WAB Greeks v. Macedonians

Yesterday Matt came over for a WAB game pitting his Greek army against my newly completed Macedonians. To help the Greeks counter the Macedonians' greater tactical flexibility, I placed several terrain obstacles around the table to restrict the Macedonian maneuver options. As things turned out, the battle separated into three distinct sectors.

On the Macedonian left, Greek hoplites and light cavalry screened the Macedonian heavy horse. Matt had a unit of light horse and a hoplite phalanx to counter the horse.

In the center, the Macedonian pike block would square off against the main Greek hoplite line.

On the right, my largest pike block and the hypaspists would face a Greek hoplite phalanx and the unit of Spartans Matt just finished painting.

Matt moved his phalanxes into the open ground between the terrain pieces. This way he could present a long line and keep me from hitting his flanks.

I moved a unit of skirmishers into the undefended woods. It took a long time to get them through the difficult terrain.

The two lines squared off in the center and on my left. Matt was using the terrain skillfully.

Then, unexpectedly, Matt attacked! The hoplite phalanxes crashed into my pikemen. By moving off the hill, Matt opened his flank to my companion cavalry.

At the same time, Matt's left advanced to meet my right in the bottleneck created by the edge of the forest and the edge of the table.

My skirmishers emerged from the woods to engage Matt's phalanx on its flank.

The initial round of fighting went very well for me. The companion cavalry destroyed one phalanx, and my pikes held.

Things went less well on my right. After the initial round of combat, both of my close order units fled, leaving my archers to bear the brunt of Matt's attack.

The second round of combat in the center was a disaster for me! All three of my pike blocks fled from the Greek phalanx. Fortunately the next turn Alexander was able to destroy the remaining Greek hoplites in the center.

On my left, the Thessalians and mercenary Greeks were able to first pin and then destroy another Greek phalanx.

With little Greek resistance left on my left and center, I was able to send the rallied pikemen and Alexander against the victorious Greeks on my right.

The battle ended with the Macedonian army pushing the Greeks off the table. It was an Macedonian victory, but the Greeks had their moments of success as well.