Battle of Pharsalus 48BC using When Warriors Collide

 Introduction

This is game 59 in play testing my ancient rules by replaying historical battles.  I have gone back to free form movement on a 60cmx60cm table, compared to a 12x12 grid.  No other changes to the rules other than now using a ruler.  I don’t know whether I will go back to gridded for ancients or not.  Who knows?  This is the third time I have gone to gridded and back out again. (Spoiler: I did for Game 63 onwards)

Update: After the first melee, I changed the results table for melee and missile and added back in disorder (hits) and some reactive moves.  So it reintroduces some of my older mechanisms back in but the results table is cleaner (it looked more like DBA with each unit type having their own results – now it is a single table with limited unit types referenced.   I could not help myself but adding in reactions for solo play.

This is the 4th last game I played using rules loosely based on Ancients Battlelines Clash.  It is posted a year after I played it. 

Battle of Pharsalus

In the midst of the Roman civil war, the two opposing generals face off in Greece.

Troops

Roman (Caesar)

Caesarean Roman line

4 HI (swords) elite

1 HI (swords) (represents the cohorts with the cavalry on the right flank)

2 LI

1 MC elite

1 Elite Leader

1 leader

Breakpoint: 10

 

Roman (Pompey)

Pompeian Roman line

8 HI (swords)

2 LI

4 MC

1 poor leader

Breakpoint: 13

Scenario changes

Mainly reduced the number of bases to fit onto a small table.  I used a normal HI (swords) to represent the 3000 (or thereabouts) legionaries Caesar had placed with the cavalry.

 

Deployment

Deployment, Caesar on the left, Pompey on the right

Game

End of first move of both sides see them closing quickly.

The battlelines close in.

Caesar, the cohorts and his cavalry charge the light infantry and rout them.  They then pursue into the Pompeian cavalry.  A few depletions.

Caesar in melee with the opposing cavalry

Another round of melee sees a Pompeian cavalry routed, and the accompanying Caesarean light infantry retire.

The opposing Roman legions meet.  Caesar’s legions roll badly, but then so does Pompey’s and it evens out.  Caesar’s legions are elite so may hold out longer.  The cavalry melee continues.

Legions melee in the centre

Two Pompeian legion is lost but the Caesarean legions are being depleted.    On the cavalry melee, two Pompeian cavalry are routed.  Caesar pursues one of them.  The remaining Pompeian cavalry unit wheels and charges the reduced legion in the flank but both remain in melee.

Cavalry flank now has less of Pompey’s units.

Another legion of Pompey’s lost in the centre.  The cavalry on the flank of Caesar’s heavy infantry rolls badly and routs.

Pompey’s side is broken.

This breaks the army of Pompey and Caesar has won.   

 

Rule changes

I updated the movement rules to work without grids.  I added in some reaction moves when fired at or an enemy moves into a Zone of Control.   While most units can take two hits, heavy infantry can take three.  I have wanted to do this for a long time and it really works here showing the grind of heavy infantry melees.

 

Verdict

I really liked the way the game played out and the interactions.  I did play about a dozen games previous to this game with the 12x12 grid and no “hits” (mostly with 6mm figures),