AAR – Parthians vs. Late Seleucids

[timmy1]

This AAR originally was posted in the FoG Yahoo group owned by Alex King. You can find it at http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=42879/*http: ... eldofGlory. You may well need to copy and past the link.

Recently I got to play my first game of FoG. Having spent north of GBP 35.00 on rules and companion army lists, I was straining at the leash to give it a go. 600 points Parthians vs. Late Seleucids. This pairing was chosen for three reasons.

1, I wanted my first try of the rules to be a historical match-up (so I choose the standard Parthian list rather than my favoured Indo-Suren options),

2, I have played this interaction a number of times under DBM 3.n and wanted to see the difference (it always favours the Seleucids under DBM).

3, The biggest difference in effect between FoG and DBM/DBMM seem to be to do with shooting and the skirmisher interactions, so I wanted to exercise them.

(The fact that the only companion book 1 army that I can do without major morphing is Parthian might also have played a part.)

Until 24 hours before the game. I was going to use the starter army in the book (3 BG of Cataphracts and 7 of LH). This came out at 590 points. It seemed too much to give away if my opponent was fielding a 600 point list, so the list I used was:

Parthian, Agricultural, Steppes.
IC CinC
2 x TC
3BG x 4 bases of Superior, Heavily Armoured, Undrilled Cataphracts – Lancers, Swordsmen
3BG x 6 bases of Average, Unprotected, Undrilled Light Horse – Bow
2BG x 4 bases of Average, Unprotected, Undrilled Light Horse – Bow
1BG x 6 bases of Poor, Unprotected, Undrilled Light Foot – Sling
1BG x 6 bases of Poor, Unprotected, Undrilled Light Foot – Javelins, Light Spear
Unfortified camp

10BG, 26 initiative bases, 38 mounted bases, 12 foot bases, 3 commanders, initiative +4, 598 points.

My opponents list. Later Seleucid, Agricultural, Developed, Hilly.
All Average.
FC CinC
TC
1BG x 6 bases of Heavily Armoured, Drilled Cataphracts – Lancers, Swordsmen
1BG x 4 bases of Unprotected, Drilled Light Horse – Javelins, Light Spear
1BG x 4 bases of Unprotected, Undrilled Light Horse – Bow
2BG x 12 bases of Protected, Drilled Heavy Foot – Pikemen
1BG x 6 bases of Armoured, Drilled Heavy Foot –Offensive Spearmen
1BG x 6 bases of Protected, Undrilled Medium Foot – Heavy Weapon
1BG x 6 bases of Unprotected, Undrilled Medium Foot – Bow
2BG x 8 bases of Unprotected, Undrilled Light Foot – Bow
Unfortified camp

10BG, 8 initiative bases, 14 mounted bases, 50 foot bases, 2 commanders, initiative +1

Parthian Initiative. I choose Steppes (surprise). After lots of luck with the dice, we end up with only 4 pieces of terrain. Seleucid Left Rear 12MU diameter circle of Uneven BG touching the rear edge; maximum size Rough B, straddling the centre line - 15 MU from the Parthian right table edge; Minimum size Slope GH in the Seleucid Right Rear corner – touching baseline and rear edge; small Rough G on the Parthian rear edge - 20MU from the Parthian Left edge.

Deployment. Seleucid camp on the rear edge, behind the Rough B, Parthian camp on the rear edge, just in from the Rough G. Seleucid batch 1, 2x Pike HF BG in the central sector maximum distance in, 3 deep with 2 deep LF immediately in front of the where the 2 Pike BG join. This was a real surprise as I was expecting 4 deep Pike. (After the game my opponent explained that it was to tempt the Parthians in to battle and to provide a slightly wider line that would be harder to flank – it worked as I did not get into the flanks of the Pike once). Parthian batch 1, 1BG of 6 LH in each third, maximum distance in. Seleucid batch 2, the other BG of LF Bow facing the Rough B with a BG of MF Heavy Weapon (Thracian Peltasts – only rough terrain serious foot on either side) in support, and MF Bow BG with flanks resting on the Uneven BG and Rough B in the outer third, with the Peltasts placed to support should the MF Bow be outnumbered. Parthian batch 2, 2 BG of 4 bases LH, first 1 move behind the LH BG already in the left outer third, second with the LH BG in the inner third, and LF Slings in front of the baggage. Seleucid batch 3, HF Offensive Spearmen (Thorakitaki) supporting the 2 Pike BG, and the LH Bow BG way out in the Seleucid right outer third, 10 MU in from the rear edge. Parthian batch 3, 2 BG of Cataphracts in the central sector on the baseline. Seleucid batch 4, Cataphracts and LH Javelins (Tarantines) joining the LH Bow to the Pikes. Parthian batch 4, BG of Cataphracts with the other 2 and an ambush, 1 marker in the middle of the Rough B, 2 in the Rough G, flanking the baggage, the one closest to the baggage being the real one. Seleucid CinC with the Pike, TC with the Thracians. Parthian CinC with the Cataphracts, 1 TC with each small BG of LH.

At this stage I realised I was in trouble. I had out deployed myself, too much DBM thinking. My opponent was going to get better use of his 2 commanders than I was of my 3, at least initially.

The Parthian Left flank 2 LH BG push forwards and eventually rout the 2 Seleucid LH BG but way too late, exactly as the Seleucids planned. The Seleucids had done their job in protecting the Cataphracts.

In the Centre Parthian Cataphracts tried to escape the stupid place they got themselves into, by manoeuvring across the front of the Pike Taxis. Despite the IC, eventually they charge piecemeal into the Seleucid Pike BGs that have marched relentlessly forwards, though they do manage to contact the much larger BG of Seleucid Cataphracts and hold them for a while. (The Seleucids played that cannily, ensuring that there was enough room for all the HF to come and play before agreeing to be a target.) Finally the Seleucid Thorakitaki join in (initially they had been providing supported to the line of Pike but when the Seleucids realised the Pike could take care of themselves, the Thorakitaki became offensive, and quite forwards with it). Result - all 3 BG of Parthian Cataphracts are destroyed or routed – not helped by my attempting to claim the + on the CT for LH support, which the rules specifically exclude. (We realised that we played the rules
incorrectly here in that the Cataphracts should have pulled back from the Foot BG after each round of melee but that only would have delayed the result.)

On the Parthian right, the BG of LH that attempted to reach the camp got destroyed by the Seleucid MF Bow, and the 2 BG of LH in the inner third got chased off by the Seleucid LF Bow (one BG of which seemed to be in training for the London Marathon so far did it travel harassing the LH BG that was in front of it.)

At this point Parthians were 2 attrition points off breaking, Seleucids 6 points off. If the Seleucids could get the Parthian camp, it was game over.

The Seleucids broke off pursuit of one of the Parthian LH BG and sent a BG of LF Bow supported by the Thracian Peltasts after the Parthian camp (now that the Peltasts had cleared the Rough B of the potential Parthian ambush – boy was I glad that the Poor, Unprotected LF did not have to fight Thracians on their own in the nasty stuff – and the Cataphracts had gone elsewhere. After the game my opponent admitted that MF with Heavy Weapon in the open against Cataphracts were not odds that he fancied.) Until this point most of the luck since we started the game had been against me (not enough to alter the result but certainly enough to hasten my defeat). Now it turned. The Poor, Unprotected, Undrilled, LF Hill Tribesmen Slings stepped forwards to cover the retreat of the LH. They did not fear anything from the Thracian Peltasts, nor did the Poor, Unprotected, Undrilled LF Hill Tribesmen with Javelins and Light Spear. These 2 poor units were filler that were supposed never to have been engaged, not the heroes who were taking over after the defeat of the guys on horseback. The Slings got the better of things with the Thracians, due to some stunningly bad dice from my opponent and my ability to role copious numbers of 5s (6s are no good for Poor troops) and the Parthian Javelins held their own against the Seleucid LF Bows. I managed to get a LH BG onto the flank of the Thracians while they were Fragmented from the shooting of the Slings. Over on my right, the Seleucid MF Bows failed their CMT, 3 turns in a row, so were unable to shoot back at the LH BG that had got on their flank. At this point the extra TC was showing its worth as the Parthians were able to bolster their BG far more often than the Seleucids. The Seleucid MF Bow broke before the LH Bow could charge them in the flank (really awful dice by my opponent) so the Parthian LH did not pursue. Now the Parthians were 2 attrition points off breaking, Seleucids 3 points off.

The LH Bow BG on the Parthian right turned to try to run down the LF Bow that had been chasing them most of the game, intending a death or glory charge. The Seleucid Thorakitaki had managed to catch a Parthian LH Bow BG but the Parthian IC's leadership from the front kept the Seleucids tied up. If the Parthian LH BG on the flank of the Thracian Peltasts could contact and break them, the Seleucids LF Bow BG were likely to get carried away in the pursuit and I might snatch an unlikely victory from a game I had already offered to concede. The Seleucid TC joined the Thracian Peltast BG for the key CT and CMT, so that the Peltasts could turn to face the LH (the LF that they would expose their flank to, cannot contact them under the rules). CT was passed, improving the chances of passing the CMT, which was also passed. The subsequent melee saw the Seleucid LF Bow finally kill enough of the Parthian LF defending the camp that the Parthians
routed, and the LF Bow pursued far enough to sack the camp.

Decisive victory to the Seleucids after almost 7 hours of game time. A lot closer than it should have been. I think my opponent eased off once he was 8-2 up.

I lost because of poor set up and too much DBM thinking. The use of BG piecemeal really hurts, especially if you get hit on the flank.

I did not use the manoeuvrability as I should. Also my opponent and I came to the conclusion that the Starter list is MUCH better than this one, even if it is 8 points less.

Tim