Slitherine

I played a game today vs. Spartans. My opponents army consisted of 7 BG of armored spear and 2 BG of protected spear (All drilled). My army had a bunch of LH and some armored horse archers basically. We played to a draw, he could not catch me but I could not seem to do anything to him due to the armor. does anyone have any suggestions for the Persians in this matchup? It was difficult finding a flank due to the terrain (I think I could have done better here).

Chris,

FWIW you might consider deploying some MF with bow to help with your shooting. If helped by I've played Late Republican Romans against Indo-Greeks three times this month and their MF bow is dangerous on the flanks. Obviously the armored spear will have the Persian MF for breakfast when they charge, but the Persian cavalry could threaten the Greek flanks to slow this down. The Persian foot could deploy in difficult or even rough terrain, if possible. And the MF do get to count the second rank as shooting in impact which gives a 6 BG MF bow 9 dice in impact. Every little bit helps

Any LF you deploy could also be pesky and slow down the hoplites, work on a flank with the LH. If it were me, I'd deploy the cav in a single rank-- my Indo-Greek opponent does that with his Skythian and Indian cav so that he can evade if he wants. Table depth is your friend here, needless to say

BTW, I met you at Enfilade-- I was in your Roman-Gallic game on Sunday and helped out as an assistant ref. Thanks for putting on no less than two FoG games that day, and at the same time, too.

Dale

daleivan wrote:Chris,

FWIW you might consider deploying some MF with bow to help with your shooting. If helped by I've played Late Republican Romans against Indo-Greeks three times this month and their MF bow is dangerous on the flanks. Obviously the armored spear will have the Persian MF for breakfast when they charge, but the Persian cavalry could threaten the Greek flanks to slow this down. The Persian foot could deploy in difficult or even rough terrain, if possible. And the MF do get to count the second rank as shooting in impact which gives a 6 BG MF bow 9 dice in impact. Every little bit helps

Any LF you deploy could also be pesky and slow down the hoplites, work on a flank with the LH. If it were me, I'd deploy the cav in a single rank-- my Indo-Greek opponent does that with his Skythian and Indian cav so that he can evade if he wants. Table depth is your friend here, needless to say

BTW, I met you at Enfilade-- I was in your Roman-Gallic game on Sunday and helped out as an assistant ref. Thanks for putting on no less than two FoG games that day, and at the same time, too.

Dale

I had 2 6 stand sparabara units and an 8 stand immortal, it is just with a - (or -- in impact) to hit you don't get many hits. I deployed the immortals in an open field that helped. There was really no flanks to work for the most part. The one open flank I did not have enough to do much. I have though of somethings I should have done since then. First, I should have had my the 3 foot bow units in amubush on the the steep hill on the flank along with the cavalry. Then skirmish the rest of the line. I almost think it is better to not win the initiative with this army since you can get the first move and gain a lots of space. I still think it is going to be difficult without a bunch of luck for the persians to win this matchup. Conversely, it is going to be difficult for the greeks to win also.

Chris

I play EAP and have prepared my army to encounter HF-plenty armies (I only have played 10 games, and most of them agains such armies, though in the last tournament, shoot cav armies were more common, and thus I ended 17 th )
Anyway, against a Republican roman, my last game, I could finally use my plan, and worked perfectly:
Sparabara in one flank, asisted by greek Cv. Immortals, persan cav and hoplites in the other flank. Hoplites more centered. My center was the rest of persian cav and skirmishers. The plan is to advance in the center and flanks. Then, fall back in your center with your cav, while you keep on pressing on both flanks. If the romand had tried to reinforce their flanks, my persian cav would have become menacing enough to stop him. In the moment of the clash, sparabara kill enemy cav, immortals envelope the end of infantry line, and central cav keeps on shooting-falling back. Hoplites clashed against some protected HF in the center and becomes a sweet for the rest of roman HF, which forgets about their flanks and go for the hoplites, giving me time to finish them on both wings.

So, the key is attacking the ends of the line while you fall back in the center with units strong enough to become dangerours if the enemy tries to redirect some troops to the center.

Other plan, I tried agains medieval knights, was immortals more centered in front of knights. I advanced them to the center of the table. When the enemy was near enought, I just turned them 180º (while stationary, does not need CMT for drilled troops), and then fell back. Knights could not reach me, but pursued me till my long border, where I had a hill. When immortals reached the hill, I turned them againd and begun to shoot knights. Then, he could have only charged me or turning 180 to leave. In the first case, I was in rough hill, so I was uphill, and he would have fallen to several disordered. In the other, I could have charge their rear. (here the time run out, but it would have been very nice. The game endend with a draw).