Caesar Vs Pompey, To the Strongest campaign. Intro.

This has been a long time coming. I've been wanting to get into a campaign of some sort for as long as I can remember wargaming but really the time, opportunity and enough figures to cover everything myself has never materialised.
I apologise in advance if this particular post is mainly a description of the board game used to facilitate the campaign but I feel it is necessary to set the scene as it were. The next post will cover the first engagement on the tabletop.
My collection of 10mm Caesarian Roman figures has been on the simmer for many years but the final push was always needed. This came in the form of buying the Columbia Games block boardgame Julius Caesar

A highly recommended boardgame based on the Roman civil war 49-45 BC which plays out very well indeed as a two person game by itself. So having completed enough 10mm figures to cover the intended battles - off we go.

The mapboard showing the Med area in 49BC with Caesar's forces (red blocks) and Pompey's forces (green blocks).

This shows the Iberian peninsular, the towns are marked with major roads (thick lines) and minor roads (dotted lines) running between them. Each block represents either a leader, a legion, or an auxiliary unit, with four units (inc a leader) allowed to move along major roads but only two along minor roads.
Forces (groups of units) may either move two cities per turn or attack any enemy occupying the city next to them. Enemy forces may reinforce that turn using the same movement restriction as above.

This shows Caesars central position at the start of the campaign. Rome is unoccupied with Pompey to the south in Neapolis. Normally the blocks are set up facing their owners who sit on opposite sides of the table thereby making them unsure of the composition of their opponents forces. Playing solo I just had to make the most obvious moves for each side, not ideal but needs must.

This picture shows Pompey's reinforcement pool. On the left the blocks with eagles are legionary units, next column are auxiliary units, then cavalry, elephants and ballista units and finally naval fleets.
On each block clockwise - top left, unit designation (i.e. 38th legion), strength ( IV Roman numerals), attacking order/number required to hit on a D6 (C2). A's attack first, then B's C's and so on.
On the board each block is stood upright as seen here but as it takes casualties the block is rotated with the current strength showing on the top of the block as it stands. So when looking at your opponents block you know neither the forces composition or strength.

At the beginning of each year each player is dealt six cards, after discarding one card each that they don't want players play one card per turn and move their forces/fight battles if they occur. After all five cards have been played that is the end of that year. The forces on the board then go into winter quarters with the restrictions that entails and everyone moves into the next year repeating the process.
The game is won when one side has occupied a number of key cities/recruitment centres.
The cards shown above have the number of forces (not units) which are able to be moved that turn on the red standard (so two on the left card) while the rings below the red standard show the number of strength points which may be recruited to their forces after movement (but before battle).

As can be seen above Pompey has moved to occupy Rome and has bribed a force of Caesarian cavalry to come over to his side. Mark Anthony has moved directly south to engage with Caesar himself reinforcing from the north.

The two forces which will engage in the battle of Rome 49 BC. Remember each strength point represents a unit on the table, Caesar will join the battle on game turn three out of twelve.
Next post will cover the battle on the table using Simon's To the Strongest rules. See his blog here
Shouldn't be long before posting, have a good Easter folks,
Dave.