Recreational Warfare is an outgrowth of the age old problem of solving diplomatic disputes by other means but that is done in a way that, consistent with the genre of political simulation, at least attempts to be amusing and entertaining in the manner by which it is executed.
Recreational Warfare is a product of its evolutionary history, the product of change over time and the inputs of myriad individuals with often wildly differing priorities and perspectives. Reflecting this ad hoc development it is neither properly a textual role-playing game nor a traditional war game, but its rules and conventions are heavily influenced by both genres of gaming.
Shireroth utilises two broadly overlapping rule-sets which govern its “recwarring” conventions, these being those of Anunia and the Shirerithian Civil & Internal Recwar Association; Anunia is the latest stage in the evolution of the development of an internally consistent yet usable rule set that is accepted across the greater part of our particular sector of the simulating community, SCIRA on the other hand, as the full title suggests, is geared towards regulating internal civil conflict.
The rule sets in both instances are tolerably self explanatory and I cannot stress enough the importance of reading both [links will be provided]. Anunia takes the individual participant “commander” and assigns to him an arbitrary value of 25,000 points, with each point being the equivalent of one tolerably well-trained, reasonably well-equipped, light infantryman of the kind found in most first world militaries (a side point of contention – the continual process of “up-armouring” that has occurred as a part of the war against the Taliban and the former occupation of Iraq renders it a moot point as to whether your average British or American light infantryman is actually that “light” when deployed in the field, compared with their equivalents deployed in Bosnia or Kosovo in the preceding decade). For better trained and equipped infantrymen or for more complex weapons systems such as armoured vehicles or aviation the points cost per unit (tank, plane etc.) increases in a sliding scale of firepower and perceived complexity/cost. The points values assigned are largely arbitrary but remain proportionate in relation to differing systems.
SCIRA detaches the point’s relationship from the assigned value of the “commander” and links it to the commander’s ability to purchase units and weapons systems with the local currency, the erb. Units cost the amount of Erb of 1/5th their strength in Anunia Points. See sections IV.D-G of the Anunia Convention for the principles of determining a units point cost.
Units are available for purchase via registered Orbat (Order of Battle) sellers or, in their absence, by direct purchase from the Ministry of Trade which maintains a SCIRA office forum for the purpose.
Returning to the scenario, Mirza Durrani has been appointed as Satrapan-Count to the County-Ostan of Molivadia. Were we dealing with Anunia alone he would have 25,000 points to distribute, but as we are not, Agha Mirza Durrani will have to make do with what he can purchase with the funding available to him, which is as follows:
For a series of Shirewiki articles detailing the lesser known ovine infidelities of the Emir of Vey, Agha Mirza Durrani received 200 Erb as part of a bounty for which he was nominated by the Minister of Information;
For getting involved an Elwynnese sheep rustling scam which degenerated, as only scams in Elwynn can, into a three way shoot out between the Elwynnbrigaden, a multi-limbed insectoid alien species and a set of vengeful gods, Agha Mirza Durrani received 300 Erb and another 50 Erb in compensation for having his left hand bitten off by an “Oh’ltar”. These payments constituted the remainder of his bounty for that particular real world month;
As a one off payment Agha Mirza Durrani received 100 Erb from the Imperial Defence fund maintained by the Ministry of Military Affairs to help bolster security.
In all Mirza Durrani has to his name 650 Erb, a middling to low income but a respectable start for a new citizen. Durrani’s future purchasing power seems assured as he managed to secure a plum assignment from Diplocorps as a Cultural Diplomat earning 300 Erb a month for explaining to bored Ocians the profound cultural significance of the Mango and how it permeates all levels of the Shirerithian society and psyche.
So now the maths, where things can often go wrong for victims of the British education system, 650 Erb equates to a total points allocation of 3,250.
However fortunately, the defence needs of a County are, in and of themselves comparatively moderate, being first and foremost territorial defence.
Reviewing the situation in Molivadia we see that it shares a land border with the hostile Babkhan Remnant in the Zsharra, sits astride the overland route from the ducal capital of Kamalshahr in the south east, to the more heavily populated satrapan-counties of Razamin and Alkhiva in the north west, and their strategic ports and harbours such as Susa and Bushehr. Molivadia enjoys direct access to the sea, but in both instances along, relatively, narrow straits which could theoretically be subjected to blockade or interference by a determined enemy. Similarly the reverse applies; any hostile naval operation would have to take place in relatively confined littoral waters, vulnerable to ground and aviation elements operating from a hostile shore. There are four cities in Molivadia, all of whom are good potential port harbours, albeit one, Nau Baathshahr, faces onto an inland sea which empties via the navigable River Nouradin into the Dyre Straits to the North West. The traditional administrative centre of Molivadia is Nivardom. Traditionally Nivardom is also one of the key caravanserai hubs for the overland route from Kamalshahr to Sajin City. The terrain and climate is more typical of steppe conditions than those stereotypically associated with the Babkhan desert. The climate however is harsh and the province is depopulated outside of the cities save for nomadic pastoral herders, the occasional salt-mine penal colony and some agricultural settlements that are somewhat less than thriving. The other consideration is that the Zsaharran settlement of Pax, formerly a logistics centre and transportation hub for the deportations of Tudeh dissidents to the old salt mine network, is the closest sustainable forward position the Babkhan Remnant has to the border with the Duchy of Babkha, and whilst the likely axis of any rebel offensive is likely to be towards Raspur or Kamalshahr itself it remains an unalterable fact that Pax sits opposite the border with Molivadia.
(Incidentally if anybody wants a threat assessment done on their feudal holding I would be more than happy to oblige in return for modest remuneration, fees negotiable).
It is imperative therefore that the Count in this scenario creates, within his modest means, a balanced force capable of maintaining the territorial integrity of the County. Higher tactical and strategic functions are likely, for the meanwhile to remain out of reach, but this slack can be held by the forces of the Baronial, Ducal and Imperial authorities, with the minor drawback of making it necessary to be on tolerable terms with those same authorities lest they be disinclined to help during a crisis.
Objectives for a County Militia therefore:
1. Defend the Frontier facing the Zsharra;
2. Defend the County-Ostan’s administrative centre (Nivardom);
3. Defend the internal (east-west) lines of communication of the Duchy of Babkha;
4. Defend the coastal littoral of the county against enemy action;
These objectives have been ranked in accordance with perceived relative importance. The Babkhan Remnant is a hostile enemy, liable in the near future to mount an act of overt aggression, with the aim of sweeping aside a frontier that it refuses to recognise. Defending the County “capital” is also a key priority as the loss of this would disable the functioning of the County as an entity and would also imply a crucial failure with regards to objective 3 and the maintenance of lines of communication. Objective 4 is in its own way important but not to the same degree as the rest, there are numerous other ports in the Duchy of Babkha that would be able to ensure that external lines of communication with the rest of Shireroth remain open and there are similarly stretches of coast that would be more inviting for amphibious landings. The purchase of a couple of frigates therefore would be a desirable luxury as opposed to a necessity. Warships are expensive, perhaps prohibitively so for county level players at any size greater than a corvette or minesweeper.
Military aviation is affected by similar considerations, under Anunia/SCIRA the cost of a 4th Generation fighter-bomber is the same as that of a frigate and, to put that into perspective, a modest squadron of x8 Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft (the Anunia default type) would come in at a total cost of 4,000 points (500 per unit), more than the available start up budget of the County Militia. A mobile surface to air missile system such as the Antey-2500 would cost 40 per unit. That is not to say that the County should forgo military aviation all together tactical air support and air mobility (manifested in adaptable multirole helicopters such as the ubiquitous Blackhawk) is a necessity in the modern battlefield.
The optimal solution for Molivadia, within funding constraints, therefore would be an air mobile infantry battalion consisting of x5 infantry companies, an HQ company, adequate helicopter support and the provision of various other support detachments (such as rocket artillery and other such goodness) to bolster firepower, including mobile SAM systems for denying enemy aviation control of the skies.
In the next instalment we will discuss the exact composition of such a force.
Any questions at this stage?
- That is all.
