Just an explanatory note; our group long ago adopted certain "alternate methodologies" when playing WRG Ancients. Frankly we abhor book-keeping so we began substituting a "saving throw" rather than carrying over fractional casualties. As, under the rules, each figure represents twenty real soldiers we decided that we would roll a D20 against any fractional remainders after the whole figures had been removed. An example would be a unit suffering 35 casualties would have one figure removed (twenty soldiers) and then roll a D20 against the remainder of fifteen. A score of sixteen or higher and the figure stays with no fractional accounting, if the result of the die roll is fifteen or less the model is removed. This can lead to some unpredictable results but we had always considered that casualty generation under WRG was far too predictable (and everyone finds my ability to roll one less than the needed number to save quite amusing). The other thing we did was to discard written orders and just announce general orders to the opposing player at the beginning of the game; "This lot will skirmish forward" or "The main line will advance and engage the enemy" and trust that our opponent will cleave unto their orders honestly (and who would care to game with someone that isn't honest?). This has worked admirably in speeding play and getting rid of tortuously-written standing orders loaded with conditional circumstances.
This time around Anton had 19 scouting points and I had 14 so no one was outscouted and we both followed the rules and deployed our armies from our own right to left. Below is initial deployments.
Anton's army is from left to right as follows.
18 x Gallic Cavalry, IRG B MC, JLS & Sh
16 x Legionares, REG C, HI, HTW & Sh
16 x Legionares, REG B, HI, HTW & Sh
16 x Legionares, REG C, HI, HTW & Sh
CinC, HC, JLS & Sh, BG, REG A, HC, JLS & Sh w/PA standard
16 x Legionares, REG C, HI, HTW & Sh
16 x Legionares, REG C, HI, HTW & Sh
28 x Spanish Scutarii, IRG C, LMI, HTW & Sh
In Front 24 x Skirmishers, IRG C, LI, 1/2 S, 1/2 B
In Rear 16 x Legionares, REG B, HI, HTW & Sh
16 x Legionares, REG C, HI, HTW & Sh
24 x Immortals, REG A, HI, JLS, B, & Sh
24 x Persian Foot, IRG C, JLS, B, & Sh, 16 HI, 8 MI
38 x Assorted troops, 10 - IRG C, MI, 2HCW & LB
*13 - IRG C, LMI, JLS & Sh
*2 - IRG C, 4 Horse Heavy Chariots, 2W/JLS & driver
*1 - IRG B, 2 Horse Heavy Chariot, 1 w? LB, 1 w/JLS, driver
(The above is all one unit with a subgeneral, HC JLS & B, in command)
24 x Persian Foot, IRG C, JLS, B, & Sh, 16 HI, 8 MI
30 Phoenician Marines, IRG C, LMI, JLS & Sh
Rear rank 12 x Persian Cavalry, IRG B, HC, JLS & Sh
CinC, HC, JLS & B
24 x Immortals, REG A, HI, JLS, B, & Sh
On Turn One Anton's Army in general surged forward, although the units on his left held back a bit. I began redeploying my cavalry to my right. The resultant missile fire proved ineffective all around.
On turn Two my troops moved forward slightly on the left to bring Anton's cowards under fire. as Anton's troops continued to march forward. He also decided to redeploy his cavalry to his right. I realized that I was moving my cavalry out of position and had my CinC retrieve them and change their orders. My two units on the left began firing on Anton's two units on his left. My Persians on the right exchanged fire with Anton's skirmishers.
On turn Three my mixed chariot unit and the Phoenician Marines to their right both charged to drive off the skirmishers. The Chariots BARELY passed their morale test, and the Persians LMI going Impetuous. Anton's Spaniards also went impetuous so some carnage was about to take place on the right side of the battle field. My Phoenicians rolled Up Four and Anton's Spaniards rolled Up one resulting in Anton doing 150 casualties to my Persians and my Persians doing 225 casualties to Anton's Spaniards. Both units became "Shaken" due to the carnage" however my troops pushed Anton's back and maintain their impetuous status, while Anton's Spaniards lost theirs, this did not bode well for his troops the next turn. Anton's skirmishers evaded the charges My Chariots did not reach Anton's troops because Anton held his ground like a cowering dog. However my Persian infantry Anton's cowards chose to engage with who happily counter charged. Anton's evil plan worked well as his Legionares pushed back My Persians and my Chariot unit was now disordered when it contacted on turn four.
Turn Four saw my Chariots finally contact Anton's Legionares. Unfortunately in their disordered state the chariots were pushed back by the Unit on Anton's left, but pushed back Anton's unit on the right. Basically the Chariots did enough casualties to push one back, but not both. Anton's Legionares on the right pushed back my Persians a second time which broke them, but my Phoenicians pushed back Anton's Spaniards a second time which broke them. Meanwhile our rear rank troops began moving forward toward the appearing gaps in our respective lines.
Turn Five saw my Persian unit on the left go impetuous and charge Anton's left end Legionares. Unfortunately, Again Anton and I rolled fairly well and as a result Anton's unit on the right broke as did my Unit of Persians. In the melee my left side Persians shattered Anton's deleted, but brave Legionares. In the center Anton completed pushing my Chariot unit back a second time breaking it. Anton's Legionares on the right side of the battle pursued and caught my fleeing Persians just as my Phoenicians caught Anton's fleeing Spaniards.
Turn Six saw my cavalry redeploying to the left side of the battle field to counter Anton's Cavalry heading the same way. In the center Left Anton's two weakened units formed up to threaten my immortals on the left while my Immortals lined up on Anton's fresh Legionares. In the center I withdrew my Sub general from the remains of the Chariot unit (all Chariots were destroyed) to free him up to try and rally the broken Persians on the right as my second unit of Immortals advanced into the gap vacated by the Chariots. On the extreme right my Phoenicians once again caught up with the Spaniards at the edge of the village.
The Spaniards did not survive this last contact.
Turn Seven saw the game come crashing to a close for my army. My cavalry unit rolled a "4" for its morale test to actually charge Anton's cavalry unit and routed away instead leaving the Immortals alone on the left. As Anton's two Legionares units advanced on my second Immortals unit in the center. Meanwhile, Anton's Legionares on the right charged my reforming Persians and broke them once again. With only my two units of Immortals remaining and the badly out of position Phoenician Marines facing Anton's six units of Legionares in various states, the field was yielded by the Persians.
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