Pataliputra 319 BC - Command and Colors Ancients Game

 

Initial deployment from the Mauryan side

Initial deployment from the Nandan side

Mauryan elephants on the right flank

Nandan elephants attack Mauryan infantry

Last Sunday Rob, Gary, Rick and I met down at the Vikings Club in Lanyon for the Canberra Regional Wargames Group's monthly meeting. We played a Command and Colors Ancients game, the scenario was Pataliputra 319 BC, Mauryan Indians versus Nandan Indians. We diced for sides, Gary and Rick commanded the Nandan forces, Rob and I commanded the Mauryan forces. The scenario had auxilia bow for both sides and these fought in combat as auxilia but used the shooting rules for regular bow infantry. We also increased the block sizes for elephants and heavy chariots from two to three to make them more resilient and the same as all cavalry units.The two sides were fairly evenly matched. 

The Nandans had a slight advantage in infantry, elephants and cavalry, while the Mauryans had a slight advantage in heavy chariots. The Mauryan side moved first and got off to a good start with some effective shooting from the light infantry and auxilia. The Nandans counter attacked the Mauryan infantry with their elephants. It all unravelled fairly quickly for the Nandans. A Clash of Shields card saw further casualties inflicted and soon all the Nandan elephants had been destroyed. They didn't have much luck with cards and dice and never really got on a roll. In the end the Mauryans won very easily 6-1 victory banners with the entire Nandan centre of infantry unused in the game.

Action on the Mauryan left flank

Mauryan shooting proves effective

All the Nandan elephants are destroyed

Last ditch effort with the Nandan light cavalry

Mauryans win easily 6-1

Maurayan versus Nandan Indian ADLG Game

 

Armies deployed

Opposite end

Maurayan right flank

Maurayan centre

Maurayan left flank

Nandan right flank

Nandan centre

Nandan left flank

Last Thursday afternoon Garry came over and we played a Maurayan versus Nandan Indian ADLG game out in the shed. The two armies were very similar, the main difference being two units of Maurayan guardsmen, while the Nandan infantry were all mixed units of swordsmen and archers. I commanded the Nandan army who were the attackers and wasted no time in charging on both flanks. In the centre the infantry held off and tried to take advantage of their superior fire power. It was quite a hard fought and close game right until the final turn, when the Nandan right flank was destroyed and the infantry collapsed in the centre.

Nandan right flank charges

Left flank does the same

Infantry in the centre hold off and fire

Nandan right flank is under pressure

Maurayan heavy chariots pursue

Nandan right flank is in tatters

Nandan army breaks

Gandhara 304 BC - Command & Colors Ancients

 

 Seleucids on the right, Indians on the left

Opposite end

Indians play a heavy troops card

Chandragupta leads his elephants in attack

Indian Heavy Chariots

More Indian elephants on the left flank

Last Sunday I played a solo Command and Colors Ancients (CCA) game out in the shed. The scenario was Gandhara 304 BC with the Early Seleucids under Seleucus taking on the Mauryan Indians under Chandragupta. This turned out to be a really one sided game, as the Indians never really got going. They had consistently poor cards and dice, while the elephants, light and heavy chariots were very brittle with only two blocks each. The Seleucids on the other hand had good cards and a counter attack and double time card allowed their pike to wreak havoc in the centre. Chandragupta was killed and the Indians were thrashed 8-1 victory points by the Seleucids.

GMT Games are currently shipping Command and Colors Samurai Battles (CCSB), I should get it this week. I'm really looking forward to this as there are 40 scenarios. A pdf of the rules is already available:

https://www.gmtgames.com/p-724-commands-colors-samurai-battles.aspx

I've read them and they look really good, the Dragon cards and Honour and Fortune tokens really add an extra element to the game. I will just play this one with the blocks, as I have more than enough figures to paint as it is...

Seleucus advances with his Companions

Indians attack on the right flank

Indians retreat

Seleucids counter attack

A double time card - Seleucid pike wreak havoc

Seleucids thrash the Indians 8-1 victory points

Parthians versus Mauryan Indians Mortem et Gloriam Game

 

Parthians on the left, Indians on the right

Opposite side of the table

Indian right flank

Indian centre

Indian centre

Indian left flank

Parthian right flank

Parthian centre

Parthian left flank

Armies advance

Indian right flank

Last Friday afternoon I played a solo Parthians versus Mauryan Indians, Pacto sized Mortem et Gloriam (MeG) game out in the shed. I was a few bases short with the Parthian cataphracts, so used some of my Sassanids to make up numbers and used some Persians for the Parthian hillmen infantry. After some desultory shooting, the armies finally closed. The Parthian cataphracts proved to be effective and made short work of the Indian archers in the centre when they managed to get in a flank charge. The Indians soon broke providing the Parthians with an easy victory.

Armies close

Parthian right flank

Charges are declared

Indian cavalry charge

Parthian horse archers evade

Parthian cataphracts charge

Cataphracts charge flank of Indian archers

Side view from the Indian right flank

Indian left flank

Indian chariots pursue the horse archers

Indian army breaks