The Battle of the Plains - Gauls versus Selucid

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Bitesyurr
Posts: 79
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2018 11:18 am
Location: Portsmouth UK

The Battle of the Plains - Gauls versus Selucid

Postby Bitesyurr » Mon Aug 27, 2018 9:34 am

Late in the summer, Eburius, High Chieftan of the Boii received news that a strange army was approaching his tribal lands. This was closely followed by “ambassadors” from said army. These ambassadors declared that their lord – one Antigonus demanded that the tribe stand aside and not only let his army pass, but also to supply food for them.

Eburius, was so insulted by the tone of the ambassadors that he had them whipped and drive from his lands on foot, naked as the day they were born.

Eburius summoned his warbands and set forth to meet these insolent cur. The two armies met in a valley at the eastern borders of Eburius’s lands, and deployed for battle.

The battlefield was mostly open, but the southern end was mostly woodlands. Eburius deployed his warbands to the north of the woods with cavalry behind and just to the north of the woods. His chariots were placed behind the northern end of the battle line. There were javelins with the chariots, archers behind the warbands, and slingers in the woods. Antigonus had some Thureopohroi just north of the woods, and to their north, a number giant beasts. This was followed by three spear units, with incredibly long spears. The north end of the line was a body of heavily armoured cavalry, and some skirmish cavalry. There were a number of skirmishers in front of the infantry. A strange army indeed, nothing like any others the Boii had seen.

After the customary issuing of challenges by the Boii champions (which the enemy were too scared to accept) Eburius ordered the battle to commence. A steady advance of the warbands. The cavalry moved south of the main battle line, whilst the chariots and some skirmishers moved to take position to the north of the line. The enemy skirmishers, having many bows opened fire, but had little effect.

As the lines closed, the Macedonians stood their ground, but then suddenly launched two attacks. At the north of the line, the Macedonian cavalry, led by Antigonus, charged the warband approaching them, whilst in the centre, the giant beasts, obviously panic, charged forward. Although getting the better in the fighting, the Macedonians were not able to make headway as the gallic battle line absorbed the impact and held.

Realising his vulnerable position, Antigonus break off from the warband, whilst his horse archers had a moment of panic when they were charged in the flank by some skirmishers. Keen to capitalise, Eburius maintained the advance, charging his warbands forward to clear the enemy skirmishers. Most of the warbands failed to reach the spearmen behind them, but the Thuerophroi in the south were caught by a warband. The Thuerophoroi were swept away with the ferocity of the warbands change, whilst the middle spear body became discouraged, and fell back slightly. The Beasts continued their fight forcing the warband facing them to fall back, but still fighting.
Antigonus rallied his horse archers, but now found that the Boii were beginning to come a
round the ends of his battle line. He led his cavalry forwards again, this time catching and whipping out a body of skirmisher, but leaving himself exposed in front to a warband and the Boii Chariots. The Beasts continued their onslaught, but the warband maintained a fighting retreat.

The end pf the battle now came - the central spear unit then broke and fled, whilst the most southerly spear block was charged in the flank by the Boii cavalry. The beats finally broke and destroyed the warband, but Macedonian cavalry were charged by a warband and the chariots.

Antigonus was last seen riding east as fast as he could, with the remnants of his cavalry, however many slaves were gained for the Boii.

Thus ended our first game of Swordpoint. I am sure we made loads of mistakes, but the intention was simply to see how the game worked, and we came away feeling that it all seemed to be pretty good. We simply deployed the armies without following any special process, which resulted in my archers being nowhere near the elephants, and then discussed the forces picked. Initially Chris the Selucid, had a unit of4 AGema heavy arnour/Half Bard) and 4 fUll Catapracts, with only 1 elephant. After some discussion he dropped the Cataphracts for the second elephant and2 extra Agema. As we have no figures painted we proxied 15mm figures.

Forces (as deployed from the south):
Boii – High Chieftan, 2 Chieftans, 5 minor Chieftans.
6 Slingers
10 warband Open Order with 6 light cavalry to their rear.
6 fanatics warband Open Order
6 fanatics warband Open Order
6 armoured warband Open Order
6 armoured warband Open Order
10 warband Open Order, with 6 chariots to their rear.
6 javelin men
Selucid - Strategos and 2 Hipparch
6 Thureophori
6 Javelins elephant escorts, with 2 Elephants behind them (barded, tower, 3 fighting crew)
6 Pikes
6 pikes with 6 light archers to their front
6 Argyraspids with 4 light archers to their front
6 Agema – Heavy armour, half barding
6 Dahae/Scythians
None of the pikes wore armour.
Lancastrians
Ceasarian Romans (well a pile of boxes ATM)
Vikings (next year).

Always ready to roll a 12 for Cohesion!

MartinG
Posts: 926
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2016 8:48 am

Re: The Battle of the Plains - Gauls versus Selucid

Postby MartinG » Mon Aug 27, 2018 3:57 pm

Demonstrates one of the Gallic list's strengths nicely-the battle line is long enough to overlap most opponents and the warbands can hold long enough in the centre to give the overlaps time to turn into flank attacks. And a warband charge broke an isolated unit. Bonus!
"No one ever achieved anything without making a few mistakes along the way"

Bob Stradling
Posts: 393
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 10:46 am

Re: The Battle of the Plains - Gauls versus Selucid

Postby Bob Stradling » Mon Aug 27, 2018 9:45 pm

Also don't charge the front of formed infantry with cavalry, unless you really have to . Threat potential can often keep several units pinned.


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