ADLG - Game Report 147

Seleucid (42) vs Classical Indians (79)

Second game at Wessex Wargaming was against Paul’s Classical Indians; another nice classical match-up. The terrain was not entirely conducive for a Pike equipped army, but one fights where the enemy is. I placed my medium troops in the centre with the objective of securing the central marsh.

My troops made it to the edge of the marsh first. Also my pikes and legionaries are well placed in the gap in the terrain. Unfortunately, however, my legionaries are likely to contact the elephants. At this stage one of the scythed chariots has been lost to bow fire, because I placed them in range of Indian bows – not a sensible move.

I managed to move the legionaries out of the line of the elephants, where contact has been made with the Pikes. The marsh has been secured, and we now have the ability to flank the elephants if we need to.

Two elephants die to the Pikes and flank attack, not before they rampage through the Pikes to inflict hits on them. Elsewhere we have made contact along the line, with the Thracians breaking through and out of the marsh.

The Cataphracts once again continue to disappoint; losing a unit and taking losses. What was worse than this was the ignominy of not rolling over the Indian bowmen in first contact, and then the gall of losing a cohesion point to them in the next round. Meanwhile the Thracians turned left instead of right thinking that the Cataphracts didn’t need their help!

In the centre we launch out of the marsh moving to the left flank to support the wounded pikes. The Cataphracts are prepared to die to a man to allow the battle to be won elsewhere.

Outcome

A Seleucid victory by 24 to 18.

Lessons Learnt

Although it may not have been historically accurate, there was great benefit in positioning the medium troop command in the centre.

Losing the scythed chariots to bow fire before making contact was a rooky mistake to make.