In the Valley of the Hoplites: Intro and Set Up
TURN 1
The heart and kidneys of the wheat brown goat proving auspicious, the Athenian expeditionary force began its march into the valley. Roughly three long distance throws of a javelin away, the Allied League formations also began to move forward. The battle plan of General Pleistoanax was starting well: the right wing was making good progress, despite the rough terrain to it front. The two small units of peltasts on either flank of the "valley line" were also advancing. The Thracian light cavalry and mercenary archers dashed forward in an effort to close the distance between the two forces quickly. In doing so, they sacrificed their ability to shoot (it did not matter though, for after the forced march the distance was still too great).
However, in doing so, they ceded an early advantage to the Athenian missile troops. The slingers in Eurymedon's force came up at a regular rate and found that both cavalry and bowmen were now just within range. (Slings have a range of 18 inches in WAB.) Accordingly, sling stones were launched and first blood of the day was scored by the Athenians. As the valley narrowed somewhat at this juncture, the slingers had a choice of targets. In fact, they decided to challenge both horsemen and archers. The left half of the unit concentrated on the Thracians and the right half against the bowmen. The light cavalry escaped harm. However, two archers fell in the hail of stones. These men were mercenaries though, and were toughened into the bargain. The remaining bowmen did not waver. These first casualties simply meant more money for the surviving soldiers.
Notes: The slingers were indeed lucky to hit and "kill" two archers from long range. The total modifier to this initial volley was a minus three. (Skirmishers are hard to hit, period. It's hard to hit a target while the firer is moving and, the range was extreme.) However, being without shield and without armor, the stones that did strike home were lethal in their effect. In the Army List of the supplement book, the Hoplites are detailed as having a movement allowance of four inches. But then, if "dressed" with heavy armor in addition to the requisite large shield, their movement rate is reduced to just three inches. This is pretty slow in my opinion. Furthermore, it's a little confusing to set up the Hoplites with a certain movement allowance and then "bury" a modifier in the main rule book (bottom of left hand column, page 50). Then again, perhaps I should not "build" my hoplite formations with heavy armor in addition to the hoplon. On the question or issue of movement rate, it strikes me as rather harsh to reduce the rate of movement in difficult terrain (defined on page 17) by half of the normal movement rate. This seems especially so in the case of skirmishers and light troops.
TURN 2
The Thracian horse were the only troops to continue their rapid advance; the archers slowed to a more reasonable pace. Knocking and letting loose a flight of arrows proved ineffective, however. The Athenian slingers suffered a couple of scratches, but were otherwise at full roster. On both flanks of the Allied League, the skirmishers dashed into the rough and along the ridge and hill. The Thracian peltasts following on the far right of the line, reached the north edge of the light woods. The main formations of hoplites and peltasts stood fast, under the watchful eye of General Pleistoanax. It appeared as if the first phase of this battle-and perhaps the second-would take place on the Athenian side of the field.
Crowded in by the advance of the enemy horse and the following on of the archers, the Athenian missile troops stayed in place. The heavy infantry did not however, and slowly began to close up the deployment distance between troop types. Instead of just sling stones, the Thracian light horse and mercenary archers were treated to the full arsenal of weapons: stones and javelins and arrows flew from the Athenian ranks. The shooting was rather abysmal, though. For all the projectiles flying through the air, just two javelins found the mark. Two cavalry troopers tumbled from their mounts and onto the grassy plain.
Notes: My question regarding skirmishers and rough terrain was answered by a quick reading of appropriate sections of the Internet postings. For all the missile fire taking place, there seemed to be a lack of comparable casualties. Then again, the mercenary archers and Athenians are equipped with the short bow. This seems to be a pretty poor weapon, all things considered. But it is true, the cumulative negative modifiers do make it hard to roll the required "to hit" and then "to wound" numbers.
TURN 3
The mercenary archers and light cavalry continued to demonstrate in front of the Athenians, effectively "pinning" them in the southern entrance of the valley. On each flank, additional units of skirmishers pressed forward. Very soon, these missile troops would be on line with the flanks of the city-state hoplites. Some movement was noted by the Athenians on their left flank, as the enemy javelin infantry topped the hill, but their attention was quickly directed to the light cavalry at their front. The Thracian horsemen let fly with a volley of well-aimed javelins, and the Athenian skirmishers paid dearly. Almost half of the unit fell dead or wounded and the survivors panicked at the sight. Fleeing, the javelin men took the "supporting" bowmen of Crete with them. This cloud of routing skirmishers sought the path of least resistance as they ran around and through the planned gaps in the hoplite formations. The slingers to the right of the phalanx managed to hold in place. In fact, after shuffling a little to their left, they launched a number of stones into the demonstrating horsemen and succeeded in bringing down two more riders.
The damage had been done, however. In the span of a few minutes, three-fourths of the hoplite phalanx had been stripped of its skirmisher screen. The Athenians now faced the unwelcome but necessary task of negotiating the valley floor at the relative mercy of the more numerous and evidently, more effective skirmishers of the Allied League. Seeing this, General Eurymedon sent a runner to his own light cavalry.
Ignoring the scattering skirmishers, the Athenian hoplites continued their measured and steady advance. Their ultimate target-the enemy hoplite phalanx-still stood unmoving at the opposite end of the valley. The runner having reached the supporting line of horsemen, these troopers kicked the flanks of their mounts and began cantering forward.
Notes: Finally! Some effective dice rolling and missile fire! Skirmishers have a pretty low threshold when it comes to morale (leadership), so I was not all that surprised when they failed to pass the panic test. (Units must take a panic test when suffering 25% casualties from missile fire in one turn: the javelin men lost three out of a starting strength of eight.) I may have botched the rules at this point though, for I only had the supporting archers take a panic test. The javelin men were running back into and around them, so this seemed correct. I did not roll for the slinger unit on the right of this "collapse." On review, I suppose I should have, but I will plead inexperience with the rules and processes. I guess I am still in the habit of testing morale immediately after casualties are taken, and then "enforcing" the results of this testing. I think that, under WAB, the javelin men would have still run away, but this move would have been addressed in the Athenian turn.
Map 2: Border Warfare in Ancient Greece. End of Turn 4. Its light troops essentially gone, the hoplites prepare to face a three-sided box being formed by units of the Allied League.
TURN 4 Having lost a third of their original strength, the Thracian light cavalry decided to disengage themselves from the skirmisher role and pull back to reorganize. To the left, the mercenary bowmen gave a shout and were suddenly running at the Athenian slingers. Not to be out done, the slingers yelled and drew daggers, then ran forward to meet the mercenaries. A brief melee followed as the two clouds of skirmishers enveloped one another. Surprisingly, the slingers took more wounds than the lightly clothed bowmen and being so discomforted, they turned and ran. General Eurymedon was not at all discomforted, however. His large formation of citizen hoplites watched the slingers rout away; some of the heavy infantry flinging insults and barbs at the panicking youths. The enemy bowmen thought to follow up on the victory, but quickly changed their minds when they saw the width and depth of the Athenian phalanx opposing them.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, the plan of Pleistoanax looked like it was coming to fruition. The two skirmisher units on each flank began to turn inward; the goal being to secure some advantage of terrain and then proceed to harass the Athenian hoplites with any number of missiles. Over at the west hill, a small unit-of Allied peltasts began making its way on to the crest. This turn too, saw the first movement of the main line under General Pleistoanax. His hoplite phalanx began to move forward. It would be some time though, before he could put these men into combat. It was his distinct hope that by then, the enemy formations would be worn down and frustrated by the volume of missile fire directed on them.
The unit sergeant unable to restore any semblance of order, the Cretan archers fled the field. The javelin men who started this rout were able to recover, however. Slowly, the exhausted skirmishers began to reform and align themselves, though well to the rear of three hoplite phalanxes. (Please see Map 2 for a "view" of the battle at this stage; the conclusion of Game Turn 4.)
Notes: The brief clash between bodies of skirmishers on the Athenian right was the first "test" of my countercharging rules. Certainly, what I originally had in mind was something involving two heavier bodies of troops coming into contact, but when the mercenaries ran in, the slingers voted with their feet and daggers to take the fight directly to them. I know my experience is limited here, but I don't think skirmishers fight very well in close combat. I would have guessed that the slingers would have fared better, given their armament (buckler and hand weapon). But it does appear that at least several bows were "whacked repeatedly" on or about the heads and shoulders of the slingers. It appears too, that the archers are going to have to "run away" in order to avoid being trampled into the ground by the Athenian heavy infantry. But this estimation gets into the next game turn. For all intents and purposes, the skirmisher screen of General Eurymedon is no more. The outcome of this fictional engagement will be determined by the action(s) of the hoplite phalanxes. And so, this fictional scenario seems to follow the historical record.
TURN 5
There was no missile fire nor melee combat this period. Both sides concentrated on movement and the carrying out of respective battle plans. For the Allied League, this turn saw the complete occupation of the west hill. The javelin men moved in the woods on the south end of this hill and consequently, were very near to the advancing citizen soldiers of Athens. Two units of peltasts secured the hill: the smaller one positioning itself on the very top of the rise while the more numerous formation of Thracian warriors advanced across the rear slope (the western edge of the hill). In the center, the Thracian horse, having reformed, once again took up a screening post in front of the Allied League hoplite phalanx. Coming up behind and to the left of these cavalry, a large group of peltasts better face the approaching enemy infantry. (Units 4 and B; suggested on Map 2.) The mercenary archers, meanwhile, continued their voluntary retreat in the face of these same hoplites. Finally, over on the far left flank, the slingers were still working around the small hillock that marked the end of the east ridge.
For the Athenians, this turn saw the slingers still running away. While the hoplites scarcely noticed these lesser troops in such a state, the unit of light horse bringing up the Athenian right rear did. Unnerved by this sight, the inexperienced troopers turned their mounts around and promptly exited the field. (General Eurymedon would not be aware of this until much later, as his attention was focused to the front.) The javelin men to the left however, did make a move to rejoin the advance and though less in number, they marched at the rear of three smaller phalanxes. As for the phalanxes themselves, General Eurymedon held the advance of his formation so that all four of the Athenian units would be in line. Veterans of the Allied League present that day would remark that it was really quite a spectacle: from ridge line to hill grade, the southern part of the valley was filled with hoplites.
Notes: General Eurymedon was in the front rank of the rightmost phalanx and witness to the rout of the slinger screen. At first, I thought he might be able to effect the morale of these light troops. But, after consulting the WAB rule book (bottom of page 55 and top of 56), it was recalled that skirmishers being well, skirmishers, are very difficult to control and influence. Page 34 of the book detailed the consequence of the light cavalry failing their leadership test. It may be suggested that Eurymedon would curse loud if not long when he finally learned that his cavalry troopers had run away without ever seeing the enemy.
TURN 6
Javelins from the well advanced skirmishers on the right of the Allied League line brought down the first hoplite casualty of the engagement. A number of men had worked their way around the left and left-rear of this phalanx and though the hoplites held their shields on this side, they did not completely cover their sides and backs. Irritated by this sudden shower of missiles, the phalanx commander wheeled his formation so that no more men would be subject to attacks from an unprotected side. He was a little appreciative too, when friendly javelin men moved up to help counter this threat.
On the opposite flank, the slingers foolishly ran into the woods and so, were not able to launch any stones into the very near formation of hoplites. In fact, these heavy infantry paid no notice of the appearance of a score or so men on the ridge to their right. They advanced toward the unit of enemy peltasts to their front. The archers moved back in a disorganized mass again. On the next turn they would reorganize and reform. The only other developments for the Allied League, were the securing of the crest of the west hill and the Thracian peltasts finally getting out of the rough ground on that same hill. Their leader wheeled the formation slightly to the left. His goal: reaching the forward slope of the hill on the Athenian side.
Notes: While the skirmishers of the Allied League have moved forward well and fast, they have in this process apparently hamstrung (no pun intended) their own efforts. WAB "enforces" a 2 inch spacing or separation between figures in a skirmish formation. This, added to the nature of the terrain that these units find themselves in on each flank, doesn't really benefit their attempts to use missiles against the masses of enemy heavy infantry.
The nature of the formation and of the terrain prevents a certain number of skirmishers from getting a "clean shot." It has already been observed that the slingers wasted a chance by moving so rapidly into the wood line. Although, in contrast to their brother javelin men, these skirmishers will have an unshielded side of the formation to attack with their sling stones. That is if the hoplites have not marched out of range by that time.
TURN 7
The box planned by the Allied League began to close in on the Athenian battle line. On the right, javelin men advanced to within short throwing range and launched another volley of missiles. Well protected by heavy armor and large shields, the Athenian hoplites easily avoided casualties. They then gave a shout and ran after the skirmishers, sending them reeling back into the wood line and back onto the hill. The hoplite "charge" was stopped by Mother Nature, at the base of first tier of the west hill. A fairly loud and scary message had been sent to the javelin men, however.
On the far right of the Athenian line, the phalanx under direct command of General Eurymedon suffered its first losses. Having snuck around this flank, enemy slingers approached the exposed rear of these hoplites and let fly with dozens of stones. Though the number of hoplites that were hit was small, the surprise effect was rather large. In the end, they were more irritated than shocked and so, shrugged off these losses. The hoplites' attention was to the front, where a few more slingers tried their luck and were joined by a largish unit of peltasts, who hurled javelins into the front line of the phalanx. Again, heavy armor and large, round shields provided sufficient protection. A battle cry went up on this flank too, and the hoplites broke into a run. Thinking it better to run away, and so live and fight another day, the peltasts fled.
In other developments, the Thracian cavalry galloped back into the fray; coming into extreme range of the two center Athenian hoplite formations. The mercenary archers had reformed as well, but stayed in place. They hoped that the peltasts would not "voluntarily rout" into them, but turn, stand and provide a kind of barrier so that these hired bowmen could rain down volleys of arrows into the engaged ranks of the enemy.
To a large degree, the Athenian moves (counter moves) have been reported. It should be mentioned that the surviving unit of skirmishers dashed up on the left flank of the one hoplite formation, with the intent of entering the wood line and then providing some kind of screen and or eyes on the other side of this terrain. The hoplites could climb the hill, but it would take time and their formation would be taxed in the effort.
Notes: Attacks from the rear or in the flanks are covered in hand-to-hand combat, but I could find no concrete reference for shooting into the side and or back of an enemy formation. While a morale (panic) test does not have to be taken unless 25% of a unit falls in a single turn of shooting, it seemed correct to test this group of hoplites anyway. The sudden rain of sling stones from behind you and the sight of several comrades falling dead in the middle and rear ranks, has to have some kind of impact.
In brief analysis, it appears that the plan of General Pleistoanax is working. The Athenian hoplites have lost some men and their battle formation has been "shaped" by the activity on the flanks. If the one unit can be harried on the west hill and the main unit harassed and contained by skirmishers and peltasts, then perhaps the Allied League hoplites can engage-at advantage-the enemy phalanx deployed across from them. If this unit is broken then the Athenian line would be broken as well.
In the Scenario section of the WAB rule book (page 79), it is explained that games may take from 4 to 6 completed turns, or run to a mutually agreed number of turns. Turn 7 of this adapted wargame has just been detailed and commented upon, and the main bodies of hoplites are still some distance from one another. As this is my first wargame fought with the WAB rules, the lack of some foresight with respect to table dimensions may perhaps, be excused. Then again, I could have set up the Athenians in marching order and `fast marched' them into the middle of the valley before deploying into formation. I could have done the same for the units on the extreme left and right of the Allied League line. On page 20 of the rules I see an "option" whereby units can double their move rate until within eight (8) inches of an enemy. (I find this during my usual review or search of the rules during or after the turn just played.) I don't believe this would have made a major difference in game length, however. The light troops and skirmishers were already moving at full speed. It's natural and historical too, I think, for the main bodies-the heavy infantry-to move slower.
The battle does progress, however. To set a limit then, of 10 turns to this experiment does not seem prudent, for it is just now the end of turn number 7. I think that an even 12 turns should suffice. While there is a chance that the hoplites may not have met still, there should be enough other information available by then so that a victor could be declared. (A dozen turns too, would permit sufficient issue space for one more map of the field and something like three pages of commentary and analysis. I thank the reader for his/her continued attention.)
TURN 8
This turn witnessed the first real combat of the battle, as a peltast unit of the Allied League (5 on Map 2) charged down from the hill top into the front and flank of a hoplite unit (D) in the Athenian line. Though having the initiative and slight advantage of terrain, the light troops could make no impression against the wall of shields and thrusting spears. The citizen hoplites recovered/reacted quickly and swung part of their formation around against the exposed attackers, and sent them packing after giving them a bloody nose of sorts. Losses of these attackers turned defenders outnumbered hoplite losses by a factor of three to one.
With regard to missile combat and losses from same, the Athenians were still on the negative end. Once again, the slingers on the far left of the Allied line found the mark and brought down more heavy infantry. Back on the other flank, the recovered javelin men let loose and scored a few hits against the phalanx (E) that was trying to get onto the first tier of the west hill. Instead of a solid and straight line then, running from west to east across the valley, the Athenian battle formation looked more like a curve; a section of a circle, as it bowed to meet the pressure of the Allied units. Indeed, the slingers on the left had worked well around to the right rear of General Eurymedon's formation.
The retreating peltasts on this same flank had rallied and drew up a short distance from this same phalanx. Just behind and to the right of these light troops, the mercenary archers let fly, intending to rain an indirect fire on the heavy infantry. The discharged shafts fell in the tightly packed ranks, but were deflected by shield and armor. And, as the battle lines drew even closer, General Pleistoanax, anxious to prove himself, ordered his last formations (2 and 3) to advance at the double.
Notes: I was somewhat taken aback by the result of the peltasts attack off the hill. Even though these are light troops, I would have imagined that their charge into the front and 'bounced off' the enemy shields. It is an "unusual" process to count the number of figures actually in contact or engaged in melee as opposed to simply referencing the basic strength or value of the unit as a whole. The dice rolling is also somewhat unfamiliar: first, one rolls to "hit" the enemy, and then rolls again to secure wounds from the dice that "hit." Finally, a third series of rolls are made in order to determine which of the enemy "hit" and "wounded," survived the attack. In the instance of the hoplites just mentioned, the peltasts did score several wounds, but the protection afforded by large shield and armor was more than adequate.
TURN 9
With the exception of the slingers on the far left of the Allied League line, all the rest of the skirmishers "gave way" before heavier formations and attacks by same. In the center, the archers and cavalry withdrew as both hoplites and allied peltasts moved forward. The Thracian troopers cantering back between the gap in the line instead of remaining between the proverbial rock and hard place. The javelin-armed infantry on the west hill "melted away" as the tough Thracian peltasts charged into the "struggling" hoplites at the lip of the first tier. This contest was bitterly fought: each side giving as good as it got. Men fell in both formations; curses were shouted and cries rendered the air; spear points and swords were bloodied as they thrust and slashed.
A charge was executed on the opposite flank as well, bringing another unit of peltasts into close combat with heavy hoplites. Taking what turned out to be a foolish chance, the slingers in the rear of this melee charged into it as well. These "brave" men figuring that the hoplites would be busy with the melee to their front. Now able to reply against the irritating slingers, the hoplites exacted a bloody revenge. Less than half of the attacking skirmishers survived. The situation in the front ranks was just as desperate and as one sided. General Eurymedon, finally able to come to grips with the enemy, brought down three men single handed in the confusion of the combat. In the span of five minutes, the melee had been lost and both peltasts and slingers were broken and routing. Keeping his blood lust in check, the General ordered his men to hold in place and to redress the ranks.
In these same five minutes, the Athenian left flank became unglued. With a combination of javelin and close-in work, the fierce Thracian peltasts broke the hoplites before them. The shock of this development quickly traveled up the line and the neighboring phalanx also broke and began streaming to the rear. Fortunately, the panic went no further. However, fully one-half of the Athenian battle line was now in rout. The Thracians, excited by the prospect of loot and honor, pursued the broken hoplites and caught them just about 50 yards from the base of the west hill. Completely disorganized and essentially defenseless, the heavy infantry went down in an orgy of slaughter.
Notes: On review, it appears that my estimate of 12 game turns was quite a bit off. (But, the estimate was within the accepted margin of error of + or - 3. Sorry, but the election is in just about a week and I guess I am influenced by the language of the seemingly endless polls and that coming from the panel members on the Sunday morning news programs.) The collapse of the Athenian left seems to mark the end of this particular battle. Map 3 shows the state of the field and of the Athenian expeditionary force at this time. Though successful on the right, General Eurymedon cannot expect to hold against two full-strength and fresh units of enemy infantry, especially when a unit of "wild" Thracians is running amok in the rear. Of course, this assumes that the peltasts will have enough control to see the battle to a conclusion instead of attacking the other routing unit of hoplites and taking their time in looting the dead and gathering up prisoners for ransom.
Once again, the game mechanics were unfamiliar. While it is detailed that skirmishers must maintain a certain interval, I allowed them to "gang up" when attacking the undefended rear of the phalanx on the Athenian right. There was some hesitation in this action initially, but I figured that the slingers might just try it, given that the hoplites were already engaged to their front. As it did turn out, it was a hard lesson. If I have this opportunity in another WAB wargame, I believe I will have the skirmishers keep a respectable distance.
Catching, as they did, the hoplites in a poor position, I think the process and outcome of the melee on the Allied right was pretty historical. The pursuit after melee victory rules in WAB are interesting if maybe a little harsh. And yet, running in heavy armor and carrying a large shield, it comes as no surprise that the panther-like Thracians were able to over take these routing infantry and destroy them.
Map 3: Border Warfare in Ancient Greece. Thracians defeat Athenian left and the battle is over. Euryrnedon "wins" on the right, but it is too little and too late.
COMMENTARY and ANALYSIS
Coincidentally, this wargame played out very much like the one narrated by Mr. Grant. Though different in respect to particulars (orders of battle and terrain), the perhaps over confident Athenians were defeated by a flank attack on their phalanx line. The attack, as just described, had a domino effect.
It is sometimes difficult to offer commentary on a solo wargame action, although in playing the two sides, one should be able to adopt the same "split persona" in offering opinion and remarks. I can suggest that the Athenian general was not thinking clearly when the combat on the west hill went against him. At the very start of the wargame, I rolled for omens as per the supplement army list. The points were recorded on a note card and placed on the respective sides of the field. These cards and these omens were then completely forgotten. In retrospect, I suppose I could have reversed the game and remembered to award the Athenians the extra combat bonus and or re-roll of the poor leadership test.
However, this seems patently unfair even within the narrow focus of a solo contest. Granted, it does seem a little bit "out of the historical evidence" to have light troops engage and break a hoplite phalanx. But then, the Thracians are tough warriors. Furthermore, they were coming down from a terrain feature which lent a certain advantage, and the Athenians were fighting on ground that was not ideal for phalanx operations. Accepting these factors-irrespective of the omens-it seems entirely plausible that the hoplites would be defeated. Again, this is almost an exact mirror of the climax in the Grant narrative.
On further review, it appears evident that I made an error more serious than forgetting about some divined omens. Much to my chagrin, I did not factor in the third special rule applicable to phalanxes. This specific rule states: "All enemy attacks (shooting and handto-hand) at the front of a phalanx suffer a -I to hit modifier." (Armies of Antiquity, 14) It is really too late, however. The battlefield has been cleared away and the units are back in their respective storage boxes until next called upon to fight. In a court of law, this "new" evidence would constitute sufficient reason for a brand new trial and one with more competent attorneys for both the prosecution and the defense. Legal system analogies aside, this mistake in rule application may well have cost the Athenians the day.
Like my experience with the Vis Bellica rules, I really cannot and should not comment on how and how well WAB plays on the table top until I have had more opportunities to "test" the system. I think I may have commented enough in the Notes sections following each turn. Let me provide just a couple summary remarks, then.
1 thought the skirmisher rules and processes were well written. The activity of the light troops on this particular field impressed me as realistic. While the formations were cumbersome in that each figure had to be moved individually, the overall effect, the fluid nature of their formations was I think, accurate.
The game move sequence took some getting used to, though this is again, simply due to a lack of practice. More than once, I found myself jumping ahead of the sequence. But this was not my intention at all. For example, I would forget to move a unit in the compulsory sub-phase of the movement phase. It reminds me a little of the sequence used in Fire and Fury. In that respect, it did seem familiar.
I very much liked and appreciated the unit rosters/characteristic cards that were recommended. In my arrangement (again, subject to revision with new ideas), these cards were on the battlefield, just behind the units. I may add weapon ranges and other information to the next set of cards. It just depends, really. This would have come in especially handy with the slingers, as I noted to my slight dismay that sling weapon characteristics were not included on the quick reference sheets at the back of the WAB book.
With this present report, I have extended my self-proclaimed theme year by another couple of months. It is too early to say for sure, but I may try another wargame with the WAB rules. And no, do not worry reader, for there will not be yet another Roman battle based on the rereading of one of the McCullough books! Speaking of books, I recently picked up a text written by Steven Pressfield. The Virtues of War: A Novel of Alexander The Great, has me considering something along the lines of the action at the river Granicus. The scale of this battle would be daunting, however. But it might be interesting to try and figure something out with respect to the WAB guidelines. (I am sure that the November 2004 release of the film "Alexander" will further stoke my passion for wargaming in the Ancient Period.)
Or maybe, I could try a scenario involving the host of Porus, so that elephants and chariots could take the field. That might prove to be very interesting as well as rather enjoyable. One thing is for certain, if any phalanxes are on this second field, I will tie a string around my finger to remind me of the special rules for this kind of formation.
Another idea rolling around is this: research one historical battle or make up a fictitious scenario and play it three times using Advanced Armati, Vis Bellica, and WAB. This would perhaps give me a better frame of reference as opposed to using each rule set for completely different wargames. Yet more Ancient "food" for thought.
Turning now to an analysis of sorts (always easier as it is less subjective than the commentary), let us start with a look at the battle plans of the opposing generals.
To a large degree, these were also adapted if not adopted from the Grant narrative. Again, the particulars differ only slightly. And again, his commentary on the Athenian mistakes holds true in this present case. While the force under General Eurymedon was on the offensive, he could have elected to let the Allied League formations come to him. If he would have "hugged" his baseline and placed a unit of skirmishers on each flank to act as a buffer, Eurymedon might have frustrated Pleistoanax instead of being frustrated and defeated by him. Another alternative to the plan that did not work: refusing the left. While this is somewhat out of tactical character for the Athenians, a staggered or echelon approach might have allowed the largest phalanx to roll over every enemy unit in front of it. The Allied hoplites then, would have been isolated and truly outnumbered. Yet another variation comes to mind and this too, is very similar to the commentary made by Mr. Grant. Instead of a single line, the Athenians could have formed up into a square and marched down the valley. In this way, they could have presented a more complete front to any enemy approach, and on the flat ground of the valley that better suited the hoplite style of warfare. Finally, one has to wonder what the contest would have been like if the Athenian light troops had been ordered to take the ridge line and the hill; if the light cavalry had been put out in front instead of held in "reserve." These options are almost an invitation to replay the wargame.
In contrast, it is perhaps too easy to judge the plan of Pleistoanax as the better, simply because his army did win the field. Reviewing the deployment and subsequent action of the Allied League formations, it is just as hard to make suggestions for improvement. They could have detached a unit of peltasts to the far left flank as well, in order to complete the "boxing in." They could have assigned the Thracian cavalry to work in conjunction with the Thracian foot soldiers on the right flank. I should think that light cavalry against and into the backside of a hoplite phalanx would have more effect than nearly naked slingers.
In this first contest with the WAB rules (accepting the terrific mistakes made with the rules), the victor of the field was abundantly clear. The Athenian command (me) conceded to the Allied command (also me), with the collapse of the two hoplite units in game turn 9. 1 did not set out any specific victory guidelines or parameters for this scenario. On page 85 of the WAB rules however. there is a chart detailing the points to he awarded at the conclusion of a battle. If my math is correct, the Athenians scored something like zero points. Not a single unit of the Allied League was destroyed or routed off the field. To be certain, some of the units were a little worse for the day. But in the end, the Allied League held the ground. The Allied League also held a complete advantage in points. Three units of Athenian skirmishers fled the battle; one of these not suffering any casualties at all. These troopers simply panicked on seeing friends routing nearby. The largest block of points came from the demise of the one hoplite phalanx. In a single turn, 356 points out of the total 555 points, were awarded to the Allied League and to Pleistoanax. The point totals in each army amounted to just under 2,000; the slight advantage going to the Athenians. The WAB rules section on victory determination advises, "In a 3,000 point battle ... a victory of 500 or more points is a resounding thrashing for your enemy!" (85) It is not clear if this means 3,000 points per side or 3,000 points overall.
What is clear, is that General Pleistoanax, despite a poor sacrifice prior to the battle, soundly defeated the Athenians under the command of General Eurymedon. (Again, this victory will be marked with an asterisk in my wargaming journal.) In so doing, he was able to secure the borders of his beloved Boeotia. In so doing, he secured his place in history as a hero, and as a brilliant fighting general.
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