Heraclea 280 BC - Strength and Honour Game

 

Roman and Epirote armies deployed
with the Siris River in the centre 

Opposite flank - Epirote skirmishers guard the ford

Pyrrhus' pike and Tarentine cavalry advance

Romans under Laevinus advance more haphazardly

Pyrrhus' reserve of elephants arrives on the table

Last Friday afternoon Rick, Garry and Robert came over and we played a Strength and Honour Game of Heraclea 280 BC out in the shed. The scenario was from Conquest: The Age of Alexander and Hannibal (pp.46-47) by Mark Backhouse. This is a supplement for his Strength and Honour rules published by Reisswitz Press and available as a pdf on the Too Fat Lardies' and Karwansaray websites. Rick commanded the Romans under Laevinus and Garry commanded the Epirotes under Pyrrhus. Robert and I watched the game and took photos. We were all pretty rusty with the rules as we haven't played them since earlier in the year. There were quite a few new rules too (pp.8-13), with the different troop types in the new supplement. 

The Agrianes were a tribe who formed elite skirmisher units in Macedonian armies, there's a typo in the supplement and these are spelt as Agrarians. Where the road crossed the Siris River there was a central ford of four squares width which counted as open terrain and most of the infantry combat occurred there. The Roman infantry crossed the river and got stuck in. The legions with Leves skirmish lines in tact were level pegging with the pike but once these were removed, they were down 3 to 4 in combat. The Professional Phalanx rules meant that a grind result for the pike became a push back result. It was tough going for the Romans and the setback cards steadily mounted. The Roman and Italian cavalry arrived as a flanking force on the Epirote right flank. Eventually Pyrrhus' elephants and skirmishers routed but Laevinus' Romans had reached army break point.

Roman and Italian cavalry arrive as a
flanking force on the Epirote right flank

Epirote skirmishers move to guard the flank

Romans cross the river and get stuck in

Allied Italian Legions, without access to the
central ford, are hampered by the river

Romans are pushed back over the river

Pyrrhus' elephants and skirmishers rout but
Laevinus' Romans have reached army break point