Romans have a bad day in Armenia (or how not to deploy cohorts)

Another battle of TacticaII(playtest rules), this time Marian Romans vs Armenians. Game was played at Blue Sky Hobbies in Bremerton on Sunday, November 15th. Gary Williams and Tom Condon handled the Romans While Kevin Walker and myself played the Armenians.

The Romans consisted of two Legions plus supporting Cavalry, Light Infantry and Skirmishers. Total Points value was 1754. Army Breakpoint= 110  Legion Break Point= 59. Their composition was as follows:

Legion 1:
9 Cohorts of 8, Veteran, FV5-6
1Senior Cohort of 16, Elite, FV5-6
Legion 2:
9 Cohorts of 8, Veteran, FV5-6
1Senior Cohort of 16, Elite, FV5-6
12 Heavy Cavalry(HC), Veteran, FV5-6
8 Light Cavalry(LC), Veteran, FV3-6
12 Allied Light Infantry(LI), Veteran, FV3-6
12 Auxillia LI, Veteran, FV4-6
9 Arab Archers, Veteran, FV4-6
9 Slingers, Veteran, FV4-6
12 Javelinmen Velites, Veteran, FV5-6

The Armenians, sometime allies to Pontus, were very Hellenized. Total Points value was 1753, one less than the Romans. Army Breakpoint= 128. The Imitation Legionnaires had done so well in the last few battles that I upgraded them to FV5-6, paying the appropriate points cost for doing so. Composition of the Armenian was as follows:

18 Cataphracts HC, Veteran, FV5-6 with Impetus(I)
18 Cataphracts HC, Veteran, FV5-6 with Impetus(I)
 8 Armenian Light Cavalry(LC), Veteran, FV3-6
 8 Skythian Light Cavalry(LC), Veteran, FV3-6
32 Pike Phalanx Body Guard, Veteran, FV5-6
48 Pike Phalanx, Veteran, FV4-6
48 Pike Phalanx, Veteran, FV4-6
24 Imitation Legion(Azaku Mardig), Veteran, FV5-6
36 Spear Foot(Nizagamartik), Veteran, FV4-6
16 Iberian LI, Veteran, FV4-6
9 Armenian Archers, Veteran, FV4-6
9 Armenian Slingers, Veteran, FV4-6
12 Armenian Javelinmen, Veteran, FV5-6

For this Battle, we used a deployment screen(a big long piece of a cardboard box). This was to allow each side to deploy without knowledge of the other sides deployment. We hadn't done this before and I think it led to a more interesting game. On the Armenian side, our plan was to attack with the phalanxes on the left of the main battleline while holding back slightly with the right. One Cataphract units was to protect the left flank of the Phalanxes and the other was to assist the Light Cavalry on the right flank. I was hoping to be able to hold the wooded hill on the left flank with out sole Light Infantry unit.

I don't know what the Roman plan was, but they put all their cavalry and light infantry on their left flank, leaving the right bare except for a single unit of Arab archers. Gary on the Roman right had all his cohorts in column while Tom on the left had all but two deployed in line.

View from the Armenian Main Battle Line

View from the Armenian Right Flank

First couple of turns were uneventful, both sides cautiously advancing. The slightly more numerous Roman Velites with Javelins hot diced the Armenian archers and soon reduced them to Break Point.

End of Turn 1

Romans advancing in what looks like Acies Duplex formation.

My Armenian LI reach the wooded hill on our Left Flank. Roman Slingers clash with Armenian Javelinmen in Right Center. Lots of maneuvering by Cavalry and LI on the Armenian Right, both sides trying to gain some advantage.

End of Turn 2

Cavalry and LI maneuvering on Armenian Right Flank

On Turn 3 things start to heat up. My LI occupy the wooded hill. My Cataphracts plow into Gary's Cohort#8. They get Impetus, but Gary's Pilum throw gets 3 out of 4 hits. In the main line Gary's cohorts meet two of my Phalanxes and the slugfest begins. His Cohort#5 had previously taken a missile hit from my now absent archers. With depth advantage, I get 10 dice to his 4 and manage to get 7 hits! OUCH! One cohort gone. While my other rolls aren't as good as that one, the single cohorts in column are taking a beating against my denser phalanxes. Elsewhere the Armenian Javelins and the Roman Slingers reduce each other to BreakPoint and they leave the field.  On our far Right the Armenian Cataphracts contend with the Roman Heavy Calvalry.

End of Turn 3

Cohort#2(with Blue Shields) shown disorder due to failing Control test when Cohort#5 routed

Gary, not wanting to send his lead cohort into the woods, decides to use his Arab Archers to whittle down my LI. He sends Cohort#7 to help Cohort#8 fighting my Cataphracts. His Cohort #9 reinforces Cohort #6 fighting my Phalanx(B). Cohort#10 charges in to replace Cohort#5 which routed last turn. Cohort#3 reinforces Cohort#2 against the BodyGuard Phalanx. Tom sends in his Cohorts 9 and 10 to help them. Tom's Cohorts 3,4,5,6 and 7 attack the Imitation Legion and the Armenian Foot(Nizagamartik). His Cohort#8 catches my Phalanx BG with a Wing Attack. On the Roman Left Flank, Tom sends in Cohort#1 to help his HC against the Cataphracts, but the HC has had enough and breaks. His LI try to catch the Armenian LC, but end up taking a lot of missile hits. In the Center, Cohort#4 disordered last turn, is outscored in melee and fails its Control Test. It therefore breaks and causes Control Tests on all the adjacent Cohorts within 4". Since the Cohorts are all deployed in column( about 2.3" wide) they end up having to take 4 Control Tests. The inner ones pass, but both outer units fail.

End of Turn 4

The two outer Reinforced Cohorts fail their Control Test and are now Disordered. Not good for the Romans while the Phalanxes having only 9 and 6 hits respectively are in good shape

A view toward the Roman Left from their side of the field.

Turn 5 and my Cataphracts finally break, but Phalanx A is there to fill the gap. Three more of Gary's Cohorts break as does one of Tom's fighting Kevin's Imitation Legionnaires. Toms Auxillia LI breaks having been shot up by Kevin's horse archers and Slingers. A quick count shows Gary's Legion is getting close to break point.

End of Turn 5

View ofCenter right from Armenian side. Armenian Foot(the Nizagamartik) are struggling against Tom's Romans. The Imitation Legion having broke one Cohort are holding their own.

Armenian Foot (Nizagamartik) cannot withstand Tom's Cohorts and his LI which charges in this turn. They break, but it is too late for the Romans. Two more of Gary's Cohorts break putting his Legion over its Break Point. Combined with Tom's losses, that results in the Romans reaching Army Break Point. It looks like a decisive Armenian Victory.

End of Turn 6

View from the Armenian Right

View from the Roman Right.

This battle was more lopsided than usual. The Armenians only lost two main Units, one Cataphract unit and the Armenian Foot. The main reason for the Roman debacle I think was the use of cohorts in column against the Armenian Pike Phalanxes. This is especially true when the Cohorts are not reinforced(i.e single cohorts). An eight figure Cohort in two ranks melees with only four dice needing a 4,5 or 6 against the Armenian Phalanx. Generally you can get three Cohorts against one Phalanx. So starting with full units, a Phalanx would have two rank bonuses against the Cohorts in each melee area. That's a total of ten dice against the four Roman dice although the Armenians are only hitting on 5 and 6's. The reinforced Roman cohorts(16 figures) do a little better, but they loose ranks pretty fast.

The other problem for the Romans was that I was hot dicing them fairly often in this game. Combined with their deployment disadvantage in melee, they were doomed when one Cohort broke and they failed several critical Morale rolls. The Gods were just not with the Romans this day.

Tom's Romans deployed in line seemed to do better on his side of the field, but battle was lost before they had much impact. Both sides enjoyed the game, but the Armenian side definitely was better blessed with good die rolls. The use of the deployment screen may have influenced the outcome a bit but it also seemed to add some level of excitement to the game. For that reason, I think we will use it again.

If you are not having fun wargaming, then you are doing it wrong. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Mitch

The Elephant Victory Battle...Not so much

Our Group tired of bashing Romans against Ponts, decided to give the 273 BC Elephant Victory Battle of Seleucids vs Galatians a try. We're using a play test version of a Revision to the old Tactica Rules. Kevin Walker provided most of the Galatians, having graciously worked the night before to restand troops so we would have enough figures to play with. He was assisted on the Galatian side by Tom Condon. Yours truly played the Seleucid side.

 In the historical battle, in 273 BC, the king of the Seleucid Empire, Antiochios I, decided he'd had enough of the Galatians rape and pillaging in Asia Minor and he would put an end to it.
The battle began  by the Galatians opening their ranks to let their scythed chariots pass through the infantry.  The Seleucids, however, had managed to conceal their elephants from the Galatians and as the chariots were bearing down on the Seleucid ranks, the elephants suddenly appeared.The terrified Galatian horses, unused to the sight of the Elephants, bolted and dragged the deadly scythed chariots back through the warbands in great bloody swathes.  The elephants followed up their success and trampled into the Galatian ranks, completing the rout.

I was provided some Army Lists for the battle by Arty Conliffe, but had to modify them to fit with our available figures. Those familiar with the Tactica rules will recognize the following rosters. There is a Points System now to balance forces and Victory is determined loss of figures. When an army has lost half its figures not counting skirmishers( or Scythed Chariots) it has reached its Break Point and the other side is deemed the winner. So our respective Armies were as follows:

				Galatians
No.	Size	BRK Pt	Type	Name	FV	Sk-FV	Quality	Weapon	Unit Cost	Total
1	12	8	HC	Cavalry	4-6	-	V	Various	6	72
1	18	12	HC	Cavalry	4-6	-	V	Various	6	108
1	8	5	LC	Cavalry	3-6	4-6	V	Javelins	4	32
1	8	5	LC	Cavalry	3-6	4-6	V	Javelins	4	32
1	8	5	LC	Cavalry	3-6	4-6	V	Javelins	4	32
1	3	12	SCY-CH	Scythed Chariots(I)	5-6	-	V	Terror	27	81
1	2	8	SCY-CH	Scythed Chariots(I)	5-6	-	V	Terror	27	54
1	24	18	WB (I)	Bodyguards	4-6	-	V	Various	7.5	180
1	48	32	WB (I)	Warriors-A	4-6	-	V	Various	6.5	312
1	48	32	WB (I)	Warriors-B	4-6	-	V	Various	6.5	312
1	36	24	WB (I)	Warriors-C	4-6	-	V	Various	6.5	234
1	12	8	SI	Archers		4-6	V	Bows	3	36
1	12	8	SI	Javelinmen		5-6	V	Javelins	2	24
Breakpoint=			105							1509

				Seleucids
No.	Size	BRK Pt	Type	Name	FV	Sk-FV	Quality	Weapon	Unit Cost	Total
1	12	9	HC(I)	Companions(I)	5-6	-	EL	Lance	9	108
1	12	8	HC	Greeks	5-6	-	V	Lance	8	96
1	12	8	LC	Thracians	3-6	4-6	V	Javelins	4	48
1	8	5	LC	Greeks	3-6	4-6	V	Javelins	4	32
1	3	4	EL(I)	Elephant	5-6	-	V	Various	28	84
1	2	4	EL(I)	Elephant	5-6	-	V	Various	28	56
1	36	27	PH	Hypaspists	5-6	-	EL	Spears	8	288
1	32	21	PH	Pezetaroi-1	5-6	-	V	Pikes	7	224
1	32	21	PH	Pezetaroi-2	5-6	-	V	Pikes	7	224
1	32	21	PH	Pezetaroi-3	5-6	-	V	Pikes	7	224
1	18	12	LI	Thracians	3-6	5-6	V	Javelins	4	72
1	9	6	SI	Archers		4-6	V	Bows	3	27
1	12	8	SI	Javelinmen		5-6	V	Javelins	2	24
Breakpoint=			112						Total Pts.	1507

Cavalry don't like elephants and get only half dice against them. So I decided to use the elephants to screen my right against the Galatian HC. I would advance my HI phalanxes against the warbands and try to hold with my left. I therefore put the Thracian LI on the left to try and hold the wooded hill as I knew the Galatians had no LI and cavalry are slow to pass through wooded terrain. As I was sparsely held on the left, I positioned the Elite Greek Companion HC(Unit CI) and HypaspistsUnit(H) on the left assisted by one Greek LC(unit G2).
The Galatians put all their HC on their left flank, all their LC on the right flank. Both Scythed Chariot units are on the right, backed up by the Elite Bodyguard WarBand(WB). The other WB's are spread across the middle.

View of the Seleucid Main Battleline and the Elephants

First turn, both sides advance, mostly straight ahead. Skirmishers fire, but very little damage is done. I think only the Elephants and the Scy-CH on the other side took any hits.

 

View of battlefield from Seleucid right after 1st turn of movement. Not much happening yet.

Second turn, Elephants A,B & C make contact with Galatian WB's. A & C don't survive, being Hot Diced in a single turn, Warband A alone getting five hits on Elephant C. Ouch! My Thracian LI occupy the wooded hill on my left flank. Opposing LC clash while Scythed Chariot A get ready to close with my Companion HC.

Opposing LC meet on Seleucid Left Flank. Galatians are stronger on this flank, 5 units to 3.

Turn3. Seleucid Greek HC(Unit G1) on right charges the Galatian HC H2 trying to assist Elephant D.
On the Seleucid Left, the opposing LC have each reached Breakpoint, but the Galatians make their "Fates" roll while the Greek LC doesn't. Now the Companion must fight two units as the Galatian LC perform a "Breakthrough Move" into the Companion HC.

Another view of Seleucid Left  form the Galatian side.

Is now the 4th turn and the Seleucid Left Flank is all but gone except for the Thracian LI on the wooded hill. The Companion HC is defeated, but not before they put enough kills on the Galatians LC to break it. Elephant B breaks, but luckily it route did not affect any friendly troops. Seleucid's try to advance Phalanx (Unit P3) into WB (A) but can't because they run into friendly Greek HC, unit G1. A bad deployment can really hurt you. Because Galatian WB is within their Combat Threat Zone, they can't wheel to avoid friendly HC. Meanwhile Elephant E finally breaks Galatian HC (unit  H1).

Close up view of action on the Seleucid Right. Phalanx in distance can't charge because they run into friendly HC. 

Turn 5. Greek HC (Unit G1) breaks at end of turn 4 causing Phalanx Pezetaroi-3 to make a Control test. They fail and end up being Disordered. Warband A promptly charges into them. The Seleucid's seeing disaster approaching advance all their other phalanxes into contact hoping to breakthrough before being flanked by advancing Galatian LC on their left flank. Elephant E having no opponents merrily trundles on. Per the Elephant rules we were using, the Elephants once deployed only advance straight ahead.

Turn 5 and all the HI is engaged except Galatian Bodyguard WB.

Turn 6 and melees continue. Phalanx P3 being disordered is in trouble. Thracian LC advance to help Elephant D against last remaining Galatian HC.  The Galatian HC breaks and the Thracian LC maneuvers to charge WB(A) next turn. Thracian LI advance out of woods to melee Galatian LC(unit L1). It turns out to be a bad move since Galatian LC L3 about faces and prepares to charge them in rear next turn. Galatian Bodyguard WB maneuvers to charge Hypaspists next turn.

 A close up view of Seleucid Elephant and LC vs Galatian HC. How to make the casualty counters shown here is available in an earlier posting on this web site.

Close up view of Two Seleucid phalanxes in melee with Galation WB and Scythed Chariots.









Turn 7. Thracian LI being flanked is easily defeated. In center the Scythed Chariots and WB(C) are routed.The Hypaspists are still stuck in melee with the Galatian Bodyguard WB, but Phalanxe P1 is able to maneuver to hit WB(B) next turn. Score is 68 loses for Seleucid's and 74 for the Galatians, bit the Seleucid phalanxes are closer to breaking than the Warbands.

Seleucid Phalanxe in center wheels to hit Warband next turn as part of a breakthrough move. Other Seleucid phanlaxe units units are very close to breaking.

Although Phalanx P1 hits WB(B) it isn't soon enough. Thracian LC hits WB(A) in flank but in turn takes enough hits itself to reach break point. Phalanx P3 finally breaks after putting up a good fight while disordered. Hypaspists were no match fot he Galatian Bodyguard and also break. Final Score: Seleucid loses: 148, Galatian: 74. The Elephant Victory Battle has turned into the Scythed Chariot Victory Battle for the Galatians( or Elephant Defeat Battle depending on how you want to look at it).

A final view of the battle field. A decisive Galatian Victory.

This game took a few minutes over two hours to play. The Tactica rules are really a joy to play. Hopefully they will soon be published. Thanks to Kevin and Tom for being such worthy opponents and to Blue Sky Hobbies in Bremerton, Wa for providing a place for us to play. As Arty would say, "Long Life and Victory!" Hope you enjoyed this after action report and as always, any constructive comments are welcome.