@chiquichops are playing a simple mini campaign based on the Arab Invasion of Sicily in the year 827 AD... the island was at the time under Byzantine control.
It's essentially an 8-turn mini campaign with very similar rules to the Crusades mini campaign played recently -- and perfect for 1 vs 1 as there are max 2 battles (sometimes less if there are sieges).
Starts out just after the Arab invaders have captured their bridgehead at MARZARA in South-west Sicily.
It continues with the Arab invaders holding the initiative and trying to exploit their advantage by capturing as much of the island as possible, before Byzantine reinforcements arrive from Constantinople later in the campaign.
As with Crusades, the rules are very simple.
There are EIGHT turns.
In each turn, there are available TWO Initiative Points which are used to launch attacks.
The Arab side always goes first and announces their attack, then the Byzantines side.
For the first TWO turns, the Arab side has a guaranteed TWO Initiative Points, regardless of battle outcomes.
For Turns THREE and FOUR, the Arab side are guaranteed ONE Initiative Point, regardless of battle outcomes (the second assigned in the normal way)
For Turns FIVE to EIGHT -- the two Initiative Points are won and lost in the normal way, depending on battle outcomes.
All battles are resolved in FOG II Ancients.
Initiative Points are gained, retained or lost by winning or losing FOG battles or capturing regions.
ATTACKS
The map is divided into 13 regions, each has a VALUE of between ONE and THREE points. (white number in green circle)
These points are also used for scoring at the end.
1. A side may attack into any region for which it has control of bordering regions who's points match or exceed the target region's points.
2. A side may not attack into a region that is already under attack.
3. A side may attack into a region from which an attack into a different region is being launched.
4. A side may also launch an attack by SEA if Fleet counters are available (see: Fleets)
ARMIES
BYZANTINES: Byzantines (740-903) -- no allies
ARABS: Arabs (North Africa) (789-999) -- with Andalusian allies
BATTLES
Medium Open Battle
Middle East Agricultural Map.
BYZANTINE RESTRICTIONS
In Turns ONE to FOUR all Byzantine battles must be fought with AUTOFILL force selection.
In TURNS FIVE to EIGHT Byzantine Armies can be selected normally. (this reflects the arrival eventually of limited reinforcements from Constantinople to help defend or even retake Sicily)
Also: see SIEGES
BATTLE RESULTS
(from POV of Attacker)
1. Major Victory (+40% win): Captures Region -- retains Initiative Point
2. Minor Victory (+60% win): Region is placed under SIEGE
3. DRAW (battle times out) -- Region is CONTESTED - battle resumes next turn
4. Minor Defeat (+60% loss) - Attacker repulsed - retains Initiative Point
5. Major Defeat (+40% loss) - Attacker repulsed -- loses Initiative Point to other side
SIEGES
A region placed under Siege after an Attacker Minor Victory has a SIEGE MARKER placed on it and a 8-sided die roll decides the outcome of the Siege in the following turn during the Battle Resolution Phase.
(see Siege Table on map)
Die roll 1-5: Siege successful, region is captured and attacker retains the Initiative Point.
Die roll 6-8: Siege fails, attacker is repulsed and loses his IP point to the other side
ENNA and SYRACUSE have a +1 die roll modifier on their Siege Rolls.
A blockading FLEET counter adds -1 die roll modifier on their Siege Rolls. (See: FLEETS)
RELIEVING A SIEGE
If a side has an Initiative Point available and a region bordering the besieged region, it may attack to try and relieve the siege.
The battle is fought as a Medium FOG battle. Middle East Agricultural Map.
Battle Results:
(from relieving attacker's POV)
1. Major Victory (+40% win): Siege is lifted - Attacker gains BOTH Initiative Points
2. Minor Victory (+60% win): Siege is lifted - Besieging side retains their Initiative Point
3. DRAW (battle times out) -- Region is CONTESTED - battle resumes next turn
4. Minor Defeat (+60% loss) - Attacker repulsed - Besieging side retains Initiative Point - Siege roll is performed as per normal after completion of battle
5. Major Defeat (+40% loss) - Attacker repulsed -- Besieged region surrenders and is captured -- Besieging side gains BOTH Initiative Points.
FLEETS
The ARAB side starts the campaign with THREE Fleet counters, the BYZANTINE side receives ONE Fleet counter in Turn FIVE.
(this reflects the arrival eventually of limited reinforcements from Constantinople to help defend or even retake Sicily)
Fleet counters are "once-use" assets that are used up after they perform an action.
Deploying a Fleet with an Army in a joint action uses up ONE Initiative Point. (There are no separate naval actions or battles)
ONE Fleet counter at a time can be used in a Turn.
1. Fleets can land friendly armies for amphibious attacks -- limited to regions of maximum TWO points value -- so NO direct amphibious attacks against PALERMO or SYRACUSE.
2. Fleets can support attacks on "coastal" regions by adding Region ONE point to an attack to make an attack possible.
In below example, the supporting Fleet allows the Arab army in MARZARA to attack PALERMO, making up for the Arabs only having TWO adjacent region points under control.
3. Fleets can be used to support a SIEGE of a Port Region (marked with an anchor) by adding a -1 die roll modifier to the Siege Roll. (there is no IP cost in assigning a Fleet to a Siege in your turn)
4. Fleets are only available if a side has a friendly Port Region under control.
After a Siege or a Battle that a Fleet is supporting is completed, the Fleet counter is removed.
VICTORY SCORING
At the end of TURN EIGHT, any outstanding SIEGE rolls are performed on regions taken under siege from the last battle results, and die roll results applied.
The region points are added up and the side a higher points score wins a Minor Victory.
If one side controls TWO of either PALERMO, ENNA or SYRACUSE and has a higher score, they win a Major Victory.
If one side controls PALERMO, ENNA and SYRACUSE, the win an Overwhelming Victory.
It's essentially an 8-turn mini campaign with very similar rules to the Crusades mini campaign played recently -- and perfect for 1 vs 1 as there are max 2 battles (sometimes less if there are sieges).
Starts out just after the Arab invaders have captured their bridgehead at MARZARA in South-west Sicily.
It continues with the Arab invaders holding the initiative and trying to exploit their advantage by capturing as much of the island as possible, before Byzantine reinforcements arrive from Constantinople later in the campaign.
As with Crusades, the rules are very simple.
There are EIGHT turns.
In each turn, there are available TWO Initiative Points which are used to launch attacks.
The Arab side always goes first and announces their attack, then the Byzantines side.
For the first TWO turns, the Arab side has a guaranteed TWO Initiative Points, regardless of battle outcomes.
For Turns THREE and FOUR, the Arab side are guaranteed ONE Initiative Point, regardless of battle outcomes (the second assigned in the normal way)
For Turns FIVE to EIGHT -- the two Initiative Points are won and lost in the normal way, depending on battle outcomes.
All battles are resolved in FOG II Ancients.
Initiative Points are gained, retained or lost by winning or losing FOG battles or capturing regions.
ATTACKS
The map is divided into 13 regions, each has a VALUE of between ONE and THREE points. (white number in green circle)
These points are also used for scoring at the end.
1. A side may attack into any region for which it has control of bordering regions who's points match or exceed the target region's points.
2. A side may not attack into a region that is already under attack.
3. A side may attack into a region from which an attack into a different region is being launched.
4. A side may also launch an attack by SEA if Fleet counters are available (see: Fleets)
ARMIES
BYZANTINES: Byzantines (740-903) -- no allies
ARABS: Arabs (North Africa) (789-999) -- with Andalusian allies
BATTLES
Medium Open Battle
Middle East Agricultural Map.
BYZANTINE RESTRICTIONS
In Turns ONE to FOUR all Byzantine battles must be fought with AUTOFILL force selection.
In TURNS FIVE to EIGHT Byzantine Armies can be selected normally. (this reflects the arrival eventually of limited reinforcements from Constantinople to help defend or even retake Sicily)
Also: see SIEGES
BATTLE RESULTS
(from POV of Attacker)
1. Major Victory (+40% win): Captures Region -- retains Initiative Point
2. Minor Victory (+60% win): Region is placed under SIEGE
3. DRAW (battle times out) -- Region is CONTESTED - battle resumes next turn
4. Minor Defeat (+60% loss) - Attacker repulsed - retains Initiative Point
5. Major Defeat (+40% loss) - Attacker repulsed -- loses Initiative Point to other side
SIEGES
A region placed under Siege after an Attacker Minor Victory has a SIEGE MARKER placed on it and a 8-sided die roll decides the outcome of the Siege in the following turn during the Battle Resolution Phase.
(see Siege Table on map)
Die roll 1-5: Siege successful, region is captured and attacker retains the Initiative Point.
Die roll 6-8: Siege fails, attacker is repulsed and loses his IP point to the other side
ENNA and SYRACUSE have a +1 die roll modifier on their Siege Rolls.
A blockading FLEET counter adds -1 die roll modifier on their Siege Rolls. (See: FLEETS)
RELIEVING A SIEGE
If a side has an Initiative Point available and a region bordering the besieged region, it may attack to try and relieve the siege.
The battle is fought as a Medium FOG battle. Middle East Agricultural Map.
Battle Results:
(from relieving attacker's POV)
1. Major Victory (+40% win): Siege is lifted - Attacker gains BOTH Initiative Points
2. Minor Victory (+60% win): Siege is lifted - Besieging side retains their Initiative Point
3. DRAW (battle times out) -- Region is CONTESTED - battle resumes next turn
4. Minor Defeat (+60% loss) - Attacker repulsed - Besieging side retains Initiative Point - Siege roll is performed as per normal after completion of battle
5. Major Defeat (+40% loss) - Attacker repulsed -- Besieged region surrenders and is captured -- Besieging side gains BOTH Initiative Points.
FLEETS
The ARAB side starts the campaign with THREE Fleet counters, the BYZANTINE side receives ONE Fleet counter in Turn FIVE.
(this reflects the arrival eventually of limited reinforcements from Constantinople to help defend or even retake Sicily)
Fleet counters are "once-use" assets that are used up after they perform an action.
Deploying a Fleet with an Army in a joint action uses up ONE Initiative Point. (There are no separate naval actions or battles)
ONE Fleet counter at a time can be used in a Turn.
1. Fleets can land friendly armies for amphibious attacks -- limited to regions of maximum TWO points value -- so NO direct amphibious attacks against PALERMO or SYRACUSE.
2. Fleets can support attacks on "coastal" regions by adding Region ONE point to an attack to make an attack possible.
In below example, the supporting Fleet allows the Arab army in MARZARA to attack PALERMO, making up for the Arabs only having TWO adjacent region points under control.
3. Fleets can be used to support a SIEGE of a Port Region (marked with an anchor) by adding a -1 die roll modifier to the Siege Roll. (there is no IP cost in assigning a Fleet to a Siege in your turn)
4. Fleets are only available if a side has a friendly Port Region under control.
After a Siege or a Battle that a Fleet is supporting is completed, the Fleet counter is removed.
VICTORY SCORING
At the end of TURN EIGHT, any outstanding SIEGE rolls are performed on regions taken under siege from the last battle results, and die roll results applied.
The region points are added up and the side a higher points score wins a Minor Victory.
If one side controls TWO of either PALERMO, ENNA or SYRACUSE and has a higher score, they win a Major Victory.
If one side controls PALERMO, ENNA and SYRACUSE, the win an Overwhelming Victory.
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