15mm Battle of Magnesia

15mm TTS Battle of Magnesia Battle Report

What? Not another Magnesia battle report? Yes, I'm afraid so. How can you not renact a smaller Roman army facing 32 deep pike phalanxes, armoured elephants and scythed chariots? For this battle we based our deployment on Bar Kochva's deployment (below).

            (After Bar Kochva (1976) The Seleucid Army)

Here is how the armies looked when deployed:

The Roman Republican army resting it's left flank on the river, while the Italian cavalry and Pergamene allies hold the right flank.

On the opposite side is the huge mass of Seleucid troops (above). Below is the left flank of the Roman army with a Latin Legion next to the river and a Roman legion next to that.

The Roman centre, comprising of a mirror image, Roman legion, with a Latin legion next to it (Above).. The Roman right flank, with Italian cavalry and Pergamene allies (below).

The Seleucid left flank, consisting of Dahae horse archers, Argyraspides and Antiochus III leading his cataphracts (below).

The Seleucid centre - a very deep pike phalanx with elephants in it;s intervals. On the flanks of the phalanx are small units of Galatian warriors and some Kappadokian loose formation infantry on the left flank of the phalanx (below).

The Seleucid left flank, consisting of Companion cavalry led by Seleucus, Cataphracts, Galatian cavalry and Tarantine light cavalry. To the front are Scythed chariots screened by poor quality light infantry (below).

Turn 1

The Romans march forward two boxes. 

The Roman cavalry on the right flank move forward (below).

 The Roman army moves forward with the far left Latin legion further in front of the rest of the army.

Turn 1

Seleucids:

Right flank – The Cyrtian slingers shoot and hit on a 9. The Velites need a 7 to save and draw a 5. They are destroyed (below). First blood to the Seleucids. The Romans lose one Victory medal. The Cyrtian slingers and horse archers shoot at the Latin legion and both miss.

The Seleucid centre grinds forward.

 

Left flank

The red scythed chariot charges and hits the Cretans who fail to evade. The scythed chariot fails to hit the Cretans. The Cretans then manage to evade The Pergamene lancers also evade. 

Turn 2

Roman right flank – The Cretan archers shoot and hit the red scythed chariot. The red scythed chariot fails and is destroyed (below). The chariot rampages and ends up in an empty square before being removed. 

The Cretans shoot and hit the Elymaian archers drawing a 9, who save on a 9.

The Trallian slingers (7) shoot and miss (7) (below).

 The Italian heavy cavalry charge through the Trallian slingers. The Elymaian archers evade and the Scythed chariot countercharges. Both the heavy cavalry and the chariot fail to hit each other.

 

The other right Italian heavy cavalry charge the Seleucid light infantry who fail to evade, The Italian heavy cavalry hit (4, 8) once. the Seleucid light infantry archers fail to save (8) and are destroyed.

The Italian heavy cavalry follow through onto a scythed chariot and hit (10). The Scythed chariot fails to save (6) and is destroyed – one Victory medal is lost. The Pergamene lancers (6) move diagonally and then one square forward then try to charge (Ace), but fail.

In the centre, the Velites move forward – one unit shoots and misses, then fails to shoot (below).

A Roman legion moves (8) and charges (9), catching the Elymaian archers (4). The Romans get one hit (5,10) and archers save (9) and then manage to evade.

 

 The Roman legion follows through onto the cataphracts and hit (7). The cataphracts fail their save (Ace) and become disordered and then fail to hit back (Ace), but the second attack using a lance hits the legion. The Roman legion fails (5) to save and also becomes disordered.

Turn 2:

Seleucid right flank:
The Argyraspides charge (6) and miss (5).

The Agema and general activate (5) but fail to rally (4). Argyraspides try to charge but fail (2).

Seleucid far left flank

The Seleucid cataphracts charge (4) the Latin heavy cavalry who manage to evade (5) (below).  

The purple scythed chariot charges three times. The Cretan archers manage to evade twice but not the third. The scythed chariot hits twice (10, 9) and the Cretans save twice (7,8) and then manage to evade. The Tarantine light cavalry activate (9) and shoot at the Pergamene lancers and miss (5).The Galatian cavalry do not activate (Ace).

Seleucid Centre:

Latin Velites evade, but are caught (3) by the combined Seleucid phalanx and elephants. The Seleucid phalanx and elephant hits once (8, 5). The velites save one (10) but are destroyed on a 2.

The Seleucid phalanx and elephant continue and charge again at the Latin legion doing one hit (Phalanx = 8, elephant = Ace). The Latin legion saves (10). The Seleucid phalanx and elephant to the right charge (6) and catch the Velites (4). The elephants hit once (8) and the Seleucid phalanx hits twice (8, 9). Velites save all three (7, 7, 9) and then manage to evade back. The same phalanx and elephant charge (8) again against the Roman Legion and fail to hit (2, 4). The hero is used (5) and still fails to hit the Roman legion. The Cappadocian and Galatian infantry try to activate to charge (Ace) but fail.

Turn 3:

Roman Republicans:

The Pergamene lancers charge (9) and the Tarantine light cavalry evade (8). The Italian heavy cavalry try to activate to shoot the blue scythed chariot (Ace) and fails.

The right Latin legion activates (2) and throws their pila and hitting (10) then fail to hit in hand-to-hand combat (3) and replaced twice as accompanied by a Great general (4, 6), so two hits. The elephant (Ace) is destroyed (The rampage has no effect) and the phalanx fails (Ace, 4). The phalanx fights back (5) to no effect. The Romans charge in again (10) and hit (9) the phalanx, which is destroyed (4). The legion tries to turn on the flank of the other phalanx but fails (2).

The left Latin legion charges (3) the Argyraspides, throwing their pila (3) to no effect and then hit in hand-to-hand combat (6). The Argyraspides (4) become disordered. The left Roman legion activates to charge (5) but miss (2), then commits the hero (9) hits. The Agema Cataphracts save (7) and so does Antiochus (5).

Turn 3:

Seleucid left flank:

The Seleucid cataphracts try to charge (Ace) and become disordered.

Seleucid Centre:

The Seleucid pike phalanx and elephant charge (8) and hit (6, 6) twice. The legion fails both saves (5, 2) and is destroyed (below). The Mysian light javelinmen and Cyrtian slingers shoot and miss the Latin legion. The Cappadocians (9) charge the Pergamene peltasts and hit (6). The Peltasts fail their save (3) and when fighting back, fail to hit (2).

Seleucid Right flank:

The Argyraspides activate (2) and rally (10). They then charged the Latin legion and fail to hit (4), so use their hero and hit (10), but the legion saves (10). The Agema cataphracts activate (5) and rally (9). The Agema cataphracts charge (7) and hit (8), but the legion saves (6).

Turn 4:

Romans right flank:

The Pergamene lancers charge (5) the Tarantine light cavalry, who fail to evade (4). The Pergamene lancers hit once (10, 3, 2) but the Tarantines save (10). The Latin heavy cavalry charge the blue scythed chariot again and activate (3) and hit (7), but the chariot saves (8). The chariot fights back and hits (10) the heavy cavalry, but the heavy cavalry save (9).

One Seleucid scythed chariot managed to chase the Cretan archers to their table edge!

The far left Latin heavy cavalry activate to shoot (5) and hit (9) and the Seleucid cataphracts fail to save (Ace) and are destroyed.

The Pergamene lancers activate (8) and charge the Tarantine light cavalry, who once again fail to evade (3) and are hit (10). This time, the Tarantine light cavalry (5) are destroyed.

The Latin legion charge the Argyraspides (10) and throw their pila (2) to no effect, but manage to hit in hand-to-hand combat (8) and the Argyraspides fail to save (Ace), but still manage to hit back (10). The legion fails to save (4), so both units become disordered.

The left Roman legion activates (3) and manages to rally (8), then charges (4) the Agema cataphracts but fail to hit (5). Antiochus at the head of the Agema cataphracts hit back (7), but the legion saves (9).

The Triarii of the left Roman legion turn (5) on the flank of the Seleucid pike phalanx and charge (10) inflicting (5, 6) one hit. The phalanx successfully saves (8), but the elephant (3) is destroyed (below).

The Triarii of the left Latin legion try to charge the Dahae horse archers, but fail (Ace).

Below, the Argyraspides and cataphracts are bogged down in a slogging match.

The right Latin legion charge (10) the Cyrtian slingers who fail to escape (2). The legion hit twice (8, 6). The slingers fail (4) and are destroyed. The Right hand Latin Triarii try to turn on the flank of the Seleucid phalanx but fail (6) as they had already moved forward on a 6.

Turn 4:

Seleucid right flank:

The Agema cataphracts try to charge (Ace and Ace) but fail and become disordered. 

The Seleucid pike phalanx charges (7) and hits (7) but the Triarii (9) save. The Kappadokian and Galatian infantry charge (8) and hit (8). The Pergamene peltasts fail to save (5) and are destroyed.

Turn 5:

Roman Republicans:

The Pergemene lancers turn towards the Seleucid baggage camp. The left unit of Latin heavy cavalry activate (6) to shoot (8) and destroy the blue scythed chariot (2).

The far left Triarii charge (10) and the Dahae horse archers fail to evade (2). The Triarii get one hit (4, 7) and the Dahae horse archers save (8) (below).

Turn 5:

Seleucid left flank:

The Companions, led  by Seleucus, charge (3) and inflict a hit (5,6) on the Latin heavy cavalry, who save (9) and successfully hit back (9). The Companions fail to save (5) and are destroyed, but Seleucus (6) manages to survive and join the Galatian cavalry – The Seleucid left flank is now demoralised. The left flank Elymaian archers shoot twice and achieve one hit, which the Latin heavy cavalry fail and become disordered.

Turn 6:

Roman right flank:

The Pergamene lancers move towards the Seleucid baggage camp. The legion with the Senior general turn and charge the Mysian light javelinmen, who unable to evade, are destroyed.

Roman left flank:

The far-left Latin legion activates (9) and miss (4), but the general allows a replay (7) and hit. The Argyraspides fail (Ace) and are now double disordered.

The Triarii charge into the flank of the Seleucid pike phalanx and hit, making it double disordered.

The far left Triarii charge the Dahae horse archers twice and they flee off table, thereby removing the final Seleucid victory medal. A Roman victory, but a very close-run thing. The Seleucids were quite fortunate that neither their elephants or chariots rampaged into their own troops when destroyed. Once the battle had broken up into a more disjointed affair, the Triarii were able to position themselves into some very useful positions, either chasing away horse archers or moving onto the flanks of the Seleucid phalangites.