Phil on Ancients: March 2026

A Headless Body Production
Venue: An Undisclosed Basement
Event: Trying out new armies
Players: Steve Turn running newly printed and painted Goryeo Korean, list 223
Phil Gardocki, running not quite as freshly painted, Later Achaemenid Persians, list 65.
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.

The Forces:
The Koreans are led by 에이, 비, 기음*, rated at 2 Brilliant and 1 Ordinary.

4 Heavy Cavalry, Impact
4 Medium Cavalry, Impact
6 Light Cavalry, Bow
1 Medium Sword, 2HW, Elite
1 Crossbow, Pavise, Elite
4 Heavy Spearmen, 1/2 Crossbow
1 War Wagon, Crossbow
1 LI, Bow
1 Medium Spear, Mediocre
Breakpoint is 23

* Translated as A, B, and C respectively.

The Persians are led by 래리 and 대릴, both are Brilliant and their brother 대릴, who is Ordinary.
4 "Other Horsemen", Heavy Cavalry, Bow
12 Median Cavalry, Mediocre
2 Bactrians, Light Cavalry, Bow, Elite
4 Paphlagonians, Light Cavalry, Javelin
6 Persian Peltasts, Medium Swordsmen, Support
1 Scythed Chariots
Breakpoint is 28

The Persians in this list could be used as a second era in upcoming team tournament. The same period as Alexander, Romans and their opponents. They are a real hodgepodge of forces. In the later period, when the Persians went to war, they pretty much sent orders out to their various cities, and had to do with what they got.

The cities seemed to have sent poorly trained or under equipped men. Possibly Nair-do-wells that they were happy to see the back side of. After several centuries of peace, they just didn't spend the money on real warriors unless they needed to. And then they rented Greeks.

In short. The list sucks. No wonder Alexander's army ran over them, several times.

The early Achaemenid list is all bow armed, with a goodly number of elites to back up the rank and file. The later list has, men. The early horse is a good mix of bow armed armored cavalry, the later horse has cavalry designed to run away from what it cannot beat. Which is about everything.

But I'll give it go. See if mass wins out.

At 29 elements, the Persians are board edge to board edge. There will be gaps to exploit.

The disadvantage is, no matter where the Koreans deploy, there will be something in front of it they can kill.

Display Conventions: When you see a jagged word bubble like "Ouch!" or some emoji, 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.

"XX" represents the position of a newly routed unit.

The Board:

래리 wins the initiative and elects to attack in the plains.

Redecorated Persians for the later period. Note all the red 1's denoting Mediocre.

Deployment:

The Korean High Command, in alphabetical order.

Two elements of Hwachas representing the war wagons

On the Korean right, 에이 deploys a strong horse command, supported by a foot unit.

The center of the Korean line is mostly vacant. Probably due to all the terrain they are seeing. 기음 deploys with a goodly force of spear/XB, while 비,deploys with another force of horse.

The Persian left is a large force of horse. Mostly city dregs and bolstered by some competent professionals.

The center command consists of swordsmen supported by some bow. All you can say about these guys is they shouldn't die too fast.

And another mass of mediocrity, bolstered by 'ok' horse bow.

But hey, 29 units!

Ahura Mazda's eye view.

Turn 1:

And the first Persian commander rolls a 1 for command points. Not to bad, as he really doesn't want to get to close to the lance armed Koreans. And has no business going near the Marsh.

Not paying any attention to the start whistle, the Persian foot stumbles forward. The dearth of command points causing their scythed chariot to stay behind. Which is probably a good thing.

OK, the third 1 for command points is just a 1 in 216 chance.

The Korean horse bow advance, but their lancers stay at ease. Arrows fly, and the Persians roll two more 1's receiving arrows.

The Korean foot advances and salvos their crossbows.

OK! A bit of reverse luck. The two Korean heavy horse trip over the Persian arrows.

Turn 2:

The Persian light horse may be disordered, but they have javelins, and charge. The Koreans decide to evade to come back later.

A bit of inadvertent product placement there. Knights of the Dinner Table, "The Codex of Many Tales." Get yours here....

Persian foot charge to avoid being shot at. But considering the results, maybe arrows were not so bad.

Persian horse push forward to very short range. One Mede cavalry, though disordered, did well charging Korean guards crossbow.

Korean lights return and loose more arrows.

Korean foot position for a flank attack on the Persian foot.

On the far right. Both sides trade loses.

But quality is winning over quantity. The Korean score is 7 of 23

While the Persians are at nearly half their break point at 13 of 28.

Turn 3:

Lots of successful rallies here. The Koreans last turn, and now the Persians turn.

The Persian horse bow approach the Marsh, and Disorder the Korean foot advancing therein. (Who uses "therein" anymore?)

One Persian foot leaves the line and engages the Korean flanker. His abandoned brother surrenders under pressure.

But on the far right, the lucky victory against the Korean Guards XB has opened a hole in the Korean line which is now being exploited. One Korean lancer is flanked and routed, the flanker continued pursuing into another.

A Persian light horse is dispersed. The mass of Korean lancers decide it is time to engage.

Another Persian foot unit is routed. But 3 Korean units are on their last gasp as well.

Korean horse is now flanked on both sides.

Putting their score at 14 of 23

To 17 of 28.

Turn 4:

There is no percentages of a fight against impact cavalry against Mediocre cavalry. So the Persians blow the horns for retreat.

The foot on foot battle is winding down in the Persians favor.

Surrounded, the Korean heavy and medium horse continue to rout. One of the Mede horse starts galloping towards the enemy camp.

There was an interesting maneuver here. A Persian light horse, with the arrow pointing --->>> Disengaged from it's flank battle against a Korean Impact horse. The Light on Light line is more than 1 UD, because the Koreans had the range advantage over the Javelins. Which means, a Mede (Mediocre) cavalry could pull away, and attack the same flank the light horse just Disengaged from. Causing a hit, a rout, and a followup pursuit!

Taking the Korean score to 19...

...to the Persians, 19!

The Koreans have to force the issue on their right.

Korean foot take up position on the flanks of the Persian foot.

The last heavy Korean horse turns on its attacker.

The Korean score holds at 19

The Persians inch upwards to 20!

Turn 5:

The Persians have to push the Koreans over the edge. They return to the field on the left, hoping to gain a point or two.

Sending one Mede cavalry down the road to ??? I don't know. It wasn't getting anywhere in time.

The camp is where the points can be found. But not next turn.

That last Korean Heavy horse refuses to die.

In the shadow of the Tree of Woe, and contrary to the indicating dice, the Korean score is 20.

Tying the Persian score.

Korean lights keep up the pressure.

Their foot routs another Persian Peltast.

What's this? The squeaking wooden axles of some sort of cart? It's the Scythed Chariot!

A question about the War Wagon. In a previous turn, it had providing support for a Korean spearmen. The spearmen was routed. The war wagon is now corner to corner contact. Can it conform into front to front? We ruled that it did.

That last Korean Heavy horse just refuses to die.

With a rally, the score is now 19 for the Koreans, to 22 for the Persians.

Turn 6:

The Persian horse come to arrow range.

The chariots get off their charge to good effect.

The Korean heavies defeat their Mede cavalry to their front. (ok this is just getting ridiculous)

But not really. The Mede horse is Mediocre, which played poorly with the dice, and the Koreans have Armor!, compensating for the Persian horse in their rear.