Pyrrhus and the phalanx question

 Having enjoyed fighting with Macedonian pike blocks again last week using the Three Ages of Rome rules, I decided to give them another outing at this week's Tuesday fight night but this time to pit them against Romans.  A check of the scenario for Heraclea - the first clash between the Roman Republic and the Macedonian like army of Pyrrhus of Epirus in 280 BC - found that I did not have enough Roman or Epirote units to be able to make use of that ready made set up.  Instead, opposing armies were drawn up from the list for Pyrrhus in the Age of Alexander supplement and the Age of Expansion Roman list.  For the latter there were no constraints as I had sufficient troops that could be rebased to meet requirements.  For Pyrrhus, though, not only do I not yet have suitable elephants but many of the phalangites that I have might look wonderful with their levelled sarissas but are not practical to use with the rule set.  When melées require base to base contact, how does one deal with a unit that has pikes sticking 2" clear of the base?  Doubtless there is an elegant solution but with little time to prepare I opted only to use figures from rear ranks rearranged onto unit trays suitable for the rules, which limited the number of pike blocks I could field to 5, one less than the maximum allowed to Pyrrhus under the army list.

Only being able to field 5 pike blocks slightly reduced the basic issue for successor armies, that pike blocks are powerful but cost more points each, so an army reaches its points limit with fewer units than most opponents - unless fighting other successors - and so has a narrower overall frontage.  How to deal with that, getting the phalanx into position where it can have maximum effect while protecting its flanks, is the question that the successor general has to answer. 

Looks fearsome but tricky to move around other troops : where do you measure from and how to avoid pikes breaking off!

The table for the game was 9' wide by 6' deep.  After dicing using the terrain generator, we ended with a field of battle that had a stream running from each short edge part way into the table, both ending in a small patch of marshland with about 3' of open ground between them. On one long side, three low hills were placed at roughly equal intervals, one in the gap between the streams, one having a small wood in front of it.  On the other side, a couple of patches of rough ground and a low hill lay behind one of the streams.  The terrain was set up in advance, not knowing which players would have which army, or what side they would choose to enter.

Also in advance, we sorted out the quality of generals and troops.  The Romans drew a politico as their overall commander, together with two ordinary subordinates and one heroic but weak willed subordinate.  Pyrrhus, aptly, rolled a 6 to be rated a hero but his two subordinates were both politicos.  For the troops, the Romans had two raw units of Hastati and veteran units of equites and Triarii.  The two units of Principes and three velites were trained.  Their allies had one veteran unit of light infantry.  All others were trained.  The Epirotes got one veteran pike block and a veteran heavy cavalry unit but then drew two raw pike blocks!  Not a good start for them, particularly given their poor subordinate commanders.

On Gareth's arrival, we drew for armies.  I found myself as Pyrrhus, facing Gareth in command of the Roman Legion, my son commanding the Italian allies.  After surveying the ground I decided to take the side of the table with the three low hills, to deny these to my enemy rather than hold them myself.  My plan was to advance as swiftly as my pike blocks would allow in the centre, seeking to break the enemy line there as quickly as possible and exploit a break through with my cavalry while the enemy wings were impeded by the more difficult terrain.  Would this be a good answer to the phalanx question?

The photograph above shows the position after the initial deployment phase.  Pyrrhus had secured one flank against the far end of the table with the cavalry wing that he commanded, supported by one unit of adaptable javelin armed infantry.  These faced off with a unit of allied light cavalry, also supported by an adaptable javelin infantry unit, sheltered behind the stream.   Next, facing the main Allied contingent of 4 massed infantry units - 3 in the first line, 1 behind - with 2 light infantry in front, the main Epirote phalanx block with two armoured and one unarmored units, together with two light units, was placed as far forward as possible.  Finally, two more pike blocks, both raw and unarmored, supported by a unit of slingers, a unit of armoured massed infantry and a light cavalry unit were placed further back.  These faced the junction between the allies and the Roman Legion.  The main part of the Legion, two armoured principes and two hastati units, were arrayed in a single line, with two velites units in front.  This already extended far beyond the end of the Epirote line and beyond that were the Equites, Triarii and another unit of velites.  Clearly the Romans were going for a blow against the Epirote flank, but would it be able to fall before the phalanx could hit the allies, given the rough ground and stream they would need to pass?

Battle began with both right wings advancing while the Allies adjusted their line to try to face the phalanx to best advantage.  For his part, Pyrrhus was already realising that he had not aligned his main phalanx well to begin with and would need to manoeuvre it into position, not the strong suit for this arm!

After turning, the phalanx is now being led forward by an ordinary unit, the veteran block that should have been leading now being to the rear.

As the Roman centre was not moving forward quickly, Pyrrhus brought forward his left flank command to prevent a gap opening up with the main phalanx that the enemy could exploit, although this would make his flank more vulnerable to Romans moving around on his left.

Pyrrhus decides not to try to attack across the stream but to position his cavalry where it can exploit a hoped for breakthrough by his phalanx against the allies.

The Roman commander quickly and confidently advances his wing while his allies brace for impact from the phalanx.

Crunch!  Two pike blocks go in agains the allies but the veterans are impeded by a light unit that fails to evade - and has hit the veterans with its javelins!

Mixed results for the phalanx.  One unit of Allied massed infantry is pushed back but the centre phalanx block is pushed back The veterans drive off the light infantry.  All units on both sides manage to clear disruption during the rally stage.

The second phalanx command is getting close to the Roman principes.

The Romans make a pinning attack with the main legion

and then throw the Equites against the Tarentine light cavalry as the Triarii move around the flank.

At the same time, Pyrrhus main phalanx launches another assault.

The Tarentines are routed by the Equites, but not before inflicted a disorder on the Equites, who proceed to make an uncontrolled pursuit and crash into the front of the massed infantry behind.

The Principes push back one raw pike block but the other stands firm!  In this fight, both sides took two hits in the melee and both failed to save them = draw.  Both units had formation commanders attached and both were wounded!

The main phalanx pushes back two of the allied units but fails to unsettle a third

Hastati come to support the equites against the armoured infantry protecting the flank of the phalanx while both units of principes attack the forward phalanx block.

The Allies have lost a unit to the veteran phalanx but make another attack to try to slow down the Epirotes.  This ends with two allied units attacking one pike block on one side while two pikes are in contact with the remaining allied unit, giving the phalanx a 6 to 2 dice advantage on this side vs a 4 to 3 advantage to the allies on the other.

The Epirote flank guard performs superbly, routing the equites and forcing the hastati to recoil.  But these heroics leave it threatened on both flanks as the adjacent pike block has finally given way to the principes.

In the centre, the great effort by the phalanx is a bust!  6 dice against the Italian allied unit fail to get a single hit!  The left end of the main phalanx loses its fight and recoils, as do Pyrrhus's javelins in their fight to cross the stream.  His only success is to clear off the Italian light cavalry while his own unit of lancers sits around idle!

The Triarii launch their attack, supported by velites and hastati.

The gallant flank guard are driven back by the attack and a unit of phalanx is broken by the principes

Time up for the Epirote left.  Their general is wounded and his command now has two points of fatigue = exhaustion and must withdraw.  With Pyrrhus having failed to perform on the right, all he can do is cover the retreat of his remnants.  Can the sarissa never win against the Legions?

The performance of the Epirote commander, Pyrrhus, was reprehensible.  His initial dispositions complicated his own plan of attack and in his handling of the elite cavalry wing he seemed to be channeling the spirit of Perseus of Macedon rather than the spirit of the eagle for which the soldiers of the historical Pyrrhus revered him.  That said, the game gave plenty of slings and arrows of outrageous fortune for both sides with improbable victories and defeats doled out fairly evenly.

I will make a fuller assessment of our experience playing with these rules after my son has refought the same battle with one of our friends from the Hong Kong Society of Wargamers.  He will take over command of Pyrrhus army, to see if he can find the answer to the phalanx question that eluded me.