Pydna 168BC

Time for a holiday period big ancients refight, where the aim is to get as many plastic 1/72 figures on the table as possible, usually to fight a scenario from Phil Sabin's "Lost Battles", but using AMW. Over the years there have been quite a few of these, and I'm running out of battles for which I have the figures. This year I settled on Pydna, the last climactic battle between Rome and Macedon. Alas, here Sabin let me down a bit. Pydna is a bit of an encounter battle. Having faced off and not fought for a few days the battle is triggered by an incident between two foraging parties involving an out of control mule. The armies then deploy in haste and the battle sort of starts piecemeal. Sabin therefore doesn't give his normal deployment map, which I think he secretly prefers not to do as deploying troops is a key skill of the commander in his view. Of course, this means that you can end up with a battle that doesn't look like the historical prototype at all. I therefore drew inspiration from Goldsworthy's "In the Name of Rome", and an orbat done by Simon MacDowell I found on line. I jiggered about with them a bit, and I still wasn't happy when I'd finished. I'll say now that it will probably take several plays to get this scenario to work satisfactorily. I wasn't helped by the decision to go on a river cruise the week before Christmas, followed by visiting the eldest daughter and husband for Christmas, only coming back the day after Boxing Day and being caught in silly traffic around the A34 / M40 / A43 junctions on the way back. Essentially I ran out of time to do anything other than put the toys on the table and cross my fingers.

Anyway, we had a turnout of four, which wasn't bad, with Chris K and Phil joined by Steve and Vincent, returning after quite a gap. Other regulars or MNG associates had pathetic excuses about spending time with family over the Christmas period and did not attend.

Phil and Vincent took the Macedonians, Chris and Steve the Romans. If you look closely you'll see that the phalanx units all start out with a white hit ring, to simulate the disorder they suffered at the time when crossing the stream and heading across uneven ground.

When you have a big phalanx the only thing you can really do is advance upon the enemy with all due haste. Vincent duly obliged. Phil started to do some clever stuff with the cavalry on his wing. He had the usual problem with AMW that cavalry/flank contacts can take too long to resolve, and so find it hard to then influence the central combat. I've tried several solutions to this over the years, but on this occasion I played the rules straight, except for some rules for generalship.

Soon the Macedonian left wing was getting to grips with the Romans' Numidian allies. It is a truism of ancient conflict that the side who has the Numidians as allies normally wins.

The Roman infantry line closes. They need to get the Macedonian phalanx held in a spot where the elephants can turn the flanks (Note: I put out too many elephants for the game to work, playing the RAW. I also underestimated the power of legions stacked up deep if their opponent can't get at the flanks).

Soon casualties are being inflicted, and pointing is being done.

What a magnificent sight, IMHO. This shows why 1/72 is the perfect scale for massed battles. You can tell what everything is, and it all fits on the table. 

The far cavalry melee is a bit bogged down, but there's more movement this end. The Numidian light infantry with the elephants have sacrificed themselves by going too close to a phalanx unit, but in doing so did manage to kill a phalanx base. This is critical, as it reduces the phalanx effectiveness dramatically, and they're going to need all the help they can get, with the elephants bearing down upon them.

The elephants zero in on the vulnerable phalanx.

Oh no! Phil's general falls in combat! Has he passed a significant advantage to Steve?

In the centre the light infantry are slogging it out. It's evenly matched. The elephants have contacted the phalanx. Breaths are collectively held.

Straight through they go, and hit the unit in the reserve line. Oh dear. I have got this badly wrong.

On the Macedonian right Phil pulls off a classic move, and gets his Thracians into the side of Steve's meleeing cavalry, delivering the killing blow.

The elephants drive over another pike armed speed bump. They've taken a hit, however.

Vincent swiftly sends more troops to shore up this flank.

Cohort and phalanx finally collide. The hard part has finally begun.

Vincent has real elephant problems now, and needs a lucky break. Elsewhere he has broken through with his cavalry, but Chris has enough to cover him and stop them causing any real havoc.

In a desperate attempt to take the pressure off his infantry he has turned the cavalry inwards, but he is going to get caught by the flank guards.

It was clear by this point that the Macedonian left flank had collapsed. The legions in the centre were also breaking through and whilst Phil had won his flank, he was going to take several turns to be able to swing in and influence results. Time to draw to a close with a Roman victory.

Everyone professed to have had a good time, and there was tea, coffee, Christmas cake and mince pies as well. On reflection, only one elephant should have been deployed, and probably I didn't need to put the hits on the phalanx. It might also have helped not to have had so many toys on the table.

What am I saying?? Of course not! And it kept us all occupied for the afternoon, with plenty of time for chat. I'd mark that up as a win all round.