Successor Kingdoms Fight
My thanks to Tom P for the following report on a game that took place at his house in early April 2025.
My thanks to Tom P for the following report on a game that took place at his house in early April 2025.
In this game two Alexandrian successors meet, both with the same mix of units.
Cassander’s forces deploy on the left side of the table with their phalanx deployed in the centre with javelin armed skirmishers to the front. The Companion Cavalry were deployed on the left and their peltasts positioned to move up to the cultivated area. The Greek cavalry were deployed on the right of the phalanx also deploying their peltasts to move through the cultivated area. Lysimachus matched this deployment but with his javelin armed skirmishers guarding the flanks of the phalanx.
Cassander plan was to move his phalanx and cavalry between the two cultivated areas with the peltasts protecting the flanks and to use the mounted troops to strip the flanking units from the opponent's phalanx .
Lysimachus plan was to hold the centre and send his cavalry in a wide sweep round each flank leaving the peltasts to guard the flanks of the phalanx.
Cassander gets the first move sending his flanking units forward rapidly as the phalanx moves slowly forward. Over the following moves Cassander's cavalry manages to force back Lysimachus’ troops covering the flank of his phalanx, allowing the Companions to charge the flanking unit on the right of the phalanx, fixing it in place. The unit holds but suffers heavy casualties as it is fixed against the other units in the phalanx and unable fall back.
As Cassander’s phalanx closes in on the opposing phalanx, the Greek cavalry clears the way and Cassander’s peltasts charge the left hand side of the enemy phalanx. At the same time he manages to move his remaining unengaged peltasts to the rear of the phalanx to block Lysimachus' mounted units arriving from their flanking movements.
In the last move Lysimachus’ phalanx begins to be pushed back as it is attacked frontally and on both flanks. The game ends when Lysimachus, in the confusion of the melee, is hit, leaving the phalanx leaderless and unable to rally.