These were my initial thoughts when confronted with the table set-up by Mark Allen, admittedly for a previous WWII 1/76th scale game, which we decided to use for a WHAB 15mm Ancients encounter. Mark was in charge of his beloved Spartans and I had nominal control (you will understand why later) of an Ancient Indian force.
We decided to use the campaign rules in WHAB, even though it was a one-off battle just to see how the initial random allocation of territories could affect a game. Basically Mark had no 'plains' and therefore no cavalry, which on the table we played on was no loss, see map for an idea of the problems. He did have three leaders and 30 extra points, whereas I had no leaders, and that became quite apparent as the game progressed but otherwise was unaffected.
The Spartans comprised of five phalanxes with two units of archers, one unit of slingers and a unit of hypaspists against the Indian army of spearmen, four-horse chariots, elephants, cavalry, hoplites and skirmishers. Quite a mixed bag, but considerably constricted by the terrain that had to be fought over, and each army was worth 5,000 points from the Armies of Antiquity supplement.
Now we know WHAB was designed for 25mm figures on single bases and we use 15mm on multiple stand bases, it is also obvious that the distances and ranges are all for the larger scale but both being solo gamers we choose to ignore that minor fact and just use the movement distances etc as they are in the rules. It works and makes for a very interesting game. We also throw a D6 at the start of each move with the highest scorer going first, rather than have 'turn and turn about', which brings in an element of 'surprise' that is not for the faint hearted. It is an element that can produce either pleasure or pain depending on how the die rolls, but we feel it gives that unpredictability that is combat. Because we use multi stand bases extracting casualties could have been a problem but we use the casualty figures produced by Donnington Miniatures, rather than 'polo's' or large die, to show the strength of the unit. Some of my units are based, 10 figures, 5 figures, 3 figures, 2 figures with the officer and sometimes the standard bearer being on single bases. Therefore a unit of 22 figures can easily extract the casualties required during the game but also can be moved easily around the table. We also use movement trays to assist in moving units, which considerably speeds the game up. Apart from these few points we use the rules as they are written.
Back to the Battle
The die decided who started from which side and the Indians unfortunately got the very crowded terrain side, Their plan was to send cavalry down both flanks to get behind the phalanxes and then attack them from front with the rest of the army, and the rear simultaneously. The main body of the Indian foot formed up in a defensive position behind the stream supported by the CinC and three elephants, with the hoplites supported by the skirmishers and the other three elephants on the left. Further to the left the chariots deployed behind the mass of cavalry and the scene was set.
A quick advance by the Spartans (Mark won three throws on the trot) ensured that they had moved well across the table to their objectives while the Indians were somewhat more sluggish in their manoeuvres. On the Indian Left the I st cavalry forded the river and advanced in splendid style towards the Greek bowmen, blissfully unaware of the large number of slingers hidden in the woods on their right flank. The combined firepower of the missile men emptied a number of saddles but not sufficient to deter the cavalrymen in their advance.
On the Indian Right their 4th cavalry easily scattered a unit of javelin men who had been trying to sneak around the Indians flank, (A) but in doing so got entangled in a wood and lost their way for some time. In the broken ground to the left centre, the Greek slingers first lost the missile fight and then the melee with their javelin armed, countrymen who were fighting for the Indians (B). A threat from the 2nd Phalanx caused the winning skirmishers to withdraw to the safety of their own hoplites on the hill. Despite these slight inconveniences the Spartan army was moving into position in very good order, but then the Goddess of Chance turned away from Mark and favoured me for a couple of turns.
The Left Wing cavalry despite their increasing losses managed to make contact with their tormentors but did not have sufficient strength to defeat them and were eventually forced to retire, again under constant missile fire from the Spartan light troops (C). Had the Indian commander been blessed with an Olympian view he would have seen what was happening to his cavalry on the Left and changed his plans, but as can be seen from the map he was located in the centre of his army and had no idea how things where 'progressing' anywhere apart from directly in front of him. [Orders had been given and units had to carry them out, because it was a wargame not a game of chess, unfortunately].
In the Centre the Spartan 2nd, 3rd and 4th Phalanxes had reached the line of hedges and had halted to redress their lines. The Indian archers on foot and from the backs of the elephants opened fire and many gaps began to appear in the ranks of the 3rd Phalanx. The Spartans crouched behind their shields and the Indians fired volley after volley into the depleting ranks. This missile fire had two effects on the Indian side, the 7th Spear unit forgetting their orders [warband mentality!] surged forward over the stream and ascended Lightening Hill to their front, while the 4th Phalanx swerved left behind the same hill to be out of sight of the massed Indian bowmen.
With the reminding troopers of the first cavalry unit withdrawing, under fire the second unit crossed the river and charged the Greek bowmen. Relatively unscathed by missile fire the 2nd Indian cavalry managed to rout the Greeks, (D), who miraculously managed to outrun their mounted enemies, [3 x Is on D6s, does not allow a unit to pursue very far!] The Greek slingers also decided to vacate the location of the victorious Indian cavalry and fled to the rear. The Greek Right Flank had been broken.
Passive observers is an apt description of the role of the Indian chariots so far in the battle and their contribution did not really get any better as time went on. To their right the Hoplites from Cornith support by their light troops were firmly ensconced on Sword Hill overlooking the stationary 2nd Phalanx, which was measuring up to the larger Theban phalanx. Threats and war cries were exchanged between the identically armed warriors but not one side made any sort of offensive move. The rising number of casualties caused the 3rd Spartan Phalanx to give ground in order to increase the missile range and in doing so decreased the effectiveness of the Indian fire.
The 4th Indian cavalry on their Right Flank had finally managed to extract themselves from the wood and skirting it had resumed their route to the rear of the Spartan positions. The 5th cavalry had been ordered to investigate the sunken road and engage any troops they discovered there, in doing so they very nearly ambushed by the hypaspists who were lying in wait The ambush was sprung by the unexpected arrival [especially by their commander] of the 7th Spears streaming like an avalanche of steel down over the rolling hill, Initial success by the Indian spearmen was short lived, as was their unit, and they were wiped out by the more numerous hypaspists. (E). Seeing their chance and seizing it, the Indian cavalry charged into the back of the victorious hypaspists, only to be stopped in their tracks by the blood crazed Greeks. (F) Now began a swirling melee which was to last for the rest of the battle between these two units. Fighting in the sunken road where the superior numbers of the infantry could not be effectively brought to bear, was restrictive to both sides. [Why didn't the cavalry just disengage? We will never know].
I ordered my Left Wing elephants to advance and take the top of the Lightening Hill, in order to support the 7th Spears and to halt the movement of the phalanx I had observed moving behind it, The elephants advanced in colourfully, majestic splendour only to be confronted with the few dazed survivors of the 7th Spears, a formed and intact Spartan phalanx supported by a unit of skirmishers. This tactical move suddenly did not look such a good idea.
The victorious 2nd Indian cavalry on their Left Wing had completely lost the initiative and instead of riding down the fleeing missile men, were milling around in confusion because they had spotted the 1st Spartan Phalanx quickly crossing the bridge to engage them. By now the 3rd Indian cavalry had forded the river and was forming up ready to ride down the valley to assist their comrades, completely unaware of the menace presented by the Spartan spearmen.
Things were verbally hotting up in the Centre and the Greek mercenary hoplite units were slowly edging forward towards the isolated 2nd Spartan Phalanx. Missile fire from the Elephant unit was completely ineffective but had the effect of stirring the blood of the Maiden Guard who raising their shrill piercing battle cry [or was that their commander crying "Oh! Not again!"], crossed the stream to engage the Spartans.
In the sunken road the infantry slowly pushed the cavalry back, who were causing more casualties in each round of melee but being well outnumbered where having no effect on the grim Greeks. (G). The leading cavalry unit had completely encircled the woods and entered the battlefield behind the Greeks positions. They began to deploy into battle formation when they were decimated by the Cretan archers positions on the round top hill.
Back in the River Valley, the Greek missilemen rallied and the 2nd Indian cavalry began to reluctantly withdraw in the face of the levelled spears of the 1st Spartan Phalanx. Unaware of this the 3rd Indian cavalry had begun their advance down the valley. Still the expensive chariots stood and waited for something to do.
With the Maiden Guard surging forward, I released the Greek hoplites who advanced in martial splendour against their fellow, but much hated, countrymen. It was a short fairly even contest, which was swung against the honourable mercenaries purely by the sheer toughness of their red clad opponents. With iron discipline the Spartans held their ground as the Thebans reeled back from the conflict, Although the casualties had been few the morale effect on the Indian troops was nearly catastrophic in that the Maiden Guard fell back, which left the elephants exposed, and the Corinthians and their light troops also withdrew in some disorder. Only the presence of the Indian CnC stopped a complete rout in the Centre, but the damage had been done,
At the same time that the 2nd Phalanx had given short shrift to the Thebans, the 4th Phalanx and their supports encountered the Indian elephants, Few in number after their disastrous encounter with the 4th Indian cavalry at the beginning of the battle, the Greek skirmishers, where soon overwhelmed by the solitary elephant that charged them. Throwing away their weapons they fled for the rear hotly pursued by the trumpeting elephant. (J). The 4th Phalanx suffered a similar fate, although on consideration they should have done much better, but heavily encumbered by their armour and weapons they were unable to escape the vengeful tusks, feet and trunks of the battle-mad elephants and the Greek unit ceased to exist. (K).
The reformed slingers and bowmen from Greece directed their missiles with deadly accuracy on the 2nd Indian cavalry, and these loses plus the encroaching threat of the advancing phalanx soon had the remaining horsemen riding for their lives. Barely into a canter the 3rd Indian cavalry saw their comrades riding hard towards them out of the huge cloud of dust and turned around and re-crossed the river for the friendly bank. The Greek Right flank had not, after all been turned!
Still the battle in the sunken road continued with the Indian cavalrymen slowly being whittled down and pushed remorselessly backwards by the hypaspists, who had been completely unaffected by the rout of the Greek javelinmen by the elephant. A second and equally accurate volley from the Cretan archers left few 4th Indian cavalrymen unscathed, but still they refused to break.
The River Valley was now in the complete possession of the Greeks who where hurriedly moving towards the Indians lines, when out from the wooded Windy Hill where they had been hiding erupted a large number of Greek light infantry. A target for the chariots at last, but unfortunately they had been ordered to move into the Centre and so missed their opportunity for glory. Seething after their ineffectual crossing of the river, twice, the 3rd Indian cavalry who were in column formation, charged the emerging Greeks and had they been left to handle the combat would have soon put their enemy to flight. However the Corinthian light troops elated from their earlier victory and frustrated over the performance of the Theban hoplites also charged into the melee. (L).
A third and finally volley wiped out the 4th Indian cavalry and for reasons best known to themselves the Cretan archers left their hill and circumnavigated the wood, possibly with the intention of getting involved with the combat at the sunken road. It must have been the noise of the victorious elephant chasing the skirmishers, which stopped the Cretans in their tracks and brought them back to the main battlefield. A hurried volley wiped out the elephant's crew but the mahout directed is huge beast at the bowmen, who were still some distance away.
In the Centre the 2nd Phalanx had been joined by the Reserve Phalanx and it looked like they were ready to advance on the Thebans and Maiden Guard who had both rallied. The 6th Spear unit had been order forward to pin the 3rd Spartan Phalanx, while at the same time the two victorious elephants were being ridden towards the Greeks exposed left flank.
The riverbank was a mass of slingers and archers, who disregarding their own troops fired blindly into the revolving melee, (L) causing no casualties at all to the enemy but this friendly fire felled a number of Greeks. The missilemen where soon brought under control and the firing ceased as they were ordered to swim the river. For every casualty the Indian cavalrymen caused on the Greeks, (L), the later where causing twice as many on the mercenary skirmishers who eventually routed off the field, taking the cavalry with them. The Indian Left Wing had ceased to exist.
The Indians had the initiative and the final acts of the battle began, In the sunken road the 5th Indian cavalry were finally defeated and routed. The Cretan archers killed the mahout and in the fading light were faced with a charging enraged completely out of control elephant.
In the Centre the stalemate between the opposing Greeks continued but the Indians had the final victory in that the depleted 3rd Phalanx was hit in flank bv the two elephants and routed. This caused the 2nd Phalanx to flee into the gathering dusk and the Reserve Phalanx was left to face the advancing might of the Indian Centre alone!
Summary
The Greek light troops had managed to secure both wings, what the mad lone elephant would have done to the Cretan archers we will never know. There is, however, now a bounty out on Cretans as far as the Indians are concerned. The success's in the Centre came too late in the day for the Indian forces and although they had wiped out one Spartan phalanx, whittled one down to about 40% effectives and had caused that unit and another to flee at the end of the day the Pyrrhic victory must be given to Mark who controlled 5/6th of the table, irrespective of the casualties he had caused.
An enjoyable game in which a lot was learnt and the 'For Sale' sign will be going up on the chariot barracks if they don't perform better next time out. The terrain was a real tactical obstacle in this game, which is how it should be, and made an interesting realistic change from having battles on soccer pitch type surfaces.
In hindsight there is much we could have done, with for instances I could have sent out my elephants to flatten the hedges which gave cover from my archers and/or would have allowed me to deploy my chariots in a useful position, With a 'God like view' I could have stopped the parade of cavalry down the river valley and also reacted to the threats to my cavalry on the other wing. I would have saved my units, possible held the flanks but it would have been chess-like and I would have been disappointed with myself if I had responded that way. It is difficult to view the terrain impartial when a gamer can see it from the clouds when the figure that represents him is only 15mm high (plus the height of an elephant in my case). That said there is nothing that can be done about that but having seen the ground and given your orders for each unit, then by sticking to them, in my opinion, makes for a better and more realistic game.
The dabble at the campaign rules was useful in that we have started one at WOR (Wargamers Of Ripon) with members busily painting to get their armies up to the 4.5k points value for the 1 June 2000. In the campaign I will be using Nomadic Hordes, which I had just finished painting when the campaign idea was put forward and long before I realized just how effective they can be. Had a few close encounters with Normans, who are devastating if they catch a unit but the secret is to keep those Steppes horse archers moving. There are bound to be some interesting games and if I have the time I will write them up.
Back to MWAN #106 Table of Contents
Back to MWAN List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Magazine List
© Copyright 2000 Hal Thinglum
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