Civitates Bellantes-A Review

 

I thought we should have a look at Simon MacDowell’s 2014 rule set for the Classical period.  A while ago I know.  Comitatus has provided much fun so I wanted to give this game a go too.  Also, I don't recall seeing that many reviews of it.

The rules are titled Civitates Bellantes, Warring Cities might do as a translation.  They will work for the Greek and Persian Wars, Alexander to Pyrrhus and the Roman and Carthaginian Wars up to the early Roman Principate.  I think you could do other stuff too.  It is a flexible system.

Civitates Bellantes comes as a pdf at a very reasonable price.  Of course you then have to print it or maybe you don’t. Kindle or some such.  I printed mine.  I’d sooner of paid more for a hard copy.  A generational attitude no doubt.

Now to the meat.  You get an awful lot for your money including colour pictures and useful 'How to' diagrams, 48 pages in all. The system is clear, well explained and easy to learn. Maybe already playing Comitatus helps for there are similarities.  There is a free downloadable QRS too.

There aren’t any Army Lists but there is info’ galore on how to rate your troops.  There’s a lot of nuance in the process even though it takes very little time to do.  This I think is good, accommodating, for example, the willingness of Cretan Archers to get stuck in compared to most other psiloi. Or, consider the Cardaces, lightly armed but all young noble men out to impress the Great King.  

There is also a notional point system for those so inclined.  You know the sort of thing.

Armour comes into play only when one combatant enjoys a clear advantage in that respect.  I like this approach.

All measurement is by “javelin throw” or multiples of the same.  Said throw being a base width.  Thus, all collections are catered for.  Another plus.  Outside of bow range (5 base widths) it's double moves all around. 

Closer to the enemy movement is variable with player decisions required. You can opt for a cautious advance or an enthusiastic one.  As you might expect light troops can scoot about and heavies are limited by the need to stay in formation.  This works for me.

Figures per stand is purely decorative- it is up to you. That said the author tells us in some detail what he favours.

Command and control is rather pleasing.  The Big Lad has more ability than lesser fellows. He can issue 2 orders others 1.  Exceptional Big Lads can issue 3 orders.  The bar for these latter is set high.

Leaders of independent contingents enjoy more autonomy than subordinate generals.  Both of these types influence only their own commands.  Commanders need to be active and might well get killed.  Best of all the menu of possible orders is simple, attack them, take that and defend it, or hold this.  That’s it.

Orders can be changed as the battle develops-but only if the generals put the work in.  There is much to like here.

Missilery is seldom decisive but in can undermine the will to fight.  Units need to pause to rally off “Disorder points”.  Sometimes a commander needs to intervene to help, even if other matters press.  This means more player decisions-a good thing. If you fail to remove disorder points you will rapidly find yourself removing your unit.

Close combat is decisive.  Defeat can produce a ripple effect.  This is appropriate for the period but also makes for a good game.  The player needs to ensure that assaults get results.

Morale is pretty much as you would expect in terms of factors.  That said, it permeates the game rather than being confined to a discrete phase.  As a General the player needs to keep the troops motivated or plans fall apart.  Doing so might distract from other important tasks. The General as Battle Manager if you like.  This is good for dramatic tension, player engagement  and for those of us who favour games with a narrative.

I think Civitates Bellantes will work for solo games, there is sufficient uncertainty. For paired opponents and multi player outings no problem.

If all this sounds up your street you can get it direct from the author at https://www.legio-wargames.com/

We will have a game report soonish and you can see what you think.

A Game of Comitatus

It’s been a long time since I played Comitatus.  I needed to refresh my memory of how it works.  Accordingly, Sassanian Persians and Romans took to the table top to fight it out.  No points were worked out and the game was unbalanced. Like some battles I suppose.

That didn’t matter as it was the mechanisms I wanted to capture.  On the plus side there were Elephants and bolt shooters for added excitement. 

Commanders work hard in Comitatus and the more command points (CP's) you have the more you can do.  Some actions cost more than others.  Things out of bow shot are easy and get harder as you get closer to the enemy. 

Rather than give you the standard AAR I thought it would be useful to take the highlights of the game and explain how the rules worked in each the chosen vignettes.   Hopefully by the end of this you will know if Comitatus might suit you.

The Roman right wing was anchored on a villa complex.  

It was a small command of two bolt shooters and a unit of Auxiliary spearmen. Facing them in the distance were 4 Sassanian elephants, each its own unit and two units of skirmishing slingers. Bahram the Persian Commander has limited abilities (only 2CP) and is going to be tested hard. He needs to keep the elephants together and get the slingers moving.

For the Romans the task is simpler they need to kill some elephants or cause them to rampage.  

The Roman Commander, Marcian, is competent he expends 1 CP directing his engines at the Nellies and 1 CP keeping his boys in line. He still has 1 CP in hand.  Bolts thump into Howdahs, two near misses but the elephants don’t rampage.  Lucky dice.

Bahram now has to trust to luck he leads the slingers forward to supress the bolt shooters.  In his absence the elephants might decide to do their own, control test dice determined, thing. Luckily, they choose to stand.

The volume of sling stones forces the crews of the bolt shooters to take cover.  Job done, Bahram heads back to the Nellies.  The slingers are now out of command, better them than the elephants.

Marcian now works hard, he orders his Auxiliaries forward, directs their javelin shooting at one unit of slingers and rallies the now shielded bolt shooter crews.  He has expended all of his CP’s.

The Romans get the worst of the missile exchange and the Auxiliaries now carry two death, disorder and desertion points (DP’s).  These need to be rallied off before they produce lasting damage.

We will come back to Bahram and Marcian later.

In the centre two units of Persian light Horse advance to shoot up the Roman line. The charismatic Roman cavalry commander Gratian (4CP) leads a charge to drive them off. He spends 3 CP to inspire his men.   Movement is variable in Comitatus everybody takes a gamble on charges or evades.

The Persian light cavalry have been ordered (1 CP) to concentrate their fire on the Roman Heavy cavalry.  Faced with a charge they try to evade.

Can they make it?

The Romans throw 1 AD+1AD+AD for a total move of 5 Base Widths (I made a measuring stick).

The Persians throw 1D6+1D6+1D6 for a total of 4 BW’s.  Before they go, they shoot.

The Persians inflict 2 Disorder Points on the Roman heavy cavalry.

The Persian lights evade the Romans but lack sufficient movement to clear a second line of

armoured dehkan cavalry.  The lights now have 1 Disorder Point each.  Nor can the dehkan shoot at the Romans as the lights mask them.

Gratian decides to continue the charge to take advantage of the Persian disorder. This might not be wise.   

His best cavalry is carrying 2 Disorder Points which reduces their combat ability.  He could about face his men (1CP) head back to the Roman line (1CP) and then rally off their DPs out of harm’s way.  Instead, he controls his line (1CP) and then inspires his fellows to charge(3CP). 

Meanwhile the evading Persian light horse complete their move and form up behind the

dehkan. Their commander is careful to rally off their disorder points.

The Persian flank commander Babag (4CP) now does some fancy footwork and wheels onto Gratian’s cavalry flank.

Gratian’s dice score enough movement to reach the Persian line. 

Ardavan (3 CP’s) elects to receive the charge and holds his two dehkan units in line (1CP) and directs their shooting (1CP) + (1CP) at the Roman heavy cavalry.  This shooting takes effect before the Romans close. A D6 is thrown for each stand shooting. The first unit scores 2,21,4 no hits.  The second unit scores 3,5,5,6.  The 6 is a hit causing 1 DP on the Romans.

Close combat in Comitatus is decided by a single dice plus or minus relevant factors.  Let’s do Gratian first, +2 for unit morale +4 Gratian’s CP’s+1 for partially armoured+3 for unit attack factor+3 on a D6 dice throw-1 for outnumbered-3 for 3 Disorder Points.

Total 9

Ardavan next,+2 for unit morale+1 for Ardavan in combat+1 for partially armoured+2 for unit defence factor+1 for deeper formation+1 on a D6 dice throw

Total 8

The combat is inconclusive. Both commanders fight and survive. The sides are now unformed and have to retire until they reform. Each also gains a Disorder Point.

Ardavan despite his appalling combat dice will swiftly reorder his men and return to the fight. 

Not so Gratian, who has 4 DP’s to rally off, commands an unformed unit and is about to be hit by the charge of a fresh unit of Persian cavalry.  Things look rum for the Romans.  We can leave Gratian hanging by a thread and see how the Legions are getting on.

A Legion is about to be charged by heavily armoured savaran lancers if they break there is no reserve.  The Roman General has been busy rallying off the damage caused by the Persian light horse. The Legion is as ready as it ever will be.

The legion must stand to receive the charging savaran.  The supporting archers shoot and the legionaries throw darts causing 1 DP on the charging lancers. In the following melee the Legion adds +3 for their defence factor, +3 for morale, +1 for their deeper formation, +1 for armour, and a dice score of 3.  Total 11.   

The savaran add +3 for their attack factor, +3 for morale, +1 for armour, +1 for mounted v foot and a dice score of 5 for a total of 13.  They deduct 1 for the DP inflicted by the Roman archers and 1 because they are outnumbered. Total 11.

The scores are equal and the Roman line has held.  The savaran must retire until they reform. Both combatants acquire an additional 1 DP.  Had a leader joined the savaran they might have broken through.

Let’s return to Marcian and his engines and Bahram and the Nellies. 

The Romans have the initiative once more. A further exchange of missiles gets each side another DP.  Marcian orders a charge against the handy slingers. 

 

They should, as befits their troop type seek to evade with a fast (3 dice) move, but as you will recall they are out of command. They must take a control test (a simple dice throw).  Fortunately, they throw a 6 and begin to scarper.

Marcian is taking no chances and opts for a long move, he throws an average dice and a D6 for a total of 7.

The slingers manage a 9 with their dice. They won’t be caught.

Meanwhile Bahram has thrown his dice for the elephants.  They count as mounted and so can throw up to 3 dice.  He scores 13 and trumpeting off they all go with him along to keep order.

Next turn the Persians gain the initiative and go first.  Bahram ignores the slingers who are now back in command due to his proximity.  He concentrates on leading the elephants.  Unmoved by his neglect, the slingers unleash once more on the Roman auxiliaries inflicting a further 2 DP’s.

Those unfortunates are out of command and so take a control test.  Lacking orders, they halt (having thrown a 1).

Marcian now plays his best card and directs both his engines to fire at the centre of the elephant line.  If he can cause an elephant to rampage, he might buy his command some time. He throws two 4s missing the target completely.

The Roman auxiliaries die, break and flee.  Bahram is careful (1CP) to keep the elephant line intact and gouging and stamping as one.  Each of them operates as a single unit.

In the next turn the Romans regain the initiative.  Ignoring the routing auxiliaries Marcian once more directs the shooting of the engines at the elephants.  He gets a hit, but the beast comes on furiously.  (The Romans got a hit with a 6, a subsequent roll of 1 or 2 would have meant elephant death or rampage.  Marcian threw a 4.)

Marcian recalls all the things he should have done and a couple he shouldn’t. He commends his soul to God and wonders if there might be a fast horse on the other side of the villa.

I’ll leave the game there.  

Hopefully, you now have a reasonable idea of how the rules work. I’m very taken with Comitatus it’s fast, fun and full of period flavour.  I’m going to be playing a lot more of it.   

Surprisingly, it’s fine for solo gaming too.  Who knew?