Seleucis v. Ptolemy again

No time in Xmas week to set up a new OOB, so used last weeks, just removed the elephants.
Ptolemy: Mike
Seleucis: SteveJ & Jim

Ptolemy on the far side.
Both sides deployed onvntionally with inf in the centre & cav on the flanks, but Ptolemy made his left stronger than his right.  Both side deployed mostly in two lines, best troops in the front line. 

Ptolemy held back his weaker right flank & advanced with his right.  
Seeucis advanced on the whole front.

Prety much full frontal all the way along except a gap appeared between Ptolemy's infantry's left & cavalry's right & Seleucis slipped Thorakatai & light cav into it. 

OIn the far flank, Ptolemy's superior numbers of cavary was getting on top.
In the centre Ptolemy's levy phalanx is doing pretty well espcially at their left end where they broke the Galacians On the Seleucis phalanx' flank.
On the left, Ptolemy's cavalry is generally winning, except on the right of the cavalry line where the Seleucid catapfracts have broken thru.

On the far flank Ptolemy's cavalry is mopping up.
In the centre Seleucis is wrapping around Ptolemy's Thorakatai, but the levy phalanx units have broken Seleucis' Galacians & a veteran phalanx unit.  The next levy phalanx unit was broken, but their veteran opponents are under pressure from the levy unit that beat off the Galacians.
Ptolemy's second line peltasts broke the Thorakitai trying to break thru the gap, but Seleucis' Cataphracts are charging towards the Ptolomy's infantry rear as Thorakitai hold off Ptolemy's victorious  cavalry.

Seleucis has lost heavily, but got the breaks at the end so Ptolemy failed his army morale test first. Another close battle with sound tactics on both sides.  Ptolemy did a good job maximising the chances for his levy phalanx.  Seleucis's cataphracts breaking thu on the right with troops in place to exploit it may have been the decisive event, as otherwise Seleucis would have been rolled up from the right by Ptolemy's cavalry.

Two battles with almost the same armies giving very close but opposite results indicates that the points system can't be far wrong.

Successors: Seleucis v. Ptolemy

 Seleucis: Steve & Chris.  Small veteran phalanx ( 2 units), Galacians, Thotakitai, cataphracts, Agema, Light cav & elephants.
Ptolemy: Jim & Mike.  Large kevy phalanx (4 units), Peltasts, Agema, light cav & elephants.

Seleucis on the left, put the elephants in the centre as front line.
Ptolemy put his elephants on the right of his phalanx & most of his cavalry on his left.

Both sides advanced with their left leading.

It was mostly a brutal frontal fight all along the line with little manoeuvre except on the far flank.

Ptolemy's phalanx held off the elephants. 
Seleucis' Thotakitai had mixed success v. Ptolemy's elephants.
On the flanks, Ptolemy's cavalry was getting the upper hand.

In the centre, Ptolemy's phalanx disposed of the Galacians, but were no match for Seleucis' vets after being weakened by the elephants.

Although losing half his phalanx, Ptolemy's cavalry had won on both flanks & the Seleucid's broke.

Seleucis probably erred in putting his elphants in front of his veteran phalanx as they really didn't need their help & it delayed their victories.  Ptolemy also got a very good run from the dice gods. Good battle though, one of the best eras for ancient wargames with lots of variety of troops.

 

Byzantium v. Arabs take 3

 Chris & I got back early from our rafting trip so had another Sunday school.

This time the Arabs stuck with their deep fromations with a bit more cavalry on their left.
The Byzantiners put most of their cavalry on the right.

The Byzantines attacked on their right & centre & held back their weak left. 
The Arabs are transferring heavy cavalry from right to left.
The infantry are locked in battle.
On the right, the Byzantine cataphracts have engaged the Arab heavy cavalry exposing the flank of the Arab infantry to attack by their supporting heavy cavalry.   

On the far flank the  Arab light cavalry quickly beat the Byzantine light, but Byzantine heavies are winning against light cavalry. 
On the left of the infnatry line the Byzantine medium inf are being beaten by the Arab lights in depth.
On the right flank the Cataphracts are losing against the deep heavy cavalry formations.
In the centre the right hand end of the Arab infantry line has been broken by the flank attack & their line is in danger of being rolled up.  

On the left flank the victorious cavalry of each side have engaged each other.
On the left of the infnatry line, the Arab lights have broken the first line of the Byz'antine mediums. 
On the right flank the cataphracts have been defeated & the victorious Arab haeavy cav is turned towards the Byzantine centre. 
On the right of the infnatry line, the Arabs heavy cav have countered the Byzantiner heavy cav while the Byzantine heavy infantry try to expand the hole in the Arab line. 

On the far flank the Arab light horse defeated the Byzantine heavies & likewise the Arab light infabntry beat the Byzantine medium & heavy infantry in front of them.
In the centre all of the Arab medium infantry & the Arab cavalry that was moved from the other flank have been broken by infantry exploiting the hole in the Arab line. 
On the near flank the Arab cavalry are cleaning up the light troops of the Byzantien second line.

At this point we checked army morale & found the Byzantines just failed.  But it was a close thing, the difference being that in the last turn the Arabs\ light cavalry broke heavy cavalry & Arab light infantry beat heavy infantry in combats where the Byzantines had the advantage.

Byzantium v. Arabs again

 Chris & I delayed our Tarkine rafting trip for a day to allow a wether front to pass, so had a Sunday avfternoon battle using a selection of teh armies used last Tuesday reducing the numbers to about 2/3rds.
Arabs: Chris.
Byzantines: Jim

The Byzantines are on the left.

The Byzantines advanced quickly hoping to break the Arab centre before they could be outflanked by superior numbers.

Contact was made simultaneously all along the line.  The Arabs generally doubled their units to try to counter the better quality of the Byzantines but even so, the Byzantines by using small units in support had an advantage in almost every combat.  The advantges quickly disapeared in an  avalanch of hot dice as the Byzantines won only 2 of 9 combats in the first round.  One Komntaratoi unit broke thru but the rest of the line gradually disintigrated.

The Arabs only lost 2 unts before the Byzantine army failed their army morale test with half their units broken. Chris had a good plan & dice gods so approved of it, it became a crushing victory.

Byzantium v. Arabs

We have stepped another couple of centuries forward this week to pit Byzantium v. Arabs.
Arabs: Mike & Chris
Byzantium: SteveJ & Jim

Byzantines on the left with a symmetrical deployment:  heavy infantry in the centre flanked by medium infantry with archers in support, then cataphracts, then heavy cavalry with light cavalry support.
The arabs have a similar deploymenr, but have weighted their right wing with extra cavalry.

Thye Byzantines advanced quickly on theri right & centre to minimise the effect of the Arab's horse archers. They held their left back a bit where their cavalry was outnumbered.

The combats started on the near flank then quickly extended along the front.

On the near flank the Byzantine cavalry eventually got on top, but at such cost that their victorious cavalry was all shaken & unable to exploit their wins.  But the decisive issue on thsi flank was a gap the Aeabs left in their line between their cavalry & infantry.  They slipped  infnatry thru the gap to swing left to flank the Arab centre,
In the centre, the Arab deployment in two lines held well against the veteran Konaratoi until it was flanked from the left & a single medium infantry unit took out 3 units rolling up theri second line.  On the far flank, a single Byzantine cataphract unit turned the action Byzantium's way by blasting  a hole through the Arab lines taking out 3 enemy units in succession.

The Arabs lost half their units shaken but under our new Army Morale Test could still fight on becasue they had more unshaken units left than the Byzantines.  The Arabs still had a chance of victory if their horse archers could break some of the many shaken Byzantine units, but they lost more units in close combat & lost that advantage to fail the Morale Test first.  

Late Romans v. Goths

Romans: Jim, Steve & Mark.
Goths: Mike & Chris.

The Romans are on the left in the pics.

The Romans have legionaries in the centre with auxilary infantry then cavalry on both flanks.
The Goths have massed their infantry in the centre, in double lines in the middle & cavalry on both flanks.

The Romans advanced both wings while the Goth charged in the centre.

The legionaries are having a rough time in the centre, but the Romans are using theri better command control to manoeuvre to advantage on both flanks.

The Roman centre has collapsed but si has both of the Goth flanks.  The Goths are
counterattacking the near flank & trying to hold off the Roman left. 

The Romans right is bewing driven baway from the centre, but the Goth right has been noutflanked & has collapsed.  

The Goths fail our new army morale test.  Both sides have having lost half their units, but the Romans have more untis left on the field fit to fight (ie unshaken). 

The game a bit unrealistic in that the victoroius Goths would have pursued to pillage the baggage rather than wheel to the flanks, but also the Romans would have given up on losing nearly all their legionaries.  But it was a great game. 

Rome v. Carthage

Carthage: Mike & Steve
Rome: Jim, Mark & Chris

Romans on left: Legion in the centre flanked by allied spearmen.  Right flank medium cav. Left flank heavy cav & peltasts.
Carthos on right: Citizen spearmen in centre with elphants on their left & scutari on their right.  Heavt cav on right flank. Heavy & light cav on left flank.

The Carthos advanced their right. The Romans advanced their centre while pulloing back their left & extending their right further to the right.

On the far flank the Punics cavalry has charged the peltasts & the scutari have charged the legion.  
On the near flank the Roman's allied spearmen supported by triari are preparing to take on the elphants & their cavalry hang back away from those smelly elephants.

On the far flank the Punic cavalry has disposed of the peltasts & turned to deal with the Roman cavalry.
The scurai are slugging it out with spearmen & legionaries. 
The citizens are still hanging back.
The elephents & spearmen are hard at it.
The near flank cavalry are still both hanging back.

Heavy fighting along almost the entire frontwith wins & losses on both sides.

On the far flank the Carthos are finally getting on top.  
In the centre, it is still indecisive.
On the near flank, the elephants have had a win & a loss, but the triari are taking care of the winning elephants.  The Roman cavalry have worked their way around the flank.

On the far flank the Carthgos are now mopping up the last reisistance.
In the centre the citizens are on the verge of breaking.
On the near flank the elpahnts have been beaten & the Punic cavalry is surrounded

There a flurry of units of both sides being broken & both sides failed their army morale test at the same time, so it was declared a draw.  

The army break test is one of the trickiest rules to get right.  In the last two weeks it has failed to give a satisfactory result.   Some time ago I suggested an alternative test based on the number of unshaken units left on each side after one or both drop to or below half strength but we never came to a decision. 
.
 

 

Macedonians v. Persians

Persians: Jim, Steve & Mike
Macedonians: PeterM & Mark

Macedonians on far side from their left flank: Mediam cav, peltasts, phalanx, companions.
Persions on near side from thier right flank: Medium cav & horse archers, levy & hop;ites. spahabara, levy & hoplites, medium cav & horse archers. Both sides advance in echelon, leading with their right flanks.

The cavalry on both flanks are in combat.  On this flank, the Persian cavalry is being supported by infantry rurning the companions left flank.

The infantry ghave now come to grips in the centre.
On the far flank, the horse archers support is helping the Persians to get on top.
On the near flank, the infantry support is giving the Persians an edge.

The Persian cavalry are winning on both flanks, but the phalanx is getting on top of the spahabara in the centre.

The Persian centre has collapsed, but the Macedonian cavalry is in deep do on both sides.

Both sides have lost over half their units, so by the rules it's a draw, but we fought on anyway.

After igoring the army morale rule, the Macedonians are doomed as they cannot stop the Persian cavalry destroying the phalanx with bow fire. 

Seleucis v. Antagonis rematch

Antagonis: Jim & Mike
Seleucis: Steve & Chris

Antigonis is on the left.

Seleucis adavnced his whole line, but faster on both flanks,
Antigonis held is position except for sending his Galacian cavalry across the rear of the army from left to right.   He did this both to avoid cavalry fighting elephants & to reinforce his right where Seleucis has put all his cavalry.

On the near flank Antigonis' Greek cavalry with peltast in support held on until the Galacian cavalry arrived. 
On the far flank Antigonis is fighting a delaying action. 
In the centre, Seleucid=s wa relctant to attack the Galacians on the ridge & the small but vteran Antonig phalanx.

On the near flank Seleucis' cavalry is being beaten back.
In the centre Antigonis' phalanx has counterattacked as peltasts outflank the Seleuci phalanx.
On the far flank the Seleucid attack is slow to develop.

The Seleuci cavalry is now totally defeated & the Seleucid phalanx is being rolled up from the flank.
In the centre, the Galacian have charged down the hill to pin the Seleucid phalanx.
On the far flank the Elephants have attacked teh end of the ridge, but the Galacians with peltasts in support are holding the flank.

Antagonis' left has held on as right rolls up the Seleucid line.
Seleucis concedes the battle with half his army broken & the rest doomed to being surrounded.  Antigonis lost just one unit broken.

The armies were similar this week except last Seleucids had a small advantage (1.3%) by having companions.  We swapped the companions for Greek heavy cavaltry thsi week so Antigonis had a small advantage this week.  The advantaged army won both times, but in each case the winner also had the better plan.