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.

ADLG - Game Report 217

New Kingdom Egyptian (14) vs Mycenaean (30)

Time for a second practice with the Egyptians, I decided not to tinker with the list at this stage. I was faced off against Kevin’s Mycenaeans, with Achilles. He also wanted the practice as he would be using the same army at Attack in the 25mm Competition. In this deployment the Chariots with their supporting Sherden warriors were on the right, with the two infantry commands in the centre and the weaker of the two on the left. Once again, I was attacking in the plains.

Despite the Mycenaean’s greater numbers my line overextended theirs. Would there be an opportunity for an envelopment? It would probably all depend on the outcome of the Sherden against Achilles.

And the Sherden are the first to make contact, with Achilles, but with a minor contact on the centre’s left. The Chariots are trying to leverage their bow fire to weaken the Greeks.

The Sherden are fighting bravely but to no good effect. The Chariots have moved in to contact to support the Sherden and to exploit the gap that has opened up. And for once the Guardsmen have managed to despatch their opponents as have the unit to their right! However, all along the line the medium spearmen are faring less well and are starting to look very sick.

As predicted the left of centre has suffered significant casualties, and the way to the camp is open, bar two lonely light infantry. In the centre right The Egyptians have almost achieved a breakthrough, but it is likely that Achilles on the Greek left are now poised to move against the chariots.

The Egyptian breakthrough has come but at a price as its flanks perish; a case of the flanks not taking care of themselves - so much for the wisdom of General George Patton!

A spirited fight back from the Sherden on the left gives the Egyptians some hope of a victory, or at best a draw. However, the fortuitous rallying of a number of Greek units means that the Egyptians do not secure the draw they were looking for.

Outcome

A Mycenaean victory by 27 to 24, with the Greek’s only 2 of from a mutual destruction.

Lessons Learnt

This army has run its course potentially.

At least the Sherden on the right kept Achilles busy enough that he couldn’t unduly influence the battle.

ADLG - Game Report 216

Achaemenid Persian (64) vs Gauls (88)

Robin invited me to a game, and I decided to go with something completely different. I hadn’t used the Persians for a while and I had recently dusted down and finished additional cavalry units (they were Peter Laing figures, and they had been waiting in the led pile to be finished for about 45 years) so I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to give them an outing. Another reason was that I had not used mixed units swords and bows or spears and bows, and this would be a good starting point.

Robin decided to defend in the Forest, not least because he anticipated that the woods and brush in the centre would be a nice distraction. I placed the Immortals with their cavalry out on the right flank. To their left were two identical commands with Sparaba (Medium Swords and Bows) with supporting light troops and an included Medium Cavalry included General.

We advanced in echelon with the right leading. I was less concerned about the centre as I knew the Gauls would be slowed down passing through the wood in the centre.

Given the slowness of the Gauls in the centre I decided to close up the line on the left of the wood, in order to deliver the maximum possible bow fire and start to attrit the enemy before contact.

As you can see the casualties from bow fire are starting to mount. However, despite the casualties they have inflicted the immortals are in grave peril of being de-immortalised! The Persian horse are doing what they do best which is to sweep around the flanks and cause all sorts of mischief.

It is a case of “would the last Immortal please turn out the light” on the right, and that is despite the success of the Cavalry; what it has achieved is to remove the enemy left as a threat. In the centre the Gauls have made contact and are losing even more casualties while the general in the centre is poised to move down the enemy flank.

The right flank is now protected by an Immortal, and the cavalry. While in the centre the Included Commander as proved his worth as he starts to roll up the Gauls line from their left.

Outcome

A Persian victory by 15 to 28.

Lessons Learnt

A battle of two halves. When the mixed bow units inflict sufficient attrition before contact, then they can possibly win, when they don’t they lose.

A lesson for both Robin and myself to stay out of the woods (or any other difficult terrain) as it can seriously impede your movement.

ADLG - Game Report 215

New Kingdom Egyptian (14) vs Tlaxcalans (290)

Following the debacle of Roll Call, it was time to get back on the saddle and ride the winds of ADLG again at Entoyment. We gathered again one Saturday in May with many of us starting to experiment with our armies for forthcoming competitions. In my case Attack 15mm chariot-themed competition; so out came a New Kingdom Egyptian force to start the Army design. First up as an opponent was Paul with his Tlaxcalans. A comparable army despite the gulf in years between the armies.

My army was based on one I had used previously. I deployed with the Chariots and their Sherden warriors on the left. In the centre were the Egyptian Guardsmen, and their medium infantry supports. On the right was a smaller command of bows and more Sherden warriors. I was invited to attack in the plains.

The army advanced leading on the right with the Chariots held back in reserve.

First rookie mistake, due to lack of command points, was to fail to close the gap on the left of the Sherden warriors which was an invitation for the Spanish horses. On the right the Egyptian bow fire has started to weaken the enemy. While in the centre we are trying to open a gap to allow the chariots to pour through.

Far from pouring the gap, only three elite chariots have done so. While the other three are having to counter the mess caused by the Sherden charging impetuously forward. In the centre and on the right the honours are broadly even with each of trading casualties.

The left although damaged seems to have stabilised the situation. While on the centre right the elite chariots are well placed with supporting troops. In the centre one of the elite Guardsmen has already perished and the second has been wounded – they never seem to fare well in these battles! On their right the medium troops are in a far better position to break the line.

Outcome

A Tlaxcalan victory by 18 to 24.

Lessons Learnt

Matching the chariots and medium Sherden warriors against the Spanish wasn’t very successful.

A rethink is called for before this Army could be considered Attack-ready.