Alexander wins the day

Athens and Thebes have united to fight for Greek liberty against Philip of Macedon's growing power. The armies meet near Chaeronea.

Using ‘Alala! rules with the Macedonian modifications, we would soon see if they could succeed or would Philip manage to unite Greece under his control?

We set up according to the Chaeronea scenario on my website (free download). The heavy infantry on both sides were deployed on an open plain between the Kephisos river on the Greek right and the foothills of Mt Thurion on their left. The cavalry and skirmishers were deployed afterwards drawing cards to determine the order.

As the leaders were ordering their phalanxes and invoking the favour of the Gods, the skirmishers and light cavalry sought to gain supremacy on the flanks. A fierce skirmish developed across the Kephisos with the Macedonian peltasts getting badly shot up by the Greek archers as the cavalry on both sides became badly worn down. On the other flank the Macedonian psiloi kept to the foothills to avoid Greek cavalry but their javelin volleys were fairly ineffective.

With much better troops and more competent leaders the Macedonians were able to quickly raise their aggression and signalled the advance first. King Philip’s Agema and Hypaspists, supported by Companion cavalry quickly closed the ground separating the two armies to catch the Athenians at the halt. Although the odds were against them the Athenians managed to hold their ground.

Parmenion’s infantry advanced more slowly in the centre.

The Greeks gained an advantage in the centre when they played the Shame of Aidos card helpfully drawn by the Macedonians earlier.

This prevented Parmenion’s Thessalian hoplites from advancing to support his Pezhetairoi.

With more troops in combat the Greeks gained a slight ascendancy over the Macedonian phalanxes. One of the Theban phalanxes was then able to get around the flank of the Macedonians and charge into their flank

On the Macedonian left Alexander’s cavalry were faced with the formidable Theban hoplites. A frontal charge would be suicidal and for a while it looked as if young Alexander was stymied.

At this point Greek morale was high. The held the wings and had broken through the centre routing one of the Macedonian phalanxes.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, Alexander (not yet the Great) and the Macedonian cavalry as it turned out.

In a near replay of the historical battle the Greek success in the centre provided Alexander the target he needed. Leading his Companions from the front he charged into the rear of the Greek hoplites who had been pursuing the defeated Macedonian Pezhetairoi. The result was devastating and the Greeks were routed.

If this was not bad enough (for the Greeks), Philip’s Companions scattered the Hamippoi protecting the Greek left.

Philip’s Companions then wheeled around to hit the Athenian hoplites who were already struggling to hold their own against the Hypaspists. Chares, the Athenian commander was killed, his hoplites routed and the morale of the Athenian wing collapsed.

On the Greek right Alexander’s Thessalian cavalry drove off the supporting Greek cavalry to wind their way around the rear of the deep Theban phalanx. The Thebans turned their back ranks to face and thus avoided being charged in the rear. Cut off and isolated all they could do was to hold their ground and fight to the death as happened in the historical battle.

It was an exciting game. For a moment it looked as if the Greeks would win the day. It was the intervention of the Macedonian lance-armed cavalry that turned the tables. The mods for Macedonians in the appendix to the rules worked well and gave the right feel to the game and indeed a historical outcome.