It's Chrissusmas!!

Well, not really. It was actually New Year's Eve-Eve, or the 30th December, a day remarkable for not very much. So, as has sort of become a custom over the past few years, I put on a large ancient wargame using my 1/72 plastics, AMW rules and a set up based on Lost Battles.

This year I chose Issus, the second Alexander v the Persians battle. I was going to do Granicus, but then I worked out that I'd done Granicus several times before, but never Issus. So Issus it was.

Here's the calm before the storm, or at least before the players arrived. Alexander to the left, Darius to the right. For this game I used my normal AMW mods - general's re-rolls and one base morale checks - and messed around with troop classifications a bit as well. I also boosted the effectiveness of the Companions. To get things moving a bit more quickly I used inches instead of centimetres for movement distances and ranges.

I'd set things up so that Phil would get the Persian right wing. He was partnered by Vincent and his son Noah, last seen at Guadalajara. Steve got to be Alexander, and Chris took Parmenio's roll on the Macedonian left. Tim, alas, was unwell and couldn't join us.

Having the initiatives the Macedonians got going. I made a mistake with the river, saying it took a turn to cross. That is the RAW, but isn't good for this battle. I should have just made it a 4" movement penalty. Essentially nothing should be deterring Alexander from charging across the river.

Notwithstanding these reservations, Steve was soon on the river's edge with the Companions.

As Vincent and Noah held back the Persian left - very wise - the first fighting was across the river by the two central infantry blocks. The Persian centre is Greek Hoplites, flanked by Kardaces (Heavy Archers). Phil & Vincent held back the archers to inflict some damage before melee commenced.

The Hypaspists at this end of the line started off well, but the hoplites held their own. Alexander and his two units of Companions ploughed into the Kardaces, taking some damage as they went in. This fight turned out to be tougher than expected. On the Macedonian left centre the unengaged phalanx surged across the river and engaged the Kardaces on that end of the line.

Phil had been waiting for the phalanx to commit itself, and rammed into their flank with some of his cavalry.

The impact caused shockwaves down the line, but the Macedonians held on.

The Macedonian cavalry on the flank nearest the camera were making heavy weather of "brushing aside" the infantry in front of them. Round the hill there was a bit of a standoff.

I don't know who this standoff favoured. However, the Macedonian cavalry had broken the light troops in front of them and one of the Kardaces units. They could now, theoretically, get into the Persian rear.

The central infantry continued their hard fought battle. The Issus ran red with blood. 

Phil finally reckoned he needed to maker progress on his wing, and committed his light horse against the Greek cavalry. Having pinned them in place he intended to bring up other units to flank them.

Chris threw his Thracians at the cavalry unit flanking his phalanx. The ensuing combat saw the Persian general at that end of the table fall.

Much to everyone's surprise (and Phil's annoyance) a unit of Cretan archers held on grimly on the river bank, holding off Persian heavy cavalry. It was epic.

A quick long range shot of where we've got to.

So then those Thracians got caught in the flank. What with everyone making amazing saving rolls, it was all turning into a bit of a muddle at that end of the table.

Darius saw the Companions preparing to exploit their breakthrough, and he wheeled round with his Royal Guard to face them.

Vincent finally got fed up with the stalemate and sent his javelin men up onto the hills.

Chris had gained the upper hand at the far end of the centre, by exposing his general to a lot of danger. He finally met a sticky end.

However, he had opened up a gap in the line, into which Chris galloped his reserve cavalry, led by Parmenio.

At the same time Steve crashed Alexander and his Companions into Darius' and his bodyguard.

The combat was short and sweet, for the Macedonians, as Noah failed all of his saving rolls, pretty much, and then two morale tests.

Exit, Darius, pursued by Alexander, for a hard fought Macedonian victory.

Well, that was an entertaining afternoon. The game took us just about two hours, with a lot of kit on the table, and kept everyone engaged throughout. What a great way to wrap up the year.