An Ancients Wargame Report

The line of scythed-chariots advanced steadily toward the waiting Roman auxiliaries. At a range of 100 paces, two volleys of javelins were loosed. The rain of destruction was complete, for both horses and drivers fell - some pierced three and four times by iron shafts. Several of the chariots, crewless and powered by woundmaddened horses, turned left and right, or even back toward their own lines. Others were overturned by the collapse of the teams, the scythe-laden wheels cutting only the long grass of the plain, and not through the ranks of the Roman light infantry.

About a year ago, I purchased the ARMATI Rules. Though I am not, in practice, an Ancients enthusiast, the reviews and comments were generally good, and I was looking for a little diversion from my main period of interest: The Horse & Musket Era. I read through the book once, and then tried a play-test, pitting Macedonians against Persians. Unfortunately, the game was interrupted by a series of events (including my lack of familiarity with the rules and concepts), and so, was never completed.

Recently, I have been re-reading sections of Colleen McCullough's wonderful book, The Grass Crown. While the majority of the work focuses on the civil unrest and wars in the Italian peninsula, I was impressed and intrigued by the foreign developments. Indeed, it was in Chapter VIII that I found the kindling to re-ignite my interest, albeit diversionary, in Ancients. As McCullough narrates: "In April of the year Lucius Cornelius Sulla and Quintus Pompeius Rufus were consuls, the Roman invasion of Galatia and Pontus began." (620) So, dusting off the ARMATI book, I read and re-read the rules. The end product was another play-test, this one less interrupted, which pitted a Marian Roman force against a Pontic Army.

As this was a only play-test, the figures were simple cardboard counters marked as infantry or cavalry, and identified by letter as to type of unit. Though admittedly dull to look at, my purpose was more intellectual. That is to say, I wanted to test the rules and concepts as well as my level of interest, before investing in a miniature army or two. The game was based on 15 mm scale, and the army sizes were of epic proportions. (Under the ARMATI system, one may choose armies on an introductory, optimal, or epic scale. The number of units is essentially the same, it is the representation on the wargame table that varies - number of actual figurines and so forth.) 

DEPLOYMENT

The Marian Roman force had a better Initiative Rating than the Pontic host. In addition to movement advantages, this meant that the Romans would be able to deploy after viewing the Pontic dispositions. This is a key principle behind the ARMATI rules, as deployment can decide a game. To be sure, this was the case for the Romans. (It did not hurt that their commanding general rolled some pretty good dice!) This is not to say that the Pontic arrangement was awful. All points considered - especially since I was the Pontic General - the deployment took advantage of the terrain and accentuated the advantage of the Pontic force in heavy cavalry/cataphracts. (However, my dice rolls were absolutely abysmal!)

According to ARMATI deployment parameters, ancient armies will typically form for battle with cavalry or lights on the wings and heavy infantry in the center. This is a general rule however, and not a specific requirement. Such was the case with the Pontic deployment. (Please see Map 1 for initial deployment of Pontic and Roman forces.)

On the extreme left of the Pontic Army, there was a light division - comprised of two light cavalry units (J) - screening a heavy cavalry division. This heavy cavalry division contained a unit of heavy cavalry (H), and two units of powerful cataphract horse (G). To the right of these mounted elements were a another light and heavy division combination. The lights, consisting of two skirmisher units - armed with javelins (F), and a composite heavy infantry phalanx (C, B) which contained allied Iberian footmen and a unit of Greek hoplites. In front of this phalanx, the Pontic general placed his single unit of scythed chariots (I). The center of the Pontic position was marked by a gentle hill, and on the crest was placed another light division. This unit was composed of two archer stands (E). On the right side of this smallish hill was located the main phalanx of the Pontic force. Four units of pikes were deployed in depth, with the general attached to the second unit (A). Screening the phalanx were two units of light infantry, armed with javelins (D). The far right flank of the Pontic sector was left unattended, as the basic plan of battle for the Pontic force was to crush the Roman right with a massive cavalry charge, while pinning the front with chariots, archery, and the threat posed by the phalanx. In contrast, the Roman order of deployment was perhaps more traditional, with respect to ancient warfare. It was certainly, typically, Roman.

The Romans were allowed to place one piece of terrain on their side of the battlefield. This was a medium-sized wood (approximately 8 x 8 inches). It was placed on the left side of the Roman battle-line. The idea was to perhaps force by deployment limits, or maybe, deny some of the Pontic advantage in cavalry. So, it was with some surprise that the phalanx lined up across the table from the wood. To the left of this copse, the Romans placed a single unit of Germanic heavy cavalry (1). On the immediate right of the wood, and extending in a line to the other heavy cavalry unit (2 - Spanish), were deployed four heavy divisions, each comprised of two units of cohorts (3). The cohorts on the right flank of the Roman line were deployed in depth, in the hopes that this would deflect the impetus of an assumed advance by the strong Pontic cavalry wing. In front of each heavy division were posted various light units. These units were a mix of light infantry javelin men (4), and slingers (5), javelin-armed skirmishers (6), and archers (7). The Roman general took up his position in the ranks of the cohorts on the left of the Roman line. In brief, the battle plan for the legion was three-fold. First, they were to defend the right; second, they were to attack and exploit the weakness in the middle of the Pontic arrangement. (Archers would never stand to the advance of legionnaires.) Third and last, the Germanic cavalry was to generally harass and worry the phalanx. The placement of this cavalry was not an easy decision for the Roman commander, as his Spanish horse was sure to be hard-pressed on the right flank. But, as I did comment above, deployment is key to this rules system. As it turns out, Fortuna did smile upon the Romans this day.

Springtime in Pontus An Ancients Wargame Report

Introduction and Deployment
Battle