DREPANUM 2.?

Re. recent posting at TMP of a Drepanum refight.....HERE

I also found this write-up from a game blogged last year of the same battle by George Armold at Lone Warrior HERE.

Arnold's seems a bit pedestrian but he seems to get a result without much pain.
The Ilkley version is more colourful and complex but seems to have been less smooth.

Would be nice to find out more about Arnold's 'Classis' rules - even if hexes are not my cup of tea.
Published in Lone Warrior 182.

BATTLE AGAIN

Pirates now to be admonished by two squadrons of Athenians. 25 pirate triereis stand at bay across a strait between rocks and an island. Two squadrons of 10 Athenians approach.... 

Pirate squadrons in strait

Sea-level view

Something on the horizon

Aaaah..Athenians - 2 squadrons

Athenian rush to diekplous rebuffed and threatened from flank as Pirates take close formation.

Pursuing Pirates find Athenians make anastrophe and attempt diekplous

Pursuers decimated and sent packing

Close-order Pirates back water.... to safety ?

Periplous view

Open formation approaches Pirates.

Pirates backed into a small cove

Athenians take close formation and attack

Takes a few rounds but the pirates suffer in the close melee

Inevitable end..Pirates surrender.

 Lessons:
Underdogs need more chance to damage superior side.
Alternate move working ok in preference to interleaved phases. Less confusing and gives more tension.
Nervos velour makes a fantastic sea !

New Osprey on the Slipway

Messrs D'Amato and Rava have apparently constructed a new  vessel.

Osprey Imperial Roman Warships 
 will hit the water in January.

Battle 2

The Peloponesians chose to remain in place and reduce their quality disadvantage.
The central squadron are in LINE but the right is held by two squadrons en echelon which prevents a diekplous from their attackers.
The commander's squadron lurks on the left flank hoping to move across and take some attackers in the flank.

 The centre Peloponesians are charged by their opposite numbers who attempt a diekplous. This works easily due to the quality and speed superiority the Athenians enjoy. A massacre sets the Peloponesians to flight in a single combat round. I should have had them close-up their line, maybe then they would have lasted longer.

Athenians charge the P centre

Athenians have got behind the Ps and sink four in the first contact.

The Ps routed by the As for no loss

 The Peloponesian commander comes out to threaten the Athenian flank but is immediately charged. This time the Athenians opt for a head-on clash and a  hard-fought melee ensues. Despite the Athenian commander getting sunk, the Peloponesians are routed.

A blue acetate slip means sunk. A card slip means crippled. Ships off a base are out of command.


The two Peloponesian squadrons on the right divide. The front one takse up a single line in CLOSE ORDER after the devastation of a potential diekplous is appreciated, and are charged by the Athenians. This melee is a tough one but the outcome results in an inevitable Peloponesian rout.

 The rear one faces left and tries to take the Athenians who had been successful in the centre in the flank as they are now disordered.

 After a successful initial round of combat the Peloponesians lose the disordered melee due to their poorer ratings.

 The Peloponesian commander puts up a spirited fight and even sinks the squadron commander opposing him but his unit's rout completes the Peloponesian debacle.

Lessons

The diekplous works as a deadly tactic if it works. Weaker sides need to really do anything to avoid it if they can. Closing order and deeper formations can extend the combat against more able opponents.

Having tried complex game turns, this scale needs a form of IgoUgo. It seemed to work ok,

Seventy ships fought for 7 rounds to achieve a result. 22 Peloponesians were sunk. 5 Athenians sank. 4 Athenians were cripled and 8 Peloponesians. 17 Peloponesians ran for cover.

Tiny Triereis take to the seas again

 

Time to dust-off the Outpost triereis and work on the big battle rules again.  

3 Athenian squadrons approach the entrance to the Crooked Straits, 4 Peloponnesian squadrons hope to keep them from getting through to break a blockade of an Athenian fort not far down the straits.

 

 The Athenians advance in line ahead. Squadron commanders shown by pennants.

 

  The Peloponnesians wait mostly in line, A patch of 'bad water' gives an eerie effect from the rising sun (flash). I am stil ambivalent about the use of models at this scale. It is the only way to do large battles but moving away from monitoring individual ships loses something from the appeal of galley combat maybe. The card ships are still my priority.


The ground scale is 1 to 1 with the ships. This means each base is about 1 stadion or 190metres on its long side. All ships are triereis but have differing characteristics according to build, crew quality, command quality and the nature of the squadron leader.