THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF THE ANCIENTS

THE GREAT BATTLES OF ALEXANDER [Deluxe Edition] by MARK HERMAN and RICHARD BERG

From: GMT

2 22" x 34" backprinted mapsheets, 1 17" X 22" backprinted mapsheet; 720 counters; rule book, scenario book; 2 player aid cards, rules index card. Boxed, from GMT, POB 1308 Hanford, CA 93232. $50.

Reviewed by TIMOTHY J. KUTTA

Historically - well, within the historical parameters of the wargame hobby - “ancients” have had a very dim reputation. The only series that covered the tactics of ancient warfare, SPI’s old “PRESTAGS”, was far too generic to appeal to more than a minority segment. And, the public perception was that tactical ancient warfare games would be, by definition, boring. Most of the battles usually consisted of a lot of poorly armed guys, wandering around a featureless map at a blistering pace of one or two hexes a turn. When they did

finally lock horns, it was usually a bunch of 4-2’s fighting at 1-1 odds for the greater good of Dufus, Tyrant of Arglebargle. Game play usually devolved into moving your line of counters forward until it crashed into the other guy’s. A few rounds of combat, a few losses, a few rolls for morale and it was all over. Really over. Slow movement rates, low odds attacks, barren maps of flat open fields, and all the flavor and panache of a rice cake combined to doom the ancient period to a non-event status in the wargame community.

That’s how it stood for over a decade until GMT came out with Mark Herman’s Great Battles of Alexander in 1991. Originally scheduled as a publication by the rapidly deflating SDI, Alex was grabbed by GMT, which saw the potential the system had as a possible series. That Herman’s unique system, combined with major doses of “chrome”, in the guise of historical and tactical flavor, worked was quickly apparent to all gamers who not only gobbled up Alex but also its immediate descendants, such as SPQR and Caesar, making GMT’s “Great Battles of History” series one of the most popular in all of wargaming. Aware, however, that the original Alex was not up to the standards of its dice-like diadochoi, GMT has now decided to re-issue it. Luckily for all interested parties, the new version is not just a simple reprint, but a total re-do and expansion of the original.

The Deluxe Edition of The Great Battles of Alexander features ever major - and almost all the minor - battle(s) of Alexander the Great and allows the players to examine, play, explore and understand the various military systems, tactics and weapons used by the nations and warlike tribes of the time. The game features the battles of Chaeronea, The Lyginus, Pelium, The Granicus, Issus, Gaugamela, The Jaxartes, Samarkand, Arigaeum, and The Hydaspes. The scope, number of scenarios and detailed tactical play will send most gamers into polyhedral ecstasy.

First, though, the Agony. Putting together a detailed tactical examination of the collision

between Alexander’s Macedonian combined arms system and the rest of the military world requires rules…lots and lots of rules. With most of the verbiage dedicated to leaders and command, the 32 page rule book contains scads of detailed, inter-related rules which must be read and analyzed in order to play the game properly. Its going to take a few hours to get through the rules, and a couple of choppy turns of play to integrate them into your methodology of game play. However, fear not, for those rules are designed to make the game true to the times they portray.

There is some controversy as to exactly how that should be done. Should the rules be accurate only as to the period and allow battles to turn out as the players dictate, or should they reflect what actually happened in the battles and be skewed slightly toward the side that won? Herman and Berg have combined a little of both. While the rules appear to

accurately reflect the military systems of the time, or, at least, reflect their interpretation of what was happening - e.g., moving Hoplites must use their entire Movement Allowance, reflecting the inexorable momentum generated by Hoplites required to smash enemy formations - there are also several rules, such as Elite Commander status, that give Alexander a tremendous advantage by allowing the Macedonian to always get the first

shot in each turn.

The good news is that, even with the extensive rules, actual game play is really quite simple. The Sequence of Play is a six-step process and consists of Leader Activation, Orders, Shock Combat, Momentum, Rout, and Recovery or Withdrawal. While

Combat, Rout and Recovery -Withdrawal are fairly straightforward, the heart of the gaming system is the command system, which includes the Leader Activation and Momentum phases of play. Each game must have a focal point (a point lost on many players and designers) and Herman/Berg have chosen to highlight (and backlight) ancient battles through the command structures of the time. Units in the game may move, fire, or perform other functions only if “ordered” by a commander. Commanders are activated based on their Initiative Number. Once activated the leaders are restricted to how many combat units they move by their Initiative Rating and range, unless they have the capability to issue Line Commands. The latter are new to Alex, having been retrofitted from SPQR; as are the use of Macedonian Contingent Commanders, a rule which allows almost every Macedonian leader from Alex’s campaigns to show up.

The beauty of this system is that, although there is a set sequence of play, the actual

events of each turn will vary because of the influence of the leaders. Players may also use the Momentum Rule to reactivate a leader who has already issued his quota of

orders for one phase. To balance that is the Trump Option, by which the opposing player can attempt to "steal" the initiative from the current player.

Taken together, the command rules are a unique focal point for the game, giving the players an excellent feel for the period while making for an interesting game. Although initially

cumbersome, they play well once the players learn the system, allowing limitless variations for each scenario.

The combat system is also unique, complex, and, seemingly, accurate. While hordes of javelinists, slingers and archers are all present to launch missile attacks, the heart of the combat system is the "Clash of Spears", the melee which occurs when the infantry of both sides closes for hand to hand, or spear to spear, combat… the melee which usually decided most ancient battles. While most ancient games simply compare the attack and defense factors of the participating units, Herman and Berg have chosen to base their combat system on the effect combat has on unit cohesion. Results are applied in cohesion points, which are compared to each unit's Troop Quality to determine when/if the units disintegrates and routs from the field. Although it sounds simple, the combat process requires the players to consult several charts: the Initial Clash of Spears Chart, The Shock

Superiority Chart and the Size Ratio Difference Chart. Each chart modifies the combat situation in some way and leads to extremely accurate battle “odds”. However, it could send novices into "Chart Shock".

The complexity of the game carries over to the unit counters. While beautifully done, in a swath of stunning colors and icons, the counters are also loaded - some say over-loaded - with information. No simple attack/defense and move factors here. Each counters is defined by nationality, class, movement allowance (normal and extended), troop quality, and size. In addition, missile troops have missile type. Each of these capabilities allows the particular formation to act much as it did in real life. The foot archers have a maximum range of 240 paces (about 200 yards) which is accurate for the time and place. Each of the playing pieces have advantages and restrictions which must be analyzed and understood to use the units properly.

Integrating the rules into game play is best accomplished by mastering the player aid charts. Each player has two, which cover everything from Shock Superiority to Movement. The charts are packed with information and may well leave the novice player stunned by the sheer amount of information. However, a calm, careful perusal of the charts will put most of the pertinent information needed to play the game at his fingertips as well as showing him what needs to be done to succeed. A caveat to those who like to analyze the mostly linear charts of their games: not only are the numbers not that linear here, but the three combat charts are so interwoven and mutually reliant that such analysis becomes somewhat futile. In the event you get thoroughly confused, the designers have also included a Rules Index card so players won't be forced to flip through the rules to find important data.

Having lauded the game for its accuracy and pointed out the agony of its complexity, it is now time to put it to the acid test: how does it play?

I started with the Crossing the Jaxartes scenario - Alexander chasing after some recalcitrant natives in modern-day Afghanistan - as it had a large map and only a small number of units. The Macedonians have 5 leaders and 23 combat units (mostly infantry) while the Scythians have 4 leaders and 20 combat units (mostly cavalry). The game played smoothly, with the role of the leaders becoming evident from the first seconds of play. Movement across open terrain can quickly scatter a poorly led army, or one whose leaders are poorly placed. Once the armies close I found the combat system to be clear, accessible and very playable. Even better, it also seemed to reflect the combat of the times. The small number and various types of units on the board allow the players to get a look at how all the types of units function.

The Battle of Hydaspes - Alexander’s climactic battle against Porus and his elephant corps - was next up. Nothing like charging elephants to set the night aglow. Play balance was excellent: bunches of units with no terrain to worry about. I recommend the players use the Free Set-up Scenario and block off about 5 or 6 hours of playing time for this one. Finally, for all of you who think the Germans invented "combined arms" in the 1940s, take a look at the huge Battle of Gaugamela in 333 BC.

Given all this information, and all the scenarios provided, the only knock I have on the game is the rules. Although the plethora of gaming functions require - and get - a good explanation, the rules are excessively long. The amount of information packed onto the counters also has an (admittedly small) adverse effect on the game, as some of the names of the units are difficult to read. The game plays slowly but exceptionally well, as most battles play out in “real” time. The rich detail, well thought out system and superb mechanics give the ancient wargamer or gamers of other periods all they can handle.

Alexander Deluxe is the third edition of a well researched and refined gaming system. It is a highly detailed simulation which combines all of the intricate detail of miniatures with the smooth mechanics of a board game.

CAPSULE COMMENTS

Physical Quality: Excellent. Ancient maps with color and contour lines, what will they think of next?!

Playability: Slow, at first, as players must integrate complex rules. The bigger scenarios will take you a good full day of gaming. Excellent solitaire.

Replayability: Very High. Lots of scenarios and optional deployment rules

Creativity: A unique game system with lots of loving touches.

Wristage: The bigger scenarios may tire your hand, but there’s lots of time to recover while your opponent moves.

Historicity: Outstanding. Even the "best guesses" are well researched.

Comparison: There are several ancient battle series, such as DG’s Battles of the Ancient World and Bill Banks’ Ancients, but none come close to the detail and mechanics of this game.

Overall: A "must game" for any tactical wargamer or ancient buff. The best ancient tactical system on the market.