A Great Captains game at the club!
>> Saturday, 1 February 2020
A Very Pyrrhic Victory
A Hellenistic v Roman game using the Great Captain Rules written by club members Pete Foggin and Craig Parker.
The battle report is set in 279BC, during Pyrrhus’ invasion of Southern Italy.
Great Captains uses an alternative move system, with players determining which general has the initiative at the beginning of each movement phase.
The Epeirot general opened hostilities by launching a strong
attack, on the Roman left, with a combination of Tarantine cavalry, Psilos and Peltasts.
The Roman cavalry and Leves moved forward, eager for the fight. However, the Roman horse found themselves in the unenviable position of seeing the Tarantines flowing around their flanks, and though inflicting little harm they kept the Romans horse occupied skirmishing with them on one side and then another. While the Leves had the worst of the exchange with the Psilos and Peltasts. With some of them recoiling and disordering the Hastati.
To avoid any possibility of further
disorder occurring the Leves were ordered to withdraw through the Legions.
The Roman Allied and Epeirot Greek Horse played little part in the Battle The Roman general now took the initiative, ordering the Legions forward. The remaining Leves continued moving forward
in support. However, the majority of the Leves were engaged by more Psilos emerging from the wood, with only a few harassing the Epeirot Phalanx. After receiving a few well-placed javelins, the Phalanx lowered their sarisa and advanced towards the Legions.
The Roman cavalry charged
forward, although harassed all the way by the Tarantines, they rode down the Psilos to their front. While the rest of the Psilos and some of the Peltasts, upon seeing their charge broke and fled. However, the Epeirot cavalry counter charged, smashed the Romans and together with Tarantines pursued them off the field.
Struggle between Epeirot and Roman Cavalry with the Tarantines harassing the rear of the Romans
The Roman general now took
the initiative, ordering the
Legions forward. The remaining
Leves continued moving forward
in support. However, the
majority of the Leves were
engaged by more Psilos
emerging from the wood, with
only a few harassing the Epeirot
Phalanx. After receiving a few
well-placed javelins, the Phalanx
lowered their sarisa and
advanced towards the Legions.
Although a hard-fought fight the Phalanx got the upper hand pushing back both the Hastati and Principes. However, while the Legionaries in the centre recoiled, the Romans were able to overlap both wings of the Phalanx.
The flexibility of the Legionaries now showed when the Maniples on the Roman left about turned and charged the exposed flank of the Phalanx.
The Epeirot general now ordered the Oscans forward, out of the woods, to engage the Legionaries, stopping the left wing of the Phalanx from being enveloped. While the Roman Allies moved forward to support the Legions and engaged the Oscans.
With the Triarii holding the centre and the Maniples on the left arranging their lines to complete the envelopment of the Epeirot right wing. The initiative swung away from the Romans when a division of Tarantine cavalry returned and attacked the rear of the Legions. With the Phalanx pressing their
front and the Tarentines to their rear, panic ran through the Legionaries causing the Roman centre to collapse.
Great Captains requires an army to take a morale check immediately when it loses 33% of its total army points. With further a test each time another unit is lost. With the collapse of their centre the Romans incurred losses of 37%. This required a score of eight or better (from 2 x 6 die) for a successful army morale
A Dice throw of nine kept the Romans in on the field.
The Epeirots went on to slaughter the surviving Romans in the centre increasing Roman losses to 40%. Resulting in a further morale test this time requiring a score of nine or better to pass. Dice throws of eleven enabled the Romans to fight on and allowed the Extraordinarii to rout a single unit of Oscans.
This brought the Epeirot losses to 33%, requiring a score of seven or more for a successful test. A throw of six resulted in the immediate surrender of the remaining Oscans and the retreat of the Epeirot Phalanx and Greek cavalry, leaving the field to the Romans.
After the battle a triumphant Roman general, made sacrifices to the gods thanking them for their support. While a perplexed Epeirot general wondered if fortune would favour him in his next encounter, how many casualties he would need to inflict to defeat a Roman army or whether an offer of a Sicilian interlude would be a worthwhile adventure.
A Hellenistic v Roman game using the Great Captain Rules written by club members Pete Foggin and Craig Parker.
The battle report is set in 279BC, during Pyrrhus’ invasion of Southern Italy.
Great Captains uses an alternative move system, with players determining which general has the initiative at the beginning of each movement phase.The Epeirot general opened hostilities by launching a strong
attack, on the Roman left, with a combination of Tarantine cavalry, Psilos and Peltasts.
The Roman cavalry and Leves moved forward, eager for the fight. However, the Roman horse found themselves in the unenviable position of seeing the Tarantines flowing around their flanks, and though inflicting little harm they kept the Romans horse occupied skirmishing with them on one side and then another. While the Leves had the worst of the exchange with the Psilos and Peltasts. With some of them recoiling and disordering the Hastati.
 |
| Roman Allied Cavalry awaiting orders |
disorder occurring the Leves were ordered to withdraw through the Legions.
The Roman Allied and Epeirot Greek Horse played little part in the Battle The Roman general now took the initiative, ordering the Legions forward. The remaining Leves continued moving forward
in support. However, the majority of the Leves were engaged by more Psilos emerging from the wood, with only a few harassing the Epeirot Phalanx. After receiving a few well-placed javelins, the Phalanx lowered their sarisa and advanced towards the Legions.
forward, although harassed all the way by the Tarantines, they rode down the Psilos to their front. While the rest of the Psilos and some of the Peltasts, upon seeing their charge broke and fled. However, the Epeirot cavalry counter charged, smashed the Romans and together with Tarantines pursued them off the field.
Struggle between Epeirot and Roman Cavalry with the Tarantines harassing the rear of the Romans
the initiative, ordering the
Legions forward. The remaining
Leves continued moving forward
in support. However, the
majority of the Leves were
engaged by more Psilos
emerging from the wood, with
only a few harassing the Epeirot
Phalanx. After receiving a few
well-placed javelins, the Phalanx
lowered their sarisa and
advanced towards the Legions.
Although a hard-fought fight the Phalanx got the upper hand pushing back both the Hastati and Principes. However, while the Legionaries in the centre recoiled, the Romans were able to overlap both wings of the Phalanx.
The flexibility of the Legionaries now showed when the Maniples on the Roman left about turned and charged the exposed flank of the Phalanx.
The Epeirot general now ordered the Oscans forward, out of the woods, to engage the Legionaries, stopping the left wing of the Phalanx from being enveloped. While the Roman Allies moved forward to support the Legions and engaged the Oscans.
 |
| The Phalanx and Legionaries clash |
With the Triarii holding the centre and the Maniples on the left arranging their lines to complete the envelopment of the Epeirot right wing. The initiative swung away from the Romans when a division of Tarantine cavalry returned and attacked the rear of the Legions. With the Phalanx pressing their
front and the Tarentines to their rear, panic ran through the Legionaries causing the Roman centre to collapse.
Great Captains requires an army to take a morale check immediately when it loses 33% of its total army points. With further a test each time another unit is lost. With the collapse of their centre the Romans incurred losses of 37%. This required a score of eight or better (from 2 x 6 die) for a successful army morale
A Dice throw of nine kept the Romans in on the field.
The Epeirots went on to slaughter the surviving Romans in the centre increasing Roman losses to 40%. Resulting in a further morale test this time requiring a score of nine or better to pass. Dice throws of eleven enabled the Romans to fight on and allowed the Extraordinarii to rout a single unit of Oscans.
This brought the Epeirot losses to 33%, requiring a score of seven or more for a successful test. A throw of six resulted in the immediate surrender of the remaining Oscans and the retreat of the Epeirot Phalanx and Greek cavalry, leaving the field to the Romans.
After the battle a triumphant Roman general, made sacrifices to the gods thanking them for their support. While a perplexed Epeirot general wondered if fortune would favour him in his next encounter, how many casualties he would need to inflict to defeat a Roman army or whether an offer of a Sicilian interlude would be a worthwhile adventure.
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