Alan Shared this with us! Stay tuned for more blow by blow action!

Players:

Roman – Alan Lipka
Judaean – Marten Jan Ringers
Observer – Peter Veenstra

Thought it might be fun to post a detailed replay of the “Assault on the Temple” scenario that Marten Jan and I played earlier this year. We did all of this using VASSAL, which makes it very easy to capture visual images to supplement our comments. We had a lot of fun getting our feet wet playing both the game itself after a long layoff and mastering the SOJ module of VASSAL. MJ created an updated version which adds the LOS function, some missing counters, and other neat stuff. Peter served as an expert sounding board for us, providing Rules interpretations and comments on our strategy/tactics. I am grateful to both of them for an exciting, tense, down to the wire Game !

The scenario card is available from one of the links here at the Geek, but to re-cap …

Titus, 2 armored towers, and 2 full Legions are tasked with controlling the Temple Quarter (per 18.32) at the end of any Judaean Melee Phase, or by controlling the Antonia Fortress and at least one hex of the Temple edifice at the end of play.

The Judaean forces, composed of 2 reduced Factions totaling 16 Regulars and 24 Militia, are supported by a ballista, 2 onageri, 4 CATs, 6 Cauldrons, half a dozen Zealots, and a reduced Garrison force of 2 Regulars from the Antonia Fortress plus 6 more and 2 Zealots from the TQ Garrison. Their job is to keep the Roman from accomplishing his Victory Conditions.

The Game is 8 Turns long, the last 3 being Night. Romans control the New City and the Tyropean City. The Judaeans control the AF, TQ, and all areas outside the Jerusalem’s exterior Walls. All other areas of the map are considered inactive, which means the Romans cannot move, retreat, or make any kind of attack on them. The Judaean is limited to movement, retreat, and rally from them. Judaean reinforcements will be generated from these inactive areas later in the Game.

Per Special Scenario Rule 2, The Roman begins by executing a number of Mining activities. His first shaft must be centered on QQ31, and the result was …

Two more mineshafts are now resolved against the eastern Wall of the TQ, resulting in this …

A DR is made for 9 more Damage points and the Great Ramp is built. (There are no Ramp counters in the SOJ module, so we used Escalades.)

Additional Breaches are made in the NC and TC Walls (per SSR), and 2 more mineshafts are resolved …

And that sets the stage for the Game to come !

As the Roman, what I wanted to do was open two avenues into the Temple Court so we could get the Rams through and start hammering at the Inner Temple Wall (ITW). I would have liked to damage the ITW, but there was no way to hit the northern face of it and the Outer Temple Wall with the last 2 mines since they had to be at least 6 hexes apart. I was pleased with the results though, especially since the Tadi Gate and its 2 adjacent Walls were rubbled.

What we did not know at the time, was that JJ36 was a Fort.  I’m sure the Judaean defense would have benefited from that … 

Setup and Game start to come !

Best to all –

~ Alan