Today I got my Early Republican and Pyrrhic armies out for the first time!
I wanted to see if Midgard would work as well for this period as others...
We had time for 2 games, I am sure you will see why game 1 lasted less than an hour...
I took the Pyrrhic right with 3 Phalanx units (Macedonian and Epirot), with the Agema cavalry and some Italian horse. I had an archer unit too.
Tony took my left with 2 Phalanx Taxeis (Tarentine and allied), the Elephants (which he placed in the centre of the line, to my dismay!) - he had The Tarentine light cavalry and my Thessalian Horse, some Italiot Hoplites and 2 units of archers and slingers.
The Pyrrhic army!
I started on the right with an echeloned pike advance. My cavalry advanced to guard their flank and my archers went to bother the Roman leves.
Lawrence countered with his Leves supported by Campanian Hoplites and the Allied cavalry.
Phil, on the Roman right advanced his maniples.
His Leves occupied the wood ahead of the arrival of the Greeks.
Tony moved his Tarentine Cavalry and an archer unit to counter them, oddly he didn't use his Thessalians who were left behind the Hoplites!
The Romans got the best of the javelin exchange, damaging the Archers.
The Phalanx advanced in support of the Elephants.
My Cavalry held back, as if I attacked the Leves, I would be pounced on by Hoplites or Cavalry at a disadvantage.
Tony got attacked by the Roman legionarii!
I made room on the right for my Agema cavalry to support them.
On the left, Tony's dice were poor to average, but Phil was having a good dice day again, so it wasn't long before a pike unit routed!
With Legionarii turning the flank I called it a day, our Reputation was down to 6 and Tony's wing was falling to pieces!
So, on to game 2!
This time I got to be Roman, and got Tony as my partner, again I would be the attacker, so Phil and Lawrence got our favourite side of the table!
The deployment for this game, all our Cavalry was on the Right wing facing all the Roman Cavalry.
Phil had the Elephants, which he kept as a reserve (historical or what!)
Phil advanced the Phalanx in a Guagamela style echelon, as before, he rushed his Light Infantry into the wood.
Lawrence moved his cavalry further round my flank.
Tony sent his Leves to try and dislodge the Greek lights from the wood.
One unit succeeded but met the Elephants!
As his Legionarii advance against the Tarentine 'Leukospides', his other Leve unit was still fighting in the wood.
Lawrence used his 'With Me' trait to great effect, fortunately I had advanced Legion IV and caught the Thessalians.
On Phil's wing, his Elephants attacked the Leves.
Phil's dice were even good when he didn't need them to be!!
His Elephants trampled the poor Romans! - however, the first Hastati unit managed to drive back the Leukospides!
On my wing, my Leves failed to evade and were run down by the Italian cavalry, but my Roman and Italian Cavalry beat off the attack from the Agema.
Tony got more Legionary Maniples in.
My Legions moved to surround the now undefended Phalanx flank.
The IV legion Principes routed the Thessalians.
My cavalry routed the Agema, but couldn't stop the victorious Italians from swinging onto my flank.
These hit my Roman Equites in front and flank, with disastrous results!
My III Legion routed the Epirot Phalangites.
With no escape possible, my Italian cavalry charged the Samnite cavalry.
Having crushed the first line of Leves, the Elephants crashed through the wood and into the reserve Leve unit! Another failure to evade!
The Phalanx and Legions were pushing each other forwards and back!, though the Romans were slightly getting the worst of the exchange.
My Allied Cavalry had won the first fight, but were soon flanked by the Tarentines and broken, my Consul escaped on horse towards the Legions.
As expected, Tony's last Leve unit acted as another 'speed bump' for the Elephants!
They now turned his flank!
I had to detach IV legion's Triarii and Principes to protect my rear from the Pyrrhic cavalry.
These were a little wary of facing Legionarii now!
The I Legion Hastati managed to break the Leukospides pikes, but were now attacked by the Elephants.
2nd Legions' Hastati were broken by the Macedonian Phalanx.
The Phalanx withdrew their flank Taxeis to prevent me outflanking them.
This brought the battle to a conclusion!
The Greeks had won a hard fought battle, as I hadn't got many Hero charges in, our Reputation collapsed with the losses we took, and the Greeks had a major victory!
I was heartened that all the other players thought the new Pike stats produced a good result!!
