PAW 2009

I took Late Seleucids feeling it was enough of a mixed bag to let me cope with most armies I was likely to face. My concern was knights and other pikes or possibly being swamped by skirmishers. I had considered taking the imitation Legionaries but in practice games they were ineffective as every one tried to avoid the pike and legionaries anyway. I then tried some MF Off Sp. but found they pulled me into trying to protect terrain with them and my only other terrain troops were a 6base BG of LF archers and I’d never really be able contest terrain.

In the end I opted for a 2nd BG of elephants, yes they were fragile but I figured a 2nd BG would be unexpected and if I used Open Fields they’d cope. It would also mean any enemy mounted would never be able to hide from the elephants as they were always deployed last.

The final list was
CinC TC - 1
Sub General TC - 2
Companions Cv Armoured Elite Drilled Lancers Swordmen - 4
Elephants EL Average Undrilled - 2
Agema Ct Heavily armoured Superior Drilled Lancers Swordmen - 4
Argyraspides HF Protected Superior Drilled Pikemen Pikemen - 8
Phalanx HF Protected Average Drilled Pikemen Pikemen - 8
Phalanx HF Protected Average Drilled Pikemen Pikemen - 8
Phalanx HF Protected Average Drilled Pikemen Pikemen - 8
Archers LF Unprotected Average Undrilled Bow - 6
Elephants EL Average Undrilled - 2
Skythians LH Unprotected Average Undrilled Bow Swordmen - 4

That left me with 7ap spare but needs must. After all the practice games I’d come to the conclusion that I worked better if I generally had little terrain and tried to stay away from what there was unless anchoring a flank. I’d let my opponent tie themselves up holding uncontested terrain. Mean while I’d hunt down mounted with my elephant, cats and cav, then send in the pike.

Game 1
Vs Team PAW using Early Byzantine. Some one had dropped out last minute so the organisers put in a team and split the games between them, I was playing Mike.

I had initiative and split his deployment area with a village whilst Mike gave me a GH hill and OF to anchor on. Mike was hard done by here, as he’d never used the army. He split his mounted either side of the village and used the HF to guard his camp. I’d expected more HF and was pleasantly surprised to find no more (and those present were poor) as his lance cavalry now faced a wall of pike whilst the bow/sword cavalry faced lancers and elephants.

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My plan was to refuse the right and advance rapidly in the centre and left. I fanned out with my mount and elephants screening with LF and then sent the pike forward. Mike countered in the centre with LF and teased with his LH on my left. On my right Mike got side tracked into trying to exchange shooting with my LF and his flanking move petered out.

In the centre my Pike now came under bow fire but managed to continue in good order as the split bow fire was ineffective. On the left I used my LH and elephants to split the bow fire from Mike’s LH

I crashed in with the elephants. Mike withdrew the LF and had to commit the cavalry in an effort to prevent his LH collapsing and losing his right flank. Mike’s cavalry and LH were holding well against the elephants but the pike were advancing and triggering charge tests on the lancers. Eventually Mike had to commit and hope as by now the elephants on my left were doing their job and my pike started to break the cavalry line apart.

On my right the Companions had come to grips with a unit of Byzantine cavalry and brushed them aside. I imagine Mike had not gone to single line as that would have extend into the path of my elephants and made the matter even more certain if caught. My cats protected the companions by drawing the shooting from the LF in the village as their better armour would keep them happy. My LF engaged the other Byzantine cavalry in a game of cat and mouse.

The poor HF moved too late to support the cavalry and never made it in time. In short order the Byzantine cavalry line were beaten and running for the hills.

The final nail in the coffin happened over on the right where the other elephants and companions finally trapped the evading cavalry. The Byzantines fought hard and saved their Death Rolls but the CTs against lancers and elephants are hard to save and they broke too.

 

Final score 25-0 to me. I felt for Mike as the odds were against him in every combat and he was dealt a raw deal fighting pikes and elephants with an army he’d never used. He was however a gracious opponent and I hope Andy buys him a beer for stitching him up!