Sassanid vs Early Macedonian Successor

Another game using Sassanids without an ILhS allied corps, just to test if an heavy version, with elephants and cataphtacts, and irregular generals can have a chance. This time I faced a macedonian successor. A lot of infantry, so being outmanouvered was not the main problem, the issue being smash through the enemy wall.

I attacked and tried to have an open battlefield. The macedonian was able to anchor both the flanks, so the battle would be an hard attritional fight. Sassanid elephants were deployed aiming at the spartan corps, the softer target (as soft can be a spartan hoplite)

The enemy artillery was immediately a nuisance, so the IAxS had the task to screen the cavalry and eventually eliminate it. The arab ally was unreliable, while the cataphracts reserve activation dice were very poor. I had not many choices except to roll forward, and the macedonians did the same.

The fighting was almost along all the battle line.

Sassanids started to eliminate some enemy elements and in a couple of turns were able to activate the arab corps. This was good, because the cataphracts keep rolling low pips and could not deploy in a combat line

The combat in the spartan sector was spectacular, with swing of luck in every bound. In the end the elephants stomped the spartans, being all killed by demoralized enemies. The Sassanid CiC corps was in danger, having also lost some ICvS to the pikes and being outflanked by enemy auxilia, enjoying the higher pip die

The dailami were real heroes, surviving disheartened for several bounds combats at 3-0 and 5-1 factors.

The warbands proved to be the weak link in the enemy formation, being often killed in their own bound, when persian S factor kicked in. The macedonian central corps, having the lowest pip die, often could not exploit all the overlap opportunity, nor restrain the WbS impetuosity. This on the long run helped the persians

In the very last bounds, also the cataphracts started to deliver some successful charges

Sassanid CiC corps broke, and so did the macedonian army. The unexpected hard resistance of the persian left wing let the rest of the sassanid army time to break the weakee enemy corps, with the PkS being invincible. 19-6 for the sassanid.

The battle was interesting because rarely I play a cavalry army engaging the enemy along all the front. Sassanid proved very tough, powerful and in this game also able to roll some hot dice. My plan proved too complicated to such a clumsy host, and this is the main problem I see using sassanid. Keep it as simple as possible.

The macedonians were impressive, a good army that I see balanced and fun if you like infantry.