bit of Magnesia refight Part 2

Sorry for the delay, I eventually managed to finish off the solo game using Simon Miller's 'To The Strongest Rules'.
First thing I have to say is that although no dice are used the momentum of luck or bad luck seemed just as consistent and even before I recount the closing stages the Seleucid luck was at best poor, units either activating and then failing to hit in melee, or failing to save or just failing to activate!!!

Any way onwards as they say

At the top of the picture on the Seleucid right flank Antiochus leads his unit of Cataphracts forward against skirmishers who fail to evade death loomed in their faces until Antiochus failed to hit the light troops, who in response secured a hit on the cataphracts and disordered them.

The scythed chariots rode down a unit of velites and carried on towards the waiting Hastati.

The Roman response was swift and brutal a unit of Princepes charged through the Velites and into the disordered cataphracts who also failed to evade, the Romans secured a hit on the unit which again was unsaved and the unit was destroyed, Antiochus also failed his save (3+) and fell before the might of Rome.
The Hastati engaged the scythed chariots and destroyed one of their number whilst becoming disordered themselves.

Towards the centre (bottom of the picture) The Hastati and Princepes advance, The Princepes hit the disordered Phalanx who again fail to save the hit inflicted upon it, the Hastati move into the area to the flank of the phalanx.

In the following bound despite their leaders demise one unit of Cataphracts mange to charge the killers of Antiochus and then guess what? They cause a hit which is promptly saved by the Roman unit who in response disorder the Cataphracts.
In support of the Cataphracts a phalanx moves up and engages the Roman Princepes and again fails to hit!

The second unit of Cataphracts suceed in turning to flank and threaten the Roman Hastati who are in the process of punching a hole in the centre.

The grinding match of phalanx and Princepes continues with neither side being successful in hitting the other.

The following bound saw the Seleucid Phalanxes in the bottom of the picture close with their Roman counterpart, both failed to hit, in reply the Princepes closes to the table edge disorderd the phalanx.

The flanking Cataphracts failed their command and failed to move the result being that the Romans turned to face them.

On the Right flank neither side made any progress.

This I decided was the last bound, in the Seleucid turn the Cataphracts engaged in the melee again failed to hit but in return received another unsaved hit and were promptly dispatched. The other unit of cataphracts succeeded in charging, hitting and disordering the Romans but all to no avail.

Two phalanxes died the death in the Seleucid centre all phalanxes here failed to hit and received unsaved hits in response, the two that departed were already disordered.

A resounding Roman success which I doubt they would be so lucky next time.

As to the rules -thoroughly enjoyed them, my random events were good but not overpowering.
Couple of points of clarification I need to check out with Simon, i.e the Romans moving through the Velites into melee when the Velites are already engaged and multiple activations for melee in one bound- can it be done?

'To The Strongest' Magnesia refight part 1.

Having a little bit of time on my hands today I thought I would try out Simon Millers (Big Red Bat Cave) ancient rules of To The Strongest.
I have already made a couple of adaptions by incorporating a random events card and also  end of bound cards.
I haven't played the rules before and for the purposes of the refight my Greeks have stood in for the Romans and the table represents the Seleucid right flank to the midpoint of its centre.

The first bound saw the Seleucids order a general advance, however on their right flank the advance Guard command failed miserably when the Horse archers failed their command test and brought the whole right flank to a grinding halt.
The elephants and phalanx of the centre started their advance towards the Roman line.

In response the Romans have 3 and half legions on the board.

Their left wing was somewhat tardy in moving forward but Gracchus and Scipio with the Centre legions pushed forward.

Bound two saw a repeat of the first except the Seleucids saw a dust cloud on their right flank and an Archer unit was lost as it went to investigate (random event) in addition to which another light unit lost a round of missiles (another random event).

The Galations surged forward and charged into the Roman velites who failed to evade, they caused a disorder on the lights who in turn inflicted an unsaved hit on the Galations!

Bound three saw Gracchus charge his Hastati through the velites (don't know if I can do this) and into contact with the Galations, the inflicted a hit which wasn't saved and the Galations were no more.

Scipio's velites engaged an elephant and neither side inflicted casualties

The Seleucid right flank still struggled to get moving the Agryspiads and supporting pahlanx moving forward but only random movement by the lights on the far side of the river.

By the following bound Antiochus lost patience and brough his cataphracts through the stationary light troops and unleashed the scythed chariots.

In the centre an elephant struck the Hastati, caused one hit and in return took an unsaved hit which saw it stampede back the way it came and die.

The scythed chariots rode down and unfortunate unit of Velites who were in their way and headed on towards the main Roman Line. The elephant in the seleucid centre lost its fight against the Velites and propmptly routed through a phalanx advancing behind it.

There it remains until Monday when I hop to conclude. The Romand have lost a unit of Velites and have a couple of units disordered, the Seleucids have lost two elephants, the Galations and have a phalanx badly disordered.

Still early days.

I like the feel of the rules and the random events have been good just two bounds which saw the Seleucids draw cards but otherwise the Romans have not been subject to any such event. Well they are Roman after all.

New Sculpts for the Government Troops for the '45 .

Richard has been busy and he has sent me the pictures of the first sets of greens he has completed for the Government troops.
In my opinion some of his best work to date.

We have firing line and marching figures in campaign and regulation uniform with command to match.

There will be more to come with a third pose for the firing line and troops with hat brims turned down.
In the mean time here's the pics.

 The Command figures look very good particularly the chaps in overcoats, the marching one looks like he's suffering from the cold!

Painting desk to be cleared as I feel there's going to be a lot of these chaps reinforcing the Albion lines.