Battle of Stolos, 429BC - (II)

In our previous post we left the two armies just coming to grips as they advanced across the open plain toward the press of shield and spear. What fate would this day bring for the Athenian expeditionary army or their enemies? 

...read on...   

Epitasis - rising action

 ...and so we continue...

Stolosians rejoice! With the enemy commander slain and their hoplites rocked back on their heels, Margos is well pleased with his men's efforts.

Meanwhile back in the centre of the field Conan continues to fight with his lochoi against the Athenians to his front...

Margos with his men press forward whilst Conan and his epilektoi move forward of the main phalanx...the Olynthian commanders on the front foot! 

Ranged combat on the Olythian right results in some light infantry being scattered with the Athenian psiloi getting the better of the contest who have open ground in front of them...the Athenians would appear to be in the ascendant on the left wing in the battle of the ’lights’.

...a clearer view shows the vulnerable right flank of the Olynthian phalanx.

Realising that rallying and reordering the main batteline is the smart move, Conan orders his men to break off any further offensive movement, ordering a withdrawal and regroup back into the main battleline from which he can better command the forward movement of the phalanx as a unified whole.

...the Olynthian commander's line reestablished, his men not yet rallied (2 disorder markers).

Meanwhile the Stolosian Margos continues to drive on to the Athenian hoplitai to their front...one on one! They have 2 (of 3) hits and are close to breaking...

Stolosian vs Athenian...they battle it out but the Athenians refuse to break...

The Athenians before Margos’ withdrawal (a difficult manoeuvre) by successfully pulling back in the hope of recovering from disorder and reestablishing a battleline with the Euboeans to their left. 

In an attempt to unhinge the Athenian left wing the Thessalian cavalry charge the Greek cavalry but come off with a loss of their own.

In their botched attack the Thessalians were then assailed in flank by Athenian (mercenary) peltasts in the rough ground, resulting in the Thessalian horse being scattered...drachma well spent!

...as can be seen, the Athenian left flank skirmishers and cavalry have successfully driven off the Olynthian right wing support troops. The Scythian cavalry have judiciously pulled back behind the Euboean hoplites with only a lone Thessalian cavalry unit (purple cloaks) remaining to cover the Olynthian right wing. The Olynthian battleline is looking decidedly vulnerable.

...boldly, Athenian toxotes (archers) move forward to shower arrows down on the Thessalian horse who themselves make an initial timid approach toward outflanking the Athenian position.

...in response the Thessalians reposition to cover the phalanx right flank.

...whilst a stalemate of sorts exists on the opposite wing with the Stolosian hoplites facing off the Athenian hoplitai to their front.

Realising that the issue must now be decided, with both main phalanxes reordered, the order from both army leaders, Conan and Phalakos, is to advance!

Wide angle shows the Olynthian's right flank has been defeated by the Athenian left wing in the 'battle of the lights'.

Margos' Stolosians press forward on the left bringing up their lone reserve hoplite unit to form a stronger line with the main phalanx, under Conan, now advancing to battle with the Athenian/Euboeans to their front...the main clash will now decide the issue... 

...with a rousing speech...

"crush your enemies. See them driven before you…else you will hear the lamentations of our women…fight on!”

...Conan gives the order for the phalanx to advance.

...whilst the Stolosian left wing stalls in muted attacks confusion reigns on the Olynthian left wing. 

(the numbers show the high activation chits pulled aka resulting in limited attacks of the Stolosian hoplites).

Katastrophe

Panhellenic clash...Olynthian vs Euboean hoplites.

Attempting (another) flanking move with the Olynthian hoplites now having advanced forward the Thessalian cavalry move off.

...whilst the main lines clash. 

The Athenian (mercenary) peltasts cause not end of harm to the right wing Olynthian hoplites as they soften up the enemy before the main frontal attack - assailed from front and flank they are now close to breaking.

...and so it is! The first hoplite unit breaks...the (somewhat predictably) vulnerable right wing of the Olynthian line flees!

...with the victorious Euboean hoplitai unit pressing into the Olynthian phalanx line.

Whilst, in the centre, disaster strikes...Conan, at the head of his men also has his unit shattered by a ferocious attack by the enemy hoplites with his lochoi taking the final hit cracking the line...another unit gone!

Victory medals: Athenian = 9; Olynthian = 2!

...again, the victorious Euboeans press forward now splitting the Olynthian phalanx in two. Fortunately, Conan survived the fracas and joined the adjacent hoplite unit, extolling his men to fight on.

...with calamity alround Margos continues to slug it out on the left wing..still unable to strike that last killer blow against the Athenians to his front in an attempt to swing the battle in the Olynthian's favour.

...all action now focused on the hoplite clash all along the line...

Athenian vs Stolosian..both units fight hard, both disordered and unable to deliver that last hit to destroy their opposite number. Disorder and unit fatigue and losses (hits) have many units near break point.

Margos, still unable to break the Athenians to his front. 

(This Athenian hoplite unit simply refused to not pull a save chit every time it was hit..tough!)

Here you see the isolation of a lone Olynthian hoplite unit surrounded by the victorious Euboeans. If the Euboeans get their act together things look shaky for these men of Olynthus.

....and they do! Turning into the line the Euboean hoplites swing to their right and attempt to roll up the Olynthian phalanx...ahhh!

Whilst the Athenians and Stolosian attacks peter out as all eyes turn to the contest it the centre of the field...

Overview shows the Olynthian left wing holding on but unable to deliver a killer blow to make a breakthrough.

In the centre the Euboeans hoplites have cracked the Olynthian phalanx and are making attacks to front and flank with the right wing largely 'fought out' by this time..the cavalry flanking attempt now going nowhere toward success the Thessalian cavalry remains largely inactive at this point.

...battle pause...

The Olynthians activation chits all are so high they fail to energise their attack in their turn...a deadly delay temporarily passing the combat (activation) initiative to the Athenians who sense the Olynthian arete (will to fight aka victory medal loss) close to breaking all along the line.

What is apparent as you can see is how many hoplite units are close to breaking on both sides (yellow hit markers).

At this point the Athenians still had only lost 2 victory medals and the Olynthians 9. If they lose 5 more they lose ie only two hoplite units.

...again the attack falters (9-chits & 10-chit)

Margos, his hoplites close to break point get a reprieve as now the Athenian right wing fails an initial activation (the '1-chit').

...whilst the Euboean hoplites seek to roll up the Olynthian centre... 

...in a feeble gesture, the Thessalian horse move back toward the Euboean hoplites that have turned their back on them.

...with attention now refocused on the battle in the centre...the Euboeans for all their attacks have still not delivered the killer blow and have taken some hits themselves so the othismos (push) is still in the balance.

but no!...it is a Stolosian hoplitai which gives way, turning and running from the energised Euboean attack to their front. This calamity completely unhinges the Olynthian left wing...

Victory medals: Athenian = 12; Olynthian = 2!

...close to an Athenian clean(ish) sweep...

...so to the centre the decision must be reached...

...with the Athenian right wing holding on...just...

...in the centre, pressure from two Euboean hoplite units pushes an Olynthian hoplite unit to the brink, when out of the rough, comes the mercenary peltasts, attacking the Olynthians in rear in an attack that spreads panic in the ranks...run for your lives!...in the blink of an eye another Olynthian hoplite unit breaks.

...and with that the Olynthian arete is shattered (last two victory medals are surrendered) and the Olynthian battle line breaks in retreat…the Stolosians grudgingly still hanging on to the end, with only one unit defeated but the day is not theirs.

Nike to the Athenians! 

 

Denouement

Thus ended the clash in our mightiest hoplite encounter to date. The final battle score showed a decidedly lobsised victory to the Athenians but it was actually much closer than it seemed.

By the Athenian commander's own admission he 'pulled hot' today, consistently getting a run of 'save chit pulls' that prevented his units from breaking...the chit-pull gods be with you!

At game end the Athenian's had four hoplite units needing only 1 hit each to break...that would be 4x3+2 = 14 medals all up for grabs in any one turn the Olynthians were active and able to hold on...this situation existed for two to three turns but their faltering attacks (those high activation chit pulls) meant they just couldn't deliver.

On reflection, the idea of running an army (160pts) with two commanders caused the Olynthians to stumble at a couple of key moments. For armies this large three commanders would most definitely have been the better choice. With the ability of a leader to ‘Group Move’ essentially five (adjacent) units this meant a good balance is probably in the order of 1 commander per 5-6 units. Even though group moves are largely going to be used for troops moving in the open field this leader to unit ratio seems about right…Olynthians will remember for next time!

It was an epic game played out in about 1 hour for set up and 4 hours of play...a pretty big game but we stop to take pics, banter back and forth and so on...so probably a 3-4 hour game in total. Armies looked great and the rules delivered an excellent big battle feel to the encounter...worthy of its subject....like it was straight out of the pages of Thucydides!

In sum, the Olynthians almost pulled off a miraculous victory though it ultimately ended in a disastrous defeat...a hotly contested game exciting to the last chit pull...for the Athenian it was most decidedly a case of To the Strongest!

The final position of the armies at game end.

Two hit markers everywhere!

..and again...

...but it was the cunning rear attack by these guys that delivered the killer blow!