman far Right.
The Roman Cavalry on the right. having taken losses from enemy Javelin tosses, pulls back to regroup and rally.
Grinding melees on the Carthaginian right center.
Overview of the Roman Center and right.
The Carthaginians remain safely distant on the Roman Left, however.
The Carthaginian right center pulls back, seeking to Rally.
Peter C. finally gets his right flank Carthaginian cavalry moving forwards; at least they should be well rested!
The action finally heats up on the Roman Left!
Close up of the situation on the Roman Left.
In the center, Fabius' Legions pursue the withdrawing Libyans and Gauls, but are unable to charge them.
In the Center Roman Legionary charges have eliminated a unit of Spanish Scutarius.
Overview of the Roman Center andLeft.
The Blue Legion and the Libyan phalanx battle it out; first losses to the Legion!
Mago Barca and Sepronius Longus respectively aid their troops in combat!
Overview frojm the Roman Right.
With most of the HC on both sides disordere4d, the Cavalry of both sides are playing it safe, pulling back in the hopes of a successful Rally activation!
Uh-oh; 2 hits on the Legion, and Scurati on their flank. Things look tough for the Blue Legion now!
Close up of the action; the Romans haven;'t been able to use their special Rally yet...
Overview of the Roman Left.
The Roman cavalry on their right is outflanked by the Spanish LC; photo by Ocularis Maximus.
Roman left and center. The blot thrower is really annoying the Carthaginians, even though it mostly misses!
Cavalry faceoff on the Roman Left.
A Carthaginian HC unit is eliminated!
The red Roman Legion turns to its flank, and then charges and annihilates the unit of Scutarius that was on the flank of the Blue Legion, still hanging on by a dangling participle...
Situation around Dexter Hill.
In a bold move, a unit of Spanish MC peels off to assist the Carthaginian efforts to turn the Roman right center...
as the Blue Legion finally succumbs; the General escapes to the Red Legion.
Overview from the Roman right; the Green MC have pulled back to avoid being flanked by the Spanish LC.
In the Center, Roman Legionaries have eliminated a Gallic warband!
The Roman left; Regulus is quite content with a fairly static situation!
Elephants to the left of us, Elephants to the right of us!
The Romans keep advancing, and the Carthagininas keep withdrawing on the Roman left center...
whilst the Roman right center is very insecure!
Close up of the looming crisis there!
The Red Legion exchanges ranks, but fails to rally off their hit!
More cat and mouse on the Roman left center, while the Elephant changes direction, hoping to charge the Legion in the rear!
Indecisive action on the Roman far left continues.
Elephants stomp back, but can't catch the Legion.
The Center; is Carthage attempting a Cannae?
Maneuver and counter maneuver on the far Roman left.
A Roman Legion catches up with some Libyan spearmen, and in the process leaves the frustrated Elephant eating their dust
The Roman right; another hit will eliminate the Green Roman MC.
Now just who's in the rear of whom?!
Bye, bye bolt thrower!
I can't tell you how many times I failed to activate that darned cavalry unit to face the threat to their flank!
Cleanup on the Roman right; that unit of velites is shouting "Senatus Populusque Romanus!" as loud as they can, lest those equites mistake them for the enemy!
Lategame overview from behind the Roman right.
Roman Legions fighting African spearmen and Gallic Warband, whilst the Elephant keeps failing to activate to make its rear charge, and the velites keep missing their rear shot on the Elephant!
The Roman Yellow Legion does an about face to counter the threat to its rear.
Messy, messy messy!
The more things change, the more they stay the same!
Talk abouit being between a rock and a hard place!
Those Romans smell funny - nothing but vinegar and Garlic. We Elephants don't liike Garlic!
Picture of perpetually paralyzed pachyderms!
Flank? What flank?
What's read and white on the outside, and grey on the inside?
How much longer can the Legion persevere in its perilous predicament!
The Green cavalry finally face their tormentors!
The Gauls are running out of room to withdraw.
The Cretan Archers have shot a unit of Numidians from their saddle. Both sides are almost out of Victory medals as the sun slips lower on the horizon.
Whoah, Nellie! "We told you, we don't like those stinky Roman butts!"
Elsewhere, another Carthaginian cavalry unit is lot, along with its General.
"And so, it comes down to the Denari..." and Carthage is out of medals.
Their total losses for the game shown above - 19, just enough for the army to break.
Roman losses totaling 15 Victory medals; just one left at the end of the game!
Peter and Peter - such a pleasure to game in person again, as well as reconnect with some friends who have been out of touch for too long.
Thomas and Peter; As usual, both Peter and Thomas enjoyed the TYtS! rules; perfect for a friendly game that plays out in a reasonable time (and this was a pretty big game, especially with only 1 Roman player), with a definite result. We made (only) one big error, which was forgetting to check morale for units orthogonal to friendly non skirmish units that break., and that was entirely on me.
I read an article the past week about how men are losing their friends progressively over time, compared with years past. On average, each of the past 4 decades, men of all ages report having a smaller and smaller number friends. There is some of the same with women, but it is less pronounced. Obviously the pandemic didn't help things there at all. As an (over) broad generalization, I think we guys tend to chiefly have friends that we share activities with, be it sports, playing cards... or wargaming. We tend to catch up with one another in the course of those activities, mech less than seeking each other out specifically to do so, which women tend to do more. So now I can tell the Empress that Wargaming is vital to my continued mental health! :-)
