DBA Version 3.0: Sparta v Argives (Part 2) The Replay

The Argive General is staring into an open "air gap" where some Spartans 'used to be'. The temptation is to rush forwards and 'massacre the helots' (5 v 2 factors) trying to get a 'quick double'. However clearer thinking held sway. Simply by holding the battle line in a solid formation the isolated Spartan hoplite to the right could alternatively be attacked (at 5 v 2 factors) with the naughty Psiloi 'closing the door' from the rear - meaning a 'push back' is turned into a kill. The hoard of helots are going "no place in particular fast" as my father used to say (see below):

With a terrible dice throw (in the circumstances) of three PiPs the Argive General can organise the right flank attack to his desires, but the left remains a tad perilous. He would much have preferred to see the left most hoplite expand out and the other Argive Psilio move into the rear of the Spartans. This however is the best he can make of his lot (see below)

The combat resulted in somewhat mixed outcomes. The hoplite trap was successfully sprung and a second stand of Spartan hoplites is lost (Argives 2 Spartans 0). The army count has now swung in teh Argives favour, 10 to 9 in hoplites (Spear) and 2 Psiloi to 1 Hoard. It is a case of making those numbers now count. Elsewhere the Spartans were generally pushed back on their left but bounced the Argives back on their right. One problem was noticed at this point, remembering "when" a flank element becomes eligible to "close the door" on an enemy stand. For ease, we called it when a stand starts a phase on an enemies flank. The Argive had two concerns, his far left was about to be turned and there is an isolated Argive hoplite unit which is vulnerable to a local Spartan counter attack in the right half of his attack. The Spartans are sure to take advantage of these circumstances (see below): 

As expected the Spartan "master" hits where it counts. The furthest right units flank as the battle line surges forward. On the left he is content to just attack in the one place he can win, no point endangering his helots. In ancients: "Fight with your best and don't fight where you don't have to" (see below):

However fickle fortune favours the Argives. They are just pushed back along the line which is a moral Argive victory. The Spartan King is wondering if he should have risked move by throwing a Spartan Spear far in the Argive rear (see below):

The situation is ripe for a decisive Argive attack bit a disastrous roll of 1 PiP means that the Argives are forced on the defensive. The final left-most Argive hoplite extends left to cover the Spartan hoplite threat anything else would leave the Spartans too much "low hanging fruit" to pick (see below): 

Next: The Spartan counter-attack!