It was time again for some 28mm, Hail Caesar, Peloponnesian bronze bashing, so we throw out the toys and hills and I was playing some Athenians sneaking over two mountain passes with a few moras and lots of peltasts while Bart as usual, opted to defend the Spartan home turf with the usual Spartan "iron brigade" moras, less peltasts, and more unarmoured hoplites (so a bit better than peltasts on this occcasion). Of course all totally fictional, no helenic bronze helmet was dented in the process, truly recreational replay of historic events must remain all greek to me.
The terrain was a bit of a first too, as it contained a two level hill (!!!) and a wayside shrine/statue of some former Spartan hero and some very rugged terrain - ... But first, the two armies sluggishly approached each other, not to lose the precious tight Phalanx formation (house rule).
Then Bart enjoyed his trade mark move, an quick Spartan cavalry charge and thus destroyed a unit of peltasts! Only to be countercharged by Delian men on horses and wiped off the planet in return. So far,
so good!
Then I attacked the left soft flank of the Spartans and destroyed the unarmoured hoplites. Somehow Bart never moved with his Spartan bodyguard ... well it looked like I‘m going to roll them up from the side easy victory! Then centre clashed and my centre literally dissappeared! Now it looked like the usual Athenian defeat... damn! Then I flank-attacked their now centre becoming their flank ... and who would have guessed annihilated them! By that time it looked very good for my but it wasn‘t far from over.
In short, as it was a shamefully long and cowardly, but very painful process for the Spartans, I surrounded them with all my peltasts and the two moras I had, kept them from healing/rallying themselves - by pelting them with sticks and stones and then charging in with my two moras ... believe me it just sounds like a short process but the Spartans were going down VERY slowly - I had to charge in twice! One false move and a short recovery would have meant goodbye to my weakened hoplites. In the end, Bart failed a break test miserably and the Spartan King broke/died. First ever in our wee history! But only from long range attacks. I guess its nearly impossible to beat the King‘s guard in combat ...
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| Initial set up |
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| First moves |
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| The proud Athenians |
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| The allies of Sparta |
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| The Delians descending the mountain passes |
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| The first clash of the Spartan Horse ... |
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| ... and their exchange ... |
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| Further advances |
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| The Peloponnesian allies watch the Delians |
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| The Athenian peltasts taunt the Spartan lines |
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| The Delian elite Hoplites clash into the unarmored Spartan allies ... |
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| The result was predictable |
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| In the centre equal forces closing in |
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| And then clash in a big cluster of phalanges and pushing and stabbing |
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| But the Athenian side breaks suddenly |
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| The Delian general counter charges their flank ... |
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| ... and breaks them in turn |
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| All points towards ... |
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| ... the Spartan king and his infamous bodyguard ... |
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| the noose is getting tighter ... |
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| Surrounded by enemies ... |
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| ... continuosly throwing sticks and stones at them ... |
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| ... and some moras to charge in, but fail.. |
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| ... the throwing continues (in the hopes of 6s)... |
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| until the Spartan break test fails spectacularly ... |
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| The Spartans no more... |
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| ... but all on the death table. |
