First Game of Corvus

 

Romans and Carthaginian fleets deployed

Carthaginians advance

Romans advance

On Thursday afternoon Craig came over for another naval game, this time we tried Corvus the ancient naval rules by Richard Lee and published by the Society of Ancients. This game was set in the First Punic War and we had almost identical fleets again. The Romans commanded by Craig had six squadrons with two trireme squadrons of three ships, a hexareme flagship in a squadron of one, two quinquereme squadrons with Corvus of two ships and a single squadron of two quadriremes. I commanded the Carthaginians with two trireme squadrons of three ships, a hexareme flagship in a squadron of one, two quinquereme squadrons of two ships and a single squadron of two quadriremes. 

We rolled a dice, and the Romans with highest roll, deployed first and moved first. The Trireme squadrons on both flanks were the fastest ships and the first to engage. The wrecks and captured ships quickly mounted on both sides but the Romans were the first to lose a third of their original ship points and were forced to flee. Results for ramming, shearing, boarding and shooting were all decided by a D6 roll with  various modifiers and the effect depending on the difference in final score. It felt very much like DBA with ships but we enjoyed it and will try it again. One strange result with the shooting was that on a result of four or more the target ship is automatically set on fire. All the ships from quadriremes to hexaremes had ballista on board.

Trireme squadrons on the flanks engage

Carthaginian flagship

Wrecks and captured ships mount

Romans lose a third of original
ship points and must flee