It ended so quickly.  What some might find to be the weakness of the Irregular Wars’ rule set was on full display during this action.

Over at Boardgamegeek, there’s a on-going (and increasingly pedantic) thread discussing fog of war and randomness.  While Irregular Wars doesn’t have much in the way of fog, it certainly can provide plenty of randomness.

First off, the tidy initial dispositions featured in the previous post were immediately disrupted by the designed randomness of the Disease and Mishaps die rolls.

Some companies pushed forward, led by over-enthusiastic Captains.  Others formed up ravaged by disease, with reduced Resolve (companies with black die).

It took a couple of turns for the attacking Sanwanians to sort themselves out and advance towards the Neons.  Their attack plan called for Archers to neutralize the Neon center, while Warriors assaulted the small ridgeline on their right.  The flanked Neons would then be subjected to a general assault.

However,  Neon archery took its toll.  After several exchanges, many Sanwanian units were wavering (red dice).  And, it only took one misplaced Company’s (left within archery range) scattering to unhinge the Sanwanian center and left.  Again, a Scattering Company reduces the Resolve of any friendly unit within 80mm (2U)by one.  Wavering companies are down to their last Resolve.  They lose that, they Scatter.  And, that’s what happened – en masse.

The companies facing to the rear are those that scattered in just one turn.  Here’s what the battlefield looked like after they were removed.

While the Sanwanian Warriors on the right made a last valiant effort to close with the Neon Archers, the latter companies were able to disengage.  The Warriors withdrew.

A notable victory for  Neo, with all due credit to the help provided by Bey Mahir of Behefe.

The stage has been set for battle between the Sanwanians and Neons.

Quick note:  I have capitalized game-specific terms/usages.

The Neons made the most of the short time they had to prepare.   Much of the credit for the ability of the peaceful Neons to resist goes to the Lord of the Behefian forces sent to their aid.

Bey Heydar (or The Lion) is an Experienced  and Heroic Persian mercenary (receiving a positive die roll for Initiative and also when his Company is in Melee).  He has brought with him three companies of Persian Archers and one of Shot,  along with two companies of  mercenary Warriors.  His staff includes one of Behefe’s most experienced Physicians (this is a positive modifier when rolling for Disease and Mishaps after initial deployment(s)).

Recognizing the Neons lack of combat experience, Heydar’s preparations  focused on a Neon strength; hunting.   The majority of the Neon contingent received intensive  Archers training, with  one Company of young men to be used as Warriors.

The nominal Lord of the Neons is Sisay (or Good Omen).  He has excellent Local Knowledge and is an Inspiring Lord (receiving a positive modifier when rallying companies).  However, he is Inexperienced and Cowardly (these two traits will result in negative modifiers when he rolls for Initiative and if/when in Melee with his Company).

The Sanwanians are led by Tamrat (or Miracle).  His  distinguished conduct in the recent  victory over Kattego made him  the logical choice to lead this large force,  with includes a  solid Veteran contingent.  He is Heroic and  Experienced.  His only shortcoming is Rash behavior in the field (increasing his chances of being killed in melee).

The Sanwanians are once again accompanied by their  adopted Wandering Mystic (Shaman in game terms), Kibwe Nkruma.  He is counted on to bolster the Resolve of any Wavering companies.

Photos of the summary sheet for the battle, and initial dispositions before rolling for Disease and Mishaps are shown below.  The dispositions are oriented North/South (Top/Bottom), with Neons in the North.

What a difference a victory makes.  The otherwise peaceful Sanwanians, reveling in their marital prowess and emboldened by the exhortations of Kibwe Nkruma, are now coveting the rich grazing lands surrounding the village of Neo.

The visionary (some say psychotic)  Nkruma convinced Sanwa’s Council of Elders  the unexpected victory  was proof the village’s destiny is that of greatness and accompanying wealth.  To ignore their providential good fortune would invite disaster at the hands of  Shango, God of Fire and Lightning.

The Council agreed that with Kattego weakened there would be plenty of time  to attack North and subjugate Neo.  Once accomplished, Kattego would be attacked and brought under Sawanian control.

These two villages would provide new-found riches in crops, herds and slaves.  They  would also serve as buffers against aggression from coastal towns.

Council members opposing this plan were given the choice of compliance, death or exile.  One chose exile, but fearing for his and his family’s lives regardless of promises of safe passage, fled  to Neo.

The Neons were shocked and dismayed by his news and abrupt turn of events.  They had lived in peace for as long as anyone could remember and had no experience in warfare.

Desperate, they turned to the leader of Behefe, Bey Iman Mahir,  for protection.

He agreed to send soldiers to help defend Neo.  He wanted to stop the spread of this agitation before it affected his domain.  However, he also saw the possibilities of increased wealth.  So, there were terms.

The terrified Neons agreed to reduce the prices of goods sold to Behefian merchants, and to now pay annual tribute to  Bey Mahir.

Mahir’s small expeditionary force marched to Neo and began training the Neons for combat.

I have a newfound admiration for gamers publishing quality After Action Reports (AARs).  I lack the discipline and ability to a)  systematically record what occurred and b) take quality photos to document the ebb and flow of the game.

My (weak and convenient) excuse is that I get all wrapped up in gameplay.

So, what follows is a semi-coherent, poorly documented account of The Action(s) at Sanwa.

It’s plural because I played the scenario twice.  As discussed in an earlier post, I was not satisfied by my adherence to the rules, and wanted to try again.

Both games had the same outcome:  A resounding Kattegoan defeat.  By design, the circumstances were similar.  By this, I mean that each side employed the same tactics in both games.  Again, the purpose of the replay was to get better with implementing the rules.

In that regard, the second game was a success.

The battlefield featured several areas of rough terrain, and a small hill dominating the west.  North is at the top of the photo.  The measuring stick has 40mm (company frontage) increments (referred to as units in RAW).

As defenders, the Sanwanians deployed first, with two Companies of Archers on the small hill, four Companies of Archers deployed just north of the rough terrain in the center, and with all  warrior companies to the east, and deployed in depth.  The Lord’s Company was positioned in the center along with one Company of Slavers.

The attacking Kattegoans reacted with a similar deployment.  Two Companies of Scouts holding down the left (west) flank, with three Companies of Archers and two Companies of Warriors in the center, with all others on the right flank.

A quick tactical note:  Deployment in depth is trickey.  Rules As Written (RAW) has a Wavering company (Resolve at one (1)) immediately retiring one (1) D3 movement units (in this game a unit=40mm) to its immediate rear.  Any Company it comes in contact with (there is no interpenetration in these rules) immediately loses one (1) Resolve.  If a unit reaches a Resolve of Zero (0), it Scatters.  Any Company within two (2) movement units immediately loses one (1) Resolve.  Companies stacked up and with low Resolve can literally evaporate in a single turn.  This is absolutely critical when Companies (as is the case with Tribal Warriors) start with a Resolve of only three (3), and maybe at  two (2), if effected by Disease.

Both sides moved out of their deployment areas, crossed their respective  lines of departure, and began exchanging ineffective missile fire.  Yes, some Companies took significant enough losses to retire, but they were quickly rallied and moved back to their original positions.

The Warriors of each side advanced towards each other, but stayed beyond charge distance hoping for a favorable outcome in the lengthy missile exchange.  The Kattegoans lost patience and moved within charge range (Three (3) Units) of their opponents.  They gambled on gaining the initiative for the next turn (“Lord” Oumar being an Experienced Lord with a +1D6 modifier when rolling for initiative).  If so,  they could charge and receive a +1 D6 combat modifier.   It was not to be.  The Sanwanians rolled higher, and attacked.

Both sides were locked in melee for several turns.   Melee in Irregular Wars is decided by comparative 1xD6 rolls.  If the difference in rolls is one (1) or two (2), the units remain engaged.  If the difference is three (3) to six (6), the loser suffers a loss in Resolve.  If greater than six (6), a loss of two (2) Resolves.  Now here is where things get interesting…..a tie results in a “Bloody Draw”, where both sides lose one (1) Resolve.

As mentioned above, when a Company reaches one (1) Resolve, it Wavers, and must withdraw 1xD3 units directly to the rear.  In a “Bloody Draw” with  Companies at a one (1), both Companies have to withdraw.  This creates a battlefield that cannot be characterized as “tidy”, and accounts for the seeming absence of linear frontages for both sides.

After as series of melees, the Kattegoans buckled (the Sanwanian Warriors have shields – well all except one Company).  Simultaneously, the Sanwanians moved reserves to engage the Kattegoan Archers.

Quick Note:  The cotton “smoke” indicates a firearm equipped Company  has fired and has yet to  reload.  Reloading takes one turn’s Action Phase.  In this photo, the firing Company includes Lord Oumar, who subsequently became very busy using his Company’s Action Phase to rally his Wavering Companies.  His Company took several turns rallying companies before it reloaded.

Oumar’s efforts were effective as his threatened flank stabilized.  A Pious Company (with the ability to rally due to their strong religious beliefs – and designated with a gold cube) is shown moving behind the Kattegoans in order to support the left flank.

The Sanwanians maintained their pressure on the Kattegoan right flank, pushing through resistance as the Kattegoan archers continue to be disrupted by missile fire and a flank attack.

As the Sanwanian Archers moved forward  to support the final assault, the Kattegoan flank collapsed.  Only a few companies were able to flee the field without Scattering.

End Game here was very similar to the first battle.  Here’s a few pictures of those final stages of Game Number One.

In this sequence, what remained of the Kattegoan right flank/center were hemmed in, and attempted a retreat to the Northwest. It is doubtful their pursuers will take the fleeing Slavers alive.were pursued by the Sanwanians.

Good, fun solitaire game with twists and turns.  Not for the Gamer looking for total control.

Now I have figure out the ramifications of this stunning victory.

Here are some rules observations jotted down after my  just completed Action At Sanwa.

I am going to re-play it using my lessons learned (which includes photography), and post up a report on completion.

Impetuous Companies:

This refers to Companies that are out of command range, and must roll for a table-specified action. These actions seem too extreme for a Company that has a designated task – such as hold a terrain feature – outside of command range. My solution is to have the Company roll as impetuous only when an opposing Company is within nine (9) movement units. This distance is based on maximum shooting range (6 units) plus one-half maximum shooting range (3 units). A Commanding Lord can change that Company’s orders by rolling on the rally table as an action when he is in command range.

Commanding Lord:

In RAW, a Commanding Lord is organic to a specified Company. By design, this limits his ability to control the battlefield. His presence confers a +2 resolve to that Company, which reflects not only his presence, but, I guess, that the Company is an elite force. An alternative would be to allow the Lord to “float” around the battlefield, expanding his abilities to control. This is the norm in many other games. I’ll hold off on changing this, but since I don’t have any bases with a leader figure “built-in”, I’ll use a Gold Cube to designate the Lord’s Company.

Kibwe (Wandering Mystic/Shaman):

In RAW, a Faction can have a Pious Company. This Company can rally a friendly Company, or curse an enemy during an Action Phase. I literally forgot about Kibwe during the game. In the re-do, I’ll designate a Company for him and mark that Company in some manner. This will be a compulsory Shaman Company, not an option as shown in the Army Lists.

Wavering Companies:

I had some problems with the mechanics.

A wavering Company has been reduced to a resolve value of one (1). When reaching that value, it must immediately retire 1d3u (units) directly to its rear, while maintaining its current facing. A wavering unit acts normally except it cannot voluntarily move to engage in melee.

Should the mandated retirement be the Company’s action for that or following turn? If a unit wavers as a result of shooting, it can move back to its former position in the Action phase, plugging any gap its retirement had caused. It can return to meet any opposing force entering that gap with a charge bonus of +1 (opposing Faction has initiative, moves to flank unit exposed by the withdrawal) if the Lord rallies that Company earlier in the phase. Doesn’t seem right. In WRG, any mandated withdrawal counts as move for the following turn. I’m going to monitor this.

One question just answered itself; that of a wavering Company that wins a melee. In RAW, a Company that scatters, wavers and retires, or withdraws from melee might be pursued. The possible pursuer must roll 1d6 for an outcome. One is that the Company must pursue their opponent using full movement directly forward. A wavering Company cannot voluntarily move into melee. I missed the operative term “voluntarily”. The victor’s pursuit in this case is mandatory, not voluntary.

Other Observations:

The following may be no more than a result of my die rolling during the game:  Shooting was relatively ineffective, and few melee victors pursued their withdrawing opponents

Are Companies too agile? A tactic that emerged was “spin and melee”. A Company can change facing using one (1) unit of their move (RAW indicates for 90 or 180 degree turn). This leaves two (2) units to move into contact with a nearby opponent, and receive a charge combat bonus. Also, and I think this is a good thing, RAW leaves quite a bit of latitude for relative position (1/2u “free” move sideways or wheel) allowing companies to “square up” for melee contact. Many other rule sets have a minimum distance to receive a charge bonus, and are strict about unit-to-unit alignment. Something to consider.

The scattering of one Company can cause a catastrophic chain reaction. Any Company with two (2) movement units (no terrain adjustment) of a scattering Company, loses one (1) resolve. If you have a number of wavering units, they can all scatter very quickly. This happened to the Kattegoan right flank, leading to a decisive victory for Sanwa.

Command Range must be checked at the beginning of each turn. I did a bad job of this.

The 2 foot by 2 foot was too crowded using RAW’s Army Lists.  I’m going to cap each Army at 14 companies or ( if die rolls mandate) less.

The Wandering Mystic, Kibwe Nkruma and his followers entered Kattego some weeks ago.

He quickly alienated  the conservative Kattegoans.  More importantly his disruptive proselytizing drew the ire of Kattego’s leader, Oumar.  Before his arrest order could be carried out, Kibwe fled north to the village of Sanwa.

He had quite a different reception in that village, where the people treated him and his disciples with respect.  The Sanwanians have a number of belief systems, all of which emphasize the supernatural.   Kibwe’s pronouncements resonated with them, and he became a much sought-after soothsayer.

Angered by Kibwe’s escape, Oumar ordered he be pursued, arrested, and brought back to Kattego.

The Sanwanians refused to allow Oumar’s order to be carried out.  Now angered, the usually even-keeled Oumar threatened the use of force.  Once again, the Sanwanians refused to comply, encouraged by Kibwe’s assurances of a great victory.

Anger turned to rage, and Oumar ordered a punitive expedition mounted to take Kibwe by force.  The people of Sanwa  prepared to meet the threat.

As the Kattego Army approached, the Sanwa leaders chose an area of rough ground, just outside the village and overlooked by a small hill, to make their stand.  The small army marched from the city and  waited for the advancing Kattegoans.