28mm Thebes v Macedon.

 For our final ancients battle (using Hail Caesar) for a while it was Ian and his Thebans against me and my Macedonians, 300pts per side in 2 divisions. It was a straight forward encounter battle with the scenery generated using the random chart in the Black Powder Pike and Shotte book. Ian won the dice off to make me deploy first and he also won first turn and took the initiative. 

Theban deployment. 

Macedonian deployment. 

Ian took his Thebans slowly forward. I tried to be more aggressive but my left flank refused their orders and stayed put. 

With my right flank division out on their own Ian Ian and his Thebans charged. 

A whopper of a melee at the start of turn 2. 

Both sides made use of the phalanx rule to help not to have to take a break test but my Companion Cavalry came in on the right flank to help out. 

Over on my left my troops their were still refusing to obey orders. 

Then after 3 rounds of melee some of the Thebans broke, leaving the Sacred Band fighting on their own. 

Totally surrounded now it was finally the death of the Sacred Band. and that whole Theban division defeated or in flight.  

Overhead shot of the game, Ian's remaining Theban Hoplites (top of photo) look a bit out numbered. 

Slowly the Macedonians encircle the Thebans. I had sent in all my skirmishers in the hope of whittling his phalanx's down a little or cause a bit of disorder.  

Ian tried to charge my Companion Cavalry who counter charged but it was cavlary that were destroyed in the ensuing melee. 

In the centre Ian continued his desperate 'attack is the best form of defence'. But his hoplite unit was well beaten here. 

Over on his base line Ian charged my disordered Hypastpists but the dice went my way and it was game over for the Thebans. All now destroyed or withdrawing. Victory and glory to the Macedonians. 

Another cracking game of Hail Caesar, delivers every time. 

New hoplites and another elephant.

 Just finished a couple of things for my Macedonian army. 

First up my third unit of mercenary hoplites. Mainly plastic figures from Warlord Games. All shields hand painted as usual. At some point I will expand the Greeks into their own army. 

Next we have my second elephant. I got both elephants in a bargain box full of old and newer ancients at the Phalanx Wargame show. for just £20.  These are old Hinchliffe elephants but with newer 28mm crew squeezed in. I also glued a shield to each side of the howdah to add more colour. 

Here is a photo of both elephants.

 The rear one had his head replaced with a head from a plastic elephant. 

I need to get them on the gaming table soon. 

Next up is a unit of 'Silver Shields', 32 pikemen will take me some time but the shields should be easy; then another unit of peltasts.    

The Spartans arrive!

 For this week's game we adapted another scenario from the Pyrrhic Wars book to fight it out between my Macedonians and Ian and Charlies Greeks. The scenario is based along the coastline, any troops forced back into the sea that runs alongside one flank will be destroyed as it is a rocky coastline, otherwise, for us it was a typical encounter battle. Charlie bought along his new unit of Spartiates, I could only hope they suffered the fate of all newly painted troops. 

Deployment: Greeks to the left, Macedonians to the right. The coastline is just below the lower photo edge (looks like a river as that is what we used!). We are all very pleased with how good our ancient games are starting to look. More new troops will appear soon. 

Ooo look, some freshly painted Spartans. Charlie had done a great job with these. 

On my 6ft wide table it was an almost wall to wall line of phalanx, broken only by the woods on the Macedonian right. I wasn't quite sure where to point my Companion cavalry so I placed them in the centre hoping to wait for a break in the Greek line. 

Ian's light troops try to dominate the wooded area. over on my right. 

Back on the left, failed orders from Charlie's Greeks gave me an opportunity to charge one end of their broken line so the pike phalanx came crashing in. Charlie's peltasts got squished and destroyed by the Macedonian pike. You can also see my Hypaspists charging the Spartiates.

Over on the left my peltasts had already charged and cleared greek skirmishers from the top right wood. Now my light cavalry rode up in support tying two Greek phalanx's in knots and keeping them busy all game. 

My Hypaspists broke Charlie's Spartiates (he has already removed them); the curse of the newly painted troops strikes again! Charlie's division were now close to breakpoint.

My light cavalry cleared away some Greek skirmishers but then Ian's hoplites got involved so my light cavalry fled. 

At long last, my Companion Cavalry, which I had positioned in the centre patiently waited until the flank of a hoplite unit offered itself. These were the Theban Sacred Band. They all got wiped out to my huge delight. 

Finally my Greek Mercenary Hoplites helped by the Companion Cavalry made a greek sandwich of Ian's last unit in the centre and with Charlie's division now broken Ian withdrew his few remaining troops and victory went to the Macedonians. I often complain about my poor luck on the dice, not today, overall I threw well unlike Charlie whose dice throwing was truly awful in the first half of the game. All troops had managed to avoid being forced into the sea so no-one lost troops that way. 

Another great fun game and it was particularly pleasing for me to see my troops finally do well. 

15mm General D'Armee

 With 5 players today we decided to run a game of General D'Armee as it has been some time since we played. Nigel was hosting and had done quite a bit of work to set up a scenario based on one from an old General d'Brigade scenario book. He mixed the forces up a bit and we ended up with the French against the 'Allies'. Ian and Charlie were the French with Howard and myself as the Allies and Nigel umpiring. 

French on the left, Allies on the right. With the Allies holding 3 of the villages, the French just one, the French had to try and beat the Allies back and claim at least 2 more villages. In number the French had the edge but it was going to be a difficult game with probably over 30 units per side. The game looked great and we set too with relish.  

The view from behind one of the Allied villages. 

The French start their advance. 

Ian and Charlie commanding and moving the French forwards. 

A close up of a village that was soon to see plenty of fighting. 

Nigel is gradually building up a great collection of Napoleonic terrain. 

The Allied cav advance slowly, looking for French skirmishers to chase off. 

Note the unit markers Nigel created to help us know which unit is which. 

The village that the French owned. 

Napoleon watches his troops advance. 

His artillery had already taken out two batteries of Allied artillery. 

Ian and Charlie's dice throwing was amazing with their artillery, ours was dreadful.  

Waiting for the French.

One quick assault and the French were in. That meant both sides held two villages. 

The allies strike back. With four dice each, Ian scored 4 hits for the French and I threw four 1's, no hits. Typical of my luck so far. 

Next turn I re-enforced my assault. I had nine dice and score 1 hit, Ian had four dice and scored 3 hits. It was just not my day. The French hold onto the village. 

Then Charlie advanced the French cavalry. 

One quick charge and another Allied artillery battery had gone although Howards artillery did inflict 6 casualties on the French Lancer unit. 

Some of our cavalry posed to defend our centre. 

At this point we ran out of time with the French definitely gaining the upper hand. It was decided to continue the game next week. Sadly neither Howard or I can make it so Nigl will take command of all the allied forces, surely he must have better luck with the dice than we did!

Thanks to Nigel for organising a great game. 

Another 28mm Hail Caesar Game.

 Firstly a couple of new units for my (never victorious) Macedonians (who will one day be expanded into a Successor Army as well). 

A pair of Bolt Throwers. Figures by '1st Corps'. These made their debut today. 

A second unit of light cavalry. Figures by Victrix. 

You may note that I/we are happy to mix our figure ranges within an army. 

Today Nigel and Charlie commanded the Late Greek army with Ian and I commanding the Macedonians. The scenario was adopted from the Pyrrhic Wars supplement and tweaked a little to suit my collection of scenery. Could the Macedonians grab a victory for once? 

Greek deployment, Charlie as overall general near edge, Nigel far side. 

Macedonian deployment, myself as overall general at the top with Ian commanding my late Greek mercenaries.  

Macedonian General urging his troops forwards. 

The Greeks soon grabbed the rough terrain hill with their skirmishers. 

My Macedonians and Nigel's Greeks closing in on each other. 

On the other flank, the Theban Sacred Band chased off Ian's peltasts then his light cavalry too. 

The phalanx's clash. 

The 'double one' shows how effective my new bolt throwers were being so the crew set fire to them!

My phalanx's eventually overpowered one of Nigel's but combined with other losses his division was now broken and had to with draw.  

Here we see Charlie's two phalanx's on the left closing in on the temple guarded by some skirmishers and the (useless) bolt throwers. Top right corner shows one of Ian's phalanx's holding bcak the Theban Band (off picture). 

Charlie sends his newly painted skirmishers to try and oust Ian's skirmish troops from the wood. They failed and fled!

As Nigel's division withdraws (with his pesky slingers still pelting my troops as they go) my division could start to try and turn to go and help Ian. Seemingly now outnumbered the Greeks withdrew leaving the Macedonians victorious for the first time, Hurrah! 

Once again Hail caesar gave us a cracking game that could very easily have gone either way. Ian was very canny in his harassment of Charlie's troops and keeping his main phalanx's out of trouble. Then once mine and Nigel's big clash on the left had been decided my units were able to start to turn towards Charlie force as well. Great fun and so nice to win my first game with the Macedonians.