Sunday 17 February 2013

BBDBA Delium 424 BC (Peloponnesian War) Part 2

The opposing armies quickly close together.

The Thebans hold their position on the hill and the Athenians advance. On the Athenian left flank(see below top middle/left) the Athenian cavalry and supporting light troops position themselves to defend on the line of the river and protect the flank of their hoplite phalanx as the Theban right cavalry wing advances very aggressively. On the Athenian right (see below, bottom of the picture) both Thebans and Athenians draw their lights and mounted troops in to become the "end of their respective hoplite lines".


The battle on the Athenian left flank shapes up as "The battle of the fords". Each section of the river-line gives a random [to be diced for as encountered] defensive bonus, this section  going left to right gives [+0 (clear ford), +1 (defensive bank), +0 (clear ford)] (see below):


First blood to Thebes, as an Athenian psilio is lost to an unfavourable dice roll (see below):

Athenian Right Wing Losses: 0
Athenian Left Wing Losses: 1 (25% to Demoralisation)
Athenian Total Army Losses: 1 (As 12 is needed to "break" whole army, nothing "as yet" to worry about)


The Athenian's counter attack diverting an auxilla stand (4Ax) from assisting the main hoplite battle-line (see below):


The "fickle mistress of war" and "swing of fate" (in the guise of a d6) see the Theban psilio fall in battle (see below):

Theban Right Wing Losses:1 (25% to Demoralisation)
Theban Left Wing Losses: 0
Theban Total Army Losses: 1 (As 12 is needed to "break" whole army, nothing as yet" to worry about)


Meanwhile the battle lines are within spitting distance of each other. The Thebans aggressively come "off the hill", wanting to force the action in favour of of their perceived stronger right wing. The Thebans also seethe dangerous possibility of the Athenian right outflanking the Theban left wing (by sheer numbers there is at least a one stand overlap developing, see below bottom): 


The Athenians respond by cleverly contacting the Athenian right wing to the Theban left wing, but refuse and incline the Athenian left wing to the dangerous Theban right wing (and Pagadoras with his "deep phalanx"). Contact is made by only a few of the hoplite stands as the light forces find themselves just outside of range (see below): 


With the main event shaping up the Athenian pulls back his auxilla stand from "the battle of the fords". The next few rounds will determine the outcome of the battle.

2 comments:

Phil said...

Nice report!
Phil.

Geordie an Exiled FoG said...

Cheers Phil
The best is yet to come ;)