I'm using One Hour Wargames, scenario #10, late arrivals, on a larger board and with 12 elements per side, not 6. The Romans take the defence.
2. The board
The high ground right (dark olive cloth) is impassable and the green section bottom left is all woods. The brown cropped area around the BUA has no effect.
The Roman baseline is the opposite (top) and the invaders do not have a camp, but enter on road, bottom.
3. Scenario details
The Romans are permitted up to 1/3 their force in concealment in yonder woods, and/or deployed foreard right up to a line level with where the woods end. Their remaining 2/3 force are yet to arrive. The ETA is turns 5 and 10.
The Burgundians enter by road and their bound is first.
Victory is secured by occupying the BUA at end of turn 15.
4. Army composition
Neil Thomas, the author, has a randomizer for force balance. I'll employ this alongside compulsory elements.
Roman: 5 on d6. 2/3 Bd and Cataphractoi/Clibanarii. No cavalry but CvGen is compulsory, and saves me using German Buccelarii. The remainder evenly split between Ax, Arty, LH, and Ps, with an option to swap LH and Bw if available.
Burgundian: 6 on d6. 2/3 heavy which is warband unfortunately, rather than Kn or Bd. 2 Cv elements which will include the CvGen. The remainder Ps.
5. Chance deployment
I'm going to use Neil's advice on this. Roman reinforcements d6 from turn 4, only appearing on a 5 or 6, the second tranche roll beginning turn 9. Initial disposition is determined by another randomizer inspired by The Solo Wargaming Guide by William Sylvester, summarized as
1, base heavy. BUA occupied, remaining 3 elements deployed within normal DBA3.0 lines to support the defence.
2, sneaky left. BUA occupied, a mobile force of 3 elements is hidden behind the high ground.
3, base light. Behind high ground, behind forest, in forest, BUA occupied.
4. forward load. In and behind forest.
I will roll the d4 when the first road move occurs. Once I know the deployment stance I'll make final adjustments to composition such as Ax vs LH.
Burgundian order of march will be determined by a d12. Otherwise they are committed to powering down the road.
D12 from top left, CvGen, to bottom right, javelin armed Ps.
6. Chance during battle. Neil uses hit points to represent how shaken an element is, so I will adapt those as well as removing the "enemy" result in his 15 card draw. Instead a d12 is rolled each turn alongside PIP d6.
1-4, no effects.
5-7, remove 1 PIP, but ignore this result on a roll of a 1.
8, one element nearest enemy (including in b2b contact) recoils, or flees if light troops, and if grouped the unit follows suit. Ignore if Roman in BUA.
9-11, one element on the board receives a benny and if grouped the whole unit may choose to use it. Uses include an additional PIP, or second shooting.
12, one element nearest enemy but not in b2b contact makes a pursuit move towards enemy. If warband they receive a free PIP for a charge move.
TURN 1
7. Roll that d12!
The burgundians roll a 4 (warband enters first) and PIP is 6, reduced by 1 as the d12 random chance comes up a 7.
Road move!
Yeeeaaahhhhhh! Get some get some! And in a culturally appropriate fashion the burgundian 2-i-c boosts up his amps and Ride of the Valkyries blasts out.
8. Roll that d4!
The Roman random deployment is a 3, one element deployed in each of BUA, forest, behind forest, and behind the high ground.
The obvious element for the BUA is a Bd. An Ax in the forest, the CvGen behind it, and behind the high ground it has to be LH given the distance.
The Roman roll is a 6 PIP and 9 rnd, a benny. Could not be a better start! the Ax are in command range and use the benny in a double move, keeping a heel in the woods but aligning back on their general. The LH need to be 48cm away to be in command, so the CvGen advances to their Ax, and 2 PIP are spent to pull the LH out of hiding. 2 PIPs are left, so the LH zip round the burgundian right to menace their rear!
TURN 2
Burgundians roll 5 PIP and an 8, the dread recoil. And yes, they are all grouped, and the element nearest enemy is the front element. The entire road group recoils, except the Ps flee. The mounted recoil through the rearguard.
Roman 2 PIP and a 4, no other FX. The CvGen elects to stay put, sending his LH out of command in an attack on the fleeing Ps.
Melee: a 6:4, Ps recoil.
TURN 3
Burgundian 6 PIP but another 8. The good news is that they lose one Ps fled off board. The CvGen sends his lead warbands wheeling off left, out of command, then pounces on the LH, intending to tidy the advance up later.
Melee: there's a 4:5 as the burgundian CV rolls a 1. Embarrassing!
Spending 2 PIP brings the LH back to command range and the 3rd sees it zipping to ZOC range of the mass of Wb.
TURN 4
Burgundian 1 PIP and another 8! That's 3 8s in 4 turns!
The Wbs grouped elements facing the Roman CavGen recoil. Their own General tears after the enemy LH, grouping with the isolated Wb and getting into command range of everyone.
Roman 6 PIP and a rash 12.
Reinforcement check: success.
Selection using d6 for 4 elements, I roll a 6, a good option that allows all 3 heavies and a Bd to enter.
The reckless: Here we rule that CavGen is the only element this applies to and that the pursuit move is a base width. This brings him into melee. With 6 PIPs for other moves, the LH are double-moved away, and the reinforcements can all move forward.
Melee: 9:7, recoiling the Wb.
TURN 5
Burgundian 4 PIP and 3, no FX.
A choice of small shuffles or bold actions. The CavGen wheels up towards the enemy baseline bringing his Wb with him. This brings him into command range (just) of the recoiled Wb. With the 3 PIPs remaining the Wb do a shuffle in and flank the Roman CavGen.
Roman 6 pip and 11, the benny. The benny is used to pull the Ax back out of ZOC then make a sacrifice play menacing the Wb again!
TURN 6
Burgundian 4 PIP and 6, reducing the PIPs to 3.
Time to take a breath and work out a solution to a wall of clankers!
Melee: 9:6, a predictable recoil on the Roman Ax. But the result means that the Ax is right back in the woods, unable to ZOC anything.
Roman 6 PIP and 9, yet another benny. The mounted canter forward to ZOC the one Wb able to face last bound, and the Bd element gains the road with the benny and uses the final 2 PIPs on a road move.
Melee in the woods: 7:8, recoil and pursuit.
TURN 7
Burgundian 2 PIP and 7, reducing the PIPs to 1. The facing Wb is left to die gloriously and the other forward Wb is pulled back.
Melee in the woods: 4:7, the Wb recoil.
Roman 3 PIP and 9, yet another benny. The grouped mounted smack into the sacrifice Wb, the Bd align.
Melee: 4:6, the Kn recoil.
TURN 8
Burgundian 3 PIP and 1, no FX.
Close down that Ax, and get one Wb off the road.
Roman 4 PIP and 3 no FX.
Double flanking the sacrifice Wb the Kn try again.
Nope, melee is 5:6.
TURN 9
Burgundian 6 PIP and 11, Roman check for 2nd tranche is successful. Composition is automatically everything remaining, ie Ax and Ps.
The general pulls back to get command of his CV, and the Wb at last form battle.
Roman 1 PIP and 7, leaving the 1 useless PIP, no move.
TURN 10
Burgundian 4 PIP and 7 leaving 3 PIPs.
Two PIPs are spent on getting CV out on the right and rolling the line towards, and in a rash move the odd PIP is used to send one Wb against the Ax.
Melee: 9:9
Roman 4 PIP and 8. The Ax make a feigned Retreat. The mounted line swing to face the enemy, and the Bd attack the Wb.
Melee in the woods: 7:7
Melee on road: 7:5, Wb recoils.
TURN 11
Burgundian 3 PIP and 3 no FX
With time running out, a general charge is needed. Extra PIPs are spent lapping the Cv round on the enemy LH and once again trying for that Ax.
Melee in the woods, 8:3, finally! Ax destroyed.
Melee on the LH, 5:5. Under 3.0 rules a recoil, therefore destroyed.
Melee on clibanarii, 7:4, recoil
Melee on Cataphract, now double flanked, 3:6, Wb destroyed.
Under normal rules the Romans have now lost as their losses are 3Gen to 2, but this game continues.
Roman 1 PIP and no FX
Nothing is b2b so no melee.
TURN 12
Burgundian 2 PIP and 6, reducing PIPs to 1
The general engages Kn in a straight match. 7:9, CvGen recoils.
Roman 6 PIP and 9, a benny.
With this, the reinforcements advance, the Bd and Kn team up on the Wb, and the clibanarii retreat then shift left to ZOC the Cv.
Melee Bd on Wb flanked: 10:5 Wb destroyed.
Kn on CvGen: 6:5, CvGen recoils.
TURN 13
Burgundian 6 PIP and 7, reducing PIPs to 5
The CvGen pulls just one Wb back to help, sending other Wb forward.
Melee CvGen on Kn flanked: 7:8, recoiled.
Wb on Kn flanked: 3:7, Wb destroyed Cv recoil.
Roman 2 PIP no FX
Kn shift away from their Bd to charge the isolated Wb.
Melee: 8:6, Wb destroyed.
With 4 elements lost and no chance of reaching the now well-defended BUA, the Burgundians concede defeat.
Notes
This made for a highly entertaining solo game. I don't regret rolling the randomizer d12 each bound, though I think a "reaction" type roll on first sight, first shoot and first melee would fit better with the high-swing nature of DBA PIP rolls.
I'm very happy that the Romans won on their first outing, I do look forward to a book list game though.
Forward projects
Another element of clibanarii and reworking an old Bd element from the sub-Roman Brits will pretty much give me the Eastern vs Western empire matchup.
Source references
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