Chaeronea, 338 BC

While in Chicago, I got a chance to see how "To the Strongest" played.  I liked the system well enough that I picked up a mat with 4" squares from Cigar Box Battles.  Today I set up my Greek and Macedonian armies and took the rules for a spin!

Annie helped me set up

Annie surveys Philip's foot companions

The battlefield

I was impressed with how unobtrusive the squares really are.  My terrain fit the squares perfectly!  I am growing to like squares and hexes more and more.  The game just seems to move along more quickly when I don't have to worry about degrees of turn and fractions of inches of movement.

The armies close

"To the Strongest" uses playing cards to handle everything.  Movement is variable. You can keep moving your units until someone fails an activation!  It adds some nice randomness to the game.

The companion cavalry recoils

Units that have taken a hit have half their stands stepped back. Another hit and the unit lifts!  Combat is decisive and bloody.  The companion cavalry lasted only three turns before they fled the field.

Philip hold the Athenians

The Greek left disintigrates

Situation at game's end

The game was a nail biter.  Both units had lost 10 points and had a break point of 11.  The next to lose a unit would lose the game.  Thessalian cavalry rode down a Theban hoplite unit, which ended the game.

I am sure I did many things wrong on my first run through the rules, but I was able to finish the game without any real trouble.  It was nice to get my 15mm ancients on the table for the first time.  A couple more run throughs, and I will be ready to host a real game!