Friday, June 30, 2006

Pax Romana: Scenario 2 (Stan Buck)

Stan and I hooked up via ConsimWorld for a game of Pax Romana's Scenario 2: The Punic Wars-The Fall of Carthage. Stan is playing Rome while I am playing Carthage.


Turn 1

The first activation goes to Rome and they use it to purchase 2 Galley squadrons, in Rome and Rhegium. Rome starts the game with a severe disadvantage at sea and Chris is trying to close the gap a bit.

The second AM is an Event, Stability & Revenue which affects no one.

For Carthage's first activation, I decide to concentrate my forces. There's at least 2 outposts in Africa that I cannot see doing any good in their present positions: the 2LI in Cirta and the 1C in Thevastis. I also want to take Melita. It provides no income or units, but the extra stability and Geographic Objective Points should help me out.

So Carthage takes an expansion move to consolidate those forces in better locations.
  • Major move: The 2-5 leader in Carthage, taking advantage of his campaign rating, gets just enough movement points to move along the coast, pick up the 2 LI units from the mountain fortress of Cirta and return to Carthage.
  • Minor move 1: The 1C in Thevastis moves by itself the two spaces to Carthage, to join the 2-5 leader and the majority of Carthaginian forces there.
  • Minor Move 2: The LI in Lilybaeum moves to Melita.
Rome is next up and also makes an expansion move.
  • Major Move: The 1-4 leader in Rhegium attacks the Mamertines across the straits into Massena. The Romans succeed in reducing the Mamertines, but do not have enough movement points left to force a retreat or attack again.
  • Minor Move 1: One of the two legions in Arretium invades Corsica, eliminating the Carthaginian Garrison at Aleria before settling in Urcinium.
  • Minor Move 2: The other legion in Arretium heads towards Spain, stopping in Massilia in Narbonensis.
Carthage is up next. Stan's aggressive move into Corsica and his attempt to get into Siciliy is a surprise to me. I had planned to try to get my 2-5 leader into Spain and start expanding my empire, but that will have to wait.
  • Major Move: Activate the 2-5 leader along with 1HI and 1Cav and sail to Siciliy to finish of the Mamertines and occupy Massena, preventing an easy crossing by Rome into Sicily.
  • Minor Move 1: Move a galley from Utica to Tharros in Sardinia in an attempt to forestall losing that province as well.
  • Minor Move 2: Move a galley from Lilybaeum to Olbia in Sardinia for the same reason.
Rome has the next activation and she isn't going to let a couple of galleys deter her from taking Sardinia.
  • Major Move: The 1-4 leader in Rhegium is activated and leads a single legion and two Galleys up the coast of Italy. One Galley is left behind in Baetum to force a Carthaginian crossing from Massena through Rhegium. Another galley and another legion are picked up in Rome and the assembled force sails for Sardinia. Outnumbered, the Carthaginian galleys at Olbia give way while Rome overruns the island and a legion is broken up into Garrison units.
  • Minor Move 1: Garrison to Aleria.
  • Minor Move 2: Garrison to Tharros.
(Note: Neither of us is clear what happens to the Galleys when the land space is taken, we just decided that they remained there offshore until they moved or were eliminated from attrition. This may have been a rules mistake.)

The situation for Carthage is pretty bad. An attempt to take Sardinia back will be very risky. But if I don't try now, I'll never get it back and Rome's lead in money will become acute. So I decide to make the risky move and attack Sardinia.
  • Major Move: The 2-5 leader leaves 1HI in Masena and sails back to Carthage with 1Cav, where he gathers up 1HI, 1Cav, 1LI, and a Galley. Pick up a 2nd galley in Utica and the two other Galleys in Tharros enroute to Olbia, passing a transit point and two unfriendly ports in the process (lucky!). The Roman Galleys retreat to Caralis rather than fight and the Carthaginians storm ashore at Olbia, sweeping aside the Garrison. They then move on to Caralis, where the Roman attempt to retreat is thwarted by the Carthaginian cavalry and the Roman army wiped out.
  • Minor Move 1: LI from Caralis defeats the Roman garrison at Tharros and ends up in Olbia with the Carthaginian Fleet. (Note: This turned out to be illegal and instead the 1-4 leader was moved to Massena.)
  • Minor Move 2: The LI in Melita breaks down into Garrison units.
The next AM is an event, Galley technology, which benefits Carthage whose final AM comes out next.

Carthage is forced to make another expansion move because everything in Sardinia is without an LOC unless we can move off the Roman galleys in Caralis. Luckily Galley technology will make this more easy.
  • Minor Move 1: LI from Caralis is unable to move far enough to defeat the Roman garrison at Tharros so moves to Olbia instead
  • Minor Move 2: HI from Caralis to Tharros, defeating the garrison and stays there to insure that the galleys do not have to make a continuation roll.
  • Major Move: 3 Galleys move from Olbia to Caralis via Tharros. The Romans will be able to withdraw, but they will be forced through 2 naval transit points, including a Deep Sea transit point. Otherwise they will have to fight a battle at 9BP:4BP. Or so I thought...on closer inspection, they can retreat into the same space I entered from, so the Roman galleys withdraw to Aleria, passing the continuation roll at Tharros.
Rome has the final AM of the first turn.
  • Minor Move 1: The Roman legion in Massilia attacks the tribe in Nemausus (5BP strength). Luckily for Rome, it's a relatively bloodless battle. The tribe loses 1BP while Rome loses none.
  • Major Move: Activate the 1-4 leader in Arretium. he moves to Corsica, picks up the Legion and Galleys there and moves to Olbia. Faced with a naval battle at only a -2 (4BP+leader vs. 3BP), the Carthaginians stay to fight, but lose the ensuing naval battle, although they take a Roman galley with them. The Carthage LI retreats to Caralis while the legion ends it's turn in Olbia.
  • Minor Move 2: Galley in Paestum to Rhegium.
End of turn status:
  • CVP: Carthage- 5 (1 City, 2 towns), Rome - 12 (3 cities, 3 towns)
  • GOP: Carthage: 8, Rome 4
  • VP: Carthage +2 (GOP) to 2, Rome +1 (CVP) to 1.
  • Stability: Carthage - 6 (+1 for VP), Rome - 6 (-1 for VP)
  • No problems with the number of HI or LG compared to Stability or CVP for either side.
  • Income: Carthage - 13T, Rome - 18T

Turn 2

Start of turn actions:
  • Carthage maintains 4 Galleys
  • Rome maintains 2 Galleys
  • Carthage builds 2HI in Carthage
  • 1 LI in Urcinium, 1 LG in Albintimiltium, 1 LG in Rhegium, 2 LG and 3 galleys in Rome
  • Carthage places 2-4 leader in Carthage and 2-3 leader in Tharros
  • Rome places 2-4 leader in Rome and 2-3 leader in Rhegium
Rome has the first AM and performs an expansion move, going after Sardinia, yet again! Sardinia is definately the center of attention in this game.
  • Major Move: the 2-4 leader in Rome crosses to Sardinia with 2LG and 2 Galleys. They move to Tharros, but the Carthaginians retreat to Caralis. Rome pursues them and a battle ensues in Caralis. The odds are fairly even, and Rome loses the battle, suffering 6BP worth of losses to 1BP for Carthage. The Romans retreat back to Olbia to lick their wounds. Sardinia is now neutral as a result, however.
  • Minor Move 1: The garrison in Pisae moves to Urcinium.
  • Minor Move 2: The LG in Albintimiltium moves to Massilia.
Carthage has the second AM and also performs an expansion move.
  • Major Move: Fearful of the 2LG staring across the straits at Messana, the 2-4 leader in Carthage is activated, along with an HI, LI and Galley. They move to Melita, where they grab one of the Garrison units there. The entire force then moves to Messana to joing the HI already there.
  • Minor Move 1: Build a town in Messana.
  • Minor Move 2: The LI in Gades (Hispania) is broken down into 2 garrison units.
The third AM is an Event, and Greece is rolled. It will cost 1T to activate Greece, so Carthage pays 1T (down to 4T now!) in order to give Rome something else to worry about.

The fourth AM is an Event and Stability is rolled. Rome's AM comes out next, so Stability affects Rome. However, with her stability at +6, there is no effect.

Rome now gets to play her second AM, making an expansion move.
  • Major Move: The leaderless 2LG in Massilia attack the 4BP remaining of the tribe in Nemausus. The Romans suffer a setback in the battle, taking 4BP of losses, while the tribe takes just 2.
  • Minor Move 1: The 2-3 leader in Rhegium moves to Croton.
  • Minor Move 2: The LG in Rhegium moves to Croton.
Carthage has the next AM (her second) and performs an expansion move.
  • Minor Move 1: The Garrison in Gades moves to Carthago Novo.
  • Minor Move 2: The Galley in Massena moves to Caralis.
  • Major Move: The Greek 2-4 leader and his force (4HI 1Cav) are activated. They embark galleys at Dyrrhacum and sail up the coast of Italy to Armunium, where the town forces them to stop and debark for battle. The Greeks overwhelm the town and then destroy it before moving inland to destroy the Roman Garrison in Parma.
Rome draws the next AM and also performs and expansion move.
  • Minor Move 1: LG in Gaul activates, but is not able to get enough movement points to attack.
  • Major Move: The 2-3 leader activates and rushes to defend Rome.
  • Minor Move 2: Passed.
Rome draws the next AM and makes yet another expansion move.
  • Major Move: The 2-4 leader activates and leads his forces off Sardinia to Urcimium on Corsica.
  • Minor Move 1: The LG in Gaul activates again and is once again unable to muster enough MP to attck.
  • Minor Move 2: Passed.
Carthage has the last 2 AMs. The first is used for expansion.
  • Minor Move 1: The Garrison in Panormus moves to Lilybaeum.
  • Minor Move 2: The Garrison in Carthago Novo moves to Barcino.
  • Major Move: The Greek leader activates, attacking and destroying the Roman town at Placentia before settling in Pisae, blocking lines of communication with Corsica.
With the last AM, Carthage makes another expansion move:
  • Major Move: The 2-4 leader in Massena activates, making a naval move which picks up the Garrison in Lilybaeum and debarks in Tharros, returning Sardinia to Carthage control.
  • Minor Move 1: The Garrison in Barcino is finally abe to get enough MP to board ships and sail to Balearis Insulae, taking control of the Balearic Islands.
  • Minor Move 2: The Greek Galley attempts to make it back to friendly waters, but is only able to get as far as Brundisium. It will be lost during the attrition phase.
Attrition: Rome loses an LI in Urcinum, which is cut off from the mainland by the Greek army in Pisae.

End of turn status:
  • CVP: Carthage- 6 (1 City, 3 towns), Rome - 10 (3 cities, 1 towns)
  • GOP: Carthage: 9, Rome 4
  • VP: Carthage +2 (GOP) to 4, Rome +1 (CVP) to 2.
  • Stability: Carthage - 8 (+1 for VP, Baleares Islands), Rome - 5 (-1 for VP)
  • No problems with the number of HI or LG compared to Stability or CVP for either side.
  • Income: Carthage - 13T, Rome - 14T

Turn 3

Start of turn actions:
  • Carthage maintains 4 Galleys
  • Rome maintains 3 Galleys
  • Carthage places 1-5 leader in Carthage and 1-4 leader in Caralis
  • Rome places 1-4 leader and 1-3 leader in Rome
  • Carthage builds HI in Carthage, LI in Caralis, Cav in Carthage
  • Rome builds 5LG in Rome
Rome is faced with a near-insurmountable deficit in GOP, and so looks to land a knockout blow by sailing with the 1-4 leader and a host of LG to Africa. Unfortunately, they are blown off-course in the Deep Sea Naval Transit Point, and the entire force is lost, at which point, Stan conceded.


Conclusion

Turn 1 was interesting and see-saw and both Stan and I felt we were losing when it ended. Turn 2 was a bloodbath for Rome, from the early battle at Caralis where cavalry made the difference to the appearance of the Greeks, to the mis-adventures in Gaul. Luck abandoned Stan on Turn 2, and never came back, making a victory fairly impossible, since he is forced to overturn a large GOP defecit and hadn't made progress on Turn 2.

Only more playing will tell whether this was an atypical result or not, as I have heard this scenario is finely balanced. Given the one-sided luck on Turn 2, I don't draw any serious conclusions.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Pax Romana 102: Scenario 5 - Turn 1/2 Interphase

Turn 1/2 Interphase

Attrition and Isolation Phase
  • Greece loses Galleys in Salonis and Sidon.
  • The East suffers 30% attrition in Iconium.
Victory Phase: GOP
  • Carthage: 4 home provinces, Sardinia, Corsica, W Sicily, Gallaecia, Lusitania, and Baetica (10 total) = 10GOP
  • East: 5 home provinces, Lycia, Galatia, Cappadocia, Cilicia (9 total) = 9GOP
  • Greece: 5 home provinces, Ionia, Pontus, Dalmatia, Moesia Superior (9 total) = 9GOP
  • Rome: 3 home provinces = 3GOP
Victory Phase: CVP
  • Rome: Towns: Bovianum; Cities: Pisa, Roma, Capua, Tarentum = 13CVP
  • Carthage: Towns: Emerita Augusta, Utica; Cities: Bergidum, Carthage, Lilybaeum = 11CVP
  • Greece: Towns: Sardis, Cities: Corinth, Pella, Athens = 10CVP
  • East: Towns: Jerusalem, Sidon, Tripolis; Cities: Antioch, Alexandria = 9CVP
Victory Phase:Victory Points
  • Carthage: 3 VP for 11 CVP (2nd place) and 7VP for 10 GOP (1st place) = 10VP
  • Rome gets 5 VP for 13 CVP (1st place) and 0VP for 3GOP (4th place) = 5VP
  • Greece gets 1 VP for 10 CVP (3rd place) and 3VP (0.5 * (4+2)) for 9 GOP (t-2nd) = 4VP
  • East gets 0 VP for 9 CVP (4th place) and 3VP (0.5 * (4+2)) for 9 GOP (t-2nd) = 3VP
Victory Phase:Stability
  • Carthage: +2 for provinces and +1 for VP total. Stability = 8
  • Rome: +2 for home province. Stability = 8
  • The East: +4 for provinces, -1 for VP. Stability=7
  • Greece: +0 for provinces, -1 for famine. Stability = 0

Turn 2

Income
  • Carthage: (Bergidum +1, 1 Terr, 10 Prov, 11 Cvp) = 23T+1T = 24T
  • Greece: (Ionia +1, 1 Terr, 9 Prov, 10 Cvp) = 21T+7T = 28T
  • Rome: (Italia +1, 1 Terr, 3 Prov, 13 Cvp) = 18T+8T = 26T
  • The East: (Egypt +2, 1 Terr, 9 Prov, 9 Cvp,-2 Baghdad Booty Call) = 19T+0T = 19T
Leader Selection

Michael continues his record of poor random draws by pulling out a fairly pathetic selection of leaders for all 4 sides.
  • Carthage: 2-4 and 1-2 both in Carthage
  • East: 2-6 in Alexandria, 1-3 in Iconium
  • Greece: 1-3 in Athens, 2-4 in Brundisium
  • Rome: 2-3 in Rome, 1-3 in Nemausus
Manpower Phase
  • Rome: LG in Bovianum
  • East: 2HI, 1LI in Iconium; maintain 2GS
  • Greece: HI in Sardis, Pella, 3LI in Naissus; maintain 5GS (SoF and his Army are removed)
  • Carthage: 4HI in Carthage, 1LI in Bergidum; maintain 5GS

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Pax Romana 102: Scenario 5 - Turn 1

Michael Gouker is organizing multiplayer games and acting as referee to get people started on this new game, much like what is going on for Here I Stand. Very generous and a great service to the gaming community. I got lucky enough to get into a game.

In this particular game we are playing Scenario 5: The Rise of Rome with the following players:
Unless otherwise noted below, assume that the active side performed an expansion move.


Turn 1

Turn 1 starts with the Activation Phase...

Activation Phase

Greece goes first with their Soldier of Fortune Army (representing Pyhrrus).
  • Major Move: The 3-4 SoF leader moves into Dalmatia and attacks the tribe at Coricum. Despite a fairly serious advantage, he is unable to defeat them and must attack again before eliminating the tribe. The Army settles in Salonae after defeating the tribe.
  • Minor Move 1: The Greek Garrison at Brundisium cross the sea to Lissa, securing the province of Dalmatia for Greece.
  • Minor Move 2: The Greek Garrison at Tyre, feeling exposed, attempts to flee back to Asia Minor, but only make it as far as Sidon.
The next AM belongs to The East. They place their initial forces in Palmyra.
  • Major Move: The 2-6 leader in Palmyra moves to Sidon where they annihilate the Greek garrison. Garrison units are created en route and left in Tripolis and Sidon along with HI units. The remaining Army moves through the Cilician Gates (leave 1HI) and to Seleucia, taking control of Cicilia.
  • Minor Move 1: Create a Town in Sidon.
  • Minor Move 2: Create a Town in Tripolis.
The next AM belongs to Carthage, who draw the Barbarian Invasion card and the Eastern Gauls enter play. Carthage intercedes with the Gauls and they attack Tribes in Melta, destroying them, and denting the strength of the Tribe in Naissus.

Then Carthage makes an expansion move of her own.
  • Major Move: Activate the 2-5 leader in Carthage. He moves to Thevestis to pick up the cavalry unit there, then boards ships and sets sail for Hispania. They are blown off-course en route, but manage to regroup themselves and end their move in Gades (Baetica).
  • Minor Move 1: The LI at Cirta moves to Hippo Regius
  • Minor Move 2: 1LI in Lilybaeum returns to Carthage to defend the city.
Rome has the next AM, and draws the Pirates card, placing Pirates on the NTP North of Messana. Rome also donates 3T to the Greek treasury.
  • Major Move: The 2-4 leader in Rome moves with 3 legions and a Garrison unit. Their first move is to Capua where a Legion is dropped off. From there they move to Pisae where the Garrison is dropped off. The remaining 2 legions board ships at Pisae and sail to Massilia, where they eliminate a Greek Garrison.
  • Minor Move 1: Activate 1 LG in Placentia and move it to Arretium.
  • Minor Move 2: Activate 1 LG in Placentia and move it to Massilia to join the 2-4 leader.
The initial AMs having been used, the first random AM drawn is Carthage.
  • Major Move: Activate the 2-5 leader at Gades and his Army. They move to attack the Barbarians in Emerita Augusta, it takes two attacks to destroy the tribe, but in the end, Carthage is in control of Lusitania (although they lose control of Baetica when the Army leaves Gades). An LI is broken down into Garrisons, which are left behind in Emerita Augusta before the main force moves on to Salamantica.
  • Minor Move 1: Build a town in Emerita Augusta.
  • Minor Move 2: Activate a Galley in Carthage and move it to Aleria in Corsica.
The next AM drawn is for Greece. They pay Carthage 2T for their help with the Eastern Gauls before making their move.
  • Major Move: Fearful of The East's intentions and hoping to impress on them the need for peaceful co-operation, the Soldier of Fortune Army embarks ships in the Danube and sails all the way to Asia Minor before debarking and moving overland to Iconium.
  • Minor Move 1: An HI in Nicomedia is activated, but is not able to gain enough movement points to actually go anywhere.
  • Minor Move 2: Corinth is converted into a city.
The next AM is for The East and they are greeted with news of a Slave Revolt, which breaks out in The Fayum.
  • Major Move: The 2-5 leader in Alexandria is activated and Attacks the slaves, defeating them after two assaults. and returning to Alexandria.
  • Minor Move 1: LI in Damascus hobbles into Tyre after a grueling trek across the desert.
  • Minor Move 2: The LI in Memphis barely makes it to Pelusium.
The East is up again. Revenues and Stability is drawn, but has no effect.
  • Major Move: The 2-6 leader in Asia Minor is activated. He creates some Garrison units from his light infantry, then moves off, leaving a Garrison behind in Tarsus and Melitene before moving further into Cappadocia. Heavy Infantry is broken down to create more Garrisons, two of which are dropped in Nicopolis before the remainder of the Army settles in Sebastia.
  • Minor Move 1: One of the garrison units in Nicopolis moves further, into Trapezus.
  • Minor Move 2: The LI in Tyre moves to Jerusalem.
Rome draws the next AM.
  • Major Move: The 1-5 leader and garrison in Placentia move to Arretium where they pick up a Legion, which is moved to Pisae before being dropped off. The rest continue on to Bovianum where the Garrison is dropped off, while the leader and Legion end the turn in Rome.
  • Minor Move 1: The Legion in Capua sallies forth to destroy the Greek Garrison in Venusia before returning to Capua.
  • Minor Move 2: The Legion in Rome activates, but goes nowhere.
Greece is up next and Hunger and Famine in Greece impacts the stability of that country.
  • Minor Move 1: The LI in Iconium moves to Nicomedia.
  • Major Move: The SoF Activates and counter marches from Asia Minor to Serdicca in Thrace.
  • Minor Move 2: The SoF is joined in Serdicca by the Garrison from Ancyra.
Greece loses control of Galatia ahead of the advancing East further impacting her stability. Greece is now in Unrest.
Rome has the next AM.
  • Major Move: 1-5 leader and Legion in Rome move on Tarentum. The Greek LI and Cav abandon the City and Greece cedes control to Rome without bloodshed. (There was a lot of discussion about the legality of this. It was decided that it was not actually legal without play of an Alliance card, but due to the misundertanding that made it seem like it would be legal, was quite fairly allowed to stand in this game.)
  • Minor Move 1: Create a town in Pisae.
  • Minor Move 2: Create a town in Bovianum.
The next AM is for Carthage. Successor Wars break out in Greece, but have little impact as the unit selected to return to Greece (Cav in Bovianum) is unable to gain enough MP to actually move.
  • Minor Move 1: The garrison at Emerita Augusta return to Gades, regaining control of Baetica.
  • Major Move: Activate the 2-5 leader and attack the tribe in Brigantium (Gallaecia) which puts up a tremendous fight against Carthage's first assault, but is unable to withstand the second wave. The Carthaginians retire to Bergidum to rest after the campaign.
  • Minor Move 2: While in Bergidum, they found a new town for Carthage.
The next AM is for Carthage also, their final move of the turn. They bring news of a Local Insurrection which eliminates the lonely Greek Garrison in Emporiae.
  • Major Move: The 1-4 leader in Lilybaeum activates with an LI. They return to Africa where they pick up some additional Light Infantry from Hippo Regius which is moved to Utica and dropped off. The rest of the force continues to Melita, where the LI is broken down into Garrison units, one of which is left behind to control Melita. The remaining force returns to Lilybaeum.
  • Minor Move 1: Create city in Bergidum.
  • Minor Move 2: Create city in Lilybaeum.
The next actvation is for The East.
  • Major Move: Activate 2-6 leader in Sebastia. He and his remaining force move to Nicopolis and Trapezus to pick up garrison units before moving on to Iconium to take control of Galatia.
  • Minor Move 1: Garrison in Tarsus moves to Side to take control of Lycia.
  • Minor Move 2: Create city in Antioch.
Greece's final activation is next.
  • Major Move: The SoF and his Army look to subdue the remaining tribes in Moesia Superior. They attack the remnants of the Tribe in Taisus (2BP), defeating them easily. They then move off to Ulpianum to attack the tribe there (4BP) defeating them also quite easily. The SoF Army moves to Lissa where it ends its turn and its employment.
  • Minor Move 1: Garrison in Serdicca moves to Naissus to control Moesia Superior.
  • Minor Move 2: Build a city in Pella
Rome has the final activation of the turn.
  • Major Move: The 2-4 leader and 3 LG in Massilia activate and move to Nematusus to attack the tribe (4BP). It takes two assaults to defeat the Tribe and the Roman leader is killed in battle. Afterwards, one of the legions moves to Narbo and ends the turn there.
  • Minor Move 1: Build city in Pisae.
  • Minor Move 2: Build city in Capua.