A Scog of Scots

A Headless Body Production

Venue: Sheraton Music City Hotel
Event: Nashcon 2025
Theme: Open theme, round 3
Players: Phil running Seleucid, list 42
               Richard Woolford, Scots Isles
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.

Nashcon! The Miniature Mecca of the Mid-Southern states. Home of the Biggest, Wildest, Party Public Tractor Tour!

The Forces:
The Scots Isles are led by brave and cunning characters.
Best guess however, for their troops
13 Heavy Foot, mostly armed with fearsome Claidheam-hmors
4 Medium Sword, Bow
3 Bowmen
2 Light Infantry
Breakpoint of 22

The Seleucids are commanded by Larricles, <Τεμπέλης>, the Brilliant. His brother Darricles <Τόλμη>, the Brilliant, and his other brother Darricles <Τόλμη>, the Ordinary.

4 Cataphracts, 2 Elite
1 Tarentines, Light Cavalry, Javelin
6 Pike
2 Argyraspids, Pike, Elite
2 Cretans, Light Infantry, Bow, Elite
2 Slingers, Light Infantry, Sling
2 Thureophoroi, Medium Spearmen
2 Scythed Chariots
Breakpoint of 19 

 

Display Conventions: When you see a jagged word bubble like "Ouch!" or "Ach! My hairless pink pahookie!" or "¡Ωχ!",  this implies a disorder caused by missiles. Letters in parenthesis represent some up or downgrade for the specific unit. For commanders it is s for strategist, b for Brilliant, c for Competent and o for Ordinary, u for unreliable. For troops it is e for Elite, and m for Mediocre. Other abbreviations, Hvy Heavy, XB Crossbow, LB, Longbow, Jav Javelin, 2HW 2 Handed Weapons, B Bow, Kn Knight, HKn Heavy Knight, HC Heavy Cavalry, Md Medium, Sgt Sergeants, LC Light Cavalry, Chr Chariot, Cat Cataphract, Pa Pavise, LI, Light Infantry, HG Hand Gun, FKn Foot Knight, Hvy Spear, Heavy Spearmen.

Inappropriately capitalized words are used to highlight terms that are specific to the game. For example Brilliant, Competent and Ordinary have specific game values for the commanders.

Any ambiguity as to what was moved or who is being referred to is to be considered Fog of War and part of the fun. 

"XX" implies a unit killed in that location on that turn.

It's going to be a long weekend here in Nashville. 3 days, 5 games, with a fly in and out. Fortunately, the hotel is within sight of the airport, so that is just a quick hustle. 

Why Seleucids? My fancy is running towards Cataphracts of late, and they have a goodly number, supported by class 'A' Infantry in the form of Pikemen. My basic plan is to keep going forward. No matter what. My flanks protected by an ablative layers of Thuerophoroi, and then Scythed Chariots. If favorable terrain shows up, so much the better.

Of course, Cataphracts lose to Knights, and do not handle stakes. But that is what the pike are for. We will see. But then, there are only about 7 knight armies at the tourney. And for the third round, I didn't draw one of them.

Deployment

 The Seleucids won the initiative roll and elected to attack in the...

                                                                                                        ...
                                                                                                                ...

                                                                                                                    Mountains..

The Scots right side command is a bit small, and probably led by an Ordinary commander.

Their center however is robust, and has the advantage of terrain.

Their left battle is also robust.

Larricles takes the position on the left with 4 Pike and supporting units.

Darricles's Cataphracts take the center.

Of course, Cataphracts have no business dealing with the terrain. But neither does the pike.

On the Seleucid right, an identical command as on the left.

Turn 1:

Larricles and Darricles advance fully, sliding left.

While Darricles nudges his men forward.

The Scots respond by taking a single march on their right.

And the same on their left.

Turn 2:

Again the Seleucids advance and slide left.

I need the pike to be fully engaged as soon as possible before the bowmen in the rough can make themselves felt.

Darricles calls a halt to his Pike. And sends the Thureophoroi to keep the bowmen off of it.

The Scots approach to ZOC range, to keep the Pike from shifting anymore.

The Tarentines were screening the Cataphracts against the Scots archers. A mistake overall. The Tarentines protection against is +1, the Cats +2. And when the Tarentines were destroyed, they routed through the Cataphracts, causing a hit.

The Scot's left continues to focus on Darricles smaller command. Only command points is holding them up.

Turn 3:

The Seleucids order a general charge! Pike with a plus 2 v Heavy Swordsmen +1, but winning ties with their Claidheam-hmors. The dice favored the Scots with 2 out 3 dice pairings being ties, and one they just won outright.

The Thureophoroi did well enough though, causing 2 hits, and Darricles's personal Cataphract blowing away their opponent.

Darricles charges with 3 of his Cataphracts, leaving the 4th to cover their flanks.

Darricles takes a wait and see attitude.

The highly skilled Thureophoroi rout their opponent. But the some of the Larricles's pike are deteriorating rapidly.

So what are the odds of the pike failing so spectacularly?

My odds simulator has the pike winning 2 out of 3 battles taking an average of 3.3 round.

So basically, .33 * .33 * .33. Or about 3.5% Now that is just a microcosm of the board. The Argyraspids, in front off Larricles, after the initial round, replied with a 6/1 and put 3 hits on the Scots commander. And too their right, the pike also put 3 hits. And the Thureophoroi routed their opponents. So a string of 3 unfortunate rolls for the pike, but overall, about even up for the scrum.

Darricles flank guard has been flanked an destroyed.

The Scot's begin their assault on the hill.

Turn 4:

The Scots counter attack on the Cataphract's flank. While the Pike begin to falter and fail.

Darricles decides that his position is too vulnerable with the hill right there and orders a general retreat.

A turn too late though. If he had done so last turn, they would have gotten in a better position.

The score is 10 of 22 for the Scots.

To 13 of 19 for the Seleucids.

The advantage of the hill is not enough for the beleaguered Thureophoroi.

The Scots continue to press the Cataphracts flanks.

The Scots left battle lines up to prepare for their charge.

Taking the Seleucids score to 16.

To the Scot's 15.

Turn 5:

It may not seem like it, but this game was running very fast. Only about an 50 minutes has gone by.

Another pike has been routed, but the Scot's commander has been flanked as well. But fortune favored the brave with a 6/1 roll against the Argyraspids.

Darricles continues his retreat, but is still in bow range.

I seem to have missed the final pictures. The remaining Cataphracts held their line. The Thureophoroi took a hit, and the the two light foot on the Seleucid left both were evaporated by intense archery. Taking the Seleucid Demoralization score to 19 and break.

Lessons learned: Never fight the Scots in their home terrain. England only subdued the Scots because of the population difference and was willing to pay the price in blood to do so.

The early mistake with the Tarentines screening and being destroyed was somewhat critical. That was two points with the rout through the Cataphracts. The flank guard Cataphract probably would still have been lost, but it could have held for a turn longer. 

I think the real lesson is to have a more balanced list.  This one is designed to attack on a 12 element front, all punch but with mostly unmaneuverable troops. With terrain in the center of the board, this forces a breakup in the battle line.