The Battle of the Kalamitos Isles

The latest Tuesday night fight saw another test run for the Aegaeon rules, pitting equal fleets of Macedonian against Ptolemaic ships somewhere along the Ionian coast.

Following the last couple of games, quite a lot of changes have been made.  Movement allowances have been increased slightly and the cost of several actions has been adjusted, in particular recovery from disorder taking an extra move point as it had proved almost impossible for a disordered squadron to be attacked before it was able to recover.  The combat mechanism has been simplified to a single round of dice rolls. The major change has been to make a continuing engagement the default outcome for combat.  Even if a squadron loses a combat badly and fails the subsequent morale test it does not get pushed back.  Instead, it is required to try to break off in the coming turn by taking an evasion test.  The aim of this was to make it more likely that boarding actions could take place and, in preparation for this, the boarding action process had also been simplified.  

We had found in the last couple of games that having double sided squadron record cards, with movement marked on one side, losses on the other, was not a good idea as it is hard to avoid smudging the marker ink.  For this game I went back to single sided cards, putting them in portrait rather than landscape mode and attaching a shelf unit to the table edge to provide a convenient place to put the cards close to but not on the table during the game.

How would these changes work out in practice?

I commanded the Macedonian fleet again and formed them in two lines on the right, facing towards the gap between the two islands

On the left of my line I had two large squadrons of trieres in column - both are fast.  Two other fast squadrons are in column in the second rank on the right.  Four heavy squadrons - three of hexeres supported by a mix of penteres and tetreres, one with a Deceres supported by more penteres and tetreres - formed the front line, with two squadrons of poorer quality penteres in line in the second rank.

The Ptolemaic fleet had exactly the same composition as mine but deployed very differently.

The Ptolemaic fleet divided into two wings to cover the gaps either side of the central island.  All their fast squadrons - and one heavy squadron - are on their right, heading for the narrower gap between the mainland and the central island.  The remaining five squadrons, three of them heavy - face my fleet on the left.  All are in column.

The Macedonians advanced on the right while sending their two fast squadrons across to the left to keep the large column of Ptolemaic ships on that side occupied while the main body of the fleet dealt with the other Ptolemaic wing.

As the Macedonian advance continued on the right, the Ptolemaic squadrons facing them slowed and deployed into line while the other half of the fleet raced forwards on the other side of the island.

The main mass of the Macedonian fleet anticipating an advantageous engagement with the thin line of Ptolemaic ships

The Macedonian trieres look for a breakthrough on the left while three Ptolemaic squadrons start to wheel around the central island towards the rear of the main Macedonian position.

Three squadrons clash in the main action.  Macedonians are moving round on the left flank but the Ptolemaic second line is covering this outflanking attempt and, on the other end, has moved up a squadron to prevent the Macedonian columns getting an open flank advantage against the Ptolemaic line.

On the left, the leading Macedonian squadron crumples on contact, losing several ships and failing a morale test.  It remains in contact but is required to evade in the next turn.  The Ptolemaic ships will have a good chance to grapple.

Fortune deserts the Macedonians in the other three fights as well, all three squadrons taking heavy losses while inflicting little damage on the enemy.  All have to take morale tests and while two pass they are not in good shape to carry on the fight in the next turn.

The problem of trying to be photographer, participant and rule explainer came to the fore at this point and an entire couple of turns went by without my taking a picture until after combat was resolved in the second turn.  During this time, the Macedonians tried with some success to disengage their damaged squadrons (one leaving several ships in Ptolemaic hands, another being cut to pieces as it tried to evade, the other two making it clear) and bring their second line into action (managing to overrun one Ptolemaic squadron with a flank attack).

The end of combat two turns after the last picture.  Wreckage marks the spot where a Ptolemaic squadron has been sunk, but at the top right a Macedonian squadron that had - to its surprise - made a rear attack on the Ptolemaic commander's squadron has had a terrible result, losing half its ships and failing a morale test. 

On the left, the second Macedonian trieres squadron has avenged the first, and can be seen riding through the wreckage of a Ptolmaic squadron that it has obliterated.  This, though, leaves it in between two enemy squadrons with the battered friendly squadron at the lower left in no fit state to help.

Macedonian hopes of recovery are dashed as their commander's squadron fails to get a quick win over the enemy in the foreground and even worse, a front and flank attack on one of the enemy squadrons now in their rear has ended with one squadron badly battered and another - previously damaged squadron - sent to the bottom.

With only one squadron remaining without substantial damage but faced with five Ptolemaic squadrons with little or no damage to them, the Macedonian commander threw in the towel.

Consolation came in the form of a pancake, it being Shrove Tuesday 😋

What did we make of the amendments to the rules and playing aids?

The revised record card design and the edge of table holders worked well, though we have got into the habit of putting the cards out on the table during movement so that there is no room for question about what move orders have been given and, when contact occurs, what ships are involved.

The adjustments to the movement allowance worked smoothly.  The effect kept the game moving quickly while somewhat reducing the disadvantage normal squadrons have been under compared with fast squadrons.

The combat mechanism needs a rethink.  Dramatic results were delivered but the changes have brought chance to the forefront, undermining the rewards for achieving tactical advantage.  Also, a couple of combats showed up heavy ships as having advantages that far outweighed the benefit that lighter ships gain from agility.  And, despite many more continuing engagements, we still only had one boarding action (though this may be down to my opponent Gareth disdaining hand to hand combat when there is a chance of ramming something)  So, back to the drawing board here.