Tuesday 28 January 2014

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?





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