Saturday 22 December 2012

Yet another Successors Clash

If these guys could stop fighting, they might conquer the world.  Or something like that.  The Ptolemaics attack Asia Minor and encounter a Macedonian army in a bad mood.  The photos aren't great, but they give an idea of what happens:
I construct and play the Macedonians; Simon builds the attackers, and Gordon plays them.  The first photo (above) shows Gordon's right wing from my perspective: light infantry, a load of men on funny smelling pseudo-horse things with a hump; elephants; and some medium horse.
The enemy centre is composed of a powerful phalanx deployed deep, with some more light infantry to either side of it.
Their left has a large unit of elite lancers, elephants, light horse and even more light infantry.  They have many skirmishers spread across the front of the army.
My left rests on some rough ground, which is occupied by light infantry.  I have also placed some light horse here, and two units of heavy cavalry.  Some good quality Thracians complete this command.
The centre phalanx is very strong: six units of 36 pikemen.
My right also rests on some rough.  Here I have a small unit of elite phalangites, some more Thracians, light horse and light infantry.  I also have a large unit of medium horse in reserve.  Like the opposition, many skirmishers are placed ahead of the main lines.
The enemy comes on apace.  I hold on my left.  In the centre, I advance the phalanx en echelon, leading with the right.
On my right, I angle the elite foot a little to watch the flank of the phalanx, while pretty much holding with everything else here.  Gordon has thrown his guys wide.
Above is an angled shot of most of the field at this point, taken from behind my right wing.
My left is under threat from lots of camels and elephants.  I'm just going to have to sell my troops dearly here; the rough ground should also help.
Meanwhile, on my right, I send my elite foot wide to counter Gordon's developing attack.  I keep the medium cavalry in reserve.
The enemy closes on my left.  I put the Thracians in the way of their cavalry to try to break up the attack a little.
At my centre right, my phalanx has taken the hill.  The guards are now pressing Gordon's lancers backwards.
I now feel safe enough on my right to commit the reserve cavalry.  The push of pike in the centre of the field is getting me nowhere fast, so I decide to send the cavalry into the centre rather than reinforce my right.  It is a calculated risk, since I am relying on the remainder of my troops here to keep the opposition occupied just long enough...
Gordon does start to win through on this flank, but I am hoping that his victorious troops are too far out of position to threaten my central infantry.
My cavalry continues to advance at an angle towards the centre, while my Thracians continue to hold out against the enemy elephants at my right.
Meanwhile, on my far left a stalemate breaks out.  My heavy cavalry have been engaged by the elephants just off to the right of this photo, but Gordon doesn't roll well here and my numbers cancel out his weight.  My Thracians here have been destroyed, but they took the enemy cavalry with them.
I advance my extra phalanx off the hill, allowing space for my reserve cavalry to arrive at the left of the enemy phalanx.
Despite their arrival, Gordon's morale holds.  Maybe I'm going to be too late...
The end enemy unit holds on to the last men, and then the cavalry lawnmower continues its relentless advance along the phalanx's flank lines.
And just in time too as parts of my own phalanx start to crumble.  But it's all over for the invaders as the cavalry crushes another phalanx unit.

A good, hard game, made all the more fun because neither of us really cared about who won.  Plenty more Successors where these came from...

After the battle finished, Mark and Gordon rolled to see what transpired next in the campaign.  Hannibal has recruited some Celtiberians in Spain to try to hold out against the expected Roman attack, and the Macedonians have counterattacked against the defeated Ptolemaics.  So that's the next one we play, in January.

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