For those of you who have been following Mark’s “What Was Old is New Again” seriescovering Peloponnesian War design and strategy, please enjoy another selection from the years ago published Volume 28 #1 of The General. This four part article series is a replay of Peloponnesian War featuring Kevin Boylan as the Athenian Player, Doug Whatley as the Spartan Player, and Mark Herman as the Neutral Commentator. To read parts one and two, follow the links here and here. Enjoy! -Rachel

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Turn 3

Political Phase

Random Event Segment: The Random Events die roll is “6”: Plague in Athens. However, since no space in Attica was ravaged last turn, this event cannot occur. The re-rolled Random Events roll is “9”: Macedon changes sides. The two Athenian Allied Cavalry SPs at Pela are removed and replaced by two Spartan Allied Cavalry SPs.

Delian League Rebellion Segment: Since the Athenian SCI from last turn was “O”, a Delian League rebellion occurs. The rebellion is randomly determined to take place at Ephesus in Asia Minor.

Leader Selection Segment: The aggressive Brasidas leads Sparta this tum while the (sometimes) brilliant Demosthenes takes charge of the Athenian war effort. Due to Brasidas’ superior strategic rating, Sparta will conduct !he first operation.

Sparta’s strategic situation in the north continues to improve as Macedon (Pela and Macedon) becomes hostile to Athens while Thrace (Abdera, Maraneia, Cardia and Thasos) and Scione remain in rebellion. Revolution is now in the wind in Asia Minor as well.

Doug: The situation up north continues to improve my chances of turning the game around this tum. Hopefully, the cumulative effect of all these rebellions will distract Kevin from operations aimed against my own territory and that of my allies. Everything is looking good for my strategy of supporting Athenian League rebellions. If Athens’ SCI is zero or negative at the end of this tum, another rebellion will automatically occur next turn. A few good die rolls in the Rebellion Expansion Segment, and Kevin could be looking at more uprisings than he could ever hope to put down. I think I’m going back to Amphipolis. The vacation reports from the last expedition were good, and I still want to occupy that chokepoint to support the northern rebellions. This operation should also divert Athenian attention away from the Peloponnesus.

Kevin: Hmm! I don’t know quite what to think. Even though I’m undoubtedly beating the Spartans at this point, apparently my “allies” aren’t impressed with my success and continue to jump ship. I simply must put down some of these rebellions, or their combined strategic effect over the next couple of turns could prove fatal. Last tum I got lucky when Doug’s siege of Amphipolis failed and he was unable to run any subsequent operations, therefore leaving those rebels unsupported. However, sooner or later, that is bound to change.

Operations Phase

First Spartan Operation: Brasidas activates four Spartan Hoplites (at no cost) and moves toward Thebes to pick up a cavalry contingent. However, when the force enters Panactum, it is intercepted by the Athenian force in Athens. The resulting “Skirmish” causes no losses to either side, but since the combined SP total in Panactum is at least eight, and the intercepting SPs are at least 50% of the combined total, a land battle is immediately resolved.

Land Battle: The battle is between five Athenian Hoplite SPs and one Cavalry SP (+2 for Demosthenes’ Tactical Modifier, +1 for Cavalry advantage, and +1 for 5-4 Hoplites) versus four Spartan Hoplite SPs ( +2 die for Brasidas’ Tactical Modifier and +2 for Spartan Hoplites). The Athenian die roll is “5” (+4 drm) versus a Spartan roll of “1” (+4). This results in the entire Spartan army being eliminated because the modified die roll differential is four (9-5). Furthermore, as a result of this battle, Athens captures Spartan hostages, a development which will prohibit the Spartans from attacking Attica until after an armistice. Athens’ SCI is increased to “+ 1” and Sparta’s is reduced to “-1 “.

This is most interesting! Demosthenes, the bane of Sparta, wipes out four Spartan Hop lite SPs and gives Athens great strategic leverage by taking hostages. This is only appropriate, considering that historically it was Demosthenes who captured Spartan hostages on the island of Sphacteria (the Pylos space)–although Cleon took the credit–thereby giving Athens a significant edge in the peace negotiations that led to the first armistice (the Peace of Nicias in 420 BC).

Doug: So much for the Amphipolis operation; and now my plans to reverse my losing trend this turn are in extreme jeopardy. The interception took me by total surprise; I assumed that since I had a large Spartan Hoplite force with a +2 leader, the Athenians wouldn’t dare fight. As it was, the odds in the battle were perfectly matched, but my bad luck (or perhaps, the wrath of the gods) shone through once again.

Kevin: I can’t believe my good fortune. Not only do the Spartans let me fight a battle on even terms, but the dice fall my way too. This victory came at just the right moment. Now, with the Spartans’ ability to support the rebellions severely limited, I can hopefully quell them without further interference. First of all, I’m going to deal with those back-stabbing Thracians.

First Athenian Operation: Athens launches an operation against Thasos with one Athenian Naval SP led by the victorious Demosthenes (reducing the Athenian treasury to 6,300 talents). This army arrives at its objective without interception.

Second Spartan Operation: Sparta finally passes an Auguries roll and sends an expedition to Maraneia in support of the Thracian rebels. Lysander activates seven Spartan Hoplite SPs (no cost) and proceeds to Thebes without incident (except for a chorus of catcalls as the army passes Athens), where two Theban Cavalry SPs (cost 400 talents) join the army. As the march northward continues, several interceptions occur as the army passes by and through Larisa; but since the Spartan force is considerably larger than the Athenian Allied force located in that city, there is no automatic battle and none occurs as a consequence of the “Skirmish” die rolls (there are no casualties on either side). When the Spartans arrive at Pela, two Macedonian Cavalry SPs are activated (cost 400 talents), after which the army (now consisting of four Cavalry and seven Hoplite SPs) proceeds to Maraneia without further interference. The Spartan treasury has been reduced to 3,900 talents by all this activity.

What disturbs me about this latest operation of Doug ‘s is that it’s overkill. The Athenian naval force at Thasos can’t hurt him, and the objective is not important enough to warrant sending the entire Spartan army. I think that a Spartan Allied army heavy in cavalry would have done the trick. In fact, the most cost-effective move would have been to send a leader to Pela on his own. If he made it, the leader could activate a Macedonian cavalry SP and move onward to Maraneia. The Cavalry SP would remain as the garrison and support the Thracian rebellion, unless an Athenian force was sent to eliminate it as well. As is, even if the Spartan siege of Maraneia is successful, a Hoplite SP will be left as the garrison. Since Hoplites only project a ZOI into the space they occupy, the garrison will be unable to support rebellions in adjacent spaces. Considering the size of the army Doug sent to Maraneia, a more worthwhile objective would have been to lay siege to Byzantium and thereby cut the Athenian line of communications (WC) to the Euxine. If successful, this operation would reduce Athenian revenue by 1,500 talents per turn, a truly crippling blow! Of course, the siege would automatically fail if Athens could throw a naval force into the city, but the same holds true at Maraneia. However, perhaps the most dangerous effect of Doug ‘s move is that it renders Sparta itself vulnerable to attack by the inferior Athenian land forces.

Kevin: I’m going to go after the Corinthian fleet, because it lets me kill two birds with one stone a second time around. Eliminating the Corinthian navy will assure me of naval supremacy even if the Spartans do a maximum naval build (five SPs) at end of this turn; and the operation also lets me continue my strategy of ravaging the coasts of the Peloponnesus. I declare Sicyon as the objective space, since this will allow me to both fight a battle and conduct a siege. If successful, these will bring me 20 victory points, as opposed to the maximum of ten points I could hope for if Corinth itself was the objective. Finally, in order to even the odds in the naval battle, Doug will have to waste an operation in order to send a leader to Corinth. Considering how badly he’s been doing on his Auguries rolls, he might not even get that opportunity.

Second Athenian Operation: Athens passes its Auguries die roll and Alcibiades leads a force of six Athenian Naval SPs (cost: 2,400 talents, reducing the Athenian treasury to 3,900 talents) to Sicyon to attack the Corinthian navy and conduct a siege. The force ravages Sparta’s coast along its way to Sicyon, where it is intercepted by the Corinthian fleet of four naval SPs. The resulting “Skirmish” die rolls equal “11 “, so a battle must be resolved immediately.

Naval Battle: This battle is between six Athenian Naval SPs (+2 for Athenian Naval SPs, +2 for six Naval SPs versus four, +1 for Alcibiades ‘ Tactical Rating) versus four Corinthian Naval and five Hoplite SPs (no die modifier). The battle is naval because the Athenian force is exclusively naval. The Athenian die roll is “3” (+5) versus the Spartan “4”. This results in four Corinthian Naval SPs being eliminated, while the Corinthian Hoplite force is placed in the “Going Home” box. Athens’ SCI is increased to “+2” and Sparta’s is reduced to “-2”.

This leaves Sparta naked to invasion. With the Corinthian army out of the way until the “Going Home” segment, the isthmus leading into the Peloponnesus is wide-open to Athenian land forces passing through on their way to Sparta.

Doug: Oh well! I had intended to launch a naval operation against Corcyra as part of an effort to clear a line of communications to Epidamnos by the end of the turn. If it had come off, I would have gotten an additional 1,000 talents of income with which to rebuild my shattered army. Since I no longer have a navy, I cannot launch an operation against Corcyra, and the hostages prevent a direct attack on Athens. Thus, I’m left with only two options: I can either bring the Theban army down to defend Sparta or I can continue to take the war to Athens’ allies. I opt to stay on the offensive, hoping that the home guard can protect the city of Sparta if it becomes necessary. I’m going to send a small force into Asia Minor and support the rebellion at Ephesus.

Kevin: Having the battle occur now, rather than in the Battle Resolution Segment, was an unexpected bonus. This way the Spartans never got a chance to send in a leader. The luck is certainly running my way this tum.

The 1,000 talents received for opening a line of communications to Epidamnos represents a side gaining direct access to the grain and trade markets of the rich Po River valley (in what is now northern Italy). To clarify a point which is not made fully clear in the rules, the WC must consist of spaces actually controlled by the side in question. Neutral spaces along the route do block it.

Third Spartan Operation: Sparta passes its Auguries die roll and decides to raid into Asia Minor and support the rebellion in Ephesus by choosing Pygela (in Caria) as its objective. The leader picked is Callicratides, who activates one Spartan cavalry SP at no cost (this leaves only the Home Guard unit in Sparta) and moves to Thebes where a Theban cavalry SP (200 talents, reducing the Spartan treasury to 3,700 talents) is activated. The small cavalry force manages to sneak through Thessaly, crosses over the Hellespont at Byzantium and ravages the coast of Asia Minor until it arrives at Pygela.

That move would have made Nathan Bedford Forrest proud. It certainly gives Kevin a taste of his own medicine by ravaging more than ten spaces, and brings the war home to his already faltering allies in most dramatic fashion.

Doug: That makes up for some of the bad luck I’ve had so far in the game. There’s nothing like a little burning and pillaging to make you feel better.

Kevin: How can a game with pillaging and plagues fail to amuse? Now, down to business. With the whole Spartan army off careering about the north and Asia Minor, I say: “What the hell?” I’m going to attack Sparta in hopes of winning the war outright this turn. Considering how well my luck has been going, I think I have a good chance of pulling it off. Even I lose the battle, the small size of the defending Spartan force will ensure that my casualties won’t be prohibitive; and in any case, I can’t miss an opportunity to actually conquer and occupy Sparta. Talk about a conclusive victory!

Third Athenian Operation: After passing its auguries roll, Athens picks Sparta as its objective and activates an army of one Cavalry SP and seven Athenian Hoplite SPs (1,600 talents; reducing the Athenian treasury to 2,300), led by Cleon. The army arrives at Sparta after ravaging a swath through the Isthmus and the Peloponnesus where the Home Guard unit fails to intercept it and play continues.

Well, the main option left open to Sparta at this point is to declare an operation with Sparta itself as the objective space and attempt to bring down the Theban army as reinforcements. The sequence of play would be that Doug will pick a leader, place him at Sparta, and attempt to pass through the besieging Athenian army without being intercepted. If the leader is intercepted, he is removed from play for the remainder of the game turn and the entire operation is aborted. Success could prove decisive in determining the outcome of the coming battle, although the relieving force may have to fight a battle adjacent to Sparta because of Athenian interception (recall that the Athenian Cavalry’s WI extends into adjacent spaces).

Doug: Well I guess it’s either “with my shield or upon it”. I’m going to attempt to use the Theban army to reinforce the Spartan Home Guard. If the Thebans are present at the battle, I might just destroy the better part of the Athenian army and salvage something consequential from an otherwise disappointing tum.

Kevin: Damn, I would have to draw Cleon–all mouth, no ability–to lead this decisive operation. That should even the odds for Doug in the coming battle. And I hadn’t really considered the possibility that Doug would be able to bring in reinforcements. After all, who’d have thought that he’d make two Auguries rolls in a row! If he can bring in the Theban army, the odds against my winning the battle will be very long indeed (especially with Cleon in command), and my casualties could be high enough to tum this into a major disaster. Let’s hope I can intercept his leader.

Fourth Spartan Operation: Sparta passes its Auguries roll, picks Mindarus as its leader, and declares its home space (Sparta) as the objective of the operation. Mindarus is activated and successfully avoids two Athenian interception attempts (one in Sparta and one in the adjacent space due to the Cavalry ZOI). However, as he passes through Corinth, Mindarus is successfully intercepted by Alcibiades’ army, and the operation is aborted!

Fourth Athenian Operation: Athens passes its own Auguries die roll, picks Ephesus as its objective and draws Thrasybulus to lead the operation. He activates one Athenian Naval SP (400 talents; reducing the Athenian treasury to 1,900 talents) which moves to Ephesus without incident.

Kevin: I’m not going to allow the rebellion in Ephesus to spread like those in Thrace and Chalcidice did. I am going to settle matters in Asia Minor now and send a message to my erstwhile allies about what happens to those who double-cross Athens!

Fifth Spartan Operation: Sparta once again passes its Auguries die roll (!) and Archidamus tries to conduct the same action attempted by Mindarus. Archidamus is intercepted, however, and the operation automatically aborted as soon as he is placed at Sparta.

Fifth Athenian Operation: Athens declares an operation with rebellious Scione as its objective and picks Pericles as its leader. Since there are no more forces in Athens, Pericles first moves to Potidaea, activates the Athenian Hoplite SP there (reducing the Athenian treasury to 1,700 talents), and continues on to Scione without any interception.

Kevin: While Doug is distracted by my army camped outside of his most important city, I’m going to continue reducing all of the rebellions on the map. That way, even if the battle at Sparta does prove to be a disaster for Athens, my overall strategic position won’t be hopeless because I’ll have secured the sources of income necessary to rebuild my land forces.

Sixth Spartan Operation: Amazingly, Sparta receives good Auguries yet again (hard to believe) and picks Pleistoanax to make one more attempt to bring down tl1e Theban army. Unfortunately for Sparta, the Athenians have got this game down cold and pick up Pleistoanax almost immediately.

Kevin: I seem to be gathering in a fair crop of Spartan leaders this season. Doug’s only got two more left. Let’s hope he tries again and draws Glyppas; if I can catch him, then that’ll leave only the relatively unimpressive Agis to face me in the battle.

Sixth Athenian Operation: The run of unusually good portents continues as the reading of the goat entrails comes up favorable for the Athenians once again. Athens picks Thassyllus to lead an Athenian expedition against the rebellion at Cardia. Thassyllus sails off to Melos, activates one Naval SP, and proceeds to Cardia, where an interception by the Spartan army in Maraneia leads to an inconclusive skirmish.

Doug: I only have Agis and Glyppas remaining to lead operations. Since I will automatically pick a leader to command my forces in the battle at Sparta (that is, if any are available), I don’t want to conduct more than one operation and thereby leave myself without a leader to draw. Another point that I must consider is that even if my next operation does successfully bring down the Thebans, it will also guarantee that Agis will lead my army into the battle, since one always uses the poorer tactical rating when conducting a battle. Furthermore, if the Thebans show up, I will lose the “+2” modifier for having an army that’s at least 50% Spartan Hoplites. Now, the Thebans would assure me of a “+3” size advantage modifier, but I think I’m better off just trying to pick Glyppas. That way I get the same overall die roll modifier without having to risk an interception battle outside of Sparta (with the risk that I’d lose and see my SCI decline even more), and save myself 1,400 talents that can probably be more profitably spent in rebuilding my forces at the end of the turn.

Seventh Spartan Operation: Sparta “passes”.

Kevin: I have run through my treasury like water this turn. I’ll have to pass since there are only 1,300 talents left in my coffers and the conditions which release the Athenian Emergency Fund have not been met. At least I’m now in a position to stamp out a fair number of the rebellions that have been plaguing me.

Seventh Athenian Operation: Athens passes. Since both sides have passed in succession, the Operations Phase comes to an end.

Going Home Segment: The four Spartan Allied Hoplite SPs in the “Going Home” box are placed back on the map; two at Corinth and two at Thebes (as directed by the Post-Combat Movement Table).

Combat Phase

There are five sieges which must be resolved (Sparta versus Pygela. and Athens versus Cardia, Sicyon, Thasos, and Ephesus), but a battle must be resolved at Sparta because the Athenian and Spartan armies are in each others’ ZOIs; and another battle could occur at Corinth because the ZOJ of the Athenian fleet at Sicyon extends into Corinth.

Land Battle: Several special circumstances (see under 5.2.1) apply to this battle because it is occurring in the Sparta space. First, Sparta must pick a leader, and draws Agis; second, a special “+2” modifier will be applied to the Spartan battle resolution die roll. (Note: This simulates the use of underage and overage Spartans to augment the Hoplite battleline in the dire emergency.) The battle is between seven Athenian Hoplite SPs and one Cavalry SP under Cleon (+0 for Cleon’s Tactical Rating, +4 for seven Hoplite SPs versus three, +1 Cavalry advantage) versus three Spartan Hoplite SPs (+1 for Agis’ Tactical Rating, +2 for Spartan Hoplites, +2 for the special modifier from 5.2.1 ). It is a land battle because both sides are exclusively land forces. The Athenian die roll is “2” (+5 die modifier) = 7 versus a Spartan die roll of”5″ (+5) =10.This results in two Athenian Hoplite SPs being eliminated (10-7=3; but reduced by one due to the Athenian cavalry advantage) and all remaining Athenian units are placed in the “Going Home” box.

No Battle: Since the Athenian force at Sicyon is exclusively naval, and the Spartan Allied force at Corinth is exclusively land, the result is “No Battle”. If the two forces were in the same space, the Athenian force would “Go Home”. However, since they are in different spaces, both forces remain in place.

Sieges:

Siege of Pygela–Sparta fails, and the army is placed in “Going Home” box.

Siege of Cardia–Athens fails and that army is placed in “Going Home” box.

Siege of Sicyon–Athens succeeds and gains 300 talents. The subsequent “Going Home” die roll leaves the entire force of six naval SPs at Sicyon.

Siege of Thasos–Athens succeeds and gains 300 talents. The “Going Home” roll leaves one Naval SP as a garrison while the other goes into the “Going Home” box.

Siege of Ephesus–Athens succeeds and gains 300 talents; since only one Naval SP is present it automatically stays as a garrison. The Spartan army in Maraneia leaves a one­Hoplite SP garrison while the remainder of the army is placed in the “Going Home” box.

Revenue Adjustments: The Athenian treasury is increased by 900 talents worth of booty, yielding a new total of 2,200 talents.

Aggregate Victory Point Total: Athens’ total is “+35” (+10 each for the victorious Land Battle at Panaccum and the Naval Battle at Sicyon, and for the three successful sieges; and -15 defeat in the battle at Sparta); Athens’ Strategy Confidence Index is “+4”. Sparta’s total is “-35” (+10 for the victorious Battle at Sparta and -15 for the siege of Pygela; and -15 each for the battles lost at Panactum and Sicyon; Sparta’s Strategy Confidence Index is “-2”. The aggregate Victory Point totals thus far are, Athens: +60 and Sparta: -70.

Kevin: The three successful sieges more than make up for my defeat at Sparta, not just in terms of Victory Points and Bellicosity, but in terms of revenue as well (these counterinsurgency operations can be quite profitable). Again, my good luck stayed with me this turn, as witnessed by Doug’s failure to get a leader through my blockade in order to bring in the Theban army. This proved decisive in holding down my casualties in battle.

Rebellion Phase

Continued Rebellion Determination Segment: The rebellions at Scione, Thasos and Ephesus are put down due to the presence of Athenian garrisons. 

Rebellion Expansion Segment: The rebellion fails to spread (understandably, considering the ruthless Athenian efforts to stamp it out this turn).

Administrative Phase

Revenue Collection Segment: Athens collects 2,750 talents (base of 3,500 minus 750 for 13 ravaged spaces, and Abdera and Maraneia being in rebellion) for a new total of 6,950 talents. Sparta collects 1,400 talents (base of 2,500 minus 1, I 00 for 22 ravaged spaces), yielding a new total of 5,100 talents.

With all of these ravaged spaces, sieges and rebellions, the Peloponnesus, Thrace and Asia Minor are beginning to look like Germany during the Thirty Years War. This perfectly illustrates the point we make in the strategic overview (in the “Historical Commentary” booklet included in the game) that the devastation of Greece ultimately turned the Peloponnesian War into a no-win proposition for both sides. A few more turns like this one and the damage to Greek civilization could be irreparable.

Strength Point Construction Phase: Athens constructs one Naval SP, one Hoplite SP and one Cavalry SP–all of which are placed at Athens and Piraeus. Sparta, for its part, decides to build a fleet of three Naval SPs at Gythium. These builds reduce the respective treasuries to 6,350 talents and 4,500 talents.

Doug: It’s probably too late, but I had to build a navy in order to prevent my coastline from being ravaged yet again. If Kevin gets to raid the Peloponnesus just one more time I will automatically lose the game due to surrender (i.e., my Bellicosity will be reduced to zero).

Armistice and Surrender Phase

Bellicosity Adjustment Segment: Athens’ Bellicosity increases to “12” (one-half of Athens’ current SCI, and -1 for 15 coalition spaces ravaged and/or in rebellion). Sparta’s Bellicosity declines from 5 to “1” (Sparta’s SCI of “-2”, and -2 more for having 22 coalition spaces ravaged).

Kevin: I have him on the ropes. Although I lost the battle at Sparta, I can at least brag that I ravaged the space. All I have to do this turn is ravage his coasts one more time and it’s all over, unless Doug can string together a truly amazing series of victorious battles and sieges.

Doug: A downright depressing turn, with the exceptions of my raid through Asia Minor and the heroic defense of Sparta. Although I could still conceivably pull the game out, odds are that Sparta’s strategic position has been fatally compromised.

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Articles in this Series: Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4