Marian Roman vs Later Achemenid Persian
Julius Caesar army met a later Achemenid Persian host in this battle. The Roman army was organized around a core of two legions, including the X Legio, and a large (for roman standards) cavalry arm. This is my list:
C1- Brilliant CiC Julius Caesar RCvO, 8 ICvO, 8 IPsS, 6 ILhO - 26ME
C2- SG RCvO, 8 RBdS - 24ME
C3- SG RCvO, 8 RBdO, 4 RPsO, 6 RAxS - 24ME
C4- 6 RBgO, 7 Baggage TF - 12ME
I attacked and put down two small difficult hill and a rough. I expected a larger enemy cavalry force, and tried to take advantage of my better infantry.
The battlefield was quite open, except on the left wing. My opponent deployed a rough hill in my central baseline and this let me plan a battle along a line of bad going for the cavalry. I deployed second and refused a frontal fight against the persian right wing that was very strong. Furthermore, looking at the clumsy heavy cavalry in it, I wanted to force it to manouver and expend pips. My plan was simple, send the legion in combat against enemy infantry and destroy everything I met, while skirmishing enemy cavalry.
Both armies had the high pip on the right. Persian wanted to manouver, while I expect a pip intensive manouver there. Unfortunately my first activation was 1,1 and 2 so my attack on the left started very slowly.
The initial turns wer devoted to the manouvering to attack position
The Persian used their psiloi to screen the weaker auxilia infantry
The skirmishers gained some precious time for the Persians. It was in the center that the armies met first. Chalibes and Hoplites advanced and charged the Roman BdS
X legion countercharge was unsuccessful. Roamn had few pips and were forced to engage not yet properly lined
To the pip problems, there was also the fiery enemy attack to add concern to Julius Caesar. The center was broken through while the cavalry recoiled disorderly on the second line
The Persians trued to exploit the advantage advancing fast on the right. There the Romans defended the rocky hill, the key of the defensive system. Losing it would mean to lose the army
After a couple of tough turns, the Persian attack lost steam. The Romans started to react
Now the initiative was back to the Romans that started to kill a large number of 1/2 ME persian troops
The roman legions cannot be stopped now. Two times Julius Caesra double his pips to keep the pressure on the persians and speed up the attacks
Persians are not able to cope with the roman defence, and tried unsuccessfully to destroy the supported spanish cavalry with their heavy cavalry
The game is almost over, legions won the day
When time is called, the Persian were starting to take casualties on the right wing too due the demise of the ICvS and the Numidian counterattacks. 15-10 for the Romans.
The Persian army was tough, but fought in an unfavourable terrain. The rough hill set up was decisive to create good battlefield for the Romans.