Here come the Spartans!

 

A game of 'Alala!' was fought at the Hong Kong Society of Wargamers new venue today, pitching my Spartans in their first outing under these rules against their Theban foes, led by George, a newcomer to 'Alala!'.  Each side had six units of Hoplites and six of psiloi.  The table was a simple level plain with some patches of rough ground on either flank.  The Spartans had one 'A' class hoplite unit and 2 'B' class, forming one phalanx under the Spartan general.  Their allies had three 'C' class units in one phalanx under their own general.  There were four Theban hoplite units, two 'B' class, two 'C' class, forming one phalanx.  Their two allied hoplite units were both 'C' class and had their own general.  Rolling for officer quality gave the Theban commander 4 command points while their allied commander only got 2.  The Spartan leader got 3 while their allied commander got a 5, which lifted my spirits greatly.

When it came to rolling for deployment, once again we got a very lopsided result.  I had to deploy the whole of my army before George had put out 3 of his units!  As the roll was a simple one of high numbers = Theban, low = Spartan, this was not a problem with the rules, just one of those odd results that the dice can present you with.

Spartan army deployment looking from their left.  Four of their six psiloi units are in rough ground closest to the camera.  Beyond them the three units of the allied phalanx are in line set back slightly compared with the three units of the Spartan phalanx to their right.  Beyond the Spartan phalanx, again in some rough ground, are the remaining two units of psiloi.

In reply the Thebans had deployed with three units of psiloi on each flank.  In the centre, the four Theban hoplite units formed up in deep order - each pair of units having one 'B' and one 'C' class, giving each deep unit a 'B' rating.  To the left of the Theban mass, the allied phalanx was deployed in line.

Looking from behind the Spartan line.  The two rightmost units in the Spartan phalanx are opposite the Theban allies.  The left end unit of the Spartan phalanx (only partly visible in the picture) faces the centre right block of Thebans.

In the first turn, the Spartans won the initiative.  They used their command points to increase the aggression level of hoplite units.  In response, the Thebans immediately ordered their whole hoplite line to advance!  The Theban commander had sufficient surplus points to also raise the aggression level of one of his deep units.  The allied commander, with only two points, could not match him but with his 'C' class units now in motion he would be able to raise their aggression more easily in the coming turns - needing only two points to do so instead of 3 if not moving.  The psiloi on the Spartan right held back while the light troops on the Theban side opposite advanced.  On the other wing, the light troops on both sides advanced.  In the hoplite move phase, the Spartans did not move, being under control and not having ordered an advance.  The Thebans surged forward, each phalanx using two dice to advance and both rolling a 5 on one of the dice, so incurring a point of disorder due to the rapidity of their advance.  This would reduce their combat effectiveness unless they halted to redress ranks.

The end of turn 1.  On the left side, the Spartan phalanx line has not moved while their light troops in the foreground are advancing towards the Theban lights who they outnumber.  The Theban central mass has advanced but has been outstripped by their allies who are clearly eager to get to grips with the hated Spartans.

Turn 3, midway through.   In turn 2, the Thebans had again advanced but more sedately, not incurring further disorder.  The outnumbered Spartan psiloi on the far flank had advanced and shot but failed to do much harm, allowing the Thebans to destroy one of their two units in return fire.  The Spartan and allied hoplites remained still, using command points to pump up aggression.  Their remaining light troops had advanced patchily and again done little damage, but return fire from the Thebans had caused little harm either.  Getting the initiative on turn 3, the Spartan commanders ordered an advance, aiming to get the charge advantage.  The Spartan phalanx  failed to get 5 or more on its movement rolls, so while it had reached charge range it could only walk into contact, not charge home.  Just after the picture was taken, the allied phalanx also failed to get a 5 on its movement and were left out of charge range from the Thebans.  

First clash.  The Spartans in the foreground suffer a setback against the Theban allies while the elite Spartan unit beyond them only gets an inconclusive result against the other allied unit.  A poor start for Sparta!

In the next turn, the Spartans and their allies again can only walk into contact with the massive Theban column.

In a hard struggle, the Spartan allies, whose aggression has reached eager level and who have flank support secure an advantage against the Thebans.  Beyond them, the Spartans get an inconclusive result in their fight - but take an extra casualty as the enemy general is with the unit facing them

To the right of the Spartan line, the Theban psiloi have destroyed the last of the Spartan light troops but are not moving fast to get on the rear of the Spartan phalanx.

Spartan prowess begins to assert itself as the commander's elite unit gets a significant victory over the second allied unit which falls back 9", retreating as quickly as it had advanced.  The Spartans decide not to follow up but to support their friends on the right, who manage to hold their position in an inconclusive result with their opponents.

Determined to show their own quality, the Spartan allies push back the Thebans facing them, who retreat 7".  The eager allies fail a control test and have to pursue, but only move 6" in pursuit and fail to inflict more damage on the enemy.  The Spartans facing the Thebans again have an inconclusive result.

In the following turn, the psiloi on the Spartan left have destroyed their Theban opponents but only one of the four units manages to move towards the Theban centre.  Even worse, the two allied hoplite units on the left are now out of control range of their general, have to test for movement separately, and fail to act!

The Spartans are in trouble.  Both ends of their line are again pushed back and are taking heavy casualties, leaving their commander in the centre with his elite unit isolated but not under immediate threat.  In the foreground, the battered Spartan line is saved by the Thebans getting a dismal pursuit roll and failing to make contact again.

One more turn and the Spartan's right most unit, attacked in front by the allied hoplites and in the rear by archers, collapses and leaves the fight (I forgot that hoplite units are not removed outright when they have taken over 12 casualties, simply reduced to Shaken status).  The Spartan elite in the centre has advanced and destroyed the Theban allied unit facing it.

In the centre the Thebans have broken another of the Spartan units, but the Spartan allies are on the verge of routing the other Theban deep column, which has almost been driven off the table.

An overview of the closing stage of the battle.  The remaining Thebans, who began on the left of the picture are now all on the upper right.  The surviving Spartan elite unit is on the upper left, about to turn to face the foe again.  The victorious Spartan allied unit has already turned while the other two allied hoplite units and their light troops are trying to bring themselves into position to threaten the Thebans surviving column.

At this point, George decided that with his remaining allied hoplite unit only just above the 50% casualty mark that would reduce it to shaken, and the Thebans not unscathed from their fight, trying to take on four enemy hoplite units and masses of psiloi was not a sensible course of action.  Instead, his men would advance off the field, covered by their remaining light troops, leaving the ground to the enemy but taking the kudos of having dealt the Spartans a nasty blow.

Alala! again delivered a swift and exciting game.  Whether George would have done better to have waited to build up his aggression levels before advancing is uncertain.  It may well have conceded more advantage to the Spartans in allowing them time to both raise their own aggression and start moving and improve their chance of charging into combat.  Both sides saw a fair share of good and bad fortune with the dice and we went without any intervention from the gods as George forfeited any chance to draw cards by ordering an advance on the first turn while the rapidity of the Theban advance left me no time to give command points to the chances of drawing from the god pack.