340 BC. Young Alexander in Thrace
Jan 24, 2021 12:09:07 GMT
gregorius, elliesdad, and 4 more like this
Post by diades on Jan 24, 2021 12:09:07 GMT
Dad’s away and there’s trouble in Thrace. I will show him that I am as capable as anyone of dealing with the situation. Of course it is an opportunity to play with our army.
Finally the Thracians are ready for battle. They have psiloi on a difficult hill off to my right. Half of their peltasts are lined up behind a large central wood. Between the two and in reserve is the enemy king with his armoured nobles(Kn), some light horse and more peltasts. Off to my left beyond the woods are more peltasts and more light horse.
I have been forced to deploy between a large wood on my right and a difficult hill on my left. I have placed the Agrianians on the right of the phalanx, with my hoplites (Sp) backed by hypaspists (4Ax) on the left. All of my mounted troops remain with me in reserve.
The enemy psiloi advance off their hill. The peltasts behind the central wood advance through almost to the wood’s edge. The light horse on the enemy’s right advance in column between the central wood and the difficult hill on my left.
I will show them what a well-trained body of Macedonians can do. The phalanx advances, slightly advanced on the right towards the gap between woods and hill, refusing the left heading towards the enemy peltasts in the wood. The hypaspists hold back. The Agrianians and my podromoi(LH) move right to counter the enemy psiloi.
The enemy reserve peltasts move up to the edge of the woods and wheel left to provide some protection to the flank of their comrades ahead of them at the other wood’s edge, as the right of the phalanx continues to advance. The hypaspists move to the left hand rear end of the refused flank to counter the enemy light horse. My light troops engage their counterparts, whilst I advance to the right to be in support range. The podromoi are recoiled, whilst the Agrianians recoil the Thracians.
The enemy general advances between woods and hills, whilst sending his supporting light horse racing around the back of the hills to provide support to his psiloi. In the meantime the peltasts on his extreme right flank now move through the wood in support of the light horse column.
My command fails. A lesson I must learn to avoid. (In DBA terms, do not throw a one for PIPs at crucial moments!). I back the Agrianians off next to the recoiled podromoi. The enemy pounces...their psiloi advance and the light horse, having come around the hill, hit the Agrianians in the flank...trouble.
I need not have feared, the Agrianians are the cream of light troops and hold their ground, as do the podromoi. With the enemy peltasts tied down in the wood, covered by my refused left flank, my right flank opens up to support my light troops as they advance again. This time destroying both units of psiloi.
The enemy general in retaliation charges my single ranked pikemen, but is repulsed and finds himself backing up the hill.
I join with the podromoi and take on the enemy light horse, whilst the victorious pikes pursue the enemy general, supported by the Agrianians, who take him in the flank. My fight with the light horse is briefly challenging (his dice cup reveals a six!), but I survive my first combat, whilst the enemy general is not so lucky.
Victory. I will copy Dad’s methods and found Alexandropolis. I wonder what he will make of that? I hope he is proud.
This is one of my favourite pairings. Games are usually too long for it to work at a matched pairs tournament though. This time it was swift, basically a light troop skirmish on my right, with some luck on my side.
Finally the Thracians are ready for battle. They have psiloi on a difficult hill off to my right. Half of their peltasts are lined up behind a large central wood. Between the two and in reserve is the enemy king with his armoured nobles(Kn), some light horse and more peltasts. Off to my left beyond the woods are more peltasts and more light horse.
I have been forced to deploy between a large wood on my right and a difficult hill on my left. I have placed the Agrianians on the right of the phalanx, with my hoplites (Sp) backed by hypaspists (4Ax) on the left. All of my mounted troops remain with me in reserve.
The enemy psiloi advance off their hill. The peltasts behind the central wood advance through almost to the wood’s edge. The light horse on the enemy’s right advance in column between the central wood and the difficult hill on my left.
I will show them what a well-trained body of Macedonians can do. The phalanx advances, slightly advanced on the right towards the gap between woods and hill, refusing the left heading towards the enemy peltasts in the wood. The hypaspists hold back. The Agrianians and my podromoi(LH) move right to counter the enemy psiloi.
The enemy reserve peltasts move up to the edge of the woods and wheel left to provide some protection to the flank of their comrades ahead of them at the other wood’s edge, as the right of the phalanx continues to advance. The hypaspists move to the left hand rear end of the refused flank to counter the enemy light horse. My light troops engage their counterparts, whilst I advance to the right to be in support range. The podromoi are recoiled, whilst the Agrianians recoil the Thracians.
The enemy general advances between woods and hills, whilst sending his supporting light horse racing around the back of the hills to provide support to his psiloi. In the meantime the peltasts on his extreme right flank now move through the wood in support of the light horse column.
My command fails. A lesson I must learn to avoid. (In DBA terms, do not throw a one for PIPs at crucial moments!). I back the Agrianians off next to the recoiled podromoi. The enemy pounces...their psiloi advance and the light horse, having come around the hill, hit the Agrianians in the flank...trouble.
I need not have feared, the Agrianians are the cream of light troops and hold their ground, as do the podromoi. With the enemy peltasts tied down in the wood, covered by my refused left flank, my right flank opens up to support my light troops as they advance again. This time destroying both units of psiloi.
The enemy general in retaliation charges my single ranked pikemen, but is repulsed and finds himself backing up the hill.
I join with the podromoi and take on the enemy light horse, whilst the victorious pikes pursue the enemy general, supported by the Agrianians, who take him in the flank. My fight with the light horse is briefly challenging (his dice cup reveals a six!), but I survive my first combat, whilst the enemy general is not so lucky.
Victory. I will copy Dad’s methods and found Alexandropolis. I wonder what he will make of that? I hope he is proud.
This is one of my favourite pairings. Games are usually too long for it to work at a matched pairs tournament though. This time it was swift, basically a light troop skirmish on my right, with some luck on my side.