Thursday 6 March 2014

DBMM Magnesia: Part 3 (The Final Cuts are the Deepest)

Things that decide battles ...

The Roman left flank "although although known as lost" put up a fierce rearguard action. In fact they cause a major upset in striking back at the flank of a careless elephant with an auxillia stand (see middle, centre below where the invisible elephant should be). The auxillia unexpectedly won (or otherwise I would have got the dramatic "before and after" shots) and killed the elephant and even better in the elephant's retreat squashed a unit of knights, ow. This bought the Roman centre some more precious time (see the resulting disposition below):


The phalanxes again were winning (in the sense of a grinding push back back) but at the same time were putting themselves in losing positions when the legion surged back into the attack on its turn. So much so a Roman cavalry unit took its chance to sweep in from the side and compromise the integrity of the phalanx. Notice also the yawning clear space between the Seleucid pike blocks (see below):


Fate smiled once more upon the Romans and the Seleucid pike, again three layers worth , perished (see below):


Sensing the break point of the Seleucid Army approaching the Romans took advantage of poor Seleucid command PiPs roll leaving the phalanx still vulnerable. This time it was legionnaires on the flank making another "do or die" dilemma for the Seleucid (see below):  


Rome prevails in dramatic fashion, three more layers of pike are sent to Hades (see below):


That was enough for the Seleucid Army break point to be reached and the game had been snatched from the jaws of defeat by the plucky Republican Romans legionnaires.

I have not dwelt on the rules too much, as always there was "heated debate" it three, but that is best forgotten about as the search for a different set of ancient rules continues.

My vote is for Lost Battles.

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