Refight of Maleventum/ Benaventum 275 BC

 Yes, another historical refight using Midgard again today! The battle of Maleventum in 275 BC. Pyrrhus had returned to Tarentum from fighting the Carthaginians in Sicily - he found his former allies, the Samnites, had been more or less overrun by Rome in his absence. He therefore fought with a basic Pyrrhic army with Tarentine allies.

The new Consul,  Manius Curius Dentatus, emerged from Rome with an army, replete with a new anti-elephant stratagem, flaming pigs!

We now diced for sides, Rhod and I got Rome, Phil and Lawrence, the Pyrrhics. They were the attackers. The terrain had woods on one side and a gully on the other, leaving the centre clear. (I was keen to try my new 'Incendiary Pig' trait out!)

The Battlefield, Romans to the left.

Facing my Roman Right, Lawrence had a Phalanx and 3 units of Psiloi with slings and bows.

On the Hellenistic right, facing Rhod was a unit of Tarentine hoplites and light Cavalry, together with the Agema and Thessalians. His Elephants backed them up.

Rhod had an allied and Roman Legion, and had all the Roman cavalry, but they were outnumbered by the Pyrrhic horse opposite. 

I, on our right, had a Roman and Allied Legion, with a unit of Allied infantry.

Lawrence sent his Light Infantry into the woods.

Phil advanced the Tarentine Leukaspides in support of his cavalry and elephants...

...who were advancing towards Rhod's wing.

I responded by sending my Leves to contest the wood with the Greeks.

Rhod expanded his line of cavalry, supporting them with his Leves.

The Pyrrhic cavalry raced across the table, contacting the Roman Equites and the Leves.

The Roman cavalry were driven back by Pyrrhus at the head of his Agema. The Tarentine cavalry rode down the Leves, but in both actions, the Roman troops put up a good fight.

Rhod's Allied Principes charged the Thessalians, who routed them immediately!

Phil's Agema broke the Roman Equites, and his Hoplites charged the victorious Principes. The Tarentine cavalry, despite being damaged, charged the flank of the Roman Allied cavalry.

The Tarentines were broken, but managed to damage the Allied cavalry first.

Rhod lost a Hero to the Hoplite attack!

Rhod brought some Hastati up to face the Elephants who now had a clear attack vector! My C-in-C, Dentatus allocated the Incendiary pigs to the Hastati successfully!

The Hastati charged, flaming Pigs in the lead!

Rhod's Allied cavalry charged the 'blown' Agema and routed them!

I diced for my pig ignition and just made it with a '3'! this meant a successful deployment, and Phil's elephants fought at half basic dice! 

This meant the Elephants were defeated and pushed back! Great die roll Rhod!

The situation on our left was stabilising!

On my right, the Phalanx was approaching, my Leves were fighting hard against the greater number of Greek Psiloi.

In almost desperation I charged a Leves unit, but the Greeks evaded.

The Greek slingers charged the Leves, but my men managed to evade through the Allied infantry.

Still put out by the pigs, the Elephants broke and ran.

The Pyrrhic pikes charged my Principes, driving them back.

My sneaky Leves went round the flank of the slingers and shot, causing no damage to the unit but a javelin felled their Hero!

Only the Tarentine Hoplites remained of Phil's wing.

I made another desperate attack, sending my Roman Hastati into the flank of the victorious Pyrrhic phalanx Taxis.

On the right of our line, the Greek Archers had damaged my Allied infantry and a unit of Leves. They outranged me, and I couldn't reply.

Unfortunately, despite damaging the Pyrrhic Taxis, my Hastati were charged in flank by another Taxis. this let the Pyrrhic Taxis finish off their prey! 

Rhod managed to outflank the Leukaspides, I sent Dentatus in to help, and the Phalanx Taxis broke! 

My Hastati were destroyed too, no surprise!

My Leves charged the slingers in the wood, who failed to evade, and were destroyed!

Rhod now sent his leves against the Hoplites, and damaged them with javelins again!

On our centre right, the Phalanx charged but they were getting beaten by my Legionarii!

That was the end of the game, the Romans had (historically!) won, with +2 Rep against -2 for the Pyrrhics. A close game and very hard fought, but everyone enjoyed it! 

(The Romans had a victory 'Hog Roast' to celebrate!)

The Battle of Chaeronea

 Today we did a refight of the Battle of Chaeronea 338 BC, where Phillip II of Macedon fought the Athenians, Thebans and allies for the Hegemony of Greece.

Phil, got the Greeks, Lawrence and I the Macedonians. We were the attackers. Oddly, both sides deployed like the original armies did, with a couple of exceptions!

The lines at game start, Macedonians to the left.

I had King Phillip, with some Prodromoi, the Hypaspists and some slingers.

In the centre I had 3 Taxeis under Meleager, Lawrence had Parmenio with 2 more Taxeis on the left.

On the extreme left the 18 year old Alexander with the Hetairoi (Companions),  Thessalians, Agrianes and Macedonian archers.

Phil had both Peltast units on his left, and the Athenian Hoplites.

In the centre, the Allied Hoplites.

On his right, the Thebans (including the Sacred Band), Athenian cavalry, archers and slingers.

I began by sending my slingers forward to harass the Athenians, My Prodromoi extended to my right. 

 Lawrence advanced his Agrianes behind his Archers. These failed to impact on the Greek lights, but they were crippled by the return shooting.

Phil extended his left onto the hill (The Peltasts) - supported by Hoplites.

Lawrence pushed his poor, shot up slingers to short range to try and damage the Greek slingers, but failed again.

Once ensconced on the hill, the Greek left seemed happy to stay there!

Lawrence was buoyed his slingers were still alive, and supported them with the Agrianes, but these all failed spectacularly to hit the Greeks! 

Of course, the Athenian cavalry charged the Macedonian archers!

This did not just destroy the Archers, but took the Agrianes who were just too close by as well!!!

Phil got his Peltasts in front of his Hoplites, who crippled my slingers! (with 4 + 2 shooting dice!)

On our left, all was quiet with the defeat of the Macedonian lights.

The Athenian Hoplites moved to bypass my Phalanx.

On the left, all was still quiet.

I surprised the Peltasts as the damaged slingers charged them, he took the charge, then regretted it as my Hypaspists charged in too!

Of course the Hoplites behind charged the Hypaspists, but the unit alongside had to watch my Prodromoi. Phil brought his remaining Peltasts to deal with them.

My Hypaspists destroyed the attacking Athenians!

Phil sent more hoplites against the Agrianes, but were again driven back, my Prodromoi tried to charge the Peltasts, but they managed to evade onto the hill.

On the left, both Phalanx Taxeis - and the Hoplites opposite were moving to support their heavily engaged centres.

Phil rolled really well, and my Hypaspists broke! My Phalanx Taxis had just charged in too!

Things on my right were looking a bit ropey!!!

The left (their right).

In the centre, my Phalanx broke a Hoplite unit!

A supporting Hoplite unit charged in and was lucky, he broke a Taxis!

My right hand Taxis had been falling back, covering the flank, my Prodromoi had to charge the Peltasts uphill, but were beaten back...

...With damage!

Parmenio's Phalanx Taxeis were doing ok, but Lawrence advanced his Thessalians to cover their flank.

The battle on the hill ended with the Prodromoi defeated, but the Peltasts had been damaged too.

Parmenio destroyed a Hoplite unit despite it having a supporting unit.

He managed to beat this (admittedly already damaged) Hoplite unit too! But the Taxis was almost gone as well!

Having a hole in our Phalanx allowed the Hoplites to get on my Phalanxes flank.

Lawrence charged in with both units of Hetairoi, Lawrence rolled really well, getting a 6 on his 'Spears for Tribute' roll. That's Alexander for you!

Even his Thessalians were beating a Hoplite unit!

On my wing, my lone Phalanx unit was overwhelmed by 3 Hoplite units!

Although blown, the Thessalians beat their enemies!

Alexander now attacked by the Theban Sacred Band but countercharged and won!(The other unit had had to retreat as it was being flanked by the Athenian cavalry)

Unfortunately, this was the end of the game, as we were at 0 Rep, and Phil had 1!

A reversal of history, to be sure, but an equally hard fought battle!, and fun!