"La Bataille de Mont St. Jean entre Alexander le Grand et le Duc de Wellington" Unless otherwise indicated below, this scenario will use all the 3rd Edition Standard Rules, the La Bataille de Mont St. Jean Exclusive Rules, and the Scenario 6 special rules and arrival times. The following special rules are included to make some sense out of the meeting between Alexander the Great and Wellington. Certain rules are put in for play balance, others to try and successfully graft the conflicting armies into one battle. The Macedonian Army: A set of die cut counters for the Macedonian Army has been provided. In general, the counters follow the "La Bataille" layout and conventions. The Macedonians have both light and heavy cavalry, tirailleurs in the form of archers and skirmishers, and even artillery (albeit of the stone throwing variety). Special Leaders: Alexander and Philotas are Cavalry Leaders of Special Ability. Alexander is also an Artillery Leader of Special Ability. Artillery: Alexander's siege engines are treated as artillery. They limber automatically. Being stone-throwers, they cannot claim ricochet effects, but nor do they ever explode. They start with eight shots each. They may resupply if they can trace a line of communication to the baggage train. Restrictions on Macedonian Cavalry: Because Alexander's cavalry did not employ stirrups, they do not get the bonus for a straight line charge over the last three hexes. Morale: Alexander's units check morale each time they lose an odd numbered increment, beginning with the third. In addition, being used to hand-to-hand combat (really, the only kind they know), Macedonian Army infantry and cavalry (including Greek allies) units do not have to undergo pre-melee morale checks if the odds are at least 1:2 or better. Skirmishers and artillery still check at all times. Morale Levels: Alexander's army is treated as one who formation. The only real thing that would probably affe their overall morale would be the death of Alexander. If he dies, then his army's morale is reduced by 6 each hour. Command and Activation: Alexander and Parmenio are the Army leaders. They have no replacements. All units must be able to trace a line no greater than six hexes to non-army leader, who in turn must be able to trace a line no greater than ten hexes to either Army leader. If a no army leader is rendered hors de combat, replace him ne turn with the identical piece. Optionally, you might wan to have all units be in command if they can trace a line fifteen hexes to an Army leader. Restrictions on Anglo-Allied/Prussian Cavalry: Anglo-Allied/Prussian cavalry may not melee Macedonian Army infantry (including Greek Allied infantry) through their front hexes, due to the number of pikes/spears sticking out! Flank and rear attacks are permitted, as are frontal attacks against the skirmishers, cavalry, stone-throwers, etc. Formations: The Greeks may use any normal formation available, plus the following unique formation: Phalanx: Only the six heavy infantry units under Crater may use this formation. Show units in this formation by putting a phalanx marker on top of a heavy infantry unit that is already in line. It is identical in presentation to a line, except that the melee value of all units in phalanx formation are doubled, and the unit has a poorer Fire Defense value. Use the Phalanx formation Fire Defense Chart with its special values. This rules simulates the powerful shock value of the phalanx when employed in mass while the tight packing of the Phalanx makes it a bit easier to hit. Start Time: To give Alexander a chance to demonstrate his aggressiveness on the field, the scenario will start with the 7:40 am turn. This means that prior to the 11:30 an turn, all cavalry and artillery units pay 2 MPs for each Clear terrain hex due to mud. Units in road column pay 1 MP per hex. Cavalry does not receive its movement potential charge bonus. There is no Force March. There is no ricochet effect to artillery attacks. Macedonian Setup (set up second, move first): Within three hexes of II: Sitacles, commander of the Thracians All Thracian infantry (6 x 10-8) Within three hexes of HIC: Odrysian Lt. cavalry (1 x 10-13) Greek Allied Lt. cavalry (2 x 8-13) Thessalian Hv. cavalry (7 x 6-9) Pharsalian Hv. cavalry (1 x 6-9) At HG: Parmenio, commander of the left wing Within ten hexes of La Belle Alliance: Craterus, commander of the Phalanx Phalanx heavy infantry (6 x 20-7) Nicanor, commander of the Hypaspists Hypaspists infantry (3 x10-9) The Royal Vanguard (Agema) Hv. cavalry (1 x6-9) Cretan Lt. troops (1 x 10-9 or breakdown 5 x 2- 9) Illyrian javelinists (1 x 10-9 or breakdown 5 x 2- 9) Within 5 hexes of Maison Decoster: Greek Allied infantry (7 x 10-8) Greek Mercenary infantry (8 x 10- 7) Baggage Train Siege engines (6 x 5-5) Within 3 hexes of IVc: Alexander, Basileus of the Hellenic world Philotas, leader of the Companions Companion Hv. Cavalry (1 x 42-9 or breakdown 7 x 6- 9) Within 10 hexes of LG: Archers and Javelinists; under Balacrus (1 x 7- 9) Mercenary Lt. cavalry under Menidus (1 x 8- 13) Paeonian Lt . cavalry under Aretus (I x 8-13) Podromoi Lt. cavalry lancers (3 x 4-13) Agraines javelinists (1 x 2-9) Macedonian archers (1 x 2-9) Older Mercenary infantry (1 x 10-7) Macedonian Reinforcements: None. Anglo-Allied Setup (set up first, move second): As given in Scenario 6 of La Bataille de Mont St. Jean. Anglo-Allied Reinforcements: As given in Scenario 6 of La Bataille de Mont St. Jean (yes, the Prussians still do arrive in this scenario) Other Options: Players may feel free to, beef up Alexander by having the optional French reinforcements from Scenario 6 (Grouchy) march on the field. (This assumes that Bonaparte decides to intervene against orders). Alternately, you can change the Judeo-Christian motif behind this scenario to an Olympian one, and have the gods intervene on Alexander's side. Alexander could throw the "dragon's teeth" like in Jason and the Argonauts, bringing back his fallen men to life. To do this, just pick a destroyed unit and roll a die, returning that many increments to the unit. Alexander can pick only one unit per turn, and it must be a completely eliminated unit. A fantastic situation to begin with allows for many variations. Designer's Notes: Steve Rawling proposed this idea to me during a Mont St. Jean game a little over a year and a half ago. I was intrigued by the thought, but confessed an ignorance of Macedonian warfare. Steve was gracious enough to loan me ample material to make my study. Over the next 15 months, as tiine permitted, I explored the idea of Wellington facing Alexander at Waterloo. The Army: As Ferrill based his supposition on using Alexander's army at Arbela, that OB became the choice. I used several sources, including whatever games covered the battle of Arbela, to come up with an order of battle that I felt would be accurate. Since I knew that the scenario was to be published as a freebie in The Art of War, I wanted to keep the countermix small. This means that you will be using a lot of extended line counters. Bear in mind, that the unit sizes also reflect the tactical doctrine of Alexander's time. Most units tended to fight as a large group. I beefed up the army with some siege weapons left over from Tyre, and hoped for the best. No one is 100% sure exactly how the Greeks fended off cavalry. The Macedonian pike phalanxes were certainly capable of forming square, and I have given all the infantry the same capability, to make sense in the La Bataille system. Players should certainly experiment, possibly allowing missile fire or "sallies" by light troops in the square, if they pass a morale check, meleeing with 50% of their melee strength if they stand. Alexander's army is smaller than Wellington's, so I gave Alexander as many advantages as possible, like no morale level for his army, and liberal command and activation rules. Overall, his firepower is poor compared to Wellington's, but oh, do his pikemen pack a punch in melee! These rules are meant to be used as much or as little as the individual sees fit. You might not like my rules and want to write your own. The counter sizes are right based on the La Bataille system, giving Alexander an army of just over 47,000 effective men. Gamers might want to devise more leader counters, if research can find some more notable fellows. They might also want to devise counters for some of the gods of Olympus, or even Achilles and Hercules. Once you open the door to fantasy, the possibilities are unlimited. The Scenario: I wish I could say I knew that the scenario is balanced. I can't, because so much depends on Alexander's ability to successfully start "rolling" up Wellington's line. All I can say is, the numbers are based on this best research I could do, and by comparing Alexander's army with Napoleon's. Still, you have something to work with, and hopefully enjoy. This was my first real crack at designing, but even so, I am generally pleased by how the numbers fell into place on the counters. I want to diank the folks at Clash of Arms for giving me this opportunity, and to Steve Rawling for his support, and gentle prodding as tiine went by. Perhaps next, someone will design a scenario where Bonaparte faces Caesar's army at Eylau, or a Crusader army out of time near the Pyramids in 1798. Who knows? The possibilities are endless. Macedonian Fire Effects Carre Realization Table Formation Stingers Archers* Javelins Column Printed Printed Printed Line x4 x7 x5 Carre x3 x5 x4 General Printed Printed Printed Tirailleur x3 x7 x5 *Treat the Balacrus mixed unit as archers for this purpose. Greeks En Carre Disordre Plus Grand Disordre 4 Hexes 11- 63 64-66 - 3 Hexes 11- 56 61-65 66 2 Hexes 11- 46 51-62 63-66 1 Hex 11-36 - 41-66 Macedonian Cavalry Recall Companions, Pharsalians, Podrombi: 2-6 All others : 3-6 (All other modifiers apply) Macedonian Stacking Chart Unit Clear/Cultivated, etc Woods Forest Chateau Swamp Town Infantry 40 Column or Phalanx 4 Tirailleur 20 Line 20 General 4 Tirailleur 10 General 4 Tirailleur 10 Carre 10 Column 4 Tirailleur 10 Line 10 General 4 Tirailleur Cavalry and Baggage Train 50 Column 24 Line or 1 Regiment 12 General 12 General NP 18 Column 18 Line 12 General Siege Weapons 10 Limbered 10 Unlimbered 1/5 Combined 1 Battery or 12 Increments Combined NP NP NP 1 Battery or 12 Increment Combined "Stand firm, for well you know that hardship and anger are the price of glory, and that sweet is the savour of a life of courage and deathless renown beyond the grave." --Alexander the Great, address to his men in 324 BC Alexander the Great at Waterloo Introduction Back to Art of War Issue #27/28 Table of Contents Back to Art of War List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1997 by Clash of Arms Games. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com