Thessalian Greeks (60) vs Alexander the Great (40)
On to the Southern League at Oxford, on a very cold January day, and an early start from Bournemouth. After warming up, a little, my first battle was against Sean’s Alexandrian army. I think, at times, my moves should have names like in Chess. In this case I went for the Light Cavalry Fools Gambit, by advancing out to meet the enemy lights. Overall, I deployed for a left echelon attack with on my right the mediums and lights pushing through the difficult terrain, and the cavalry trying manfully to avoid the elephants.
You can gather the sense of my name for my light cavalry move given the outcome! Sean is holding back his heavies to allow the flanks to try and win the battle for him.
Finally, the enemy pikes advance when they sense the battle on the right is starting to go their way. Meanwhile the enemy cavalry are moving forward to engage my own cavalry.
At this stage the battle is finely poised. I have the advantage of numbers in the centre. While on their flanks there is the opportunity for us to hold our own with the overlaps.
An elephant has been destroyed by the hoplites while the cavalry fight on gamely. On the left the Thracians and hoplites are gaining the upper hand in their fight.
However, the combined efforts of the elephant ad the cavalry in the flank has destroyed the Hoplite unit. My cavalry has been all but destroyed except for the one unit with the general pursuing the enemy lights, to take themselves out of the danger behind them! In the centre we are in contact in what is a relatively even fight.
Outcome
A win for Alexander, by 16 to 24. The gambit on keeping the pikes back and winning on the flanks was broadly successful for Sean.
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