Tactical stuff

some say that RTW is strategically just as deep as a shotglass..but that's not the reason why i started this topic.
i've got an (advanced~;) )tactical Q, to everybody.

this is teh scenario:
Seleucids vs ptolemoi. each side has 8 units of pikmen(equal quality)4 units of Cavalry(equal)and 1 unit of elephants(same quality) flat ground. ptolemoi defending. with their 8-pikemen in 1 strait line; 2 cav on each side. and elephants behind cav on the left(our/seleucids left)

What woudl be your tactic if you were the Seleucids?

Note:sides are equal strength. i chose for 'units' in stead of numbers to make it easier to divide contignents. this is not a historical scenario. just a question of tactics were you have "No advantage except tactics".

Whats the point of this exercise?

Whats the enemy formation? Its the key info for this battle becouse armys are identical. So we can only plan to take advantego of enemy formation.

well. i was hoping to see many new ways of taking advantage..i'll edit.


with the 2 cav+1 ellies on our left side. my strat would basically be:

Advance pikemen in echelon(most forward to the right. most back to the left) to make it harder for rthe ptolies to flank with their "strong side" i would place 3cav+1 ellies on my right (thus: versus 2 cav).

if everythign goes according to plan: my right flank will win (3 cav+ellies vs 2 cav) and the infantry lines will turn a bit so that the ptolies strong side will take more time/don't even flank. scetches coming up...
but i'm not that good in this type of stuff..that's why teh exercise~;)

plan: (note: the dots are cav..the big dot elephants. teh line is infantry)
https://img399.imageshack.us/img399/...tle16mr.th.png

https://img399.imageshack.us/img399/199/battle25fv.png

as you see: the enemy cav+ellies have an impossible choice:

-if they flank me on my left: my tiny portion of cav will hold them back a bit..maybe long enough for me to destroy their right flank.

-if they choose to take to wheel around to counter my large force. i might be able to rout their left-side with my tiny-cav-force.


OR: i'll take the fight to them. let both cav side attack teh infantry. if he decides to counter me on the left..it could be anybody's day...

BUT: altough this will probably be a win liek this..if the enemy chooses to take advantage of my weak cav-side..this is all screwed.

who was it that said "No plan ever survives contact with the enemy" ?

i dont know. but i like it!

I believe it was Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke.