ADLG - Game Report 218

Achaemenid Persian (64) vs Greeks Athenian (88)

Following the Persian’s outing against the Gauls, Kevin thought it would be sensible to bring me back down to earth with a fight against their classical foes – the Athenians. I decided to attack in the plains. With wide open flanks the Persians deployed with their cavalry on the right, with the Immortals to their left in the centre, and the Sparabara on the right. The goal being to inflict as much attrition before contact as possible. However, a cunning Athenian deployment of their light infantry meant that most of the bow fire was wasted on the lights rather than the infantry line.

The left of the line was hoping to contest the plantation at an advantage only to be caught by a Spartan Hoplite unit. This was not going to end well.

The sparsity of casualties along the Athenian line is testament to the Persian poor shooting and the effectiveness of the Greek light infantry to protect their line. On the right the Athenians are trading to space for time, and leaving very little space for the Persian Cavalry to run amok.

On the left the sole Sparabara unit is now facing off alone against its Spartan foe. In the centre contact has yet to be made and still the bow fire is failing to inflict meaningful casualties on the armoured hoplites. On the right we potentially have Immortals behind the Athenian line, whilst the cavalry fire for effect against the Athenian left flank.

And as predicted the cunning Athenians extended from their column and attacked the flanking Immortals. Meanwhile the rest of their line attacked destroying two Immortals on first contact.

The Athenians then seized their opportunity and overran the remaining Immortals and broke the Persian line.

With their advantage in numbers, and the holes in the line they have created the Athenians burst through. The Persians only reserves, their included commander cavalry units have been committed to battle.

Outcome

An Athenian victory by 17 to 27.

Lessons Learnt

How to screen a line with lots of light infantry – deploy then so that the light infantry bases overlap two of the line they are protecting. At the expense of not being able to move the lights and line as a group.

The Persians are probably more effective as a Cavalry heavy Army rather than a medium infantry heavy army.

Mixed sword or spear and bow units must inflict casualties on their opponent in order to have any chance of winning the subsequent combat.