An Ancient Campaign using Sabin's Empire as a basis and Basic Impetus (augmented) to fight the battles

Last to move this turn were the Macedonians who, as expected, marched south to imposed their rule on the Greek cities.  These were led by Athens who raised their own hoplites and also employed two further units of excellent quality mercenaries.  They also fielded two units of cavalry and a unit of light horse plus a peltast unit and a couple of skirmishers.  Facing them the Macedonians had concentrated on their phalanx composed of three large units with upgraded front ranks, only one unit of Companions and three units of light horse (plus a couple of skirmishing archer units).


The Opponents in the Centre. (mainly Immortal Plastics - now Warlord - with Foundry Horse)

The Greeks were the defenders and sought to cover both flanks with impassable lakes but the Macedonian king removed one to give him an open flank.  using our staggered placement rules the Greeks  deployed their 5 hoplite units between the lakes, four in front (including the 3 of VB=6) and one in reserve with two javelin armed skirmisher units in front.  Facing them the Macedonians deployed three large units of pikes with upgraded front units and, on their left flank by the lake, a unit of light horse, hoping to inflict missile casualties on the outflanking hoplite unit.  Fearing a reverse on their flank both sides sought victory in the centre and the two bodies of foot entered a prolonged and bloody contest.  The Macedonian light horse did no damage and eventually sidled to their left to aid the flank combat (for which, see below).  After a long struggle all three of the best hoplite units had been destroyed but the Greek commander here was anything but despondent as his two remaining units were intact (apart from a single disorder marker on one unit).  The pike phalanx had lost all three of its rear units and the remaining three front units were pretty damaged.



But the battle was lost on the flank.  Here the Greeks had two units of cavalry and a light horse unit facing the Macedonian Companions and two, then three light horse units.  Realising the damage the latter could do to his cavalry with their javelins the Greek commander focussed on getting into combat with and defeating the Companions.  To this end he pulled his unit of peltasts to the edge of the lake and charged the Companions.  


The Greek Right Moves Forward

After a brief combat the peltasts were scattered but by this time one unit of Greek horse were  up to them and charged into the pursuing Companions.  The struggle between these two was prolonged – too prolonged for the Greeks.  Beyond this combat the Macedonians quickly eliminated the enemy horse and evaded the Greek cavalry until they had done so much damage that they, at last, stood to be attacked, and defeated the Greek cavalry unit which had chased them almost right across the battlefield.


Thessalian Light Horse Skirmish with the Greek Peltasts as The Latter Advance on the Companions

This tipped the Greek Army into defeat despite finally destroying the Companions.  Though in strength points losses were about equal the destroyed Greek units had a higher VD and thus were adjudged losers.  The Macedonians now control all of the Greek homeland.


Despite the Loss of his Companions the Macedonian King Triumphed

I like the figures, and looks fun, too!

Turn Eight began with the Gauls of Cisalpina rebelling against their Roman conquerers.  Clearly they realised that Roman rule meant mass enslavement and rose in arms before that rule had settled in.

First to move were the Carthaginians and they sought to persuade the Cisalpine Gauls of the benefits of Punic rule by sending an army there.  Needless to say the Gauls demurred, gathered their forces, and sought battle.

The two armies met on a flat plain with hills to one side and only a small patch of difficult ground on the other flank.  The Gauls set up with their heavy infantry in their centre with lighter warriors on either  side and a unit of Gallic cavalry on each flank.  The Carthaginians placed Libyan and Greek hoplites in the centre with mercenary Gauls on either side and on each flank a unit of cavalry with a unit of Numidians.

The Two Armies Face Up

The Punic plan was to defeat the enemy horse on both flanks while holding their foot back and then swinging in while charging in the centre.  The Gauls just wanted to advance on the enemy as quickly as possible and crush them.

Gallic Cavalry on their Right Wing (WF Plastics)

Things went badly for the Carthaginians from the off.  On their right flank the Numidians there were caught by the Gallic horse before their own Spanish cavalry could get up (they had hoped to get in a volley or two of javelins in first) and were speedily destroyed.  When the two cavalry units clashed the Punics were immediately beaten back but the melee here raged until the very last turn of the battle due to the Punic commander here managing to roll a 1 for morale after every single melee.  On the other flank the Numidians got round the flank of the Gallic cavalry only to see their Carthaginian cavalry compatriots defeat in short order.  This allowed the Gallic cavalry to join their foot (in effect running away forward from the enveloping Numidians) in the attack on the Carthaginian infantry.

WF and GB Dark Ages figures Masquerading as Gauls

Results were decidedly mixed here.  On the right the Gauls, helped(?) by their cavalry, made heavy weather of defeating the Punic mercenaries.  On the left though they comprehensively smashed their opponents, though at the expense of taking heavy casualties.  In the centre though the Greeks  (and Libyans) defeated the Soldurii heavy foot.  But then the Spanish cavalry finally broke and ran and, with the loss of both cavalry, one unit of Numidians and almost all their Gauls, their break point was reached and they streamed from the battlefield in retreat.  Cisalpina was free of foreign domination – for the moment at least.

Next up are the Parthians who, seeking to dominate the entire Iranian plateau, have launched their horsemen at the independent Successor statelet in Persia.

The Parthians invaded the small Successor state in Persia.   Their heavy cavalry and horse archers were augmented by two units of elephants with escort, some skirmishers and a unit of Indian archers.  The Greeks (lets call them that) decided to counter the elephant threat with elephants of their own though that reduced their ability to raise light horse to effectively face the horse archers.  After all the latter had failed dismally in previous battles in the campaign.  But not this time.

Successor Elephants
(1st Corps Elephants, one unit with Belly Bow Escort)

The Greeks set out their foot on their right, anchored on some marshes with a unit of cavalry in reserve behind them and their only light horse out to the flank, intending to sweep the enemy archers ahead of them away and get round the rear of the enemy line.  Opposite this wing was a mass of horse archers, some Saka Nobles at the back and the Indian archers who performed admirably, destroying the Greek light horse as they struggled through the bad terrain and then turning on the enemy infantry and destroying the unprotected hoplite unit on the end for no loss. The horse archers didn’t have it so easy but they eventually shot up the enemy skirmishers and then inflicted severe loss on the pikes and hoplites.  This forced the Greek commander to bring forward his reserve cavalry unit who fought it out with the Saka, the latter finally coming out on top after several rounds of melee.

Having destroyed the Enemy Light Horse the Indian Archers turn on the Hoplites
(1st Corps Indians, Horse Archers and Saka versus Immoirtal Greeks)

But it was on the other wing that the real action took place.  They set out with their elephants in front flanked by two cavalry units.  Their opponents likewise had their elephants opposite with cavalry on each flanks but with horse archers  in front of everything, hoping to damage the enemy before they clashed.  However little actual losses were inflicted before the two lines clashed.  On the extreme flank the cavalry bodyguards of both generals slugged it out, turn after turn, with the Greeks unable to cause any damage to the Parthians but passing their morale each turn and thus losing a bare single permanent each turn.  They were still fighting on the last turn.

The Greek General faces the Parthian Commander with elephants fighting in the Background
(1st Corps Parthians/Saka and Elephants versius unknown Greeks)(anyone recognise these figures?)

On the other side of the elephants the Saka defeated their Greek opponents and surged forward into the middle of the enemy line.

The Battle at a Critical Moment

Between the elephants honours were even with one victory and one defeat each.  But it was here that the horse archers proved their worth.  As the victorious Greek elephant moved forward in pursuit it was shot at by two horse archer units and a group of skirmishers and fell victim to their  missiles.  With both elephants and two cavalry units lost plus damage to their foot now cowering under withering fire from the horse archers, the Greeks were defeated and fled west into Mesopotamia.  The Iranian plateau now belonged to the Nomads.  (as is only right and proper, he said)

Saka Noble Cavalry

We allowed countercharges in this game and I think we will keep this.  We may also return to the original -2 for moving shooters and -2 for shooting at open order units as we found the horse archers a little too effective en masse.

The Seleucids decided to round off their Anatolian possessions by conquering Armenia which had been rather left to one side when Alexander swept across Asia.  Taking a strong, three unit cavalry force with two supporting units of horse archers, two large units of pikes and some Galatian infantry  they marched north.  To face them the Attalids assembled a very strong force of Nomad noble cavalry (4 units) with two light javelin horse, a solitary Galatian cavalry unit and two thereos  armed infantry.  Both sides also had a few skirmishers.

Without any infantry worth the mention the Attalids decided to ignore their centre altogether and concentrate of destroying the enemy cavalry which was all grouped on their left flank.  With four noble units against three backed with a unit of light javelin horse their King felt sure he could defeat his opponents before the pikes got into action.  On his other flank he placed the Galatian cavalry, the other light horse and some skirmishers.  The thureos infantry he placed roughly facing the pikes – but with strict instructions to keep as far away from them as possible, for as long as possible.

The Cavalry Action - 1st Corps, Aventine plus Foundry Light Horse

But things didn’t quite turn out the way he wanted.  While both wings of cavalry charged each other, as expected, the Seleucid  Galatians, having no opponents in front of them, cunningly swept round behind the enemy horse and crashed into their rear and flank.  This immediately destroyed the King’s Companions.  They then carried on into the next engaged unit of Attalid cavalry who managed to hold out for three round of melee against attacks to both front and flank.  

The Galatians start to Swing Round the Flank of the Attalid Horse
This seemed to save the day and, further to the flank the remaining two Attalid cavalry comprehensively beat their opponents and also saw the enemy horse archers flee from the field.  The doughty defence of their neighbour allowed these two units to likewise turn in and attack the  two remaining Seleucid cavalry and destroy them.  On this flank the Seleucids had only the Galatians left, with their rear threatened by the victorious Attalid cavalry.

But things were not so rosy elsewhere.  Over on the other flank the horse archers had likewise been dispersed but in the centre the two great pike blocks had by now reached close to the thureos infantry who couldn’t escape them.

As the Galatians Turn the pikes asdvance on the enemy thureos - Immortal and WF plastics
They were forced into combat and, unsurprisingly, were both defeated in short order.  This left the Attalids on 10VD with 11 meaning  defeat.  The Seleucids for their part were on 11 needing 13 to lose.  The Attalids however had their Galatian horse in the rear of a pike block – one which had sustained discernable losses from the Cretan archers who had retired before them throughout the battle.  A rear/flank attack was possible – indeed desperately necessary.  The Galatians charged and rolled – NOT A SAUSAGE.  Not a single hit.  Meanwhile the pikes scored a single hit, forced the cavalry to retreat, followed them up, hit them again and destroyed them.  O Me Miserum.  

The Attalid King fled the field while the Seleucids claimed the new province in their empire.  But a storm is brewing in the East as the Parthians look to the west and already the Attalid kings await their Iranian brothers arrival in Anatolia.

Last to move this turn were the Romans.  Unwilling to move on Sicily and risk the attentions of both Carthaginians and possibly the Macedonians, the Senate decreed a move north against the Cisalpine Gauls.  A Roman army duly crossed the Po and were met by the Gallic Confederation at the entrance to the Alpine passes.

The Romans deployed their cohorts in front with acavalry unit at each end.  On the right this was supported by a body of light horse and on the left by a unit of skirmishing javelinmen.  But, fearing the charge of the Gauls (and rightly) they deployed two units in reserve – a body of Italian allied light infantry on the right and a cohort in the middle.


The Roman Left - Renegade Figures

For their part the Gauls, deploying mainly after the Romans (using our staggered deployment rules), opposed the enemy cavalry with horse of their own and grouped all their foot in large units in the centre, heavy  to the left and light to the right. Skirmishers were placed on each wing.

The battle, despite the intentions of both sides, was quite straightforward.  On one flank, the Roman right, their cavalry and light horse comprehensively defeated the Celtic cavalry despite suffering the attentions of the enemy skirmishers, but by the time this happened events elsewhere were determining who won the battle.  


Roman Allied light Horse
Over on the other flank the Gallic cavalry advanced against their opposite numbers but one large unit of light infantry went with them.  This forced the leftmost cohort to advance to support the cavalry and in the resultant clash the tremendous elan of the  Gauls broke through the cohort and in chasing their defeated enemy they crashed into the already engaged Roman horse.  The vital support this gave their own cavalry disposed of the enemy cavalry and, suddenly, the Roman left flank was gone.  Both reserve units immediately turned left to prevent the envelopment of their centre but by the time they were in position their own centre was gone.


The Roman Centre and Left - Renegade Figures

For the Gauls charged into the Romans here, (the Roman General decided to forgo the countercharge in order to get his 3 pila attack per cohort which netted only one casualty from three units) and after a fierce battle two of the cohorts were eliminated for only one Gallic unit – and a rear one at that.  Breakpoint having been reached, the Roman conceded.

Pila are useless against large units as, no matter how many permanent casualties are inflicted, the front unit remains fresh (though in disorder) and thus gets its impetus bonus.  Thus in a charge the strength 5 front unit gets impetus 4 and rear rank bonus 2 = 11 dice (minus 1 if disordered) against the Roman 6 (or 8 if no pila and they countercharged)  Far better to forgo the 3 pila and  get your countercharge in.

Apologies for so few photos this turn especially of the victorious Gauls.  I forgot my camera and  the only photos are from the veryu start of the battle.

Turn Nine began with a revolt in Persia.  Yet again a province just conquered revolts the very next turn!

First to move were the Carthaginians who, having had their nose bloodied attacking Cisalpine Gaul last turn (and having seen the same thing happen to the Romans) , decided rather to advance across the Straits of Messina and attack Magna Graecia (Southern Italy).  Led by the Consul Sholto Architecturus a new, improved Roman army marched south to oppose them.  The two armies met in an open plain bounded on the south by a large area of very difficult ground.  The Romans anchored their line of five cohorts (all value 6, a mix of spears and pila)  on this with some Italian allied light infantry in the rough.  On their right flank they placed two units of cavalry and some light horse.

Despite our new rules for deployment the Punics saw every element of the Roman army deploy before they had to deploy their own so they too placed their hoplite ()and Libyan) phalanx of four infantry opposite the Roman foot and placed a unit of light infantry opposite the Italians.  They intended no advance with any of these in the hope that their superior cavalry would win on their left flank and come in on the Roman foot before these superior cohorts hit the Punic line. For the Carthaginians had three units of Punic and Spanish cavalry on this wing plus two units of Numidian light horse.  While one of the latter would skirmish against the extra cohort the three cavalry would surely be sufficient to break the Roman cavalry.

Alas it was not to be.  The Roman light horse worked wonders shooting up the Numidians opposite to such effect that one Punic cavalry unit was forced to try to bring them to contact and could take no part in the main cavalry melee.  This the Punics lost spectacularly, throwing a six four times in a row when dicing for  permanent losses (o me miserum), though one Roman cavalry unit did succumb in the process.  

The Victorious Roman Cavalry advance while, in the distance, the Punic Cavalry and  Numidian Horse chase the Roman Light Horse
As a result the Roman infantry line marched almost unopposed into the Punic line and absolutely thrashed it.  The Italians and peltasts fought an inconclusive action in the rough and the remaining Numidians very successfully shot up the victorious Roman cavalry but successes elsewhere could not save the Greeks and Libyans who formed the Punic line.  Tthough the battle twisted here and there for a while, soon three of the four Punic units were destroyed while the Roman cohorts, though bloodied, all were still there.


The Roman Line Smashes into the Punic Phalanx

The Punic invasion of Italy had failed and the remains of the army hurried back to their ships and returned to Sicily licking their wounds.

Next to move will be Macedon.  Will they seek to take advantage of the Persian revolt to once more intervene in the East or, seeing the strife in Italy, will they decide to intervene here themselves?

The Macedonian King decided to leave the East alone and to send his army to take the last independent kingdom in Asia Minor, that of Pontus.  He was in no hurry and was surprised to learn that while he dawdled the Parthians had attacked the recent rebels in Persia, sweeping across the Iranian Plateau.

The Parthian reconquest of rebellious Persia produced the most one-sided battle we have seen to date in this campaign. The Successor state lined up their pikes and hoplites in the centre with  peltasts to their left backed by heavy cavalry and a unit of light horse stretching into the hills while on the other flank they  had another unit of peltasts, their elephants and more heavy cavalry.  The Parthians, having seen their enemy deploy, placed their elephants and two of their noble cavalry on their left fronted by 3 horse archer units while over on the right they stood their remaining noble cavalry unit and a further 2 units of horse archers.  Light javelins fronted both sides’ elephants.

On their left the massed Noble Cavalry and elephants immediately charged the enemy and completely defeated them (it didn’t help that the Successor General rolled a 6 for both cavalry and elephant losses) The light horse similarly was forced back.  


The Parthian Right Flank has destroyed their opponents but not yet turned into the centre - those elephants take some stopping.  Horse arfchers are holding off the enemy centre but the likely collapse of their compatriots on their right mean they are sidestepoing over the battlefield to help.

On the other wing the Greeks destroyed both facing enemy horse archer units but by the time their horse and foot got near the enemy Noble Cavalry their right flank was being threatened by the enemy on their flank.  With a break point of only 10 it only needed their skirmishers to be scattered and a hoplite unit destroyed for them to collapse into defeat.  


The Parthian Right just as the horse archers arrive.

Pursued after the battle relentlessly by nomad archers the nascent state completely collapsed and the cities rendered their submission once again to the Parthian King.  He ordered their city walls destroyed and was barely prevented from ordering their cultivated lands to revert to steppe.

Whatever happens in Pontus (to be fought in a fortnight) it is difficult to believe the Macedonians will leave the East alone any further.

King Seleucus review his army before the start of the battlle


Seleucus marched north against Pontus.  Fearing their heavy cavalry he took all his own Companions and two other heavies with him, two large units of Pikes and some Galatian mercenaries in a large unit.  Usually he had lots of Thracian light horse in his army but this time he restricted himself to a single unit of horse archers.  The Pontic King too sought the help of the Galatians, enrolling six units into his army.  With only his own Noble Cavalry unit and two javelin armed horse units, his army seemed even more imbalanced with five skirmisher units with a mix of javelins, slings and bows (what a terrible army list this is!)

The two armies met on a plain with a lake on one flank near some poor terrain and with another patch of poor terrain over on the other flank.  Seleucus placed his pikes on the open plain with two units of cavalry supported by the horse archers on his right and the Galatians and a third unit of heavy cavalry on his left with some skirmishers.  Opposite him the Pontics placed – nothing.  They left the plain completely empty.  Over on their right facing the Seleucid Galatians they placed two units of the same and some light javelins as cover and some slingers.  

The Pontic Right - the Galatians are swinging round while Seleucus Himself Charges Through the Centre

On their left between the lake and poor terrain they placed their only unit of Heavy Cavalry with both light horse units ready to thrust through the gap.  The remaining skirmishers and Galatians charged forward into the rough terrain, three in front and one in reserve, trusting that their enemy would be loath to place either their cavalry or pikes in such dangerous ground for them.

Behind the Pontic Centre - the Galations in the Rough

Seleucus was puzzled as to what to do so he kept his two large pike units and a cavalry unit in open ground facing the Galatians.  On his right a cavalry unit and the horse archers manoeuvred against the enemy horse while over on the far wing he sought to contest the rough terrain there with his Galatians.  This left his own Horse Companions.  These he boldly thrust into the empty plain, hoping to find no opponents at all and allowing him to get behind the enemy line completely.

On the far wing things went well for the Pontics.  Despite losing a Galatian unit to the enemy they finally swung round with their other unit and eliminated the enemy Celts.  But on the other wing there was disaster for them.  The light horse suffered attacking the horse archers but keeping his own Nobles at the rear the Pontic King sought to tempt the enemy cavalry to attack the light horse in front of the rough terrain so as to let a unit of Galatians surge out onto their flank.  This went well but despite causing more hits on the enemy cavalry the Galatians rolled 6 for cohesion while their enemy rolled 1.  

The Pontic Trap is Sprung but the Dice say Otherwise

Meanwhile Seleucus himself was racing through the centre.  The Pontic King turned his own Companions into the centre to face this threat and the reserve unit of Galatians in the rough likewise tried to turn to catch the Companions in flank.  All that was needed, the King declared, was for his cavalry to either neat or hold the enemy Companions for one turn so as to allow the Galatians to join in.  but it was not to be.  The Companions won, pursued and won again, and again and the Pontic king died alongside his Noble horse.  

The Two Kings Meet in Combat

With all three of their heavy cavalry extant – albeit bloodied and both units of pikes untouched Seleucus was declared the winner.  Asia Minor had been cleared of troublesome independents - until the next rebellion, anyway.

Once more the Romans marched north to subdue the Celts of the Po valley.  Led by the Consul Sholtos  Architecturus  they met up with the enemy north of the Po almost on the edges of the Alps.


The Consul looks over his battle line

Placing his seasoned legionaries in the centre, Sholtos placed his cavalry supported by light horse and skirmishers on the right and advanced his foot as speedily as possible against the Celts who had placed their heavy infantry centrally in a gap between two patches of broken ground with lighter warbands on either side in the broken ground itself.  The Celtic chief relied most however on his two units of heavy cavalry which he placed opposite the Roman cavalry on his left.  He hoped the enemy there could be thrashed and then his cavalry could come in on the flank of the cohorts before these crashed into his infantry.


The Celtic Line (with standards bizarrely like later Christian ones)

Things went well for the Gauls to begin with.  The cavalry action was won, but not as quickly as they would have liked and not without one unit suffering severe damage from the Romans in dfoing so.  And the lighter Celts on that flank unexpectedly rushed out of the broken ground and meleed with the Roman velites and light horse, defeating both of them in short order.  (No one knows why the horse did not choose to evade)


The Celtic Cavalry defeat the Romans - but not without considerable loss while the infantry rush out of the rough into the enemy

But the cohorts advanced speedily on the enemy, leaving one one unit to turn and face the victorious Celtic left.  



Their onset was terrible.  For a change the pila did considerable damage before the melees were almost universally won.  The Soldurii held on for a melee or two but the Celts took infantry losses along this front and the battle was soon won for the Romans.  


The Cohorts Crash into the Advancing Celts and comprehensively defeat them

Once again the Celtic people are under the heel of the Romans.  But only until the next rebellion.

______________________________________________________________________


                                      Mayhem in Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia had revolted and Seleucus knew that if he did not crush it immediately the Parthians would take the opportunity to penetrate into the area from the Iranian plateau.  He could not afford to linger.  Taking only his best troops with him he raced south along the Euphrates.  He had two large units of pikes, one his guards and the other the best of his mercenaries.  He took his own Companian cavalry and the best of his heavy lancers.  An elephant, some thureophai and a single unit of horse archers  completed his force and he picked up a couple of units of skirmishers en route.

The rebels fought with what they had.  Their putative king, recently the military governor, had his own Agema cavalry and the local Greek nobility raised their own cavalry unit.  


The Rebel Horse

He had one large body of pikes and two units of hoplites (all obligatory from the Minor Successor army lists, alas).  He engaged two units of Thracian light horse and  two units of Cretan archers, some peltasts and some javelin skirmishers and moved north to face the invaders.


The Rebel Foot


That Seleucus had elephant(s) with him became known early on to the rebels (updated placement sequence) so they placed almost all their skirmishers, archers and javelins opposite with a unit of  light horse on their flank.  Opposite them was the elephant unit, their skirmisher cover and the enemy horse archers.  This constituted the Seleucid left wing.  In the centre Seleucus placed both his large pike phalanxes and the thureophai  to their right, facing the enemy phalanx of pikes,  hoplltes and peltasts.  


Seleucus' Left and Centre

On the right his two heavy cavalry faced the rebel cavalry.  Beyond these Seleucus placed his last skirmishers  where they faced uncertainly a unit of Thracian horse.


Seleucus' Cavalry - on the right


The rebels knew they had to neutralise the elephant, beat the enemy cavalry and at least hold off the superior infantry phalanx until they could come at it from the flanks.  Alas, almost everything in this undoubtedly  reasonable plan went wrong.  On the left the Thracian horse chased after and destroyed the enemy skirmishers but to their right the Seleuciud cavalry trounced the rebel Agema and Greeks, though they took severe losses achieving this.  On the other flank the Thracians were eventually defeated by the horse archers and, try as they might, the Cretans failed to inflict sufficient damage on the elephant and its skirmisher cover to force them back.  Eventually the elephant crashed into the rightmost hoplites while the Cretans turned to face the advancing victorious horse archers.  Here the Greek spears proved their worth and thrust back the elephants.  But they could not follow up this success for they were needed to their left where a right ding-dong battle  had been going on between the two infantry lines.  Both Seleucid pike units lost their rear units but the Thureophai defeated their peltast opponents and both the rear rebel pikes and a hoplite unit were destroyed in the melee.  The rebels had now reached their break point and conceded.  The loss of their cavalry, VD 3 each, had, in effect doomed them (army breakpoint only 10) despite things going relatively well elsewhere on the battlefield.

Unwilling to allow Roman rule to continue in Cisalpina, the Carthaginians quickly assembled an army and invaded.  The two sides met somewhere on the edge of the Alps in a mainly open area with only a small area of broken ground.


The two armies from the hill overlooking tghe rough terrain.  The Roman cavalry is about to attack the  Punic horse in echelon

The Romans, knowing the Punic superiority in cavalry, decided to concentrate all their horse on one wing, their left, leaving their open right wing to the infantry.  The Carthaginians placed their Greek and Libyan foot in the centre with cavalry facing the legionaries on their left and further horse on their right with some light troops and skirmishers near the rough terrain.  Their plan was clearly to hold off the slower Roman foot with their left wing cavalry while they dealt with the enemy horse on the other flank.


The Punic mercenary Greek Cavalry advance on the Roman infantry


Their left cavalry performed wonders, charging the legions who, despite winning every melee here, never gained enough of an advantage to throw the cavalry back – at least not for some time.  


The Roman foot fronted by Velites await the cavalry attack


On the other wing the two bodies of cavalry fought a long melee until both Roman units (and the Consul leading them) were destroyed.  Punic losses were considerable, however and their General and his bodyguards were forced to retire to the rear of his army, badly damaged.  But the other Punic cavalry unit was relatively unscathed.  In desperation the remaining Consul thrust his light horse forward against the victorious enemy cavalry in the hope of a quick turnaround.  But it was not to be.  The light horse bounced and were taken themselves in flank by the enemy light infantry and destroyed.  The successful Punic right then proceeded to roll up the Roman line defeating the Italian allies and the leftmost cohort.  Even as the rest of the cohorts finally defeated their cavalry opponents, the losses of the Roman army reached  their breakpoint.  The Carthaginians had conquered Cisalpina. Italia is obviously next on the Punic agenda.   The Punic foot hardly got a look-in


The Greek Mercenaries were hardly involved in the battle

But when the news of the defeat reached Rome, nothing daunted, the Senate immediately raised a new army.  Even as I write the Senate is discussing whether to send this force north to regain the Alps or to switch the attack to Punic Sicilia, capture it and threaten Carthage by landing in Africa itself. (the loss of North Africa would in this campaign mean all Carthaginian controlled areas would immediately rebel)

The Senate debated long and hard into how to respond to the loss of Cisalpine Gaul.  Many wished to send another army north immediately but wiser heads prevailed.  It would take some time for the Punics to subdue all the Celts there and meanwhile it would be better to strike back in Sicily.  For once that island was conquered it was but a step across the strait to Africa itself.  If that could be taken, all the Punic colonies would immediately rebel.  Carthage must reply to any attack on Sicily.  Gallia could wait.

Once again Consul Sholtus was given command and led his legions and allies against Carthage. On landing he quickly overawed the Greek cities and marched south to the Punic areas of the island.  The local Carthaginian commander, newly appointed and with no experience of Roman tactics, nevertheless gathered his forces on the island and marched to meet the legions.  

The two armies met on a large plain with no terrain to interfere with their dispositions.  The Romans set out their infantry in the centre, pila to the centre and spears to the flanks with the Italian allies as a reserve – Sholtus hoped their speed would aid in going to any flank in danger.  


The Roman line

On each flank he placed a unit of cavalry and he placed his sole unit of light horse beyond the cavalry on his left.  The Carthaginans once more placed their hopes on their superior cavalry with two units on each wing with some light horse opposite the like enemy horse on the wing.  Their infantry, Greek hoplites in the main, in the centre faced the legions with the weaker Libyans on the left of the line and the light infantry on the right.

The Carthaginian plan was simple – hold back the phalanx, defeat the enemy cavalry and swing into the centre to take the legions in flank and rear before they could engage the infantry. And it very nearly worked, for this was a battle that really went to the wire (or closing time at the bar upstairs).  On the Punic right the cavalry vanquished their opponents though they lost one cavalry unit in the process.  The Roman light horse held this wing up for a few melees but eventually they were cleared away.


Both sides's light horse face up to one another

Both the victorious cavalry and light horse then retraced their steps in order to join in the infantry melee in the middle.  Over on the other wing things weren’t so simple.  The Roman cavalry was certainly defeated quickly enough but the two victorious cavalry units swung round to the centre so slowly that they allowed both the rightmost cohort and the reserve Italian foot to form a defensive line, protecting the army’s flank.


The Victorious Punic Cavalry now faced by the Roman right wing cohort.  Their infantry line to the rear.
Meanwhile the legions had burst upon the hoplites.  This was a long, desperate melee all along the line.  On the Punic right the light infantry was quickly defeated but the rightmost hoplite unit defeated the winning cohort and then, miraculously held off attacks in rear from the Punic cavalry and then in flank from the enemy light horse before finally succumbing after many melees.

On the other wing the Italians held off one unit of cavalry for melee after melee until  the cohorts  smashed their way through the enemy foot.  At one point both sides were only 1 VD away from defeat. At last the hoplites in the very centre collapsed and the Romans claimed victory.  A close run thing indeed.

The Punic commander rode off swearing vengeance while Sholtus was accorded a triumph and a week’s holiday in Malaga.

This left the last player turn in this, the tenth Game Turn of the campaign.  The Parthians determined to sweep down from the Iranian plateau and bring the benefits of nomad life to Mesopotamia.  Seleucus must respond.

(Aplogies for scarcity of photos this time round - the battle itself was so exciting we simply forgot!)

ps.  I've been asked a couple of times what the dogleg card shapes on the battlefield are.  They are MDF turning angles for each rate of movement, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12  They are placed on the side of a unit and determine where the unit can turn to.  Made by the firm Warbases they are, in my opinion, an indispensible aid for Impetus.  We use the 15mm ones because our rate of movement in 28mm mirrors the increase in base size between the two scales but they also produce these for  double rate/28mm scale.  The long straight card pieces on the table are movement rules, home made in card.  The blue dice denote disorder for the unit they lie behind, the red dice, prermanent losses.

The camera was completely forgotten for the last battle of this Game Turn 10 which pitted the Seleucids in Mesopotamia against the invading Parthians (who had Indian allies this time). So no foties!

Seleucus set himself up in a fairly narrow valley with impenetrable rocks on either flank - no way was he going to be outflanked by all those horse archers, he thought. He placed his usual two excellent large pike blocks in the centre with each pike flank covered by peltasts. To the right of his infantry he placed his single elephant with a unit of heavy cavalry and horse archers beyond. On the other flank he himself rode with the left wing cavalry, his own Companions.

Desperate to avoid contact with the pikes the Parthian King, Ingrama, placed his elephants opposite the enemy pachyderm and peltasts with two of his three cavalry units on their left facing the enemy right wing. He left only one unit of cavalry and some Indian archers facing the enemy centre and left and flooded the whole of his front with five units of horse archers. His plan was simple, hold off the enemy foot with massed archery while his superior (in numbers) cavalry and elephants defeated the enemy left, swung in on the infantry and hit them from all sides. And for once it went to plan - almost!

The enemy horse were quickly defeated for no loss (some terriible die rolls from Seleucus here - a sequence of 6, 6 and 5 for his first three cohesion rolls) but the two elephants had a harder task facing the enemy and, though their opponents were eventually defeated the elephant corps was so depleted doing that they could not be risked in combat further.

Meanwhile the pikes had swung into the centre and despite taking a toll from archer fire were advancing on the one enemy cavalry unit left in the centre in reserve. This was finally caught carrying out a risky manoeuvre in a flip flop move in flank and destroyed. But this solitary success was not enough to save Seleuicus. Even as his Companions crossed the entire battlefield from left to right he saw himself faced by two intact enemy cavalry units with only a unit of peltasts nearby to help him and his remaining pikes were completely surrounded now by horse archers. Defeat was inevitable and with the closure of the bar looming, he conceded.

Thus ended Turn Ten when victory points are totted up and (we think, but the rules are unclear here) carried forward for the next ten turns.

Turn Eleven commenced with a revolt in Magna Graecia (up to this point controlled by Rome).

Carthage moves first and decided to take advantage of the isolation of the Roman army in Sicily (and to clear the threat from them to Carthage itself) by crossing (successfully) to Sicily and attacking the Romans legions there.

The fleet having safely negotiated the treacherous seas between Carthage and Sicily the Punic army landed and quickly advanced on the Roman capital, Syracuse.  There the Roman commander, Sholtus waited with his legions, his Italian allies and his hastily prepared entrails.
The armies met on an open area before the city with the sea on one flank and a large area of very rough ground on the other.  


The two commanders with yours truly with unpire set up their forces

The Carthaginians deployed with a unit of Spanish cavalry on their right flank, then their infantry phalanx of Greek and Libyan foot with Peltasts and a unit of Gallic mercenaries beyond that.  Their main force, however was on their left, three units of Spanish and Punic cavalry and a body of Numidian light horse next to the bad terrain.


The Punic Left Wing Cavalry

Clearly their plan was to defeat any enemy cavalry on that flank while withholding their own foot, then turning into the legions in flank before they could contact the Punic phalanx.
For their part the Romans fell in with this plan (albeit unknowingly)  They massed their foot on the right with the intention of advancing on the enemy foot as quickly as possible while two units of cavalry some Italian light infantry and a unit of light horse held off the enemy cavalry.  But they were not unaware of the turning threat – they left an elite body of legionaries in reserve behind their line to face any such threat.


Celtibertian Cavalry of the Punic Army

Things went well for the Punic army early in the battle when they destroyed a unit of Roman horse almost immediately but then their light horse was so shot up by javelins that they had to retire to reform and then the two personal bodyguard cavalry units met in cataclysmic combat – one which resulted in the defeat of the Punic unit and the death of the army commander.  (Critics later commented that at least this saved him from  the inevitable crucifixion if he had returned home anyway).  The defeat of the Roman light horse did not really compensate for this and this wing found all three remaining units desperately trying to reform as the Roman reserve cohort and Italians on one side and the Punic Peltasts and Gauls came up to enter the fight here.


An overall view as the Roman foot advance

The Roman cavalry abandoned trying to reform and plunged into combat with the Gauls, defeating them, though at some loss to themselves.  Meanwhile the  reserve cohort and Italians were attacked by the peltasts and the victorious cavalry – and held.

But crucial events were now taking precedence elsewhere on the battlefield.  Over on the other wing The Punic cavalry there had attacked the leftmost spear armed cohort in an effort to delay the Roman infantry advance. They succeeded in halting it in a long lasting melee but the Roman commander here was most unwilling to halt in line with this combat and moved the rest of the cohorts forward against the Punic line.  The two lines crashing each other and after a couple of melees the Punic line was broken and their forces ran from the battlefield.  These Roman value 6 infantry units are tough cookies!  Victory for Rome.

Seleucus decided that he could not let the Parthians settle into their Mesopotamian conquest without at least one attempt to oust them.


The Seleucids advanced down the Euphrates and defied the Parthian occupiers (as they termed them) to attack them.  Warned of the enemy approach by the swarms of horse archers dogging their footsteps Seleucus took up a position  between the great river on his right (table edge) and a large lake which had an expanse of bad terrain beside it.  He wanted to force the enemy to attack him on this reduced frontage, expecting that he could win the frontal encounter before any outflanking move round the lake and rough would take effect.  But even though, when he formed his line, he left a unit of horse archers and some peltasts as a reserve in his rear . . . just in case.

On his right, next to the river, he placed his two cavalry units including his own Companions led by himself.


The Seleucid Cavalry

Next he had some elephants supported by very good light infantry and then his phalanx next to the  lake, with the elephants and pikes fronted by skirmishers.  With their great superiority in mounted troops,  the Parthians responded by placing two units of their own cavalry on their left fronted by horse archers, then put their own allied elephants opposite the enemy pachyderms and then a unit of Indian archers against the lake with another unit of horse archers in general reserve, ready to exploit any gap.  Two further units of horse archers were placed away out on the right beyond the rough ground in precisely the kind of flanking manoeuvre Seleucid though unlikely.

Both sides hoped their cavalry and/or elephants would win a straight fight while the Parthians hoped that the Indian archers would hobble the enemy phalanx so that when and if it got into action it would be sufficiently damaged beforehand.   This last was a forlorn hope as the skirmishers in front of the pikes screened them so effectively that the archers made no impression whatsoever on the phalanx before it moved forward, turned at an angle and attacked the right hand Indian elephant.


The Elephants Face Each Other

 But there it stalled and for 3 or 4 rounds of melee the elephant held the pikes off, even  destroying the rear unit, even though the strength of the phalanx was almost double that of the elephants. (pike=6 plus large unit addition versus elephant at 6).


The Pikes Swing in to the Centre as the Elephants Advance


Worse, on the other flank each general destroyed the enemy cavalry in front of them but while the Parthian general was able to ride forward in pursuit and then rally from disorder, Seleucus himself on advancing, found himself surrounded by horse archers who, while not causing any permanent damage kept his Agema disordered and thus unable to turn quickly to face the enemy in the centre.  


Behind the Parthian Cavalry Line



The Cavalry On Both Sides Advance

The Parthian victory was, however, ensured by the action in the centre.  After sustaining losses from Elephant archery the spear armed light infantry (value 6!) were charged by the left hand elephant, and when they retreated the latter charged forward into the adjacent stationary Seleucid elephant, defeated it, pursued once again into the light infantry which it destroyed and then again into the retreated elephant which, though it did not destroy it, so weakened it that it could not realistically take any further part in the battle.  In the other elephant versus elephant battle the Parthians were again victorious, destroying their enemy in short order. (it has to be said that Seleucus threw some terrible dice in these last two actions, both for attack and cohesion).





By this time the Seleucids were perilously close to collapse and the flanking attack was soon to take effect.  The Seleucid horse archers were destroyed by concentrated shooting and though the peltasts here did a fair amount on damage to the enemy horse when they finally were charged by them it only needed the badly weakened elephant in the centre to finally be destroyed by horse archer fire to push Seleucus over the edge.  The attempt to reconquer Mesopotamia had failed.



Next week the Roman attack on the Punic homeland.

A strange situation confronted us last Tuesday. We assembled to fight the Roman invasion of North Africa, fought the battle - a Roman victory - but while celebrating (or commiserating) in the bar afterwards we realised that the move should not have taken place at all. In these campaign rules by Sabin you can only mount an attack from an adjacent province which is connected either to your own home provimce or a run of at least four connected owned provinces. The recent rebellion in southern Italy effectively cut off Sicily from Rome and thus should not have been used to attack Northern Africa. Under the influence of real ale we decided to rename the battle that night as the reconquest of Magna Graecia/Southern Italy from a Punic backed rebellion and leaving any attempt at North Africa until next year - at the earliest. Photos were taken and will eventually be posted here.

There will now be a six week hiatus until I return from an extended trip to Malaga to get away from the damp and the arthritis at which point the Partians will have decided whether to continue their assault on the Seleucids or succumb to the temptation of conquering India.

Hi

I've really enjoyed following this campaign and I'm thinking of using 'Empire' for my own campaign using Impetus. Can you tell me, does each battle that you fight as a wargame start with each army having the same points value?

Many thanks

Paul

Although we use Basic Impetus augmented to fight the battles we do not use the BI army lists. We use the full army lists as in Extra Impetus 4 mainly plus a few from beta lists and a couple we have constructed ourselves where none suitable existed. But we give each army 50 points of VB - we do not use the points given for these lists as they incorporate command points and morale classes which we do not use. So we use strength points onky. Its a little rough and ready, thats true and its sometimes galling to see your own oeltasts value 4 have an impetus value of 1 where the enemy's have an impetus add-on of 2 yet the two units cost the same. But over the piece it all evens itself out (that's my opinion anyway). The anomaly us most blatant with the high value units. The real value gap between strength 5 units and strength 6 units is more than a single point, really and a value 7 unit is worth a lot more than 2 points greater than a 5. We've thought of ways to remedy this but haven't agreed on what to do so far.

So all armies have the same 50 strength points. But if you reach 49 you are allowed to add a 2 strength skirmisher to go to 51. You must abide by the minimums divided by 3 (at least 1) where they appear in your army list and you can have up to the whole maximum allowed for those unit types. We puzzled for a while how tto replicate the Alexander (and Hannibal and Scipio) effect and after trying out a few different things we agreed that these special generals break an enemy army on the army break point minus 3. So if his opponent breaks on losing 12 vdu normally then against him on his special turn they break on 9 vd.

Very enjoyable to see this!

For the last player turn of Game Turn 11 the Parthians decided to press their advantage and attack the Seleucids in Syria.  The armies met beside the Sea of Galilee with the Seleucids defending.  The sea was on their left and took up a fair chunk of the available battle plain.  They placed their Companions near the sea with a very strong large unit of Hypaspists/pike beside them, then their elephant fronted by skirmishers.  Next they placed two units of light infantry, the immensely strong spears and a unit of peltasts, then some horse archers and lastly a unit of skirmishing Cretans.  They expected the enemy, once again, to try to defeat their right wing and swing round so they placed two unit of good cavalry behind their light infantry instead of to their flank.  There they could swing right to face any outflankers or move forward through the lights to attack.



For their part the Parthians, once they had seen the initial placement of the pikes, were sure the  enemy would, once again try to hold the flank while moving both Companions and pikes diagonally across the battlefield.  The Parthian King decided to leave only the Indian spears and horse archers on that flank, place his two elephants opposite the enemy light infantry and elephant and, as usual (yawn) throw two units of cavalry against the enemy left supported by massed horse archers.  But he also now kept his third unit of cavalry, his own comitatus, in reserve to deal with any approach by the enemy Companions or to retrieve any failure.


The Parthian Centre

On the Parthian left all went well.  The cavalry, realising there was no need to go right round the flank bore to their right early, depending on their own horse archers to chase the enemy horse archers from the field.  In this they were successful, though they took a fair amount of damage doing so. The cavalry were thus able to attack the enemy light infantry in conjunction with an elephant and, after a mammoth struggle they broke through and defeated them, carrying on into an enemy cavalry unit which was likewise defeated, though it cost an elephant to do so.  The other elephant met its like and, again after a long struggle, was defeated.  But the victorious elephants on both sides were deeply damaged in doing so.  The remaining  Seleucid cavalry on the flank had turned to face  the remaining Parthian cavalry here and the two waged an unsuccessful melee against each other until the victorious Parthian horse archers came up to help – though they continued to be hindered by the attacks of the very potent Cretan archers.


The Seleucid Centre

On the other flank the pikes moved forward against the archers and, more quickly than the Parthians thought possible, they attacked and routed them in short order.  


The Indian Archers on the Parthian Right

Meanwhile the Companions had crossed the battlefield very quickly (back to back moves helped here) and destroyed one horse archer unit who could not evade, forced a second to evade well away from the action and attacked the Parthian King and his reserve cavalry.  This action too was indecisive for some time, but eventually, weakened by previous horse archer fire, the Companions melted away.  Breakpoint for the Seleucids had been reached and victory won for Parthia.


Parthian Noble Cavalry

This ended Turn 11.

Turn 12 commenced with the news that Bactria had rebelled (curses, quoth  the Parthian King!) and Parthia was first top move.  The King must now decide whether to turn back to quell the rebellion in his Eastern Province or continue against the Seleucids.  Some of his advisors, worried at the mountainous terrain if ghey enter Anatolia have suggested instead an attack on Egypt – a 2 point province.  The King is tempted by the notion of watering his horses in the Mediterranean.  Mmmm.

Hi

Thanks for the latest report. Just wondered if you use the rules as written to set up the battlefield terrain or your own 'house rules'? And are you going to use Basic Impetus II in the future?

Thanks again, Paul

As for terrain set-up we have a staged arrangement as follows:

1. There are four separate sequential segments of unit placement.

2. In each segment each side rolls 2 dice and adds the number of cavalry and chariot (not elephant) units to their total.  The side with the lowest resultant total places first.

3.
First Segment: Heavy Infantry
Second Segment: Elephants and Light Infantry
Third Segment: Heavy and Medium Cavalry
Fourth Segment: Light Horse and Skirmishers

This would retain the advantage the side with more horse has, but allow the possibility that both sides might be able to place some elements of their army first.  It also stops the "attacker" knowing exactly where his opponent has placed, especially, his horse and elephants, and placing his own troops accordingly EVERY TIME.


We will stick with this for the moment.  As for rules I don't see us changing to Basic Impetus II.  For one thing we are happy with the version 1.5 (2014) brought out by the player in Spain a couple of years ago which pulled together all the relevant rules from the full set that needed amending in BI and we have added a countercharge rule as per Baroque.  For another I think BI2 is a very different set of rules.  The addition of more pre melee weaponry and the ability of archers to fire and THEN melee, changes the values of different armaments significantly.  And I prefer the simpler certainties of BI - at least the version we use.  We know these rules by heart now and are loth to learn another set after this far into the campaign.

Its a bit like the old WRG rules where many clubs stopped at Third Edition and didn't bother following the various changes up to Sixth Edition that took place.

Game Turn 12 commenced with a rebellion in Bactria.  The Parthian King pondered whether to return to the east to quell this or to press on westward against the Seleucids and leave the rebels for the nonce.  His counsellors advise the latter and so - on to Egypt!

The Parthian continued their advance west with an attack on the rich province of Aegyptus.  The local Greek commander was one Ptolemy who had ruled it for many years under central Macedonian suzerainty but in actual fact . . . . . . .

With the assistance of the local Arab tribes, the Parthian army, elephants and all, crossed the Sinai desert with minimal loss, were ferried across the Nile by locals, elephants and all, and met the Ptolemaic army on the approaches to the capital, Alexandria.
Good die rolling gave the Ptolemaics the defence (reasonably enough) but better rolling gave the Parthians the advantage of seeing where every element of the Ptolemaics were positioned.


The Battlefield outside Alexandria

With the delta to his immediate left Ptolemy set up with the Pike phalanx on this flank, with the Elephant beside him. In the centre  were two units of Thureos with as body of Galatians between them.  On the right were the entire cavalry of the province, three bodies of good cavalry, including Ptolemy himself and his Companions, fronted by a unit of light horse to face the inevitable enemy horse archers.


The Ptolemaic Line

For his part the Parthian King countered by yet again putting horse archers on his right to pester the advancing Pikes.  In his centre he placed his two elephants with lots of skirmishers to their front and a unit of archers to their flank.  His own chivalry he placed opposite the enemy cavalry, fronted by three horse archer unit.


The Parthian Centre

The tale of the battle is quickly told.  On the Parthian right the horse archers had practically no effect on the pikes over 4 or 5 turns and one has to wonder why the Greek player continually deploys his pikes on a flank where he can’t catch the enemy.
In the centre Ptolemy managed to catch the enemy static by rapidly advancing across the  battlefield, (back to back initiative dice success followed by winning every subsequent initiative roll). The fight here swung back and is memorable for two things.  The North African Elephant first saw their infantry friends to their right destroyed by an enemy elephant which then ploughed in to its Asian counterpart.  Yet despite being smaller, weaker than its opponent, and persecuted by the adjacent horse archers throughout, the Ptolemaic pachyderm defeated its opposite number, though grievously wounded in doing so.

Secondly, the bravery of the Indian Archers who held off the two units attacking it, Thureos and Galatians, long enough for the elephant beside it to be beaten then stampede back.   This caused severe problems for the skirmishers who were cowering behind them but the elephant was able to re-order once they realised their enemies were being held back from pursuit by the Indian heroes.  This allowed them to charge back to their rescue, destroying both enemy units to their front  just as the Indians collapsed.   With the Parthian elephant going one way and the remaining Ptolemaic thureos going the other, and a badly mauled Ptolemaic elephant at the baclk desperately trying to avoid any contact with the enemy, the centre of both sides looked exhausted.

But the real decision on victory and defeat would be made on the Parthian left where the cavalry battle raged.  The horse archers sought to expel the enemy light horse but in a combined attack, the latter was not only victorious it destroyed one unit of horse archers.  The chivalry of both sides, having cleared the front of light horse, now engaged with mixed results.   Essentially the Parthians lost the right, held the centre and both units were destroyed on the right.


The Cavalry Action

The Parthians King then sent his horse archers forward once more.  Over on the flank the enemy light horse were destroyed and behind the heavy cavalry line they  peppered the victorious Ptolemaic cavalry until they too fled.  While the two general and their bodyguards were locked in seemingly deathless combat the coup the grace was given in the centre where one of the horse archer units which had been facing the pikes, now almost completely across the battlefield, abandoned this task and  attacked the enemy elephant killing it almost at once.  Ptolemy conceded as the remaining Parthian elephant had turned and was now rapidly approaching the Thureos rear.

Alexandria  held out for a few weeks of siege but, cut off from Seleucus and without any friendly support, they eventually conceded and Egypt was thus introduced to the delights of nomad rule.  But perhaps only temporarily as Seleucus has already begun raising an army to invaded Syria.

Meanwhile over on the other side of the Mediterranean the Romans launched their long awaited invasion of North Africa.  Alas a storm scattered the fleet as it approached the African coast and they lost many ships.  Those first child sacrifices clearly worked this time!

Another great report. Wondering what the Romans will do now?

many thanks, Paul

The loss of both Syria and Egypt caused major unrest for the Seleucid King, particularly amongst his extended family and it was no surprise that one dark night he found himself on the receiving end of a particularly sharp blade.  The new King – Davos, a close cousin – pledged himself to retrieve the situation in Styria and Egypt and promptly raised yet another army.  He would have no elephants,  he decided, as they had performed abysmally in recent actions.  He would double the size of the Phalanx – he had been a pike commander himself in his leaner days – upgrading one large unit to Argyraspids.  He recruited a new unit of Thorakitai and his large family provided the manpower for thee units of good quality cavalry. Add some horse archers and a few units of skirmishers and he felt confident of chasing these nomads back into Iraq and further.


The battlefield after the first move or so.  King Davos ample front is clearly seen


Once his army crossed into Palestine the Parthians were not slow to respond.  The two armies met somewhere near Tripolis.  The Seleucids were the defenders and lost every single deployment die roll. They set up in an open plain with areas of difficult ground on either flank.  On their left they placed the Thorakitai to clear the bad ground and then turn in on the enemy centre.  Then came a unit of Cavalry, the two pike units and to the right the other two cavalry units including the Companions with the horse archers out on the flank.  The King purposely left a space between his left and his right.  He knew that the enemy had elephants and would certainly try to deploy them so that his pikes could not contact them.  He was waiting to see where they would deploy so he could, if need be, shift his foot sideways at the start of the action.  And so it turned out.  The Parthians had some archers opposite the Thorakitai then nothing but three horse archers until the left wing deployed with two elephants and two units of Nomad cavalry on the left fronted by two units of horse archers.  The well drilled pikes promptly turned right and marched along until at least the right hand unit was facing an elephant.  But the Argyraspids still had no real opposition to their front.  This was to cost the Seleucids dear.


The Seleucid Phalanx


The main struggle took place on the Parthian left.  The horsed archers fought and the Seleucids were driven from the field.  Meanwhile the elephant charged the Companions to their front and after a long, long struggle were destroyed – but the victors were badly weakened.  The Parthian cavalry units swept forward.  The left hand one found no enemy to their front but their friend to their right fought the enemy cavalry and, eventually emerged victorious.  Both cavalry units now sought to turn into the centre and, if possible destroy the remaining Seleucid cavalry or attack the pikes in the rear.


The Parthian Left


For in the centre things had not gone so well for the Partthians.  One horse archer fell victim to some (bloody lucky) die rolling by a unit of skirmishers and were destroyed.  Then the pikes got so close to the  remaining elephant (despite this brute being held back as long as possible) and in a to and fro struggle the elephant was driven off, though it cost the rear unit to achieve this.  Meanwhile the Argyraspids were vainly trying to get into the action, ably screened by the valiant skirmishers to their front.
Over on the other flank the Thorakitai swept across the difficult ground, destroyed the enemy archers there in short order and then . . .stopped.  The Partjians had deployed two units of horse archers here and while one peppered the advancing Seleucid Heavy cavalry the other successfully shot at the Thorakitai, never enough to do any real damage but enough to disorder them every move.  The Thorakitai commander (who incidentally was crucified after the battle) refused to advance any further until his men were in order again.  This elite unit thus were wasted for a number of game turns.  By the time they finally swept round the flank the battle was already lost.


The Seleucid Thorakitai

But it was a lot closer than either side realised.  In the left centre the advancing Seleucid cavalry, having taken minimal damage from the horse archers were met by the Parthian King himself with his reserve cavalry and in a brutal exchange of spears thrusts the former were defeated.  A count was now taken and, to everyone’s surprise both sides were but a single unit away from defeat.  The Parthians won initiative and determined to risk all on the destruction of the weak enemy cavalry unit which had defeated the elephant.  The flank cavalry desperately swung further round to get in behind it but they needn’t have bothered.  A lowly skirmisher unit marched up to the cavalry, shot their bows and rolled a miraculous 6.  The cavalry critical number was thus down to 1 and they failed.  The Seleucids retreated to Antioch which was now in grave danger of being besieged by the Parthians.  But rumour has it that their King is very worried by the revolt in Bactria and may return to the East before seeking to advance any further into Greek domains.


The Elephants Destroyed and the Parthian Cavalry try to turn but the honours go to that small group of brave skirmishers on the right!