Sunday School Class 2: Hail Caesar

Jim's Romans v. Renfrey's Seleucids.

This was Renfrey's introduction to Hail Caesar.  He deployed conventionally with his phalanx in the centre, cavalry on his left and his mixed division of elephants, light infantry and light cavalry on his left.  The Romans put their legion on their left and their two cavalry divisions (one Eastern allies, one Western allies) on their right.

Both sides advanced all along the line, though not evenly.  The eastern horse in the Roman centre went ahead to start peppering the phalanx with arrows.  This provoked Renfrey into attacking its flank with elephants.  They routed a cavalry unit, but paid for it when the legion hit them in flank.  On the far flank the two equal cavalry divisions slugged it out.  At first the Seleucids got on top, but the Romans fought back.

The legion attacked and gradually whittled away at the Seleucid right while the phalanx wheeled forward ponderously in the face of a hail of arrows.  Seeing his right crumbling Renfrey dropped a phalanx back to protect the camp.  (The Romans had a left a cohort behind to protect theirs).

The Seleucid right broke and part of the legion headed for the camp as the phalanx finally got to grips with their right flank and the eastern horse.  The right hand phalanx bounced off the flanking cohort and the eastern horse held on against the next one (by throwing 4 out of 4 5+ saves).  Then on the far flank the two opposing cavalry units finally broke each other.  This caused army morale failure for the Seleucids with 2 out of 3 divisions gone.  It could easily have been a draw with the Roman's Persian allies only just hanging on.