Seleucids defeated defending the pass

It's been a while since Jeff and I had a game but we finally got together to continue our epic struggle for Syria. Jeff's Ptolemaic army was attacking through a mountain pass. It was a standard pitched battle game of 200o points.

I'm going to make this post a bit shorter than others. Pictures are the important part right?

I had:
General & ASB
Seleucid Cavalry (light armor & xyston in wedge)
Silver Shields
2 units of regular Phalanx
Euzonoi
2 units of Thureophoroi both close order
Babylonian Archers (formed unit of levy 24 strong)
Arab cavalry
Thracian peltasts with Rhomphaia (used as skirmishers)

Jeff had:
General and ASB
Elite light cavalry
Regular light cavalry
Mercenary Phalanx
2 units of regular Phalanx
Thureophoroi classed as light troops
Thorakitai
Expert slingers
Cretan Archers
African Elephant
Neo-Agranian skirmishers

Here is our setup, Seleucids in the foreground.


Here are the Seleucid troops.


And Jeff's Ptolemaic army.


Synopsis of what happened:

My Arab cav and Thracian peltasts cause some missile casualties the Ptolemaic light cav opposing them and cause them to rout off the table. My Phalanx line moves up briskly to try to pin the Ptolemaic phalanx. Jeff's phalanx right flank is only guarded by skirmish slingers so I send my Thureophoroi through the gauntlet of fire as fast as they can to get on the flank. My right flank Thureophoroi suriving Cretan, Thorakitai and Elephant missile fire and hold the Thorakitai and Elephant charge... I rolled a 2. My Seleucid cav barely miss a charge on the Ptolemaic Thureophoroi in skirmish and get shot up pretty good. But they hold and next turn cause the Thureophoroi to fall back in good order turn after turn until they are off the table.

By then the phalanx in the middle are engaged. My left Thureophoroi have a flank charge on the Ptolemaic phalanx but the routed slingers keep routing making room for the Elite light cavalry to get in their way and saving his phalanx a turn. On my right, my Thureophoroi end up running leaving my flank open. The elephant runs after the fleeing mercenaries and ends up a big target for my Babylonians. The elephant then stampedes into the back of my right phalanx.... it's all good because they were already flanked by the Thorakai.

My Arabs on the left take a while to sweep around and don't make it before my right and middle phalanx get rolled up. I end up destroying Jeff's right flank but it's his two Phalanx vs my single phalanx and support troops. We declare it a very marginal victory for Ptolemy.

Here are the pictures.

Fleeing Ptolemaic Light Cavalry

Failed charge by the Seleucid Cavalry = a shower of missiles.

The cavalry survives the missiles and the Thureophoroi hold on a 2.

Thracians beating up the Neo-Agrianians

My right phalanx about to flee. It does flee and gets away to rally.

And here it is... it never can get away from this crazy elephant. The general ends up moving away and the phalanx runs from lack of leadership (Ld 6 on these).

The end.