Toaw Scenario: The First Punic War

Mediterranean Sea,
April 06, 0264,

SPQR army of 71 units opposed to Carthage army of 30 units
for a battle of complexity 1.07 at Division(XX) level
on a 50 Km/Hex map
for 97 turns of Full Week each.

by Brian Topp submited on 02-01-2003

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Briefing
The First Punic War 264-241 B.C. Version 2.0 This scenario This scenario simulates, at grand strategic scale, the First Punic War. This 23-year-long war is covered in quarterly (three month) turns. This scenario likely wouldn't survive a "grognard review", since TOAW was not designed to simulate military operations at this scale, 2200 years ago. But taken as a (in some ways) intricate chess puzzle, "The First Punic War" models a fascinating, evenly-balanced conflict. It is playable as the Roman player against a computer-controlled Carthaginian, or by email. It is not playable as the Carthaginian against a computer-controlled Rome. New in version 2.0: An event error that left some Consuls in the field after their terms are expired is corrected. An event error governing Roman sea transport is corrected. Victory The Roman player wins an automatic total victory by capturing Carthage. The Carthaginian player wins an automatic total victory by capturing Rome. Either player wins an automatic decisive victory by accumulating 50 or more victory points. Otherwise, at the end of the game (ignoring loss penalities) : Larger victory point total: 40 or more: decisive victory 36 to 39: Substantive victory 32 to 35: Marginal victory 31 or less: Draw Critical house rules To make this scenario work, you need to follow some key house rules. (1) No land force can move or fight without a leader. This is tricky (because you have to keep a careful eye on variable movement rates in a stack), but critical to this simulation. No land unit can move or fight anywhere or in any circumstance unless stacked with a leader. Leaders can freely pick up and drop off land units. Both sides have two generals - thus both sides have two "controlling minds" that can move and fight. It is okay to attack simultaneously from two hexes (against the same hex or against two separate hexes) provided both of your attacking forces have leaders stacked with them. Land units can dig in without a leader present. Land units cannot load onto sea transports or conduct sea movement without being stacked with a leader. You may well be struck at how tricky this rule makes this scenario. You must commit your leaders to advances and battles to make progress. But they are vulnerable to destruction on the battlefield, and also to being cut off and isolated from their forces because of uncontrolled advances or retreats by stacks at different movement rates. A PO-controlled Carthage does not play by this rule, but you still should. As the witty designer of the boardgame Imperium Romanum II puts it, a player of true virtu and gravitas will not let this depress him, but will strive for Fortuna's hand regardless. Exception: South Italian, Gallic and Hispanic rebels (all shown on the board as "guerrilla" units) can move and fight without a leader (they cannot substitute for a leader, however - i.e., a rebel unit cannot lead a regular unit into a battle). (2) Naval units can move and fight freely. (3) All combat must be conducted at "ignore losses" setting. This gives the flavour of the sanguinary and often decisive battles of the period - and motivates you to carefully weigh your prospects before committing to battle, just like the real generals at the time did. (4) A leader must be fully committed to each land battle. In other words, a leader must participate in each land battle you initiate, at "ignore losses" setting. If the leader is killed or rendered ineffective in the battle and you don't have another in the stack, then the battle is over -- unless you can manoeuvre another leader into the stack. This simulates the leader's death or loss of nerve for the season. Calendar Ignore the running date at the lower right and at the head of news items, and watch the text of the news advisories to keep track of the calendar. The game begins in 264 B.C. and runs for 100 quarterly turns (winter, spring, summer, fall), taking you to 241 B.C. (TOAW does not know how to count down a "B.C." date). There are a lot of turns in the game but few generals to move around - the turns go by fast. Roman consular elections Every winter, the Roman Senate elects two new Consuls to assume command of its military forces. The new Consuls assume office in Rome, and you must then dispatch them to the forces you want them to command in the coming year. This imposes some tricky logistics problems on Rome (you'll have to spend at least one turn in every four moving your Consuls into position, while the waiting Legions must wait and cannot attack). On the positive side, these arrangements provide the Roman side with some often-useful command flexibility. The Romans were not fond of their former kings. In the result, the Roman Republican constitution provided for two heads of state, to keep each other in check. Sometimes the two Consuls worked well together, sometimes they didn't. Further, Roman Consuls during this period were of variable quality as military leaders. To simulate this, some Consular teams provide the roman player with moderately positive shock effects; some cause negative effects; many have no net effect at all. Because your leaders regularly leave the battlefield to take part in Senate politics, and then seek to rejoin your armies from Rome, you must take great care not to permit Carthage to interpose units between Rome and her Legions. A small sea transport capability will help you manage this problem, but not in all circumstances. Syracusa Syracusa, a Greek colony in the southeastern corner of Sicily, begins the game as an ally of Carthage. The Roman player needs to spend some time thinking about this difficult Greek city-state, because its "creeping zone of control" can choke Roman supply lines to the west. Carthage for its part must be mindful that Syracusa is an unreliable ally, prone to defecting. Syracusan units never leave the city of Syracuse unless they have been evicted in a siege. Loss and recapture of key centres; supply centres The map is divided into provinces, and each province has a capital city. Loosing a provincial capital switches victory points and supply points to the other side, and degrades replacements. Recapturing a provincial capital wins back the victory points and supply points, and restores most (but not all) of the damage to replacements. Larger centres (Capua, Tarentum, Nova Carthago, and Cartenna) serve as supply centres for either side, and are key objectives when dispatching an expedition into the enemy's rear. Historically, Carthage built up the three cities it held in western Sicily into redoubts that held out for most of the war. This is simulated by assigning Carthaginian supply centres to each city. The Carthaginian army The Carthaginian army was a grab-bag of units - some elite troops composed of Carthaginian nobles and other forces; allied troops; and mercenaries recruited from the Celtic tribes of Iberia and other areas. This is simulated on the board by assigning different colours to some Carthaginian units - in the result, they don't cooperate together as well as the more unified Roman legions. The Roman navy Initially, there isn't one. Rome had an understanding with Carthage that kept it out of the Mediterranean, and Roman wars to this point had always focused on land warfare in Italy. Over the course of the game the Romans will slowly build a navy and sea transport capacity, and as these assets come into play Rome acquires an ability to take the war to the Carthaginian heartland. Until then, the Carthaginian navy is going to be very annoying to the Romans. Intelligence Neither side ha any useful intelligence about the other - you'll only find out the details of your opponent's deployments by engaging in battle. Northern Exclusion zone A number of provinces in the north are unplayable in this scenario, hived off through an exclusion zone. They factor in a second scenario, The Second Punic War. A few notes on Roman and Carthaginian strategy The Senate and People of Rome's initial goals in this conflict were to defend a group of freebooters centred in the city of Messana from an attack by Syracusa. Carthage interfered, and the Romans then focussed on seeking to evict Carthage from Sicily. This did not go well. Rome then undertook a general war over two decades, seeking to knock Carthage out as a competitor (I've attached some further historical notes below). In the early going Roman offence must focus on Sicily. A fairly large and aggressive Carthaginian army is centred there, and Rome must at least fight this army to a draw - or risk being invaded through the "toe" of Italy. It is tempting for Rome to attack Syracuse in order to create some strategic room in eastern Sicily. But this option needs to be carefully weighed - A Syracusean siege can wear Rome's forces out, leaving them vulnerable to a Carthaginian counter-attack. Rome and her possessions have a long, initially undefended coast. Rome must therefore be attentive to defence, and to the possibility that the Carthaginians will attempt an "Anzio"-style landing to take Rome's southern forces in the rear and to strike into the Roman heartland. Prudence might lead the Roman to keep a Consul and at least a Consular-scale army (two legions was the standard Consular army at this time) in Italy. But this might in turn make it impossible to prevail in Sicily? Once Rome has a navy, her offensive options get more interesting. The Carthaginians have an even longer and more vulnerable coastline, with many targets. Accumulating Carthaginian provinces builds Roman victory and supply, while sapping Carthaginian supply and replacements. If this goes very well, Carthage may be ripe for a direct attack - winning a decisive victory. Carthage has the luxury of an inaccessible heartland in the early game, and can thus pursue a forward war against Rome. Carthage can prosper by tying the Romans up in Sicily, and then by looking for opportunities to pick off Roman provinces in Italy. A successful campaign will sap Roman supply and replacements, setting up a siege of Rome (which might then fall, seven centuries ahead of schedule). Once Rome has a navy more attention must be devoted to defence. But watch for mistakes - if the Romans over-commit to an amphibious operation that does not seem to pose an immediate threat, you can consider parrying into Italy. This might bring the Roman expedition back, or (given the Roman Consular election rules) lead to its abandonment, while Roman leaders focus on your threat. Design notes: This scenario is modelled on a game that goes waaay back - to 1975, and issue 53 of the late, for the most part lamented Strategy and Tactics magazine. I still have my much-thumbed and many-times-played copy. The Punic Wars was the cover article and the included game. This effort implements its first scenario in TOAW. After-action reports and suggestions for improvements are gratefully received. Send 'em to briantopp@rogers.com.

Briefing

The First Punic War
264-241 B.C.

Version 2.0

This scenario

This scenario simulates, at grand strategic scale, the First Punic War. This 23-year-long war is covered in quarterly (three month) turns.

This scenario likely wouldn't survive a "grognard review", since TOAW was not designed to simulate military operations at this scale, 2200 years ago. But taken as a (in some ways) intricate chess puzzle, "The First Punic War" models a fascinating, evenly-balanced conflict. It is playable as the Roman player against a computer-controlled Carthaginian, or by email. It is not playable as the Carthaginian against a computer-controlled Rome.

New in version 2.0: An event error that left some Consuls in the field after their terms are expired is corrected. An event error governing Roman sea transport is corrected.

Victory

The Roman player wins an automatic total victory by capturing Carthage.

The Carthaginian player wins an automatic total victory by capturing Rome.

Either player wins an automatic decisive victory by accumulating 50 or more victory points.

Otherwise, at the end of the game (ignoring loss penalities) :

Larger victory point total:
40 or more: decisive victory
36 to 39: Substantive victory
32 to 35: Marginal victory
31 or less: Draw

Critical house rules

To make this scenario work, you need to follow some key house rules.

(1) No land force can move or fight without a leader. This is tricky (because you have to keep a careful eye on variable movement rates in a stack), but critical to this simulation.

No land unit can move or fight anywhere or in any circumstance unless stacked with a leader. Leaders can freely pick up and drop off land units. Both sides have two generals - thus both sides have two "controlling minds" that can move and fight.

It is okay to attack simultaneously from two hexes (against the same hex or against two separate hexes) provided both of your attacking forces have leaders stacked with them.

Land units can dig in without a leader present.

Land units cannot load onto sea transports or conduct sea movement without being stacked with a leader.

You may well be struck at how tricky this rule makes this scenario. You must commit your leaders to advances and battles to make progress. But they are vulnerable to destruction on the battlefield, and also to being cut off and isolated from their forces because of uncontrolled advances or retreats by stacks at different movement rates.

A PO-controlled Carthage does not play by this rule, but you still should. As the witty designer of the boardgame Imperium Romanum II puts it, a player of true virtu and gravitas will not let this depress him, but will strive for Fortuna's hand regardless.

Exception: South Italian, Gallic and Hispanic rebels (all shown on the board as "guerrilla" units) can move and fight without a leader (they cannot substitute for a leader, however - i.e., a rebel unit cannot lead a regular unit into a battle).

(2) Naval units can move and fight freely.

(3) All combat must be conducted at "ignore losses" setting. This gives the flavour of the sanguinary and often decisive battles of the period - and motivates you to carefully weigh your prospects before committing to battle, just like the real generals at the time did.

(4) A leader must be fully committed to each land battle. In other words, a leader must participate in each land battle you initiate, at "ignore losses" setting. If the leader is killed or rendered ineffective in the battle and you don't have another in the stack, then the battle is over -- unless you can manoeuvre another leader into the stack. This simulates the leader's death or loss of nerve for the season.

Calendar

Ignore the running date at the lower right and at the head of news items, and watch the text of the news advisories to keep track of the calendar. The game begins in 264 B.C. and runs for 100 quarterly turns (winter, spring, summer, fall), taking you to 241 B.C. (TOAW does not know how to count down a "B.C." date). There are a lot of turns in the game but few generals to move around - the turns go by fast.

Roman consular elections

Every winter, the Roman Senate elects two new Consuls to assume command of its military forces. The new Consuls assume office in Rome, and you must then dispatch them to the forces you want them to command in the coming year. This imposes some tricky logistics problems on Rome (you'll have to spend at least one turn in every four moving your Consuls into position, while the waiting Legions must wait and cannot attack). On the positive side, these arrangements provide the Roman side with some often-useful command flexibility.

The Romans were not fond of their former kings. In the result, the Roman Republican constitution provided for two heads of state, to keep each other in check. Sometimes the two Consuls worked well together, sometimes they didn't. Further, Roman Consuls during this period were of variable quality as military leaders. To simulate this, some Consular teams provide the roman player with moderately positive shock effects; some cause negative effects; many have no net effect at all.

Because your leaders regularly leave the battlefield to take part in Senate politics, and then seek to rejoin your armies from Rome, you must take great care not to permit Carthage to interpose units between Rome and her Legions. A small sea transport capability will help you manage this problem, but not in all circumstances.

Syracusa

Syracusa, a Greek colony in the southeastern corner of Sicily, begins the game as an ally of Carthage. The Roman player needs to spend some time thinking about this difficult Greek city-state, because its "creeping zone of control" can choke Roman supply lines to the west. Carthage for its part must be mindful that Syracusa is an unreliable ally, prone to defecting. Syracusan units never leave the city of Syracuse unless they have been evicted in a siege.

Loss and recapture of key centres; supply centres

The map is divided into provinces, and each province has a capital city. Loosing a provincial capital switches victory points and supply points to the other side, and degrades replacements. Recapturing a provincial capital wins back the victory points and supply points, and restores most (but not all) of the damage to replacements.

Larger centres (Capua, Tarentum, Nova Carthago, and Cartenna) serve as supply centres for either side, and are key objectives when dispatching an expedition into the enemy's rear.

Historically, Carthage built up the three cities it held in western Sicily into redoubts that held out for most of the war. This is simulated by assigning Carthaginian supply centres to each city.

The Carthaginian army

The Carthaginian army was a grab-bag of units - some elite troops composed of Carthaginian nobles and other forces; allied troops; and mercenaries recruited from the Celtic tribes of Iberia and other areas. This is simulated on the board by assigning different colours to some Carthaginian units - in the result, they don't cooperate together as well as the more unified Roman legions.

The Roman navy

Initially, there isn't one. Rome had an understanding with Carthage that kept it out of the Mediterranean, and Roman wars to this point had always focused on land warfare in Italy. Over the course of the game the Romans will slowly build a navy and sea transport capacity, and as these assets come into play Rome acquires an ability to take the war to the Carthaginian heartland. Until then, the Carthaginian navy is going to be very annoying to the Romans.

Intelligence

Neither side ha any useful intelligence about the other - you'll only find out the details of your opponent's deployments by engaging in battle.

Northern Exclusion zone

A number of provinces in the north are unplayable in this scenario, hived off through an exclusion zone. They factor in a second scenario, The Second Punic War.

A few notes on Roman and Carthaginian strategy

The Senate and People of Rome's initial goals in this conflict were to defend a group of freebooters centred in the city of Messana from an attack by Syracusa. Carthage interfered, and the Romans then focussed on seeking to evict Carthage from Sicily. This did not go well. Rome then undertook a general war over two decades, seeking to knock Carthage out as a competitor (I've attached some further historical notes below).

In the early going Roman offence must focus on Sicily. A fairly large and aggressive Carthaginian army is centred there, and Rome must at least fight this army to a draw - or risk being invaded through the "toe" of Italy. It is tempting for Rome to attack Syracuse in order to create some strategic room in eastern Sicily. But this option needs to be carefully weighed - A Syracusean siege can wear Rome's forces out, leaving them vulnerable to a Carthaginian counter-attack.

Rome and her possessions have a long, initially undefended coast. Rome must therefore be attentive to defence, and to the possibility that the Carthaginians will attempt an "Anzio"-style landing to take Rome's southern forces in the rear and to strike into the Roman heartland. Prudence might lead the Roman to keep a Consul and at least a Consular-scale army (two legions was the standard Consular army at this time) in Italy. But this might in turn make it impossible to prevail in Sicily?

Once Rome has a navy, her offensive options get more interesting. The Carthaginians have an even longer and more vulnerable coastline, with many targets. Accumulating Carthaginian provinces builds Roman victory and supply, while sapping Carthaginian supply and replacements. If this goes very well, Carthage may be ripe for a direct attack - winning a decisive victory.

Carthage has the luxury of an inaccessible heartland in the early game, and can thus pursue a forward war against Rome. Carthage can prosper by tying the Romans up in Sicily, and then by looking for opportunities to pick off Roman provinces in Italy. A successful campaign will sap Roman supply and replacements, setting up a siege of Rome (which might then fall, seven centuries ahead of schedule).

Once Rome has a navy more attention must be devoted to defence. But watch for mistakes - if the Romans over-commit to an amphibious operation that does not seem to pose an immediate threat, you can consider parrying into Italy. This might bring the Roman expedition back, or (given the Roman Consular election rules) lead to its abandonment, while Roman leaders focus on your threat.

Design notes:

This scenario is modelled on a game that goes waaay back - to 1975, and issue 53 of the late, for the most part lamented Strategy and Tactics magazine. I still have my much-thumbed and many-times-played copy. The Punic Wars was the cover article and the included game. This effort implements its first scenario in TOAW.

After-action reports and suggestions for improvements are gratefully received. Send 'em to briantopp@rogers.com.