A Pickle Barrel of Pikemen

A Headless Body Production

Location:  An undisclosed basement
Event:       Saturday Remote Game
Players:    Tom Worden,  playing King Porus
                  Phil Gardocki,  playing Alexander the Great
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, about 200 points per side.

Because Plenitude wasn't a silly enough plurality for pike.
How about a Phornication of Phalanx?
A Dermy of Taxis?

The Forces:
Classical Indian (list 79)
King Porus, Competent, Spitakes, Competent, and Parvataka, Ordinary and included.
      5 Elephant, Elite
      6 1/2 Medium Swordsmen, 1/2 Bowmen

      2 Light Cavalry, Javelin
      1 Medium Cavalry, Mediocre
      5 Light Infantry, Bow
      2 Guardsmen, Medium Swordsmen, 2HW, Elite  
Breakpoint of 22

Alexandrian Macedonian (list 39)
King Alexander the Great, Strategist, Seleucus, the Brilliant and Croenor, the Ordinary
      8 Pikemen
      4 Companions, Heavy Cavalry, Impact, Elite
      1 Thracians, Javelinmen
      1 Thracian, Light Cavalry, Javelin
      2 Prodromoi, Light Cavalry, Impact
      1 Hypaspist, Medium Spearman, Elite
      2 Agrianians, Light Infantry Javelin
Breakpoint of 20

The Board

Alexander wins the initiative and elects to defend in the plains. His terrain picks are a gentle hill, and two fields.    Porus selects two fields. Alexander selects a small field and a road.  

Deployment:

Spitakes takes the position on the Indian right.

Porus in the center, Parvataka on the left.

On Alexander's left stands an odd structure.

His Companions take up a position to the right of the phalanx

Seleucus's pike are someone squeezed in by the deployment rules.

Turn 1:

Spitakes angles his line towards Alexander's Companions.

But sends his lights around to scout out the hill.

Revealing Croenor's command.

Thus assured there is no flank march, Porus and Parvataka advance in step.

Croenor sends his two missile shooters to shoo away the interlopers.

In an indecisive moment, Alexander advances his Companions to advance just a little bit.

While Seleucus expands his line. 

Turn 2:

Indian horse are recalled, their archery rakes the hill.

The Macedonian lights are decimated with arrows.

Formed like a crenelated castle, the main Indian battleline advances.  But are just out of shooting range.

Alexander doesn't like what he is facing and triple marches around the flank.

Hopefully, his Prodromoi will follow after a bit of rest.

Seleucus advances a few steps.  He was beyond 4 UD, and so he cannot get to charge reach anyway.

Turn 3:

Spitakes sends his lights off to face the Companions.

More effective arrowfire.  Spitakes's elephants have turned the flank of the Hypaspists.

The Agrianians have been caught and eliminated.  The rest of the main Indian battle line advances on a slant. 

The score is 7-0 in favor of the Indians.

But, where it matters is with the Phalanx.  None of the pike are disordered, and in range to charge.

Thracian light horse run off their Indian counterparts.  Opening a path for a charge next turn.

The phalanx charges!  Seleucus leads from the front. 

The results are inconclusive, each side wins 2 of 7.

The body count at the Tree of Woe is 2-9

Turn 4:

The Indian lights refuse to stay away, and take up a harassment position.  Spitakes foot troops turn one sword/bow to face Alexander. 

While one of his elephants flank charge the Hypaspists, crushing them.

Which would have been fine, except the Phalanx has lost 5 out of 6 fights.

Alexander leads the charge.  It's +4 to +1 and wiffs the die roll for a tie.

One Taxis of pike break through, but it is over except for the counting.

The Phalanx is flanked on both sides.

The score is 5-16. 

Turn 5:

Not taking any chances, Spitakes orders his unengaged archers to withdraw. 

Two more Taxis of pike fall.

One Indian archer unit is defeated, two others are being chased.

Selecus is doing his best to stay alive.  One pike charges behind the Indian lines.  The elephants will have to spend 2 command points to turn and catch them.

Turn 6:

But it is all for nought.  Both Taxis are charged and crushed, and Selecus captured!

The final effort takes the Indian count to 10, less than half their breakpoint, while the Macedonians are way above their break point of 20.