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Polybian Romans v Seleucids (Pictures included)

 
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 12:27 am    Post subject: Polybian Romans v Seleucids (Pictures included)

So after much deliberation it was decided for our first game we'd do the classic Rome V Seleucid using fast warrior.

I had intended to use the Seleucids but my friend really really wanted to have more cavalry and he liked the lancers and pikes so I agreed to use the Romans but without the rank rotation list rule.

Romans
2e Reg A HC JLS sh (Gen)
3x4e Reg C HI HTW Sh (HI units 1-3)
4e Reg B HI LTS Sh (Triarii)
6e Reg C LI JLS Sh (Velites)

Seleucids
2e Reg B EHC L (Gen)
2e Reg C HC L (HC)
4e Reg B MI P Sh (Argyraspids)
8e Reg C MI P Sh (Pikes)
4e Reg C LHI LTS JLS Sh (Thorakitai)
6e Irreg C LI 1/2 S Sh 1/2 B (Persians)
8e Irreg D LI B (Arabs)

We used Arabs as LI B as thats what I have a the moment though I think it may have been better to have had them as LMI.
I realised at the last minute that I don't actually own any Persians! So subbed in some generic Greek Slingers/Archers as that wouldn't really confuse things!

As to the table...well I don't yet have a proper gaming table but my dining room table would suffice for now even if its rather brown instead of green (mud anyone?) I also realised that I have no terrain pieces to use! Well we decided it didn't matter and for our first game it might well be better to not worry about its effects. I do however think this was a mistake but hindsight is always great so they say.

We both drew a quick map for deployment and then placed our units together. We may look at different ways at a later date but for now this seemed as good a way as any.

The armies deploy.


The Mighty Romans.

Triarii on the left wing (using their newest innovation; the bent spear)
HI 1, 2 and 3 then the velites then the general on the far right.

The Brave Seleucids.

The general and his Agema body guards, Persian LI, Argyraspids, Pikes, Thorakitai, Arab LI and Settler HC on the far left.

Bound 1 (Both armies on attack orders)
The armies march forward to withing 240 paces of each other. His cavalry and LI on my left pretty much pin my units on the starting line but that suits me as I intend to hold them back a bit anyway to try and stop his General coming round my flanks!


Bound 2
I win the initiative and advance my HI; keen to get them in to combat. My Velites also move forward as fast as possible with the intention of getting those Arabs in to a proper fight! They adopt skirmish formation as the enemy can advance to within my weapons range. On my left flank the Triarii afance and then form in to orb formation (that should stop those pesky cavalry from hitting them in the flank!)

The enemy close and loose order foot advance at pace along with the Persians (who do not go in to skirmish) The Arabs only edge forward to bring the Velites in to close range but not within 40 paces. With no return fire to worry about they stay in block formation to allow full effect of their 2nd rank bow.

My General then rides forward and expands to 2e wide (I don't see a benefit to staying 2 deep at this point, the 2nd rank wont fight and by expanding I get to shoot with 6 figures and in the second bound of HtH will also fight with 6 win or lose) The Seleucid HC ride to withing 40 paces and prepare to charge (I actually expected him to stay a bit further out to deny me my shooting and either force me to evade in order to set up a shot on a turn I lost initiative or to commit to combat disadvantaged to start with) His General begins to move around my flank


My brave general prepares to lead his bodyguard to glory.


Combat direction was from the roman right.
My General rolls a +2 for shooting scoring a massive 36 casualties (6cpf!) disordering the Seleucid cavalry and leaving them tired before they charge!

The Arabs also roll a +2 scoring 24 casualties (2cpf) on the velites and forcing them to recall.

On the opposite flank the Persians roll -1 only killing 15 Triarii.

Our cavalry then charge home the Seleucids Lance advantage being mitigated by their tiredness and disorder!
I chose not to be impetuous as I did not want the extra fatigue or to have to pursue my opponent off the board. I had actually miscalculated my chances however fortune favors the bold.....
A +1 on my dice and all square for my opponent left it 15v13 for casualties. We both took 2cpf but by a mere 2 more deaths I pushed my opponent back! Tired, disordered, shieldless, only 1 fighting rank and now pushed back the Seleucid HC was in trouble!
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 8:53 pm    Post subject:

Bound 3
I once again win initiative.

My Velites bloodied but determined advance once more (Note: This was a mistake. As they were forced to recall last bound they should have been halted in a mandatory rally until the end of the approach phase)

Our infantry lines advance on each other while the sneaky Seleucid general moves to beyond my armies flanks. I'm not sure what he's hoping to achieve by doing this as my Triarii are in orb and so have no flanks to exploit!


Combat will start from my right again.
The Arabs let fly at my Velites once more but are unable to repeat last bounds success and score a -1 on the dice causing only 8 casualties.
The Thorakitai let off a volley at HI3 but a -2 on the dice leaves them short of causing a cpf with 9 casualties inflicted.
The Persian LI fare better with even dice they inflict 21 casualties against the Triarii and 1cpf.

My opponent declares a charge with his Pikes and his Thorakitai who of course are being charged by my own HI units.

HI1 declares against the Persians who easily evade out of reach and my Velites fail to catch the Arabs (not that they could as they were over 40 paces away. But there was a chance they could catch them next bound if the Arabs rolled short, As it turns out both units rolled short)


My General and his Equites did what was needed. Rolling a -1 (mitigated to evens as A class) they caused 24 casualties and 4cpf. The brave Seleucids even with a +1 on the dice failed to do enough. With only 3 fighting men and with the odds stacked against them they caused 6 casualties and proceeded to rout! The rout move took them to exhausted so the body was destroyed. The evading Arabs did not like their new found position and failed the resulting waver test.

I was confident my HI would prove more than a match for the Thorakitai but I wasn't prepared for a total massacre. The die came up evens for me but a disappointing -2 for my opponent. 60 v 24 casualties is enough to send another Seleucid unit running for the hills. This is just too much for the Arabs and they join the rout. The Seleucid Pike Phalanx pass their test determined to fight to the bitter end and buy the time for their General to turn the tides. HI3 holds fast and declines to pursue.

HI2 and the Pike crash together and carnage erupts. Both sides dice +1 and cause 72 casualties a piece. A stalemate with both sides disordered.


Bound 4

The situation at the start of the bound.

The blank chits are marking units needing to complete a mandatory rally (Note: The roman Cavalry is misisng a chit but is also rallying)

The dice are with the Romans today and I win initiative once more.

The Roman General and Velites are still completing their mandatory rallies as is HI1.
The Argyraspids advance determined to make their mark while the Seleucid general rides behind the Roman lines looking to come in form behind...

HI3 passes a counter test to turn to hit the Phalanx in the flank also expanding from column after turning (Note: It has since been clarified that no counter was needed as the Romans did not pursue so did not need to rally)

Combat this time starts from my left.
The Persians redirect their fire to hit HI1 and with a handy +2 score 22 casualties.

The Argyraspids charge home against HI1 who are forced to receive it at the halt as they are caught in a mandatory rally (Note: This was of course wrong....they finished rallying at the end of the approach phase!)

The Seleucid Pikes fight heroically (+2 on the dice) but fighting to the front and caught in the flank they suffer horrendous loses and break. Both Roman foot units choose not to pursue. The Argyraspids are undaunted and ignore their fleeing allies but the Persian LI are not so brave and become shaken.

The Argyraspids then go on to disgrace themselves (-2 dice) and lose the combat and end up disordered.


With 4 units routing or destroyed and 1 shaken the Seleucids are forced to concede the field. For the Republic!!!

Aftermath
Well a few mistakes but over all a great 1st game of warrior!

I think the odds were stacked against the Seleucids some what and they definitely could have benefited from some terrain to help them out.

My opponents total lack of experience did not help his cause - he should have held his lancers back further than 40 paces to stop the javelin barrage causing so much hurt - without that it was likely he would have won that exchange. Admittedly I was expecting to have to trust to luck and evade around a bit until i lost initiative to allow me to close myself to the 40 paces.

Whilst the Triarii on the flank in orb seemed like a good idea and felt like it should do the trick once I crunched the numbers I was lucky my opponent was also fearful of charging cavalry in to LTS armed troops as he had a fairly good chance of winning that fight and pushing me back in disorder. He admits he didn't really know what his plan was other than move everything forward and CHARGE!!!!!

On a big plus point we both enjoyed ourselves and he's now looking at purchasing an army (or 2 or 3 or....) for himself. Hot favorites for his first at the moment are either Ptolemaic or some other Succesor (He seems overly found of those lance armed cavalry....)

One other thing to consider is that my friend has never played any ancient war games in his life (though he has dabbled in war hammer) and I last played WRG 7th ed. about 15 years a go and we never had too much trouble grasping the basics! A good indicator that you fully achieved your misison objective of making Warrior easier to understand.
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Ed Kollmer
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 7:27 pm    Post subject:

Sorry to take so long to get back on this.
Really loved the game. Liked how you did the lay out.
Oh I used those bent spears also. They had a manufacturer's recall. But only after I lost a battle or two.... Well maybe a couple of dozen... Sad
Hey, your friend has the same battle plan as me...CHARGE..!!!!!
Ed the Rash....
ps. if your friend likes L. I have Feudal Germans.... Lots of Lances....
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