Spartans versus Athenians ADLG Game

View of the table from the Spartan lines

Side view

Both sides advance

Athenians and allies right flank

Athenians and allies centre

Spartans and allies right flank

Spartan centre

Spartans and allies left flank

Left flank charges

Spartans close in the centre

Last Sunday Craig, Garry, Rick, Gary and I met down at the Vikings Club and played a 200 point Spartans versus Athenians ADLG game. Craig and Garry commanded the Athenians and allies, while Rick and I commanded the Spartans and allies and Gary sat out the game as a spectator due to potential work commitments. This turned out to be a real thrashing for the Spartans due to consistently bad dice rolling and the Athenians suffered very few casualties at all.

Spartan right flank takes casualties from archers

Side view of the battle

Action in the centre

Athenian pig in a poke

Spartan left flank and centre

Spartan right flank starts to crumble 

Casualties mount in the centre

Athenian cavalry threaten the Spartan left flank

It's only a matter of time...

Spartan centre collapses

Spartan Hoplites

Here are some Wargames Foundy Spartan Hoplites that I've just finished painting. I think the musician figure is Gorgon Studios. Anyway they will see action tomorrow down at the Vikings Club as we have a Spartan versus Athenian hoplite bash lined up for the last club game of the year.

Early Seleucids versus Galatians DBA Game

Galatian attackers deployed

Seleucid defenders advance

Galatian warbands

I haven't played a DBA game for years but did pick up Version 3 when it came out about five years ago. Earlier today I played a solo game with my Early Seleucids versus the Galatians. Surprisingly, the Galatians won easily, destroying four Seleucid elements, without losing any casualties themselves. Lucky dice rolling and the fact that the Seleucid pike didn't get in combat at all, assisted the cause. It was fun to get my 15mm out and roll some dice, despite the long break in playing the rules.

Galatian cavalry and chariots force Seleucids to recoil

Seleucid light horse and elephant are destroyed

Galatians are victorious

Galatians

Galatian chariots (3 x LCh)

Galatian cavalry (2 x Cav)

Here are some 15mm Celts that I will use as a Galatian DBA army to fight my Early Seleucids. The figures are a mix of Xyston, Essex, Minifigs and Corvus Belli. Some of the shields have LBM and VVV transfers and the rest are hand painted. The stone huts and enclosure are by Blue Moon. Some of the photos I took didn't past muster, there are three warband elements missing, but you can see them in the back rank of the cropped group photo at the bottom.

The back drop photo was taken at Hattusa (modern Bogazkoy), the old Hittite capital, on our visit there in 2011. The Galatians settled in Central Anatolia in the first half of the third century BC, actually at this site. According to Jurgen Seeher in his guidebook, Hattusha Guide: A Day in the Hittite Capital (p.175.):

The site of Tavium near the village Buyuk Nefeskoy some 20km south of Bogazkoy became the seat of the Trokmer clan, who took the land around Hattusha/Bogazkoy under their control. Buyukkale once again became a fortified citadel, and a small village occupied part of what had been the Lower City. The painted pottery characteristic of the Galatians was recovered here, as well as vessels imported from the Hellenistic cities along the west coast.

Galatian warriors (6 x Wb)

Galatian archers and slingers (2 x Psiloi)

Galatian DBA army with options (16 elements)

Flavian versus Vitellian Early Imperial Roman Civil War Game

Vitellian (left) and Flavian (right) forces deployed

Opposite end of the table

Vitellian centre

Vitellian right flank

Vitellian left flank

Flavian left flank

Flavian centre

Flavian right flank

Earlier today Craig, Garry, Gary and I met down at the Vikings Club and played a 69 AD, Year of the Four Emperors, Roman Civil War ADLG game. Craig and Garry commanded the Vitellian forces while Gary and I commanded the Flavian forces. Both sides had 200 points and similar armies, and the game quickly became a protracted legionary slogging match.  The Flavian forces had the best of it at first but eventually suffered heavy casualties and were exhausted. In the end both sides became demoralised in the same turn, although the advantage was slightly in the Flavian forces favour, as the Vitellian centre was totally shot.

Flavian forces advance

Vitellian artillery delivers withering fire

Flavian right flank charges

Action in the centre

Flavian left flank closes

Side view of the battle

The Vitellian centre under pressure

Flavian auxiliaries about to cop a flank charge

Both sides are exhausted and demoralised

Varangian Guard

Here are some Varangian Guard that I've just finished painting for my Nikephorian Byzantine army. These are all Crusader Miniatures figures with LBM shield transfers. They are actually spearmen at the ready but I have added Gripping Beast two handed axes rather than spears.

Thessalian Light Cavalry

Here are some Thessalian Light Cavalry. These are Warlord Games figures that were originally by Immortal Miniatures. Thessaly was well known for its cavalry.

Macedonian Slingers

Well it's been very quiet on the gaming and painting front lately, two bouts of 'flu have seen me sidelined for most of the month. I have finished these Macedonian slingers armed with kestros or kestrospendone which were missiles briefly used by the Macedonians under Perseus. These missiles had a spear head attached to a wooden shaft with wooden flights and were shot from a sling with two thongs of unequal length. Xyston make some in 15mm. These 28mm figures were on a kickstarter a few years ago and at the same time I got some gastraphetes, Syracusan belly bowmen.


There are two new ancient skirmish rules coming out soon which looking interesting and may almost atone for the other disappointing sets which have been published this year. Clash of Spears will be released next month and the Too Fat Lardies' Disciplina et Virtus will probably be released next year, maybe in time for Salute?