HAIL CAESAR 28MM GRECO-MACEDONIAN-PERSIAN WARS

This week we had arranged our  Hail Caesar Greek, Macedonian and Persian extravaganza.  Donald Adamson came up with the scenario, orders of battle and umpired whilst  Hugh Wilson  provided the venue and terrain.  Suzanne Wilson provided the welcome refreshments.

We used figures from the collections of Donald Adamson  and Dave O’Brien.  Dave provided the hoplites, Donald the Macedonian pike blocks and shared the cavalry Skirmishers and Persians.   The alluring temple maidens were definitely Dave's!  Angus Konstam, Martin Gibson and Colin Jack  played the Greco-Macedonian commanders whilst I was the General of the Persian Army with Dave O’Brien and Hugh Wilson in command of the Greek mercenaries.

The figures were all based on Impetus bases or else were put onto Impetus sized sabot bases.  As in our last game we decided that a 12cm wide Impetus base was a standard sized Hail Caesar unit.  The skirmishers were classed as small units.

Persian central divison...

Here is my briefing as General of the Persian Army.

The Temple of the Golden Virgin…..
Being an introductory Hail Caesar! scenario for six gentlemen set on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor, immediately prior to Alexander’s invasion.

General Briefing
The Macedonians have landed a force on the coast which is intended to seize the temple complex of the Golden Virgin which is just inland of the landing site. There are three passes from the coast to the temple, and the three Macedonian divisions manoeuvre to take these passes. Equally, there are three Persian divisions defending these passes. However, Greek mercenaries from Corinth, Athens and Sparta form a sizeable proportion of each force, and in moments of financial stringency at home, the Greeks may not be entirely trustworthy?
The Golden Virgin has great religious significance for the Aegean Greeks, and they are more than aware of the legend that when a barbarian from north of Greece makes love to her, then the Persian Empire shall fall. For this reason, there is a strong temple guard of Persians, plus the King of Kings is marching to save the Virgin. The Macedonian raiders have one day only to achieve their mission.


One of the Macedonian divisions

Player Briefing
Barius – Commander of the Persians and General of the central division.
Your task is to hold the barbarians away from the sacred temple complex. You have two units of temple guards (sparabara) plus a central division. If the Macedonians have not reached the complex by night-fall, then messengers tell you that the advance guards of the Great Army will be with you by morning. The central division has four units of bow-armed sparabara, four units of Persian medium cavalry, and one unit of skirmishers.
You also have a sizeable treasury and have offered a massive bribe to Trionidas of Sparta, who you know has little love for the Macedonians. As the day starts you do not know if the bribe has been accepted.

Companions charge sparabara...

How the game played
My bribe to Trionidas of Sparta (Angus) failed whilst the Macedonians successfully bribed by left flank Corinthian Division (Dave) to change sides.  Luckily Angus in his second move blundered with his cavalry and rolled 6 - a maximum charge.  Donald ruled that this meant he charged the Corinthian skirmishers who had just changed to his side.  This unfriendly action gave Angus no option but to accept my bribe and join me.

The battle was notable for the poor performance of my General who rolled double 6 and blundered and with his reroll blundered again!  My 4 units of Persian cavalry took on Daves  2 units of equivalent Corinthian cavalry and in the first round 3 of my units broke!  Whilst this disaster was unfolding my general had joined my sparabara in resisting an optimistic charge by the Macedonian companions and he was promptly cut down and slain.

Phalanx closes on Persian battleline....those are very long pikes

The Macedonian Phalanx charged my sparabara and after a heroic struggle broke all but one unit - these heroes were forced to give ground repeatedly and were pushed of the table shaken.  On the flanks the left flank Macedonian division (Colin) was held of by Hughs Athenian mercenary hoplites whilst on the other flank the Spartan and Corinthian hoplite phalanxes fought themselves to a standstill with both units in one drawn melee breaking and fleeing.  However any partial successes on the flanks were more than outweighed by the crushing of my division.

We were impressed again by the rules -  this was the first time that Angus, Colin or Dave had tried them - so our next big game in 2 weeks is going to be a follow-up Greek, Macedonian and Persian game.  So will the Great King arrive the next day?

Priestesses of the temple await the coming of the Macedonians...

More photos and descriptions at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157630233071832/