Thursday, May 15, 2014

Pyrrhos versus the Romans

Today Mark W and I played a game of Field of Glory.  This time I botched up some extra pike blocks and ran Pyrrhic against Mark's historical Romans.

From the Pyrrhic left looking back across their lines.

From the Pyrrhic left looking towards the Romans who were quick to seize an enclosed field.

From the Roman right showing the Pyrrhic centre emerging from a village.

Action starts on the Pyrrhic right when their light cavalry charge two small units of Roman skirmishers who thought they would stand.

The Pyrrhic javelinmen sent to clear the enclosed field get nervous after coming under fire.

Pyrrhos hurries up his troops.  

The Pyrrhic light cavalry have some excellent dice rolls, their Roman opponents distinctly less than excellent.  Some elite Romans come to grips with the Xystophoroi. 

And we are into the field!  It is messy going, but left flank of the pikes is now secured.

The Romans have gone on  along flank attack on their right.  Some Pyrrhic archers are their to hold them up supported by some heavy cavalry.

And hold them up they did, although they were lucky (for a long time...)

Enclosed field has been captured, but the Greek Hoplites covering the flank of the pikes are still a bit disordered.

The elephants don't hold back and race ahead to squish the Romans.

After at least three charges the Xystophoroi's superior dice rolling has the Roman elites whittled down.

With both flanks secure the pikes close for the kill.  The hoplites on their left want in on the action rush forward (even though they were told to hold back).

The Roman camp is invested.  Spare Pyrrhic troops are redeployed to the right.  
The elephants and pikes are fully engaged.

On the left the archers and the heavy cavalry hold the Roman's attention.  In the background the Romans can be seen to have engaged the Hoplites covering the pike's left.

The Hoplites are destroyed!
The Romans crash into the now unsecured pike block's flank.

The Romans come to grips with the Pyrrhic heavy cavalry at about the same time as the Roman cavalry finally caught the Pyrrhic archers.

It just gets worse for the the two left hand units of pikes who both break and flee with next to no fighting, but they must have known that Pyrrhos, with the capture of the Roman camp had won the battle.  

It was something like a 13 to 6 outcome, but regardless it was very entertaining, especially seeing the Roman units trying to out do themselves in who could throw the worst dice.  Took around four hours.  Nearly all my troop had their new movement trays, although they are still being completed with the addition of steel paper to hold every one in formation.

9 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading your after battle report thanks for that Mark and with lots of photos and miniatures/units... Great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Phil. While taking photos during a game is a bit disruptive (and often when the action is hot gets missed), I find doing an AAR lets me relive the game and provides a bit of a record for future reminiscing. It is also fun to be able to write a bit of a story about what is happening.

      Delete
    2. I really appreciate your writing and taking the time to take the photos during your game with your opponent. I agree with you regarding to keeping a record to reminiscing back on and learn more of the tactics and rules ( and die rolling :o) so to enhance players game play and perhaps patience to even enjoy the battle game ever more?

      Delete
  2. ...and I would have won if it weren't for those pesky dice!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good to see that 'magic' cup is still working well 'Marc'!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep, always use the cup - it was the one I used for the DBA comp at CANCON.

      Delete
  4. Interesting to compare this game with a very similar confrontation in same 15mm scale, but using Impetus: http://kreoseus.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/battle-of-metapontum.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great minds think alike! ;o) at one stage I thought I was reading "cross posting" :o) anyway You have something good going on here and that is just like Phil at http://kreoseus.blogspot.com/ playing campaigns and battles using Impetves and/or DBA rules sets and yet Pyrrhos manage to chalk up two victories against the Romans! ... amazing

      cheers,

      Delete
  5. Hi

    Excellent batrep and lovely photos. I love the tabletop eye-level shots, gives you a good feel of the bigger scale of FoG over BI. It will be interesting to watch your DBA campaign in paralell to my own. Last one to Rome loses !

    Best of luck

    Phil

    ReplyDelete