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Review of Cataphract (2nd edition)
Blurb from the publisher: 'Cataphract is defined as a heavily armored cavalryman modelled either on the Sarmatians (cataphractarius) or the Persians (clibanarius). He was the ultimate mounted armored warrior of the ancient world, trained in both shock and missile combat.
Cataphract portrays the development of the art of war wrought by the early Byzantine Empire, during the reign of Emperor Justinian, under his great Generals, Belisarius and Narses. During this period the Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, for a brief period of time, re-captured a large portion of what was formerly the Western Roman Empire. Although successful in its attempts to reconquer Italy and North Africa, the Byzantine Empire's resources were insufficient to hold on to its gains.
Cataphract covers all the major battles that defined this era. To place these battles in their proper historical context, the Campaign Game, Justinian, is enclosed, which covers the quest to reconquer the Roman Empire under one ruler.
Thus, Cataphract contains the decisive battles from the era, a Campaign Game plus the battles from the Attila module: Utus Rive, 447 A.D. and The Catalaunian fields, 451 A.D.'
What you get: Your USD 70 or equivalent will buy you the 2nd, 2019 edition of Cataphract, or 'Great Battles of History Volume VIII: Cataphract - The Reconquest of the Roman Empire', were I to use its full name. Cataphract is a token-based medium-complexity wargame of early first millennium battles. It is a part of the Great Battles of History game line, and in particular its eighth volume.
Cataphract can accommodate one or two players and may last up to six (!) hours. Even though the second printing only came out a couple of months ago, the game was first published in the distant 1999, when it received a CSR Award nomination for Best Game of the Year.
It is of note that the present edition includes the battles previously included in Attila: Scourge of God, which was an expansion for the game's original edition.
In addition to the 32-page Cataphract Rulebook, the 16-page Justinian Rulebook, and the 28-page Scenario Book which can be also downloaded from the publisher's website free of charge, the game also contains the following: 4 22'' x 34'' map sheets, 900 single counters, 40 double-sized counters, 5 Player Aid cards, one Game Turn/Rout Point Tracking Card, and one ten-sided die.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have never played the game's original edition. Thus, I cannot meaningfully compare the present edition to the original. Additionally, seeing how every game in the Great Battles of History game line shares a similar, but not fully identical, set of rules, the present review has many similarities with that of Great Battles of Alexander: Macedonian Art of War.
Gameplay: If you are aware of the Great Battles of History series, then you get a running start. This is simulationist, old-school wargaming that tries to follow historical sources as closely as possible without however prescribing the battles' outcome. One point of size represents around 100 to 150 infantry or 100 cavalry. This means that a token can represent anything from 300 to just over 1000 men. Expect each turn to last around half an hour, while each hex stands for just over 60 meters. There are three types of counters: units, leaders, and information markers. Land units are square, while the Galleys are rectangular. Each has an identifier for a number of capabilities, namely their Size, Troop Quality, and Movement. Some units also have Missile Indicators depending on the type of missiles they throw (e.g. bows, composite bows etc). Each unit has two identical sides; the second is used to indicate that the unit has moved. Leaders use different ratings relating to their ability to command.
The objective of the game is to make the opponent's army withdraw at the end of a turn. There are five phases in the sequence of play. In the Leader Activation Phase the lowest Initiative Leader is activated. The Orders Phase has a Movement/Missile Segment where a unit performs one function per Individual Order given by the Leader. Leaders that have Line Command can order an entire Line of units to Move and Fire Missiles. It is in this segment that opposing units can opt for Orderly Withdrawals, Reaction Facing and/or Reaction Fire. The Shock Combat Segment on the other hand covers shock combat. There is the designation, the charge, the Leader Casualty Resolution, the Clash of Spears and Swords, Shock Combat Resolution, as well as Collapses and Routes. In the Momentum Phase the player that just played uses the Leader that was just activated to gain another Orders Phase, something that the opposing player can counteract with Momentum Trump. Otherwise play continues with the next Leader with the lowest Initiative. The Rout and Reload phase is an administrative phase that sees the rallied markers removed, Rout Movement being forced on routed units, Missile units getting more missiles (reloading) and all moved Units and finished Leaders getting back to their front sides. The last phase is the Withdrawal phase. Each player totals the Rout points of all eliminated combat units and leaders to see if his army has reached its Withdrawal Level. If neither army withdraws, another game turn begins.
A Leader will have ratings on his Command Range, whether he is an Elite Commander (usurping the standard Initiative-based Orders phase), Initiative, Line Commander capabilities, Contingent Commander Capabilities, Strategy Ratings (if subordinate Leaders can issue line commands on their own), Personal Combat, Charisma (adjusting Shock combat) and a Movement Allowance. The core of the game are the Leaders' Individual Orders and Line Commands. The first can be given to units that have a clear line of sight to the Leader through unobstructed terrain (no enemy units, no terrain that cannot be crossed by the Leader), and in a distance up to the Leader's Command Range. The Leader can issue as many orders as his Initiative. The second can be given to overall 'lines', as dictated by the game scenario. There are quite the rules and exceptions depending on the actual unit; for example infantry follows slightly different rules than cavalry when in a line. Distinctions also exist about whether an Overall Commander (the guy that commands the whole army) or a Subordinate Commander can give the orders and how.
Orders allow a unit to move (and fire, if a missile unit), missile fire without movement, remove Cohesion Hits from a unit, attempt to Rally a friendly routed unit, or replace one eliminated friendly leader. Line Commands on the other hand allow the whole (or part) of the line to move (and potentially fire), or missile fire without moving.
Excessive movement and combat accumulate Cohesion Hits on units which are applied, some times automatically and some times after a die roll, against the unit's Troop Quality rating. Cohesion Hits do not reduce the strength or fighting capabilities of a unit; they only show how close the unit is to deteriorating. Routed units either get eliminated or start moving the fastest possible towards their retreat edge.
I did not explain the full 44-page Great Battles of Alexander, and I do not intend to do anything similar for the 32-page Cataphract. Expect things like Momentum, trumping that momentum, terrain considerations, zones of control, rules particular to certain scenarios only, orderly withdrawals, feigned retreats, harassment and dispersal tactics, shock combat, special units like Dismounted Cavalry and Cheiroballistras, engagement in shock combat (no multitasking!), etc.
The Justinian campaign is a different design to that of Cataphract proper. The game is not played in hexes, its counters differ on what they depict, while each counter stands for a much bigger amount of men. Justinian is played in a map of the Middle East centered around Cyprus. The objective differs, depending on whether one plays the Byzantines or the Barbarians: the Byzantines try to control all five prefectures as well as have Lazica free of enemy armies, while the Barbarians win if the Byzantines fail to do so. The game will end at any point from the seventh to the tenth round, depending on when the plague occurs or not.
Each turn is played in five phases. In the Byzantine Income phase the Byzantine player both collects income and pays in order to retain his units. In the Byzantine Army Phase the player raises the strength point of his units and creates new units. In the Activation Phase, and starting with the Barbarian player, players alternate in activations. The phase lasts for five activations per player. The End-of-Turn Phase is an administrative step; if nobody has won, the game continues into a new turn.
The strong points: I have had my sights on this impossible to find game for more than ten years. Finally, it got reissued, and the result is an unmitigated success. And not only that, but one literally gets two games in one. Yey!
Cataphract carries all the hallmarks of successful designs which are steeped in realism. This isn't high fantasy, and it is not about eliminating units; it is about routing them, something that is very different. The Commands & Colors game line often provokes a reaction to the tune of 'I can't play what I want!' due to the cards influencing the variety of your options. This is not the case here. You can play what you want, and aptly suffer for it. If you liked the epic feel of the 300 movie and how soldiers fought out of line ninja-style, forget about it. Warfare in the 5th century AD was still about keeping a firm line as it was 1000 years back. Your leaders should be well positioned, fully protected, and in a position to give orders. Also, you should understand the characteristics of each of your units. Honestly: they don't do the same; they don't behave the same; they don't last the same. This is what the game is about, and even more so because there is no fog of war (and how could there be one when you are mostly fighting in plains?). Patience, analysis, and ultimate familiarization with the game's intricacies is what will lead you to victory, or what will provide you with a rewarding experience, if you try to outdo yourself.
If I were to compare Cataphract to Great Battles of Alexander, the present game definitely comes out as less complex when it comes to the number of troops one manages and the size of the battles. This is a very welcome change. If you start now, Cataphract is more likely to help you understand the rules of the line and ease your way into more complex games with the same ruleset. If you like Great Battles of Alexander but you are just intimidated by their sheer size, Cataphract is again a solid fix. One could even argue that its size keeps you more focused and allows you to more easily identify strategy. For me, there is space in my bookshelf for both games. They scratch a similar itch, yet their scope is different enough to make them both desirable.
I was very surprised by the challenge that Justinian provided. Simply put, this is a different game. Cataphract is not timed, and you can keep exchanging blows in a dance of death for a long time. In Justinian however you have from seven to ten turns to succeed as the Byzantine player. If you don't, you lose. I love the asymmetry, and even more so because my statistically insignificant playtests demonstrated that the Byzantines have a very steep hill to climb; leave them to the most experienced player, if you don't play solo. I also enjoyed the income system, something that Cataphract is devoid of. Take this analogy with a grain of salt, yet to a certain extent Justinian is partially reminiscent of total war games that include both production and fighting. That is likely to appeal to modern gamers, who might tackle the side dish before engorging themselves in the main meal.
The rulebook is very well written. I can't easily say what changed from the game's previous iteration, yet I am fully satisfied both by the way the rules are presented, as well as the many examples, the historical notes, and the designer's explanations. It is always easier to deconstruct and understand a game when you absorb its inner workings. To this I also have to add the fact that GMT Games always provides Living Rules. If any unclear points arise, they will be sorted out soon and posted free of charge on their website. Now that's customer support for analogue tabletop games.
The fact that the game includes the expansion of its previous edition obviously makes it more desirable, since it's as full an experience as one expects. In fact, I had bought said expansion in the past, in anticipation of one day finding the original game. It doesn't matter; now I will make someone happy on the secondary market.
I enjoyed how the game gives a nod to the line's dedicated players, and provides a scenario that is playable by those who also own War Galley, Volume VII in the Great Battles of History series. In this naval battle (Sena Gallica) the Byzantines faced the Goths. Nice, even though admittedly if one bought Catphract only in order to play this particular naval battle with War Galley he would be missing the point.
The components are of a very high quality. The tokens are sturdy even though they are small, while the box is as tough as any other GMT box out there. GMT Games once again included resealable plastic bags in order for you to store your counters forever. That's both respectful and classy, taking into account how many counters the game includes.
If you don't care for the heavy Greek-Persian-and-friends theme of either Great Battles of Alexander or Cataphract, the rest of the series covers many other civilizations and battles. Rome; Gaule; Japan; the Huns; and many more. If even that looks too complicated, there is always the Simple Great Battles of History package. This uses the same components as any GBoH package, while simplifying the game's rules. If you are looking for an intro, that might as well be it.
The weak points: One of Cataphract's starting phrases is a copy/paste from Great Battles of Alexander, and sets the tone for the game: 'Cataphract, while not an overly difficult game to learn or understand, uses a tactical system which rewards those who know what their men can do and how to exploit the capabilities of even the worst of them'. Indeed, this is not a difficult game to learn... ...for grognards. Well-written as the rulebook is, the game's design does not follow the sleek streamlining that more commercial games out there tend to use. In other words, you will need to devote time to this. This is not a plug-and-play game, or a game where you learn by doing, unless you play solo. Taking into account its extremely high solitaire suitability, you will only have to put in the time, not the effort to find another player that is as dedicated as you are. On the other hand however, the game is obviously more entertaining with a real, breathing opponent, who can immediately call out your mistakes and punish you for them, helping you better appreciate the game's complexity in the process. Irrespective of your historical or gamist preferences, also be aware that not all battles are of the same size or complexity. Some battles are much easier to manage, and one should better start from there. You are still bound to make mistakes and forget rules, at the end of the day however the game is worth it. The question is, are you interested in this historical period?
The rules allege, and I trust them to be, the clearest and cleanest ever, still however they cannot provide for every circumstance. I am talking about routing and how one might need to adjudicate that based on how the battlefield looks like. The rulebook goes the standard way of appealing to the gamers' common sense, 'something in short supply during many games', as it itself states. Just be reasonable; we are all in this to have fun, not pontificate over a rulebook.
There are many scenarios for Cataphract, there is only one scenario for Justinian however, no matter the fact that the players decide their starting positions. I am fairly certain that this just feels restricted, and that it will not hurt the game's replayability in the long run. There are simply too many things going on in the game for that to happen.
Aesthetically speaking Cataphract follows the other games of the Great Battles of History game line. The game is definitely playable, yet there is a lot of info on those tokens and the fonts are quite small. The game is fiddly, and you'd better have a good eyesight, even though after a point you will have a semi-automatic knowledge of which units are where and what exactly it is that they do.
Big maps require big tables. Even more so, the table should better be dedicated to your game, since you will need to leave things untouched if you don't manage to finish in a single evening. This is quite likely to happen when you play solo mind you, since you are free to pause whenever you wish. You should also not be surprised by the cardboard maps not being mounted. That is pretty much standard fare for games with tokens.
Conclusion: Cataphract (2nd edition) is a gem of a game (two games, actually), tackling a historical period that few other games have invested into. Clearly written rules, two different yet equally satisfying gaming experiences, and a lot of attention on the details of the gameplay are only few of the things that make it a keeper.
For more info on Cataphract (2nd edition) and GMT Games overall, take a look at http://www.gmtgames.com.
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