Command and control

Optio's C&C is unique in that it doesn't use PIP dice or cards or written orders, but something quite different.

The whole problem with C&C is finding that sweet spot between the player having perfect control over every unit in his army and the drastic limitations on battlefield control an historical general actually had prior to the invention of the walkie talkie. In Antiquity a general was usually limited to giving orders to his subordinate commanders just before the battle and being able to exert virtually no control once the actual fighting started, other than perhaps timing the execution of his orders with banners, trumpets or whatever. If his opponent's plan was better than his all he could do was watch helplessly as his army was taken apart.

For a wargamer that's not much fun. So mechanisms are designed to give the player enough control to be able to make meaningful tactical decisions but not enough to feel he is linked to the mind-melded biots of War of the Worlds. Essentially it adds up to him being able to control only so many units/groups from one turn to the next (but doing whatever he likes with them), which means that very often he can't move significant parts of his army that periodically freeze because there aren't enough PIPs for them, or the cards or order tokens don't apply to them.

But there is another way.

Never mind what others say. For me it's obvious that a wargamer, from his God's eye POV, doesn't just represent the general, but also the subcommanders and captains of each unit/stand/entity capable of independent movement. He sees the entire battlefield in whole and in detail and makes decisions across it in a way no historical general ever could. So what we need is a way of determining not only how much control the general should have, but also the extent of the control exercised by the subcommanders and captains.

So....

The General

The general represents the player, but - as was the case with a real general - a gaming general can't control his units by telepathy.

First of all, there was no "command range." On a real battlefield, the dust, noise and confusion would reach such a pitch that a general could make his mind clear only to the unit he was actually with. In an age before the invention of radio, it was impossible to communicate effectively with units further away. To compensate for this, units were formed up side-by-side in a battleline or one behind the other in a column. One unit would keep pace with another and all kept pace with the general's unit.

Hence, to exert control, the general's counter - representing the great man himself - needs to be in the same battlefield square as the unit he controls. If other units are alongside that unit they likewise fall under control of the general. But there is a limit to how many units can plug into this row of units as a battleline was a huge and clumsy array of men that could move together only up to a certain width - usually about a kilometer and probably two kilometers at the most. Battlelines in Optio in consequence have a limited width - provisionally 6 units but I'm still thinking about it.

A battleline couldn't do anything fancy: just advance straight ahead with perhaps some diagonal drift under the direction of the general. Also a 180° about face using countermarching. For trained units a wheel by individual unit right or left to convert the battleline into an instant column. In some cases one unit moving ahead with the other units echeloned back on one side - the inclined line - or one unit moving ahead with the other units echeloned back on both sides - the wedge. And that was pretty much it.

The Subcommander

The subcommander was a lot like the general in the way he controlled his units, but unlike the general he couldn't just go wherever he liked. Before the battle the general gave him orders - where to move and whom to attack - with a near certitude of the subcommander being a head shorter if he disobeyed his orders.

And here lies the problem. In older rulesets the players gave their units / groups of units written orders. This was cumbersome, open to disputes in interpretation, and probably cramped too much the player's ability to control the battle. 

In Optio there is a compromise. Subcommanders have a command rating (the number in green on the subcommander's counter). That indicates how many times the subcommander - with his unit which BTW he never leaves unless it routs - can change direction during the battle. So a subcommander with a command rating of 1 can change direction once; a subcommander with a rating of 3 can change direction three times. There's a way of keeping track of how many times a subcommander changes direction, but for now suffice to say that once he has used up his stock of direction changes he is out of command. His orders are fulfilled and he now acts on his own initiative.

How does that work? A round counter the colour of the subcommander's command (the colour of a unit's shooting counter) is placed on the battlefield square where the subcommander changed direction for the last time. An infantry subcommander may range freely up to 2 battlefield squares, including diagonally, from that square; a mounted subcommander may range up to 4 squares. Beyond this range, subcommanders move like out-of-command units, i.e. an infantry subcommander with his unit may move ½ a square per turn whilst a mounted subcommander may move 1 square. If you want to know more about how this works feel free to ask me for a pdf of the ruleset.

The idea behind this mechanism is that when the player chooses and places subcommanders, he has a plan for where those subcommanders will move during the battle: a command that is meant simply to move forward and engage the enemy will do fine with a subcommander with a command rating of 1, whilst a cavalry command that is meant to outflank the enemy and get into his rear will need a subcommander with a higher command rating. It's a way of imposing the limitations of orders without actually having orders - letting the player think he can do as he likes when really he can't. Best of both worlds. 😁

Subcommanders without orders can't phone the general or send up a drone so they have no general battlefield awareness. This means they can't do grand tactical manoeuvres and simply operate pretty much in the area their last order left them, with considerable local initiative but without a God's eye view of the battle.

Unit Captains

If a unit doesn't have a subcommander or general with it in its battlefield square, or isn't part of a battleline or column with a subcommander or general, then it is out of command and falls under the control of its captain. Each unit is presumed to have a captain so no need to represent him with a counter.

The captain has even less knowledge of the big picture than the subcommander or general, but more importantly he realises he has limited initiative and acts accordingly: an infantry unit may move normally only ½ a square per turn whilst a mounted unit (whose captain has slightly better visibility since he sits higher up) may move one square per turn. But despite this hesitancy, a captain does understand that he is there to fight the enemy, so when charging an enemy unit or moving into range to shoot, he may move at his normal speed. When in doubt, attack.

And that's pretty much it for command and control. Any questions?

Edit 19 June 2024: Two changes, already mentioned in another post:

1. Battlelines of other commands that are directly in front of, behind, or alongside the general's battleline can be moved as an extension of the general's battleline, i.e. the general can freely move the block of battlelines as a single entity.

2. Commanders moving independently of the general follow normal rules but once they started moving they are obliged to move at least one square per turn, spending a command point to either stop or change direction.

Battle of Soissons

 ....aaand here it is. The last stand of the Western Roman Empire.

Not that Syagrius was planning a last stand. The historical record affirms that he went to meet Clovis with confidence, fully expecting to beat him. Why he lost we will never know, but the fact that he fled his realm immediately after the battle suggests that he was deposed, hence that his grip on power was not as firm as all that. Treachery?

This was just a trial battle to test the relative strengths of the two armies and make sure one wasn't overwhelmingly superior to the other. A full campaign will follow. For this purpose we used a generic pre-game terrain map. The two armies met by the sea. Not exactly historical but it added a degree of tactical interest.

Did I mention that the terrain pre-game works an absolute charm?

The battlefield set up and the armies deployed:

For Syagrius I chose a general with a command rating of 4. Peter chose a 1-rated general for Clovis. Which meant that he had to deploy his entire army before mine. If the difference in command rating between generals is a 1, the player with the inferior general puts down 1/3 of his army first. If the difference is 2, he puts down 2/3 of his army first, and if the difference is 3 or greater he puts down all of his army first.

Which should have given me a clear advantage in deployment, but I have to admit I blew it. Peter deployed his warriors in two deep lines on a narrow frontage, using the woods to anchor his right flank. My plan was to execute a double envelopment helped by my superior cavalry, but for that purpose I deployed my army thin and wide, possibly too thin and too wide. Would my plan work anyhow?

Turn 1. Clovis

Having deployed first Peter moved first. He advanced all his infantry, with his left flank cavalry hanging back whilst his right flank cavalry moved up alongside his first line.

Turn 1. Syagrius.

I angled my entire line towards the left. I realised that too much of my right flank was facing space. I didn't really want my bucellari and especially my garrison troops to have to engage the Franks but it was essential to get those flanks.

Turn 2. Clovis.

Peter began to separate his infantry lines out, the front line moving straight ahead whilst the second line angled towards the right. His cavalry remained cautious in its movement.

Turn 2. Syagrius.

I decided to send in my bucellarii anyway, with the legions hanging back as a reserve whilst my levy troops moved up also as a reserve. The bucellari probably wouldn't last against the Franks, but they would weaken them prior to the legions finishing them off. Well, that was the idea.

Time to take out Peter's right flank with my Light Horse. Get a move on!

Turn 3. Clovis.

Chaaarge! The Franks attacked everywhere, Peter's right flank cavalry obliging my LH to evade, the Warriors in the centre engaging my Bucellarii, and his left flank Cavalry charging my Archers, who managed to shoot them a morale interval down but that was not enough to stop them and Archers do badly in hand-to-hand combat. I should have deployed them behind my heavy infantry where they could shoot overhead.

The Bucellari and Archers lose a morale interval from the shock of the Frankish charge. Nobody routs yet but it is a bad start for the Romans.

Turn 3. Syagrius.

I got my uncommitted cavalry to the rear of Peter's horse, shooting them up and preparing for charges in the next turn. My Garrison troops on my right, now out of command (a unit cannot be part of a battleline if the unit with the general/commander is engaged in hand-to-hand combat) advanced half a square forwards - the limit for OOC infantry units. It's one square for OOC mounted units.

Turn 3. Melee.

Melee between the Bucellari and Warriors is drawn as it is between the Archers and Frankish Cavalry, so both sides lose a morale interval which drops the Bucellarii and Archers to shaken. Ouch!

Turn 4. Clovis.

Peter handles his infantry very neatly. The one uncommitted unit of Warriors in the front line advance, clearing the way for the second line to advance obliquely, ready to engage the Legions. Meanwhile the Household Warriors, led by Clovis himself, charge the Legions. Franke verhef!

The Frankish Cavalry however are handled rather less neatly. They charge the Breton LH - and are routed! The charge is initially a draw, but the Breton command has a better combat rating than the Frankish commander, so he breaks the draw and inflicts a morale loss on the Franks. This drops them to shaken. Mounted vs mounted combat is always resolved twice so a second round of combat sees firm Breton LH outfight shaken Frankish MC. The Franks drop another morale and run for it, along with their commander. 4 victory points to the Romans!

Turn 4. Syagrius.

On my right the LH move up to exploit the flank, whilst on my left Syagrius with his Cavalry charge and rout the last Frankish Cavalry unit. Another three victory points. The flanks are now mine but what about the centre? Will it hold long enough? Time to commit my Levy reserve.

Turn 4. Melee.

The Bucellari drop another morale interval and are now close to routing. Since they were in a deep line (4 stands in a 2 x 2 configuration) their highest shaken interval was converted to firm, so the melee fight was a draw and the Warriors also lost an interval and dropped to shaken. But next turn their shaken interval will be converted to firm since they are in deep line. That won't be the case for the Bucellari since they are now below their highest shaken interval. The depth won't cheer them up any more. Oh dear....

Turn 5. Clovis.

The remaining Warrior unit of the first line charges the Legions who managed to get some darts in before contact (shown by the one base moved back). One unit of the second line is able to advance diagonally forwards - the other two units of the battleline stay where they are since they do not have the space to execute a diagonal move and keep alongside the lead unit. They fall OOC and don't move for this turn.

Turn 5. Syagrius.

Time to get stuck in with the cavalry. My only hope is in them.

Notice that one of LH don't shoot the Franks (shooting is indicated by moving one of the bases of the shooters back). This is because they are shooting an armoured target - which normally scores 1 shooting hit - but the target is engaged in hand-to-hand combat which imposes a -1 modifier. The modifier drops the 1 shooting hit to 1/2 a shooting hit, which means that the shooter scores only during the other player's move; it can't shoot during the owning player's move.

Turn 5. Melee.

The Bucellarii finally collapse.

Turn 6. Clovis.

The Warriors charge all across the line. The vulnerable Garrison troops and Levy are now engaged and lose morale. On the Frankish right a Warrior unit turns to face the LH. This disorders the Warriors but they can still engage the LH at decent odds, and there is now the interesting option of herding the LH into the sea. Things are not going well for Syagrius.

Turn 6. Syagrius.

The threatened LH fall back whilst Syagrius' Cavalry unit forms line and moves up in preparation for a charge next turn. Meanwhile the uncommanded infantry units on the Roman right inch forward a 1/2 square, trying to get into the fight.

Turn 6. Melee.

And then it's all over. The Levy troops rout. This pushes victory points to the threshold for brittle troops and the Garrison unit also routs. Now the victory points reach the threshold for average troops and the entire Gallo-Roman army crumbles in flight. Game over!

O tempora, O mores!

On reflection Syagrius' army was a tad fragile. For the next game the loss of brittle troops will not affect average troops. I'll do that by having two markers on the victory point track: one moves only when average troops are lost, the other when any troops are lost. Should work.

The marker cubes work fine BTW. Neither Peter nor I found them in your face in games with figures or flats. 

Time for the full-blown campaign....

Battle of Soissons - the armies

The Battle of Soissons was, arguably, the last battle of the Western Roman Empire. Since 476 or possibly 480 there had not been an Emperor in the West, however there was one territory that still considered itself Roman: the four provinces in northern Gaul of Ludgunensis II, Ludgunensis III, Lugdunensis IV Senonia and Belgica II. Their capital was most probably Paris and they were controlled by Syagrius, son of Aegidius, who had been last Supreme Commander of the Roman troops in Gaul.

Belgica II was under the Franks of Tournai, a vassal tribe loyal to Rome who had fought on the Roman side against the Huns at the Battle of Chalons. At one time Syagrius had had direct control over the tribe but in 482 Clovis became the new chief and exercised his authority under the tutelage of Syagrius who gave him Belgica II in return for his support. That support seems to have allowed Syagrius to control the lands all the way to the Rhine as imitation Roman coins continued to be minted in this region.

In 486 however Syagrius felt more confident. Euric, capable king of the Visigoths in the south, died and was succeeded by his son who was a young boy. Clovis had acceded to his chieftainship aged only 16. With a boy-king in the south and a boy-king in the north Syagrius judged the time right to make his move. He reoccupied Soissons and claimed direct rule over Belgica II. Syagrius had a strong army: the remaining legions of the Roman army in Gaul which had been defending the Loire against the Visigoths and which had already defeated them in battle under Aegidius. What could Clovis' 4000 warriors do against him?

But Syagrius had underestimated Clovis. The boy-king, now 20 and no longer a boy, formed an alliance of all the Frankish tribes west of the Rhine and marched with a combined army against Syagrius. Syagrius though was confident he could still defeat him and the two met in battle just outside Soissons. This battle would absolutely decide the future of western Europe.

We have no details of the make-up of the armies in this battle. The historical record simply affirms the battle took place. But using indirect methods and guesswork, I put together what I hope is a plausible reconstruction of the forces. Let's start with

Syagrius

4000 Legionaries. These were the surviving legions of what had been the Roman army in Gaul, 8 bases, morale = 3-2, drilled, courage = average, can shoot.

4000 Bucellarii. These were the bodyguards of the landed Gallo-Roman aristocracy, many of them former legionaries, but not up on military skill to the same extent as the legionaries since all they had done for a while was, well, be bodyguards. 8 bases, morale = 2-2, unwieldy, courage = average, cannot shoot.

2000 Garrison troops. These were all the soldiers that could be spared from defence of the towns in Roman Gaul, which still needed some men to guard against the menace of Saxon raiders. They were necessarily poor-quality men since all they had been expected to do was man town walls. But Syagrius needed every man he could find to confront the Frankish host. 4 bases, morale = 2-1, unwieldy, courage = brittle, cannot shoot.

2000 Levy troops. These had been hastily conscripted to swell out the numbers. With poor weaponry and little training they would have to be used with great circumspection if they were not to be blown away by the Frankish warriors. 4 bases, morale = 2-1, unwieldy, courage = brittle, cannot shoot.

1000 Archers. The late Roman army was heavy in missile troops hence I gave Syagrius some archers. They would be especially effective against unarmoured Frankish warriors.  2 bases, morale = 2-1, unwieldy, courage = average, can shoot.

250 Breton Light Horse. These were loaned from Brittany, a semi-independent region settled by Romano-British fleeing the depredations of the Saxons, as well as by troops originally withdrawn from Britain to man the forts of the Saxon Shore and protect against piracy. 4 bases, morale = 2-2, agile, courage = average, can shoot.

125 Medium Cavalry. This was Syagrius' mounted bodyguard. Not much, but the Roman army in the West had been weak in cavalry throughout the 5th century, with Aetius relying on barbarian mercenaries and apparently having no cavalry of his own at the Battle of Chalons. Fortunately for Syagrius, the Franks were also weak in cavalry. 2 bases, morale = 2-2, agile, courage = average, can shoot.

Clovis

12,000 Warriors. These were the backbone of the Frankish army, tribal fighters trained to use the francisca, a fearsome throwing axe rather like a tomahawk, the angon, a harpoon-like spear that could not be pulled out, and a variety of more normal weapons. They were deadly in the charge, but their lack of body armour made them vulnerable in a protracted fight. 24 bases, morale = 2-1, unwieldy, courage = average, can shoot.

1000 Household Warriors. These were the personal entourages of the Frankish chieftains who joined with Clovis, along with his own entourage. They had the best weapons and protection and were skilled fighters absolutely devoted to their leaders. 2 bases, morale = 3-2, unwieldy, courage = resolute, can shoot.

250 x Cavalry. The Franks had some cavalry and mustered what they hoped were enough horse to face off against the Roman mounted units. How well would they do? 4 bases, morale = 2-2, agile, courage = average, can shoot.

Clovis has 13,250 men, Syagrius 13,750. In her heyday the Romans should have dispatched a barbarian army this size with ease, but her heyday was long past. I honestly had no idea who was more likely to win when I began the battle.

Actual battle report to come soon. Stay tuned. 

Battle columns

Battlelines never wheeled as battlelines. At any point in history. Ever.

So how did lines change orientation? I did a YouTube video on this topic some time ago (on my Ancient Armies channel that I have neglected and really need to resurrect). Undrilled infantry lines like Gallic or British warband simply didn't change orientation. Once they formed up in a line facing their opponent they advanced pretty much straight ahead to engage the enemy. That was it.

Infantry of course could turn as a mob to face left or right but in that case they abandoned their formation and would henceforward fight at a distinct disadvantage. I allow this in Optio and there are cases where turning left or right as a line - and becoming disordered in consequence - is a necessity, but it's the exception, not the rule.

For drilled armies moving in any direction except straight ahead (which perhaps some diagonal movement to the right or left) was done using battle columns. A battle column was a line composed of roughly square-shaped subunits: the 16x16 Syntagma in the Macedonian and Successor armies, the +/- 8x8 Pentecosty in the Spartan army, and the +/- 8x8 Century in the Roman legion. 

These subunits wheeled individually when in line to form an instant column that was as wide as the line had been deep. The column then marched, executing 90 degree wheels as necessary, until it reached its new position where the subunits each wheeled 90 degrees to reform an instant line again. This was pretty much the limit of battlefield manoeuvrability for any troop type in Antiquity and in any era for that matter.

In Optio I replicate this using the column mechanism. Each unit occupies a battlefield square, so making them form a column by turning right or left is easy. Columns, unlike lines, can wheel in 90 degree increments, one unit following the other, without a problem. The unit doesn't become disordered.

A square grid in my opinion is the best arrangement for replicating the actual movement and manoeuvres of pre-gunpowder armies. They are also ideal for replicating another reality of pre-gunpowder warfare - the fact that battlelines were never at an angle to each other. This kind of thing just didn't happen:

Columns can move much faster than lines since it's easier for troops to keep order in a column than in a line and a column can work around terrain obstacles. Hence I allow columns to double-move. 

Columns however are not a combat formation - unlike the Napoleonic column - so they can't charge and if they're charged they do very badly. I allow columns to double-move even in close proximity to enemy units, but a column that double-moves cannot form line again in the same turn and if charged by any nearby enemy units in line it comes unstuck, fast. So columns need to be used with discretion.

Battle of Stratos - last battle of the Optio campaign

After the previous battle the two embattled Greek city states swore eternal friendship and everlasting peace, though promising to be best friends didn't prevent Doris from losing Potidiana and Cynus to Malis. Peter then double-taxed his three remaining towns (players can't double-tax their capital) and succeeded in raising an army that matched that of Malis.

 

With Ophonahos gloriously dead on the field of battle, his son Mykingdomphoranos took command of the army (his name hinting at his family's origin from the island of Mykonos). Time to lead the host of Doris to glorious victory and wipe out the shame of his father's defeats.

 

The two armies met at the Dorian town of Stratos, not far from the Dorian capital Amphissa. Towns are probably too close together on the campaign map. I'll have to amend that.

 

This would prove the most desperate battle of the campaign with the outcome in doubt until the very last moment.

Since Peter's army had come into the campaign square already occupied by my army, I got to use the battlefield template to slightly adjust the battlefield.

 

And then we set it up.

Then time to deploy the armies. Mykingdomphoranos (Peter) on the left, Attalos (Yours Truly) on the right. Mykingdomphoranos had a better command rating than Attalos, so I started deployment and moved first.

Turn 1. Malis.

I decided on the provisional plan of moving my psiloi up, ultimately to engage and soften Peter's hoplites before my own hoplites engaged, whilst my cavalry moved up on the right to secure that flank.

Turn 1. Doris.

Peter secured control of the woods on his right flank with his peltasts and then began a bold outflanking manoeuvre with his cavalry on his left. This posed a problem for me: if I formed column with my own cavalry to go and meet his horsemen, the latter could form line and ZOC my column, which would then be in the unenviable position of having to form column whilst in ZOC which inflicts disorder on the unit. I would need to think about this.

Turn 2. Malis.

My decision was to leave my right flank hanging and send in the cavalry to assault Peter's left flank, whilst the psiloi moved up at top speed to engage the Dorian hoplites. When in doubt, attack!

Turn 2. Doris.

Peter thought about it for a while, and then decided to pursue his plan of outflanking my infantry with his cavalry. It was now a race.

Turn 3. Malis.

I needed to get my hoplites as far away from Peter's cavalry as possible until my own cavalry could intervene to protect them, so sent them forwards and diagonally. My psiloi moved up and began the softening up process on Peter's hoplites whilst a cavalry unit moved to their rear to help with the process. Meanwhile another cavalry unit moved back towards Peter's horse. I needed to distract them.

Turn 3. Doris.

Peter's cavalry reached the rear of my infantry, formed line, and began to pelt them with javelins. His one psiloi unit moved up to engage my cavalry but could not shoot it this turn since turning 90 degrees disordered it, inflicting a -2 negative modifier that left him scoring a ½ shooting hit - which means it can score one shooting hit only when it is the other player's turn to move (normally shooters shoot twice a turn, during each player's move). So nothing happens for now. My own psiloi however score one shooting hit on the Dorian hoplites.

Turn 4. Malis.

The Malian hoplites move forward whilst the cavalry march double-time to deal with the Dorian cavalry. My plan is to have the cavalry ready to hit Peter's cavalry in the front and flank if they advance to engage my hoplites.

Turn 4. Doris.

Peter's peltasts charge mine, routing them, whilst his psiloi move up to take on my cavalry.

Peter's peltasts occupy the square vacated by my routed troops.

Turn 5. Malis.

The Malian psiloi donate more javelins to the Dorian hoplites, finally dropping their morale by an interval....

.... and then evade through their own hoplites who move up into their squares. Meanwhile, my cavalry finally get to the rear of Peter's cavalry and form line, sending them a generous supply of javelins.

Turn 5. Doris.

The Dorian cavalry move up and start trading javelins with my psiloi, whilst his peltasts move up to supply them with a flank guard. His psiloi unit moves to the flank of my hoplites, but they can't shoot during Peter's move as they are still disordered.

Turn 6. Malis.

My cavalry charge Peter's cavalry in the rear. I expected this to be a slam dunk, but I had miscalculated. First, Peter's cavalry can't evade. My own psiloi can't get out of the way of Peter's horse since they would have to move through their hoplites - straight into Peter's hoplites. But Peter's cavalry can't charge the psiloi as evading units cannot charge. 

So they got rear ended and become disordered. They they turned to face my cavalry - and then I realised I had blundered. My cavalry were shaken, hence a -1 modifier; Peter's cavalry were disordered hence a -2 modifier. But the modifiers left both units inflicting the same combat hit, so a draw. Peter's general Mykingdomphorahos however has a better combat rating than my cavalry commander. He breaks the tie, inflicts a combat hit on my cavalry, who rout. Damn!

But it gets worse. I had now lost 2 peltast bases plus 2 cavalry bases plus the cavalry commander worth 2 points. So 6 points in total. I was one point from reaching my breakpoint of 7 points and losing the entire battle!

Meanwhile my hoplites charge Peter's hoplites. They have the edge now that Peter's heavy foot have lost a morale interval from my psiloi, but they better hurry - things are not going well behind them.

The Dorian cavalry occupy the square vacated by my routed horse whilst my surviving cavalry decides to get the hell out of there.

Turn 6. Doris.

Peter sends one cavalry unit in pursuit of mine whilst his other moves up to engage my psiloi.

Turn 6. Melee

The hoplites grind each other down.

Turn 7. Malis.

My cavalry deploy into line and move up to send a few javelins towards the Dorian cavalry. I need to keep Peter's cavalry busy whilst my hoplites win the battle. With my psiloi also shooting them the cavalry unit shouldn't last too long.

Turn 7. Doris.

Peter's cavalry moves up and forms line, sending long pointy sticks into the rear end of my horse. Peter clearly intends to charge next turn. I need to come up with something, fast.

Turn 7. Melee.

One of the Dorian hoplite units routs!

My victorious hoplite unit moves up to occupy the vacated square.

Turn 8. Malis.

My cavalry turn to face the Dorian cavalry. Otherwise everyone stays where they are.

Turn 8. Doris.

The Dorian cavalry is finally shot to rout. Score is now 6:4.

General Mykingdomphoranos now leads a glorious cavalry charge, scattering my psiloi and slamming into the rear of my hoplites. But at the moment of his triumph a stray javelin finds him and his is killed! Disaster! His loss is worth 4 points, so with the 4 points already lost Peter is at 8 points and the Dorian army routs. Game over!

What might have been....

The final score. This was a narrow victory for me (barely squeaked through to be honest) so I gain only one kudo whilst Peter loses one. But that one kudo lost drops him to -1 and Doris collapses, to be absorbed into Malis as its first step to creating a world empire.

 

Edit: just realised something. When Mykingdomforanos's cavalry slammed into the rear of my hoplites during his last glorious charge, the charge combat was a draw. Light horse (the Greek cav are LH) inflict only an "all grey" modifier when they rear-end an enemy unit, which means all grey (firm) morale intervals become white (shaken). Since the hoplites were already shaken the modifier didn't affect them. 

Basic combat factors are 3 by the hoplites becomes a 2 with the minus modifier, and 2 by the cavalry. Mykingdomphoranos however breaks the draw and scores one morale hit on the hoplites, routing them. That tips my entire army over the edge.

Mykingdomphoranos then dies in his moment of victory and that tips his army over the edge. Result: a draw (rare but not unheard of in Optio). So nobody gains or loses kudos, but since Peter had spent every kudo he had raising his army he has nothing left to rule anything except Amphissa and so the campaign is over anyway. But the bards will immortalise Mykingdomphoranos....