Jaxartes River 329 BC - Command and Colors Ancients

Saka deployed on the left, Macedonians on the right

Opposite end

Macedonian right flank with Companions led by Alexander

Macedonian centre

Macedonian left flank

Saka left flank

Saka centre

Saka right flank

View of the table from the Macedonian left flank

View of the table from the Saka left flank

Last Wednesday afternoon I played another solo Command and Colors Ancients (CCA) game out in the shed. The scenario was Jaxartes River with the Macedonians under Alexander taking on the Saka under Satraces. I made a few changes to the scenario making the Saka all light bow cavalry, except for one medium cavalry unit, Satraces' nobles, who were also bow armed. I also used the Parthian shot special rule introduced in Command and Colors Medieval (CCM) for light bow cavalry and the Saka medium cavalry were also able to use this when evading. 

This rule allows a unit to evade two hexes while firing with two dice and it can only be hit with the appropriate coloured dice ignoring all other results. The only change to the Macedonians was to allow the light cavalry Prodromoi to hit on swords as well, reflecting their use of the sarissa. Missile fire across the river was possible only for Alexander's catapults but troops crossing the river could fire and were targets themselves. 

In retrospect the Parthian shot rule was overly effective as the the Macedonians never managed to make any headway and a double flag dice result on the Prodromoi, a retreat of eight hexes and a casualty for every hex beyond the base line they were unable to retreat, seemed to typify their luck in the game. In the end the Saka slaughtered the Macedonians 7-2 victory points. This was a totally unexpected and rather unsatisfying game, given the complete reversal of the actual historical result. While the Parthian shot rule reflects the tactics of steppe nomad armies it may be better reduced to a single dice for CCA scenarios, as moving light bow cavalry normally shoot with only one dice anyway.

Macedonians attempt to cross the river in the centre

Macedonian javelinmen are forced to retreat

Macedonian pike cross in the centre with a double time card

Alexander launches an attack on the Macedonian right flank

Companions advance, Saka evade and cause heavy losses

Companions suffer under heavy bow fire

Casualties mount on the pike in the centre

Macedonian left flank launches an attack

Side view

Macedonians are destroyed or forced to retreat

Bolt-Shooting Torsion Catapults

Here are some bolt-shooting torsion catapults and crew that I've just finished painting. The three above all Vendel/Sgt Major figures and are early examples of oxybeles as illustrated in Duncan Head's WRG book Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars 359 BC to 146 BC (p.187). The one below is a later Hellenistic scorpion (p.188) with three crew and is by Relic Miniatures but doesn't seem to be on their website anymore, which is a pity. I will use all four for a Command and Colors Ancients (CCA) scenario of the Battle of Jaxartes River 329 BC, where Alexander used the catapults to provide covering fire for his troops, as they crossed the river and taught the Saka a lesson.