3.6.4 Example of a battle

Move on to battle turn

Army units

The armies of Darius and Alexander are about to fight. The morale of both armies is good to start, and both armies are fresh and rested.

Darius has seven units - four are infantry with spears, one is cataphract cavalry, one is light cavalry and one comprises his baggage train and camp followers.

Unit Type Size Melee value Missile value Defence value Commanded by Commander's Tactics score Commander's IQ score Morale Tiredness
Spearmen 1 Green disciplined, close order 2,500 19 0 12 Belzar 4 (+1) +1 Good Fresh
Spearmen 2 Green disciplined, close order 2,500 19 0 12 Shadrak 3 (+1) +0 Good Fresh
Spearmen 3 Green disciplined, close order 2,500 19 0 12 Mishak 5 (+2) +1 Good Fresh
Spearmen 4 Green disciplined, close order 2,500 19 0 12 Abednigo 3 (+1) +1 Good Fresh
Cataphracts Elite, disciplined, close order 200 34 19 29 Darius* 3 (+1) +0 Good Fresh
Light cavalry skirmish order 400 22 18 11 Xerxes 3 (+1) +0 Good Fresh
Camp followers Irregular, skirmish order 1,000 10 12 1 Goliath 2 (+1) -1 Good Fresh

Alexander has eight units - three are pike phalanxes, three are archers, one is heavy cavalry and one comprises his baggage train and camp followers.

Unit Type Size Melee value Missile value Defence value Commanded by Commander's Tactics score Commander's IQ score Morale Tiredness
Phalanx 1 Veteran, close order 1,500 25 0 20 Pericles 5 (+2) +0 Good Fresh
Phalanx 2 Veteran, close order 1,500 25 0 20 Leonidas 4 (+2) +1 Good Fresh
Phalanx 3 Veteran, close order 1,500 25 0 20 Achilles 4 (+2) +0 Good Fresh
Archers 1 Veteran,skirmish order 500 18 20 7 Hector 5 (+1) +1 Good Fresh
Archers 2 Veteran,skirmish order 500 18 20 7 Skipios 4 (+2) +0 Good Fresh
Archers 3 Veteran,skirmish order 500 18 20 7 Ptolemy 5 (+2) +1 Good Fresh
Heavy cavalry Elite, close order 250 30 0 18 Alexander* 7 (+3+2) +2 Good Fresh
Camp followers Irregular, skirmish order 500 10 12 1 Lysander 3 (+1) -1 Good Fresh

Initial terrain

The terrain is open throughout.

Initial deployment

Darius' army outscouts Alexander's since Darius has more than twice as much cavalry as Alexander.

Both commanders independently decide on their initial deployment.

Darius Army Reserve
Open
Camp followers & Baggage train
Darius Army Right flank
Open
Spearmen 1 & Cataphracts
Darius Army Centre
Open
Spearmen 2 & Spearmen 3
Darius Army Left flank
Open
Spearmen 4 & Light Cavalry
Alexander Army Left flank
Open
Pike phalanx 1, Archers 1 & Heavy cavalry
Alexander Army Centre
Open
Pike phalanx 2 & Archers 2
Alexander Army Right flank
Open
Pike phalanx 3 & Archers 3
Alexander Army Reserve
Camp followers & Baggage train

Both commanders now make their battlefield strategy dice rolls. Darius has a Tactics score of 3 with a specialism in battlefield strategy of 1, and an IQ of +0; he gets a +3 bonus for outscouting Alexander. He rolls 2D+1 and gets a 4, and a 3, making a dice roll result of 8. Alexander has a talent for Tactics (+2), a Tactics score of 7 with a specialism in battlefield strategy of 3 and an IQ of +2. He rolls 4D+2 and gets a 3, 2, 4 and 3, making a dice roll result of 14. Since this is six points higher than Darius' result, Alexander can decide to move one of his units' initial deployment. He decides that his heavy cavalry would be better deployed engaging on Darius' relatively weak left flank and so switches them across to his own right flank.

The adjusted initial deployment is therefore:

Darius Army Reserve
Open
Camp followers & baggage train
Darius Army Right flank
Open
Spearmen 1 & Cataphracts
Darius Army Centre
Open
Spearmen 2 & Spearmen 3
Darius Army Left flank
Open
Spearmen 4 & Light Cavalry
Alexander Army Left flank
Open
Pike phalanx 1 & Archers 1
Alexander Army Centre
Open
Pike phalanx 2 & Archers 2
Alexander Army Right flank
Open
Pike phalanx 3, Archers 3 & Heavy cavalry
Alexander Army Reserve
Camp followers & baggage train

Initial deployment

Click here to move on to the first battle turn