"Help with picking a campaign setting" Topic

Just looking for some suggestions for a time period/ area for an interesting map based campaign for between 5-10 players. I was originally thinking War of the roses but now can't decide.
Some Ideas I had:
Ancient Sumerian city states
Greek city states
Alexander's Successors
Roman Civil war with Barbarian intervention
Classic Roman vs Barbarians, with each player being a legates or chieftain with their own objectives
Italian city states
War of the roses

any ideas guys? please give a why! I'm kinda new to Ancients and especially Medievals!
thanks
Joe

double post sorry

War of the roses
Greek city states
Italian city states

Successors. A perfect 'wargame' campaign in my opinion. Conquering states and using the resources to build armies. A good variety of troop types, some of which are limited geographically. Elite forces, levy and mercenaries. Shifting alliances. Several boardgames out there you could use for the basis of a campaign. What's not to like?

Persian Wars – from India to Egypt

I'd go Successors too. Good multi-player options, Everyone was out for themselves and he history is fairly well documented. Persian Wars is good too, but the sources are a bit more limited.

I'll second Rich Bliss. Successors.

All good ideas. If you want to do War of the Roses look into A Crown of Paper/A Coat of Steel. You can download them for free (but make a donation if you play them). It's pretty slick.

I also would recommend Alexander's Successors. Which if you want a little variety you could stretch out to the edges of the empire and include other nations (like India for example).

Successors first if 5+ players, although when I was a kid I played a Roman civil war campaign that pretty memorable.

Russ

I use two historical scenarios, but substitute ancient armies for the historical sides.

The first is Antietam. Great 1862 scenario with varied and quite interesting terrain. Use the historical deployments but with, say, Persian troops instead of federals and Greeks in place of confederates. Allows the Greeks to shift troops inside their defensive lines to meet the various Persian forces with their disjointed assaults. Don't tell the players the real battle it's based upon until afterward.

The 2nd is Boudicca and the revolt in Briton. Again, works well for hordes of troops coming down a road running lengthways to the board. Put a low line of hills running across the short end of the table, about 24" in, with a road behind it. The defenders have to hold that line of hills against the "mobs" until their supply trains and frightened civilians escape down that road behind them.

The hills funnel the mob into a smaller frontage which helps the defenders, but… the defenders never know how long the "train" is and when it will arrive, etc. Umpire controls the train, and thus can keep the suspense up.

Anything pre-viking pretty much will interest me, and can work with these scenarios.

Another vote for Successors.

Greek city states has the advantage of almost everyone being able to use the same figures – so big battles using everyone's figures at the same time is possible.

The types required are also quite limited allowing a pretty fast campaign start up. Also, everything happens in a fairly small area and fighting is almost entirely seasonal.

Another possible variation on this would be Italian States pre-Roman dominance – the victory condition is obvious, total domination of the Italian peninsular. Again, the geographic location means that the 'rest of the world' can be ignored. At a pinch, the umpire could be the Cisalpine Gauls.

Crusades can get quite entertaining if you set it up just pre Saladin – lost of tinpot statelets (Frankish, Arab, Turk, etc) at each others' throats

Thank you to Everyone who posted!

So It seems that the overwhelming majority votes for the Successors. I don't know much about them so can anyone recommend a book that will give me enough info to start a campaign? what kinda of nifty troops were there besides the obvious phalanx and elephants?

Greek/Italian/War of the Roses are all tied for second right now, because of pre packaged campaign stuff.If the successors end up being too much trouble I may fall back on them. I have the Perfect Captain stuff its good!

TKindred,
thanks for that post, I'm going to have to remember that!

thanks again everyone for replying!

Ancient Sumerian city states!! Can't go wrong with onagers (wild asses) pulling clunky battle carts!!
John

Arthurian Britain provides a nice, self-contained, manageable historical setting with small armies and a choice of five faction types, any of which can be doubled-up if you have more than five players.

1st Punic War. Most of the land fighting is in Sicily, plus lots of scope for naval.

Other suggestions:

El Cid, the Berbers and the Taifa states
Fall of the Roman Empire
Bronze Age in the Fertile Crescent – Egypt, Mitanni, Canaanites, etc.
Aztecs and neighbours

Dobber:

Historically, Successor armies depended both upon the where and when for their composition.

For example, you could have a Successor army based in Iran/Babylonia that had a mix of Persian troops and Macedonian pikes, Greek and Scythian cavalry, Indian elephants, cavalry, archers and spearmen, etc.

They became a conglomeration of Macedonian-style core troops with local influences, a sort of Greco/Persian, Greco/Egyptian, Greco/Syrian type, etc. The closest to a pure Macedonian army that survived was the one in Macedon that remained behind o keep the various Greek city states in check.

It's a fun period to game as you can also field Bactrian and Scythian armies as well as pure Indian armies too, with the added bonus of 3rd to 1st century BC Republican Roman armies against them.

Dobber:

As a follow up to the Successor ideas (which seem to be the popular ones on this thread) I took part in a campaign many, many years ago where everyone started off with a Macedonian Imperial army, but could replace losses with the troops from the areas they occupied only. So you had a gradual change in composition from the Imperial armies into Seleucid, Ptolemaic, etc. Lots of fun, and some slightly weird armies.

Father Grigori,
I really like that idea thank you!

Dobber,

You and everyone else is approaching this from the WRONG DIRECTION.

Yes, the campaigns that have been suggested are all very good suggestions, BUT . . . BE PRACTICAL.

Start from the approach of "what armies do I and my potential players already have?" . . . because anything not already available will add considerable time before you can actually begin the campaign.

Yes, "Successors" would be wonderful to game . . . but not if there are no figures available.

So, sir, look FIRST at what resources are available to you and your players . . . THEN select a campaign based on "what will take the least time/effort to complete?".

That is how I would approach it.

-- Jeff

Jeff,

Thank you for the wonderfully practicality of your post. Sadly, It isn't an option. There are a few ancients here and there in the group, but it isn't a big period in our group. I have been wanting to do ancients, and have been wanting to do a campaign for some time. I figured the best was to solve both issues was to start building forces for a campaign and test rules as the forces get built up. I know its going to be a lot of work, but it should be cool. Heck, I've been wanting to do a big campaign for like 2 years now since I bought the Age of Reason and read the really cool map based campaign in it.
~Joe

And yet, Jeff is the voice of reason Joe.
If you don't have the figures already such as it is in your case, consider what ranges are available and somewhat compatible.
Now I've been playing an "Arthurian campaign for over two, nearly three years now and there is absolutely no shortfall of excellent figures. In 28mm scale you have Gripping Beast, Footsore, Saxon Miniatures, Black Tree Design and they all mix perfectly. Still on the lookout for a Pictish army though…

I don't think you'll have much problems getting representative Successor armies in that scale either. Not sure about the smaller scales, but I'm sure another TMP'er will know.

PLayed with the idea of an Ancient Sumerian/Akkadian campaign too but check for figure availability first. Some things might have changed buy when I looked not everything was available or ranges didn't match at all.

Britain in the period after the death of Offa of Mercian. Various English kingdoms fighting for supremacy. Plus Welsh princedoms fighting amongst themselves but always casting an eye on Regaining English lost lands. In Scotland the Picts the Strathclyde Welsh, Dal Rations plus Viking invasions and Irish pirates. All in one small island and small armies too.

Okay, so you are starting from a "ground zero" position. In that case . . .

I am not really up on current "small army" rule sets for Ancients, so I will start by referring you to DBA . . . although I'm sure that there are other choices that would work easily well and that start with small forces.

I do not know what scale of figures you have in mind, but you might want to start building forces by aiming to start with DBA (or other) that requires very small armies that can be extended once folks start getting into it.

DBA (or at least the older versions, I haven't seen the new one) has a very simple, yet workable Campaign included. Start with something like DBA, which you can then expand into larger forces.

Unless you intend to provide all figures, you should also carefully consider what scale you want to game in. What size tables are available and what are any potential pocketbook issues with your players.

What I mean by that is that while I love larger figures, cost is a definite issue with most players. I love 28mm figures (and wish I could afford 40mm; but many players do not have the available cash for that size.

So if your tables are small and for reasons of cost, you might want to plan for 15mm (or smaller) figures . . . and again I will suggest what figures (in what scale) folks have. Those figures can at least form a "seed" to begin from.

-- Jeff

My suggestion is the Mithradatic Wars, Rome against Pontus. Gives you the classic matchup of nimble Roman cohorts vs plodding Pontic pike phalanxes. Lots of troop types available to make it interesting and you can add in the Spartacus slave revolt and Roman Civil Wars.

Willie;
Wargames Foundry has some Picts.
link
as does west wind
link

I don't know how you feel about 20mm plastics, but HAT does a range of sumerians that is pretty complete and cheap. If i go down that road, that is where I'm going to for figures, plus the FLGS has them.

Elenderil;
around what year range is that?

bandrsntch
That might be an idea, If one of the players gets too powerful and its upsetting game play, maybe sick the romans on them? (could be a little of a time warp but whatever, lol)

Jeff,
It seems to me that you and I are in very opposite camps, I am firmly in the small minis camp! 28mm figures are gorgeous, and I have a fair number, but they just don't do anything for me on the table, and my big issue is that the terrain is so big that it cuts down on maneuver room. just my opinion, don't shoot me! I was planning on providing both sides for the game. one of the potential advantages for the successors in my mind was that most of the "core" troops i.e. Macedonian/Greek (styled) I would only have to get enough for 2 armies,and are interchangeable, and pad out with some other stuff. My thoughts were as follows for figures:
6mm Baccus:
Pros: look GREAT for large numbers of Pike;

Range very complete
small enough for a little "counts as" I.E. those are the wrong kinds of throwing spears on your psiloi, they never had leaf blade heads!
Cons;
25% of order international shipping makes them not so cheap
Old Glory 10mm
Pros:
Very cheap with army card ($9.60 USD for 100 figs)
range relatively complete (from my knowledge)
should be almost as good for "Mass Effect"
Cons:
Cant think of too many right now… maybe figures not too great??
20mm Plastics
Pros:
Range mostly complete (I think)
In stock at FLGS
Not too expensive
Cons:
Some People have difficulty working with
sometimes there are a few useless poses in box
no mass effect
sometimes have issues getting stuff in from suppliers

as for rules, I am undecided. I'm thinking maybe Armati, as it will make things much easier for me in the purchasing and painting department, and the rules seem good. Hail Caesar is liked in the group, but I have some reservations for Pike Phalanx warfare. There is always FOG (read but not played, another in group likes a lot) but I'm open to any suggestions (preferable to games without single figure removal but open to all) Something with a point system would be helpful when forming the economics of the campaign.

thanks again for all the help
~Joe

Joe,

The reason that I prefer larger figures is that my eyes have aged to the point where I can no longer distinguish one 15mm unit from another . . . it is one of the results of getting old, I guess.

But if your eyes are still good, yes, I agree that some of the smaller scales look great on the table top . . . of course one still has to paint a great number of figures, BUT the smaller scales (6mm & 10mm) ARE much easier to paint than larger figures.

So, Joe, I have no objection to smaller figures . . . I just can't see them well enough any more.

-- Jeff

I was just kidding with you. 28's can be miniature works of art, me and my friends sometimes go on into the wee hours about the merits of rules and scales, so I couldn't resist the jab ;p no harm meant!

Actually on a side note, I sometimes use that very effect to simulate fog of war without rules. I got some 3mm moderns and, being most of the group is in their 50's and most of those younger wear glasses of some sort, my only fog of war rules are: no leaning over the table to get a closer look and no asking what that is. it seems to work remarkable well!

Continuing that side note; I've long had the idea that C18th games should have 6mm armies, but 25mm generals, preferably on a rearing horse and pointing over the battle field while gazing off table. Just to match the period paintings.

yes. But the commanders needs to be in a different room and when they ask what's around you need to take a picture from at 25 millimeter generals head

In another room with a supply of brandy, port and coffee. Some of those C18th drinks bills are things of wonder.