Inspired by
the Wargames Soldiers and Strategy issue 54, we did the battle for our New Year
game.
It is one
of the most "exotic" battle in troop types used.
As not all troops can be found as 54mm figures, we had to improvise.
We had 10
participants to our game, and it lasted from 02.40 pm until 06.00 pm.
We used our
home made rule, "About Caesar"
that went commercial at Caliver Books.
We diced
for who would take what position.
Result was
on the Selucid side: from Right to left, Siegfried (as Antioguis III) commanded
a large force of cavalry, 4 units of medium cavalry and one heavy impact (the
cataphracts), 2 units of archers and 4 om medium infantry.
Next on the
centre right was Steven, commanding the
5 phalanxes of which one was elite and one veteran ,with 2 elephants and 3
units of medium infantry.
The left
centre was controlled by Alwin: 1 unit of heavy impact cavalry(cataphracs), the
companions (heavy/impact/ elite) and one
medium cavalry. Also the scythed chariots, 3 units of Gauls (yes there were
Gaul tribes present!), and a unit of skirmish slingers.
On the
Left, Mark had 7 units of medium infantry and 2 dromedary cavalry, Bart had 4 units of medium cavalry and 2 archer cavalry units.
The battle
started with some skirmishing.
On the Roman left/reserve, Kristof had 3 units of veteran cavalry, 1 bowmen unit and 2 elephants.
Then, as Scipio we had our Dutch friend Marcel, covering the left centre with in total, 2 units of veteran velites , 4 units of veteran hastati/principes and in the third line 4 units of elite triari, and he had also a unit of war dogs.
Next to him, in the centre was Alex, with also units of veteran velites , 4 units of veteran hastati/principes and in the third line 4 units of elite triari.
On the centre right, we had the first part of Ronny’s command, 3 units of medium cavalry. Then the infantry of Pergamum, commanded by Dirk, consisting of 1 unit of archers, 2 units of peltast (light infantry) 3 units of medium infantry and 5 heavy infantry units.
On the far right, there was the second command of Ronny, 3 units of horse archers.
The battle
started with some skirmishing and the charge of the scythed chariots. Historically, they proved to be poor and of
little influence for the Romans, and therefore they were downgraded to 4 dice in contact
instead of 7. They also were removed
after they have done one round of contact.
The skirmishers on the Romans side, did neutralize them without
sustaining much losses.
Then the
Seleucid players went into the offensive with their cavalry and elephants. They
on the flanks, they were met by their counterparts, the cavalry of Kristof and
the horse archers of Ronny, who was
unable to activate his medium cavalry due to bad dicing. The Horse archers proved to be a bad match
against the Seleucid cavalry, clearing
the field after a few rounds of fighting., the victorious cavalry now taking on
the Pergamum infantry. Also the dromedary cavalry attacked Pergamum light
infantry, who were able to withstand the charge in the end, with backup from
the other infantry destroy the dromedary force.
In the centre Alwin attacked the advancing hastati of Alex, with his cataphracts and Gauls, and later on with his companions. Stevens elephants weren’t able to do much harm to the veteran velites, one elephant even went stampeding towards his own base line, and luckily for the Seleucid units didn’t attacked their own troops from the rear.
Kristof had some initial success with his cavalry and elephants, but numbers became telling and one by one his units were destroyed, as was his command when it reached more than 50 % of it’s units lost. The only unit remaining was a stampeding elephant, but without doing harm.
Still
strong and with the lager part of his
infantry uncommitted, Siegfried started to take on Marcel legions, who’s triari
had to form a defensive line behind the river, while his hastati had to face
the hard pushing phalanxes.
The Seleucid
players thought victory was imminent.
Mark launched his infantry to back up the Bart’s cavalry, and was able
to destroy the Pergamum archer unit.
But by now Alwins command almost reached breaking point, as Alex’s legions resisted all attacks. Tired of the bad command dicing, Ronny attached his remaining officer and general each to one unit, his third unit being condemned to stay immobile in the rear.
Dirk brought his heavy infantry in the
front line and also closed in against Marks Seleucid infantry. Ronny took on Alwin’s remaining Gaul unit and that way destroyed Alwins command. Ronny had
taken a big risk with attaching command ,
as his general could always become a casualty in a fight. With his command at
50%, the loss of the commander would also have meant his command to be broken. Ronny also destroyed a unit of
Mark, and the Pergamum heavy infantry
had little trouble with the Selucid medium infantry, destroying one
after the other. On top of that Barts command had not much troops remaining.
With Mark’s command broken the battle was over. Indeed the Roman right flank was cleared, and the Roman cavalry could now take on the phalanxes in the flank, the latter unable to defend themselves as they were committed to the front against Alex’s Hastati.
As historical, it was the Seleucid right that gave way leading to a Roman victory.
A game as a game should be, balanced, intense, the outcome never certain. Fast and fun!
As said, we used "About Caesar", that is also published in Dutch and Italian!
All to be found at Caliver book.
Soon also the battle on our youtube channel:
Figures of Steven, Gilbert De Munck, Marcel and Dirk.
Many thanks to our host Bart.
Our thoughts go to Patrick VDB(and his family) and Massimo Mannari and family, who both lost a family the past weeks
