The Battle of Pattala 326BC Alexander's Conquest of India

Some Rejects got together over the weekend for our first game of Macedonians verses Indians for what must be at least 15 years!!!

The Battle of Patalla 19th July 326 BC

otherwise known as

The Massacre of Patalla, depending on who you want to win?

A few days after the Battle of Hydaspes, Alexander has sent a large force to the city of Patalla, to  force the city to surrender to his authority. But the cities leaders have set up for battle outside the cities walls, ready for battle.

A view from our right

We drew out of the hat for sides, I was the Indian Commander (on our left) with Ian (centre) and Smiffy (right) as my 2 &3
The Macedonian Commander was John (their left), with Surj (their right) and BigLee (centre). Lee's posted a batrep about the game as well, clicky here!

And from the left

The Indian centre.

My Command on the left flank.

Smiffy held the city Pattala.

BigLee was in the centre, commanding the Macedonian and Greek phalanx's

In a rather strange move, Surj commanded their right flank with the armies best troops, 2 units of Macedonian Hypaspists, a Greek phalanx, a heavy and light bolt shooter and the Companion and Prodromoi Cavalry.

Sorry no pics of Commander John's troops, he held the left flank with mainly light troops, both foot and horse.

The killers!

Good grief these troops were good!

Ian's Heavy Chariot unit.

 Let the fun begin!

We had to throw for the Luck of the Gods

I failed and none of our troops could move until we gained the love of the Gods. Which I managed to do next turn.

Surj also failed the Gods test, so he couldn't move either. 

There's woes began here.

A couple of pics of my troops.

Lee was the first to take any casualties, from long range bow fire, which was insanely good?

Ian moved closer to the Macedonians, to get into a better range.

With Suj not moving I turned my infantry and aimed them towards the centre, to add my 

fire to Lee's troops in the centre. While the rest of my men moved forward.

Lee's right hand phalanx takes half....yes half casualties. I shot at him with 2 Indian infantry units

that were armed with Bow and a 2-Handed cutting weapon.

16 figures fired in each unit and I needed 4 or under on a D20!!

Which was gonna make it hard for them as Ian had 4 of the same units defending the hill.

Poor John's Thracian Peltast refused to move for the first 3 turns. He'd set them up

out of command range, so each turn they had to throw his morale to move.....which he didn't!

Contractual shot of the Evil one...

Surg still hasn't moved...... and I'm getting closer.

We were very quickly whittling away at the Phalanx's

Lee's right hand phalanx was destroyed, John made the mistake of moving too far forward

so Ian turned his chariots on their flank.

This could be messy???

The look on their faces says it all?

I even felt sorry for them? 

Ian was very happy

John was not!

Ian charged the Greek Peltast...

Surj was finally able to move and I did the dirty and reveled our hidden Cavalry.

I turned my Elephants to shoot at the Greek Phalanx and at Surj's Prodromoi

with devastating results. 

The charge on the flank had left Lee, no choice, he had to turn 1 of his Macedonian Phalanxes, to protect his flank.

Meanwhile we kept up a constant fire on the Phalanxes

Lee's Peltast were destroyed to the man, luckily for them Ian's charge was halted.

Surj had sat doing sod all for so long, when he could actually move he mucked it up big style.

But as I already felt their pain I let him off of his tit movement.

Which allowed him to move forward...at last!!

My first casualty of the day, 1 nellie bites the dust.

What a bloody mess!

Ian contacts the Macedonian Phalanx with his chariots, while be center is riddled with 

 with arrows again.

In a fit of excitement Smiffy move s his troops out of Pattala, 1 unit stays inside and shoots and destroys John Cavalry, on their left flank.

Why were they on the flank?

The Macedonians move forward again.....poor chaps!

Ouch!

Lee loses half his unit while Ian loses a chariot.

The game had to be called then, the Macedonian's had lost their left flank and their centre.

Only Surj's troops were left intact and battle ready.

The difference in casualties was crazy

I can't even be bothered to count theirs....

While we had.......3....

Lee took a pic of the winners, so I thought it only fitting to take a pic of the poor losers.

Conclusion

Postie needs to change the rules on this one. The Indians were unstoppable. Ian argued that their set-up was wrong. Which I tend to agree with, but I still don't think they stood a cat in hell's chance in this game. I'm sure they would agree??? Lee?