Seleucids... Again???

A Headless Body Production

Venue: Harve de Grace Community Center
Event: Barrage 2025
Theme: Classical theme, round 3
Players: Phil running Seleucid, list 42
              Tom Zimmerman, also running Seleucid, also list 42
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.

This the third round of the world famous L' Art de la Guerre tournament in drizzling rain of Maryland!

I already used the joke referring to my opponent as "Seleukid", so what to do now?   I'll go for the original Greek, Σελευκίδες.  At least till the joke goes stale.  

At least the ¡Ωχ! exclamation markers are easier to keep track of. 

The Forces:
The Σελευκίδες are commanded by unnamed commanders.  I think there was a Brilliant and two Competents. 
4 Cataphracts
1 Heavy Cavalry
4 Light horse, various
1 Elephants, Mediocre?
3 Pike
2 Imitation Legionnaires, Heavy Sword, Impact
2 Thracians, Medium Sword, 2HW
4 Light Infantry, Bow
Breakpoint of 21

The Σελευκίδες are commanded by Larricles, <Τεμπέλης>, a Strategist. His brother Darricles <Τόλμη>, the Brilliant, and his other brother Darricles <Τόλμη>, the Ordinary.
6 Pike
2 Argyraspids, Pike, Elite
X* formally known as Xystophoroi, Heavy Cavalry, Impact, Elite
4 Thracians, Medium Swordsmen, 2HW
2 Thureophoroi, Medium Spearmen
2 Cretans, Light Infantry, Bow, Elite
2 Cretins, Light Infantry, Bow
2 Slingers, Light Infantry, Sling
2 Scythed Chariots
Breakpoint of 22  

Display Conventions: When you see a jagged word bubble like "Ouch!" 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.

Deployment:

The Σελευκίδες  won the initiative and elect to attack in the plains. 

The terrain as it was rolled up.

After adjustments

It has been one of those days...

At the point of honor, the Σελευκίδες deploy an elephant command on the hill.  Their center phalanx right next to it.

Off in left field, their cataphracts 

and a large force of horse.

Darricles's Thracians are heading for the only rough they have.

His brother Darricles's phalanx is formed tightly to his right.

Larricles takes the right.  His flank is hanging out there, but the field to the rear should keep the light horse shenanigans to a minimum.

Turn 1:

Darricles races across the field.

 

His brother a little less so

The Σελευκίδεςright advances a bit more cautiously

Σελευκίδες advance just one UD, keeping the hill advantage.

Σελευκίδες Cataphracts advance

While their remaining horse tears across the field.

Turn 2:

The Σελευκίδες Thracians do not really want to assault the hill, but send their skirmishers forward to exchange arrows.

There is a sizable gap between the Σελευκίδες's Phalanx and Cataphract command to exploit.

The Σελευκίδες other phalanx approaches the cataphract command.  The cats are still a ways off, but they are also largely unmaneuverable, and so will not be able to interfere with the center phalanx.

Σελευκίδες advances a pace and slides left, negating the gap advantage somewhat.

Σελευκίδες cataphracts approach to charge reach.

Turn 3:

Darricle's see's an open flank on his side of the field and orders an advance.

Larricles phalanx closes the gap.

 

The Cavalry troop known as 'X' makes a charge.  Hoping that Impact, Elite and Armor will compensate for being out numbered.

Morgan Freemen interjects, "His hopes were misplaced."

"SHUT UP MORGAN!!! "

"You do realize that I am just your internal monologue, and you do not have to type what I say."

"SHUT UP MORGAN!!! "

Seeing that one way or another, there was going to be an overlap no matter what, the Σελευκίδες orders his phalanx to charge, taking advantage of the disconnect between the Σελευκίδες Thracians and their phalanx.

The Σελευκίδες Cataphracts close to spitting distance.  Their heavy horse lines up perfectly on their left.

Turn 4:

Not really wanting to assault the hill yet, Darricles orders just one warband forward to bolster their phalanx.  And to good effect, that +1 pushed the numbers high enough to two cohesion hits on the opposing pike.

What followed was a series of unfortunate die rolls for the Σελευκίδες.

The phalanx deployment is well in hand.  Larricles decides to go and rally the cavalry troop called 'X'.

A Thracian warband attacks down the hill.  Both sides phalanx have a taxis routed.

The Rally by Larricles was successful, but 'X' took an immediate hit in normal combat, followed by a flank hit.

And managed to disorder the attacking lights to their front.

Turn 5:

The Thracians are now all in, and charge up the hill.  The Σελευκίδες's phalanx has a taxis flanked, and charged by Scythed Chariots, and is destroyed.

Larricles's Thureophoroi charge the enemy light horse, expecting them to evade, which would then open the ally for Scythed Chariots to hit the enemy heavy cavalry.  But they bravely stood, and took a hit for doing so.

The score at this time is 10-8...

The elephant goes on a rampage through their own Thracians.  But Darricles's Thracians are now being flanked by pike attack.

Desperate times, call for desperate measures.  The cataphracts charge the pike.

Overall, a successful charge.  Cats winning 2, losing 1, and a tie.

Turn 6:

 

At the top of the 6th, the score is 13 of 22

To 12 of 21.  A virtual tie.

We called the game here.  Mainly due to fatigue. There was plenty of time for a conclusion.  But neither Tom nor me were in the running for either top tier, or in danger of being in the bottom, and we had long drives ahead of us.

You can draw your own conclusions on what could have happened.  We both had 4 more points guaranteed and a couple of maybes in turn 6, but the rest were up in the air. 

As we depart scenic Harve de Grace, the natives gather to wave us on our journey home.