Manlii v Julii Game 39

Game 39 - Roman Era 3: Middle Republic

Republican Roman (Gordon 180 pts) v Seleucid with Aetolian allies (Alec 170pts)

Minor invasion 191 BCE (ADLG Std, 7-Feb-2024)

Battlefield Effects: None

The plan

This is a Minor Invasion by the Romans against the Seleucids, I am playing the Seleucids, and Gordon is playing the Romans. I decided not to underbid Gordon’s opening 180 point bid as I wanted to try to beat Gordon playing as the Romans to give him a negative Prestige Point so taking the era back to a draw situation.

As the defender, and given that I have to have an Aetolian allied command (consisting of mostly light troops), my main concern is to get some terrain to nullify any numbers advantage he may have to go around my flanks whilst giving the Aetolians something to work with. So, I have gone with a Strategist commander (Antiochus III) and chosen lots of terrain. My plan is to obtain a suitable place where Gordon will have to attack me head on and let the gods decide.

That’s the plan!

The Battle

Terrain and deployment

I decided not to bother with a coastal zone (which the Enemies table notes allowed me to choose without a die-roll) and managed to get a couple of terrain pieces on my side, a hill and a field, which even though I only managed to get two out of the six placed on table on my side they were enough for my purposes. I deployed three ambush markers to confuse Gordon and keep him guessing for as long as possible; I placed a Scythed chariot unit in one - the first time I had picked one in any ADLG game.

I started by deploying on the right of the battlefield, rather oddly Gordon seemed to ignore my placements and deployed on his far right all bunched up in column around a fortified camp, in what looked like a position where he expected me to attack him. I think perhaps I must have surprised him by deploying on my right because, having placed a command in ambush on his centre-right and making it his left-most command in his battle plan, he was unable to respond by deploying further to his left opposite my forces as I placed mine.

As usual my army is on the left in all the photos, picture as below:

The game turned out to be one where Gordon spent three hours slowly unravelling his forces and swinging his battle line towards my army, with just a bit of minor skirmishing with the light troops. 

Unsurprisingly, after eight turns of repositioning and skirmishing, we didn't get to grips with any of the heavy troops before it was obvious to both of us that time would be called long before we would reach any conclusion, at which point Gordon decided to call it a day.

I haven't bothered uploading all the turn-by-turn photos as, given that not much action was taking place, they are not that interesting. The final position was as below, Gordon had moved all his heavy cavalry to his left wing whilst I had formed a convex line to slightly refuse my right flank. My cataphracts are on the wings, my Aetolian medium spearmen are behind the field and my pike in the centre with Greek and Thracian mercenary medium swordsmen and two-handed weapons to their right.

The final score in losses was 4-3 to Gordon, each of us having lost one light infantry unit.

Post-mortem

I think Gordon under-estimated the length of time it takes to get a heavy infantry army into action when it is out of position. Why Gordon deployed in the way he did - all bunched up on his right - when it was his army that had to do the motoring to force a win, and when the situation (i.e. me deploying a command first as defender) allowed him to deploy right opposite me, is something only Gordon can say, but having done so it left him too much to do in game. I was more than happy with an unfinished draw as the Middle Republic Roman Era is now back to a draw situation.

Gordon's comments

Pre-Game

I need some points so bid to be the invader. The Seleukids can have a wide range of troops. However, this scenario requires them to have an Aetolian ally (so javelinmen, medium spearmen or light infantry – Alec will want some terrain for them), some pikemen, some cataphracts (pretty much certain to be at least two of them) and then a mix of heavy, medium, light infantry and light cavalry.

Given Alec needs only to successfully defend, I imagine he will go for pike, cataphracts, javelinmen and some light horse to slow things down and worry my flanks.

By the time I have taken the minimum number of Hastati/Principles there is not a lot left for choice. I am worried about my flanks, so take all four equites as heavy cavalry to minimise losses to shooting while they keep my flanks secure and give them some chance if they face off against unarmoured infantry.

I put two Triarii, four Hastati and three Velites under a brilliant commander. This command’s job is to rush forward and try to punch a hole in Alec’s centre and win the game. The other two commands under competent commanders both comprise two heavy cavalry and two Hastate/Principes to protect the flanks.

All the heavy infantry are given armour.

The Deployment

Alec goes big on terrain and gets five pieces on the table. I take a road and a field. After terrain adjustment Alec gets a hill and fields to form a fortification in one corner and the rest of it ends up on my right flank and right centre. There is a big open area immediately in front of Alec’s terrain fort.

I decide that I will not deploy opposite his terrain as he will deploy on the hill, put the pike and cataphracts in the open space next to it, and then whatever medium infantry he has in the field. My Hastati have a good chance against any medium infantry, even with the terrain disadvantage for heavy swordsmen. However, against pikes it is even in the first round and then if I don’t disorder him I am at a disadvantage. My armour will help a bit if I lose. Charging cataphracts with infantry is a bad idea.

So, I deploy on my right where I am badly constrained by the terrain. But, I think I will have enough time to get into line and advance on his left flank so that the battle line turns through 90 degrees and the terrain is of far less advantage to Alec.

The Game

At 9.30 my plan is coming together and my troops are nearly in position. Next thing I know it is 10.10 and while I am now in charge range, and feeling confident against the medium infantry on my left flank and think I have an advantage in the centre against his pikes, there is only 20 minutes to go and there is no way that I will win (other than rolling 6 x 6:1 in my favour in the first round of combat). So, I admit defeat.

A largely peaceful victory for Antiochus.

Post-Game

Despite having an almost unopposed advance and no particularly bad luck rolling for command points, it took the best part of three hours to get to charge range. Three hours!!!

I was shocked when I realised the time was 10.10 and that it was all over without any real combat. There is a lesson in there somewhere.

Result

NB Whilst Gordon states he admitted defeat the battle was actually an unfinished draw.

Draw - minus one Prestige Point to the Julii