Ptomelaic vs. Thessalians

Ryan is testing out several armies to help him decide on his first army purchase.  He wants a cavalry heavy force supported by heavy foot (Spears or Blades).  We used elements from other armies to pit the Later Thessalians (II/5d) against the Ptolemaic (II/20c) army.  This was also the first time I had played the recently painted Blades in my Morph Collection.

The Thessalians went on the defense, and Ryan placed a minimum amount of terrain.

Initial Deployment

I used the road to move my Pikes up faster, deploying them into double rows in Turn 2.  In Turn 3, my Light Horse faced off against two Cavalry.

 I lost the fight, and the Thessalians scored an early kill.  After this fight, his cavalry advanced and engaged my General Knight.  I recoiled, luckily, and then moved backward out of his ZOC, shifting my other Knight over to support.  Instead of pressing the attack, Ryan moved his Cavalry back to support the main line.

Lines prepare to Clash

One Cavalry element flanked the Pike as the battle lines engaged.  The lead Pike was destroyed, but the rest of the fights went in the favor of the Ptolemaic army in general.  The Elephant destroyed a spear (QK) as did a Blade element.

Main Battle - first Bout

 I rolled low PIPs, but I was able to close on both Cavalry with my Knights in the next turn, and move most of the main line back into contact, providing several overlaps.  The first mounted battle resulted in a Thessalian Cav recoil, but my General destroyed his opponent.  The supported Pikes also destroyed a Spear element, ending the game.

Final Losses:  Thessalians 4 (Cv, 3-Sp) & Ptolemaic 2 (LH, Pk)

We plan to mock up a T'ang Dynasty army, Mings, and Trojans in the near future for more testing.  Meanwhile, I have started work on my DBN elements again.  It will be a few months before I finish up enough Austrians and French for a game, but I am looking forward to it.