Campaign Update - and "Where did the Men go..?"

While the Northern Vexillation vacillates the main force wends its way westwards, but soon it is clear that action needs to be taken regarding the apparently hostile forces hovering in the hills of the Abana - Serova area.

 The War Diary shows that things are on the move.

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Peaceful areas are ravaged ("Collaborators" cry the Druids) and Fort Serovium is attacked and overwhelmed, but not before the garrison sends a courier north to seek aid.

For the Northern Vexillation this means ANOTHER Council of Officers (the new C.O. just isn't confident enough to make his own decisions), but they decide they have to act.

Moving south the force happens upon a raiding force of hostiles fresh from destroying said fort. Enemy strength as reported appears to have been exaggerated - it is estimated at approx. 4 to 5,000 - not the 10,500 last reported. The vexillation advances to engage....

Which begs the question: "Can these Romans not count now...? How so...? "

It's all part of the "keep me guessing" part of Solo Play...

When a previously unknown hostile force appears on the map I throw dice to see how many "groups" (of "approx. a cohort's worth" of around 400-500 each group) make it up, as per the Rules previously posted, and I treat this as an "on the board" strength, for strategic purposes.

However, when a previously un-scouted enemy force comes into contact with a mobile Roman force (as opposed to an isolated, and possibly surrounded outpost) for the first time I dice again to see how much of that estimate is real "fighting strength".

To do this I throw two 6D dice and add the scores. The total of these two dice added together, multiplied by ten percent of the original estimate is the ACTUAL fighting strength of the enemy force. Thus a force could turn out to be a mere 20% of the rumoured force (so that I may have been charging my chaps about on a fool's errand) or 120% (which could be very bad news indeed if I'd been banking on an over-estimate).

For example, in this case the original estimate was a fighting power of 11,000 men. This force swarmed in the zone containing the century fort at Serovium. They did not attack the fort at first, but spent a day pillaging and surrounding the fort (activities decided by dice throw). When they did attack the fort their estimated loss (fought on the CRT) was 500 men.

However, when the vexillation came across the hostiles and fully scouted, the actual fighting strength was much lower (i.e. . the total for the two dice came to four, 40% or so of the 10,500. I then divide this by 400 to get the number of groups that will fight/be available to fight on the table.

And so to the battle set-up.....

Once we get to the table the terrain is set out based roughly on what I know of the locale, but otherwise randomly (this is for the campaign. For individual fights I may be testing-out certain methods, so may actually "design" the field)  and I dice to see from which side "my side" starts. As I'm playing the Romans in this battle I set out the Roman forces.

I then dice to see who/what the Romans can see on the table.

In this case the Celts could field 11 groups. I throw 1 dice to see how many groups are in the "First Formation", then again for the next formation and so on until all groups are allocated. In this encounter I threw two "threes" (i.e. two formations made up of three groups each) and two "twos" (two formations of two groups each), leaving one of the eleven groups operating independently. Under the circumstances it seems reasonable to deem this the "Command Group" - i.e. the Celt C. in C. with bodyguard, aids, hangers-on, sisters, cousins, aunts etc...

I then dice for each formation (yes, more dice...) to see if each formation  is placed on the table in the open, or possibly concealed (as a "Blind") or kept off table for later deployment. In this scenario the odds are that most hostile troops will be in view, so a simple throw of "3-6 on the table", "1-2 off or concealed" suffices.  Had this been an ambush, rather than an encounter battle, there would have be a greater likelihood of there being concealed or off table groups involved in the fight. As it happens all turn out to be on the table.

So, we now have both sides on the field. Let battle commence....