A big(gish) Optio game

[Justin Swanton]

Here are a few photos of the Optio game Noel and Riaan played at the Durban club last Saturday.

Rome had 3 legions, some Auxilia of indeterminate nationality (they were Noel's DBM Auxilia), LH and cavalry, and one elephant. Carthage fielded a typically polyglot army of Carth. Spear, Gallic warband, Spanish Scutarii, Carth, cavalry, Numidian LH and two elephants.

Briefly, Rome under Noel's command (farther side of the table) deployed conventionally with legions and Auxilia in the middle and cavalry and elephants on the wings, whilst Carthage (nearer side) created two infantry lines: Spanish and Gauls in the front line and Carth. spear as a second support line. Riaan split his cavalry between the wings with his elephants on the right.

Carthage planned an inevitable double envelopment which Noel countered with an oblique advance to the right, hoping to break the Carthaginian left wing and centre before the Carthaginian right wing could do too much damage. The plan was not a bad one and he successfully fought the Carthaginian left to a draw whilst engaging the Gauls and Spanish in the centre, pushing them to the edge of routing.

On the Roman left flank however it was a different story: the Romans were pushed back by a combination of more numerous Carthaginian cavalry and elephants and eventually routed. (the Carthaginian spear are forming an extended second line behind the Gauls and Spaniards)

The legions, their left flank exposed to cavalry charges, began to crumble (that tray of bases Noel is holding is doing fine - he was adjusting their morale after melee combat). Once the leftmost legion cracked it precipitated a domino effect that would, in the next turn, have sent the Romans packing. Noel saw the writing on the wall and reverted to diplomacy by customary means. Game over!

The player aids make the game look a little fussy, but in fact gameplay flowed easily with the exception of a couple of fussy areas in the rules that were subjected to subsequent pruning. Both playtesters had a good time and that is what mattered.

[Chris]

Thanks for posting. Looks interesting, if a tad complicated to one not familiar with rules. But, as you noted, player-generals did well enough and enjoyed themselves (the victor slightly more than the vanquished).

The terrain reminds me or forecasts what we might see or imagine that we will see and eventually read about regarding Battle Day 2018.

Thanks again for posting.

Chris

[Justin Swanton]

Thanks for posting. Looks interesting, if a tad complicated to one not familiar with rules. But, as you noted, player-generals did well enough and enjoyed themselves (the victor slightly more than the vanquished).

The terrain reminds me or forecasts what we might see or imagine that we will see and eventually read about regarding Battle Day 2018.

Thanks again for posting.

Chris

Funny you should mention the terrain. Optio has a mini operational-map game that decides terrain placement. The two armies, represented by counters, advance over a small mapboard divided into squares on which terrain is indicated. When they move into the same square that decides the terrain. Both players decided to fight in the open which is pretty much what armies in Antiquity usually opted for.

[Imperial Dave]

thanks for the post Justin, I am a 'visual' person so you can show me all the rules under the sun but I wont get most of it unless its shown to me or there are pretty pictures The terrain gizmo is clever by the way

[Justin Swanton]

thanks for the post Justin, I am a 'visual' person so you can show me all the rules under the sun but I wont get most of it unless its shown to me or there are pretty pictures The terrain gizmo is clever by the way

Glad you like it. Here's an explanation of the how the terrain pre-game game works:

Before a game the players use a terrain map to determine the terrain features on the battlefield.

A terrain map is a card printed with terrain for 25 different battlefields, arranged in 5 rows and 5 columns. The terrain map is placed face downwards on the table and one player spins it several times. He then flips it face upwards towards himself.

Each player has a counter. The player who spun the card places his counter on the battlefield square that is in the middle of the row running along the edge nearest to him. His opponent places his counter on the battlefield square in the middle of the row that runs along the edge nearest to him.

The first player then moves his counter forward into the next row. In doing so, he may move it into the square that is directly opposite his opponent's counter, or into one of the square on either side of that square. Counters may not move sideways or backwards.

The other player then advances his own counter one row, into the square now directly opposite his opponent's counter, or into one of the squares on either side of that square.

The first player then moves his counter into the next row further from him. In doing so, he may move it into the square that is directly opposite his opponent's counter, or into one of the squares on either side of that square.

Once during this game a player may flip his counter face downwards and pass his turn, leaving the counter in its square. If one player flips his counter and passes his turn the other player cannot immediately flip his own counter. He must move, and may flip his counter only after the first player has subsequently moved.

If one counter moves into a square diagonally opposite the second counter, that second counter must move into either of the adjacent squares that are also adjacent to a side edge of the first counter.

When one counter has moved into a square adjacent to a side edge of the square occupied by the second counter, that second counter must move into the square occupied by the first counter. If the second counter has not yet flipped it may do so, pass its turn, and oblige the first counter to enter into its own square.

The square occupied by both counters is used to determine the terrain of the battlefield, and the edge the last counter entered by becomes that player's side of the battlefield.

Battlefields that are wider than 8 grid squares use the grid squares of adjacent battlefield squares on the terrain card to determine terrain.

Easy!

[Imperial Dave]

Makes perfect sense and a great way to set up the terrain for a battle

[dwkay57]

Yes, I like the pre-battle terrain jousting concept.  It seems to bring a bit of a campaign element into a battle.

[Imperial Dave]

I am a big fan of games that have multiparts to them .... army composition, terrain choice, order writing, deployment, the battle and even the discussions of the aftermath when its all done and dusted. For me it just adds to the experience so I really do like the terrain system in Optio

[Chuck the Grey]

I really like the idea of the terrain map to choose a battlefield. Simple and elegant in design and execution. One question Justin, how many printed terrain map do you use?

[Patrick Waterson]

There is finesse in the stipulation that a player's move must relate to the row containing his opponent's counter: it draws the two armies together, preventing endless chasing around the board.  It also means that one side cannot simply make a beeline for the best terrain available, but must relate its movements to what the other side is doing (realistic, as sitting on an impregnable hill position behind a river on one side of the board is of dubious utility if the opponent can just march past and plunder your capital).

[Justin Swanton]

What I find interesting about this in practice is that players work out they are unlikely to get a square with terrain in their favour so they both tend to compromise on squares with little or no terrain - just as happened historically.