While rambling through the Web one day I found this:
"We recreate and analyze historical hoplite warfare including the battle of Leuktra by using the awesome new steam game "Totally Accurate Battle Simulator"! Game Trailer: ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OuKjxAvD6w Alpha Sign-up: http://landfall.se/totally-accurate-b... For documentaries on classical antiquity check out this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list..."
https://www.karwansaraypublishers.com/awblog/the-value-of-simulating-ancient-battles/
So I decided to play about ... with a lot of 28mm hoplies and complete a set of Warlord Games 28mm hoplites I had hidden in a box .. the result was a lot of lining up of 28mm hoplites in various formations (see below, Spartan hoplites four deep - seen enfilade):
A bunch of Greek (Spartan) boys in close shield wall self-protection mode (see below, seen head on - one long stretch of contiguous shields to pose and impenetrable wall - this is the Mortal Gods size of forces, although no peltasts in sight):
All my unpainted hoplites out on the table .. Athens (left) versus Sparta (right), with a few 'soft' slingers and 'peltasts' thrown in on the sides for goes measure - with an Athenian Strategos to the left hand side (see below, sorting out a dispute Ancient Greek style, Athens 4+ deep while Sparta is 3-4 deep):
Now pool all these troops side by side (thinking Platea) and you have a eight rank deep mass of hoplites (see below, which gives a totally different perspective to a line of battle from than a four figure wide stand of hoplites in DBA .. one deep - moving this about is going to be a bit of a pain):
Up close and personal - now that is going to be a very restricted view of the battle (see below, I also feared that they would fall over like dominoes - but they were quite solid and "locked together" - multi poses helping here):
Next steps .. a spray can of primer and a bucket of dipping wash!
