A Cautionary Tale

I alternate playing Memoir and Optio with my mate Peter. Memoir is a game specifically designed for the masochistic trait found in all dice-loving wargamers, in that it offers a unique additional element of torture by vagaries of command cards added to the torments by vagaries of dice throwing.

The last game we played is a good example of the degree of misery and frustration inflicted on players by these genres of games. We chose the fairly popular scenario Market Garden, with Allied airborne divisions acting in concert with the British 30 Corps to cross the Rhine in Holland by seizing all the bridges before the Germans could react. A plan hastily cobbled together and hampered by poor intelligence, including a complete ignorance of two elite Panzer divisions refitting near Arnhem, location of the most crucial of the bridges to be seized. 

Peter led the Wehrmacht, yours truly the Allies. We each made our plans, sure, but a plan doesn't survive first contact with a die throw, never mind with bum command cards, to paraphrase a certain Prussian field marshal.

The Germans started the game with a total of 3 command cards; the Allies with 11. Each time an Allied unit was lost the German player would remove a card from the Allied hand which would not be subsequently replaced. He would then pick up an extra card from the deck. In this manner the Allies would have fewer cards and the Germans more as the Allies lost units. Hence it was imperative for the Allies not to lose units, which meant a great deal of caution when attacking, and care to pull weak units back before they were destroyed.. 

Anyhoo, we've played this scenario several times and my experience led me to devise the following stratagems:

1.  The British 1st Airborne division must first destroy the two German infantry units in the forest to the right before moving on Arnhem. Failure to do so will make it the subject of a pincer attack.

2. The 82nd Airborne must run into the trees and stay there. It is too badly outnumbered locally to accomplish anything other than survive.

3. The 101st Airborne must strike for Eindhoven (the town near it) only once 30 Corps can support it.

4. 30 Corps must first destroy the German units in its area then move on Eindhoven. It will probably not get any further than that.

I start proceedings by sending the British paratroopers against the Germans in the forest whilst 30 Corps goes for the German units near it. 

The solid red arrows indicate unit movement. Yellow circles designate enemy unit attacked and dotted red arrows indicate retreats and follow up. Red Xs indicate destroyed units. Red markers indicate units activated that attack; yellow markers indicate activated units that merely move. 

In this turn I weakened 2 German units.

The Germans counterattack against 30 Corps whilst their artillery pounds the 82nd.

The British tank unit is damaged and driven back.

30 Corps goes all out to eliminate the local German armour and infantry, whilst the British paratroopers try to wipe out the Germans in the woods.

Fairly successful. The dice are behaving themselves - so far (just waiting for me to become confident and relaxed before doing a volte face).

Germans in the centre bring up their armour and hit at the 82nd....

....damaging a paratrooper unit and driving it back.

Both US paratrooper divisions head for cover, 101st offensively, 82nd defensively.

Jerry hits hard against the 82nd and 30 Corps....

.... but doesn't kill anybody. This is typical dice cruelty: whet your appetite and then fail to deliver.

Allies counterattack in the centre.

Wounding but not destroying. Yep.

the battle rages in and around Eindhoven....

....but the Airborne units hang on.

Time to get my weakened Airborne unit out of trouble whilst I hit weakened German units.

....and down they go. The dice are still behaving themselves....

Peter attacks Arnhem and that weak unit I pulled back earlier.

Down goes the Airborne unit whilst I get pummelled in Arnhem, but the Stiff Upper Lip rule allows me to dish back some punishment of my own.

Time for 30 Corps to finish off those units in its sector whilst the 1st British Airborne goes all in against Arnhem.

One unit destroyed but 2 survive.

Counterattack at Arnhem and shoring up of the position near 30 Corps.

And the dice hand Peter a complete paratrooper unit. She loves me, she loves me not....

I must win at Arnhem. No holding back now.

She loves me! Down go one panzer and one infantry unit. The Brits now have local superiority.

Jerry counterattacks outside Eindhoven and moves up his SS panzer reserve near Arnhem

But the Americans hold firm.

30 Corps send in armour to force open the gap to Eindhoven. Meanwhile the 82nd indulges in some shooting practice from the cover of the woods whilst the 1st British Airborne moves into Arnhem.

The German armour in the gap is battered but alive.

Furious fighting in Arnhem whilst Jerry armour tries to dislodge the paratroopers from the forest outside Eindhoven.

Success! (damned dice). The approach to Eindhoven is secured and the British in Arnhem are hammered.

Time to move on Eindhoven whilst giving the 82nd some target practice. Oh, yes, forgot to indicate it but the paratrooper unit in Arnhem gets out of range of the German infantry unit in the woods.

German armour retreats. This'll be over by Christmas (of '44 hopefully).

Peter assembles a powerful kampfgruppe at Nijmegen, ready to dish out death and destruction on the 82nd. Now all that is needed is a decent command card or two....

30 Corps armour forces the gap at Eindhoven and the 101st come out in support. Meantime the German infantry at Arnhem is put under pressure....

....and are driven back, whilst units are destroyed elsewhere. The dice are being nice to me again, for the moment.

Up come the SS Panzers whilst Jerry launches a furious attack against 30 Corps. The kampfgruppe meanwhile sits in place, contemplating the meaning of life. Why is that?

The dice don't like Peter and his counterattack against the 30 Corps armoured unit achieves nothing - 6 dice and 0 hits!

Time for 30 Corps to teach those foolhardy Germans a lesson. Oh, and to finally secure Arnhem.

Neither is quite fully achieved, but not too bad.

The kampfgruppe remains frozen. Why? Because Peter doesn't have a single suitable command card to activate it, that's why. But he can at least get the weakened infantry out of Eindhoven and send in some reserves to replace it.

No hits.

30 Corps goes after that dangerous Panzer unit at the top left, whilst hitting the infantry at and near Arnhem.

Completes success against the Panzers, partial success against the infantry.

The kampfgruppe at Nijmegen stays immobile (no cards!) but the SS panzers move up to assault Arnhem. Meanwhile the troops around Eindhoven lash out....

....with some success.

For those who have been paying attention, the Allies are one victory point away from game. It is necessary to be cruel to be kind and I pull out a barrage card (4 dice and stars count as hits) against the one-figure infantry unit hiding in the forest. Sorry Peter.

The unit is obliterated and that's 12 victory points. Game over! As you can imagine, Peter was in a foul mood after those lousy dice and lousier cards. Fortunately a nice round of Optio the following weekend put him in a good mood again. Very therapeutic Optio is. 😎

Pulling a fast one

This was one of the longest games I can remember playing. It was unusually long for an Optio game - a little over 3 hours (Optio usually takes about 2 hours to play). I thought about splitting the battle report into two parts but decided that since people binge TV series in one sitting they wouldn't mind bingeing a battle report as well. 🤞

Incidentally I forgot to indicate shooting hits with those little red arrows. There was plenty of it: skirmishers, MC, LH, slingers and legions getting their missiles in whenever they had a chance. Should I leave them out in future reports? 

Having had a good look at the terrain arrived at in the pregame (see previous post) I decided to try a trick, Hannibal - or better Scipio - style, against my worthy opponent. There were several clumps of woodland near the left of the battlefield. If Peter deployed all of his army to the right of them - a good possibility - I could attempt something I hadn't tried before: a tactical, mid-battle repositioning of my entire army.

Peter chose a general with a command rating of 1. My general had a command rating of 4. I had made him deliberately high in hopes of obliging Peter to deploy most of his army before mine, but his poor general obliged him to deploy his entire army first. When a deployment looks obvious it make sense to use a poor command general and put most or all of your army down as it won't matter where your opponent then puts his. But in this case it didn't work out that way.

With Peter deployed I placed my legions and skirmisher foot in two battle columns - two skirmisher foot units and two legion units per column - screened them with cavalry and deployed my auxilia back in the woods. There was just enough space to accommodate my troops for what I had in mind. Crossing fingers....

Since Peter deployed first he moved first, sending a LH probe forwards and moving up his elephants. He didn't know what I was up to at this point.

Wasting no time, my two columns of legions, screened by cavalry, and light foot marched full speed up the left side of the battlefield. Why charge at fresh air?

Peter moved his elephants across. They would make short work of any Roman trickery, by Baal!

The one Roman column performed a 180 degree wheel and headed back the way it had come (?) whilst the second column continued to forge ahead. That look of puzzlement on Peter's face...

My cavalry meanwhile continued their screening action, engaging the slingers that covered the elephants whilst the general moved up with his troop of MC to keep the Carthaginian MC at bay. 

I forgot to photograph the ensuing melee between cavalry and slinger but no matter.  The Numidian LH pursued the Roman columns whilst the warband and Poeni foot moved up.

The Skirmisher foot units of the first column form line. Since the legions behind them cannot form a straight line with them they fall out of command and don't move. The second column doubles back. Is Peter beginning to suspect what I'm up to?

My MC rout the Carthaginian slingers and occupy their square. First blood to Rome.

Peter charges my MC with his elephants whilst his LH move up to block their escape.  Those MC are toast. Second blood to Carthage.

Peter's elephant occupies the square vacated by the routed Roman horse. My other MC unit heads into the shelter of the wood. My uncommanded legions of the lower column form line and fall back in command again with the skirmisher foot in front of them. Meanwhile the skirmisher foot of the second battle column form line and the legions behind them become out of command.

Peter is beginning to understand my plan, and moves his ellies and LH full speed ahead out of the path of the legions.

The legions of my second line form line and are back in command. I now have a near-complete line of legions and skirmisher foot aimed straight at the flank of Peter's army. My auxilia in the woods below block access to the rear of my army on the one flank whilst my MC stands guard at the other. The legionary steamroller is ready to rumble without having to worry about envelopments. Thank you, thank you, ladies and gentlemen. 😎

Peter keeps moving his elles clear. What does he plan to do with them? (spoiler - he will be using them very effectively).

And on the legions come. The MC on their left gets out of the way and covers the woods.

Ellies are now completely clear. Does Peter plan to use his LH?

My one MC unit vacates the wood to allow the advance of the legions and skirmisher foot that screen them. Meanwhile my other MC unit led by the general enters the woods, ZOCing the Carthaginian MC unit.

My legions only advance half a square. This is because I have overstrained the command limitations of my army. Each army has a limited amount of command points, distributed at the player's discretion among the general and commanders. Cavalry commanders usually get more CPs than infantry, since infantry are expected to just form a line and advance, whilst cavalry execute fancy envelopment manoeuvres. 

 In this case my legion commanders changed direction twice when doing that doubling-back move in column - it costs a CP each time a commander changes direction - and used up all their CPs. Their command counters - the round thing of the same colour as their command - are placed in the squares where they used up their last CP. From then on, infantry commanders can move normally up to 2 squares away from that command counter and then only half a square per turn thereafter, whilst mounted commanders can move normally up to 3 squares away and then only one square per turn thereafter. 

From now on the legions will be creeping forwards, replicating the hesitancy of commanders who have been asked to do too much. Which gives Peter time to react. Optio does not forgive players who try to used their armies as ballet troupes (so what? it's fun trying it 😁).

Peter doesn't do anything. Doubtlessly formulating a cunning counterstroke.

The legions advance along with the MC that charges its counterpart in the flank.

The Carthaginian MC is battered but alive.

Peter moves his other MC unit towards the centre.

The legions on the left of the line advance whilst those on the right hang back.

The Carthaginian MC unit routs.

 

The Roman MC occupies the vacated square. The way is now clear for the Roman MC to come out the forest into the Carthaginian rear.

Peter's surviving MC unit and slinger unit turn to face the advancing legions....

....who keep moving towards them, supported by the MC. The MC unit on the other flank also moves up in support.

Peter's MC charge the Roman skirmisher foot, who evade through the legions. Meanwhile his ellies start to move up.

The legions advance, charging the Carthaginian MC who evade.

Peter's MC get away from the problem area. Actually they shouldn't have moved since they evaded = used up their movement, when I charged them. Evaded units can only reform facing either direction in their player's turn after their evade move. But no matter.

Forward Romans! Forward to glory!

Peter now gets his HI going. The Carthaginian Poeni form column and move double time down the battlefield whilst the warband (who are unwieldy hence can't form column) get out of the way.

On come the legions, charging a slinger unit who cannot evade since there are two units behind him (he could have moved through one unit). The Roman MC get round to the rear of the Poeni column.

Down goes the slinger unit. It doesn't count for victory points. LI and scythed chariots are expected to quit the battlefield early so don't demoralise their army.

The Poeni foot shake out a line. The unit in the ZOC of the legion becomes disordered in doing so. Since the Poeni unit at the end of the battle column could not form a straight line with other units it doesn't form line but does nothing for that turn (representing the momentary confusion of the unit captain who doesn't know what to do and recovers his wits only in the next turn).

Meanwhile the MC charge the skirmisher foot who evade through the legion. The charge slams home into the legion. The MC get shot up by the skirmishers and legionaries but it wins the charge thanks to the inspiring presence of its commander (MC vs legion is a draw in charge but a commander breaks the tie).

I got a bit confused when labelling this photo. It's actually part of the same turn 14 Carthage. The Carthaginian MC breaks off immediately after the charge (cavalry can break off from infantry in the turn they charge and hence avoid melee combat) whilst the warband advance towards the Roman MC in their rear. I'm not redoing these pics all over again so let it slide.

The legions advance, contacting the leftmost Poeni foot unit, whilst the Roman MC get clear of the warband. 

Forgot to photograph the ensuing melee. No matter - nobody died. Peter's Poeni foot advance, charging a Roman legion and a skirmisher foot unit who evades through its parent legion. The warband meanwhile begin to shake out a line, albeit in disorder.

The legion charges Poeni foot. The main lines are now engaged. 

Nobody dies but a commander is wounded. This is the unique use of dice in Optio. Every time his unit is involved in a charge or melee combat, a commander/general's combat rating (middle number on grey background on his counter is added to the current morale rating of his unit. If the total is 5 or less a die is thrown. A 6 wounds the commander and his counter is flipped over to reveal a red side (all that blood!). A second 6 later in the game will kill him. Killed commanders and generals are worth so many lost stands depending on their calibre, indicated by a number on red background. Good combat commanders with high morale units are untouchable. Alexander will never die in Optio.

The warband are getting their act together.

The Roman MC advances to the flank of the uncommitted Poeni foot unit. The MC had to do a 180 degree rotation so could not charge that turn (when a unit charges it may perform only one diagonal move besides moving straight ahead).

The battle rages....

The uncommanded warband slowly move up. Uncommanded units (not part of a battleline or battle column with a general/commander) can move only 1/2 a square per turn if infantry and 1 square if mounted.

The Roman MC charge a Poeni unit in the flank disordering it.

One Poeni foot unit goes down....

....and the victorious legion occupies its square.

The Carthaginian MC charges the legion again. This is how MC cavalry operated: charging then breaking off, never standing still for a moment which would make the riders vulnerable. The warband continue forming a line.

The Roman MC break off and then a legion charges the now unengaged Poeni foot, disordering it. That foot unit is in trouble. The Romans are steadily rolling up the Carthaginian line.

The Carthaginian MC hadn't broken off from its last charge which meant it meleed the Roman legionaries - and lost. But the legions now expose their flank as they advance into the vacated square. This was Peter's plan - trade two mounted bases for 4 foot ones (once the ellies rout the weakened legionaries).

The ellies duly charge the legion in the flank whilst the warband take up their positions as a support line. Carthage is doing well in responding to the Roman flank drive.

Skirmisher foot move up whilst the Roman MC charge warband in the flank, disordering them. Disorder is a Very Bad Thing, BTW.

Another Poeni foot unit goes down. Carthage has now lost more than 10 stands, enough to tip brittle units over the edge, in this case the ellies, who all rout. The reasoning behind this is that brittle units are prone to decamp if they see too many of their own side take early military retirement. Average units last longer and resolute units last the longest. It's more nuanced than the simple 1/3 army gone game over of other rulesets.

The victorious legion occupies the vacated square. Things are going well for Rome.

Chaaarge! In go the warband against the weakened and exhausted legion (that had already executed line relief earlier in the battle).

And another chaaarge! The MC break off whilst the legion moves in. It's a classic one-two. MC weakens enemy unit then breaks off so legion can finish it off.

Two Poeni foot units go down. Roma aeterna!

The victorious legions occupy the vacated squares.

In go the warband. They sure don't lack for courage.

The MC do a major redeployment, heading towards the other side of the battlefield.

Nobody routs this time....

Not much for Peter to do except fight it out.

The Roman MC move up to engage the Carthaginian LH, whilst a legion charges warband in the flank, disordering it.

The weakened legion on the right flank finally goes down, as does a warband unit.

Victorious units occupy vacated squares.

One warband unit charges the roman MC who evades into the forest, obliging the LI there to evade in turn (LI will get out of the way of any friendly non-LI that comes their way). The other warband unit follows behind.

The Roman MC charges the LH. A drawn fight (MC vs LH is a draw in the charge and a win for MC in the melee). Meantime a legion forms column to get back into the fight.

Another legion unit goes down. This is beginning to look problematic for Rome.

Victors advance.

Up come the warband....

....as do the legions.

The LH unit is finally routed by the heavier MC.

Who occupy the vacated square....

....and win the game. The Carthaginians have now lost enough stands to rout their remaining average units. This creates a cascading rout sweeping away their resolute units and the entire army runs for it. Game over!

A close win for Rome, that was just 5 points from losing its own average units which would have tipped the entire army over the edge.

Question for the historians: is this degree of tactical manoeuvering by the Romans realistic?