The Favour of the Gods

Going back to classical Greece we have just refought the Battle of Plataea (479 BC) with Alala! rules along with the Persian amendments developed for Cunaxa (available as a free download here).

After a night withdrawal that goes awry, the Greeks turn to face Mardonius’ advancing Persian army that is moving up to catch them. As dawn breaks the Athenians on the Greek left see Mardonius’ Boeotian allies bearing down on them. The hoplites have 2 Disorder Points on each unit representing the fact that their messy withdrawal has been interrupted.

As the Greeks redress their ranks and consult the gods, the Persians do the same as their men need to reform after crossing the Asopus river and sending out cavalry probes against the Greek lines.

The Theban Asopodoros sends his Boeotian and Saka cavalry forward with the intention of driving off the archers protecting the Athenian left. Mardonius does the same with his light cavalry on the other wing. There is lots of riding about and shooting but initially very few casualties are incurred on either side.

Artabazus in the Persian centre sends his two chariots forward. It is highly unlikely that the Persians had any chariots at Plataea but they were so much fun in our Cunaxa battles that I wanted to use them again.

The Greeks decide not to hold the high ground but rather to advance aggressively and bring the fight to the Persians. They are so keen on consulting the gods and encouraging their men that they do not bother to hold back a command point to control their troops. As a result some surge forward and others hold back. The same happens with several of the Theban and Persian units. This breaks up the lines on both sides.

The steady Spartans on the Greek right of course maintain their ranks and advance in good order as a single phalanx.

The Persian chariots crash into the Greeks as they are coming down from the hills. Hoping to intimidate the Greeks with the flashy paint work on the chariots, the Persians play a Nice Paint Job card.

The Greeks are, of course, unimpressed and counter by playing two Open Ranks cards they had obtained when consulting the gods earlier. The result being that the two chariots pass harmlessly through their ranks and crash in the Greek rear.

On the Persian right the Boeotian allied hoplites initially hold their own against the Athenian charge.

But Asopodoros is severely wounded leaving him with only 1 command point which means he can do little to boost his men’s morale other than to keep valiantly fighting in the front rank against the Athenian onslaught.

After much back and forth Asopodoros’ light cavalry drive off the Athenian archers and manoeuvre into a position to harass the enemy hoplites.

On the other flank Mardonius holds his Immortals steady against a charge by Spartan Perioikoi (non-citizens) and then drives them back.

Mardonius’s supporting levy spearmen do not fare so well. They are driven back shaken.

The back and forth on the Persian left now creates a gap for Mardonius’ cavalry to exploit. Riding around a unit of Spartan Perioikoi the Persians shower them with javelins, causing an impressive four casualties on four dice.

The Greek hoplites in the centre take a volley of archery from the Persian Sparabara as they close in. Thanks to a Heavy Armour card in their hand they do not suffer any casualties.

The left hand Persian unit is broken and another is pushed back but the units on the right manage to hold their own.

At this critical moment Mardonius’ cavalry come crashing into the rear of the Corinthians who are at the same time fighting against Persian infantry to their front. Will this swing the battle in the Persian favour?

Although well timed the cavalry charge is not enough. The Athenians have broken the Theban right wing and the Spartans have driven off all the Persian left wing light cavalry. With their centre hanging in the balance the Persians have no choice but to withdraw from the field.

It was a tightly fought game and great fun. The result was a near historical outcome but although the Persians lost the day they did better than Mardonius's men did in 479 BC.

All figures are 20mm Newline designs.