Somewhere in the depths of Asia, the newly victorious Mid Republican Romans took on an invading horde of civilized Greeks, Iranians and local Afghans in a MeG clash.
I was using my list for Brighton, three generals, three legions of Polybian era Romans, Velites, Hastatii, Principes and Triarii, supported by Equites (Bankers?) a few Italian allies, a unit of Cretans and the ace up our sleeve, Elephants! All lovely figures from Pendraken.
Paul (of Dracostandard fame) fielded a truly interesting list. The Greco-Bactrians is a real toolbox army, it can have almost anything (watch out, he has a superb cavalry version lurking); three generals, two units of Pikes, two sets of lancers (one local, one bodyguard), catafracts, two batches of spears, light horse, cavalry, a unit of Cretans and his ace up his sleeve, Elephants!
Oh...
Okay...
That's a nasty list Paul has, thinking about it!
Pikes I had met before, under the Generalship of Colonel Madigan, so I knew they would be a tough ask. His cavalry out classed mine, had heavier armour and many many pointy sticks! My bankers would not be following Roman tradition (of riding off and getting themselves killed) just yet.
Deployments...
After the map phase, where we had managed to get the terrain into open with a secure wooded flank, I was out-scouted by 50%. However, due to having many, many more units than Paul, that really did not bother me! I still deployed my last units AFTER his!
I had perfect terrain for corner sitting. However, those of you who have read my musings before, know I do not corner sit, I use the terrain to channel my aggression, when it works! (Also, you get very few points in MeG for corner sitting, a win is 15, a draw is 2).
Roman L -> R Italians & Velites in the wood, Triarii holding against threatened flank attack (nice bluff Paul), Two legions worth of Principes and Hastatii, supported by the Bankers. Some more Triarii, in the rough were Velites and Cretans, and behind them were Elephants and more Legion (plus a Velites on the hill, off camera right).
Greco-Bactrian as observed L -> R Lancers, Pikes (two units) backed up by lancers. Two units of spears, cretans escourting elephants, catafracts, cavalry and light horse.
I think Paul was planning to blow my flank open and roll me up, pinning me to the front with pikes.
Why the pikes were in a Lancer sandwich puzzled me somewhat.
His plan became clear, they were to soften my legion blocks before the pike rolled me over.
Initial moves, man his lancers move fast! My legions advance, awaiting the inevitable crash of lance, horse and men! I swapped the triarii and the III Legio in front of his approaching spears. My cretans lined up in fire support in the rough, and the velites, elephants, hastatii of Legio III scrambled to stall the incoming catafracts.
And for a brief, brilliant moment, it looked like it might just work.
My elephants crashed into his catafracts, and didn't die! My hastatii crashed into his catafracts, and.. well.. did! You see those two units of spears approaching the rough, well, one died to the trarii, the other was shot away by the Cretans (my cretans, not his)! His first wave of laners managed two charges against my legions, but they caused a lot of damage to the Hastatii of Legios I & II before breaking. Paul's plan to soften up my main units was working. I was 4-0 up, not it did not look good in the long term. His cretans were plugging away at my velites in the rough, his cavalry and light horse were looking to turn my very right hand flank.
We had exchanged, my weakened Legio I&II had broken under the weight of his pike taxis, but we had taken one out of two taxis thanks to a well timed flank charge by the main Triarii unit into his flank, after munching a unit of spears. My far right-hand legion had quickly succumbed to the catafract mincing machine, but the surprise was my elephants refused to die. They held and held and held..
Various Velites died under the hooves of Paul's lighter cavalry (just about to get splattered across the landscape off right, you can just see them honest)! In the centre, after his spears evaporated, I was in trouble. My legion there was too far f'ward, they were about to get flank charged by elephants (about the most painful thing that could happen in MeG). They decided a quick death was better than being trampled, and had charged forwards into Paul's guard lancers. This should have been suicide, but somehow, Paul missed! So did I!
To face the elephants, I had maneuvered my small trarii, backed up by a replacement general (as one had died under the hooves of the catafracts). I also had a unit of cavalry, taking their time, lining up for their moment (Bankers)!
15-6 to Rome. More by luck than judgement. Paul, as ever played a brilliant game, with a great list, and I got very very lucky!
Cretans: Shooting a spear unit to pieces.
Big triarii: killed a spear, a pike and rear charged another.
Little triarii: got really, really lucky!
Elephants: only two of them, stood up to 6 catafracts for hours.
Superior legions: okay, they are mincing machines, but even a four stand unit of average ones now can hold their own!
I was using my list for Brighton, three generals, three legions of Polybian era Romans, Velites, Hastatii, Principes and Triarii, supported by Equites (Bankers?) a few Italian allies, a unit of Cretans and the ace up our sleeve, Elephants! All lovely figures from Pendraken.
Paul (of Dracostandard fame) fielded a truly interesting list. The Greco-Bactrians is a real toolbox army, it can have almost anything (watch out, he has a superb cavalry version lurking); three generals, two units of Pikes, two sets of lancers (one local, one bodyguard), catafracts, two batches of spears, light horse, cavalry, a unit of Cretans and his ace up his sleeve, Elephants!
Oh...
Okay...
That's a nasty list Paul has, thinking about it!
Pikes I had met before, under the Generalship of Colonel Madigan, so I knew they would be a tough ask. His cavalry out classed mine, had heavier armour and many many pointy sticks! My bankers would not be following Roman tradition (of riding off and getting themselves killed) just yet.
Deployments...
After the map phase, where we had managed to get the terrain into open with a secure wooded flank, I was out-scouted by 50%. However, due to having many, many more units than Paul, that really did not bother me! I still deployed my last units AFTER his!
I had perfect terrain for corner sitting. However, those of you who have read my musings before, know I do not corner sit, I use the terrain to channel my aggression, when it works! (Also, you get very few points in MeG for corner sitting, a win is 15, a draw is 2).
Roman L -> R Italians & Velites in the wood, Triarii holding against threatened flank attack (nice bluff Paul), Two legions worth of Principes and Hastatii, supported by the Bankers. Some more Triarii, in the rough were Velites and Cretans, and behind them were Elephants and more Legion (plus a Velites on the hill, off camera right).
Greco-Bactrian as observed L -> R Lancers, Pikes (two units) backed up by lancers. Two units of spears, cretans escourting elephants, catafracts, cavalry and light horse.
I think Paul was planning to blow my flank open and roll me up, pinning me to the front with pikes.
Why the pikes were in a Lancer sandwich puzzled me somewhat.
His plan became clear, they were to soften my legion blocks before the pike rolled me over.
Initial moves, man his lancers move fast! My legions advance, awaiting the inevitable crash of lance, horse and men! I swapped the triarii and the III Legio in front of his approaching spears. My cretans lined up in fire support in the rough, and the velites, elephants, hastatii of Legio III scrambled to stall the incoming catafracts.
And for a brief, brilliant moment, it looked like it might just work.
My elephants crashed into his catafracts, and didn't die! My hastatii crashed into his catafracts, and.. well.. did! You see those two units of spears approaching the rough, well, one died to the trarii, the other was shot away by the Cretans (my cretans, not his)! His first wave of laners managed two charges against my legions, but they caused a lot of damage to the Hastatii of Legios I & II before breaking. Paul's plan to soften up my main units was working. I was 4-0 up, not it did not look good in the long term. His cretans were plugging away at my velites in the rough, his cavalry and light horse were looking to turn my very right hand flank.
Very shortly after...
Actually, a lot of fighting after...We had exchanged, my weakened Legio I&II had broken under the weight of his pike taxis, but we had taken one out of two taxis thanks to a well timed flank charge by the main Triarii unit into his flank, after munching a unit of spears. My far right-hand legion had quickly succumbed to the catafract mincing machine, but the surprise was my elephants refused to die. They held and held and held..
Various Velites died under the hooves of Paul's lighter cavalry (just about to get splattered across the landscape off right, you can just see them honest)! In the centre, after his spears evaporated, I was in trouble. My legion there was too far f'ward, they were about to get flank charged by elephants (about the most painful thing that could happen in MeG). They decided a quick death was better than being trampled, and had charged forwards into Paul's guard lancers. This should have been suicide, but somehow, Paul missed! So did I!
To face the elephants, I had maneuvered my small trarii, backed up by a replacement general (as one had died under the hooves of the catafracts). I also had a unit of cavalry, taking their time, lining up for their moment (Bankers)!
The moment of glory!
The large triarii units slammed into teh flank of Paul's remaining phalangites. My legion was holding against Paul's lancers, but were a hit off breaking, as Paul threw in his light horse on my flank (light horse can only charge when you are within a hit of breaking). My Cretans had sniped one of Paul's elephants, and although claiming a charge on the huge beasts, he had charged them with HIS Cretens! Hot Cretan on Cretan action!
My small triaii had been charged the turn before, and had taken a kill. So were not long spears any more (as you need two ranks) they were now rather worried grunts! They only needed a single hit and they would be strawberry jam!
But my bankers, well, they banked it! A flank charge on elephants. A rare event indeed. The cavalry came in on +5 on the dice (elephants don't get their massive +4 factors vs cavalry frontally, but claim nowt when hit in the side), and they did their job.
15-6 to Rome. More by luck than judgement. Paul, as ever played a brilliant game, with a great list, and I got very very lucky!
Cretans: Shooting a spear unit to pieces.
Big triarii: killed a spear, a pike and rear charged another.
Little triarii: got really, really lucky!
Elephants: only two of them, stood up to 6 catafracts for hours.
Superior legions: okay, they are mincing machines, but even a four stand unit of average ones now can hold their own!
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