Sunday, June 26, 2022

Alexander Macedonians versus Classical Indians in 6mm

At the NWS June Games Day Mark Woods provided his spectacular 6mm figures for a big game of Basic Impetus.  So big we needed a bit of extra table space (9x4).

Trouble with big games is being able to fit the whole thing in one image.

Macedonian left wing
The extra table space advantaged the Macedonians

Macedonian right wing with Alexander and the heavy cavalry,
the strange smell and sounds of elephants making them nervous.

The army list for the Macedonians

The left moves off,
Thracians through the woods,
Cavalry out on the flank.

Pike in the centre
all nine blocks of them!

The right wing immediately pushes forward
although the difficult going is going to slow things.

The Macedonians are moving forward
but there is a good bit of ground to cover.

Same on the right

The Macedonian left wing is getting into position

The right wing is also about to engage the enemy

The pike are now within long range bow fire,

The Indian cavalry have come out to face their opponents.
However the Macedonians are more concerned about the chariots

Indian long range bow fire fails to meet its targets

The initial attack by the Macedonians on the right
has not been successful.

On the left the Indian chariots have cleared out some skirmishers and its looking serious

Another repulse for the Macedonians on the right.
but at least the Prodromoi are now through the difficult going

The pikes are now in close range,
but Indian bow fire is proving to be woeful

On the left things have developed quickly.
Indian cavalry has been routed,
but the Indian chariots have destroyed one of the Thracian units.
The pike have routed the Indian bow line
and fighting hard against the Indian elephants and chariots

The right wing pike have held back to maintain their order 
in the face of thankfully weak Indian bow fire.
Indian cavalry have engaged the Macedonian skirmishers 
but this all serves to hold things up.

Greek cavalry has successfully engaged one unit of Indian chariots.
The chariots that routed the Thracians is looking for its next target.
While the third lot of chariots has decimated its opposing pike block.
However their elephants are recoiling before the adjacent unit of pikes.
The other pikes have reformed and now face Indian heavy foot.

The Prodromoi smash through.
The Indians commit their skirmishers to try and force the issue that is holding them up.
Alexander has dispatched a unit of light cavalry to help the other flank.
He is yet to commit his pikes.

The Greek cavalry pushes back the chariots.
However other chariots push back the pikes,
but then the elephants are still being skewered.
Meanwhile that other unit of chariots is closing.
Will Alexander's reinforcements get there in time?

Alexander sends in his pikes with mixed success.
The Indian cavalry have been vanquished.
It is now time for the heavy cavalry.

The Indians facing the Macedonians on the left are starting to crumble.
Alexander's reinforcements might not be needed.

The pikes are staying put to regain their order after winning the first round of combat.
The Macedonian cavalry are about to engage the elephants.
It could get squishy.

The big game threw up many memorable dice rolls.
Here the Indian infantry charged using Iron Discipline
and gleefully threw three 6's on four dice,
only to be met by two sixes from the weakened Macedonian pikemen.
The Indians prevailed, but it was too late.

The Indians on the Macedonian left had been close to breaking for a while,
but held on, just one point off break point.

It was the Indians on the right that broke.
But not before some epic carnage,
including Alexander who fought to the bitter end,
each win propelling him to pursue
into ever more danger.

Macedonian losses in the right hand margin,
still comfortably below their army's breakpoint
(13 out of 17 and 12 out of 36 respectively)

Brilliant game!

6 comments:

  1. A very interesting battle report with 6mm armies. Thanks for posting they can take a while to write.

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    1. Thanks. Remembering to take the photos in the heat of the game and then subsequently cleaning them up is the hard part. The text just seems to write itself :-)

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  2. fantastic looking game

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  3. bastard dice! Much as I love the Indians I find it hard to win with them. At least it was a bloodbath on both sides.

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    1. Dice are like that :-) Suppose it wouldn't be a game without a bit of luck (or bad luck)

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