1. Crunch!

Sassanid Persians vs Seleucids

2.  Seleucids vs Lysimachics

25mm Sassanid Persians from Vendel

Crunch!

Sassanid Persians vs Seleucids

This was a set piece battle fought on a plain dotted about with low hills (rough) and whose only significant terrain feature was a wood (difficult) mid-way across the battlefield just to the Sassanid left of the centre line.

Both sides were at approx. 550 points and fielded five brigades. 

The Sassanids had two brigades of four cataphract bases each; one brigade of ally horse archers; and two brigades of levy infantry.  Click here to download their army list.

The Seleucids had a brigade of four pike bases (two Veteran); a brigade of four heavy cavalry bases (two Companions); a brigade of reluctant Greeks (two peltasts, two hoplites); a brigade of skirmisher bowmen (three bases), and a final brigade of three Elephant bases.  Click here to download their army list.

The Seleucids set up first.  From left to right:  the Elephants, the cavalry, the pike and the Greek allies.  Significantly, the Greek allies were the other side of the central wood. 

The Sassanids placed their cataphracts in one huge line in the centre, opposite the enemy pike and horse; sent their horse archers to molest the Greeks;  and formed their levy troops up opposite the elephants on a hill.

The battle opened with both lines moving steadily towards each other.  On the other side of the wood, the horse archers moved quickly into bow range and began peppering the Greeks with arrows. 

Soon frustrated by their own lack of missile weapons, the Greeks charged the horse archers, causing them to evade out of range, but drawing the Greeks even further from the main action.  This pattern was repeated throughout the battle:  each time the Greeks tried to move back to the centre, the horse archers would turn round and snipe away at their flanks and rear.  Each time the Greeks charged, the nimble horse archers would spur their mounts away,  keeping double their number of points worth of enemy troops occupied for the entire battle. 

As a note, however, towards the end of the battle the horse archers were beginning to run out of room (the table top not being suited to an everlasting Crassus-in-Parthia kind of situation), and the Greeks starting to finger the edges of their swords and spears in an evil fashion as they gradually cornered their prey!

Meanwhile, in the centre, the two lines closed to charge range. 

The Sassanids had planned to charge the enemy cavalry and shoot their bows at the enemy pike - the rule that gives steady pike a x2 bonus for receiving cavalry at the halt fresh in their minds!  This all changed, however, when it became apparent that the Pike weren't going to hang around and be shot at.  Both lines declared a full charge on the other, and the sixteen bases came together in the centre with an almighty crunch! 

Questioned afterwards, the Seleucid commander confessed that in the heat of the moment he'd totally forgotten about the pike receiving at the halt bonus and was just keen to kebab the cataphracts as fast as possible.

The initial impact gave neither side a significant advantage:  casualties were not high enough (because all were either heavies or extraheavies) to break the losers of each of the eight melees, only to push them back and perhaps shake them.  It must be said that if anyone did have an advantage, it was the Sassanids:  the dice were rolling well for them at this stage.

Now the Seleucid plan became evident.  Up came their skirmishers, poised to charge into the melee next turn and surely turn the tide in the Seleucid favour.

Then, however, came officer casualties. 

Carnage!  Both of the Sassanid brigade Leaders were badly wounded, and the Sassanid CinC reduced down to one command point.  Matters were worse on the Seleucid side:  one Leader was killed outright, and the CinC wounded.  Most significantly, though, the horrendous death of the Seleucid pike Leader rendered two of their skirmisher support bases shaken:  they wouldn't be joining any melee next turn!

On the right, the elephants moved ponderously towards the Sassanid levy foot, who had moved slightly forward off the hill to protect the flank of the cataphract line.

Next turn the weight of the Sassanid extraheavy cavalry began to tell on the Seleucids.  The pike and horse, now short one Leader, began to fall back.  The situation was not helped by the fact that the Sassanid levy infantry managed to overwhelm the poor enemy elephants:  having them in their own army list, the Sassanids were able to deal with the enemy Nellies without too much difficulty.

Eventually, the Seleucid pike and horse began to break...and that was the end of the battle!

PS  I also used my new Vis Bellica Command Baton for the first time.  Fantastic stuff:  and I'm sure waving it around really de-moralised my opponent and brought me luck with the dice!

Robert Avery

Seleucids vs Lysimachics

This was our second battle using Vis Bellica, and was played at 500 points a side.

It was a very close battle, with a marginal victory eventually falling to the Lysimatic troops.

The battle opened with the Seleucid right wing (cavalry & elephants) destroying the  Lysimatic cavalry opposite them.

On the Seleucid left, however, Thracian forces returned the compliment, and then joined the pike battle in the centre of the field, leading to the Lysimatic victory.

Elephants had a major impact in influencing morale tests:  proving a good support for the Seleucid cavalry.

We like the rules:  they flow better than DBM.

Jonathan Philp