Second, the other good news. I’m starting beta testing on the battle end of things. One final shakedown with my boardgaming buddy Chris outside my LAN, and away we go! There’s no AI yet, and the Campaign end of things is still under wraps, but it’s a start.

Most of my time recently has been spent dealing with Network and GUI code, and tooling around Darkwind in machine gun totting muscle cars.

Now that I’ve quit Darkwind cold turkey, I’m moving onto programming the Battle AI. Well, in between polishing things according to Beta feedback.

Finale

It all comes down to one key moment, with the Shek Companions and Kyzik Ghuls back to back, each fresh from victory. They are positioned such that there is no way for them to avoid melee, and whoever moves first will fall upon the other’s flank.

The underlying game mechanics resolve moves a step at a time, with conflicts resolved in random — so it’s essentially a coin toss who moves first.

The Companions finish their battle just a bit earlier, routing the Ghuls with a flank charge, and sweeping their general too.

This isn’t quite enough to rout Kyzikos immediately, but it is decisive. On the last round Shekemesh Pike finish off one of many faltering units, and the Kyzik army breaks.

Round 6: Shekemesh 5/9, Kyzikos 8/10

Round 7: Shekemesh 5/9, Kyzikos 10/10

Chaos

As the battle heats up, it becomes increasingly disorganized, and devolves into many little battles.

* The Shek Pike block finally hits home, landing hits against the Kyzik Crossbowmen and Spearmen.

* The flanking Shek Horsemen win one and lose one, and have nearly reached the limit of their resolve.

* the Companions, fresh from victory, angle to charge the Ghul Guard in the rear, but they wheel out of the way just in time, and so instead the adjacent Halberdiers feel their bite.

* The Ghul Guard execute an interior flank, falling upon the already engaged Hypaspists’ with swift results.

* The remaining cavalry jockey for position as they recover from their respective victories.

Outcome: Shekemesh 4/9 routed, Kyzikos 5/10 routed

Near Flank

The second Kyzik Bannermen attempt to strike the Companions in the rear, but are intercepted by the Shek Auxilia, who about face and attempt to wheel onto the Bannermen’s flank. It nearly works, but when it doesn’t they are overwhelmed by the Shock of set lances — lances which otherwise would have routed the Companions.

The Shek Companions follow through on their double team, and the Shock of their charge crushes the opposing Bannermen. The Shek Horsemen again triumph in their evenly matched battle, routing the opposing Horsemen.

Center

The Shek Pike, now free of the immediate threat from the Kyzik Ghul Guard press forward, while the skirmisher screen interpenetrates and reforms behind. They take a hit from Crossbowmen, but will be in reach next turn.

The rightmost Pike comes into melee with Kyzik Halbadiers, crucially pinning their wheeling division and delaying the neighboring Ghuls from falling on the Hypasists’ flank.

Far Flank

Shek Horsemen fall upon the Kyzik Spearmen from the rear, and best them in melee. Such light troops won’t beat Spearmen quickly, and may not even have enough Resolve to defeat them, but this pins both Spearmen who, distracted, will fall swiftly to the oncoming Pike.

The Kyzik Scouts maneuver to fall upon the Pike from behind, dispersing some opposing Bowmen along the way. Unfortunately for Kyzikos their missile fire proves ineffective.

Outcome: Shekemesh 2/9 routed, Kyzikos 3/10 routed

A word on the score. Heavy units like Infantry and Cavalry cost 2 Fear when routed, while Light units like Auxilia and Horsemen cost 1 Fear. Routed Skirmishers have no effect.

Shekemesh: Bait and Switch

Now that the Kyzik cavalry is off balance, the plan is to switch course and take out the relieving cavalry quickly, then proceed into the Kyzik rear. The weaker Cavalry unit will pin them in melee, while the Companions are out of range, but can setup a second Shock against the immobilized foe next turn. The trailing Auxilia follow behind into a position of opportunity, while the Horsemen will move to engage their counterparts.

The Pike block will press forward, while the Skirmisher screen retires from the advancing Infantry, and the Horsemen move into position for a rear attack.

The Hypaspists are still in a bad way, and scramble to avoid facing Kyzik’s Ghul Guard and/or getting double teamed, ideally flanking the Kyzik line in the unlikely event it hesitates.

Kyzikos: Running out of Options

The Kyzik strategy is to press for battle line contact, continue bring the Cavalry together, and take advantage of it’s new found opportunity on the far flank. Nothing can be done about the rampaging Shek Horsemen, so they will be ignored.

The Crossbowmen keep defending the hill, as they need any edge they can get against the oncoming Pike, and the refuge of their pavises against the hail of missiles they’re facing. The Spearmen would press forward for the flank, but they are leashed to the Crossbowmen.

It’s hard to do much more in the face of Shekemesh’s superior flexibility, and everything depends on swift work by the Ghul Guard.

Outcome: Shekemesh 1/9 routed, Kyzikos 0/10 routed

Shekemesh is closer to routing, but is in a strong position largely because it’s cavalry tactics work as planned, and the Hypaspists just manage to avoid the Ghuls — for now.

Shekemesh wins the Hypaspists vs. Halberdiers and Horsemen vs. Horsemen matchups, and the Shek Cavalry is lucky to tie with the superior Kyzik Bannermen. Shek Bowmen inflict a hit on the Kyzik Spearmen not hit last turn.

Shekemesh: Swiftly now!

The prospects for victory look good, with a solid advantage on the right flank, and free reign on the Left, albeit only with light troops. The center is overmatched, but should be able to hold, although the Hypaspists dangling in front of the Ghul Guard are a looming problem.

Shekemesh slowly advances it’s Pike block, seeking to tie up the Kyzik line without coming to grips with it just yet, and be in position to pin it when the time comes.

The Skirmishers advance to pelt the exposed (but armored) Kyzik line with javelins, while the Auxilia and Horsemen on the left race into the vacuum left by the Kyzik Cavalry’s redeployment.

The right wing foregos the flank offered by the Halberdiers, for fear of later getting flanked themselves by Kyzik’s relief, and instead seeks to seal the Kyzik flank’s fate.

The Hypaspists are in a tight spot, and wheel to the right in the hopes of avoiding the oncoming Kyzik line, while still potentially providing support to the Cavalry.

Kyzikos: Walking on the Edge

Things look increasingly dicey; the Infantry needs to press ahead before the battle is lost on the wings, but must expose it’s flank to do so…

Seeing both flanks in danger, Kyzikos presses it’s infantry forward seeking their advantage. The Crossbowmen move into a defensive position on the hill, while the Spearmen to their right move forward hoping to later envelope the Shek Pike’s flank. The Ghuls and Halberdiers wheel left, minimizing their exposed flank while pressing inexorably forward.

The beleaguered left desperately avoids engagement, while the abandoned Skirmishers on the right desperately break for the woods before them, with the attached Scout leading the charge. It’s a desperate move, as the woods are defended, but staying still risks getting run down by the Shek Horsemen, and the potential payoff is huge.

Outcome: Shekemesh 1/9 routed, Kyzikos 0/10 routed

The Kyzik Cavalry has successfully stalled, but despite the arrival of reinforcements remains in dire straits, outnumbered and overpowered by the opposing combined arms.

In the center Shek arrows strike home on the largely unarmored Kyzik Spearmen, while the nearby Kyzik Bowmen deftly avoid being run down, and in a surprise turn of events catch the Shek Skirmishers in the open while raining down routing fire on the Shek Auxilia, which would have likely defeated them in melee.

Now both armies are in position to flank on the far wing!

Shekemesh: Pressing for Advantage

Seeing an outnumbered foe, the right wing presses to engage, aiming to secure the flank and later turn the corner onto the Kyzik battleline. The nearby Hypaspists press forward to support this, though they are leery of coming to grips with the Ghul Guard.

The Pike block presses forward in echelon with their Skirmisher screen, seeking to confront the weaker Spearmen and Crossbowmen before them, while they too try to keep distance from the Ghul Guard. The entire Shekemesh strategy in fact hinges on delaying any melee with the undead champions, and hoping to either avoid them entirely or flank them.

The left flank Horsemen move to harry the Kyzik flank, while the Auxilia moves to defend the forest in case the Kyzik cavalry presses forward.

Kyzikos: Cover the Left!

The Kyzik cavalry was wisely held in reserve, as it is all needed on the left flank. Any delay risks letting the Sheks roll the entire army!

The center and right cavalry swing to the left, while the outnumbered Bannermen on the left stall for time. The rest of the army brings it’s superior missile power to bear, with the Skirmishers angling for a shot on the opposing Horsemen, hoping to compensate for leaving their right flank open.

The Ghul Guard and it’s retinue are pinned; they would press forward, but fear exposing a flank and instead wait for the cavalry to arrive.

Outcome

The sole casualty is one Kyzik Bowmen, routed by concentrated fire despite the Kyzik missile weapon edge. The Shek army is in a strong and potentially devastating position.

Overview

At the top of each screen, you can see some ratings for each army’s stats. H:# means heavy divisions, and L:# means light division, referring to how many blocks of heavy/light troops a given army can maneuver. R:#/# means Fear/Resolve; as important units rout an army gains Fear points, and an army will rout once it’s Fear reaches it’s Resolve.

The colored boxes in the first screen show each armies deployment area, with heavy infantry typically not able to deploy in the flank boxes. Both sides deploy simultaneously, and all orders for later rounds are simultaneous as well.

Deployment

The Shekemesh army (Black) is exceptionally flexible, able to coordinate many divisions into a potent combined arms strategy. The center is held down by a block of 4 Pike units, with a unit of elite Hypaspists independently controlled just to the right. Skirmishers with a variously armed with Javelins and Bows screen the lightly armored pikemen from missile fire, and defend a small stand of trees. On the left flank are some javelin armed light Horsemen, and a light unit Auxilia. Two heavy Cavalry units overload on the right flank, flanked by more javelin armed Horsemen. The rightmost Cavalry is an elite unit of Companions; the double arrow icon above means the army General leads them. Another unit of Auxilia is behind the Companions, poised to support them in melee; which is a special tactic available to Shekemesh.

The Kyzikos army (Red) is defined by the powerful Ghul Guard, a unit of fully armored elite infantry with undead champions that strike fear into their foes. They have the Shock ability usually reserved for Cavalry — if they beat a foe without Shock on the first round of melee, they rout it immediately. Unlike Cavalry they needn’t look for a flank to win in melee…

Their Ghul Guard is on the left of the Kyzikos center with their General, in a division with Halbardiers on either flank. To the right is a division of 2 units of poor quality Spearmen, and 2 units of Crossbowmen (with pavises) defending a hill. A division of Bowmen and Scouts screen the lightly armored Spearmen. The Kyzikos cavalry is held back to respond to the more numerous and flexible Shekemesh cavalry, with lance armed Bannermen on the flanks, and Horsemen in center reserve.

Here are a few tracks:

Intro snippet (the full track was too big to upload here :-/)

Battle Music

Winter

All copyright John Pospisil, posted with his permission.

Events can include things like temporary military advantages, surprise storms at sea, lending transport capacity to an ally, recruitment of mercenaries or rare units, mobilization of allied Minor Powers, surprise victory point objectives, etc. Since cards are often burned for mobilization, there is lots of scope for situational, scenario related, and offbeat cards.

The cards in a faction deck are customized based on Faction history, stats, abilities, and neighbors. Some factions will have more or less cards, others will be able to cycle through them faster. Volatile factions into raiding will often have victory point cards with random short term goals, while more stable factions will look more towards control of strategic locations.

I like the tradeoffs this entails between events that you’d like to play and mobilization you need, how it rewards forward planning, that it limits the common “move everything” micromanagement syndrome, and how it is a nice conduit for faction specific flavor and game mechanics.