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| Command & Colors Medieval board with Utus River scenario from the Byzantine side |
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| Command & Colors Medieval board with Utus River scenario from the Hun side |
Yesterday I finally received my long awaited copy of the new GMT Games boardgame, Command and Colors Medieval (CCM) by Richard Borg. This morning I played a solo first game with the Utus River scenario, the first of nineteen scenarios, with Attila and his Huns taking on an Eastern Roman army under Arnegisclus. The details of this encounter are fairly obscure. For gamers familiar with Command and Colors Ancients (CCA) much is the same but there are changes, some that reflect the increasing importance of cavalry and the reduced role of infantry in set battle in the fifth and sixth centuries.
All cavalry units are now four blocks rather than three and Heavy Infantry now fight with four dice instead of five. Other changes include bow armed medium, heavy and super heavy (cataphract) cavalry for many scenarios with the Huns and Sassanids, superior armour class and superior stature, Parthian shot rules for evading light bow cavalry and Inspired Actions tokens which can be used when playing a Leadership Command Card. Medium Infantry now move like Auxilia and may move one hex and battle or two hexes and no battle. The Inspired Actions feature is an interesting addition to CCM and there is a reference sheet for this. The tokens can also be used to Move a Leader, Bonus Battle and Bravery and can be gained in a number of ways.
In my solo game the Byzantines performed quite well and were defeated by the Huns by nine to seven victory banners, a surprisingly close result, and were actually leading the game at one point. The mounted Hun medium and heavy bow armed cavalry are really powerful and mobile units, especially with an attached leader, and are a double threat in ranged or close combat. I'm really looking forward to trying out the other eighteen scenarios in CCM and will definitely be planning and playing games with miniatures like we've done with CCA.
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| Huns defeat Byzantines 9 to 7 Victory Banners - surprisingly close! |
I find cavalry are really deadly in this edition of CC. Fun to command; not so fun to face. I like the changes from Ancients.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree Jonathan, I like the changes too and will use the Parthian shot rule with my Scythians against Alexander in CCA Battle of Jaxartes.
DeleteI played a few solo CC Medieval and I find horse archers armies like the Huns should be able to harass the Byzantines and defeat them as they did historically, not sure about using the Parthian shot rule on Alexander, against Romans absolutely! :o)
ReplyDeleteThere are some interesting scenarios with the Huns and Sassanids Phil. Scythian horse archers definitely used the Parthian shot tactic and It would be useful in Parthian CCA scenarios like Carrhae as well.
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