Dyrrhachium setup and Optional start positions.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxNI-4PoyXM&w=1280&h=720]

If we fast forward 4-6 turns of movement here is where we end up.
Now I am not certain that Pompey did indeed wait for all of his forces to be in place, allowing a set piece battle to evolve.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMJ4pi3DNwo&w=1280&h=720]

Whilst it was imperative for Pompey to secure fresh water and forage for his large cavalry force his men had plenty of food. Whereas Caesars forces tho in better spirits were reduced to meat and a bread made of a ‘waste’ grain called charax.

The blockade as we know failed to reduce Caesars army and in fact Caesar denied the fleet ready access to ports causing much strife for resupply such that the Naval Commander died at sea.

10 thoughts on “Dyrrhachium setup and Optional start positions.

  1. It’s been a while since I read ‘Civil Wars’ but the impression I have is that the combat lasted quite a while before the rout when the Pompeian forces got around the end of the walls.

    This sounds a lot like what you might get if the first legions engaged the Cesarians and then the last two or so did the flank march to get behind.

  2. Hey Kevin, it’s great to see a GBoH game featuring on Big Board again.

    Interesting battle, though I sadly don’t have the Caesar: The Civil Wars module (and it’s not yet available for pre-order – c’mon GMT!), I have read the Penguin edition of ‘Caesar – The Civil War’ and it was a fascinating struggle. In particular, the battle you are featuring here began after Pompey had received information from two chieftains from a Gallic tribe, Roucillus and Egus, who were brothers. They had commanded some of Caesar’s best allied cavalry. After allegations that they had been swindling pay due to the Gallic cavalry, the two brothers had changed sides and gone over to Pompey. They pointed out the weak points in Caesar’s surrounding 17 miles of siege lines, such as where certain sections remained unfinished. Soon afterwards, Pompey launched an attack to crack Caesar’s encirclement. According to Caesar’s account, it seems that Pompey’s attack was well planned, with some 60 cohorts making a direct attack on a section of the siege line that ran up to the coast, and at the farthest point from Caesar’s main army camp, while other troops, including skirmishers and light infantry, made an amphibious landing on the coast, attacking the Ninth Legion from both its rear and flank. Pompey’s audacious attack succeeded in overwhelming Caesar’s Ninth Legion and breaching Caesar’s siege lines. Pompey 1; Caesar 0!

    Looking forward to your next segment of this fascinating battle!

    1. Great post. Yes Brendan! ITs interesting reading. The 2 brothers were the catalyst of the ‘sneak ‘ attack. Although as it is staged here it evolves into much more of a set piece battle. We will see! How is the site going?

  3. I need to do some updating on the GBoH website….I was away for a couple of weeks and then been busy for the last couple too. And I’ve been doing too many games! I’ve got a new camera and so will be doing some photos for the Dara AAR. I was thinking of sending them to you for Big Board when they’re done, if that’s ok?

    Also, me and a friend have been trying out Worthington Games’s new WWII tactical game, ‘Band of Brothers’. It plays really well with squad level fire and movement, and models fire suppression nicely. It just feels right and you find yourself using game play which is tactical, not like ASL with either its total precision control of good order units or routing units running every where! I may well do a Band of Brothers AAR with photos and send them to you too.

  4. Pingback: The Big Board

Comments are closed.