Timurid Persians vs Classic Greeks at Fall In

A Headless Body Production

Venue:   Lancaster Host, Lancaster Pennsylvania.
Event:    HMGS's Fall-In Round 2
Players: Phil Gardocki running Timurid Persian
                  Kurt Holmes, running Classical Greek
                 
Game System: L' Art de la Guerre, 25mm, 200 points


The Forces:
The Persians, lead by Timur "I'm Feeling Better" Tamerlane (Strategist), Babur (Brilliant), and Ulugh Beg (Competent)

      4 Persian Heavy Cavalry, Impact, Bow (elite)
      4 Persian Heavy Cavalry, Bow (elite)
      4 Turkomans, Light Cavalry, Bow (elite)
      1 Light Infantry Bow
      2 Persian Archers, Bowmen (Mediocre)
      2 Timurid Archers, Bowmen
      2 Hostages, Levy Expendable, (Mediocre)
      2 Stampeding Herds
      1 Elephant (skinny)
Breakpoint...18


Greeks.

Probably 3 competent generals leading a force of 12 Hoplite heavy spearmen, 6 light  foot, 4 medium foot, 2 light cavalry, and a medium cavalry.

Breakpoint...25

Greeks, what can you say?  Hoplites are just the ideal cavalry killers. Even if one is disordered, cavalry still only hit it for a zero to a one.  Then it's down to the advantage in numbers vs. elite (maybe) and armor (also maybe).

The Board:

As the terrain went down, I realized that all of Kurt's terrain fit in an envelope.   Literally, a single business envelope.  You can't do that in other game systems.  But then, Ancients players have to play on their terrain, not just hide behind it. 

25's require different photo techniques.  I am working on it.  One problem is getting the whole field in a single frame.

The Greeks tried to deploy anchored to nearby river and village, but the Persians caught them in mid march, so they had to deploy where they were.

Deployment:
 The Persians win the initiative and elect to attack in the plains.

Both flanks are exposed, so the more expendable troops are deployed in the wings.

This is an impressive line of foot.

The Persians have a limit on what they can do as well.  Babur with is bow only armed cavalry on the right.

Ulugh Beg's archer/elephant command in the center.

Recovering from his fatal wound in the previous game, Timur with his impact Aswaran.  There are two herds of stampeding cattle to deploy that currently lay forgotten in the box.

Turn 1:
This is pretty much a standard deployment on both sides, requiring a standard attack.

A standard advance.   Probe the flanks with lights, and confront the main battle line with the heavies. Babur's mission is to shoot down the lights, then retire before the heavy foot.

Ulugh Beg's ambushes are revealed.  The middle corps goes for a reorganization.  

I don't know if the deception by the ambushes are worth it.  It takes a lot of command points to put the line back together for this one.

The late arriving cattle herd are brought up.  Kurt was gracious to allow them on board after they were forgotten.

The Greeks form up in a trapezoid formation, with the hill at the apex.

The center Hoplites double time it across the field.

On the Greek left, their flanks covered by horse, advance another phalanx of Hoplites.

 Turn 2:

The hill makes it hard to deploy on.  The Persian Aswārān are actually touching the light foot, which will destroy it.  Another light foot takes a bow hit as well.

The Persian center completes it's reorganization.

With no missile troops to speak of, the cattle screen advances and looses arrows.  Peltasts cry in agony as shafts pin them to the ground.

Hoplites take the hill in force.  In defiance they bang their shields and shout "Δε θα περάσεις!"*

A Peltast rallies at the encouragement of its upward brothers in arms.

In the center, with Spartans at point, the Hoplite phalanx advances faster than it can be believed.

Persian bow moves to very short range an looses arrows.  A heavy spear is hit.

 Turn 3:

Seeing a unified line, and having killed a single Peltast, Babur orders a general retreat.  He thinks he'll need to bolster the center which looks like it's going to get crushed.

Ulugh Beg's command shots wave after wave of arrows to no effect.

The stampede is released.  The dice are thrown, and both combats are ties. 

The sons of Athens hold fast, turning back the herd into their allies.  But one of the Greek light horse units has been shot away as well.

The Phalanx on the hill is content to hold their ground.  They pursue the Persian horse with lights instead.

Volley after volley of arrows, and one finally scores.

The Phalanx charges, the Persians flee.  But not before another Greek horse unit is shot away.

 Turn 4:
The Persians are 1 point towards their demoralization level of 18.
The Greeks are 11 points towards their demoralization level of 25.

Persian cavalry return the front.  A note here, the the players understand that the troops on the hill are in a perfect line, they just can't be placed that way.

The primary mission for Ulugh Beg is to survive.  And since he rolled 3 command points, he now orders a general retreat.

Timur doesn't have that luxury. If the other commands orders are to just "not lose", then it is up to him to force a win.  His cavalry catches the last of the Greek horse and crushes them.

The Greeks now realize that the victory is not coming to them, they must take it.

The Greek center command splits off a Hoplite to avoid being flanked.  They don't really want to chase the bowmen into the plantation.

The left side Phalanx does likewise.

 Turn 5:
The Persians are 1 point towards their demoralization level of 18.
The Greeks are 14 points towards their demoralization level of 25.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

Same scene, different angle.

The elephant fights at a down 2 in the plantation, so Ulugh Beg is wheeling around the outside.

Persian Aswārān  further surround the Phalanx.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

Babur's flank is now covered by the Hostages.  The cotton balls represent late arrivals and early departures.

A bit of missile exchange.

One way to avoid being surrounded, charge!

With a successful rally, the Persians are 0 point towards their demoralization level of 18.
The Greeks are 15 points towards their demoralization level of 25.

 Turn 6:

Babur sees an opportunity and orders a charge.  Against the Javelinmen his Heavy Cavalry is a +4, to a +1 (plus elite, + armor)  He scores two hits on a Javelinmen unit, and breaks even against a damaged spear adjacent.

The hostages ponder their fate.

The elephant almost completes its repositioning.

The Persian horse continues to shoot.  The setup for a charge is almost complete.

A Peltast is destroyed, but a Aswārān  is damaged.

Another Greek skirmisher is shot away.

Timur miscalculated how close his attached Aswārān  was to the Hoplite line, now it is ZOCed.

At this point, time ran out.
The Persians are 1 point towards their demoralization level of 18.
The Greeks are 18 points towards their demoralization level of 25.

A win for the Persians, but not a break.

Despite the differential in the score, this was a tough game.  Like the last game, points were mainly scored off of skirmishers, 12 of 18.  While the end position looked promising for the Persians, they don't have the numbers to pull of the surrounding easily.  

The score for the Persians so far this weekend is narrow loss and a winning draw.  The Persians initially seemed like a lot of fun, with an elephant and stampeding cattle, but, in truth, they are hard work.  Especially with the large number of elite troops reducing the break-point to a rather small small 18.

Next game:

It's deja-vu all over again.  As heavy horse face another row of long pointy things.

* Δε θα περάσεις  --You shall not pass.