Slitherine

The first in a semi-historical series of battles of the Parthians vs some of their historical enemies.

1. Revolt Against the Seleucids.

Raising the flag of revolt against the foreign dogs, our governor led our nobles and retainers against the local military garrison, encountering them in a gentle valley.

We divided our army in half, placing one wing on each side of the valley. Our lights led the way, followed by our heavy horse archers and a small reserve of cataphracts.

The Seleucids deployed a massive phalanx in the center, with a few medium foot flankers and a light foot screen. Their lancers deployed to cover their left, and some assorted horse and camels covered their right.

We pushed aggressively forward along both flanks, swinging out wide to envelope the advancing enemy forces. Our light horse quickly outflanked the opposing horse and we skirmished them to death on both flanks.

The Seleucids, split their infantry, swinging out to the flanks to counter our threats. Again, our horse archers swarmed around their mediums and slowly shot them to pieces as they charged vainly after our fleet horse.

Some of the pikes got drawn away from the rest in attempting to drive off our horse and we surrounded and shot them up as well, before flanking and breaking them.

With nearly all of their supporters gone and a couple of pikes in rout, the remaining Seleucids gave up.

Final Score: Parthians 41 Seleucids 2.

The 2nd in a semi-historical series of battles of the Parthians vs some of their historical enemies.

2. Battle along the Euphrates.

We shadowed the invading Seleucid forces out of the higher hills (rerolled) to the banks of the mighty Euphrates, which covered our right flank. A chain of gentle hills snaked across our front and looked down on a pair of large farming complexes on our right. A cluster of smaller fields and nearby villages lay on the far left end of the hills, sealing that flank.
A series of rough patches spread along the center left beyond the hills. A lone spire rose near the center right of the Seleucid side, looking down on connecting hills spreading across their center, a medium-sized date grove before it, with a farming hamlet and surrounding fields sealing off their right flank.

It wasn't the most appealing field, but it did offer more options than the encounter in the rugged hill country had.

We deployed 3 mixed horse archer divisions across the field, with a light foot command opposite the rough sector and a small cataphract command in reserve.

The Seleucids deployed their phalanx in the center with a small mounted command with an elephant covering their left and a couple of medium foot covering their right. A few lights were scattered across the front as a screen with their light horse holding down their far right.

We pushed forward pretty aggressively on both flanks while our light foot moved up through the rough. The Seleucids responded by pushing forward and shifting left to anchor on the river.

On the right, our horse archers drove in his lights and showered his mounted with a hail of arrows, which they unfortunately managed to shrug off. The pikes pushed forward in support, chasing off our horse archers and provided a shelter for his mounted to recover.

On the left, our mixed horse archers quickly saw off the opposing enemy lights and ranged around the hills and moved into the center to help our lights clear away a few enemy lights and mediums defending the rough areas. The Seleucids responded by detaching a couple of pikes to drive off our horse.

In the face of the advancing phalanx and elephant, we began a long retreat on the right, slowly attempting to shift as much as we could to our open left. The Seleucids pushed forward and shifted as fast as their foot could, in an attempt to trap as much as possible against back edge.

In the meantime, our troops pretty much obliterated the scattered Seleucid forces on the left and in the center. His two lone pikes were underfire from all sides and both were flanked before they could form square.

On our right, the Seleucids pressed us to the backedge, driving off a couple of our horse and destroying one of our cataphracts. Most of our horse did manage to get away and work their way around the left. The Seleucid foot turned about to face the wreckage to the rear. Some of our victorious light horse swept down and finished off the previously shot up lancers who'd been hiding behind the pikes.

On the left, one of the embattled pikes broke, and that was the final straw for the Seleucids and then fled the field.

Final Score Parthians - 46 Seleucids - 20