Introduction
This is game 34 in play testing my ancient rules by replaying historical battles. The previous version of ‘Ancient Battlelines Clash’ is on
its own blog page. Note at the time of writing the version I am using to play this battle (Version 3.2) is very much in draft as it is a rewrite of what I planned for V3.0 and closer to what V2.5 (the one I used to play most of my games). V3.2 currently requires a lot of tidying up, and is missing design notes, examples and the programmed opponent. I am play testing the rules by replaying all the
Peter Sides scenarios from his Historical Battles books. ABC is designed to finish in around 30 minutes on a 2'x2' table.
Battle of Beneventum
After the Battle of Asculum, Pyrrhus went to Sicily and did quite well but after four years he had outstayed his welcome. Pyrrhus went back to Italy to defend his remaining presence from the Romans.
Very little on the internet and it is not a well documented battle. Here is the Wiki article of interest:
Wikipedia entry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Beneventum_(275_BC)
Troops
Pyrrhus
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| Epriots |
1 Agema, Medium Cavalry, impetuous
2 Light Cavalry, Light Cavalry, javelins
1 Elephants, Elephant
2 Phalangites, Heavy Infantry, phalanx
1 Conscript Phalangites, Heavy Infantry, phalanx, low fortitude
1 Allied Infantry, Heavy Infantry, warband, impetuous
2 Skirmisher, Skirmish Infantry, javelins
1 Leader with the Agema
Breakpoint: 7
Romans
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| Romans |
2 Roman Cavalry, Medium Cavalry
4 Velites, Skirmish Infantry, javelins
4 Hastati/Principes, Heavy Infantry, some MP (missile protection)
2 Skirmishers, Skirmish Infantry, javelins
1 Leader with one of the legions
Breakpoint: 6
Scenario changes
I added one Roman Medium Cavalry so both flanks are covered. I reduced the units/elements by about half as I am playing on a table half the size. I also have less Phalanx/pike units as there is no benefit to rear pike units in ABC compared to DBA.
Deployment
The actual deployment is unknown and I have gone with the one in the Peter Sides scenario book. I assume the Pyrrhic setup is to account for the fact the battle began before they were fully ready.
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| Deployment |
The Game
Pyrrhus moves up the Warbands in the centre. On the right flank he keeps the light units back and moves a light cavalry to slow down the right flank. The Elephants fail to move on their own and so are stuck stationary with the Agema.
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| Epriot forces advance |
Romans move there line up. Note the Leves cannot charge the Warbands so stop just before. The Warbands do not react as Skirmish infantry do not mandate a charge.
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| A bit more movement on both sides. Still no contact though. |
Warbands charge the Leves so they only get the one round of missile fire. Bad rolls from the Leves see some poor missile fire and the Skirmishers leave the field. The Warband charges into the Roman heavy infantry. All are disordered.
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| The warband charges in. All in melee are disordered. |
On the Pyrrhus right flank the Light Cavalry and Skirmishers trade javelins. The result is that the Skirmishers rout. The Roman Heavy Cavalry is within the proximity zone of the Light Cavalry and so charges them. The Light cavalry loose their javelins and retreat. The Roman Heavy Cavalry pursue but do not catch them.
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| Meanwhile on the Pyrrhic right flank the Roman cavalry attempts to deal with the opposing light cavalry. |
The Roman Heavy Cavalry charge the Light Cavalry who fire and retreat. The missile fire forces the Roman Heavy Cavalry to halt their charge.
The centre battleline continues to be a melee. The Roman left flank moves towards the Skirmish line. Skirmish infantry do react to other skirmish infantry coming close. The Pyrrhic skirmish infantry unit and Roman unit exchange missile fire.. The Pyrrhic Skirmisher retreats while the Roman Skirmisher routs.
The Roman cavalry charges the Light Cavalry that retreat. The Roman cavalry pursue but do not contact the retreating cavalry.
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| The Light Cavalry have retreat and the Roman Heavy Cavalry is in pursuit (cannot catch them though) |
The Light cavalry fires at the Roman Heavy Cavalry for no effect and the light cavalry are routed from the reaction of the Heavy cavalry that charge them.
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| Finally, the Pyrrhic Light Cavalry rout under the pressure. |
The phalanx moves up as it cannot wait for the warband to rout. There is a skirmisher missile exchange and the Epriot skirmishers rout. The Roman skirmisher then fires on a phalangite unit that causes the latter to charge at them. Skirmishers fire again but cause no damage and retreat from the field. The phalangites continue charging into a Roman unit. Worst result possible in the situation - phalanx is disordered and the Roman unit is not. (all of this generated by the reaction system!).
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| One unit of Epriot phalangites charge into the Romans and the phalangites are disordered. |
Meanwhile, the warbands are facing really bad odds but the Romans roll so badly they are still locked in melee.
Pyrrhus and the Elephant charge the Roman Cavalry. The Roman unit is disordered and unsupported facing a unit lead by a leader. Only a poor roll will see them locked in melee and that did not happen. The Roman cavalry routs and Pyrrhus does not pursue.
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| On the Epriot left flank, the Agema and Elephants rout the opposing heavy cavalry. |
The warband finally is routed and a roman unit pursues into the proximity of a phalangite unit that does nothing. The disordered phalangites that ate in melee with a Roman unit sees the Roman unit now disordered.
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| The Warband is finally routed and the Romans pursue. |
The Phalangites charge the Roman units and all are disordered.
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| The phalangites charge the lone Roman unit but are themselves disordered. |
The Elephant takes a chance and charges the Leves directly in front. i thought about using The Agema and Pyrrhus but why not soften them up with an Elephant? The Leves fire for no effect at the charging elephant but in the subsequent melee manage to disorder the elephants. Pyrrhus wheels to face the threat of the Roman Heavy Cavalry in the rear of the Epriot lines as does the Light Cavalry.
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| The Elephant attempts to clear the Leves to get at the Roman heavy infantry (top left). The Roman and Epriot cavalry face off behind the Epriot lines (bottom). |
The Elephant is destroyed by the Leves! A low chance but they did it. The first time ever in these rules. They pursue.
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| For the first time in using my rules, an Elephant is routed by a skirmisher. |
On the main battleline, one of the Roman units is routed. Both sides are now one heavy unit away from their breakpoint.
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| On the Epriot right of the main battleline a Roman heavy infantry unit succumbs. |
Roman Cavalry charges the Light cavalry that retreats, Pyrrhus wheels again to face the Roman battleline and the Leves rout after ineffective fire. Pyrrhus charges the Roman unit. Both are disordered.
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| Pyrrhus charges in where the Elephant failed.. |
Most of the melees are fairly balanced so it will come down to a 1 or a 6 in a combat to see which unit is depleted and sends that army over their breakpoint. In this case it was the Phalangites that rolled a 6 and rout the Romans. A win for Pyrrhus!
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| Both armies are one unit away from breaking and they are fairly balanced in melee so it comes don to the luck of the die. The Romans lose a unit first and so Pyrrhus wins! |
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| Position of the units at the end, |
Verdict
I was not sure if I wanted to play this one as the forces and deployment are not historically known. But I do like a Pyrrhic battle and it is the second last pike/hoplite one before I move onto the Punic Wars (however, the next one is the Battle of Sellasia).
Rule Changes
For quite a number of battles I had no rules changes (to the older version). However, this version of the rules is new with a number of untested changes, one to make Light units more fragile so the game will play faster. But in my changes and playing this game I noticed that there is no real chance to rout Light Cavalry with Heavy Cavalry- the former just keep retreating. I have added back in a chance (about a third) for the Light Cavalry to fire and rout. Similar to the previous version. This is what playtesting is all about!
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