John Graham-Leigh, the Editor of Slingshot, wanted to re-fight the same battle using as many different wargames rules as possible, so that readers could compare the way that each set played.  He refought the battle using DBM and Strategos;  other people used WAB and Ancient Warfare.  I, naturally, used Vis Bellica:  and here is the article that appeared...

Cynoscphalae, the “Dog’s Head”, is one of my favourite battles. 

I love the idea of the first big, set-piece clash between the close order infantry armies of Rome and Macedon taking place on the worst terrain this side of Jupiter, and the fact that the outcome was decided not through a general’s tactics and strategy, or luck, but by the initiative of a single Centurion.  Co-incidentally, I’d also just had my Cynoscephalae scenario published in Wargames Illustrated, so had all the information needed easily to hand.

For the purposes of this piece, we re-fought the battle again in 15mm at correct figure scale with two players each side.  That gave each army about 1,100 points, or double the size of a usual evening’s game.  The players were familiar with the VB system, but weren’t told that they were re-fighting a specific battle.

The Sides

Army sheets and the exact forces used can be seen in the scenarios section of the VB website.

In summary, however, the Macedonians were divided into two divisions, each commanded by one player.  Each division had a large phalanx element, some peltasts and light troops, and a smattering of cavalry.  The first division, controlled by the player representing Philip V, was deliberately very large, and had a poor command ratio (i.e. officers to units):  the intention being to strain the command structure and therefore the player’s ability to issue tactical orders. 

The Romans were divided into two divisions of approximately equal size.  Both contained one Roman legion and a brigade of Italian allies.  The first also contained the Italian ally cavalry, the second also contained the Aegean allied phalanx.  Only the Aegeans were penalised for their “Allies” status.  The Romans had a nicely balanced command hierarchy.

Start Point

Although the game could have been fought from the initial encounter in the mist on the day before the main battle, I decided, because of its size, to re-fight only the main clash. Both sides would thus begin the game deployed in front of their respective camps, and would have an idea of what the other’s army contained.

Victory Conditions

Both sides were given the Hamburger Hill victory condition:  you won the game if you held the enemy’s camp for three turns.

Initial Deployment

All the players took one look at the terrain and went “yuck”! 

The Macedonians were particularly upset:  over half their army would automatically end each turn in disorder, requiring vital command points to re-order before returning to full effectiveness.  Still grumbling, the Macedonians placed their large division on the left, with the smaller one in front of their camp on the right.  Generously I decided not to impose a delay on the deployment of the smaller division:  Philip would have all his forces available throughout the battle.

The Romans were less worried.  Although their superiority in cavalry was negated, they were happy that their loose order Velites and Italian allies would greatly outclass the opposition’s light troops and peltasts.  Leaving their cavalry to act as a reserve and guard their camp, the Romans placed all their light and open order troops on the left, and squashed their legionaries and allied phalanx on the right opposite the best, or rather “least bad”, terrain on the ridge itself.

Both sides had therefore unconsciously mirrored history by splitting into two distinct forces because of the terrain.  The Macedonian players had repeated the actions of their historical counterparts.  The Romans, however, had gone for a different deployment.  They had mixed their commands to split their force into a solid column of close order troops, whose aim was to punch over the easiest part of the ridge, and a strong skirmishing and open order infantry force protecting their flank.

The Advance

Both sides now advanced:  skirmishers rushing quickly forward, followed by open order troops at a more measured pace, and followed by the close order troops toiling slowly up the ridge.

Opposite the Macedonian camp, the combined Roman lights and open order troops slammed into and quickly disposed of the smaller numbers of enemy light troops and cavalry facing them.  The Romans then stated their intention to change their orders from Attack to Retreat in order to draw the advancing Macedonian phalanx further into bad terrain before attempting to skirmish it to death whilst avoiding close combat.

Disaster.  The fact that the Romans had mixed their divisions meant that some officers were attempting to issue orders to units not directly under their command and/or to Allied troops, both things that costs extra command points in VB.  Only some of the Roman bases would retreat as desired:  the others would charge the phalanx!

After some consideration, the Romans decided to retreat their Velites and slingers, leaving their medium weight allies to be kebab-ed by the Macedonians.  The Italian Allies and Aegean peltasts charged forward, the phalanx charged back, and bloody carnage ensued.  As some of the pikemen were affected by the terrain, it took them a couple of turns of melee and casualties were slightly higher than expected, but the enemy were disposed of.  The phalanx halted to recover and re-order.

On the other side of the field, meanwhile, both sides had advanced to the centre of the ridge and then charged into each other with no time for the Macedonian light troops to fire more than one volley of arrows into the advancing legionaries.  This time the fight was a lot more even and a vast pushing match developed with neither side immediately gaining the advantage.

The Romans now had an important command decision:  where to commit their reserves.  Did they send them towards the re-forming phalanx on the left, or use them to break the deadlock on the right.  After some heated discussion, Attack orders were issued by Flaminius himself (the other officers being somewhat busy in combat): the cavalry would charge straight up the ridge into the main infantry combat.

Meanwhile the other Macedonian phalanx had moved off again, and was toiling over the terrain and curling towards the Roman camp. 

Who would arrive first?  The cavalry might tip the infantry combat the Romans’ way, but surely the Velites couldn’t hold up the phalanx for long enough for it to make a difference!

Up went the cavalry, down came the phalanx.  The Romans even moved Flaminius further downhill towards the cavalry so, they said, that he could personally lead the charge into the back of the main infantry combat.  The Macedonians lapped it up:  they couldn’t see any way that the Romans could stop them taking their camp before the rest of the battle was decided.

The Cynscephalae Manoeuvre

Suddenly the Romans announced that they wanted to change orders again:  cue puzzled looks from the Macedonians. 

This time there was no difficulty.  With Flaminius right where he needed to be to ensure that the right orders were issued, the Roman cavalry reserve changed direction and slammed back down the hill:  straight towards the exposed flank of the Macedonian phalanx!

With the Roman players crowing with delight, the cavalry hit the Macedonians and rode straight over them.  Caught on bad terrain, hit in the flank, damaged from a previous combat:  the phalanx literally ceased to exist!

As the cavalry mopped up the left flank, Flaminius now led the Velites back up towards the main infantry combat, still grinding away back on the right.  Their arrival tipped the balance towards the Romans, and the remaining Macedonians crumbled away.

Victory for Rome!

Aftermath

Both sides agreed that it had been a great battle, with the Macedonians admitting that they had been completely suckered by the Roman plan.

The Romans, for their part, admitted that it hadn’t really been a plan so much as an emergency tactic thought up on the spur of the moment as a last ditch attempt to save the day!

Their initial deployment, they said, had been a bad mistake:  they had underestimated the effect of mixing the two divisions together instead of sticking to the pre-set command structure.  They could also see how this was a good simulation of what might have happened, with one player comparing the situation to Isandlwana (Anglo-Zulu War, 1879) where it is said that quartermasters from one company of the British 24th Foot refused to issue ammunition to troops from another company of the same battalion despite desperate need.

Learning from their mistake, however, they had made sure that in the second phase of the battle the only officer who could affect all troops equally, the overall commander, Flaminius, was in the right place at the right time.  They also confessed that they had recognised the set-up as Cynocephalae right from the off (they’d both read my article!) and had been looking for the opportunity for an unexpected flank charge all through the battle.

In summary, once again the main challenge for both sides had been command. 

The Macedonians had used nearly all their command points each turn to make sure that their phalanx retained its order despite the rough terrain.  The Romans, on the other hand, more flexible in formation, had only been able to issue the orders that they wanted to when their deployment matched their command structure/hierarchy.

That’s Vis Bellica!

Back to Articles