Gangs of Rome.

Last Thursday, Gordon invited us to play Gangs of Rome, a game from Warlord Games that I hadn’t tried before. I was very curious about it. In this game, each player controls a gang, and your opponent commands a rival gang. Typically, there is a mission to complete, which makes the scenario of the game very important. Interestingly, everything you need to know is included in the rulebook, including a painting guide.

SCENARIO: Gordon Smith
UMPIRING: Gordon Smith, Jack Glanville

SCENERY: Gordon Smith

FIGURES & MODELS: Gordon Smith

1. Introduction.

In our game, we observed a trial in which Marcus Tullius Cicero was opposing Caius Verres. Each of them hired two gangs to protect themselves and hinder their opponent's access to the court. My gang and Alasdair were working for Verres, while Ben and Tim were hired by Cicero.

2. The Game.

The rules of the game are straightforward. During each turn, you can perform up to four actions, such as moving, attacking, engaging in melee combat, or using ranged combat, etc. You declare your actions first, and then roll several dice equal to the character's attribute, which typically ranges from 5 to 7 dice.

After rolling, you compare the results against your declared actions. If the number of successful rolls (4 or higher) is equal to or greater than the actions you've declared, your character can be activated. It's important to note the order in which you declare your actions. For instance, if you say, "climb out the window onto the ledge, jump onto the wall, and then do something else." Still, you only roll one success for all three actions; you'll successfully reach the ledge but fail to make it to the wall, which could result in significant damage.

Combat is also quite simple: the attacking side rolls attack dice, while the defending side rolls their defence dice. The rolls are compared, and if the attacker has more successes (4 or higher) than the defender, the attacker inflicts wounds on the defender. Each character has a specific endurance limit; if this limit is exceeded, the character is eliminated from the game. That covers the basic rules.

In our game, my gang confronted Ben's gang while directly protecting Verres. I was able to eliminate most of Ben's gang quickly, but the situation became much more complicated when the crowd and the Roman police got involved. Despite these challenges, we managed to gain ground on Ben's gang, allowing Verres to reach the courthouse safely.

Tim attempted to protect Cicero from Alasdair's attacks. However, his job became significantly more challenging due to the angry mob, which had already slaughtered three of his gang members. This chaos made things easier for Alasdair, who ultimately killed Cicero with a barrage of arrows. As a result, no one could prove Verres' guilt, allowing our gangs to emerge victorious.

3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/Seswc.co.uk/posts/1102295478594449

FLICKR: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720330982380

Conquest of the Empire.

We took a little break from our miniature games to play a board game. Mike brought back his copy of Conquest of the Empire, which simulates the civil war in the Roman Empire. This time, we had six players: I represented Italy, Mike played as Spain, Tim took on Macedonia, Jimmy was in Asia, Alasdair controlled Egypt, and Andy managed West Africa. Meanwhile, David kept watch over the bank.

As always, during the first few turns, players expanded their territories. Some reached their maximum peaceful expansion sooner than others. Most players focused on strengthening their forces, but two players deviated from this pattern. Mike concentrated on expanding his fleet, while Tim focused on building cities and developing infrastructure.

The first wars soon broke out. The initial conflict was between Alasdair and Jimm over control of Palestine and Syria, while another battle occurred between Andy and Alasdair for Libya. In the case of Libya, Alasdair successfully repelled Andy's attack. However, in the Middle East, the war continued until the game's conclusion.

Peace reigned in the European part of the empire until Andi launched an attack on Sicily and then southern Italy. I was able to retake the provinces, but concentrating my forces in the south left my northern borders vulnerable. I thought I had an agreement with Tim, but it turned out I had only imagined it. Tim attacked my territories and defeated my forces in several battles, ultimately eliminating me from the game. After that, he emerged as the leader, but he also became a target for other players, particularly Mike, who began his attack.

Mike launched attacks against Tim both on land and at sea. The advantage lay with Mike, as he had the resources to sustain his efforts. In the south, Andy was weakened from fighting, while Alasdair and Jimmy were preoccupied with each other. Soon, Alasdair and Jimmy realised that they could also become targets for Mike's attacks, prompting them to gather their forces in their respective capitals. Ultimately, we didn't complete the game, but it was evident that only a significant upheaval could prevent Mike from securing victory. It was another interesting game, and we will revisit it at a later time.

Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720327151139

Hail Caesar: Peloponnesian War.

We finally managed to play the game we had planned. It's a postponed game from last week with Hail Caesar rules, using Michael's collection for the Peloponnesian Wars in 28mm. Athens and her allies faced Sparta and its supporters.

SCENARIO: Michael Schneider
UMPIRING: Michael Schneider, Bartek Zynda

SCENERY: Michael Schneider

FIGURES & MODELS: Michael Schneider

1. Forces.

SPARTA

(Bartek, Tim)

Spartan King (9)

2 x Spartan Heavy Hoplites

3 x Peltast

General (8)

2 x Heavy Hoplites

1 x Light Hoplites

General (8)

1 x Hippakontistai

1 x Peltast

ATHENS

(David, Jimie, Michael)

Athenian General (8)

2 x Heavy Hoplites

1 x Light Hoplites

General (8)

2 x Heavy Hoplites

3 x Peltas

1 x Slingers

General (8)

1 x Hippakontistai

3 x Peltast

2. The game.

Both armies lined up in formation, facing each other. On the Athenian side, Michael commanded the right flank. Jimie, the overall leader of the Athenian army, was in the centre, commanding the main forces. On the left flank, David led the light troops.  

On the Spartan side, the Spartan king (Tim) commanded the left flank, accompanied by the Spartan forces, while their allies held the centre. The right flank was made up of light troops. I was in command of both the centre and the right flank.

The Spartans advanced more effectively than the Athenians, who experienced some chaos in their ranks. Meanwhile, the light forces on both flanks engaged in combat. On our left flank, we suffered a significant defeat, while our right flank held out a bit longer before also being overcome. However, it was usually the main forces that secured victory, rather than the light forces.

Finally, the Hoplites commenced their engagement. The Spartans charged at the Athenians, successfully defeating one of the Athenian's units and killing their general. However, the Spartan king was wounded and could not take part in the future fighting. In response, the Athenians launched their charge, destroying one of the Spartan's units. Following this exchange, both sides withdrew to regroup and organize their ranks, preparing for another round of combat.

David attempted to disrupt our reorganization by harassing my forces with his light troops. We had faced a similar situation before, and this time, I refused to let it happen again. My troops turned against David's forces, and despite his efforts to escape, I pursued them and defeated them. I was prepared to deliver the final blow, ready to lead the decisive charge.

Hand-to-hand combat ensued as my forces, led by light hoplites, engaged the elite Athenian troops. Unfortunately, my troops were repelled, but the losses I inflicted on the Athenians prevented them from launching a counterattack. At that point, the battle came to an end. The Spartans caused more significant losses to the Athenians, resulting in a victory for us. However, the Athenians were able to retreat because the Spartans were not prepared to pursue them at that moment.

Spartan loses.

Athenian loses.

3. Links.

MICHAEL:

To be updated soon...

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720323412046

Conquest of the Empire again.

Last week, we had trouble deciding on a game to play because no one wanted to organize it. Fortunately, Mike stepped in and suggested playing Conquest of the Empire again. We had played it once before, about 2 years ago, and I distinctly remember getting my forces completely crushed by my opponents. This time, we had the maximum number of players, which was 6.

Six players became consuls of the following provinces: Fin (Macedonia, black), Mike (Galatia, blue), Alasdair (Egypt, red), myself (Carthage, yellow), Tim (Hispania, purple), and Peter (Italy, green). Over several turns, all players slowly expanded their domains, and no one seemed to want to attack anyone else. Of course, this peaceful coexistence didn't last...

I successfully occupied the regions of North Africa, spanning from modern-day Morocco to the Libyan-Egyptian border. Additionally, my fleet took control of the Balearic Islands. To safeguard my borders, I worked on establishing a network of truces and alliances, forming an informal agreement with Tim and Peter. The three of us assembled our armies and made preparations to advance eastward. However, unsettling events began to unfold at this point.

Mike had reached the maximum size he could peacefully take and decided to expand his domain at the expense of his neighbours. He first attacked the Finn, leading to several battles in the Aegean Sea, where the Galatian fleet proved its superiority. This resulted in the first invasion of Macedonia. The Finn managed to retreat and counterattack, reclaiming their province. Mike couldn't stop it because he was simultaneously attacked from the south by Alasdair. In a bloody war, both forces were pushed from one province to another, leaving them greatly weakened. This created an opportunity for the Western domains to take advantage of their weakened state.

Following his central position, Peter took the initiative to attack first. He launched a second invasion of Macedonia and won a major battle, defeating Finn's forces and removing him from the game. I had planned to conquer Crete, but we ran out of time. The outcome of the game was still undecided, but one of the Western factions would emerge as the winner. I believe Tim would win the game because he successfully built the largest army and had a well-developed economy.

It was a great game and we should do it again someday. There will be a brief pause in blog updates with game reports unless I manage to play a Sunday game. This is because for the next two weeks, due to other events, the games will be moved from Thursday to Tuesday. Unfortunately, I work on Tuesdays and won't be able to participate in any game. However, I plan to use this time to paint a few new figures, so be sure to check the blog now and then.

Links.

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720318177384