
Originally Posted by
Long lost Caesar
Year 221 BC
Difficulty-Medium
Forces-Romani and Ptolemaioi
Commanders-Julius Cornelius Blasio (Romani) and Philometer (Ptolemaioi)
Romani forces-2 Galatian swordsmen, 6 hastati (camillan) 2 hoplitai, 2 toxotai, 2 hippeis, 1 equites consulares and 4 thracian spearmen (total of 3206 men)
Ptolemaioi forces-1 general, 3 mercenary phalanxes, 3 jewish spearmen, 1 la tene clet mercenary, 2 heavy cavalry, 5 galatian swordsmen, 2 elite phalanx (total of 2996 men)
Deployment
I (Romani) was on the defensive, so i put my infantry into two lines (excluding the galatians.) i put my infantry next to a cluster of trees, where i hid my galatians in order to cut off any flankers. my hippeis were both on the right flank, my general behind the main line and the archers inbetween the two infantry lines.
Philometer had his men in double lines as well, with his heavy cavalry (cant remember the name) headed for my 'hippeis flank' (the hippeis were all on my right flank) whilst his infatry kept coming in double lines. My archers opened fire, but against heavily armoured troops didnt do much good.
The lines clash
At first the Ptolemaioi infatry clashed on my front line, and it seemed I was holding out well. But then his heavy cavalry tried to flank the unit fighting on the far end of the Hippeis flank, so i counter attacked with my own cavalry, flanking his flankers. This, along with javelins, arrows, and their distance from their general, made the cavalry break rank and flee. I pulled my cavalry back to help fight the ptolemaioi infantry, and began a major encirclement, using most of my second line to hook around the back and surround the enemy.
Things on my left flank werent going so well. At first the galatians had surprised the celtic mercenaries and jews who seemed intent on flanking my lines, but by now they were bogged down by infantry, and philometer was hurtling his own cavalry into the flank. knowing that my galatians werent cut out to deal with cavalry i sent in the hoplitai in the reserve line. that, coupled with my men stabilising, was enough to hold the line, and eventually my men managed to drag philometer from his horse and kill him. Things were looking up.
But then the right flank began to crumble, 1, 2, 5, huge numbers of units were routing, infantry and cavalry alike. Realizing that my general was about to be trapped i moved him over to the left flank, leaving the few units on the right to their fate: i knew that i couldnt hold the entire line, and the left flank was stronger. eventually the forces were reduced to pathetically small numbers: my general had only 14 men in his bodyguard, the hoplitai were reduced to 30, the galatians were nearing 70 and the only other unit, thracian spearmen, were at 150. the ptolemaioi had 120 phalanx and 300 jewish spearmen. by luck, and my own skill, i managed to encircle the units one by one and rout them, distracting the incoming jews with my hoplitai. and finally we routed the entire army.
The only thing that salted my game was that the victorious army was later annhiliated. but all the same, a great victory, which saved greece.
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