Battle of Megiddo 1479BC – battle report with DBSA (sort of)

Introduction

After playing some replays of this battle with Dominion of the Spear, I realised how interesting I find this battle.  I decided to play it with the latest iteration of my Ancient Battlelines Clash rules.

And then I have always wanted to use DSBA, the forerunner to DBA.  Megiddo has a lot of archers and DBSA has no ranged combat so I added to DBSA the Bows troop type able to fire at 200p. I made a few very minor modifications to the combat results.  But very minor (I amazingly resisted doing a lot more). DBSA also has Chariots as a distinctive troop type, which I like.  I have never really been enamoured with the opposed dice and compare to less that or greater than half but we shall see.  If I am ok with it I may play it more.  Of course, in the past I have always said that and then played a game of DBA and then moved on :-)

Post battle spoiler: opposed 2d6 and comparing half/greater than half I found I am ok with but not greatly inspired. So I worked on a 1d6 variant that is good enough for me.  Nuances are lost compared to the 2d6 but I am fine with that for less calculation.

Battle of Megiddo 1479BC  

The Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III defeats a Canaanite coalition before the walls of the city of Megiddo.

Sources

See this previous Megiddo battle report for sources I used.

Troops

Egyptians

3 CH Chariots (one with the general Thutmose III, 1 Swordsmen/Blade/HI Heavy infantry, 2 Auxilia/MI Medium Infantry, 2 Bows/LA Light Archers, 1 CP Camp.

Breakpoint: 3

Coalition of Syrians under the prince of Kadesh

2 CH Chariots (one with leader), 2 Auxilia/MI Medium Infantry, 2 Psiloi/LI Light Infantry, 1 Bows/LA Light Archer, 1 CP Camp.

Breakpoint: 3

Scenario & Deployment

Special rules: A draw is a rebel victory.

I have gone with a deployment loosely based on the Peter Sides scenario.

Deployment (Egyptians on the left)

Game

Egyptians go first and all advance towards the opposing Canaanites.  The Egyptians fire, as do the Canaanites in return.  This breaks up the opposing lines on the Egyptian left flank.  The next turn sees the Canaanite archer destroy their opposing Egyptian archer.

Egyptian left flank battlelines are now broken up due to missile fire

The Egyptian chariots charge into the Canaanite chariots, all the Egyptian chariots recoil (expect the support one).

Egyptian chariots charge and are repulsed

The Egyptian right flank charges up the hill and manages to force a Canaanite Medium infantry further up the hill.  Next turn the light infantry is also forced back and then the turn after flees

Egyptian right flank charging up the hill

Across the line the Egyptians are slowly forcing the Canaanites back.  On the left they are recoiling from bowfire, in the centre both Chariots are forced to retreat and on the right flank a medium infantry is forced back into the cliff and so routs.

Canaanite chariots in retreat

Egyptian right flank forces a medium infantry to retreat

But then disaster for the Egyptians!  On their left flank the Canaanite bowfire is so great the other Egyptian archer unit routs.  There is only an Egyptian medium infantry for defence.

Egyptian left flank down to one unit

And then even more tragedy!  In the centre an Egyptian chariot is lost. 

Egyptians lost a chariot

The Egyptians have lost 3 units from starting with 8 units so flee the battlefield.  They have lost.

End

Verdict

The Egyptians rolled ok when it was not critical but rolled badly when it was important and so lost the three units.  If they had just rolled well at the right times it could have easily ended up as an Egyptian victory.  Alas it was not the historical result due to hot Canaanite dice.  As noted at the start of the post, the whole roll 2d6 and compare for half/greater than half I think is a great mechanism but I think I would have to play a few more games for the calculations to just easily flow.  Rather than do that, I have a 1d6 variant that is not as nuanced but works ok.

I did not mind the flow of the game but the game took longer than with my own rules. There was a lot of interactions between units (missile fire or combat) that did nothing interesting e.g. caused a recoil to one side but next turn the unit was moved back in line. But then my rules are designed for really quick results, at least compared to DBA. 

Battle of Megiddo 1479BC – battle report with Ancient Battlelines Clash

 Introduction

After playing some replays of this battle with Dominion of the Spear, I realised how interesting I find this battle.  I decided to play it with the latest iteration of my Ancient Battlelines Clash rules.  Previous outings with previous rules versions are with an early copy of my own rules (2012) and a few times with a major rules revision in 2021.  ABC is designed to finish in around 30 minutes on a 2’x2’ or smaller table; I am currently using a 40cmx40cm table, although for Megiddo I used a 2'x2' due to the wide width of the battlefield, even with only 8 bases a side.

Battle of Megiddo 1479BC  

The Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III defeats a Canaanite coalition before the walls of the city of Megiddo.

Sources

Scenario source: Bill Banks Ancients (originally).

Link(s):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Megiddo_(15th_century_BC)

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1101/thutmose-iii-at-the-battle-of-megiddo/

https://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/Ancient/BattleOfMegiddo

https://www.donsmaps.com/egypt2cb.html  (a good summary of Nelson, see below)

Society of Ancients Slingshot articles:

• The Battle of Megiddo (43/6-11, Alan Buttery)
• The Battle of Kadesh (55/6-13, rp.92a/16-20, Alan Buttery)
• Megiddo! (135/15-18, Ian Greenwood; comments 136/18-19, Ian Russell Lowell; 137/11-12, Karl Heinz Ranitzsch & Noel McGlinchey)
• The Pharaoh‟s Breakfast [Megiddo] (136/16-18, Stephen Allen)

Other:

• Harold Haydon Nelson Battle of Megiddo (1913) is an interesting read on the battle

Troops

Egyptians

1 LDR Leader (Thutmose III), 3 CH Chariots, 1 HI Heavy infantry, 2 MI Medium Infantry, 2 LA Light Archers, 1 CP Camp.

Breakpoint: 2.5

Coalition of Syrians under the prince of Kadesh

1 LDR, 2 CH Chariots, 2 MI Medium Infantry, 2 LI Light Infantry, 1 LA Light Archer, 1 CP Camp.

Breakpoint: 2.5

Scenario & Deployment

Special rules: A draw is a rebel victory.

I have gone with a deployment loosely based on the Peter Sides scenario.

Deployment (Egyptians on the left)

Game

The two Egyptian flanks move (the right to gin the riverbank, the left to get closer to be able to use the light archers).  The centre decides to pause and wait for the flanks to get into position (in reality failed to activate).

The Canaanite right flank fails to move but their light archers do exchange some missile fire with the opposing Egyptian archers (for no effect).

Exchanging missile fire on the Egyptian left flank

The Canaanite chariots move slightly off the hill, just to put a little more distance between the Egyptian chariots and the Camp.

The Egyptian’s may be able to win their right flank and so advance to the river bank.  Inn range of the Canaanite Light infantry that fire and disorder the opposing heavy infantry

Canaanite light infantry disorders the Egyptian Heavy infantry

The Egyptian chariots charge in.  The Canaanites fire at them on them as they approach, forcing one to slow their advance. Disorders all round, except Thutmose’s Royal Guard.

Egyptian chariots charge, one falters due to incoming arrows

The Egyptian left flank fires missiles and disorder the Light infantry.  The Canaanite archers return fire and the rest of the flank moves off the hill as they need to rout the Egyptian archers.

Canaanite right flank advancing

The Chariots melee and one of the Egyptian Chariots is routed.

An Egyptian chariot routed

On the Canaanite left flank, the light infantry routs the heavy infantry (two 6’s in a row).  That was unexpected.

Heavy infantry routed

Thutmose charges his chariots in but are repulsed again.  On the left flank the infantry clash and are both disordered, archers fire at the other archers on the hill and the latter are disordered, the far left archers fire at the light infantry who return fire with javelins and disorder the Egyptian archers.

The Egyptian left flank is still in contention

But then it all goes pear shaped for the Egyptians.  On the left flank, the Canaanites rout the archers and the medium infantry, the remaining chariot in the centre routs the opposing chariot.

Collapse of the Egyptian left and centre

This well and truly breaks the morale of the Egyptian side that abandon the battle.

End

Verdict

Wow.  The collapse at the end was the Canaanites rolling a string of 5s and 6s Vs the 1s and 2s of the Egyptians.   I was not expecting the Egyptians to lose.  They rolled so bad throughout the game, and the Canaanites rolled so well.  No changes to the rules, still happy with them.  Of course, this is after 3 games with the revised rules so that can easily change :-)