Battle of Gaba Ru Gu 2448BC

 Ensi Balulu of the City of Larsa has invaded Eridu. As Larsa has a much more dominate stradgic strength I'm going to play as Eridu. Both sides are racing to a dominate hill on the road from Larsa to Eridu called Gaba Ru Gu. This hill represents the only objective for both sides. Randomly I rolled up two more hills, some rough going and a ploughed field. 

Both Armies started off table with random forces and a slightly randomized arrival. (Without going into the mechanics, the more you have the greater chance of missing the next arrival.) 

Larsa lead off with bow armed Skirmishers who refused to advance!

Eridu also rolled up Bowmen, who also refused to advance! 😀

Well Larsa managed to get their Bowmen to start cautiously forward. 

Perhaps it was the moral lifting sight of the Chariots appearing on their flank.

The Chariots, pulled by wild Onagers, struggled to get up the hill though. 

 The Eridu army is now reinforced by Javelin armed skirmishers, who, refuse to advance.

I imagined this battle would be a mad dash to the hill. Not so. 

Suddenly the generals were able to motivate everyone to get going.

But then, as a regiment of spear appear for Larsa and the Chariots get into a good 

out flanking position there is a blunder. Those Onagers really are bad tempered.

This takes the Chariots back a turn but they are able to regain good order.

The Eridu skirmishers have captured Gaba Ru Gu.

Also winning the first exchange of arrows.

Again, the Chariots blunder. These Onagers pulling them must be in a bad mood!

This time the chariots come close to leaving the field and take a casualty. 

With a second regiment of Spear ariving Balulu is ready to march on the hill.

Things have now shaken out with Larsa having two spears in the center, 

another unopposed on the right. The chariot is back advancing on the left flank.

The Chariots have now out flanked the Eridu centre as the 

Larsa Spear Regiments crest the hill and capture the objective.

I have sent my only spare unit, javelin skirmishers, to harass and delay the enemy Spear on my left.

Bow skirmisher reinforcements arrive on my left. 

My center Bow get disordered by enemy fire.

And things get serious on my right between my spear and the enemy chariots.

I saw chariots go straight through my spear then my bowmen last battle.   

The Chariots chose to use initiative to charge instead of shooting 

then risking having to pass a counter charge.

They were disordered going in then lost the melee 3 to 1.

Then followed with a really bad moral check. Routed.

Then, foolishly, I advanced my Spear to base of the hill.

The Larsa Regiments attacked first and won.

Eventually the Larsa's right-wing spear caught my javelin skirmishers and routed them.

Unfortunately, for my center troops, things just got worse and worse 

and I couldn't extract them.

Well despite everything being against them the Eridu Blue Regiment managed 

to reduce its opponent to Shaken. It wasn't enough though.

The Larsa Army had held the hill and objective for 6 straight turns and it was late. 

So I awarded them the win.

The Larsa Army.

General Balulu

1 Chariot, 4 Spear, 1 Bow

Lost 1 Chariot.

The Eridu Army.

3 Spear, 2 Bow, 1 Javelin.

Lost 1 Javelin.

The rules, Hail Caesar have been working well for Solo play.

But. I grew up playing WRG 6th. I always wanted to House rule WRG 6th.

To make it easier, lessen the bookkeeping. 

Right now I'm thinking why not look into it? Its solo. Who cares?

 

Sumer Campaign update. 2450 BC

 2450

Ush of Umma leads his city to correct the wrongs from the previous war and remove the Stele (boundary Rock) erected by Ensi Messalim on the border canal of Gueden. Ennatum of Lagash, hearing of the army forming up, guesses what's happening and rolls out his army to meet him.

Well Ush manages a slim costly victory and heads towards Girsu, a vassal of Lagash.

2449

Ambushed by Ennatum near Pun, Ush's army is all but wiped out and they flee back to Umma.

2448

Meanwhile Larsa has formed a hostile relationship with two of its neighbors.

Eridu and the powerful Ur. Fortunately, they have only a neutral relationship ATM so Ensi Balulu of Larssa elects to attack the weaker Eridu before they decide to form an Alliance. 

Solo Rules

 The Set up

Start with a scenario.

Divide the table into 9 zones including a center and two flanks. 

I use random terrain allocation. For my Sumerian, Mesopotamian campaign its

6= Hill, 5= Tree grove, 4=Rough ground, ploughed field. 

Because its Mesopotamia. 50% chance of a canal. D6 from left for entry then D6 for exit.

Players Army   

Players army set up first, depending on scenario, usually 20cm in. 

After the Automative General has set up the Players units are given their orders. All start with a "single goal" order EG to capture or defend an Objective, piece of terrain or zone. This order may be changed one per move.

This may also include Reserve which should allow the unit to follow the center troops until given a new order. 

Automative General

Randomly allocate units to Zones according to type or role. After players set up, scenario permitting. 

Skirmishing Infantry. 6,5= Left Flank. 4.3=Centre 2,1= Right Flank. All in front

Light Infantry, Archers. 6,5= Left Flank. 4.3=Centre 2,1= Right Flank

Heavy Infantry. 6= Left Flank. 4.3,2=Centre1= Right Flank 5=Reserve

Guard Infantry. 6-3 Reserve 2-1 Centre

Cavalry.  6,5= Left Flank. 4 Reserve 2,1= Right Flank 3= rethrow 1-3 Left 4-6 right.

Light Cavalry. 6,5,4= Left Flank. 3,2,1= Right Flank

The units for each zone will then move towards the nearest Objective or enemy unit in their zone.

If they capture the Objective's and once secured, they can then advance to the next zone. If a zone has no objectives or enemy, they should march until they have out flanked troops in the next zone. Never engage at a disadvantage when possible.

Examples

A recent scenario included a canal with no way for a chariot to cross on the right flank. So, the Chariot deployment became 50% Reserve or left flank.

It also meant the center forces could only cross at a disadvantage, so they remained stationary until the enemy could be out flanked.

Conclusion 

These rules are so simple but has been working very well for me so far.

Ambush on the road to Pun.

Preamble. 

Well, I decided that the last battle, while very enjoyable, took far too long to complete with the figures all based individually. So, I ordered in the extra figures to fill out the regiments. Unfortunately, the figures never arrived/ got stolen. It took me months to recover the will to reorder them. Any way I have and here is the second battle of my war between Lagash and Umma. Using Hail Caesar. I managed to just win the first battle, as Umma, but with less surviving units and with the Lagash light Javelin skirmishers being promoted for being stars. 😀 Because I won the previous it promoted me to the side that gets ambushed.

The Ambush

The Umma army is marching along with three baggage which act as objectives.

The randomized goal for Ensi Ush (7) is to get them off the road leading NE.

The Marching order is Light Bow, Spear, Baggage, Spear, Baggage, Light Bow, Baggage.

The Lagash Army

The Regiments were place randomly behind surrounding terrain.

The regiment of Onager pulled chariots are behind the oasis to the NE.

Some bowmen and the elite Javelin men occupied the palm stand across the road.

Some more bow appeared on the hill to the SE and the 1st Spear in the wetlands to the SW.

Being in marching order on road allowed the Umma army to shake out into some order

even though the orders throws were terrible. Must have been the shock of the ambush.

The bow were able to draw first blood on the javelin men.

But unfortunately, being outnumbered two to one must have affected their moral 

and when tested they threw a double 1 and ran away!

So my new plan is to hold off the chariots with Green Spear and push my

way to safety with the Black Spear with the javelin protecting the flank.

The Chariots accept the invite to charge the spear. 

Avoiding the disorder that can come from charging long spear they manage to win.

Pushing the spear back in disorder. 

Following up the chariots managed to hit the spear 4 times to zero

forcing them to flee the battlefield.

The next turn the Chariots charged and ran down the Umma javelins

bringing an end to the battle. 

Summery

Well in nearly 50 years of wargaming I don't remember having an army with

 so many bad moral throws in one day.  😀 

Any way it was a proper massacre. One that I don't think Umma will be coming back from.

Lagash has won the campaign, and the stone will be replaced on the border. 

Ambush on the road to Pun Scenario

The Setting

My second scenario aimed at the early bronze era.

1st Force is moving supplies to a store house in the town of Pun.

2^nd Force is lying in ambush.

 1^st Force may enter by any of three entry points selected randomly.

They are escorting 3 pts of baggage. Eg 3 mules or 3 wagons etc.

Their exit point is also decided randomly but not until after the end of the first turn.

Their marching order needs to be recorded before Turn 1.

They win by exiting the majority of their baggage by turn 15.

Major Victory =3 Minor victory = 2 Draw =1

2nd Force is hidden in or behind 6 different terrain features. Only the woods or Hill may hide more than 1. This needs to be recorded before turn one.

Turn 1

1^st Force arrives 30cm from their entry point in marching order. Mounted may flank foot on the road within 10. This is their first turn. 1st Baggage is after 2nd Regiment.

2^nd Force is now placed and may take their turn.

At the end of the turn the 1^st force exit point is randomly decided.

Solo

Player is 1^st force

Force 1 notes down its marching order march towards its randomly selected exit point.

Force 2’s Army is diced for and the locations randomly selected taking its turn with baggage acting as objectives.

Force 1 now and writes its orders for each Regiment and baggage.

Turn 2 

Force 1 then force 2.

Player is 2nd Force

Force 2 Units locations are noted and their orders written before Turn 1.

Force 1’s Dices exit road. Then dices for marching order with mounted as flank guards or reserve.

Battle for the Stele of Messalim

Scenario

The play out using the previously posted Scenario and the solo version of my own rules. The key of these is written orders. Something I came to find challenging. 😊 This is also the first engagement of my new Bronze Age Campaign. I’ve decided to take the part of Umma because they were at a slight strategic disadvantage to Lagash.

Layout of the battle field with the five objectives being the Stele in the centre (of course!) the two ploughed fields each side of the canal, the central bridge over the canal and the Hamlet to the east.

Terrain

The Onager drawn Chariots cannot enter canals, rough ground or houses. Skirmishers move through all three with an advantage over Spear.

Initiative

Lagash has the initiative. But Umma must deploy and write its orders before the Lagash army is random selected and randomly deployed. Lagash also has the three random tactics it can use.

In this case the Chariot went into reserve.

 The Game

Umma

I rolled up a very strong Army for Umma indeed. 2x Light Bow and 4 x Spear.

Orders

Not knowing the strength of the enemy move on their left I ordered the Bow on my right flank to skirmish towards the Hamlet, to increase its survivability.

The Red and Blue Spear to hold the Bridge and the Stele. White spear to advance over the canal to the opposing Ploughed field if unopposed. Green spear to reserve.

The left flank Light Bow to cross the canal on the far west and skirmish against enemy.

 

Lagash

Lagash rolled up 1 Chariot, 2 x Javelin Skirmish groups and x3 Spear.

To me, this was an embarrassingly inferior army to mine especially for this scenario. But.

One unit of skirmishers headed to towards the hamlet.

The three spears headed to the objectives before them with the middle one proceeded by a skirmish screen. The Chariots were in reserve.

The Lagash skirmishers score first capture for the game entering the Hamlet on their left flank.

The Umma Light Bow move up to range, even managed a hit despite the protection.

On Umma's left flank the light Bow have raced ahead and have begun to cross the canal.

The stele and the second ploughed field have both now been captured and the Heroic Lagash 2nd Skirmishers begin causing the Blue Spears on the opposite side of the canal some worrying casualties.

The left flank javelin decided that hiding in the hamlet won’t work and race out to close the gap. Both sides suffer casualties but eventually it is too much for the javelins and the survivors run away.

The Left flank Umma Archers score some hits on the advancing enemy Spear.

They have been too slow though and this allows the White spear time to cross the canal.

They charge the White spear but being outnumbered even luck is not what’s needed and they are thrown back Shaken.

It's at this point I thought I had the battle won. My first attempt to change the right flank bows orders to capture the hamlet had failed but I’ll move closer to make them.

I had two to one on my left flank and the shaken enemy spear was taking more casualties from my bow. Next turn they failed their quality test and routed.

Now was the moment everything changed. The heroic 2^nd Lagash Skirmishers raced to the edge of the ploughed field and shot the White Spears. They then did it again and the White spears failed their Q test retreating over the canal. Unfortunately, the overconfident Umma general, (Me), was over the other side of the battlefield encouraging the Bow to capture the Hamlet. With no General to encourage them the White Spear then failed their next Q test so badly they routed from the field.

The chariots now turned up out of reserve and with the heroic 2^nd Lagash Skirmishers now ganged up on the Umma left flank Bow. The Bows orders leave them stuck on the wrong side of the canal unless someone charges them and they evade. They are also quickly routed.

The heroic 2^nd Lagash skirmishers now cross the canal, capture the western ploughed field and shoot up the Blue Spears. Look there 6 hits out of 6 dice= 3 kills. Perfect throwing.

The Right Flank Bow enter the Hamlet. Repeated attempts to order them to leave the village and out flank the enemy at the bridge met with failure until it was too late.

Shooting by the heroic 2^nd Lagash skirmishers is so accurate it causes the Bue Spears to become shaken and retreat.

General finally gets his act together, joins the Blues spears and rallies them. Meanwhile Lagash sends their Spears over the canal which disputes the Stele.

The turn around from “I’m about to double envelope them and win” to loosing in few turns has been amazing.

Cue the Green Spears to come out of reserve and charge the enemy Spear Regiment.

Green wins, pushing the enemy back into the canal and opening up the Stele for recapture.

The newly rallied Blue Spears charge towards the Heroic 2^nd Lagash Skirmishers to cover the Greens.

The heroic 2^nd Lagash Skirmishers throw javelins at the much reduced Blue regiment with such accuracy that Blue just gives up and run away.

The last turn Green charges into the western ploughed field. Bringing an end to the game.

The result is 2 Objectives to 1 with two in contest. Narrow Umma Win.  

This game was an extremely exciting one to play. I made many Generalship mistakes. I think orders really add something to it.  But the real Heros of the game have to be the Heroic 2nd Lagash Skirmishers. They routed or assisted in the routing 3 enemy regiments without a single loss.