Thursday, December 12, 2024

Hail Caesar Rome versus Macedonia

My new Macedonians saw their first action today. Their three divisions faced off against three Republican Roman legions. It was quite a slugfest as both sides attempted to find and exploit weak spots in the other's line. Here are the two sides as the battle begins.
Turn 1- The Macedonians won the initiative. Their left hand division advances rapidly towards the Roman line. The center division rolled high on its first command roll and stayed in place. On the right, only the supberb cavalry was able to move out in an attempt to turn thr Roman left. The Roman right was rather lethargic despite getting a re-roll from the commanding general. Only its cavalry managed to move out. In the center, the allied legion showed much more zeal as it threw out its cavalry and advanced its infantry up the strategic hill. The Roman left advanced some skirmishers. Other than that, it seemed content to stay in place.
Turn 2- The cavalry of both sides were very active this turn. The elite units on the Macedonian right destroyed their Roman counterparts and moved into position to threaten the Roman left flank.
In the center, it was the allied cavalry that was successful in drving back a unit of Thracian peltasts.
The Roman cavalry on the right is also able to best the Macedonian light cavalry facing them. A phalanx comes up short in its attempt to strike the Roman line.
Turn 3- The significant event this turn was the Macedonian charge on the Roman right flank. Winning the initiative, the Macedonians wasted no time in striking the exposed flank of the Roman's best legion. A unit of hastati was hit on its flank and front. The principes behind them were hit by the elite Macedonian heavy cavalry. The fighting was furious, but the beleaguered Roman units had just enough support to withstand the blow.
On the opposite end of the line, another unit of hastati was decimated as it charged a supported Macedonian phalanx. In the center, the allied legion continued to climb the hill.
Turn 4- The Romans attempt to regroup on their right. They counterattack and are able to make a veteran phalanx shaken while at the same time angle their flank to be better able to defend against the cavalry.
Up on the hill in the center, the allied legion charges home against a phalanx, fighting to a draw.
On the Macedonian left, a brave phalanx storms the Roman line unsupported. The combat is a draw, but the advantage of numbers is definitely with the Romans.
Turn 5- The climax of the battle was at hand. The Macedonians desperately tried to gain the advantage with a series of charges. The results, however, proved to be disappointing. The veteran legion on the Roman right was able to withstand yet another assault by the Macedonian heavy cavalry and the supporting infantry has become spent.
In the center, the Macedonian division here has also exhausted itself. Most alarmingly, a unit of peltasts has broken leaving a troop of Roman cavalry free to wreck havoc in the rear of the army.
The telling blow, however, comes on the Macedonian left. Its most battle worthy phalanx is whittled down to breaking point by a coordinated attack on its flank and rear. While the Romans still have fresh units on hand, the Macedonians have used up their strenght and lost its offensive ability.
The deciding factor in this battle, at least it seemed so to me, was the advantage gained by the Romans as a result of being armed with pilum. Time and again the Macedonians suffered significantly more casualties because of the reduced saving rolls they had to endure. Live and learn.

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Victrix Macedonian Army

Victrix offered 20% off of their figures this month. I had a Macedonian army in the shopping cart for quite awhile and the sale was just what I needed to pull the trigger. I am just about done with the project; just three more units of peltasts to do as well as base a third commander. Here is what I have put together. I have six stands of phalangites. Each stand has either 13 or 14 figures.
I have three units of light/medium infantry
Three skirmisher units; two of archers and one of slingers
Four small units of light cavalry
A unit of Macedonian heavy cavalry
A unit of Thessalian medium cavalry
Two divisional commanders (with one more just needing to be based)
I am just about finished with three more units of peltasts. Each division will have two units of phalangites, two units of peltasts, one unit of skirmishers and two units of cavalry. Quite a formidable opponent.

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

The Battle of Lachlan's Cross: The final turns

Turn 17- Both sides, thoroughly exhausted, are able to do little. However, the Black Watch close with the Royal Ecossais who fight desperately to hold the ridge.
Turn 18- Mordaunt's 2nd Foot use the bayonette to break through the French line, destroying a battalion of infantry and a battery of artillery, then wheeling into position on the flank of the Royal Ecossais who are locked in combat with the Black Watch. This is the decisive charge of the game.
Both Murray and the French take morale tests which they fail. They Jacobite left is now empty and only the Ecossais and a couple of regiments of Olgilvy's brigade are left to buy time for their compatriots to escape.
Turn 19- The last of Olgilvy's infantry is driven back from the hedgrow by Lascelles soldiers. The 2nd Foot fires into the flank of the Ecossais, mowing the heroic Scotsmen down by the score. Despite thier losses, they refuse to surrender to buy as much time as possible for the rest of the army to withdraw.
Olgilvy's men form column of march and retreat from the field, taking their artillery with them. Mordaunt's men advance and occupy the abandoned position littered with dead and wounded.
Turn 20- The final turn of the game sees the 2nd Foot charge the flank of the remnants of the Royal Ecossais. The ADC leading the Scotsmen in French service is killed and the regiment is reduced to a single stand. The ridge has been secured. The battle won.
Seeing that continued resistance is futile, the last three regiments of Olgilvy's brigade surrender along with their commander. Darkness descends upon the field.
Lachlan's Cross is now in the Government's hands, but at a terrible cost. Two brigades of British have been thoroughly used up and the Dutch have sustained 50% casualties. Legonier's cavalry has also been considerably roughed up. On the Jacobite side, the elite French brigade has been completely destroyed. It's survivors will be fortunate if they have enough men left to fill out two battalions. They started as five. The Jacobite cavalry have been reduced to a single squadron. Both Murray and Drummond have suffered heavily and will need a significant amouont of time to reorganize. The casualty markers reveal where the battle was hottest. On the Jacobite right, Cholmondeley and Wolf were both mauled by the vicious charges of Drummond's highlanders and the disciplined volleys of Olgilvy's well trained lowlanders.
The Dutch and the French slugged it out along the stream for several turns, but at terrible cost.
On the Jacobite right, both sides fought desperately to control the ford. Scores of cavalrymen were lost here in flurries of charge and countercharge.
The high water mark, if it can be called that, is marked by the bodies of Murray's men as they tried, unsuccessfully, to stop Lascelles' entry into the battle.
Final thoughts- This was a most entertaining solo game. My system of determining when and where, if at all, units will enter the game adds a nice degree of uncertainty to the game. The Government's numerical superiority actually worked against them at the beginning of the game as brigades were stacked up behind one another as they tried to come to grips with the enemy. The randomness of drawing cards also added to the uncertainty, as well as the loss of initiative due to poor die rolls. On a couple of ocassions the French were able to get off two volleys in a turn before their opponents could get off even one. The battle went as long as it did because of the aggressiveness of the Jacobites charging while the British regiments were still trying to deploy. However, after initial success, the attack columns would suffer high losses from the musketry of supporting regiments of redcoats. All in all, a very entertaining game. Thanks so much for following along. I hope you have enjoyed it.