Slitherine

My opponent has just finished his 15mm Spartan army, no doubt an early army because of the Armored Spears. He likes to move up in column, and provided he survives the impact round of combat against say, protected pikes, he then expands out to get the overlap and fights at even odds as the plus for pike and pike in ranks in melee equals his spear plus armor.

Well, I have Persian troops from, BBDBA, enough to make either the early or the late FOG Achmenids. I can even bring along Greek Mercenary armored spears myself, or go with lots of cav at 800 points.

Can the numbers of underprotected and underarmed Persians compensate for Spartan armor and spears?

Help is requested in designing an army which can rain some Immortal Fire down on those arrogant Lakadameons....

Normal persian foot are likely to be run over by spartans, with + at impact and ++ in melee.

I'd suggest early, and trying immortals. You get 2 rounds of shooting, and if he's in column he won't like that. 3 dice will get 1 hit, which is enough for a column - because of rerolls you have a decent change of 2 hits and a -1 on the test. Of course, expect them not to be in column, but you should then get something like 4 or 5 dice, which against a 6 base bg is OK.

In the worst case scenario (where you don't shoot them up or they pass the tests) at impact (3 wide) you are going to be 9 dice hitting on 5 with rerolls, spartiates will be 6 hitting on 4 with rerolls.

So 3 +1.5*1/3 plays 3 + 1*1/2. But really they should be disrupted before they reach you.

Although immortals are expensive they are actually cheaper than spartiates. However you can only have 16, so take the hoplites as well - they aren't superior, or drilled, but otherwise they match.

I play EAP a fair bit and I feel regardless of your opponent ;

2 x 8 Immortals , IC , at least 2 Cav .

Rear support and the IC means your Immortals will hang on . The Cav can go into spear if they have room to break off . LF, LH and Cav hold the line Everyone else go fast on a flank .

Don't stand there and wait for the Ar steamroller to crush your line

Just my thoughts !