Alexander verses Cyrus (redux)

A Headless Body Production

Venue: Wyndham Resort, née Lancaster Host
Event: Persian Era and friends, four camel maximum, Round 1
Players: Phil Gardocki running Achaemenid Persian list 64.
               Nat Birrer running Alexander Macedonian
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 25mm, 200 points per side.

Both Alexander and Cyrus II, are titled, "The Great!"

 

But it was Alexander that put the final nail in the Achaemenid Persian coffin. By then, the Persian army was more like the Byzantine Theme (read as National Guard) arrangement. A very small core of professional horsemen, and the rest consisting of whatever the nearest cities would deign to provide. And those cities, having grown wealthy by the centuries of peace of the empire, provided a only a haphazard collection of troops. Possibly just young men looking for adventure. Or ne'er-do-wells that the internal powers that be, simply wanted gone.

And of course there were 200 year old chariots stored in a warehouse, preserved by the dry heat of the overall environment. Chariots they knew were obsolete 200 years ago, but what the hell? Nothing else worked against Alexanders phalanx!

But what if Alexander faced the Achaemenids in their prime? Against Cyrus the Great himself?

The Forces:

The Persians are commanded by Cyrus the Great, a Strategist. His sub commanders, supplied by city states now in ruin and lost to history are anonymously known as Darri, and Darri, Both are considered competent for their time.

2 Persian Guards, Heavy Cavalry, Bow, Elite

4 Mede Cavalry, Medium Cavalry, Bow
2 Bactrians, Light Cavalry, Bow, Elite
4 Immortals, ½ Medium swordsmen ½ Bowmen, Elite
8 Sparabara, ½ Medium swordsmen ½ Bowmen 

1 Light Infantry, Bow

Breakpoint of 21

 

The Macedonians are commanded by Alexander III of Macedon, King of Macedon, Hegemon of the Hellenic League, Shahanshah of Persia, Pharaoh of Egypt, and Lord of Asia, a Strategist. 

And his +2's.

4 Companions, Heavy Cavalry, Impact, Elite
2 Greek Cavalry, Medium Cavalry
1 Promodi, Light Cavalry, Impact
2 Hypaspists, Heavy Spear, Elite
4 Phalanx, Pike, 2 are Elite

2 Hoplite, Heavy Spear
2 Thracians, Medium Sword, 2HW
2 Agrianes, Light Infantry, Javelin
2 Cretans, Light Infantry, Bow
Breakpoint of 21

 

Poor Nat. He is new to this game and had the misfortune facing me 2 months ago with the same list(ish). And spoilers! Would face me again tomorrow.

Display Conventions: When you see a word bubble like "Ouch!" or "Ωχ!",  this implies a disorder from missiles. Letters in parenthesis represent some value change 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.

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

The Quiet Before the Storm:

The theme for this year was the Wild Wild West. Ironically, on my return trip home, I turned on the Podcast, "Our Fake History."  And Sebastian Majors was talking about how the Wild Wild West was invented.

Arrived the day before, and already tables were set up.

I like buildings designed to handle figures.

Looks like Scott Washburn's Paper Terrain. Down hill from some sort of fortress.

Deployment:

But now, it is Friday morning, and time to wake up. 

On their right flank, Alexander is directing his Elite lancers, with supporting Greek Cavalry

In the center, a small command of Thracians armed with their cruel Falx.

The Macedonian phalanx forms up on the rivers edge.

The Persian left is taken by Cyrus II, with 6 units of Sparabara and Immortals.

A lot of thought goes into how to deploy a corps of mixed quality units. Do you put your best units on the flanks, because they would be better able to handle misfortune. Or in the center, as they have the best chance to punch a hole in the enemy lines.

I decided to alternate them to give the best chance of an Elite shooter with Support.

Darri's command of horse prepares to run across the field and engage with their bows.

The Persian Cavalry is laid out the same. Medium Cavalry interspersed with Elite Heavy Cavalry.

On the Persian right, snug as a bug in a rug, Darri with 6 more shooters.

The view from clouds.

And they are off!

It's Promodi on the outside edge, followed by Athenian in position 6! Then its Companion 4 in 5th place. then Companion 3 on the Four-Path! Companion 2 on the Three-Path, Companion Prime on the Two-Wide! And it's Larissa on the Rail!

Thracians stagger out of the field

The phalanx is hugging the unnamed coast line

Cyrus's foot invests the Marsh. While Darri's horse rush out to meet the Greeks. Darri's foot takes the high ground, his flank covered by the village.

Turn 2:

Alexander's horse diverts away from the marsh, but is still in bow range.

His other horse advance on the Persian cavalry, and are also peppered by arrows.

The Phalanx Extends their line to support their Thracian allies.

Cyrus adjusts the positioning of his foot. Darri orders a withdrawal of some of his horse. While Darri advances a pace on the hill.

Turn 2:

Alexander orders a withdrawal of his Disordered Greek horse.

The Thracians run off their Persian tormentors.

The Macedonian phalanx chases off the Persian slingers.

Cyrus's bowmen advance along with Darri's horse and score numerous hits with their archery.

Darri (left) has a shortage of command points, and can only send back two bodies of horse archers. His Medes score a disorder, but the Bactrians do not.

Darri (right) is comfortable with his position and looses arrows, dispersing a Greek skirmisher.

Turn 3

Things are about to get tense on the battlefield, time to take a bio break and show off some other tables that are far more interesting than mine.

Roman legions marching down a long and winding road.

It looks like an ambush!

Magnificent shield patterns.

 Turn 3:

Alexander's (possessive apostrophe) Companion's (also possessive apostrophe) launch a massive charge, running off Darri's horse.

Thracians run off the Bactrians, exposing the Mede horse to accurate Cretan archery. The Phalanx continues to advance into a hail of arrows.

Cyrus has decided that his is where his foot will take a stand. Darri's cavalry agrees.

Darri's horse charges off of the hill into the Thracian hill men. The scales went both ways, with each side taking 2 hits.

Darri decides to order a temporary retreat of his infantry in the valley.

Turn 4:

The Companions charge. They are routed on the corners, but routed the Sparabara in the middle.

The Phalanx continues to advance

The Persian horns signal Pursue!

Bactrian horse chase off Cretans. A Thracian foot is routed, but so to a Mede horse.

Darri's foot retreats to 4 UD's, turns, and loose arrows.

And suddenly, the Macedonians hit their break point of 21, to the Persians 5 of 21.

Final pics:

That was a quick game.

There are a 1000 lessons in defeat and zero in victory. Everything went right for the Persians here. The board was size was reduced by 8 UD's on the right, and a Marsh on the left. About 18 units wide for an army that was 21 in size. Throw in a fielded hill in the center which could be an excellent base to shoot from.

There was just no place for the Macedonians to go.