The battle under
Field of Glory 2.0 from the NWS Battle Day 8 November.
Order of Battle
Greeks
Athenians
2 * Troop
commanders
3 * 8 Hoplites HF Protected Av Undrilled Off Sp
2 * 6 Hoplites HF Protected Av Undrilled Off Sp
1 * 8 Javelinmen LF Unprotected Poor Undrilled Jav/LS
1 * 6 Bowmen LF Unprotected Av Undrilled Bow
Minor States
1 * Field
Commander
3 * 8 Hoplites HF Protected Av Drilled Off Sp
2 * 6 Hoplites HF Protected Av Drilled Off Sp
1 * 6 Cavalry Cav Armoued Av Undrilled LS/Sw
Thebans
1 * Field
Commander
1 * Troop
commander
5 * 8 Hoplites HF Protected Av Drilled Off Sp
1 * 6 Hoplites HF Armoured Sup Drilled Off Sp
1 * 8 Javelinmen LF Unprotected Poor Undrilled Jav/LS
1 * 6 Bowmen LF Unprotected Av Undrilled Bow
Macedonians
2 * Inspired
Commanders
2 * Field
Commanders
2 * Troop
Commanders
1 * 6 Companions Cav Armoured Elite Drilled Lance/Sw
1 * 6 Thessalians Cav Armoured Sup Drilled LS/Sw
1 * 4 Prodomoi LH Unprotected Av Drilled Lance/Sw
2* 6 Hypaspists HF Armoured Sup Drilled Off
Sp
2 * 12 Pikemen HF Protected Av Drilled Pike
8 * 9 Pikemen HF Protected Av Drilled Pike
1 * 8 Agrianians LF Unprotected Sup Undrilled Jav/LS
1 * 8 Javelinmen LF Unprotected Av Undrilled Jav/LS
1 * 6 Cretan
archers LF Unpotected Sup Drilled Bow
The Macedonians
were commander by Mark Haughey (Philip), Geoff Marshall (Alexander) and Gerry
Emmons (Parmenion). The Athenians were under the control of Stephen Bush, and
the rest of the Greeks run by Andrew Card. (As one Greek commander was unable
to make it on the day)
The Greeks set up
with Athenians on the left on some high ground, with their flank abutting a
difficult hill and skirmishers occupying the hilly ground. The Minor States
were central and the Thebans on the right, their flank resting on some marshy ground near the river. More
skirmishers occupied the marsh. The Greek Hoplites were deployed 2-3 deep, 120
elements with a frontage of 44 elements.
The Macedonians
deployed with the Hypaspists 2 deep on the right under the command of
Philip, with Agrianians up in the hills. To the left of Philip stretched the
Phalanx, mainly 3 deep so as to match as much as possible the length of the
Greek line. On the Macedonia left were the companion Cavalry and Prodomoi and
the rest of the skirmishers.
Deployment
- the opposing armies from behind the Macedonian lines.
Victory conditions
were such that both sides needed a decisive victory - the Macedonians so that
they could move on quickly with their imperialistic agenda, the Greeks as it
might prove difficult to keep the coalition forces together in the field long
term. Each Greek contingent could be
broken separately. If the Macedonians
broke the Greeks, but lost both Philip and Alexander, it would be considered a
strategic defeat.
The Macedonians
opened by advancing their light infantry on both flanks and wheeling their main
battle line to face off against the Greeks.
The
Macedonian skirmishers advance.
The Athenian
skirmishers withdrew in the face of the Agrianian advance, while the Greek cavalry
redeployed from the centre towards the right flank in case support was needed.
The retirement of
the Athenian skirmishers allowed the Agrianians to try and tempt the Athenian
hoplites off their hill. The Athenian hoplites indeed charged once without orders
but then held firm. The rest of the
Greek battle line moved up to join them and the Athenian skirmishers
recovered their courage and forced the Agrianians to withdraw after suffering
minor casualties.
On the Macedonian
left their skirmishers charged into fight against their Theban counterparts,
relying on their superior quality to prevail. However first the javelinmen and
then the Cretan archers were broken - The Thebans were victorious! Alexander
intervened to rally the broken javelinmen. Meanwhile, the main Macedonian phalanx was
slowly advancing.
The Macedonian
Javelinmen flee.
But the work of
the Agrianians had been crucial, as while the Athenians were still on their
hill, they were now towards the front edge of the slope and any further forward
movement meant they would be on the plain. The Macedonian phalanx rolled
forward - into charge range of the Greeks.
These now faced a
slight dilemma, they could try and hold their current position with their left
flank uphill or they could charge the Macedonians on the plain. Holding was
risky, as about 14 units needed to pass
complex move tests or the Greek line
would be broken up. They charged!
The lines
clash.
The factors were
fairly even upon impact along most of the line. However, two of the Macedonians
phalanxes had contracted frontage and formed 4 deep, giving them an advantage.
The Hypaspists superior armour and training would give them an edge over time,
but the Greek units had rear ranks which could take the place of any initial
casualties, meaning they would keep their fighting factors for longer, whereas
any Macedonian casualties would immediately result in a loss of
points of advantage. They also had
the longer battle line, which they could exploit in an extended battle after
clearing away the Macedonian light cavalry.
The initial charge
went badly for the Greeks - they disrupted two phalanxes, but had 4 units
disrupted themselves and in the subsequent melee a couple became
fragmented. In the Macedonian turn things became even worse. The Hypaspists, with Philip fighting in the
front rank, were making quick work of
the Athenians , and at the other end of the line the Pikemen broke through the
Theban line in two places. Even where
the Greeks were winning the combats the Macedonians resolutely continued to
fight on with only limited cohesion losses.
The
Theban line starts to break.
It was all
downhill now for the Greeks - The Athenians started to break under pressure
from the Hypaspists, and the Greek Minor states also began to crumble. The
Thebans had not had time to exploit their advantage on the Macedonian left.
Disaster!
Theban hoplites
did manage to break one phalanx, but that was the limit of Greek success. In a
short time the Athenian and Minor states contingents were both routed in the
same turn, and the Greek army was defeated on its cumulative losses. A complete
and decisive victory for the Macedonians. Presumably the Sacred Band would have stayed
around to die heroically.
Theban
success
Victory
Conclusion. The battle was over very quickly once the main clash
started, much quicker than I had expected. The combat dice rolls were even
enough , but the cohesion tests were vastly different. The Greeks failed often,
and often catastrophically, going down two levels a time. The Macedonians
generally held when they lost the fights. The one pike phalanx which broke did
so due to accumulated casualties rather than due to cohesion. The Greeks may
have had an advantage in a long grinding
fight, but it never became that. Where the Macedonians did have an advantage
they were able to quickly overcome their opposition.
The
Macedonian command team.
So, an interesting
and fun day for the first Battle Day of the NWS.
Text and pictures supplied by Andrew Card.
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