Abu has a few friends who enjoy Colonial Wargaming. He invites them over to his house to play "The invasion of the land of peace". Abu does not have a lot of toy soldiers but finds that he can use 20mm plastic Arabs and British colonials. He glues four figures to a stand to represent units. He mounts individual figures to represent the characters of the game. He writes the name of each character on the stand so they can be told apart. He then copies the character cards onto card stock and cuts them out. He makes a copy of the map and gets a tan table cloth to fight the battles on. A few books under the cloth for hills and some small boxes on top for houses and he has all that he needs to play.
Gary, Ben, Dave and Chris come over on Friday night ready to play. The first thing they do is make fun of Abu's figures and terrain. "We should use lead figures." "Couldn't you at least cut out some styrofoam hills?" "A little paint on the figures would be nice. At least paint the stands brown!" Abu listens, smiles and challenges them "If you don't like it, you host the next game! If that's all of that, let's start playing."
Abu lays the map of Dar as Salaam and the Character cards out on the table. While the players look them over he reads the hook and write up for the first scenario. He then asks the players to pick which character they want to play. He asks that at least one play the bey and another a British military commander.
Gary chooses the British resident. Ben opts for the British General. Dave goes for the Bey and Chris chooses the bandit - Ali Baba.
"This is a Matrix Game and the way you make things happen in a Matrix Game is to make an argument about what you want to happen next. The referee decides how likely it is to happen and you roll to see if your argument happens."
"This scenario says we must make arguments to see how many troops are involved in the game. Each one of you is arguing about the same thing. We will find out which one happens in a big dice rolling contest. Let's start by finding out how many regular infantry units the Bey has. Gary, you start."
"How do I do this?"
"Simple, just say how many infantry units he has and why he has that many. You just make it up!"
"Okay...here's nothing...The Bey has one regular battalion because more would be wasteful."
"I think that sounds strong. It will happen on a roll of 3,4,5,6 on a six-sided die. Don't roll yet. All your arguments are going to be logically inconsistent. We will settle the matter with a dice rolling contest."
BEN: I don't think they have any regular infantry at all. They're savages.
REF: Weak, it will happen on a 5,6 on a six-sided die. I didn't read this to you but there is a history of this place in the rule book and they've been modernizing for sixty years.
DAVE: I have two regular units of course. The modernizing plan is ahead of schedule.
REF: Strong, 3,4,5,6. You have had sixty years!
CHRIS: Oh they have two units of course. They need them to hunt for me - the great thief of Baghdad!
REF: Strong, 3,4,5,6. If this happens then Ali has a reputation.
"You all roll for your own argument. In a logical inconsistency dice rolling contest one of the argument WILL HAPPEN. If your roll fails then your argument drops out of future rolls. If all the arguments fail, then they all come back into play in a new contest. One of the arguments will happen. Okay grab your six sided dice and roll."
| GARY | BEN | DAVE | CHRIS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 succeed | 6 succeed | 2 fail | 4 succeed |
| 1 fail | 2 fail | no roll | 1 fail |
| All arguments failed so a new contest begins. | |||
| 4 succeed | 4 fail | 1 fail | 6 succeed |
| 3 succeed | no roll | no roll | 3 succeed |
| 2 failed | no roll | no roll | 3 succeeded |
"Chris' argument wins. The Bey has two regular infantry units and Ali Baba has a reputation as a great thief."
This processes is repeated to determine the rest of the forces of the game. The Bey has two regular infantry, two cavalry, three guns, but only one irregular infantry unit and no irregular cavalry. The British Parliament sends four infantry units, one cavalry unit, and six cannon to subdue the Arabs. The resident has a unit of infantry in Dar as Salaam to guard him. The French also have a residency guard. No naval or police forces are sent.
"I have a map of the country. You pick which area your men start in. The British invaders start off the coast. It is easy to move around inside the area you start in but hard to move between areas. You have to use an argument to do that."
The Bey starts with his men in Dar as Salaam. The resident troops also start there. Ali Baba starts in the desert and the Invasion force starts off the coast.
"We are ready to start the invasion. Each turn you get one argument to make things happen. Ben you start off the turn then who ever wants to can go next."
BEN: We land on the beach, right here. (Pointing at an area on the map.)
REF: Very strong, 2,3,4,5,6. This is what you came here to do.
GARY: The French join us in the British Residency and we build a barricade around the building.
REF: Strong, 3,4,5,6. This will cause a conflict over whither you get this defense barrier built this turn.
DAVE: Oh no you don't! We quickly attack the Residency before they get this barrier built. No fifty five days in Peking here!
REF: Strong, 3,4,5,6. This will also cause a conflict over how badly you kill them. Also Gary and Dave's arguments are logically inconsistent. There will be a dice rolling contest.
CHRIS: Did you know that Ali Baba is in fact the Bey's outlawed brother? He opposed his brother over what kind of hats they should wear. The Bey wears a top hat, Ali wears a turban.
REF: Average, 4,5,6. Who knows, maybe you are the Bey's brother.
"First Ben and Chris will roll. Then we'll do the dice rolling contest."
Ben rolls a 2. He men land on the beach. Chris rolls a 3. He is not the Bey's brother.
"Now the contest. The question at hand is do the Arabs try attack or do the Europeans try to build a defense barrier. Roll."
GARY : DAVE
3 succeed : 4 succeed
5 succeed : 3 succeed
3 succeeded : 2 failed
"The Resident gets a chance to build a defense barrier. It may be in place for next turn - when the Arabs will likely try attacking again."
"In a conflict the referee decides who is involved in the situation and who is in the stronger position. That player then gets to make an argument telling what the outcome of the conflict is. You get to write history to benefit your side! In this case I think the British have the advantage. They know they will be killed if they do not dig in quick. So Gary make and argument."
GARY: We throw together a simple but functional wall.
REF: Strong, 3,4,5,6. Roll right now. If you fail then the next strongest position is the Bey's.
Gary rolls a 5. The residency is protected by a wall.
"That ends the first turn. You can now move your men about freely inside the area they are in. Except that you can not cross defense barriers! You can also talk to one another and negotiate. When you're ready we can start the next turn."
Gary and Ben talk for a while as do Chris and Dave. Then Chris talks to Ben, offering his services as a native guide. Ben tells him to bring Ali Baba to the English camp to talk more. Dave moves his men to surround the residency.
"Who wants to go first this turn?"
CHRIS: Ali Baba goes to the British camp and requests and audience with the general.
REF: (To Ben) Do you want to meet with him? (Ben says he does.) Very strong 2,3,4,5,6.
BEN: We build a fort on the coast to protect our line of supply.
REF: Strong 3,4,5,6. This will cause a conflict to see if it gets done this turn.
GARY: We build a second defense barrier - a redoubt inside the residency itself.
REF: Strong 3,4,5,6. This will cause a conflict to see if it gets done.
DAVE: We attack the residency with artillery and infantry.
REF: Strong 3,4,5,6. And it will cause a conflict over the outcome of the assault. I don't think that Gary and Dave's arguments are logically inconsistent this turn.
"Everyone roll for their own argument."
Chris rolls a 2. Ali goes to meet the general. Ben rolls a 3. There will be a conflict argument over building the fort. Gary rolls a 5. There will be a conflict over building the second line of defense. Dave rolls a 6. The Arabs launch an assault.
"Let's start with resolving conflicts with Ben. I think the British are in the stronger position so Ben argues first."
BEN: I read history at Oxford and know that the Normans built a prefab castle in 1066. I am certain that we, their ancestors can do the same in 1880!
REF: Strong 3,4,5,6. Roll now.
Ben rolls a 4. His fort is built.
"Now lets see what happens at the residency. As referee I get to chose what order to do the arguments in. I think I want Gary to go first. But I don't think he is in the strongest position (given that the Arabs are attacking) so Dave will argue first.
DAVE: Half of the defenders were working on the redoubt. It is not finished but this does weaken the outer defense wall during my attack.
REF: Strong 3,4,5,6. Roll.
Dave rolls a 4. The redoubt is not built and the Defense barrier is weakened by low man power.
"Now for the attack. Give the outcome of the last conflict I think the Arabs are in the stronger position. Since there is only one barrier we will only do two rounds of conflict. The first one is how the Arabs cross the wall. The second is the outcome of the fight. If they fail to cross the barrier then there is no second round. If you like we can fight the battle out with miniatures. But I don't think it will be much fun. Dave tell us what happens."
DAVE: The walls are poorly manned. A few well placed cannon shots and an infantry rush and we are in.
REF: Strong 3,4,5,6. Roll.
Dave rolls a 3. His men are in the residency.
"I still think the Arabs have the advantage. Shall we play a miniatures game or have Dave argue again?"
"Oh just argue again. If I'm dead. I'm dead." says Gary.
DAVE: We over run the residency and take the diplomats hostage. The soldiers are killed in the defense so they are not taken prisoner.
REF: Strong...no very strong 2,3,4,5,6. You did over run him.
Dave rolls a 5. The residency is captured.
"Now we could end the turn here but I think that Dave's capture of the residency is trouble for Gary. I want to give Gary an argument to see how he copes with the trouble of losing the battle."
"Can I do anything? Like try to escape?"
"Sure. That's why I wanted to give you the argument. It gives you a chance."
GARY: When the compound is about to fall, resident puts on an Arab robe and tries to slip away. He pretends he is one of the residency servants trapped inside the compound when the wall went up.
REF: Average 4,5,6. If it happens we will do a "Getting away" conflict.
Gary rolls a 6. The resident tries to slip away.
"Getting away involves resolving two conflicts. The first question is how do you get away? If you do that, then how do you not get immediately spotted again? Since Gary won the last argument I'll let him have the advantage in the first conflict."
GARY: As I said, I put on an Arab robe and slipped out with the servants.
REF: Strong 3,4,5,6.
Gary rolls a 4. He slips out.
"Now, how does he avoid being spotted again. Hummm...European in Arab robes...I think I'll let Chris argue for the local Arabs spotting the fake."
CHRIS: Oh, the local Arabs spot him as a fake readily enough for instead of turning him in they hide him. Why? Because they think they can get a good reword for turning him over to the British.
REF: Strong 3,4,5,6. Greed is always a good motivator.
Chris rolls a 3. Gary is safe.
"Gary, your man is now surrounded by a barrier of anonymity. You are hidden by Arabs. If you move your anonymity is blown. No one can follow you when you are anonymous but they can try to track you down. You are on the run!" Dave begins deploying his men facing north - towards the on coming army. Chris travels along with the British army. Ben turns his men south to Dar as Salaam while Gary hides.
Ben, Gary and Chris discuss what to do next. Dave accuses Chris of being a turncoat and a scoundrel. "Call yourself a Muslim! Consorting with the infidels!"
DAVE: We move just north of the city and build a fortified trench line on a hill top. We will meet the invaders here.
REF: Strong 3,4,5,6. Another building conflict will happen.
BEN: We move south to Dar as Salaam.
REF: Strong 3,4,5,6.
GARY: My man slips out of Dar as Salaam and joins the British army as it nears the city.
REF: Strong 3,4,5,6. Your cover is blown but since the army is near and the Bey is busy elsewhere this is a good idea. Also your argument builds on Ben's. So if it happens then Ben's men advance - even if his argument fails."
CHRIS: I am now recognized as a British scout by the British. This allows me to enter their camps without being immediately detained or arrested.
REF: Very strong 2,3,4,5,6. Clearly they trusted you enough to join in their strategy discussions this time. This status makes sense. I could have this cause a conflict but I don't think I will.
"But I don't want his to have an open pass to enter my camps!" says Ben.
"Well, you can always use an argument to take this status away from him. Otherwise you'll just have to live with it. You're the one who let him into your camp in the first place."
"Everyone roll for their arguments."
Dave rolls a 5. His men try to dig in. Ben rolls a 1. His men do not move. Gary rolls a 4. Ben's men did move and the resident escaped to them. Chris rolls a 2. He now has free entrance to British camps.
"The Arabs are in the stronger position to dig in. Dave tell us what happens."
DAVE: We build a trench line on a hill top that is right in the way of the British line of advance. River to one side, desert to the other. They have to come right through us.
REF: Strong 3,4,5,6.
Dave rolls a 6. His men are dug in on a vital hill.
The game goes on from here. A large battle is fought on the vital hill. The players decide to fight it out using a miniatures game. At first the British are repulsed. When they try again they take the position. The defenders fall back into the city. Another battle is fought in the city. Nasty street fighting. The Arabs again fall back (though many fewer than couple of turns ago). The Bey sends the Aga up river to rally the support of the tribes. About half of them join the Jihad. After securing the city and fortifying it, the British army heads south. Another battle is fought and the Arabs again lose. Players begin making arguments that tribesmen begin deserting. In a couple of turns the Bey is reduced to a tiny force. Rather than stand and be captured, he falls back into the desert. He survives the toils of heat and sand and ends up in Egypt.
Meanwhile, Ali Baba uses his position between the British and the Arabs to rally support for him from the upper classes in Dar as Salaam. He even gets the Mufti to support his claim to the Beylik. As the last loyal Muslim soldiers die in the field, Ali convinces the resident to support his regime. Ben thinks it is foolish but an argument on what the House of Commons votes on settles it. The Prime Minister does not want to take on the responsibility for policing the world. "Let the horse thief do it!"
And so ends another successful campaign.
More Dar as Salaam
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© Copyright 1999 by Chris Engle.
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