Thursday Game: Nation Building.

The last Thursday game of June was put on at short notice. It's been a while since we had a game of Command and Colors Ancients, so I decided that was what we would do. We use scenario X :http://files.boardgamegeek.com/geekfile_download.php?fileid=58401&filetype=application%2Fpdf&filename=ScenarioXv10.pdf&filecode=5e0w4pce16&validationcode=7055e712723085289fb42d6deb464a18
using DBx based figures for armies and scenario maps for battlefields.

I have been toying with developing an 'imagiNation' as inspired by Bob Cordery, Tim Crook, et al. I thought that this would be an opportunity to start that process. The idea was to find out how the, as yet, unnamed nation began and developed.
The working title was 'mittleland', my idea being that this would be a central European/Germanic nation.

The plan was for three armies to face off against each other in three battles. The armies selected were Ancient British, Gallic and Early Imperial Roman. ( I had moved on my Early Germans) The army winning most battles would influence the culture of the new nation. I was hoping to model the way that Roman culture is still prevalent today in countries it conquered, whereas whereas those countries not conquered developed. Enough theory, on with the battles!

The first battle was between the Ancient British and the Gallic armies. The battlefield selected was Mons Graupius (one of the possible sites for this is Bennachie, 16 miles from where I am sitting). We use the terrain from the map and allow free deployment of units within two hexes of the baseline, three for lights.

                                    Initial deployment British (Aidan) left, Gauls (Jeff) right.
We use a points system developed from Scenario X. Each army will have 12 units or a minimum 50 points.

Early moves. Gallic attack on British right flank. Inital success, but repulsed with some spent warbands (markers show hits left).

Gallic lights gamble against the British barbarian chariots. Aiming to merely delay the attack, they roll a double 6 and score two hits!

Mid game. The British chariots attack and cause casualties on the Gallic medium cavalry.

Endgame. The British having reached 6 banners have to survive the Gallic attempt to draw. We do not end games immediately, allowing the losing side the chance to draw the game.

Picture above shows the end state. British 6 banners, Gauls 3.

 

The second battle was the Romans v British. This was played on the terrain from Boudicca's Revolt: Watling Street.

Initial deployment.

After blunting the British chariots, Rick's Romans sat back and let Aidan's British come on to them. There was quite a visious combat in the centre. The game ended as a 6-6 draw.
Endstate.

In the final game, my Gauls took on Rick's Romans, on the Issus terrain.This game also finished 6-6. I forgot to take a photo of the initial deployment. The photos show that my tactic/gamble of throwing warbands forward worked again, just! I was 6-4 down, but in my extra turn, managed to reach 6 banners.

In imagi nation terms, there will be no Roman influence. The nation will develop under Ancient British influence. The tribe that won these victories was, apparently the Torrenni. It will be interesting to see how their nation will develop.