[Duane Young]

Because of costs, and also “heroic” sized 28mm fugues, I have opted for “standard” units that are only twelve figures not sixteen.  I have also opted to base them where the space I have allotted for a figure amounts to 1-inch or 25mm square, not 20mm.  Some figures of some units have been based literally “individually” on such 25mm squares, but while I use movement trays, that is still proving a little cumbersome.  I am now trying out — with the latest figures to be painted/based — putting “light infantry” on two-figure stands 25x50mm, and medium and heavy infantry on four-figure stands, 50mm square.  I do (for now) plan to continue to base “skirmishers” individually on 25mm squares.

So far my EIR and MIR cohorts are only identical.  I have arrayed them with ranks of six figures in two files (6×2) on a basis of 150mm frontage and 50mm depth.   Since I clearly note that my 150mm units are “standard,” and as the movement trays push that up to just over 160mm, there is no confusion on the table… so far.

The one thing I have not yet tackled is:
— a) whether to have some “milliaria” cohorts, and if I do,
— b) how to “size” and to base them.

Although the root of the word means “1000,” the theoretical strength of such cohorts (so historians say) was 800 men.  As such they were not double the size of a regular cohort of a theoretical 480 men (or about 500), but more like half-again as large.  Thus I am thinking to field such a cohort as eighteen figures (half-again larger than my “standrd” units of twelve figures).  What is stopping me for now is what basis to use for frontage?  Should such a unit be “deeper” than a standard unit (i.e. a three-deep unit)?  Or, should it take up a wider frontage but be arrayed only as deep as the standard unit?  Thus, should it be arrayed 6×3, and with a frontage and depth of 150mmx 75mm?  Or should it be 9×2, and with a frontage and depth of 225mmx 50mm?  Happy to hear other’s thoughts on that.  Cheers!

[Duane Young]

Thanks all — that is very helpful.  I’m fairly new to the rules.  Actually, NEVER played them yet, to be honest (but have played a few games of Bolt Action!).  Am looking FWD to it when I get enough troops painted up!  Fidelling with the rules parameters now just by reading through and trying to get my “arms around them!”

I will assuredly have some “basing” and “sizing” questions soon!  Cheers!

[Duane Young]

What are “Raw Recruits” in “Hail Caesar!”?

I read in the section for “Middle Imperial Romans” (as one example) in the “Army Lists: Late Antiquity to Early Medieval” supplement (on pg. 10) for the main “Hail Caesar!” rules, that players have the flexibility with “Legionary or auxiliary heavy infantry armed with spears and javelins” to “spend” (actually, I would say “recover”) points by exercising an option for the “Reduction to downgrade non-drilled legionaries per unit or auxiliaries to raw recruits.”  Doing so changes the statistics for the legionaries or auxiliaries from:

Clash – 7, Sustained – 7, Short Range – 3, Long Range – 0, Morale Save – 4+, Stamina – 6, Special – [none], Points Value – 26 per unit

 To:  Clash – 6, Sustained – 6, Short Range – 3, Long Range – 0, Morale Save – 4+, Stamina – 6, Special – [none], Points Value – minus 2 per unit

What has me confused is this reduction seemingly conflicts with several points stated elsewhere in the rules.  In the “Appendix” to the supplement (on pgs. 80-81), I look in vain for a definition and numerical modification for any such category labelled as “Raw Recruits.”  BTW, since I have PDF copies of both the supplement and the main “Hail Caesar!” rules, I did a search for “Raw Recruits.”  In the rules there is not one mention of “Raw Recruits.”  In the supplement, the term appears in a few of the listings.  But not one mention with regard to how to sue the category as a special rule!  So I decided to do a “synonym.”  In my world, other terms that MIGHT describe “Raw Recruits” are either “levies” or “freshly raised.”  Is the difference just semantics?  Well, let’s do the MATH!

Reduction for “freshly raised” is minus 1 per unit; for a “standard” unit (pg. 81).

Reduction for “raw recruits” is minus 2 per unit; for a “standard” Middle Imperial Roman unit (pg. 10).

Reduction for “levies” is minus 3 per unit; for a “standard” unit (pg. 81).

So – does NOT add up!

So, what are units of “Raw Recruits” in “Hail Caesar!”?  What does the “math” of a minus two (2) points really entail?  And what “special rule” is entailed by that reduction in unit points value from 26 points for a unit to 24 points for the unit??

OR!?  Am I just reading too much into this?  Am I “over-thinking” it – as it were?  Is the difference really just the change from 7 & 7 to 6 & 6?  That is, after-all a difference of “minus 2 points.”  In other words, the “minus 2” is already entailed in the shift “down” of the “clash” and “sustained” values, so that the “minus 2” is just a “notation;” i.e., NO further action is required of the player??  IS it really that simple??  Thanks in advance for helping me wrap my head around this!!!

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