Slitherine

Well it seems those Seleucids weren't content to beat on Romans. Now there's been word that they are on the march to Spain to encroach on Sertorius'sss little empire ! So, it will be a curious battle (hopefully not I'm-staying-in-this-rough and you're-staying-out-in-the-open type of battle). I'll post the Spanish Order of Battle/March in case any soul(s) would like to comment or suggest possible devious Spanish strategies for the looming battle.

Dan T.

IF we gain the initiative (kinda "iffy" facing Seleucids instead of Romans ), we will go for Hilly and:

Compulsory will be a rough double-sized brush, leaving Deadtorius a single difficult steep hill.
Two gentle hills with rough brush + one gentle hill with rough plantation.

Dead. would probably go with two open fields (least of the worst!).

If we don't gain the initiative, Dead. will probably go with Agricultural in order to avoid the mandatory difficult village and giving me a mandatory rough enclosed field of developed. He'll nab the two open for sure, and probably two gentle uncovered ( ) hills, leaving us four pieces of rough. Losing the initiative and having first move would actually be preferable: Our Light Horse could really hang up the advance of his pikes and mounted troops.

Oh...and as for the title of our little drama, The Pikes In Spain Stick Mainly In the Plain...and hopefully not the Spanish troops!

I am thinking the only drama will be crying Spanish lying dead and wounded across the field of glory

Don't go looking for any scythed chariots either, they are definately staying out of it in this game. MIght have a go with the Galatian cav, nothing like Gauls versus Gauls on horseback. Too bad I probably won't have a chance to get more of my cats painted up, 2 units would make it all nice and cuddly for you

Now I just have to find the time for this epic battle of Titans.

Rumour has it the tricky Spanish planted a fake deserter for the Romans to nab and extract possibly shaddy info about the Spanish army. Story is Sertorius is in the south and this battle's happening close to the border with Gaul.

(Under a bit of delay for the game. It will get posted at some point!)

Spanish have to wait till Setorius gets back from his Gaulic negotiations, or pays off that ransom not sure which.
Guess the Selucids are still busy mopping up the last of the Roman empire

Here's deployment for the long-lost battle. (Spanish sans Sertorius)

Spanish Left:



Spanish Centre & Right:




Spanish Comments:
The terrain is fair, but not great. The left flank filled in nicely with rough and uneven ground, but we don't want to go out on the right and play in the open with the Seleucid horse. We'll plan to hold on the hill and see if we can delay any Seleucid movement here. On the left, there is way too much Seleucid cavalry facing us, but hopefully we can overwhelm it before the pikes crash into those lonely Celtiberians!

Seleucid Comments: I am pleased with the terrain. Lots of nice open pike friendly and cavalry friendly open spaces I can run about within to cause plenty of concern to the Spanish. The Spanish attempted to fill in some bad going but since most of the terrain ended up in their half they could not place 2 pieces and the result was a nice open table. I am already feeling good about adding Spain to the Selucid holdings.

End of both sides' moves Turn 1.

Spanish Left:



Right:



Spanish Comments:
Glorious Spanish advance! I wanted to charge with the LH but they faulter under the hail of Seleucid slings and disrupt! But we will still charge in next turn and scatter the rabble!

Seleucid Comments: Spanish deployment came as a sever shock! Half the population of Spain deploys on the Spanish right in an obvious hammer of doom. Quickly rethink the whole deployment and decide it’s time to abandon the right and take the centre and left out then turn on the Spanish hammer which will hopefully be in the nice open center. With all the Spanish generals on the right I have to try and hurry to engage the Spanish center. The Spanish left seems to want to take the hill and stand and wait for me, but not going to fight uphill.
I just hope I can get the Galatians out of there. Move up my lights to try and disrupt the Spanish from getting excess double moves on me before I can defeat their center.

End of moves for both sides, turn 2.

Seleucid Right:



Seleucid Centre & Left:



Spanish Comments:
The LH charges and drives the LH bows and poor slings away! The caetrati shower the LH with javelins, disrupt the horse and cause a casualty! Then the LH bolsters in the JAP! The pikes keep coming, unfortunately, and I need a commander on my right flank to move those two BG!

Seleucid Comments: Lights did not perform as hoped for. Poor light horse are 1 base away from autobreak and I am forced to flee into rough that slows them down and makes me think they are going to die soon. Darn Spanish get first blood on me. Does not look like Galatians are going to make it out as they failed a complex move test to turn 90 and instead attempt a wheel. Much too slow and the Spanish are coming fast.

End of moves for both sides turn 3.

Spanish Left:



Spanish Centre & Right:



Spanish Comments:
The advance of the left continues quickly. Seleucid LH and slingers are chased further back. However, a problem is already developing: the Spanish MF can only move forward! You'll see they start to trip over each other in a couple turns. The fact that Sertorius is not along and nobody is drilled will come back to haunt me. The pikes keep coming, but one BG of Spanish slings gloriously sacrifice themselves on Companion lances to slow the scum down! Neither the companions nor the slings score any hits at impact!!! (And that after the Companions rerolled all their dice!!!!)

Seleucid Comments: What the!!! Companions rolled 1&2 and rerolled 1&2…. So much for being elite! Now I am held up fighting the Spanish lights. I am still desperate to start making some quick moves against the center as I bring reinforcements into the center to prepare for what looks like a bad situation when the Spanish right swings in on me. I am forced to move my flank covering offensive spears towards the Spanish to try and stop any flank move. I did not want to do that since they will be left on their own.

End of moves for both sides turn 4.

Seleucid Right:



Seleucid Centre & Left:



Spanish Comments:
The left keeps moving in, but the far left BGs are already unable to move to the right. This will prove to be a critical problem in a bit. In the centre, the slings break and the Companions pursue. The pikes are too close! On the right flank, the lone pak of Celtiberians tries to move off the hill and the cavalry aim for the Seleucid camp since all the enemy are moving away behind their lines.

Seleucid Comments: Managed to drive off slings and with no generals in sight they won’t be coming back. My companions are setting up for a flank charge with luck and I turn my right hand pike block towards the Spanish center to try and block what I am afraid will become a major flanking move. I have managed to get my light horse out of trouble and into large open spaces in my rear. Just remembered that I could have double moved my cats since there are no enemy units within 6 MU of them. That was not a good thing to forget. My offensive spear unit gets set up for what is eventually to become the day saving slaughter of Spanish units. Wish I had known that at the time. The Galatians will soon be no more as they are all that stands before the Spanish hammer of doom.

End of moves Turn 5.

Spanish Left:



Spanish Centre:



Spanish Right:



Spanish Comments:
The left is not moving fast enough! We've hit the Galatians and those spears but already things are starting to disrupt! The cavalry on the right flank are heading for the Seleucid camp but there are Companions in the distance! And elephants !

Seleucid Comments: Spanish fall on Galatians.. no hits in impact but they do manage to pass the cohesion test. Cretans run and pikes prepare to contact the Spanish. Armoured spears start their day of glory by taking on 2 Spanish units in column. I had to admit I thought they were dead. Still making for the Spanish center and now the Spanish right is on the move, guess I will have to deal with them after all.

End of moves, Turn 6, from the Seleucid Right.



And across the centre to the Seleucid Left.



Spanish Comments: This seemed to be the high point in the battle, everything going well for the Spanish. But it was deceptive. Once the Seleucid Galatians break and vapourize, the Spanish BGs end up tripping over each other, and, lured into initial pursuits in the next turn, hang the entire flank move up.

Seleucid Comments: Galatians are hard pressed by 2 Spanish units and a flank charge in the offing. Move my slingers in to try and keep the Spanish from getting those double moves. All the light horse is safely behind my lines. Now to try and get the Galatian cav and Companions together to charge the Spanish center. Pikes are set up for a nice flank charge pinning the Spanish and the Cretans turn about and hammer their pursuers with bows. That will teach those Spanish to charge when there are pikes about on their flanks. Still trying to make better time against the Spanish center as that whole swarm is now turning towards my flank.

End of moves...I think turn 7...but it could be 8:



The centre from the Spanish side:



And Spanish Right:




Spanish Comments: Evil, evil, evil spears!

Seleucid Comments: Galatins fall!! What is worse they burst through the slings who were then contacted by Spanish and destroyed… so much for that flank. On the upside, the Thorakitai succeed in breaking their opponents even though they lost one base to a death roll and are disordered. No generals nearby at present so they can’t be bolstered. They will have to carry on as they are as there are more Spanish than I can count over there and they are now running into each other, good news for me at least. The pikes have sent their Spanish opponents scurrying off but I had to contract my front to bypass the disordering terrain the Spanish were in. I want to fall on the Spanish left with my pikes but those pesky light horse are setting themselves up to charge my flank or rear so looks like I will be turning up to face them instead. So much for helping the Thorakitai.
In the center I finally contact the Spanish… and take heavy losses. Each pike unit loses 1 base to a death roll but passes their cohesion tests. Time to commit my generals to battle! Taking longer to cut my way through those Spanish than I had hoped.

Looking across the Spanish Left/Seleucid Right from the Spanish lines:



The centre:



And the Hand of Zeus intervening in the Spanish right:



Spanish Comments: *Parchment with comments lost on battlefield, used to mop up Spanish blood.*

Seleucid Comments: Huzzah!! 2 Spanish units have been destroyed! Now I am feeling much better about the whole right flank as the Spanish hammer is tripping over itself and can’t move on my flank. My Thorakitai pursued and are now in a position to turn 90 on the Spanish flank. The pikes in the center are getting the upper hand but it is taking longer than I would like for them to destroy those Spanish. The Galatian cav and the companions will soon be engaging the other half of the Spanish center. On the right it looks like we might see a cav versus cav battle develop. Debating if I want to wheel my elephants towards the Spanish or hold them where they are.

Looking Across the Battlefield from Seleucid Right:



And then from their Left:



Spanish Comments: The centre is gone. The rear BG of HF fractured and shattered so fast you wouldn't have been able to even see it!

Seleucid Comments: At last the Spanish center is no more!! The rear supporting Spanish have caved faster than their front unit dropping 2 levels of cohesion on impact! With no generals about and being so close to the table edge I don’t have to worry about seeing them back. On the left I have decided to send my cats and companions into the Spanish foot, hoping for a quick victory, as I send my fragile light horse to hopefully slow down the Spanish cav that is heading for my camp. Meanwhile a unit of javelins has decided to charge my light bows, after much deliberation I decided to stand, good idea too as now that my pikes have turned to face the light horse I am facing the flank of the Spanish lights who cannot evade muwahahah.

Yep..still fighting...but Spanish centre now gone, right flank Celts gone...several MF BGs gone...army finally hits 17pt breakpoint...due in big part to those evil, evil, evil armoured spears that are still turning and charging Spanish units!



and:



Spanish Comments: Bah! A BG of Spanish MF fails to turn even with a commander! Guess we had best start learning Greak!

Seleucid Comments: At last the Spanish center has fallen as the Galatian cav and Companions have broken the last unit. On my right I have charged and broken the Spanish foot. The pikes who were facing the Spanish lights flank have fallen on them and broken them, although my light bows have routed off after having to fight the Spanish alone for a turn or two. The Spanish hammer is still tripping over itself although part of it is starting to makes its way towards the center of the table. The Thorakitai are preparing to fall on the flank of another Spanish unit. I may have to sacrifice my light horse with a flank charge into the Spanish cav and hope they can survive long enough until the Companions get there or let the Spanish have my camp. Fortunately Blathergut adds up the points and it turns out that last turn was more than the Spanish could take and they have exceeded their army break point. Game over.

Well...that was it! I'll stick some comments in when I have a chance. In large part though, the Spanish defeat was due to that one BG of armoured spears standing in the face of everything. It killed 2 BG of MF, routed at least 2 BG more, was lining up to hit another in the flank. The undrilled Spanish on the left flank tripped over each other, unable to turn on enemy flanks or even turn and move towards the action!

That was some game. Thought we were going to end up fighting across the table at the end, those last couple of turns of death for the Spanish finally gave me victory. I don't think sticking all your generals on one flank was too good of an idea. The Spanish managed to rally 2 units I think, one of medium foot and one light unit, but it was too little too late. The Thorakitai proved to be the heroes of the day getting the highest body count of the entire army and managing to do it with one base loss and disrupted to boot. Being drilled is so useful as I was able to turn 90 and be right on the flank of spanish units on more than one occasion. All that sweating about the Spanish left on turn 1 was more panic than I should have had as it turned out all those units would actually hold up the mass Spanish flank move instead of being such a threat after all. I only lost 3 army points in the game so I am very pleased with how my troops performed. Even my short a base pike units managed to hold their own and never lost a combat after that.
The companions and cats/Galatians make a nice team especially since they all reroll. I like using the Companions in 2's as they are a really nice fast nimble reaction force, but as I have learned from the past don't send them in alone or they will likely eventually die. I managed to keep my pikes together which is always important or your opponent gets more dice on you in battle.
Next time the Selucids will be out will be in Hamilton Ontario at Migscon, up against Romans. An different Roman army I have never faced before, but I will be bringing more cats and elephants out for that one. Hopefully they will be at least partially as successful in that game.