THE BATTLE OF PHARSALUS w/3D6 ANCIENTS (and BONUS 10mm Brandywine Photos)

My son and I played a refight of the Battle of Pharsalus (48 BC) using the rough order of battle from the Commands & Colors Ancients scenario and my recently drafted "3D6 Ancients". The ensuing hard-fought battle was enjoyed by all.  

Caesar's (red) and Pompey's (blue) Forces face off against each other.  We used the "One Hour Wargames" "Pitched Battle" scenario.  I let Andrew pick his side and he opted for the veteran-legionary heavy forces under Caesar!

It was great getting to put 3D6 Ancients through its paces and I still have some items to work out completely.  The hexes are a bit "fiddly" and brought up some interesting dilemmas that I wasn't crazy about but "went with it" in the spirit of wargaming with an 8 year old!  This was also an opportunity to play on my newly constructed 4" wooden hexes which were purchased off Amazon (and which I painted and flocked).

hexes painted and flocked for the occasion!

Andrew picking his move - Red forces move first.  The game took a little while to get going as it was tough to explain the hex-facing concept with him but he mostly got the hang of it.

Caesar's veterans moved forward slowly and deliberately.

Legionary Heavy Infantry and Auxilia - up to the task!

In all the excitement I ended up losing track of taking pictures but I did introduce some excitement with the initiative roll which Andrew did NOT like because he was the red player!  I stole the initiative from him on turn 4 only to have it stolen back on turn 5!  Andrew moved up his Legions on his left against my Auxilia and also battled against my cavalry close to his start line.  A nasty scrum was developing on Pompey's left - just as in the real battle!

Note the pile of units attacking each other on the left in the photo.  Any red dice are hits.  The rolling for retreat (thank you, Peter from Grid Based Wargaming) turned out to add a VERY fun element of tension to the game.  For the first 6 turns, the only hits on the morale clock were against Pompey.

To remember where the combats were taking place, we moved the attacking unit slightly over the edge into the enemy hex.  Here in the picture, blue Auxilia commanded by me fight against Andrew, er, Caesar's veteran legions.  Andrew kept TWO entire legions in reserve!  I couldn't believe the boy's discipline.  

Fighting along the line now as one of Caesar's legions pushes into the blue line.  Note the cavalry fighting in the upper left.  Andrew opted to make his cavalry "veterans" AND he placed Caesar with them!!!

I finally started putting some morale points onto Andrew's forces but to his credit he was NOT rash.  Instead he deliberately moved forward, only committing where he had good confidence in victory.  

Clash of Cavalry!  Note Caesar with the cavalry in the center of the photo.

My cavalry charging into Caesar's light troops (actually gallic bowmen...oh well!)

Unfortunately to get the number of units we needed, I had to split up the units into only 2 stands each, rather than 4.  The game looks MUCH better with 4 stand units!

Caesar pressing his advantage against Pompey.

Hard fighting on the right as Pompey's auxilia start to take lots of casualties.  Some untimely morale failures on Pompey's right would lead to a disaster - opening a gaping hole in the line!

One of Pompey's Auxilia fails its morale check and falls back!  A legionary heavy infantry gladly steps in to occupy the hex!

The first breakthrough - but by no means the last!

Bad news - by turn 5 I am already down 10 on the morale clock and Andrew (Caesar) is only down 1.  My total morale points were 24 to Caesar's 22.  You lose morale points through retreating from morale checks, or having units destroyed.

A nasty swirling fight.  Andrew throwing his cavalry and Caeasr forward, despite the danger to Caesar.  Meanwhile, Pompey is personally leading a unit of Heavy Legionaries forward!  When Andrew realizes we check for leader casualties every time a "1" is rolled, all arrows start to fly towards that blue Legionary unit w/Pompey attached.

Pompey's Auxilia pinning and flanking a unit of Caesar's heavy legionaries!  THey would go on to destroy this unit!  High honors indeed!

You can start to make out the battle devolving into a fight on the left and right.  The flanks start sucking troops out from the center.

Trying to put the hurt on one of Andrew's legionary units here.  

Next Andrew (Caesar) goes to over run my archers with his Auxilia.  He says "I dont think your archers fight very well unless theyre shooting arrows".  So proud of him :)

Note the cavalry in the upper-middle of the photo - starting 

One of Caesar's heavy infantry units going in for the kill - ends up missing big time!  Whew!  My hard-pressed Auxilia live for another turn!

The fighting on the right is bitter - but Pompey knows the fighting on the left will decide the battle - nay - the war!  I am eventually able to destroy Andrew's legion trapped in this hex - but it's not easy!

Pompey's attack breaks down on the left as Caesar commits his reserve legions to the battle!

Another unit of Auxilia close to breaking

It's turn 8 and Andrew is down to 10 left on his morale clock (22-12=10) and I am down to 9 (24-15=9).  Yikes!  The Red D10 indicates Caesar still has the initiative!

casualties so far.  Andrew has lost his veteran cavalry and 2 legionary units.  I've lost 1 cavalry unit, 2 auxilia, and 1 heavy legionary unit.

He looks to be having a good time I would say?

Andrew realizes I'm 2 away from my breakpoint and is fighting like hell to get me to retreat or to destroy units.  Turn 11 becomes a rout and unit after unit is destroyed.

ANdrew going for the kill now.  NOte on the left his legionary infantry assaulting Pompey and his veterans in the flank!

Caesar STILL has fresh legions!

Andrew goes to kill an auxilia unit

And wins the game!!!!!!! Pompey was last seen fleeing toward the kitchen!

I have some thoughts on the battle and the rules.  There are some obvious benefits to playing with hexes, and maybe some not-so-obvious drawbacks I'll discuss in a future post.  This was a very fun game with plenty of dramatic reversals of fortune on both sides.  Andrew played a very good game and I'm proud of him.  Honestly it was not hard coaching him to make good moves - although some of the more complicated concepts took a few minutes for him to get the hang of (push moves, facing a hex corner, etc) but overall he had a blast, and I did NOT go easy on him!  

By game's end, Andrew was still about 4 or 5 points from breaking although with the timing and the initiative changing, that could have gone either way.  He had a good turn where he wiped out something like 3 units in rapid succession.

I am not happy with some of the movement options and some silly things that happened moving through ZOCs.  As I see it - I could go in 2 directions here with loose restrictions like Commands and Colors, or keeping tighter restrictions.  Movement really needs to feel ponderous I think, and so I'm not sure if I'm inclined to lighten the restrictions *however* combat "inside" the hex might be a bit too restrictive and perhaps battling an adjacent hex is better?  Much to think about here and again I will post my thoughts on this soon.

If you made it this far - congratulations!  Your reward is feasting your eyes on an OUTSTANDING Brandywine game from Friday night at my friend Brian's house.  Brian always puts on an excellent game, usually from the "Commands and Colors" stable of rules.  Friday night we got to participate in a game of Brian's ongoing 1777 Philadelphia campaign.  We played Knyphausen's attack and I have to say while it was Knyphausen's attack, my Hessians really didn't do much attacking!  Here are some pics of Brian's C&C Tricorne setup with Kallistra and 10mm Pendraken figures:

The Battlefield from the right.  Hessians about to step off and facing American militia!  Knyphausen can't believe his incredible luck!

I am not sure if this could be CHadd's Ford or Dillworth or what.  When I attacked it I referred to it as "Gibraltar"....We eventually ejected these impudent American rebels - but at the cost of 3 British units.

I really like how Brian based his light troops.  Here they are relaxing on the left flank as we didn't have enough movement for them and the Guards and Grenadiers are busy fighting for their lives assaulting the Americans on higher ground.

The whole battlefield.  It was really spectacle playing on this "luxurious" table.

WSS British Infantry in the woods.  "Nobody expects the Spanish Succession!"

Our original plan was to work the flanks.  We ended up pushing hard in the center at the fords and pushed well into hte American line.

The Queen's Rangers!

Trying to keep the line together but it eventually broke down as we used "bayonet charge" after "bayonet charge" card.  I think we used 3 in a row in the center.  Time and again we pushed the Americans back, but back they came!

The village here was won, and lost, multiple times this game.

Hessians making S.....L......O......W progress at the ford.

I was happy getting to command the Hessians, even if they didn't do anything!

Finaly masters of the town.  We might have lost the battle but at least retained the town.  Our honor was spared this last indignity of being ejected from the town overlooking the ford.

So that is all!  Alot more gaming than I originally thought for this weekend and all was fun and REALLY just what I needed after this week and all the "goings on" at work.  That is about the most polite way I can say it as a us govt employee.  

I learned I need to paint more ancients up and probably get more hex-terrain built.  Expect a post on 3D6 ancients soon and the merits of combat-within-a-hex versus adjacent.  Hope everyone has a great week!