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.

Companions and hypaspists moving forward.

Persians massing against part of the phalanx hoping to hold the rest of it with the levy.

Parmenio desperately holding off the cavalry hoards.

The Persian center folds before their cavalry can sweep around the flanks.

Companions (Hetairoi) done

I finished up my 1st Corp Hetairoi. These are really nice models and easier than I thought to paint up. I pretty much carbon copied the colors from Sekunda's Montvert book. Hopefully they done have the freshly painted curse in the next big battle coming up. I'm running out of things to put on banners. It seems almost everyone has a sunburst, so I went with the Seleucid anchor. I still might decorate it up a bit more.

Here are the pics.

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.

Breaking the Siege at Tyre

We had our third battle in the Syrian campaign on Saturday. It was a 2000 point Breakthrough battle. The Ptolemaics were trying to get supplies and troops through to the Tyre. I went with a besieging type army, so quite a bit of light troops, little cavalry, and some siege engines.

I took:

A Startegps as general with Army Standard Bearer to accompany him. I also had a Taxiarch to help out leadership wise in units that would be too far away from the General. I had two 28 man Phalanx and one 28 man Silver Shields phalanx. One 10 man unit of Euzonoi skirmishers also came from the Infantry section of the army list.

For Specials I had an armored African elephant with extra crew and a Heavy Ballista. For Mercenaries I used an 18 man unit of Thureophoroi, an 18 man unit of Thracians with Rhomphaia, 12 Arab Tribesmen with bows, and 10 Arab Cavalry.

Jeff had two 24 man Kleruch Phalanx, a 24 man Mercenary phalanx, a unit of Agema cavalry, some Border Garrisons, an African elephant, a unit of 16 Thureophoroi, some Tarentine Cavalry, the hated Cretan archers and some Expert Slingers.

Here are the battle lines. Seleucids on the left side of the table and Ptolemaics on the right.





The game started with the Ptolemaics shifting their main battle line to their right and running the Tarentine cavalry in front of my phalanx to keep them from shifting left to counter. On my left I spent a couple turns firing everything I had at the enemy Thureophoroi to try to get them to panic . They were solid as a rock though marching through the arrow and bolt firestorm. They chased my Arab Cavalry (far enough to get out of he way and rally with their feigned flight) but that opened up an avenue to my ballista and they slammed into that instead. The lowly artillery crew broke and ran as expected but them loosing panicked my Thureophoroi behind them causing them to leave the field. Ouch they were in perfect position to take care of the Ptolemaic Thureophoroi. My only hope on my left was the Arab cavalry.

Everyone shooting the Thureophoroi!!

My Thureophoroi feeling from the broken siege engine. The Arabs hold fast though!

In the middle not a whole much happened. The Tarentines caused a casualties to the Phalanx but had to move out to the flank before they got trapped between the two battle lines. I did manage to shift enough of my battle line to the left to keep in front of the Ptolemaic phalanx.


On the right, the enemy slingers and Border Garrison troops climbed a hill and started lobbing missiles down on my Arab archers. I had my Thracians move up to make room for the Elephant and to threaten the hill. Jeff decided to gamble and charged his Agema cavalry in the middle of my undamaged Thracians. With the most amazing rolling I've seen in quite a while, the 10 man Agema caused 9 wounds to my Thracians and drove right through them. My poor Thracians are starting to get an inferiority complex with the beatings they've taken lately. The Arab archers held with a roll of a 2 on their panic check and shot at the Agema for a few turns to no avail. The elephant had to turn around and spend the rest of the game blocking the cavalry from pulling an Alexander and rear charging my phalanx.

The Thracians about to clear the hill of the poor Border Garrison.

The Agema cavalry charging the Thracians since they were blocked by the elephant and Phalanx.

Which turns out well for them! The Thracians didn't even get a chance to fight back.

The next few turns the elephant kept the Agema cavalry at bay and the Arab archers manned an old temple wall trading missiles with the slingers. The Tarentine cavalry chased the elephant around, trying to get it to panic from multiple little pin pricks but no luck. Finally the Agema had enough and decided to take out the Arabs but facing the wrong direction they were out of the rest of the battle. On the left, the Arab cavalry kept pelting the Ptolemaic Thureophoroi as they turned to get a flank on the Silver Shields. In the center, the battle lines met and started the grind. The Arab cavalry ended up charging the Thureophoroi but didn't break them. They did bring their numbers down to 4 before they were driven off by the combined force of the Cretans and Thureophoroi. All this time the camel caravan is sneaking down the flank with the Ptolemaic elephant next to it.

Elephant / Agema showdown!

Arab cavalry fighting to keep the Silver Shields from getting rolled up.

Silver Shields wearing down the Ptolemaic Mercenary phalanx.

Battleline seen from the Seleucid right flank.

With my flanks done but the Ptolemaic flanks beat up enough they wouldn't cause too much touble, I had to hold the middle and try to keep the camels from crossing my table line. I had move my General and the ASB over to the left to break through the Cretans and hit the camels behind. This left my right Phalanx without any leadership support though. My Taxiarch was fighting with the Silver Shields (and didn't do a thing the whole game! My Arab archers put up more of a fight than this guy) so I had to hope they held (with their leadership of 6...). Well the Cretans held, the camels got away, my right Phalanx broke, and that was pretty much it. The Tarentines escaped with the camels and my phalanxes held a few more turns before we called it.

My General trying to break through the Cretans.

The battle line getting rolled up after the right Phalanx breaks.

My General and ASB chasing off the evil Cretans.

My Silver Shields did well this game (never broke) as did my Arabs. They passed all their panic tests and held up a lot of troops. I'm getting some Companions painted up for next game.