Clubbing it! Republican Romans vs Seleucids Part 2

It's been a funny week. Ocular Shingles (on my forehead and around my eye) has meant painting is a massive no-no as to avoid any unnecessary scarification- a position that ill finds me as I love painting! Being currently unwise to scratch my very itchy and painful forehead or eye, I was luckily able to continue to scratch the wargaming itch by getting to the club, hat gracing my head, in the event anyone decided to lick my forehead! Joke..... sort of!

OK, Republican Romans vs Seleucids Part 2!

The Cretan Archers in combination with the Dahae Horse Archers having dealt with one unit of Roman Cavalry it was now high time for Seleucid Line Cavalry having the worked their merry way around the Roman Right Flank to charge the one remaining unit of Roman Cavalry. This was going to be very hit or miss as they had taken a lot of casualties from the Numidian Lights allied to the Romans and could possibly would lack the requisite impact to dispose of the Roman Cavalry. 

Crunch! OK, sort of Crunch!

A nice image with belying the fact that the Seleucid Line Cav failed to punch through the Romans and flattened out. They eventually won the combat but it was a bit of a dead rubber in the end.

Seleucid Agema Cavalry, somewhat harder hitting than the Line Cavalry about face in order to set up hopefully position themselves for another charge. 

Seleucid Cretans let forth their arrows causing many a casualty at the encroching Roman Velites casing plenty of casualties and a failed Panic Test to boot. 

The Roman Left flank that was to see most of the fighting as pike met scutum, pila and gladius, the battle raging on. As more Roman and Seleucid units joined the fight the momentum was to switch back and forth. The Seleucid Argyraspides, equipped in Imitation Legionary garb, being trained to a higher standard for combat then most Roman Legionaries managed to hold their own for four or five turns proving their value in melee. 

An inspired move; A unit of Seleucid Pike charge their own elephant, denuded of mahout and crew, won the combat and sent the elephant crashing into the flank of a roman unit! 

From Above before the Ellie crashed into the roman Legionary unit. 

The departure of the elephant left the unit of Pike with their respective "asses hanging in the air" as they are charge by a unit or Legionaries. They promptly fled and rallied in their next turn. Phew! 

OK, the Elephant had four attacks hitting on 3's. Ouch! Not the best......

Seleucid Agema Cavalry Wedge charges the last remaining Roman Cavalry. The Roman Cavalry Fled leaving Seleucid Agema in the risky position of being the path of a potential elephant Stampede!

The Seleucid Argyraspides continue to prove their mettle by fighting on, never once having to burn their Stubborn special rule. 

Pretty much stalemate; or rather, the combat leaning more in favour of the Romans. Some very gritty fighting was taking place on both sides. 

More Roman Legionaries work their way around the Seleucid Right readying themselves for the flank charge that would win them glory and end the struggle. 

Dunno.... it just looked like a nice image!

After being joined by the heroic Antiochus III The Great, the Seleucid Agema cavalry reposition and crash into the side of a part of the Roman Acies, crushing the roman Legionaries with Xyston and hoof. 

This Phalanx wheeled to avoid the expected Roman Flank charges. 

One of the oddities that a game of WAB always throws up; a unit of (really) not very good Mercenary Archer Skirmishers holding up against the Roman Velites and eventually win the combat seeing off the Velites!

The Cretans move to one side allowing the pike phalanx to move forward and by positioning themselves nicely to pin down the pesky Numidian Light Cavalry. This seemed to do the job. Meanwhile, the last Elephant careered away eventually leaving the battlefield. 

The deciding moment of the game. Two charges from the two respective Roman Legionary units, seen below; one broke the Argyraspides, he other stalled in attempting to break the pike phalanx. 

Overall, a very enjoyable game which could have gone either way, though it certainly didn't feel like that one week one (see HERE!). I would have to give the game to the Republican Roman forces as they were definitely in the ascendency when time was called (the pub!) and the game, after three weeks of enjoyable wargaming, was packed away. Fab.

Cheers.

Clubbing it! Republican Romans vs Seleucids Part 1

It's been along time since the Republican Romans and Seleucids came out as a large force so last week we pulled out most of the toys and set up a large game. 1600 points in WAB- or thereabouts, we weren't too precious with having the points even. As the game progressed and I became more engrossed I started to forget to take the pictures so you will have to put up with a wordy description in places I'm afraid. We play the second part of then game tonight, I'll be taking in my camera which will provide me with i/ more enthusiasm taking the pictures and ii/ much better quality pictures than one gets on an android phone, or for that matter an apple phone.

We played a hidden deployment with a screen placed over the centre of the battlefield whilst both armies set up.

Seleucid Set Up

Roman Left Flank

Roman Legionaries approach in March Column (allows them to approach at a rapid pace but impedes their combat abilities. Thewy are protected by the ridiculously good Roman Velites Skirmishers. The Velites protect the Hastati, Principes and Triarii who follow in their wake. 

Roman Right Flank

Having refused the left flank and leaving just to shaky units of Roman Cavalry plus Cretans and Velites. Their best unit on this flank being the Numidian Light Cavalry (who's special rules include, Parthian Shot, Skirmishers and the all important Feigned Flight. 

Seleucid Left Flank

Facing the Roman Right Flank we have a unit of Dahae (Parthian Shot, Skirmishers, Feigned Flight). A Wedge of Seleucid Line Cavalry, Two Heavy Ballista a few Mercenary Skirmishers and one unit of Phalangites protecting the flank of the Seleucid line.

Seleucid Centre

Elephants in the centre begin to plod forward protected to some degree by Skirmishers. They warily approach the Roman Velites.

Seleucid Right Flank

Consisting of wo Cavalry Wedges, one companion and one Agema Cavarly Wedge, three units of Phalangites, one Barded Elephant and another unit of Dahae.

The Romans move forward, again protected by their Velites whilst the Seleucid lights try to work their way around the left flank. Two unis of Velites managed to cause enough damage to a Mercenary Skirmish unit as to cause chaos and a veritable flux of Panic Tests which resulted in just about every skirmishing unit on the Seleucid Right fleeing off the table! Not a great start!

Having said that, the Seleucid Right still has a lot in reserve- enough to crash through the small roman Legionaries units if given half the chance.

On the Seleucid Left, the Skirmishers advance loosing as they go with the two Heavy Ballista both failing to hit their mark.

A view of the Seleucid Right skirmishing units advancing loosing as they go. The "Dice Gods" were not gunning for the Seleucids on this day and they caused minimal casualties as they moved forward. 

Another view

And another

The Roman Cavalry attempt to set a trap.

The Roman war machine continues to grind forward on their Left Flank.

Dahae continue to try to work their way around the Seleucid Right Flank. 

The Seleucid battle line as seen from the right hand side of the table; looking from their Left Flank to their right. The Cretan archers and Dahae managed to kill 75% of a unit of Roman cavalry, the ones above as they set up their trap! 

Bonny Phalangites!

Due to the hidden Deployment at the start of the battle, combines with the strong Roman advance, it became necessary for some of the Seleucid battle line to shuffle around to make best their position. 

The pride of the Seleucid army, the tooled up Macedonian Companions charge, lose the combat but pass their Break Test allowing them to Give Ground are charged next Roman turn where they choose to Flee narrowly escape the pursuing Roman Legionaries. Unfortunately in the next two subsequent chances to Rally, they fail and leg it off the table!

"Run away, run away!"

The retreating Companions left an Elephant stuck in combat which proved to be serendipitous as the Seleucid army was still in the process of rearranging their battle line.

Another view

The hardy Dahae manage to escape from the Numidian javelin onslaught with not a single casualty! Meanwhile, the Line Cavalry continue to move to the flank of the Roman Left.

The elephant proves to be a stubborn beastie indeed!

An arial view elucidating the dispositions of the various units of both armies on one flank of the field quite nicely.

And on the other flank

Still running

Not only did the Companions fail to Rally but they also caused major panic in the Seleucid lines in general, panicking the high command, and a unit of Pseudo Cretans. 

One or two well designed Seleucid charges have the two unit of Roman Velites on the run,

The Triarii abandon their usual battlefield role of being left as a rearguard and charge other other elephant. And yes, it still weirds me out that any unit can charge an elephant! 

Finally the Seleucid Line Cavalry take enough casualties from Numidian Javelins, fail a Panic Test and leg it.

Seleucid Argyraspids (top right) make it into combat as their fellow Phalangites line up to join the right

Those elephants really can be stubborn beasties!

Close up of the Seluecid Argyraspids in combat with Roman Legionaries.

As we ran out of time again, Part Three of the Repo Roman and Selucids contest will be gracing the pages of my blog next week.

Finally, some DBA and O Group.