Warrior Warrior Ancient and Medieval Rules
A Four Horsemen Enterprises Rules Set
 
  FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups AlbumAlbum   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Alexander's Battles, part 1: The Granicus River, May, 334 BC

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Warrior Ancient and Medieval Rules Forum Index -> Scenarios
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
John Murphy
Legate
Legate


Joined: 12 Apr 2006
Posts: 1625

PostPosted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 5:51 pm    Post subject: Alexander's Battles, part 1: The Granicus River, May, 334 BC

I am sure this has been done before, and it is still half-baked and not checked for spelling or grammar, or historical accuracy, but I thought I would share the following anyway, and accept comments from the peanut gallery. Hopefully someone out there will enjoy it.

The following material on the battle of the Granicus from the campaigns of Alexander the Great is the first article in a series on wargaming Alexander's great battles using the Warrior miniatures rules.

At Granicus the Persians had a few gathered Satrapal armies with the (somewhat ignored, possibly even resented) aid of the Royal advisor Memnon of Rhodes and several Greek Mercenaries and other local elements of the Royal army.

The best use of this scenario is to open a campaign and see how much of Alexander's army can be cut down early and how much of the excellent Persian Greek mercenaries can be saved for the later campaigns with the Royal army proper.
However, keeping in mind that most of the routed units of the winning side are going to come back in good strength while the routers of the losing side are likely to be gone for good, this essentially means winning the battle.
And even with the point totals set around 1600 Macedonian versus 2000 Persian, and the defensive terrain working for the Persians, I suspect that the balance still tilts towards the Macedonians. Why? The Macedonian preponderance of shock troops (although the Greek mercenaries are probably quite useful in-period in this regard too), this later Persian army having much less archery than the earlier Persian army, combined with the Persians keeping their infantry to the rear and cavalry defending the riverbank at this battle, are likely to showcase many actual tactical historical discussions.
But regardless of battle results the persons of Alexander, Permenion, or even Memnon (he would last the battle and lead the Persian defense of Halicarnassus) would certainly be noteworthy history-altering casualties of varying degree.
In fact the Persians best hope in the grand scheme may be that Alexander's unit will roll a catastrophe in one of his hand-to-hand combats.

Memnon of Rhodes had great success in the Troad against Parmenion's advance force at the end of Philip's reign.
But when Memnon recommended to the local Persian authorities that they employ a scorched Earth policy against Alexander's main army this was deemed too much by the local Satraps and, in a manner that would be strangely echoed a century later by Roman consul Gaius Terentius Varro refusing the advice of former dictator Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator and perhaps also of fellow consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus at Cannae against the similar genius of the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca, the satraps took control of the joint royal-satrapal army away from Memnon and selected the East bank of the Granicus river as a defensive position where battle could be offered to Alexander.
The Granicus flows North from Mount Ida into the Sea of Marmara through a lake. North of this lake towards the sea the Granicus is hardly a mighty river but its bank on the Persian (Eastern) side is somewhat steep and notably higher than the opposite bank. The Persian position was also backed up by some even higher ground to their rear.
Alexander arrived at the position without his entire army. On the day of the battle the Thracian and Greek infantry in the service of Macedon (in some cases little more than hostages for their cities' loyalty in Alexander's absence) were still only just arriving in the area and did not directly participate.

So the Granicus should be a minor water feature flowing across the table from the Persian left (South) to the Persian right (North). The Eastern bank of the river (the Persian side) should mostly be abutted to gentle slopes to accentuate the higher ground on that side. Then there should also be some sizeable gentle hills generally parallel to the river in the Persian rear area where most of the Persian infantry is sitting.

ALEXANDER'S ARMY AT GRANICUS

This is the core of the army for the entire campaign which will be the subject of this series of articles.
Parmenion, the sub-general, should really be in the Thessalian cavalry rather than at Craterus' spot in the Phalanx, but I am trying to keep this legal within the Warrior lists.

1600 pts exactly, 47 scounting pts
total of 58 cavalry figures
total of 164 infantry figures

as deployed from the Macedonian right-to-left:

Veteran Agrianian Javelinmen 6E Reg C LI JLS, Sh @ 58 pts
Macedonian Archers 6E Reg C LI B @ 46 pts
Cretan Archers 6E Reg C LI B, Sh @ 58 pts
Companions 2E Reg A HC L @ 70 pts
Alexander CinC/Companions 2E Reg A HC L @ 150 pts
Companions 2E Reg A HC L @ 70 pts
Paionian Cavalry 2E Irr B LC JLS @ 45 pts
Prodromoi 2E Reg B LC L @ 38 pts
Prodromoi 2E Reg B LC L @ 38 pts
Hypaspists 4E Reg ¼A/¾B ¼LHI/¾LMI LTS,Sh @ 102 pts
Hypaspists 4E Reg ¼A/¾B ¼LHI/¾LMI LTS,Sh @ 102 pts
Phalangites 4E Reg C ¼HI/¾MI P,Sh @ 82 pts
Phalangites 4E Reg C ¼HI/¾MI P,Sh @ 82 pts
Phalangites 4E Reg C ¼HI/¾MI P,Sh @ 82 pts
Phalangites 4E Reg C ¼HI/¾MI P,Sh @ 82 pts
Phalangites 4E Reg C ¼HI/¾MI P,Sh @ 82 pts
Sub-general/Phalangites 4E Reg ¼A/¾C ¼HI/¾MI P,Sh @ 122 pts
Thracian Cavalry 2E Irr C LC JLS @ 41 pts
Greek Cavalry 2E Reg C HC JLS @ 58 pts
Thessalian Cavalry 2E Reg B HC JLS @ 64 pts
Thessalian Cavalry 2E Reg B HC JLS @ 64 pts
Thessalian Cavalry 2E Reg B HC JLS @ 64 pts

the usual practice, and I believe the one followed at the Granicus, was for Parmenion to command everything leftward starting from the left half three of the six phalangite units
that gives Parmenion 8 units and Alexander 14 units

(if this looks like a tournament army, please try to put the list out of your mind if you wind up across the table from me playing it some day - it is a terrible tournament list with all that shieldless HC and slow pikemen anyhow)

That was actually the extremely easy part, now...

THE PERSIAN ARMY AT GRANICUS

Arsites is the army commander although he also commands a brigade and takes charge of his own and Spithridites' brigades as well as the center commander
Rheomithres commands two brigades as the right wing commander
Memnon is a commander and advisor from the Royal army, he commands his own brigade and that of Arsamenes as the left wing commander
the Greek Mercenaries brought by Memnon are for this battle under the control of Arsites as a reserve under direct control of the army commander

Arrian mentions the following Persian leaders:
Arsames, Rheomithres, Petenes, Niphates were various leaders of some mention
Omares - commander of the mercenaries
Spithridates - satrap of Lydia and Ionia
Arsites - hyparch (not quite a satrap) of Hellespontine Phrygia - this is the Persian CinC
Mithrobouzanes - hyparch of Cappadocia
Mithridates - son-in-law of Dareios
Pharnakes - brother of Dareios' wife
Arboupales - son of Dareios (of a different line of royal family)
...and numbers the Persian army at 20,000 cavalry, with slightly less foreign mercenary infantry

Diodorus gives only...
Memnon of Rhodes and satrap Arsames held the left wing each with his own cavalry;
Arsites was stationed next with the horsemen from Paphlagonia;
then came Spithridates satrap of Ionia at the head of the Hyrcanian cavalry.
The right wing was held by a thousand Medes and two thousand horse with Rheomithres as well as Bactrians of like number.
Other national contingents occupied the centre, numerous and picked for their valour.
10,000 cavalry and 100,000 (unnamed) infantry

JFC Fuller guesses the Persian army totals closer to 10,000 cavalry and 5,000 Greek mercenaries, and the miniatures rules "Ancient Empires" seem to follow JFC Fuller at least for Granicus.
So... the following are the numbers from the Ancient Empires scenario book, which as a fan of JFC Fuller's book I have more or less followed but citing figure counts for the scale of this scenario instead:
Rheomithres' first brigade is 4 squadrons of 500 Median cavalry each (20 total figures) plus 2 regiments of 1000 levy infantry each (20 total figures)
Rheomithres' second brigade is 4 squadrons of 500 Bactrian cavalry each (20 total figures) plus 2 regiments of 1000 levy infantry each (20 total figures)
Arsites' own brigade is 4 squadrons of 500 Paphlagonian cavalry each (20 total figures)
Spithridites' brigade, also commanded by Arsites, is 4 squadrons of 500 Hyrcanian cavalry each (20 total figures) plus 2 battalions of 500 archers each and 2 battalions of 500 slingers each (20 total figures)
(unlike the other brigades, Spithridites' brigade has its infantry in close support)
Arsamenes' brigade, also commanded by Memnon, is 4 squadrons of 500 Persian light javelin cavalry each (20 total figures)
Memnon's brigade is 4 squadrons of 500 Persian heavy cavalry each (20 total figures) plus 4 regiments of 1000 levy infantry each (40 total figures)
the Greek mercenaries are in two brigades, each consisting of 1 large regiment of 4000 hoplites plus 2 battalions of 500 peltasts each (50 total figures)

Arsites as CinC will be the only Persian general represented, although there should be probably be two more (Rheomithres and Memnon)
in fact in that case I think this scenario would best be played with two Macedonian players and three Persian players, each with their own general
For colour it would be nice to, even just conjecturally, assign some of the named leaders mentioned above to some of the leaderless commands, without actually making them Warrior generals.

The army at Granicus totals:
1967 pts (80 scout)
108 total cavalry figures
184 total infantry figures (slightly over half of the infantry, however, are the Greeks in reserve with their 470 pts worth of troops - but almost all the Persian infantry, another 214 pts worth, is actually well to the rear)

THE CENTER DIVISION DIRECTLY UNDER ARSITES (Hyparch (not technically quite a Satrap but in overall command nevertheless) of Hellespontine Phrygia, this division represents the core of the local Satrapal troops):

ARSITES' OWN PAPHLAGONIAN (RIGHT-CENTER, or is it left-center?) BRIGADE:
CinC / Satrapal Guards 2E Reg A/B HC JLS (w/PA-std) @ 177 pts
Satrapal Cavalry 2E Irr C MC JLS @ 49 pts
Satrapal Cavalry 2E Irr C MC JLS @ 49 pts

SPITHRIDATES' (Satrap of Lydia and Ionia) HYRCANIAN (LEFT-CENTER, or is it right-center?) BRIGADE:
Satrapal Cavalry 2E Irr C MC JLS @ 49 pts
Satrapal Cavalry 2E Irr C MC JLS @ 49 pts
Satrapal Cavalry 2E Irr C MC JLS @ 49 pts
Satrapal Archers 6E Irr D LI B @ 37 pts (directly supporting the Satrapal Cavalry)
Satrapal Slingers 6E Irr D LI S @ 37 pts (directly supporting the Satrapal Cavalry)

THE RIGHT WING DIVISION UNDER RHEOMITHRES (Satrapal troops augmented by Eastern troops resettled in the area):

FIRST (RIGHTMOST OF ARMY) BRIGADE:
Median Cavalry 2E Irr B HC JLS @ 67 pts
Median Cavalry 2E Irr B HC JLS @ 67 pts
Median Cavalry 2E Irr B HC JLS @ 67 pts
Satrapal Line Infantry 4E Irr D MI B @ 41 pts (well to the rear)

SECOND (LEFT OF FIRST) BRIGADE:
Bactrian Cavalry 2E Irr B HC JLS,B @ 73 pts
Bactrian Cavalry 2E Irr B HC JLS,B @ 73 pts
Bactrian Cavalry 2E Irr C LC JLS,B @ 45 pts
Bactrian Cavalry 2E Irr C LC JLS,B @ 45 pts
Satrapal Line Infantry 4E Irr D MI B @ 41 pts (well to the rear)

THE LEFT WING DIVISION UNDER MEMNON (a few local troops from the Royal army):

MEMNON OF RHODES' (Royal advisor) OWN PERSIAN (LEFTMOST OF ARMY) BRIGADE:
Persian Cavalry 2E Reg B HC JLS @ 64 pts
Persian Cavalry 2E Reg C HC JLS @ 58 pts
Persian Cavalry 2E Reg C HC JLS @ 58 pts
Takabara 4E Reg C/D LMI LTS,Sh @ 66 pts (still well to the rear)
Takabara 4E Reg C/D LMI LTS,Sh @ 66 pts (still well to the rear)

ARSAMENES' (Satrap) PERSIAN (RIGHT OF MEMNON'S) BRIGADE (these should perhaps be Irr LC instead?):
Satrapal Cavalry 2E Reg D LC JLS @ 30 pts
Satrapal Cavalry 2E Reg D LC JLS @ 30 pts
Satrapal Cavalry 2E Reg D LC JLS @ 30 pts
Satrapal Cavalry 2E Reg D LC JLS @ 30 pts

THE RESERVE DIVISION OF GREEK MERCENARIES UNDER OMARES (local troops from the Royal army) BUT FOR THIS BATTLE DIRECTLY UNDER CONTROL OF THE CINC ARSITES (again... still well to rear, should begin under appropriate defensive/reserve orders):

FIRST BRIGADE:
Mercenary Greek Hoplites 6E Reg B MI LTS,Sh @ 130 pts
Mercenary Greek Hoplites 6E Reg B MI LTS,Sh @ 130 pts

SECOND BRIGADE:
Mercenary Greek Hoplites 6E Reg B MI LTS,Sh @ 130 pts
Mercenary Greek Hoplites 6E Reg B MI LTS,Sh @ 130 pts
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message  
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Warrior Ancient and Medieval Rules Forum Index -> Scenarios All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group