Armati - Macedonian Successors vs Republican Romans

As there is only a week until Christmas we decided not to begin our new campaign (ECW) until after the festivities are over. As one of the members has just completed a Successor army (Antigonus one-eye) we decided to give them an outing and pit them against my Republican Romans.

The Antigonid army has a hard-core of pikemen supported by elephants, heavy cavalry, and several units of light infantry. They deployed with most of the cavalry on their right, supported by elephants and skirmishers. The refused left was held by light infantry with a central cavalry reserve

Antigoids right flank attack

The central pike phalanx

Peltasts covering the left

The Roman's are a more workman-like outfit with mostly heavy infantry supported by a few cavalry and skirmishers. The cavalry deployed to the left with the elite Triarii on the right.

Roman left - all horse

Roman centre with the Triarii on the right

Both sides had a similar plan with an attack on their own right flank whilst hoping to refuse their left. As the deployment screens were removed it looked like Antigonus would have the better of things with the elephants well placed to disrupt the Roman horse and open-up the whole of the flank. So the Successors pressed forward across the line trying to close the gap on their right flank.

The grand phalanx will advance

Skirmishers cover some scary looking elephants 

Spikey!

Flank attack pushes forward

For their part the Roman's sensed their best hope was an infantry grind and flanking manoeuvre by the fast-moving Triarii so they too pressed ahead. As the lines clashed initial honours went to the Romans as they started to inflict damage on the Macedonians right.

Heavy metal collides

Predictably through the Successor elephants and horse began to push through the Roman cavalry, who resisted stoutly in what would be a lost cause.

Roman horse in a pickle

Stomp stomp

As things looked bleak for the Romans they finally managed to get the Triarii into position on their own right flank and executed a smart turn to attack the end of the Successors lines.

Heavies get to the dirty work

The open Successor flank

Hampered by their pikes the Successors heavy foot were easy meat for the Triarii who rolled-up the line just before the Macedonian cavalry and elephants would attack the vulnerable Roman flank. So a 4-3 win to the Romans in a tense game that could have gone either way.  

Triarii roll-up the line

Elephants poised to intervene but too late

The Roman flanking move was an Armati classic but it was actually the Roman cavalry who made this possible by hang-on a little longer than predicted and the early success enjoyed in the heavy infantry clash which weakened the pikemen.

Told you the omens were bad...