FOG 300: Battle of Pura Summer 220 AD

Ardashir I, stinging from the rebuke given to his attempts at intrigue to take over Pura, leads his army to the city walls accompanied by his Agraci Mercenaries (bonus BG of Pre-Islamic Bedouin Cavalry Lancers).  With Pura being his last remaining stronghold, King Sinnakes of Gedrosis decides to through everything on the table and face the Persis' King.

List of Ardashir I - Mercenary Bedouin Cavalry are free for this battle only - total with Bedouins is 326 points

BG 1 - Bedouin Lancer Cavalry, BG 2 - Bow* Lancer Cavalry, BG 3 - Bow* Lancer Cavalry, BG 4 - Light Horse Bow Lancer, BG 5 - Purple Cataphracts, BG 6 - Red Cataphracts

List of Sinnakes of Gedrosia

BG 1 - Bow* Lancer Cavalry, BG 2 - Bow* Lancer Cavalry, BG 3 - Bow* Lancer Cavalry, BG 4 - White Cataphracts, BG 5 - Bow Lancer Light Horse

Editors Note:  Green was a bad choice on reflection for denoting the Gedrosian BGs and will not be used in the future.

Aradashir of Persis won the initiative and opted for Steppe.  The Gedrosians took the compulsory open and two broken.  The Persians took the remaining open.  All of the terrain fell on the Persian side and once deployment was completed the field look like below:

The numbers correspond to the labels from the previous pictures so I will not repeat them here.  I replied the single fortification stand to denote fortified on the Gedrosian camp with two hedge pieces as I thought it looked better.  Ardashir deployed with Purple cataphract BG 5.  Sinnakes deployed with his only cataphract BG (Green BG 4).

The Gedrosians moved first and moved Green Cavalry BG 1 5" forward at a slight angle towards Purple BG 1.  Green Cavalry BG 2 and Cataphract BG 4 moved as a group and wheeled towards the center doing a double move.  Green Cavalry BG 3 and Green Light Horse BG 5 moved 5" each straight ahead.  With no one within shooting range, the Gedrosian first turn ended.

After Gedrosian 1st Turn

To begin the Persian 1st turn, Purple Bedouin BG 1 moved 5" straight forward.  The center line (Purple BG 2, 5 & 6) moved as a group 4" straight ahead.  Purple Cavalry BG 3 and Light Horse BG 4 moved 5" each.  In the shooting phase, The Green Cavalry BG 2 scored two hits and took one from Purple Cavalry BG 2.  Purple Cavalry BG 2 disrupted on cohesion.  Green Cavalry BG 3 scored three hits and took two from Purple Cavalry BG 3.  The Purple Cavalry survived its death roll and passed its cohesion.  The Green Cavalry, however, disrupted on its cohesion test.  With no melee to be resolved and the generals good, the Persian 1st turn ended.

After Persian 1st Turn

To begin the Gedrosian 2nd turn, the Green Cavalry BG 2 and Cataphract BG 4 both charged straight ahead.  The Persian leader saw no reason to risk life and limb in combat while the Gedrosian leader decided to lead from the front.  In impact, both the Green Cavalry BG 2 and the Purple Cavalry BG 2 scored three hits.  Both survived their death rolls.  Green Cataphract BG 4 with general fighting scored four hits and took three from Purple Cataphract BG 5 in return.  The Gedrosian leader survived impact and the Green Cataphracts survived the three hits.  The Purple Cataphracts, however, lost a base to hits and then disrupted on cohesion.  In the maneuver phase, Green Cavalry BG 1 made a CMT and expanded to skirmish formation.  Green Cavalry BG 3 also expanded into a single rank.  In the shooting phase, everyone forgot what a bow was for and arrows ended up in the dirt.  In the melee phase, Purple Cavalry BG 2 scored one hit to Green Cavalry BG 2 and took two in return.  Purple Cataphract BG 5 scored one hit to Green Cataphract BG 4 while Purple Cataphract BG 6 in overlap missed completely.  Green Cataphract BG 4 scored three hits on Purple Cataphract BG 5 in return.  Due to hits, Purple Cavalry BG 2 breaks when losing a base and routes.  Purple Cataphract BG 5 drops to fragmented for losing its combat and then breaks for seeing Purple Cavalry BG 2 breaking.  Both Green BGs (2 & 5) pursue the broken Purple BGs who route 3" & 4" respectively and are caught losing yet another base.  Ardashir was crushed in the route and his mangled body was found on the field after the battle.  Purple Cataphract BG 6 was dismayed for seeing the king die and disrupted.  In the joint action phase, both Green BG 2 & 4 pass a CMT and stop pursuing.  The two broken Purple BGs roll long and route off the table.

After Gedrosian 2nd turn.  The two deaths heads by the Persian camp represent the two routed BGs.

To begin the Persian 2nd turn, the Purple Bedouin BG 1 charged the Green Cavalry BG 1.  Both BGs evade and pursue 5" respectively.  Purple Cavalry BG 3 and Light Horse BG 4 both charge.  Green Cavalry BG 3 and Light Horse BG 5 evade.  The two Green BGs evade 6" and 8" respectively.  The Purple BGs pursue 5" and 6".  In the maneuver phase, Purple Cataphract BG 6 move 4" straight ahead. With no shooting or melee, the Persian 2nd turn ended.

After the Persian 2nd turn.

To begin the Gedrosian 3rd turn, Green Cataphract BG 4 wanted to charge the Persian camp but after measuring it was just outside of charge range.  In maneuver, the Green Cataphracts moved 4" towards the Persian camp.  The Green Cavalry BG 1 turns 180.  The Green Cavalry BG 3 moves to the table edge.  The Green Light Horse BG 5 moves to the table edge and turns around.  Green Cavalry BG 2 turns 90 towards the center of the table.  No on is close enough to shoot so in joint action the Gedrosian leader moves 7" towards his table edge ending the Gedrosian 3rd turn.

After Gedrosian 3rd turn

To begin the Persian 3rd turn, Purple Bedouin BG 1 charges Green Cavalry BG 1.  Green Cavalry BG 1 evades long and goes off the table.  The Purple Bedouin BG 1 only pursues 3".  In the maneuver phase, the Purple Light Horse BG 4 moves 7" straight ahead.  Purple Cavalry BG 3 moves 5" forward with a slight wheel towards Green Cavalry BG 3.  Purple Cataphract BG 6 moves 4" forward.  In the shooting phase, both sides again demonstrate their incompetence with a bow as one hit is scored between nine shots.  With no melee, in the joint action the Gedrosian leader moves to Green Cavalry BG 3 and attempts to rally but fails ending the Persian 3rd turn.

After Persian turn 3.  The black marker by the Gedrosian camp on the right should be a red death head as a formed BG evading off the table is 2 attrition points and not 1.

To begin the Gedrosian 4th turn, the Green Cataphract BG 4 moves into contact with the Persian camp.  The Green Light Horse BG 5 charges the Purple Light Horse BG 4.  The Purple Light Horse evades 9" and the Green Light Horse charge into the Purple Cavalry BG 3.  In impact, the Green Light Horse score one hit but take two in return from the Purple Cavalry.  The Green Light Horse proceed to lose a base to hits but survives on cohesion.  In the maneuver phase, Green Cavalry BG 3 turns 180.  Green Cavalry BG 2 moves 5" with a slight wheel towards the Purple Cataphract BG 6.  With no shooting, the turn progressed into melee where the Green Light Horse scores two hits and takes two in return from the Purple Cavalry BG 3 for a draw.  In joint action, the Green Cavalry BG 3 rallies back from disrupted while the Green Cataphract BG 4 stops looting the Persian camp ending the Gedrosian 4th turn.

After the Gedrosian 4th turn.  The Persian camp is 1 attrition point in FOG 300 so the Persians are at 5 attrition points of 6.  The Gedrosians are down 2.

To begin the Persian 4th turn, no charges are in the offing.  In the maneuver phase, the Purple Cataphract BG 6 moves into overlap next to the Purple Cavalry BG 3.  Purple Light Horse BG 4 turns 90 and moves 5" towards Green Cavalry BG 2.  The Purple Bedouin BG 1 wheels towards the center.  In the shooting phase, three total hits are done to three different targets for no effect.  In melee, The Green Light Horse score one hit and take a total of four in return.  The Green Light Horse loses a base to the hits but survives the cohesion test.  No action occurs in the joint action phase so the Persian 4th turn ends.

After the Persian 4th turn

To begin the Gedrosian 5th turn, the Green Cavalry BG 2 decides to get rid of the pesky Purple Light Horse BG 4 and charges.  Both go 7" with the Purple Light Horse BG choosing to go in the direction of the charge rather than to its rear.  In the maneuver phase, Green Cataphract BG 4 attempts a CMT to turn 90 but fails so wheels as far as it can (2") stopping at the table edge.  Green Cavalry BG 2 attempts a CMT to contact but fails.  In the shooting phase, Green Cavalry BG 2 hits the Purple Cataphract BG 6 twice (needing 6s).  The Purple Cataphracts shrugs off the hits and passes its cohesion test.  In melee, the Purple Cavalry BG 2 and the Purple Cataphract BG 6 each score one hit on the Green Light Horse who manages zero in return.  The Green Light Horse BG ends up losing a base to the hits causing it to autobreak routing off the table.  The Purple Cataphract BG 6 rolls short and only goes forward 2" while the Purple Cavalry BG 3 pursues into the Green Cavalry BG 3 who opts to stand as evading off the table breaks the Gedrosian army.  The Gedrosian leader opts to stay with Green Cavalry BG 3  ending the Gedrosian 5th turn.

After the Gedrosian 5th turn.  The attrition markers in front of the Gedrosian camp are now correct.  Attrition stands at Persians at 5 - Gedrosians at 3.

To begin the Persian 5th turn and even with Ardashir's corpse getting cold somewhere on the field, the Persians still have a chance to win the battle and the Purple Cataphract BG 6 launches itself into Green Cavalry BG 3.  The Gedrosian leader opts to join the fight to help balance the quality factor in this action.  The Purple Cavalry BG 3 manage only one hit while the Purple Cataphract BG 6 only scores two.  The Green Cavalry BG 3 however manages two versus the Purple Cavalry and FOUR against the cataphracts.  The Gedrosian leader survives the impact and the Gedrosian Cavalry survive its death roll.  Both Purple BGs survive their death rolls but the Purple Cavalry disrupts on cohesion while the Purple Cataphracts fragment.  With the fragmentation of the Purple Cataphracts the Persian army breaks.

After the Persian 5th Turn.

Campaign Note:  Gedrosia is not a rich kingdom in the campaign and is limited to a maximum of 1/2 the normally allowed cataphracts.  In FOG 300, that maximum is 4.