Spartan's probably should have been Corinithians out to punish its neighbour Megara for deciding to ally with Athens,but we just called them 'Spartan's' and 'Athenians' throughout. I took the Athenians, and Steve the Spartans.
Phalanxes are slowly advancing to come together...Spartans add psiloi to protect end of their line
Crunch! First fight of the game. I send in my cavalry and peltasts in to the front of his flank guard, psiloi to attack the Spartan psiloi from the flank and Light Horse who can't reach the Spear because I'm out of PIPs, charge into the Psiloi from the rear
I push him back on my right flank, and hold my left, but the pressure of his deeper phalanx pushes back my centre...
Next turn the scrum of the phalanxes gets messy as my phalanx pushes back in. I swing the two elements on my right flank into the element on his left, as my general hits them from the front...and wipe them out! Two Spartan elements destroyed! But the Spartan phalanx is too strong in the centre, one of my elements is scattered and the other recoils....
On my far right flank the light troops continue to do a good job, surrounding and destroying an element of hoplites-three Spartan elements destroyed, just one more to claim victory!
Although its enough to send his phalanx crashing into my crumbling centre, with centre right pushed back by his general's element...
My general's element swings around to hit his general's element in the flank. They turn to face and one of my centre elements pushes forward again to press their flank. Meanwhile peltasts and light horse make a co-ordinated attack on his spear. If I roll higher on either combat with the enemy flanked I'll destroy and I've won the game. I've got +1 versus his general, and evens against his spear, so the odds are good...
...But the gods are not kind! Spear repel the peltasts and horsemen, its a draw between generals so they hold their ground...
We chose the Later Hoplite army lists - not strictly accurate but Spartan is virtually the same, and Athenians get an extra peltast and light horse.
I'll let the pictures and the caption do the talking:
Athenians face the Spartans, sending Psiloi ahead
View from the other side of the table
Athenian Phalanx move up, with Light Horse going up the left flank
Light Horse threaten Spartan right flank,while cavalry,peltasts and psiloi advance on their left flank
Light Horse now circled around to the Spartan rear, Athenian light infantry enter the wood
Spartan phalanx continues steady advance
Athenian cavalry move up to threaten the left flank of the Spartan phalanx
Spartans' thin out their phalanx to extend the line to cover their left flank
Phalanxes are slowly advancing to come together...Spartans add psiloi to protect end of their line
Crunch! First fight of the game. I send in my cavalry and peltasts in to the front of his flank guard, psiloi to attack the Spartan psiloi from the flank and Light Horse who can't reach the Spear because I'm out of PIPs, charge into the Psiloi from the rear
Psiloi are destroyed, the first element lost in the game- just 3 more to go for victory! Spartan spear repulsed by my cavalry
...But on Steve's go he breaks off another element of spear from his phalanx to attack my cavalry in the flank, as he follows up with his other spear element
....While the phalanx moves within charge range...
...The Spartan spear destroy my cavalry...one element down on both sides...
...And finally the two phalanxes crash into each other! I've got an overlap on my right flank, but will my much thinner phalanx hold against his two deep line?
I push him back on my right flank, and hold my left, but the pressure of his deeper phalanx pushes back my centre...Spartans regroup on their left
Next turn the scrum of the phalanxes gets messy as my phalanx pushes back in. I swing the two elements on my right flank into the element on his left, as my general hits them from the front...and wipe them out! Two Spartan elements destroyed! But the Spartan phalanx is too strong in the centre, one of my elements is scattered and the other recoils....
On my far right flank the light troops continue to do a good job, surrounding and destroying an element of hoplites-three Spartan elements destroyed, just one more to claim victory!
Great moment for Steve to throw a 1 on his PIP dice!
Although its enough to send his phalanx crashing into my crumbling centre, with centre right pushed back by his general's element...
Yes!...I throw a 5 for my PIP dice! Now for some nifty footwork...
My general's element swings around to hit his general's element in the flank. They turn to face and one of my centre elements pushes forward again to press their flank. Meanwhile peltasts and light horse make a co-ordinated attack on his spear. If I roll higher on either combat with the enemy flanked I'll destroy and I've won the game. I've got +1 versus his general, and evens against his spear, so the odds are good...
...But the gods are not kind! Spear repel the peltasts and horsemen, its a draw between generals so they hold their ground...
...and the centre of my phalanx disintegrates, now I've lost 3 elements...the side that destroys one more will win the battle!
..And not a great PIP roll for Steve!
But enough to swing around two elements in his centre as they surge through and into the flank of my hoplites, forcing them to turn to face...which means they are no longer pressing the flank of his general's element...
..with his second PIP he pushes back my left flank into the woods....
...His rampaging hoplite centre destroys my remaining centre element...that's four elements gone and battle hanging by a thread...but the battle isn't lost if I can draw level by destroying another of his elements before the end of the turn...and if I destroy his general's element, I destroy the supporting one too...and I'd claim victory on two counts....
...we roll dice. I roll a SIX and Steve a ONE!!! Couldn't have a better dice roll!
...But hang on... supported general hoplite element's have a combat factor of 6. I don't have a flank attack or overlap any more....so its 12 vs 7... a win...but a push back not destroyed...by the godess Athena...these Spartans have won!
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