Cyrus loses and wins

Another cracking Battle Day put on by the Society of Ancients last weekend. The only downside was that it was held on the Sunday after the clocks went forward!

The battle was Cunaxa in which Cyrus, aided by 10,000 Greeks challenged his brother Artaxerxes for the Persian throne.

Our game was played with 20mm figures using Alala! rules. We concentrated the action on Cyrus’ right/Artaxerxes’ left given that the other wing saw little or no action in the historical battle.

Artaxerxes troops deployed with chariots in front of Gobyas’ infantry.

Artaxerxes sent them forward against Proxenus’ Greek mercenary hoplites. Despite careful devotion to the gods, the Greeks had not drawn an ‘open ranks’ card from the god pack before the chariots crashed home. The effect of the chariot charge was, however, minimal. The Greeks suffered some disruption and the chariots crashed on impact.

Cyrus had one chariot model (to Artaxerxes’ five). He sent it against Artaxerxes massed cavalry. It tore through the supporting takabara (peltasts) and then through the cavalry before crashing behind them. Artaxerxes had been hoping to advance quickly on his right flank with his superior numbers of cavalry to take out Cyrus’ bodyguards  but the chariot forced him to slow his advance to redress ranks before pushing on.

On the other flank, Episthenes took the initiative to lead his peltasts supported by Paphlagonian light cavalry against Tissaphernes. Some of the Greek peltasts were able to harass the flank of Arbaces’ Persian infantry but others were checked by Tissaphernes’ takabara.

When Tissaphernes signalled the advance his heavy cavalry broke through. Instead of turning back to hit the Greek rear, Tissaphernes’ men decided that it would be more fun to press on and loot the Greek camp (this being determined by a die roll).

In the centre Clearchus’ Greeks advanced against Arbaces’ Persians, taking fairly significant casualties from archery as they did. Clearchus was wounded in the arrow storm and when the lines clashed he was killed. This was down to the fates intervening or perhaps because Clearchus  used Ernie Fosker’s dice to determine the outcome — never a good plan!

Proxenus’ Greeks held back, redressing their ranks due to the effects of multiple chariot charges.

Taking the initiative, Gobryas advanced his Persian infantry against them.

When all the Greek and Persian infantry were engaged the Greeks began to take the ascendancy and the Persians were gradually pushed back.

Cyrus meanwhile advanced with his bodyguard to take on Artaxerxes’ massed cavalry. Although outnumbered the gods were clearly favouring Cyrus. His men rode through Artaxerxes’ cavalry and then pushed on to hit Gobryas’ infantry in the flank.

The shock of Cyrus’ charge pushed back Gobryas’ infantry but Cyrus’ casualties were mounting up. When Artaxerxes was able to turn his cavalry around to hit Cyrus in the rear it was not going to be pretty. Cyrus’ bodyguards were killed and Cyrus was captured.

Cyrus’s capture ended the game with a victory for Artaxerxes. However Cyrus (aka Dave Hollin) will go down in history for his valiant conduct. This was duly recognised by the Society of Ancients which awarded him a prize for the most valiant Persian of the day.

The full scenario for this game is avaliable as a free download from my website here. It also includes the amendements to Alala! for Persians.