Paul R's Wargame Spot: Might of Arms Gaugamela Game

I put on a Might of Arms game at my club the other day. I was thinking of a good battle to put on and decided to go with Gaugamela. This let me use most of my models I've been painting off and on for the last few years.

I used Luke Ueda's DBM order of battle and a map from Wiki for the starting setup. Bob Bryant (the creator of MoA) sent me some of the test rules he's using for MoA II, so I used most of those too. If you are familiar with normal MoA, you'll see some differences in troop types and a Drilled/Untrained rating for troops. I also added a house rule to help differentiate the xyston armed Greek cavalry from the javelin/short spear armed Persians. Xyston armed cavalry get a +1 in combat vs. non-xyston armed cavalry.

Here are the army lists I used. I had to modify the lists a bit from Luke's due to what models I have. I decided to not represent the second line of Persian levy in this battle for one. I made most of Alexander's Greek hoplites as unarmored infantry instead of heavy infantry to try to represent Iphikrates-type hoplites. Both sides ended up around 2200 points without generals.

Alexander
Royal Lancers & Paionians	3	LC		Xyston	B
Royal Lancers	2	LC		Xyston	B
Agrianians	3	SI		Jav	B
Macedonian Archers	3	SI		Bow	C
Greek Mercenaries	6	UI	Trained		C
Greek Peltasts	6	LI	Trained	Jav	C
Companions	3	HC	Trained	Xyston	A
Companions	3	HC	Trained	Xyston	A
Companions	3	HC	Trained	Xyston	A
Javelinmen	3	SI		Jav	C
Hypaspists	6	MI	Trained	Jav	B

Koinos
Phalanx	6	HI	Trained	Pike	C
Phalanx	6	HI	Trained	Pike	C
Phalanx	6	HI	Trained	Pike	C
Phalanx	6	HI	Trained	Pike	C
Greek Mercenaries	6	UI	Trained		D

Krateros
Phalanx	6	HI	Trained	Pike	C
Phalanx	6	HI	Trained	Pike	C
Thracians	6	LI	Untrained	Jav	C
Thracians	6	LI	Untrained	Jav	C
Greek Mercenaries	6	UI	Trained		D

Parmenio
Greek Cavalry	3	MC	Untrained		C
Thessalians	3	HC	Trained		B
Thessalians	3	HC	Trained		B
Cretan Archers	3	SI		Bow	B
Thracian Skirmishers	3	SI		Jav	C
Thracian Horse	2	LC		Jav	C
Thracian Horse	2	LC		Jav	C
Greek Mercenaries	6	UI	Trained		C
Greek Peltasts	6	LI	Trained	Jav	C



Bessos
Scythians	3	HC	Untrained	Bow	C
Bactrians	3	AC	Untrained		C
Bactrians	3	HC	Untrained		C
Sogdian Cavalry	3	HC	Untrained		D
Persian Cavalry	3	HC	Untrained		D
Satrapal Cavalry	3	HC	Untrained		C
Light Cavalry	3	LC		Jav	D
Light Cavalry	3	LC		Jav	D
Light Cavalry	3	LC		Jav	D
Dahai	3	LC		Bow	C
Dahai	3	LC		Bow	C
Indian Hillmen	6	MI	Untrained		D
Takabara Peltasts	6	LI	Untrained	Jav	D
Skirmish Archers	3	SI		Bow	D

Darius
Scythed Chariots	2	ScyChar	Untrained		C
Greek Mercenaries	6	HI	Trained		C
Greek Mercenaries	6	HI	Trained		C
Persian Apple-bearers	6	HI	Trained		B
Karian Deportees	8	Levy	Untrained		D
Mardian Archers	8	Levy	Untrained	Bows	D
Persian Kinsmen	3	HC	Trained	Xyston	B
Kardakes	6	UI	Untrained		D
Skirmish Javelinmen	3	SI		Jav	D

Mazaios
Slingers	3	SI		Sling	D
Albanian Javelinmen	3	SI		Jav	D
Albanian Archers	3	SI		Bow	D
Kappadokians	3	LC		Jav	D
Kappadokians	3	LC		Jav	D
Light Cavalry	3	LC		Jav	D
Light Cavalry	3	LC		Jav	D
Satrapal Cavalry	3	AC	Untrained		C
Persian Cavalry	3	HC	Untrained		C
Persian Cavalry	3	HC	Untrained		C
Parthaians	3	LC		Bow	C
Heavy Cavalry	3	HC	Untrained		D

We played on a 4x12' table with no terrain. Here are some of the battle shots.

Here's the setup. Persians on left, Greeks on right.

Some pics of the Persian battle line.

Here are some of the Macedonians

Both centers moved forward with their cavalry wings keeping the line. The Persian light cavalry on their right starting making a wide swing around to get behind. The Persians through unit after unit against the Companions to stop them from breaking, wearing each unit but never breaking them. Parmenio lost his whole flank except for one extraordinarily brave Thessalian unit, but was able to hold up the Persians enough to allow the phalanx to break the Persian center. A Macedonian win but not an easy one. A fun game for all though.