30 ancient games in 30 days - games 16 to 20

Introduction

Games 16 to 20 in the 30 games in 30 days using my own rule son a 40cmx40cm table with 15mm figures.  Replaying some historical battles based on some Bill Banks Ancients user written scenarios.  Details can be found at this introductory blog post: https://shaun-wargaming-minis.blogspot.com/2023/12/introduction-to-30-games-in-30-days.html

In this post are these battles:

• GALATHIA, 273 BC, Antiochus I (Seleucids) vs Galatians (Gauls)
• ADYS, 256 BC, Romans (Regulus) vs Carthaginians (Hamilcar)
• PANION, 200 BC, Ptolemaics vs Seleucids
• TRIBOLA, 147 BC, Lusitani/Viriathus vs Romans/Vetilius
• MUTHUL River, 108 BC, Jugurtha (Numidians) vs Metellus (Romans)

GALATHIA, 273 BC

Antiochus' army faced the Galatians somewhere on the plain of Sardis in the Battle of Elephants.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galatia

Map: Open.

Special: None.

Antiochus I (Seleucids) (bp 4): 2 LDR, 2 EL, 2 HC, 2 PX, 2 MI.

Deploy: HC EL LI PX* PX LI EL HC*.

Galatians (Gauls) (bp 4): 1 LDR, 2 CH, 2 LC, 6WB.

Deploy: LC CH WB WB WB WB* WB WB CH LC.

Deployment, Seleucids on the left

The Galatian’s best chance is in the centre, while the Seleucids are stronger on the flanks.  So that is where each side will focus.

The Seleucid’s advance.  The Galatians advance the centre.  Some warbands on the flanks will contact the Heavy Cavalry.  Maybe slow them down!

The Seleucid left flank Heavy Cavalry contacts the Warband.  Both disordered.  The Elephant continues to the Light Cavalry and the Chariot.  The Light Cavalry fires for no effect and retreats.  The Chariot is routed and then later the Light Cavalry is routed as well.

Elephant and Heavy Cavalry on the Seleucid left flank.  Chariot about to be routed.

The Galatian battle line impacts the Seleucid one.  All but one Warband unit disordered.  In a later melee the centre Seleucid phalanx is lost and then later a warband unit is lost.

The battlelines in contact.  The centre Phalanx is shortly routed.

The Seleucid right flank contacts a Warband left to slow them down.  Both disordered.  The elephant continues in next turn contacts the Light Cavalry and Chariot.  The Light Cavalry retreats with ineffective missile fire, the Chariot is disordered.

The Seleucid right flank

Two more warbands are lost (in 1:1 attacks so just bad luck) and the Chariot and Light Cavalry on the Galatian left flank are lost via the elephant.  The Galatian’s have exceeded their breakpoint and flee.  The Seleucids win!

End game

It was a close game – it could have easily gone the other way.

ADYS, 256 BC

Roman attack on the hilltop camp of the Carthaginians.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Adys

Map: Hill centre Carthaginians rear edge 1 unit wide and 3 long.

Special: None.  Note that the Carthaginians cavalry and elephants played no part in the battle so not shown.

Romans (Regulus) (bp 2): 1 LDR, 1 HC, 3 HI.

Deploy: Set up within 2 unit widths of the hill defenders in two groups.  One group facing the right of the defenders, HI HC the other on at 90 degrees of the left in a flanking position, HI* HI.

Carthaginians (Hamilcar) (bp 1.5): 1 LDR, 2 HI, 1 MI, 1 CP.

Deploy: Camp rear centre of hill, free deployment of rest on hill all facing Roman edge, for example, HI HI* MI.

Deploy, Carthaginians on the hill

Not much to this really.  The Romans dash up the flank and to the front (to the front to keep them distracted). 

Romans front advance into the Carthaginians on the hill.  The Romans disordered.  The flankers move into contact.    The Medium Infantry unit is destroyed, the flanking Roman Heavy Infantry continues into another Heavy Infantry and the latter are disordered.  Next round of melees, the Heavy Cavalry is destroyed and then the centre Heavy Infantry is destroyed.  All over quite quickly.

End game

As expected.  The replay value of the scenario is that the forces can be rearranged, one of the Carthaginian units could be facing the flank attack etc.

PANION, 200 BC

Ptolemaics vs. Seleucids.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Panium

Map: Hill on Seleucid right flank.

Special: None.

Ptolemaics (bp 2.5): 1 LDR, 1 HC, 1 LC, 4 PX, 1 LI.

Deploy: HC* PX PX PX PX LI LC

Seleucids (bp 3.5): 1 LDR, 1 KN, 1 EL, 1 HC, 1 LC, 4 PX, 1 LI.

Deploy: LC LI PX PX PX PX HC KT* (on hill) EL (behind right flank HC).

Deployment, Ptolemaics on the left

Ptolemy is outnumbered and outclassed.  The game is more how long can his army hang in there, or get really good dice rolls.  The Seleucids (obvious) plan is to charge with their right flank cavalry, rout the opposing Heavy Cavalry+leader and then rollup the centre.

The Seleucids advance.  The Seleucid right flank Cavalry melee with Ptolemy and his Heavy Cavalry.  The Knight is Ok but the Ptolemaic and Seleucid Heavy Cavalry are disordered.  The Seleucid Heavy Cavalry is then routed, and then the Ptolemaic Heavy Cavalry is routed by the remaining Seleucid Knight.

Action on the Ptolemaic left flank.

The Seleucid Heavy Cavalry is shortly routed after this, followed quickly by the Ptolemaic Heavy Cavalry.

In the centre the lines clash.  A Seleucid phalangite unit is routed.

Centre clash, one Seleucid phalanx unit already routed.

The Seleucid Knight flank the phalanx line and rout the unit.

Knight flanks the Ptolemaic phalanx line

The Seleucid win as the Ptolemaic have reached their breakpoint and flee.

End game

It was never going to end well for the Ptolemaic with such an inferior left flank.  Having Ptolemy there also meant the Ptolemaic side is going to lose him as well early on.  In a rematch, I am tempted to give the Ptolemaic an extra leader for a phalangite to give them a reason to attack.  In the game, there is no reason for the Seleucid infantry to attack as the Knight is going to do all the work.  With the Ptolemaic moving forwards to attack the Seleucid it makes the game follow more historical lines.

TRIBOLA, 147 BC

The Lusitani of Viriathus ambush a pursuing Roman force.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viriathus

Map: Woods covering half of board.

Special: None.

Lusitani/Viriathus (bp 2.5): 1 LDR, 1 HC, 1 HI, 3 WB.

Deploy: HC and HI in centre top facing edge, 3 WB, middle one with Leader in woods facing roman column.

Romans/Vetilius (bp 2): 1 LDR, 1 HC, 3 HI, 1 LI.

Deploy: in column 1 move from WB and 1 HC move from enemy HC: HC* HI HI HI LI.  1 move distance from front edge to front edge.

Deployment

Easy for the warbands – attack from the woods.  Romans get to choose whether to use the Heavy Cavalry attack the rear of the enemy in front of them (likely) or turn and help the column out.  The Heavy Cavalry have a large advantage over the Heavy Cavalry and Warband, attacking them in the rear so that should be their goal.

The warbands charge into the flanks of the Roman Column.  The centre legion is routed.  The middle warband turns into the rear of the front legion but is disordered in the subsequent combat.  The rear Light Infantry flank attacks a Warband, both are disordered The decoy Heavy Cavalry /Heavy Infantry turns 90 degrees to come to assist the warbands, but the Roman Heavy Cavalry charges into their flanks, disordering the Heavy Cavalry.

State of play, one legion down.

The Lusitani Heavy Cavalry is routed. The leading legion is routed. The rear warband is routed.  Whomever loses the next unit loses the game!  The rear legion advances into the flank of a warband and they are routed.  The Romans win.

End game

I really thought it would be a walkover for the Lusitani.  But it was actually a very close game.

MUTHUL River, 108 BC

Romans against Jugurtha.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Muthul

Map: Hill on Numidian right flank quarter.

Special: LC cannot move off the hill until the Romans contact them.

Jugurtha (Numidians) (bp 2.5): 2 LDR, 1 EL, 3 LC, 2 MI, 2 LI.

Deploy: In open: EL LI MI MI on hill: LI LC* LC LC.

Metellus (Romans) (bp 1.5): 1 LDR, 3 HI.

Deploy: Spread out as 3 individual units HI HI* HI.  With 1.5 unit width between them and also table edge.

Deploy, Numidians on the left

Hmm.  Romans need to attack the Medium Infantry, block the Elephant and delay attacking the Light Cavalry.  The Numidians really need to try and take out the Romans by surrounding them.

Light Infantry moves of the hill.  All but the Light Cavalry advance.  The Roman Heavy Infantry centre and right advances.   The Light Infantry fires for no effect and retreats.  The legions advance into the Medium Infantry and cause some disorders.  A legion unit is routed as is a Medium Infantry.  The Elephant turns to the flank of the Roman line.

One infantry unit down each

Elephant and its Light Infantry are single units and far from the general making it hard to get them moving.  The Roman unit attacks the Medium Infantry in the flank and it is routed.

Roman legionaries in the flank of the Numidian infantry.  They rout soon after.

The elephant charges into the Roman legion but rolls a 1 and routs.  The Romans win!

End game (Elephant will be routed with the next die roll)

Interesting game – could go either way.  Not sure what to do with the Light Cavalry Vs the Roman Heavy Infantry as the Light Cavalry can run rings around the lone Heavy Infantry unit and missile it to death.  If I had time I would try this out to see how is goes as the Light Cavalry have to roll a 1 to disorder the Heavy Infantry with missiles but the Light Cavalry should be able to stay out of the way of the Romans.