While WRG 7th is currently my favorite set of rules for ancients wargames, I find they can be lacking when recreating the hoplite battles of classical Greece. The biggest problem in our games is that the hoplite units can maneuver all over the place until nothing resembling a battle line exists. For a change of pace, the following attempt was made with the recent 'Shieldbearer' rules.

The game was played in l5m on a 6' x 4' table. The forces represented armies lead by Sparta and Thebes and were drawn from the WRG later Greek lists. The two sides were very similar in composition. Each had two 12-man javelin units and a 12-man NC unit. The Theban cav was rated as a morale of 4 v. the Spartan morale of 3; their riding was rated as average v. poor for the Spartans. The rest of the Spartans consisted of eight 24-man hoplite units; two of Spartiates (morale 6), two of Lacedaemons (morale 4), the rest other allies (morale 3). The Thebans had seven 24-man units of Boeotians and two 32-man units of Thebans (morale 4) and an 8-man Sacred Band (morale 6). No points were spent on terrain so the battlefield was plain except for some low hills and trees added for color.

The Thebans deployed in a long front with the hoplites side by side and two ranks deep (In Shieldbearer there is a morale penalty for fighting if overlapped). The two 32 man units were deployed next to each other in columns sight deep with the Sacred Band on their far right.Theae Theban units were placed slightly forward of the main line in the hope their crushing blow could be delivered before the average troops came to grips. One skirmisher was in the center while the other and the cav covered the left flank.

The Spartans were also deployed in a line with a skirmisher on their left, followed by the allies, next the Lacedaemons, one unit of Spartiates, and the skirmishers on the right. The remaining Spartiates were held back to the rear of the right flank in column. The Spartan general was afraid of being overlapped and was expecting the Theban to play historically and attack in depth on one of his flanks. The 'reserve' was to move forward if the threat was on the right, or to swing around the left flank if there. (The Spartan explanation for not placing the reserve in the center - it would be too out of character.)

The Thebans gave orders for all their units to attack or skirmish. Their Boeotian hoplites were "joined" by orders in effect creating one big unit for giving orders. Their three Theban units were also "joined" as were the units of the Spartan battle line. The Spartan ordered his reserve to "attack around the left flank" (one of the permitted conditional attack orders). The rest were ordered to defend . The Spartan general did not want to get into action until his reserve had reached position.

The action went as follows:

TURN 1

The Thebans advance all along their front. The Spartan reserve begins with a 452 wheel to the left (there are no 902 turns allowed).

TURN 2

The Thebans continue their advance (Movement is measured in element widths. The opposing lines started about 10 apart and close order inf moves at 2/turn Meaning if the Spartans hold their ground, contact will not be made until turns 5 or 6.) The Spartan reserve was able to march move (4x normal) so is halfway along the line by turn's end.

TURN 3

Thebans advancing. On the Spartan right the skirmishers have come into javelin range and cavalry charge each other. Luck enables the Spartans to overcome their poor horsemanship and stalemate the superior Theban cav. The skirmishers also stalemate. Each of the generals is out of range so can not order the skirmishers to charge. They will continue under the skirmish orders throwing missiles for most of the game. On the left, it first appeared that the Theban elites might hit the flank before the Spartiates could come up. However the lone skirmisher is now in action and effectively cutting the Theban movement rate in half.

TURN 4

The battle lines are closer. The Sacred Band attempts to run down the skirmishers and thereby eliminate them. They are unsuccessful, merely fatiguing themselves. The Spartiates are too close to march move, but are nearly in position.

TURN 5

The battle lines are closing. There is no longer enough space for the Theban skirmishers in the center and they are squeezed behind their hoplites. They are also out of range of the general and are effectively order-less for the remainder of the game. Frustrated by the skirmishers to front, the Sacred Band is ordered to "attack around the flank" but still the skirmishers manage to maintain range. The ground between the Theban columns and the Spartiates is now clear.

TURN 6

CRASHI!! Units charge home all along the battle line. All hoplites in the line make contact as well as the units on the flank. The only hoplites not in contact are the Sacred Band still harassed by skirmishers. The two 32-man units square off against the single 24-man Spartiates. With some slight cosmetic shifting the battle line lines up with each 24-man unit opposed by a counterpart, creating seven individual melees. Things go incredibly poorly for the Spartans. On the left they manage to hold their own against the Theban attack in depth. Along the main line things are different. Of the seven melees they win only two (one by the other Spartiates and one by a Lacedaemonian) and draw one other. The other four are losses. Worse, two of the 3-morale allies take enough hits to lower their morale to two. In Shieldbearer units must maintain a certain morale level or they will refuse to close or face an increased risk of rout if already in contact. The required level depends on the unit's type v. that of its opponent. With hoplites facing hoplites, the critical level is a three. Thus after just one turn of melee, two of the weaker Spartan allies are below this level, i.e. they are losing their will to fight. 

TURN 7

Things get even worse for the Spartans. Although their left flank melee is still a standoff, the Theban depth is cancelling the Spartiates morale advantage. D the other seven melees, the Spartans manage only three draws (two in on the right and one in the center). They are on the losing end of the remaining four. The to fragile allied units take enough casualties to drop shields and run, leaving to gaps in the line. The end is in sight.

TURN 8

The Lacedaemons and right flank Spartiates shrug off the rout of their allies and continue their work (showing contempt for their inferiors?). They push back the Boeotiana. The Spartan allies are a different story. The two units not already routed do minimal damage and are themselves routed from return casualties. Hall the hoplites in the Spartan army are now gone (routers can not be rallied in these rules). Interestingly, all the Lacedaemoniana and Spartiates remain, only the allies have fled. On the left, the Spartiates are holding their own, but th Sacred Band is closing and may decide that melee. The Spartiates on the right an doing well enough and will actually rout their opponents next turn. However, seeing his center gone and half his hoplites swept away the Spartan general concedes.

CONCLUSION

The game played very quickly and historically, and despite the limited maneuvering was still exciting. The Spartan reserve movement turned out to be anti-climatic because of the rout of his center, but it nonetheless caused son tense moments wondering what its effect would be. Awareness of the modifiers for being overlapped and the amount of damage that can be caused by a flank attack helped keep battle lines intact. An additional factor was the limited ability a each side's one general figure to change orders which lead each side to keep many units "Joined' together, a la DBA.