Trying to design a scenario for the Battle of Caecus River.

Robert, your suggestions were very helpful.  By placing a few, smaller BG & RG features, the Greek Psiloi now have the option of using them as "stepping stones", just as you suggested.  Yet, a large swath of GG in the center gives the Galatian horse the corridor of approach they plausibly would have used.  I also changed the VC's so that any Galatian Cv or LCh (instead of Wb) element that exits the Greek base-edge counts as a lost Pergamene element.  

Eddie, you had some good, out-of-the-box ideas too.  Thanks for those.  Since several in our group are still hesitant to cool about DBA-3, I want to keep the basic mechanics and such unchanged, as much as possible.  

So, here's the scenario now, with hard-coded terrain and Pergamene deployment for the scenario.

Created by Paul A. Hannah 

II/30b Galatian 

vs. 

II/34 Attalid Pergamene 

Historical Background
The eastern migration of Celtic tribes in the 3rd Century BC caused great unrest in the Greek world. Pergamon in Asia Minor initially paid tribute to the Galatians in return for protection against further raids. King Attalus I, who ascended to the Pergamene throne in 241 BC, ceased further payments. Both sides mobilized for war. In the pivotal battle, the Greeks and Barbarians met “near the source of the Caecus River”, west of Pergamon.

Terrain, as shown below
The battlefield is as shown. There are 2 Difficult Hills (BG) near the Pergamene edge. Continuing in a clockwise manner, the other features, all small, are a Woods (BG), a Gully (BG) to represent the river’s source, an Enclosure (RG), and a Marsh (BG).


  
Order of Battle

II/30b Galatian
1xLCh (Gen), 1xLCh, 2xCv, 5x4Wb, 2xPs (Psidian Greeks), 1x4Wb or SCh.

II/34 Attalid Pergamene
1xCv (Gen, as noted by a white D6), 1xCv, 1xLH, 2x7Hd (Citizen Militia), 7xPs

Deployment
The Pergamene deployment is hardcoded as shown. There is no Pergamene Camp. The Galatian player deploys within the DBA-3 deployment restrictions and moves first.

Victory Conditions
Normal DBA, except that any Galatian Cv or LCh element that exits the Pergamene base-edge counts as an element lost for the Pergamene player. (This is to simulate the importance, to the Greeks, of stopping the Celtic invasion.)

Aftermath
There are no known details of the battle, so this scenario is entirely conjectural. The terrain was loosely based on Google Maps at a plausible location for the battle. What is known is that the Pergamenes achieved a major victory, and the Galatians’ migration into Asia Minor was halted. Attalus I took on the surname “Sóter” (Savior), and the battle was commemorated in the famous Hellenistic sculpture, “The Dying Gaul”.

Will do.  They'll take the field in live action (not just play-tests) this evening.  Meanwhile, here's a posed shot of the Pergamene Citizen Militia.  If I recall correctly, they and Spartan Helots are the only Horde elements among all Greek / Hellenistic armies, right?   



Truly ancient, 15mm Heritage figures. Pergamenes were my first-ever Ancients army, way back in WRG 6th days. The cavalry still sport their 1980 paint-scheme.

   

A nice looking scenario. One way to change the balance would be to give the Pergamenes some 3Ax or 4Ax instead of the 7Hd. Is there any reason that you decided on the 7Hd? They're not too flash against 4Wb! I'm impressed at 14 figures on a horde base, mind!

Thinking about the relationship of the Caecus (Bakırçay) River to Pergamon on a modern map....where the river runs roughly SW to NE, but to the south of both the modern city of Bergama and the ancient site of Pergamon, I wonder if the gully (river source) shouldn't be on the right side of the Pergamene set-up, instead of the left? The presumption being that the Galatians may have been moving westward, reaching the "source" of the river and looking to follow its northern bank towards Peragmon.