ADLG - Game Report 133

Seleucid(42) vs Seleucid(42)

Second game was a Seleucid civil war against Steve’s army. Once again I won the initiative and decided to attack. First up was to try and get the mediums into the central field as quickly as possible, but as usual the enemy ambush delayed me. I decided to ignore as best as I could the marauding enemy cavalry out on my right flank. The aim was to get as close as I could on my left and centre as quickly as possible before they became a threat.

I sent the chariots forward supported by the slower pikes. At this stage the enemy had only committed one of their elephants. With enemy bows looking like a nice target for my Cataphracts.

The elephant has chased a light cavalry unit of the table, but at the expense of exposing its flank and rear. The vaunted cataphracts have come up short against the bows and even taken casualties on the way in.

A mixed result for the Chariots but at least the way forward for them is clear – the enemy camp beckons. In the centre the legionaries have broken through and are now ready to roll up the enemy line. However, they lack the support of their mediums which were taken apart by their opposite numbers. On the left the Cataphracts seem incapable of rolling over these bowmen!

And finally, we managed to overcome one of the bowmen, but I managed to secure the enemy camp before mine fell! And despite the odds against them the pikes stood firm against the elephant and killed it.

Outcome

A win for my Seleucids by 13 to 22.

Lessons Learnt

Sacrificing a unit to evade of the table is better than losing it in melee.

The gamble of ignoring the enemy cavalry on the right paid off – just.

ADLG - Game Report 132

Seleucid (42) vs Graeco-Bactrian (46)

If it is February it must be Beachhead! I had entered the ADLG 15mm competition, my current range of 25mm armies didn’t allow me to field a valid army. Besides it gave me the chance to take my own Seleucid’s out for a jolly by the beach at the BIC. My Army was a later Seleucid Army from 165BC with Imitation Legionaries and Cataphracts, along with a couple of scythed chariots for good measure.

First up was a fight against Steve’s Graeco-Bactrians. A very nice historical match-up. I won the initiative and decided to attack. We let the Mediums and lights play in the rough on the left with the Pikes et al in the centre, and the cavalry out to play on the right.

And out of Steve’s Ambush came 4 of his own cataphracts. Would my scythed chariots mow them down? Equally the legionaries were looking a little vulnerable facing of against them.

The armies clash. My scythed chariots have had a 50:50 result, winning one and losing the other. In the centre I have side slipped the line, and accepted the overlap on the left to allow me to protect the legionaries a little. The mediums and lights are dancing with elephants in the field.

We have won the battle of the field on the left, and are now regrouping. In the centre we have destroyed to pike blocks. But on the right my Cataphracts are in whole heap of bother.

We have destroyed the remaining Bactrian pikes and we have now wheeled right to take on the cataphracts which are making short work of the legionaries. On the right the Cataphract fight against the enemy cavalry can be best described as hairball of a dog fight.

The hairball continued into the next round, while in the centre the last legionary has been overcome by the enemy cataphracts.

Outcome

Honours even with a draw with me inflicting 14 to the 15 I received – I don’t normally do draws, so this was a pleasant change.

Lessons Learnt

A mixed result for the chariots, but at least they inflicted delay at no cost to me.

Heavy swordsmen once again cannot hope to stand against cataphracts.

ADLG - Game Report 131

Thessalian Greeks (60) vs Seleucid (42)

The final battle of a good day’s gaming in Oxford was against Peter; we both had travelled 100 miles together to Oxford to fight each other. That will teach us to do better and move up the leaderboard. In our battle at least I had a secure flank to work with, albeit that against that flank were the Seleucid elephant. The rest of the deployment was typical with the Hoplites in the centre and the cavalry on the right wing.

We both manoeuvred for contact, albeit that I left a Peltast unit behind for rear security.

My cavalry managed to secure the advantage, with their left flank protected by my light infantry. The heavy metal clash was ready in the centre, while the elephants trample the plantation to shreds.

The Greek cavalry are performing well, however, the centre is having issues against the pikes. The enemy scythed chariots dissolved when they came into contact.

The cohesion hits are building on the heavy infantry clash, but mostly on my side of the line. The Peltasts are sent forward to protect the end of the line. On the left we have made contact with the elephants.

Both elephants have been destroyed, and the right flank now looks secure. That cannot be said of the centre where the pikes are pushing all before them.

Outcome

Finally, a win for Thessalians by 13 to 23 against the might of the Seleucids.

Lessons Learnt

Basically the plan worked – for once.

ADLG - Game Report 130

Thessalian Greeks (60) vs Achaemenid Persians(64)

Next was a classical battle between two old foes – Persians vs Greeks, not myself and Darell! I decided to use the mass of terrain in the centre to my advantage and the Persian cavalry’s disadvantage. On my left flank I was static and echeloned to protect my rear, similarly echeloned right on my right flank.

I seized the field with my Thracians and lights and started to move the Light cavalry through the field to outflank the Persian lines. On their right the Hoplites have moved forward to close down the heavy chariots.

I needed to cancel the movement of the Light Cavalry to support the left – or so I thought at the time. Meanwhile the oddly quiet Thracians are taking punishment from bow fire from the Persian cavalry. On the left is the start of the Sacrifice of the Lights gambit. On the right despite their best efforts one Hoplite has been trampled underfoot by a Chariot.

More damage ensues for the Hoplites facing off against the Chariots. While the Light Cavalry have been moved to support the Thracians who are suffering from the bow fire. On the left the Persian cavalry are having a field day shooting down the lights protecting the armoured Hoplites!

With additional support, albeit at the expense of a Hoplite, the Chariots have been destroyed, and the Greek cavalry have been successful in their attack against the Persian infantry. The Persian cavalry bow fire is continuing to cause cohesion hits which my commander stubbornly refuse to rally off.

The Hoplites on the left flank move forward to close the gap with the Persian Cavalry forcing them to make a decision. On the right we have been more successful, and we are now in a position, time permitting of course, to wrap on the Persian left flank.

Outcome

A win for the Achaemenid Persians by 14 to 24. A hard fought victory that in some sense we gifted them.

Lessons Learnt

Don’t expect two light infantry bows to out shoot a line of Persian bow armed cavalry.

Sacrifice of the Lights gambit; why should Light infantry try to protect armoured Heavy Infantry from bow fire?

Make a plan and commit to it; I spent much too much time moving the Light Cavalry back and forth to no profit!