Today we replayed Raphia - the great battle in 217BC between the Seleucids and Ptolemaics, part of the long wars of the Diadochi (Successors) of Alexander the great.
Tony had been painting overtime to get the armies ready, but he didn't finish a block of Seleucid Pikemen, so substituted an equal points unit of Line Cavalry , and he forgot to pack a unit of Asiatic bow armed skirmishers, so the Ptolemies discarded one of their light archer units.
The Seleucids got to be 'attacker' so went first each turn.
Tony sorting the armies! and after correcting the small deficiencies!!!
Gotta love his painting, the Seleucid elephant was spectacular!
Phil took the Seleucid left, with the Companions (Hetairoi) some Skythians and Asiatic archers.
The Seleucid centre had the Pikemen and that Elephant!
Tony had the 2 units of Line Cavalry and the Argyraspides (Elite Pikemen), he also had some Thracian peltasts and a unit of Galatians.
Facing Tony, Lawrence had the Cleruch elite cavalry, the Ethikoi (Light Cavalry), Agema pikemen and ordinary Macedonian Pikes.
Rhod, taking the Ptolemaic right had the Machimoi (Egyptian Phalanx), Theureophoroi, Peltasts and Archers.
The Egyptian phalanx were newly raised, but as they did so well in the real battle, I had made them as Macedonian Phalangites.
The table at game start! -(as you may have noticed, I sat this game out as I didn't get much sleep in the heat last night...)
Phil flung his Skythians round the flank.
The Phalanx stayed put against the greater number of the Ptolemaic phalanx.
Tony, as Ptolemy IV Philopator (in truth a bit of a drunken dabauched leader! - totally unlike Tony!!!) sent his line Cavalry forward on either side of his Peltasts.
Their archers and slingers - supported by the Theurophoroi, moved forward.
The Ptolemaic phalanx advanced in a staggered formation.
The Ethnikoi skirmished forward against the Seleucid heavy cavalry.
At the end of turn 1.
The Skythians skirmished at long range.
The Seleucid phalanx stayed where they had started!
On the Seleucid right, the Line cavalry charged the Ethikoi, who evaded onto their flank!
Phil sent his Companions to support the Skythians.
The Ethnikoi charged the flank of the blown Line cavalry!
The Seleucid cavalry broke and ran!
The Skythian cavalry had driven the Peltasts through the Pikes.
As can be seen here, Tony got his other Line Cavalry unit to face the Ptolemaic Cleruch cavalry.
The Line Cavalry charged the Cleruch cavalry, who counter-charged.
The Ptolemaic Theureophoroi held off the Seleucid cavalry, allowing their archers to engage the Seleucid slingers.
On the Seleucid right, Tony charged his Hypaspists in!
The Skythians were now skirmishing with the Peltasts, while the Companions sat back, keeping the Theureophoroi under observation.
The Seleucid phalanx moved forward to support their Argyraspides.
The battle of the Cleruch and Line cavalry was initially indecisive.
Rhod turned a Phalanx Taxis to help against the Skythians.
The Seleucid phalanx stayed back.
The initial battle of the Argyraspides and Macedonian Phalangites was a damp squib! the Argyraspides had awful dice!
The Cleruch cavalry finished off the Line cavalry!
All seemed quiet on Phil and Rhod's wing...for now!
The Cretan archers damaged the slingers.
On the Seleucid right, the Argyraspides were swamped by another Phalanx Taxis and the Elephant!, to protect them the Cleruch cavalry charged the Galatians.
They damaged the Galatians, but were destroyed themselves!!!
On the other wing the Companions charged (and caught!) the Cretans in the rear, this was not going to end well for the poor archers...
Tony had sent an extra Pike block in to help the Argyraspides, but they were too damaged and broke!
The victorious Galatians moved to outflank the Elephant, which was stamping on pikemen!!!
The Skythians were unable to shoot down those peltasts for fear of getting caught by the Pikes.
It didn't matter though, as Phil was at -1 Rep, where the Ptolemaics were +12!!!
Most of the Phalangites had not got into contact!
The right wing of the Seleucids was a fair disaster though!
The poor Seleucid elephant hadn't contributed apart from a little missile shooting!
Never mind, everyone enjoyed the game, and at the end of the day that is what matters in gaming!!!
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