Hoplites in Italy

Magna Grecia

Hoplite Warfare has always seemed a little formal to me.  Perhaps a better word variation is ritualistic.  Basically not enough troop types.   I like the idea of big skirmish rules, and the limited figure numbers it needs, but there has to be variety.  The Men of Bronze games I`ve played so far have been not so much Rock, Paper, Scissors, as Rock, Rock, Rock... and the rocks are the Hoplites if I need to explain that metaphor...

I have already gone down the route of investing and painting up in two boxes of Warlord Hoplites, good value for money at £16 each, and added some Psiloi and slinger sprues from eBay.  This gives me two forces of 40 Hoplites and 12 Psiloi per side I added in some cavalry, and suddenly its looking impressive.

Lining them up however I realised that this could also represent a single Greek Hoplite army of over 120 x 28mm figures.   These are just about DBM sized numbers, big enough to make things more interesting. Not however so interesting that I would add another 80 Hoplites and end up with the same problem as opposition.  

The issue then is one of finding an enemy army that is different, uses different tactics and of different culture.  Preferably an army that could represent several different historical forces, and have some real flexibility.  After all Greek colonies were planted all over the Mediterranean, including here in Cyprus.

With Warlord having withdrawn the Wargames Factory Persians that doesn't seem a route to go.  I have a box of Macedonian Phalangites stashed away but that is a pretty easy answer.  I think that Hoplites vs Macedonians would be more of the same.  

The author of Men of Bronze intends to stretch the rules to include Early Rome, fair enough since Hoplite warfare had a huge impact on Italy.  This got me thinking about extending my collection into the early Italian wars on my own tabletop.  Italy seems to better fit the brief for me and gives half a dozen different opponent armies using a mix of, essentially, the same figures.

Mind you, If Pyrrhus of Epirus shows up those pikemen will still be of some use...

For my games I'm envisaging more than just pitched battles. Games should be skirmishes, cattle raids, incursions, sieges and blood feuds over resources, as well as the occasional full on field of battle.  We don`t know the details of smaller actions in antiquity, but it gives me scope for leeway and historical What-ifs.  I think it will translate to an excellent campaign system too.

Even a few naval games will get a run out using my 28mm Triremes  (completed since the bare bones picture below was taken)

Apollo's Dream is rammed. The Marines close up to fight.  My Psiloi chuck their javelins over the gap

So the crazy plan, actually my Christmas present to myself last year:

Phase one a box of Italian Allied Legions.  The model shop at Durham had these at 10% discount good value since they weigh in at 60 figures each, 42 "Legionaries" and 18 "Velites."  

The cost was £25, and they travelled back to Cyprus in my already bulging hand luggage at Christmas. 
For me they look like bog standard guys from Ancient Italy.  I reckon these could be anything from Romans to Samnites to Volscians and loads in between.

Cavalry is provided by my existing Greek Cavalry units, Slingers and Javelinmen too.  

I envisage the narrative of the games covering the landing of Bellendus and his friend Testicleas, placing a colony on the Italian coast.  Their Greek city will lead the never ending fight against the Oscan tribes of the interior, the Etruscans and Latins to the North, and other Greek city states to the south.

It should be a campaign I can dip in and out of, with seasonal battles and skirmishes that have a narrative thread running through them.

The Samnites are next.  wars. I've ordered a bag of armoured Samnites.  These come only 24 to a pack, but I can use some of the Latin troops for these as well as a core of Hoplites.   Note that they might be "Samnites" but I would also use then as Oscans or any of the other upland groups.   
In reality the Latins will be used to represent the majority of the Samnites, but the extra figures will pad them out.  
 

Next the Latin War.  I will probably add a box of pectoral armoured Romans to face the Italians.  Another 60 figures added to the Italian allies to give a respectable 120 figures. Occasionally  the Etruscans could pop up using their mix of Italians and Hoplites.

Following the Samnite wars The Romans pick on my guys in the Greek states of Southern Italy, provoking King Pyrrhus of Epirus and my pikemen into intervening.  Those 40 pikemen cost me £16 so I would like to use them. Must source some elephants and Successor Cavalry, but this really is one for the future so I won't count them in the plan.

The Map

This is a cut down section.

Keep it simple

Campaign  Turn

A year by year turn focusing on the Campaign season following the newly discovered History of the events in Italy by Magnus Mendax, the so called Lost Historia Rerum in Italia for the years 550 to 350 BC

1.   Determine the aggressors and targets for this season, Wars continue.
2.  Which assets are the stakes
3.  Determine the scenario (s)
4.  Build a game narrative
5.  Fight the game.
6.  The After Game table.  Assets won.   Was a "Climactic battle" fought?   Roll on "does the war continue?"
7.  Magnus Mendax, "Events in Italy for the next year"


Men of Bronze 38 Points Army Lists 
(10, 8 and 6 figure units)

Triplex Acies
2 Hastati    16 Points
1 Principes  10 Points        
1 Drilled Hoplite  10 Points
1 Skirmisher    2 Points
- Total    38 Points

Samnites and Oscans
2 Drilled Infantry-  Pila  18 Points
2 Warband Infantry  12 Points     
2 Velites    8 Points  
-Total    38 Points

Etruscans
2 Drilled Hoplite- Pila  20 Points
1 Drilled Infantry  8 Points
1 Cavalry    8 Points
2 Skirmishers    4 Points
-Total    38 Points

Capua
2 Militia Hoplites  16 Points
2 Warband Infantry  12 Points  
3 Velites    12 Points   
1 Cavalry    8 Points 
-Total    38 Points

King Pyrrhus of Epirus
2 Macedonian Phalanx  20 pts
1 Militia  Hoplites  8 pts
1 Successor heavy cavalry  8 Pts
1 Skirmisher    2 pts
-Total    38 Points

Gauls
1 Drilled Infantry  8 Pts
3 Warband Infantry  18 Pts
1 Cavalry or chariot    8 Pts
2 Skirmisher    4 Pts
-Total    38 Points

Naming conventions
I find a game far easier to identify with if I have a few good comicly named characters to hang the game around.  I will retain Bellendus and Testicleas as my pair of Greek Mercenaries, and comedy Roman names are quite straightforward and some excellent rude names for this crowd are already in my arsenal of nomclemanture.
My Oscans will all have names beginning with the letter "O."  It makes them easy to spot.  Samnites get an "S," Etruscans an "E" and so on.  These will be latinised versions of modern names.  Ollius,  Samix,  Steverus, and so on.  A roll on my well worn "Character of a man or possibly woman" table and a quick epithet gives me the bones of the character I'll be using.  Billirix the wine soaked, and so on.
All of this comes into play with a controlling event table.

And that's a plan using 2 (more) boxes of figures.  Has to be worth a try.