Polykratos looked at the ruins of the Temple of Artemis. One day he knew his state would be rich enough to restore it. Approaching from the North were an invading force of hoplites. He knew he would have a hard fight.
"Want to stop them?" Tychon the archer looked up from the shade of the olive tree he was sitting under. "Think Artemis would like us fighting here?"
Leandros grinned, knowing Tychos favour of the goddess of hunters. He and Polykratos were, at best, agnostic, but he was not going to risk her wrath. "Not a good fighting area for our hoplites, this looks like a job for the peltasts and archers."
"I'm sure the Hoplites will be busy enough." Polykratos smiled wryly. "We will swing them right. Archers near the wood, slingers and peltasts to take the ruins, go with them Leandros, I'm sure they will appreciate the support."
David and I met up on Wednesday for a game of Mortal Gods. I used my standard list, David put out a hoplite heavy force with five units. We randomised scenario (points for loses, double for those killed by heroes), and placement (David with a push forwards into the ruins, if he wanted), and I was not allowed to deploy closer than a foot of him. Sensible enough.
Phalanxes and temples really don't go, so I swung round the right, supported by Polykratos to boost morale. On the left, my slingers duelled with David's archers, supported by Tychon and his archers, who had been targeting hoplites, who had to fall back, on the right beyond the walls. In the centre, Leandros was about to go head-to-head with David's 2-I-C.
Heroes clash as David turns his phalanx to go round the ruins, escorted by slingers, while his 2-I-C is shoved back.His archers on the right target my slingers, cutting down one.
The Gods willed it that one of each of our uits was suddenly teleported to a different position. My phalanx was dropped back, while one of David's single group of hoplites was dropped right in the way of his phalanx! I was dropped out of phalanx by being picked on by a single hoplite unit. Thankfully Jefflynnos the musician gave enough support with extra courage. Meanwhile Polykratos moved out to deal with stragglers.
David's hero went down hard. This left his backfield open.
Phalanx reforms, while the archers and Jefflynnos support from the back (he's used to being the star, not the support act) damaging slingers and hoplites.
My archers and slingers took out David's archers, and my Peltasts and Leandros move round to threaten. Polykratos decided that David's peltasts were being too annoying, and waded into them. I also decided that the phalanx was not working well enough, and individual groups of hoplites could do more damage by ganging up on David's units, pushing hoplites back into the phalanx. 
One group of David's hoplites down and look who coming in behind David's phalanx (they don't get saves if hit in the back).
By the end of our five turns, I had not lost a unit, while David was down his 2-I-C, a hoplite unit, his archers, peltasts and slingers. Another great game. All the omens and rolls really went my way. Artemis was smiling.
Sitting on the temple wall, Polykratos was swinging his legs and watched Tycho making an offering to Artemis for spilling blood in her shrine. "Another good day at the temple."
"We really must stop fighting over these ruins." Leandros shook his head free of his helmet. "Maybe we need to invest in a farm to fight over instead?"
"What, and ruin our relationship with Artemis and the wilds?"
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