Marian Romans vs Early Seleucids

Usually I play Marian Romans using legionaries as RBdS. This game I wanted to try to use the army with all BdO. To add more interest to this test, I was going to face a Seleucid army heavy on pikes.

My list was: C1 CiC RCvO, 6 ICvO, 6 IPsS, 6 ILhO, 1 ElI; C2 SG RCvO, 16 RBdO; C3 SG RCvO, 8 RBdO, 6 IAxS, 4 RPsO; C4 6 RBgF

I defended but deployed and moved second. This gave me a good advantage on the left wing, where enemy cavalry was deployed

The battlefield was quite open, with a RH on the Seleucid right and two marshes protecing my flanks. Seleucid deployed an Lh and Cv wing on the left, then a 12PkO phalanx, 12 more Pk but superior, 3 El, 12 more PkO with light troops on the right.

Elephants in the middle of the phalanx, Magnesia Style.

I had the 3 legions in the center of my battle line with supported Cv and Lh on the left, and AxS on the right.

My left wing was much stronger than macedonian one.

On the first turn the phalanx rolled forward, spearheaded by the elephants

Seleucid phalanx side was protected on the left by the cavalry

Roman legions waited for the pikes charge, advancing just their cavalry to engage the enemy

Seleucid plan was simple: destroy the roman in an head on clash, sacrificing the cavalry to protect the flank and gain the needed time to burst in the center.

So the Seleucid player advanced the phalanx in my charge reach. Here you can see a shortcoming of both of us, neither had psiloi in support of the heavy infantry.

Some PsO would have given a huge advantage.

Roman charge on the left

In the center

And on the right. The attack on the phalanx was unsuccesful, while some losses were made to enemy cavalry

The white legion is pushed back by enemy

In the center I suffered some losses too engaging the PkS. Situation was critical because pikes in their bound would benefit from overlaps

Just my cavalry was succesful, mainly thanks to flank attacks

The enemy CiC, in true Alexander or Pyrrus style, countercharged. He can be seen on the right of the ElI

Along the rest of the line I took some casualties, but a lucky roll killed an El charging on some BdO of mine. The Ax danced back and forward. We both suffered from not having reserves behind them.

In the center I was losing the heavy infantry fight.

Then suddenly Crom struck (ok, Crom is not a Roman God, but they accepted everyone in their pantheon so...). The pictures is taken after the following Roman combat phase, showing the Seleucid CiC gone. A thunderbolt hit him (a 1-6 really). Seleucid left was half element away from being disheartened.

My center is hammered, as the picture shows after seleucid combat phase, and now is my turn to be 0,5 ME away from being disheartened

On the right I have lost half legion, while the Iberians are slowly winning the hide and seek combat in the pond.

With a desperate cavalry attack the Romans disheartened the seleucid left wing

Disheartened and without their general the seleucid could not exploit the gap in the roman line. The legions resisted the last enemy attack avoiding being disheartened themselves.

The Romans finally destroyed the enemy left wing

On the right too the seleucid suffered appalling losses. With one corps down and high losses everywhere the morale penalty transmission broke the successor army

Roman losses divided by corps. 10% down, 23-2.

A useful test. This time the legions, that charged first the enemy pike phalanx, lost the fight. The battle showed that psiloi support is a necessity for heavy infantry.

Before the contact I made room between my first and second Bd line, but the Pk pushed me back so hard that soon my legions were pressed and I couldn't manouver my reserves to plug the gaps. Another useful lesson.