Battle of the Granicus 334 BC using Ancient Battlelines Clash

Introduction
This is game 19 in play testing my ancient rules by replaying historical battles.  The latest version of ‘Ancient Battlelines Clash’ is on its own blog page. I am play testing the rules by replaying all the Peter Sides scenarios from his Historical Battles books.  ABC is designed to finish in under an hour on a 2'x2' table.

Version 2 of the rules
This is the first historical game playtest of version 2 of the rules.  After lots of minor tweaks over the last two years, I re-wrote them.  While the rules themselves play 95% the same as the last iteration of version 1 (1.3s for those interested), they are a lot shorter and I think are better written. A lot as in less than half the pages of the previous rules.   Further details of version 2 compared to version 1 can be found in this blog post.
 
Battle of the Granicus
Alexander crosses the Hellespoint into Asia and it met by a large Persian Army facing him across the Granicus river.
 
Here are some links of interest that I used to create the scenario:
Wikipedia article
Ancient History Encyclopedia battle description
Junior General battle and rules
DBA Scenario
Clash of Empires scenario
DBM Scenario (also has a link to an alternative DBM scenario)

Scenario changes
Reduced by about third the troops due to my smaller sized table.  However, I roughly halved the spear or pike units as the scenario units are for DBx that assumes in this case that the units will be rear supported, not the case with my rules.

Troops

Alexander’s Macedonian
4 Phalangites, battle infantry, phalanx
1 Hypaspists, battle infantry, phalanx, some missile protection, high fortitude
1 Hoplites, battle infantry, phalanx, some missile protection, low fortitude
2 Thracians, auxiliary infantry, high fortitude
3 Psiloi, skirmish infantry, short missile
1 Skirmishers, skirmish infantry, long missile
1 Companions, auxiliary infantry, high fortitude, disciplined
1 Heavy Cavalry, auxiliary cavalry
1 Light Cavalry, skirmish cavalry, short missile
1 General (with Companions)
+1 army command ability

Breakpoint: 11

Late Achaemenid Persian
2 Hoplites, battle infantry, phalanx, some missile protection
2 Heavy Infantry, battle infantry, long missile
2 Psiloi, skirmish infantry, long missile
1 Heavy cavalry, auxiliary infantry, high fortitude, impetuous
5 Heavy Cavalry, auxiliary infantry
5 Light Cavalry,  skirmish cavalry, short missile

1 General with high fortitude cavalry

Breakpoint: 13

Deployment
Deployment:

Persians on the left, Macedonians on the right.

The river I have classed as a passable river.  In the rules, this means that the river is crossable but counts as difficult terrain for close combat.  Both units in combat are effected by the difficult terrain. There is a bank defensive bonus for the Persian cavalry.  What that means is the Persian heavy cavalry will be at their difficult combat value 0, +1 for defending the bank, A phalangite units difficult combat value is 1. Equal.  The phalangites will have to attack to keep the Persians occupied while Alexander attacks on the right flank.  

Note that is  different to Issus, where the river will be classed as a stream that infers a bank defense bonus but is not counted as difficult terrain.

Greek mercenaries (the one unit to the rear of the Macedonians) are uncontrolled and cannot move until a unit comes very close to them.
The Units on the Persian hill are also uncontrolled.

Neither uncontrolled units played any part in this game, although they do help increase the breakpoint value of the army.

The Game
Alexander move first. and all but the Companions advance to the river edge.

View from the Macedonians after advancing.

On the Macedonian left, Persian skirmishers disorder and pushback Parmenion (the heavy cavalry on the Macedonian left)

Parmenion is pushed back from the river bank.

On the Macedonian right two Skirmishers are pushed back for one Persian pushback.  Alexander is obviously hoping for two being pushed back to make it easier with a breakthrough on that side.

Skirmishers skirmish on the Macedonian right.  The Persians still control the river bank.

The phalangites move across the river to engage the heavy cavalry.  Heavy Cavalry combat value is 1, phalangites 0.  Two centre phalangites retreat.  The lone cavalry that could pursue does not (is is not impetuous, and would only pursue on a 5 or more as defending terrain).

Pikes advance, melee and the centre two retreat. The grey javelins mark a unit as disordered.

Not much happening on the Macedonian right, and a continuing inconclusive melee in the centre between cavalry and phalanxes.  The Cavalry is not going to advance across the river, and those in contact remained in melee.

On the right skirmishers interchanged some fire, and a few skirmishers lost on both sides.  The Companions entered into the fray - Skirmishers retreat and Companions followed up...

Alexander finally crosses the river and charges the skirmishes, who rout.

...and the skirmishers rout.  No damage to the Companions as high fortitude with general (a 1 would have disordered them but no such luck for the Persians).  The Companions do not pursue (they are disciplined and with a general; a 5+ would have forced them to pursue).

The Hypaspists rout after combat with the Persian heavy cavalry with Darius.    More phalanxes are falling.  Parmenion manages to force a skirmish cavalry to retreat, but are pushed back themselves under missile fire.

Darius's heavy cavalry, and an adjacent heavy cavalry, cross the river and rout another disordered phalanx.

The heavy cavalry cross the river

Only one phalanx unit left.

Darius routs his opponent and continues across the river.

But Alexander is coming....

See Alexander at the top right coming in to the flank.

The Persian heavy cavalry over the river cannot about face as already disordered and so will have to wheel to turn - this will take 4 moves

Alexander hits other Heavy Cavalry in flank.

Alexander hits a heavy cavalry in the flank.

Alexander/Companions are CV2 +1 high fortitude -1 single unit -1 disordered +2 general +2 flank attack +2 shock = 7 Vs Persian CV 2 = +5.
First die roll 5. Total of 10 - destroyed.

Alexander charges into the next cavalry unit.

Pursues into the flank of the next Heavy Cavalry and rolls a 6.

Alexander charges into the third heavy cavalry (and stops).

Pursues into the third heavy cavalry and roll a 2; total of 7 is a disorder.  The rolling up stops.

Peltast advances as now the heavy cavalry is attacked in flank, it counts as flanked against all attacks.

Peltast charges into the flanked unit.  it will rout, and does.

The melee results in the heavy cavalry getting a depleted results that is a destroyed.

Parmenion advances and the skirmisher runs away (finally).

Last phalanx is destroyed (a Persian 6 on the die);  and Darius rallies.

Alexander charges a Heavy Cavalry (that turned last turn, expecting the charge).

The last Persian heavy cavalry unit has time to turn to take the charge from Alexander.  It did not help against the might of a die roll of a 6.

Alexander rolls a 6 for melee. Persian cavalry routs.  Alexander pursues into the rear of a skirmishers that also retreats...into the front of Parmenion that charges them and the skirmishers routs.

Parmenion charges into the skirmisher that Alexander has forced to retreat.

The Persian have reached their army breakpoint and game is over, victory to the Macedonians.

End game.

In hindsight, Alexander should have go in on the right flank immediately after the first turn skirmish clash did not work.

Verdict
It took awhile to make sure the rules worked for river crossing and I am happy with them (today - tomorrow it may change!).  Uncontrolled units work as planned. The new unbloated  version 2 of the rules are working well.  No errors caught so far but it needs more games to make sure - there are always some that creep in.

Ancient Battlelines clash - October 2014 update

Introduction
After a few months of reflection, last month (ABC update September 2014) I created a Quick Reference Sheet from scratch and then did some minor rules culling and changes to reflect the new QRS.  95% of the rules remained unchanged.  Played a few battles and all was well.  But then I reflected a bit more.  The core rules were 14 pages.  DBA is 5 pages (excluding troop definitions), Basic Impetus is 8 for everything.  14 does not ring true for me as a fast play set.

So what did I do?
I sat down, opened up a blank document and wrote the rules out again from scratch, without reference to any other document, including the rules or the QRS.  6 1/2 pages (no examples) including unit definitions.
I then when back to the old version and added in some clarifications and any bits I had missed from the old version (surprisingly not many) and a bit of formatting. 8 pages.  I am happy.  I also added in examples, optional rules, example armies and a QRS: 12 pages in total compared to 22 pages for the equivalent in the previous version.  With no rule loss.  How? The previous rules started life many years ago and in earnest 3 years ago and have been worded, reworded and built upon over probably 100 minor versions.  I have cleaned up a large amount of bloated rule sections just writing in all from memory on what they should be.  It was almost a case of, why use one word when three can do the same job :-)  I am so much more content and the rules I think are better for it.  Anyway, I have nowhere else to go now with them, having done a write from memory only! (having written this, I did do one step further and have written a simpler 2 page version for about 6 units with no markers on a 1'x1' board, but that is untested!)
The QRS is now one page, in two columns as per the rest of the rules - no rules deleted, just better formatting and a little streamlining..  I am very happy that the QRS is one simple page - that fact I had to fudge the previous version by using 3 columns just bugged me,

So, the final rules are:
Pages 1-12: The rules including examples, optional rules and a reference sheet on page 12. Pages 1-12 are all that is needed to print to play.
Pages 13-16: Detailed example and designer notes.
Pages 17-24: Fully programmable opponent for the rules; none, some or all may be used.
Note: pages 13-24 are not essential to play, but if you want to use them, it is best to print off separately.

The new version of the rules are at the Ancient Battlelines Clash rules page.  The army lists have not been updated to align to the new unit types, but the conversion is very easy and I provide how to convert.

I need to playtest more and finihed off my next historical game - Granicus - with Version 2 (coming soon)

Changes
For those interested, here are all the rule changes.  While I don't expect anyone to read them, it does indicate how little I did to the actual rules.

• Troops are now classified by role (battle, auxiliary and skirmisher) and type (infantry, cavalry and chariot).  Exceptions are elephants, scythed chariots, camels and camps.  These do map directly onto the more traditional HI, MI, LI, HC etc.  I have liked this method ever since reading and playing the Irregular Miniature Ancient rules years ago.  I have finally bit the bullet and put these into my rules.  It really helps streamline combat values and what type of units are impacted by things.
• Movement rates are now simplified - all infantry move 8cm, all mounted move 12cm.  For this game, the different movement rates was really irrelevant.  I was very clever with the old movement rates and retreat distances but I realised it works out the same with two standard movement rates.  But Skirmisher cavalry (LC) do need to move 16cm to make horse archer armies work properly, so included that.  All skirmishers add 2cm to retreat distances to ensure they do not get caught.  I had this in an older version but was not required but with similar movement rates it is back in again.
• The bow missile range needs to be in between these two movement rates for the missile rules to work correctly, so bow range is now 10cm (was 12cm). Skirmish infantry bows are only 4cm range - they were too powerful against infantry.
• Most of the sections have been reworded and are more succicient.