He Died Old (The Great Mithridatic War): Ongoing

[kronenblatt]

This campaign is using my beloved Imperium Romanum II board game from the 1980's, some of its rules, and its map in order to hopefully constitute a manageable, interesting, as well as fun campaign. It covers the Third Mithridatic War between the Roman Republic and king Mithridates VI of Pontus, along the client states of both sides, starting in the mid-eighth decade BCE (i.e., around 75 BCE). Each player control one of two major factions: Pontus and Rome. In addition, the major factions have vassals (Pontus having Armenia and the Seleucid rump kingdom of Syria, and Rome having Egypt) permanently controlled by the players of the liege major faction.

This campaign will be played out on the Discord server only and thus this thread not updated anymore.

Factions and participating players

• Pontus: kronenblatt

• Rome: carpenkm

Round 6 (SUMMER, after administration)

[kronenblatt]

[kronenblatt]

Overview

• This campaign covers the Third Mithridatic War between the Roman Republic and king Mithridates VI of Pontus, along the client states of both sides, starting in the mid-eighth decade BCE (i.e., around 75 BCE).

• Each of the players belongs to one of two major factions: Pontus (edb1815, Triarii) and Rome (carpenkm, kronenblatt), co-operating within their faction and dividing up commands among themselves, while fighting the other faction.

• The campaign lasts for a maximum of twelve rounds, but will end earlier if one major faction can claim victory through controlling its original provinces (those of its client state factions not needed) and at least four provinces originally controlled by the other major faction or its client states.

• If none of the major factions has fulfilled this victory condition after twelve rounds, the winner will be the major faction with the highest number of won engagements against the other major faction (i.e., only engagements major faction versus major faction counting).

Factions

• There are three types of factions:
  • Major faction (Pontus, Rome): permanently controlled by a team of players on each side.
  • Client state faction (Armenia, Egypt, Syria): vassal of a major faction and permanently controlled by the players of that major faction.
  • Minor faction (Getae, Judea, Nabatea, Rhoxolani): inactive but whose armies can become temporarily activated and then controlled by the players of the proper major faction.

• A major faction and its client state factions are friendly to each other, while all other factions are enemies.

• Factions may in general not use or take advantage of each other's towns, cities, ports, and generals, with the following exceptions:
  • Armies of a major faction and its client state factions may take part in the same battle, albeit as separate engagements.
  • A major faction may treat the towns, cities, and ports of its client factions as if they were its own, other than for raising armies.
    • However, a client state faction may not use or take advantage of those of its major faction.

• The major factions and their armies use army lists and have client states as follows:
  • Pontus (Green): Pontic 84-47 BC with Armenia and Syria as its two client states.
  • Rome (Red): Roman 105-25 BC with Egypt as its client state.

• The client state factions and their armies use army lists as follows:
  • Armenia (Dark Blue): Armenian (Tigranes) 83-69 BC.
  • Egypt (Yellow): Ptolemaic 166-56 BC.
  • Syria (Seleucid kingdom remnants) (Light Blue): Seleucid 124-63 BC.

• The minor factions and their armies use army lists as follows:
  • Getae (Black): Thracian (Getae) 279 BC-46 AD.
  • Judea (Grey): Jewish 110-64 BC.
  • Nabatea (White): Nabataean 260 BC-106 AD.
  • Rhoxolani (Black): Rhoxolani 350 BC-24 AD.

• The different factions originally control provinces at the start of the campaign, as follows:
  • Pontus: Cappadocia, Chersonesus, Colchis, Galatia, Olbia, Tyras.
  • Rome: Achaea & Epirus, Asia, Bithynia & Pontus, Lycia & Pamphylia, Macedonia, Thracia.
  • Armenia: Adiabene, Armenia, Atropatene.
  • Egypt: Aegyptus.
  • Syria: Cilicia, Syria, Osrhoene.
  • Getae: Moesia Inferior.
  • Judea: Iudea.
  • Nabatea: Arabia Petraea.
  • Rhoxolani: Sarmatia.

• Only the provinces above (i.e., those that are originally controlled by a faction) are accessible for movement by armies and generals:
  • Achaea & Epirus, Adiabene, Aegyptus, Arabia Petraea, Armenia, Asia, Atropatene, Bithynia & Pontus, Cappadocia, Chersonesus, Cilicia, Colchis, Galatia, Iudea, Lycia & Pamphylia, Macedonia, Moesia Inferior, Olbia, Osrhoene, Sarmatia, Syria, Thracia, Tyras.

• All units within an army list are freely available to deploy (other than the standard in-game limitations on numbers, etc.).

Map

• The campaign uses the map from the Imperium Romanum II board game, of which parts (provinces not originally controlled by any faction) have been made inactive and off-limits.

• The map is drawn at a scale of 1:5,000,000, with each hex being approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) across.

• Provinces in which it is always summer (and thus never winter) are marked with a small sun symbol next to the province's name on the map.

• On the map, some provinces contain a small axe symbol, indicating that such provinces are deforested and providing benefits to sieged cities and towns in such provinces.

• Towns and cities are represented on the map as red dots and circles, respectively.
  • Towns or cities being the capital of a province is printed in CAPITAL letters on the map.
  • If a town or city hex has spikes radiating from the center of the hex but none radiating upper-right ("2 o' clock"), the town or city does not exist for the purposes of this campaign.
    • This corresponds to period 1 of the Imperium Romanum II board game.
    • For example, both of Byzantium, Olbia, Tyras, and Palmyra exist, while none of Corinthus, Adrianopolis, and Amida does.
  • Towns and cities with no spikes always exist (for example, Nicomedia).

• Ports are represented on the map by anchor symbols.
  • A port in a town or city hex exists only if the town or city itself exists.
  • If a port has no town or city in its hex always exists.

• A faction's control over towns and cities (and ports, if in the same hex as towns or cities) is indicated by semi-transparent hexagons in the faction's color on the map.

• Ports (if not in the same hex as towns and cities) cannot be controlled.

• A faction gains control over a town or city if its Defense value is reduced to 0 or lower through siege and/or corresponding assault, as set out in Sieges and Assaults below.
  
  

Provinces

• A faction retains control over a province as long as it controls the provincial capital (printed in CAPITAL letters on the map).

• A faction gains control over a province once it captures the provincial capital and at least half the other towns or cities of the province.

• Thus, a province can potentially be controlled by no faction at all.

• Major factions and their client state factions can gain control over minor factions' provinces, with the following exceptions:
  • The province of Sarmatia is always controlled by Rhoxolani.
  • The province of Moesia Inferior is always controlled by Getae.

• In contrast, minor factions can never gain control over any new provinces, towns, or cities.

• The Province Status Map from Imperium Romanum II immediately below shows which provinces:
  • are cultivated and which are wild (having effects on supply).
  • have roads and which do not (having effects on movement).
  

Armies

• An army's size ranges (in integer steps) between 1 and 5, i.e., 1 (weakest), 2, 3, 4, and 5 (strongest).
  • The size of an army will affect its strength and thus its number of FP in Field of Glory II:Ancients games as well as how much supply it requires in order to not weaken.
  • Size is reduced in integer steps as part of incurred casualties during engagements or from lack of supply.
  • Once size is reduced to 0 or below (for whatever reason), the army is eliminated and its counter removed from the map, with its commanding general (if any) considered killed.

• Armies are numbered and represented on the map using counters.

• The "Army Information" table (showing size, allies, general, etc.) is published and kept updated in the campaign thread or on the map.

Starting the Campaign

• Each of the major and client state factions raises and places armies of sizes 2, 3, 4, or 5 in any hex in the provinces that it originally controls and at the cost specified in Raising New Armies below, using not more than the Army Replacement Points specified below:
  • Pontus: 48, and 2 generals.
  • Rome: 48, and 2 generals.
  • Armenia: 16, and 1 general.
  • Egypt: 24, and 1 general.
  • Syria: 16, and 0 generals.
  • None of these Army Replacement Points can be saved, so those not used at start of the campaign are lost.

• The minor factions Getae, Judea, Nabatea, and Rhoxolani are inactive and thus start without armies and generals.

Rounds

• Each round constitutes two months; thus there are six rounds in each year cycle.

• Once the sixth and last round in a year cycle is done, another year cycle starts anew, in the first round of that year cycle.
  

• The first three rounds in the cycle will always be "summer" season (marked in orange above and on the map, with normal conditions).

• The fifth round in the cycle will always be "winter" season (marked in blue above and on the map, with lower supply and higher movement costs).

• The fourth and sixth rounds could either be winter or summer, for each round determined randomly at the beginning of the Supply and Upkeep phase each time (using the derived "random" number ranging between 1 and 10 from the previous round, with 1 - 5 resulting in winter and 6 - 10 in summer).

• A round consists of five phases:
  
  1. Supply and Upkeep: checking supply, obtaining new Army Replacement Points, paying upkeep for armies.
  2. Recruitment: raising new armies, reinforcing existing armies, obtaining generals.
  3. Movement: obtaining movement points, providing movement instructions, executing army movement, initiating sieges.
  4. Battles: playing out engagements and assaults as Field of Glory II:Ancients games.
  5. Administration: moving armies and reducing army size after battles, managing sieges (reducing Defense values), changing control over towns, cities, provinces, merging and splitting armies, moving generals.

Supply

• An army needs to be supplied, either from foraging in the hex itself or from a nearby port, or its size will be reduced to a level that the hex can supply.

• Supply is checked in the Supply and Upkeep phase of each round (except the first round).

• A port can provide supply to a faction's army if:
  • it (or rather the town or city if in the same hex) is not controlled by any other faction, and
  • it is unbesieged and unblockaded, and
  • it is located in a controlled province, or there is at least one controlled (if town or city) port in a controlled province adjacent to the same sea.

• If a port can provide supply, any of the faction's armies (of size) in the port hex and within 4 MP from the port hex is in supply.
  • Movement cost for entering the army hex but not the port hex are taken into account when determining whether within 4 MP or not.

• For the purposes of this rule, there are three seas in this campaign: Pontus Euxinus, Mare Internum, and Mare Adriaticum.

• The size of army that a hex can supply (through army foraging) is outlined in the Army Supply Chart below and on the map.
  • The terrain effect is enjoyed by the army in the hex in all situations.
  • If a town or city in the hex, its (potentially) additional effect is enjoyed by the army only if its faction controls the town or city.

• Any army size in excess of what the hex can supply and not supplied from a port will be removed accordingly.
  • i.e., the army's size will be reduced to the hex's supply level at such time.

• If the size of an army is reduced to 0 or below, the army is eliminated, with its counter being removed from the map.

• Generals have no effect on supply and do themselves not need to be supplied but is considered killed if commanding an eliminated army.
  
  

Upkeep

• Existing armies need to be upkept or be eliminated, in part or in full.

• Upkeep cost is paid in the Supply and Upkeep phase, after having received the round's Army Replacement Points, adding to the factions' current Army Replacement Points pools, as follows:
  • Pontus: 24.
  • Rome: 24.
  • Armenia: 8.
  • Egypt: 12.
  • Syria: 8.

• Since minor faction armies (i.e., Getae, Judea, Nabatea, Rhoxolani) are always eliminated and removed from the map after concluded battles, there are none of them to be upkept.

• Upkeep cost for each army amounts to 2 plus its current size in Army Replacement Points (i.e., 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).

• If, and only if, a faction's level of Army Replacement Points is insufficient to upkeep all its armies, the faction needs to reduce the size of certain armies accordingly.
  • The faction then decides which of its armies whose sizes are reduced and by how much as long as the upkeep cost for all remaining armies is paid.

• The size of an army may also voluntarily be reduced, in part or in full, in the Supply and Upkeep phase but only after upkeep cost for it has been paid.

• Any Army Replacement Points remaining in the faction's pool after upkeep has been paid can be used in the same round or saved for use in future rounds.

• Army Replacement Points cannot be transferred between factions, not even between major factions and their client state factions.

Recruitment

Raising New Armies

• A new army can in the Recruitment phase be raised in any hex containing a controlled and unsieged town or city and located in an originally controlled province, provided that there is no enemy army within 6 MP.

• Armies can only be raised in sizes 2, 3, 4, and 5 (i.e., not 1).

• The cost of raising a new army amounts to 4 plus twice such size in Army Replacement Points (i.e., 8, 10,12, 14).

• Minor factions (Getae, Judea, Nabatea, Rhoxolani) cannot raise any new armies.

Reinforcing Existing Armies

• Existing armies can in the Recruitment phase be reinforced up to size 5 (of its original size) in a controlled and unsieged town or city in an currently controlled province.

• The cost of reinforcing an existing army amounts to twice the size increase in Army Replacement Points (e.g., 2 Army Replacement Points if reinforcing from size 3 to 4).

• Minor factions (Getae, Judea, Nabatea, Rhoxolani) never have any existing armies that can be reinforced.

Obtaining Generals

• Generals serve the purpose of increasing strength by +1 in engagements and movement by +4 MP for armies that they are commanding.

• A general must always be in command of an army and can only detach from an army if he is attaching and starting to command another army (see Moving Generals below).

• If the army that the general is commanding is eliminated for whatever reason, he is considered killed and removed from play, but can then be replaced, as set out below.

• New generals (whether replacing killed ones or not) can be obtained at a cost of 4 Army Replacement Points, provided that the new general can then only appear in the hex of an army located in a controlled and unsieged town or city (whether the province is currently controlled or not).

• Once having been obtained in such a way, the general will start commanding that army with immediate effect.

• Minor factions (Getae, Judea, Nabatea, Rhoxolani) never obtain generals.

Movement

Movement Points and Costs

• At the beginning of the Movement phase, all major faction and client state faction armies get 12 MP each to be used for movement that round, provided however that:
  • an army having lost a battle in the previous round gets its movement allowance reduced to 6 MP, and further to 0 MP if reinforced (unless commanded by a general at the beginning of the Movement phase).
  • an army having drawn a battle in the previous round gets its movement allowance reduced to 6 MP if reinforced (unless commanded by a general at the beginning of the Movement phase).

• In addition, all armies that at the beginning of the Movement phase are commanded by a general get an additional +4 MP, whether movement allowance has been reduced or not.

• Movement cost in MP for entering a hex:
  • depends on inter alia the hex's terrain, rivers, narrow seas, whether winter or summer, and whether the province in which is the hex is located has roads or not (see Province Status Map below).
  • is specified in the table on the lower right part of the map.

• Mountains and Lakes can not be traversed, if they cover roughly half or more of the hex side on the map.

• Narrow seas can only be crossed during summer, and then at the additional cost as specified on the map.

• Rivers are applicable if covering roughly half or more of the hex side on the map and can be crossed year-round at the additional cost as specified in the table.
  • Rivers flood during the first summer period after winter, i.e., either round 6 or round 1 of the year cycle (depending on the "random" number), with exception for:
    • Rivers never flood in the first round of a campaign.
    • the Nile always flooding in round 3.
  • The total cost of entering a hex through crossing a flooding River is twice that under normal circumstances, i.e., calculate the total cost of entering the hex (terrain plus non-flooding River crossing) and then double it.

• Armies from minor factions (Getae, Judea, Nabatea, Rhoxolani) never get MP and thus never move.
  
  

Movement Instructions

• Thereafter, still in the Movement phase, each player provides movement instructions for the armies that he controls. These direction of a moves is based on the sides of the hex and the "clock":
  
  • Move up to the right (northeast) = 2
  • Move down to the right (southeast) = 4
  • Move down (south) = 6
  • Move down to the left (southwest) = 8
  • Move up to the left (northwest) = 10
  • Move up (north) = 12
  • Stand still = 0
    

• Movement instructions are expressed as a sequence of individual moves, e.g., 2 4 2 6 0 6, with no other symbols in between, only blanks (for easy copy-pasting by the administrator).

• Players send PMs containing their instructions to the administrator, who publishes the instructions for his faction before opening the PMs of the other factions' players.

• Movement instructions can be sent by each player individually for his own armies, by players for other players’ armies, or by one player on behalf of all other players of the faction.

Movement Execution

• All armies move simultaneously at the end of the Movement phase, spending their MP move by move, and if necessary MP by MP, all armies at the same time.
  • The moves are conducted by the administrator and presented once all armies' movements have been completed.

• If more than one army at the same time (thus, after the same use of MP) wishes to move into the same hex, the army in the following priority order will be the one making the move:
  • largest army size.
  • having a general.
  • northernmost.
  • westernmost.

• No army can at any point in time be located in the same hex as another army, whether from the same or from another faction.

• An army:
  • moving into a hex adjacent to a hex in which an army of another faction is located will halt and move no further that round.
    • This only applies to adjacent hexes that can be moved between that round (i.e., not across e.g., narrow seas during winter and never across mountains or lakes).
  • adjacent to a hex in which an army any faction (even its own) is located will, if instructed to move to that hex, halt and move no further that round.
    • This said, friendly faction armies are allowed to move through each other's hexes, if having and paying the necessary MP to do so and if not ending its move in the hex of any other army.

Spawning Armies of Minor Factions

• If an army of a major or client state faction in the Movement phase moves into the hex of a province controlled by a minor faction (Getae, Judea, Nabatea, Rhoxolani), the following will occur:
  • the army will be able to move one hex further (provided that it was instructed to do so and has the necessary remaining MP) and then halt and move no further that round.
  • a size-1 army of the minor faction in question will appear in a hex adjacent to the army (at the choice of the other major faction, also controlling the army in the engagement).
  • An engagement will be fought between the two armies.

Engagements and Battles

Engagements

• Two armies from different enemy factions that, after movement in the Movement phase has been completed, are located in adjacent hexes will fight an "engagement" (another expression for and in the form of a Field of Glory II: Ancients game).

• If between the two armies there is a Mountain or Lake or a Narrow sea during winter, they are not considered located in adjacent hexes.

• These engagements will be fought out as games in Field of Glory II: Ancients to be played between two players, one from each major faction (to be selected prior to each game).

• The engagement will in Field of Glory II: Ancients be set up as follows:
  • Scenario: Open Battle.
  • Turn limit: 24 turns.
  • Map size: Wide (40 x 32).
  • Armies and allies: The two armies use their respective factions' army lists (no allies).
  • Map type: the terrain as specified in Map terrain of engagements below.
  • Force size: depends for the two armies on their difference in strength, as follows:
    • 1600 FP + strength difference * 30.
    • Thus, each step of strength difference will affect both armies' FP with 30 in different directions, making each such step result in a 60 FP difference between the two armies.
    • For example, a difference in strength of 2 results in the stronger army using 1600 + 2*30 = 1660 FP and the weaker army 1600 - 2*30 = 1540 FP.
  • Each of the two armies obtain their strengths through adjusting their respective sizes as follows:
    • -1 for each engagement that the army will fight in total this round (e.g., -1 if fighting only 1 engagement, -2 in each engagement if fighting 2 engagements, etc.).
    • +1 if commanded by a general.
    • +1 if located in the hex of a controlled city (not town).
    • -1 as River or Narrow sea penalty if the army:
      • just crossed the River or Narrow sea to enter the hex in which it is located when fighting its engagement this round, or
      • did not cross the River or Narrow sea but spent more MP than the adjacent enemy faction army located on the other side of the River or Narrow sea.
      • Furthermore, an additional -1 (i.e., -2) if the River is flooding.
  • An army's strength in an engagement can never be lower than 0 or higher than 5.
  • In the example below (from the "Eye of The Storm" campaign), Roman army VII (size 5) has crossed the river from the city of Adrianopolis in order to confront and fight Gothic army IX (size 2), which is standing still in its hex and commanded by a general. Since the Roman army crossed a river in order to get to the hex where it is to to fight the engagement, it will suffer a -1 strength adjustment, resulting in a strength of 5 - 1 - 1 (for fighting 1 engagement) = 3. The Gothic army starts off with size 2, adjusted by -1 (for the 1 engagement it is fighting), +1 for being commanded by a general, and by +1 for controlling the city of Philippopolis, bringing its strength to 2 - 1 + 1 +1 = 3. The strength difference is 3 - 3 = 0, resulting in the Roman army fighting with 1600 + 0*30 = 1600 FP and the Gothic army with 1600 - 0*30 = 1600 FP. (If the Gothic would have not stood still in this round but had moved to the Philippopolis hex, from the 'Hebros' hex to the north, it too would have crossed a river to get there and therefore too suffered the river penalty of -1, bringing its strength to 2 instead, with a strength difference of 1 in the Roman army's favour and thus 1630 FP for the Roman army and 1570 FP for the Gothic army.)
    
    

• The player of the army having spent the fewest MP that round normally sets up the engagement in-game.

• The winner, or the player having incurred the fewest casualties, reports the results in this thread.

Battles

• A "battle" consists of one or more engagements between armies from two different factions.

• Normally one battle involves only one engagement and thus only one army from each of two factions, but it may consist of several individual engagements involving several armies from each of the two factions, if and to the extent that more than one army from one faction has at least an army from the other faction in common as opponent in engagements.
  • For example, if two different armies from the same faction are both fighting the same army from a different faction, both these two individual engagements make up the same "battle". If in addition one of these two armies are fighting yet another army from that different faction, the engagement between these two armies is included in the battle as well.

• Other examples (with armies A, B, and C being from one faction, and X, Y, and Z from another):
  1. A is fighting X, B is fighting Y, and C is fighting Z in three separate battles, since none of the armies from one faction has an army from the other faction in common.
  2. A fighting X as well as Y, B fighting Y, and C fighting Z results in one battle including three engagements; A vs. X, A vs. Y, and B vs. Y (since A and B have Y in common as opponent), whereas C vs. Z is still a separate battle.
  3. A fighting X as well as Y, B fighting Y as well as Z, and C fighting Z results in one battle including all these five engagements (since A and B have Y in common as opponent, and B and C have Z in common).

• This means that each army can be involved in several engagements but only in one battle each round.

Sieges and Assaults

Sieges

• An army that, after movement in the Movement phase has been completed, is located in the hex of a town or city controlled by an enemy faction may decide to initiate (or continue, if a friendly army was already sieging it until this round) a siege, provided that all of the following applies:
  • There are no armies from any enemy factions located in adjacent hexes, and
  • The army's size is at least half the initial (or current, if continuing siege) Defense value of the town or city in question.

• Towns and cities controlled by the minor factions of Judea and Nabatea can be sieged, assaulted, and gained control over, just like any other towns and cities.

• When a siege is initiated, the initial Defense value is as follows:
  • Cities: 6.
  • Towns: 3.
  • in both cases, adjusted by +1 if located in deforested provinces (marked with small axe symbols).

• A sieged town or city will in the beginning of the Administration phase get its Defense value reduced by the current size of the sieging army.
  • This reduction applies also in a round that a siege is initiated and/or an assault is made.

• Generals do not affect siege progress (but do have an effect on army strength in assaults).

• If a sieging army (for whichever reason) leaves the hex of the sieged town or city, another army must enter the hex in the same round in order for the siege to continue at the current Defense value.
  • Otherwise, an initial Defense value (as listed above) for the new siege is used.

• If the Defense value of the sieged town or city is 0 or lower at the end of the Administration phase, the sieging army's faction gains control.

Assaults

• A sieging army may decide to assault the sieged town or city in order to (hopefully) reduce its Defense value further, potentially down to zero.

• The assault takes the form of an "engagement" (another expression for and in the form of a Field of Glory II: Ancients game), set up as follows:

• Scenario: Open Battle.

• Turn limit: 24 turns.

• Map size: Wide (40 x 32).

• Armies and allies: The two armies use their respective factions' army lists (no allies).

• Map type: the terrain of the hex of the sieged town or city as translated (without the use of any random value) into a map type in Map Terrain of Engagements below.
  • For example, the map type when assaulting Nicomedia is always Hilly, since Nicomedia is located in a hex with Rough terrain.

• Force size used for the two armies depends on the difference in strength, as follows:
  • 1600 FP + strength difference * 30.
  • The defending army's strength equals the sieged town's or city's current Defense Value divided by 2 (rounded down to nearest integer, e.g., 1 rounded down to 0, 3 rounded down to 1, and so on).
  • The assaulting army' strength equals its current size, adjusted by +1 if commanded by a general.

• The player of the defending army sets up the engagement in-game.

• The winner, or the player having incurred the fewest casualties, reports the results in this thread.

Map Terrain of Engagements

• The map type and terrain of the engagement played out in Field of Glory II: Ancients will be selected in three steps as follows:

• Firstly, the selection is centred around the location of the army having spent the fewest MP that round (until having completed its movement).
  • Minor faction armies (Getae, Judea, Nabatea, Rhoxolani) are always assumed to have spent zero MP.
  • If both armies have spent the same amount of MP that round, of the army with the lowest size.
  • If the two armies are of the same size as well, then the location of the army most to the south will be used.
  • This selected army is then, for the purposes of determining map type, located in the hex marked with '7' in the picture below, with surrounding hexes marked 1-6:
    

• Secondly, a "random" number between 1 and 10 (0 being 10) is generated from all armies' movement instructions in the same round (see "Random" Numbers below).
  • If the value of the "random" number is:
    • between 1 and 7, the terrain of the hex as highlighted in the picture above is used.
      • if such terrain is non-land (e.g., Coastal or Deep Sea), the terrain of the immediately applicable lower number’s hex is used instead.
      • in all cases, if the hex side between 7 and the used hex (other than 7, of course, since can not have any side to itself) contains Mountain (as indicated on the map), Mountain terrain will be used.
    • between 8 or 10, Clear terrain is always used.

• Finally, the selected terrain results in the following map types in the Field of Glory II: Ancients game:
  • Mountain = Mountains
  • Clear = Agricultural
  • Forest = Wooded
  • Rough = Hilly
  • Marsh = Marshy
  • Desert = Desert

• In the example below, Roman army VII has crossed the river from the city of Adrianopolis in order to confront and fight Gothic army IX, standing still in its hex. The location of the Gothic army is therefore (since having spent the fewer MP of the two armies) considered hex 7. The "random" number generated turns out to be 3, which is the Rough terrain hex immediately south. But since the hex side between 6 and 7 contains Mountain, the terrain used will be Mountain, corresponding to Mountains in the Field of Glory II:Ancients game. (If the "random" number had been 4, used terrain would have been Rough, due to no Mountain side in that direction, and thus Hilly in the Field of Glory II:Ancients game.)
  
  

• In assaults, the terrain of the hex of the sieged town or city is used as the selected terrain, and applied above (without any "random" number) in order to result in a map type for the Field of Glory II: Ancients game.

Outcomes and Effects of Engagements and Battles

• The level of incurred casualties (as shown in the upper left corner of the screen when the Field of Glory II: Ancients game ends) after an engagement is concluded will reduce army size in the beginning of the Administration phase, as follows:
  • 0 - 19%: 0.
  • 20 - 39%: -1.
  • 40 - 59%: -2.
  • 60 - 79%: -3.
  • 80 - 99%: -4.
  • 100%: -5.

• The adjustments above also apply to reduce an assaulting army's size as well as the Defense value of the sieged town or city (then using the defending army's incurred casualties in the assault engagement).

• If the size of an army is reduced to 0 or below, the army is eliminated, its counter removed from the map, and the commanding general (if any) considered killed.

• The results of the individual outcomes of all the engagements within a battle will determine the total outcome of the battle, which in turn will affect whether control of structures is changed and armies are moved from the locations.

• A faction and all its armies involved in that battle are considered to have won a battle against an enemy faction if at least one of the faction's engagements in that battle is won and none are lost, with the enemy faction (and all its armies involved) in that battle then considered to have lost the battle.

• If there is no winner and hence no loser of a battle, the battle is considered to be a draw for the involved factions and armies.

• An army having:
  • lost a battle must move 8 - 10 MP away from the armies it fought.
  • drawn a battle must move 4 - 6 MP away from the armies it fought.
  • won a battle is allowed (but not obliged) to move 1 - 6 MP in any direction.

• However, an assaulting army does not move, whether winning, drawing, or losing (unless eliminated, of course, with its commanding general (if any) considered killed).

• If the C-in-C of an army falls in battle (in the FoG:Ancients game) and that army is commanded by a general, the general in question is considered killed (whether the army lost, drew, or won the engagement or battle as a whole).

• Minor faction armies (Getae, Judea, Nabatea, Rhoxolani) are always eliminated and removed from the map after concluded battles, independent of their casualties and whether having won, lost, or drawn.

Administration

Merging Armies

• Two or more armies from the same faction that end a round in adjacent hexes to each other can in the Administration phase merge, the merged army's size becoming the sum of the merging armies' current sizes.

• However, a merged army may never obtain a size exceeding 5 (i.e., if three size-2 armies merge, the merged army's size will become 5, not 6).

• If at least one of the merging armies uses allies, the merged army may (but does not have to) use allies too.

• If none of the merging armies uses allies, the merged army will not use allies either.

• The merged army will be located in one of the hexes of the merging armies, at the faction's choice.

• Armies from different factions can not merge, not the army of a major factions and one of its client state faction armies.

Splitting Armies

• An army of size 4 or 5 can in the Administration phase split up into two armies, each of size 2 or 3.

• The two resulting armies use the allies (if any) of the original army.

• One of the resulting armies will be located in the hex of the original army, and the other resulting army in an adjacent hex, at the faction's choice.

• The commanding general (if any) stays with the army to be located in the hex of the original army.

• The cost of splitting an army amounts to 2 Army Replacement Points.

Moving Generals

• A general can in the Administration phase detach from the army he currently controls and move up to 24 MP, provided that he attaches and starts commanding another army of the same faction.
  • Otherwise he must remain with his current army so that he is always commanding an army.

• The general is then considered to command that other army already at the end of the same round.

"Random" Numbers

General

• "Random" numbers are generated from the submitted movement instructions for all armies.

• The general approach is to sum up a pre-defined set of such submitted movement instructions (adjusting that sum with the number of 6's (addition) and 12's (subtraction) in that set) and using only the single digit of that sum, with 0 being viewed as 10.

• "Random" numbers are currently used for two different purposes, determining the season (summer or winter) in the fifth round of each year cycle and the terrain and map type to be used in engagements.
  • The methods to generate "random" number differ slightly between the two purposes, as detailed below.

Summer or Winter?

• For the fourth and sixth rounds of the year cycle, it is randomly determined whether it is summer or winter season.

• Only one "random" number is required for that.

• Such "random" number is generated by summing up all movement instructions for all armies, adding the number of 6's and subtracting the number of 12's among such movement instructions, in order to arrive at a total.

• The "random" number itself is then obtained through using only the single digit of that total, with 0 being viewed as 10 (i.e., 2, 4, 6, 8, 10).
  • For example, 54 becomes 4, 48 becomes 8, 60 becomes 10, 100 becomes 10, 102 becomes 2, etc.

• Since season is determined at the beginning of the Supply and Upkeep phase of that fourth or sixth round, such "random" number from the previous round (i.e., the third or fifth round and its movement instructions) is used.

• If the "random" number is 1 - 5, it is winter, and if it is 6 - 10, it is summer.

• The example below results in a total of 608 and thus an 8 for the purposes of the "summer or winter" generation, i.e., summer.

Terrain and Map Type of Engagement?

• Every non-assault engagements needs an individual "random" number to determine which terrain and map type to be used in the corresponding Field of Glory II: Ancients games.

• To generate such a list of "random" numbers, the following approach is applied:
  • For the first "random" number, the sum of the first movement instructions for all armies is used, adding the number of 6's and subtracting the number of 12's among such movement instructions (introducing the possibility of obtaining odd "random" numbers too).
  • The first "random" number itself is then obtained through using only the single digit of that total, with 0 being viewed as 10 (i.e., 2, 4, 6, 8, 10).
  • The second "random" number instead uses the set of the second movement instructions, still for all armies and still adding the number of 6's and subtracting the number of 12's in that set, using only the single digit of its total.
  • And so on, until there are no movement instructions (differing from 0's) that can be used.

• In the example below (from the "Eye of The Storm" campaign), a list of 13 "random" numbers are generated that can be used. If not enough, they will be re-used, starting from the first "random" number in that list (i.e., the first used again as the fourteenth, and so on).

• "Random" numbers are applied on the round's engagements in the same order that the two participating armies are presented in the Army Information table.
  • In the example under "Armies", "random" numbers are first applied on the engagements (if any) of Gothic army IV, then on Gothic army VIII, then on Roman army I, etc.
  

[kronenblatt]

Pontus and its client state factions

• Pontus: 4 armies, 5-4-4-3.

• Armenia: 2 armies, 2-2.

• Syria: 2 armies, 2-2.

Rome and its client state faction

• Rome: 4 armies, 4-4-4-4.

• Egypt: 2 armies, 4-4.

[kronenblatt]

The next step is to place the starting armies, some with generals:

Pontus and its client state factions

• Pontus: 2 generals.

• Armenia: 1 general.

• Syria: 0 generals.

Rome and its client state faction

• Rome: 2 generals.

• Egypt: 1 general.

[kronenblatt]

[kronenblatt]

[kronenblatt]

Time for round 1's movement instructions:

• All armies get 12 MP each.

• Armies that begin the round commanded by a general will get an additional +4 MP, i.e., 16 MP.

• Movement instructions are expressed as a sequence of individual moves, with no other symbols in between, only blanks (for easy copy-pasting by me).
  • For example, Roman army I: 2 4 2 6 0 6

• Please send the movement instructions of your faction's armies by way of PM to me.

• Your faction is free to decide whether a one player submits for all armies, each player for his own army or armies, or whatever what works for you.

• However, if I receive any conflicting instructions, I'll use the ones received last (as long as not after the deadline).

• I'll not open any of the other factions' PMs until I've published the movement instructions of my own faction.

• Should I by accident happen to open any PM anyway, I can assure you that it's just a clicking error since I receive so many PMs and I'll immediately close that PM without reading it. Hope you feel comfortable with that?

• If you have any questions, please always ask them in the campaign thread and not in PM, since I will not be able read or answer of those questions until maybe too late. Plus your questions may be relevant to other people as well.

[kronenblatt]

[kronenblatt]

Battle 1

• 1.1 Pontus Army I (1660 FP (5), Triarii) versus Rome Army II (1540 FP (3), carpenkm). Mediterranean Mountains (random value = 6, north of Rome Army II). carpenkm sets up.

Battle 2

• 2.1 Judea Army I (1480 FP (0), edb1815) versus Egypt Army I (1720 FP (4), SpeedyCM). Mediterranean Agricultural (random value = 4, southwest of Judea Army I). edb1815 sets up.

Battle 3

• 3.1 Nabataea Army I (1510 FP (0), kronenblatt) versus Egypt Army II (1690 FP (3), carpenkm). Desert (random value = 1, northeast of Nabataea Army I). kronenblatt sets up.

Battle 4

• 4.1 Pontus Army III (1630 FP (4), Triarii) versus Rome Army III (1570 FP (3), SpeedyCM). Mediterranean Hilly (random value = 3, south of Pontus Army III). Triarii sets up.

The engagement will in Field of Glory II: Ancients be set up as follows:

• Scenario: Open Battle.

• Turn limit: 24 turns.

• Map size: Wide (40 x 32).

• Armies and allies: The two armies use their respective factions' army lists (no allies).

[SpeedyCM]

Why are Roman Armies II and III and Egyptian Army II all strength 3?

Edit- ok so it is due to generals, but shouldn't they give a +1 to the strength of the army with the general rather than a -1 to the strength of the opposing army.

Not that it really matters it is just confusing this way.

[kronenblatt]

Why are Roman Armies II and III and Egyptian Army II all strength 3?

Edit- ok so it is due to generals, but shouldn't they give a +1 to the strength of the army with the general rather than a -1 to the strength of the opposing army.

They give +1 to the army with the general, but each enemy army met in battle results in -1 adjustment too. So armies without generals got total -1 adjustments, whereas armies with generals got total 0 (+1 -1) adjustments.

[kronenblatt]

3.1 Nabataea Army I (1510 FP (0), kronenblatt) versus Egypt Army II (1690 FP (3), carpenkm). Desert (random value = 1, northeast of Nabataea Army I). kronenblatt sets up.

=> Game set up with password ARABIAFELIX and PM sent.

[carpenkm]

1.1 Pontus Army I (1660 FP (5), Triarii) versus Rome Army II (1540 FP (3), carpenkm). Mediterranean Mountains (random value = 6, north of Rome Army II). carpenkm sets up.

Challenge is up - sorry for the delay

pw is triarii

[carpenkm]

.1 Nabataea Army I (1510 FP (0), kronenblatt) versus Egypt Army II (1690 FP (3), carpenkm). Desert (random value = 1, northeast of Nabataea Army I).

The Egyptians march through winning 40 - 13.

Despite the best efforts of the Nabatean army to manoeuver and hide in the patches of rough the overwhelming numbers mean that there was no hiding place and plenty of Egyptian medium foot meant that the rough wasn't really a hiding place anyway. It might have been interesting if the battle had continued as a heavy cav had slipped past the flanks of the Egyptians and the Nabs were well positioned in the largest patch of rough on the otherwise flat map. Well played as ever KB.

[edb1815]

Round 1 Battle 2

Judea defeats Egypt 61%-43%

The outnumbered Judean army needed help from terrain and got it. A large hill with rough terrain flanked by a forest just in front of their deployment zone. The main part of the army moved to positions on the hill while a group of irregular infantry and lancers hid in the forest. After some maneuvering and skirmishing the Egyptians attacked using a force of cavalry to spread the line. The Judeans got several lucky double drops as the battle went back and forth. Ultimately the Egyptians breeched the defensive line with an elephant and cavalry in the Judean rear. The Judeans came out of the forest and attempted to flank the Egyptian line. Ultimately the Judean pikes broke up the attack and advanced whilst some Theurophoroi held off flanking cavalry and an elephant.

Well played by Speedy!

[Triarii]

Battle 4
4.1 Pontus Army III (1630 FP (4), Triarii) versus Rome Army III (1570 FP (3), SpeedyCM). Mediterranean Hilly (random value = 3, south of Pontus Army III). Triarii sets up.

Apologies this finished a while ago.

Pontic army defeats Rome 41-12.

On a hilly map with
The Pontic army deployed with a large number of skirmishers (foot and light cavalry) and all its infantry opposite a steep and rough hill and woods on the Pontic left. A strong cavalry force on the Pontic right was hidden behind a long hill.
The Roman legions did not contest the hill and the vastly outnumbered Roman skirmishers were caught and overwhelmed by the Pontic lights. After that the Romans retired to their left being chased by the Pontic left flank foot and damaged by the Pontic skirmishers. Meanwhile the right flank Pontic cavalry force moved across the river and hills swinging around the Roman left, stretching the Roman line and obstructing its movement. All this took time and nightfall (turn 24 approached) However in the closing turns the Romans had been caught between the advancing Pontic foot and Pontic cavalry swinging around their army and, with sufficient previous missile damage to Roman foot, the Roman defence was finally just beaten.

[kronenblatt]

Battle 1

• 1.1 Pontus Army I (1660 FP (5), Triarii) versus Rome Army II (1540 FP (3), carpenkm). Mediterranean Mountains. carpenkm sets up.
  => Pontus (0) draws with Rome (0) 17-2.

Battle 2

• 2.1 Judea Army I (1480 FP (0), edb1815) versus Egypt Army I (1720 FP (4), SpeedyCM). Mediterranean Agricultural). edb1815 sets up.
  => Judea (-2) defeats Egypt (-3) 61-43.

Battle 3

• 3.1 Nabataea Army I (1510 FP (0), kronenblatt) versus Egypt Army II (1690 FP (3), carpenkm). Desert. kronenblatt sets up.
  => Egypt (0) defeats Nabataea (-2) 40-13.

Battle 4

• 4.1 Pontus Army III (1630 FP (4), Triarii) versus Rome Army III (1570 FP (3), SpeedyCM). Mediterranean Hilly. Triarii sets up.
  => Pontus (0) defeats Rome (-2) 41-12.

Adjusted army sizes after battles

[kronenblatt]

Losing armies must move 8 - 10 MP away from the armies they fought:

• Egypt Army I

• Rome Army III

Drawing armies must move 4 - 6 MP away from the armies they fought:

• Pontus Army I

• Rome Army II

Victorious armies are allowed (but not obliged) to move 1 - 4 MP in any direction:

• Egypt Army II

• Pontus Army III

(Minor faction armies (Getae, Judea, Nabatea, Rhoxolani) are always eliminated and removed from the map after concluded battles, independent of their casualties and whether having won, lost, or drawn.)

[kronenblatt]

The town of Sinope (inital Defense value of 3) is besieged by Pontus army II (size of 4):

=> Sinope's Defense value is reduced to -1 (3 - 4).
=> Pontus gains control over Sinope.