Mare Nostrum Campaign 2nd Game: Ptolemian vs. Seleucid

Fighting my neighbour

My dear neighbour decided to throw a challenge at me so off to war we went - pikes against pikes!
The game was played with Hail Caesar -rules from Warlord Games

Read all about it!

Scenario & Army

Scenario was about capturing the other players Temple or other holy place. Temple would be deployed with one division, just out of the deployment zone. Victory points would be awarded as follows:

• point for point on destroyed enemy units
• 50 points for each broken enemy division
• 50 points for holding your own temple in the end of the game
• 50 points for capturing enemy temple 
• 50 points for holding enemy temple in the end of the game

My Army was like this:

Deployment

So due to an "event" chosen by my opponent in our campaign phase, I had to deploy my army first. Safe way to deploy in this context was to deploy in the middle. My cavalry division took the left flank, my strongest division (number 1.) took the centre, with my guard deploying in the ancient Egyptian temple, where I, Ptolemy I, shall have my eternal resting place! My second division deployed partly behind Div 1. and to my right flank. Almost everything was deployed columns to ensure rapid movement to gain favorable position in the battlefield.

Gusse deployed his Seleucids to his right flank, in a short of refused flank tactique with most of his phalanxes guarding the temple and mixed divisions of cavalry and medium infantry in the centre.

Round 1

I won the roll of for the first round and all of  my division responded extremely well to my command: move forward and after the first move deploy into combat formation. All division commands were given with a success rate enough to provide 3 moves eg. 2 moves and a formation change.
My plan became quite obvious: move aggressively forward to engage Seleucid left flank before their extreme right flank resources can interfere.

Seleucid started their moves far more cautiously advancing around their temple and their heavy cavalry advancing towards my right flank. Fellow generals Juha and Ludde watching.

Round 2 - cavalry clashes

My cavalry commander saw the enemy heavy cavalry in the distance and understood, that a bold move could be the key to a VICTORY. He commanded light cavalry elements forward and then galloped to his elite bodyguard Agema cavalry in a beautiful wedge formation: "Companions, forward to glory!" (We have a house rule for "With me" -commands: only ONE in the game - so make it count)

First Seleucid heavy cavalry was swept away in this supported charge and my cavalry sweeped forward and engaged the next unit with light cavalry following in support.

Situation in the end of Round 2. Cavalry has engaged, 

but main forces are still maneuvering into position.

Round 3-4

After beating the remaining Seleucid Agema Heavy Cav into Shaken and punching through one of their light cav units my heavy cavalry pushed forward to engage new enemies. In the meanwhile my chariots had bounced of from Seleucid Thorakitai medium infantry, whom had surged forward to engage my elephant. Gusse's left flank division was crumbling, but they certainly weren't giving up without a fight! Besides the Chariots being decimated my second Agema cavalry broke against Seleucid's celtic mercenaries after a hard fought melee.

But that was only slowing the inevitable; Seleucid left flank divisleacion broke and it's remains started leaving the field - the shaken heavy cavalry galloped out of the field in a hurry, while the brave Cretans fell back shooting arrows at my troops.

My troops were fast closing the remaining two Seleucid divisions and my division 1, was making a flanking move to get their full power to overcome the extreme right elements of the Seleucid battle line.

Flanking move on my left flank

Seleucid general Gusse realized his peril and they quickly straightened their battle line to protect their temple. My elephant crashed into the enemy light cavalry and won the first round of combat. Elephant make losing enemy reroll the highest rolling D6 on the break test. Gusse's high roll was 5 and he rerolled it.... into a 6!!! Light cavalry held - damn!!!

Seleucid Guard phalanx guarding the mausoleum of a fallen hero... and watching with a growing concern on the battle closing in,,,

Seleucid general considering his options... should I stay or shoud I go...

Seleucid right flank falling tactically back (in truth barely holding their nerve),..

Rounds 5-6 Final gambit

The final two rounds of the game were really tense and hence documentation was almost forgotten (thank you Marko for the pics!). Seleucid left flank went't for the offensive and engaged the hapless elephant that was pierced by dozens of pikes after finally trampling the enemy light cav.

After this triumph Seleucid phalanxes proceeded to fight the ferocious Thracians wielding their mighty rhombaias. Whom ever finally overwhelmed by these superior numbers, hence breaking that division in the sixth round and opening a way to my temple,

In the mean while my 1st division had charged Seleucid troops on my left and were grounding them to dust and pushing them back... I could see the temple within my reach...

But six rounds had been completed and the clock was ten, it was time to call it a day. After a quick count of victory points my Army had won with a margin of 74 victory points,

Thanks for the game Gusse!