One Hour Wargame - Ancients "Take II": Revenge of the Padawan

And so it came to pass that the little Padawan said "Master, that army had no archers, that is why it lost." The old Master looked up from his iPhone, "How so, my little joystick twiddling fiend, was not your advantage in cavalry sufficient enough?" "Pah! Horses are for girls .. give me an army with archers and I will show you how it is done, you old fool!" A raised eyebrow followed by silence .. "Here is your army master Robin Hood." (see below looking down from the Acropolis, Padawan on the left and Master on the right, that's [2 Horse, 3 Infantry and 1 Archer] versus [1 Horse, 4 Infantry, 1 Skirmisher]):

The Padawan moved his central infantry forward and flung both flanks of cavalry deep while leaving his precious archers on the hill (see below, the one cavalry of the master is with his skirmishers on "his" right): 

The Master in reply and refuses his left flank (see below, "let the unarmoured horse impale themselves on my spears" he thinks to himself): 

The Padawan continues his onward rush, contacting the Master's line of skirmishers [ow, that hurt] in front on his horse and he finally moves his archers off the his to support his slowly advancing infantry (see below, so far the Master thinks he is in control of the situation): 

The Master retires his skirmishers as they pass through his horse and charges in turn .. that why they can be the first to do damage in the cavalry battle, meanwhile he pushes forward with his infantry and angles them at a 45 degree incline (see below, the Master has sprung his trap .. or so he thinks): 

The young Padawan commits his cavalry to fight spears (not a good idea) and engages will some but not all of his infantry .. meanwhile the skirmishers have pulled back and the Master's cavalry are fighting well, he sits back contentedly (see below, take care for "hubris" is a Greek word): 

Thinking the old adage of "hitting first" is best the Masters takes the spear to the Padawan's last remaining un-engaged hoplite unit (see below, he senses no danger, but that does not mean there is not one): 

It is now the turn of the Padawan to smile (see below, to his horror the Master now sees a threat approaching, an group of archers and a hanging hoplite flank): 

Crunch-time (see below, archers are much more of a threat than skirmishers in these rules and they begin chewing the Master's hoplites):  

Casualties mount as most units are now "locked in melee" (see below, the red dice may look unsightly but they keep track of casualties, fifteen being the magic break point): 

The Master has the first successes (see below, the Padawan is now bereft of his cavalry): 

But the Master is soon to lose his first heavy hoplite infantry unit (see below, "pop" and teher is a big whole in the line ready to be exploited): 

The Master's skirmishers are out of position to intervene and the hoplite and archer combination works again to good affect (see below, once committed to fight the enemy hoplites the Master's hoplites have what you call "a hanging flank" the archers are all too keen to exploit) 

The Padawan succeeds in removing another hoplite unit (see below, top of the photo, but the victorious Padawan's hoplite unit has its own "hanging flank" exposed to enemy cavalry):  

Pop goes two "Padawan" heavy infantry units and he has a moment of crisis, but fleet of foot archers swing round to attack the victorious but battered hoplites of the Master (see below, desperate times call for desperate measures):  

Before the Master's cavalry can intervene both hoplite phalanx of the Master crumbles, in desperation the Master chargers home with his battered cavalry (see below, the Master's skirmishers have been laggards and have not made their presence felt for over half the game - an oversight): 

Although taking damage the Padawan's archers are winning (see below, the skirmishers again are "out of it" when they should at least be "doing something"):

Alas the Master's brave cavalry fall and with it last hope of winning (see below, two units to one is a foregone conclusion and despite their javelins taking a few last hoplites down the skirmishers are about to "run for the hills"):  

It all end horribly for the skirmishers or rather the game mechanics perhaps reflecting the "goodnight and thanks for all the fish" fleeing skirmisher monologue (see below, game - set - match to the Padawan): 

And so it ends and a stillness descends on the battlefield. "Well done Padawan", said the former Master, "You have shown an old dog a new trick, or rather that no one is immune to a temptation of a short-term advantage that turns into a long-term disadvantage! You have learned well!" He bows, "Now tell me more about your Geography homework!" (see below, not much remains of both armies but the Padawan has the field, if not a completed Geography assignment): 

As per the Abba song, "The Winner Takes It All"! The Padawan has undone his Master ;)