FOG 300 Battle of Zarin Summer 220 AD

 FOG 300 AAR:  Battle of Zarin Summer 220 AD

As the Summer heat continues to pound the eastern fringes of the Parthian Empire, Shapur I has set his designs on Zarin in the Kingdom of Drangriana.

Parthian/Early Sassanid host and list:

All of the mounted figures above are Old Glory 15s.  The camp figures are from Xyston.

Parthian/Drangiana host and list:

I forgot the Drangianan camp but added it during set-up.  All the figures in the picture above are Old Glory 15s. 

Drangiana won the initiative and opted for Steppe.  The Persians selected a compulsory steppe.  The Drangiana took a gentle hill.  Then the Persians took a 2nd steppe.  One steppe ended up on the Drangiana base line.  One ended up on the Persian base line.  The gentle hill ended up on the lower right side of the Persian base line.

Numbers in the pictures refer to the unit order of march.  Persians are on the left and the Drangianans are on the right.  The Drangianan camp figures are a mixture of Essex, FIB and a camel I found at a flea market.

Persian BGs from left to right:  BG 1 - Light Horse Bow/Lancers, BG 2 - Cavalry Bow*/Lancers, BG 4 - Cataphracts, BG 5 - Cataphracts, BG 5 - Cavalry Bow*/Lancers.  Shapur is attached to BG 4.

Drangianan BGs from left to right:  BG 4 - Cavalry Bow*/Lancers, BG 3 - Cavalry Bow*/Lancers, BG 5 - Cataphracts, BG 2 - Cavalry Bow*/Lancers, BG 1 - Light Horse Bow/Lancers.  Farnsasan is attached to BG 5.

 

The Persians moved first and conducted a group move with BGs 1, 2, 4 & 5 eight inches forward stopping just outside of 5" from the Drangianan line.  BG 3 moved separately forward 5". No one was within shooting range so in joint action Shapur moved to BG 5.

After the Persian 1st turn

In the Drangianan 1st turn, BGs 4, 3 & 5 wheeled forward towards the Persian line.  Drangianan BGs 1 & 2 remained stationary.  In the shooting phase, Drangianan BG 3 scored 2 hits on Persian BG 5.   Persian BG 5 failed its cohesion test and disrupted.  Neither side had anything to do in joint action so the turn ended.

After Drangianan Turn 1

In the Persian 2nd turn,  Persian cataphract BG 5 opted to try and hold but failed and charged forward into Drangianan BG 5.  Both generals joined the melee.  The Persian BG 5 scored 2 hits while the Drangianan BG 5 scored 3 in return.  Both generals survived, Persian BG 5 lost a base from hits but passed its cohesion test.  After conforming, Persian BG 4 moved 4" forward stopping next to BG 5.  Persian BG 2 moved up next to BG 5 and BG 1 reciprocated.  In the shooting phase, the opposing light horse BGs scored 1 hit each.  The opposing BG 2s scored 1 hit each to no effect.  On the other end of the line, Drangianan BGs 3 & 4 managed for 1 hit each on Persian BG 3.  Persian BG 3 scored 2 hits on Drangianan BG 4.  Persian BG 3 passed its cohesion test but Drangianan BG 4 disrupted.  In the melee phase, the Persian BG 5 scored 2 hits on Drangianan BG 5 but took 2 from BG 5 and 1 from Drangianan BG 3 fighting in overlap. Both generals survived but Persian BG 5 lost a base from hits and then fragmented on its cohesion test.

 

After the Persian 2nd turn

In the Drangianan 2nd turn, the Drangianan BGs 3 & 4 declared charges.  BG 4 failed its CMT and BG 3 charged in alone.  In the impact, Persian BG 3 scored 2 hits to 1.  Drangianan BG 3 survived the hits but then dropped to disrupted.  In the maneuver phase, Drangianan BG 3 shifted to its right making its neighboring BG 4 shift as well.  In the shooting phase, Drangianan BG 1 scored 1 hit to its counterpart and took 2 in return but passed its cohesion test.  The two opposing BG 2s each scored 2 hits and then both dropped cohesion to disrupted.  In the melee phase, Drangianan BG 3 scored 3 hits to 2.  Persian BG 3 subsequently lost a base to hits but passed its cohesion test.  Drangianan BG 5 scored 3 hits to the Persian 0.  Both generals survived and the Persian BG 5 shrugged off its hits but broke on cohesion.  Persian BG 3 survived for seeing BG 5 break as did BG 4.  In the rout, Persian BG 5 had to shift a base to miss BG 4 and went 4".  Drangianan BG 5 pursued 5", clipping the front corner of Persian BG 4 and then stepped forward into the routing BG 5.  Persian BG 5 lost a base when it was caught from behind.  Then the unthinkable happened as the Drangianans caught Shapur I on the end of a lance.  Persian BG 3 fragmented when Shapur fell.  Persian BG 4 also failed its cohesion test and dropped to disrupted.  Persian BG 2 did not care.  Persian BG 5 routed another 3" and then was picked up off the table as it was reduced to one base.

After the Drangianan 2nd turn - Persians are down 3 attrition points to 0

In the Persian 3rd turn, the impact from the previous pursuit had to be resolved first as there were no other charges to declare.  Persian BG 4 scored 2 hits and took 2 in return for a draw.  The Drangianan leader survived as he was still fighting in the front rank.  In the maneuver phase, the Drangianan BG 5 reformed and then Persian BG 4 conformed.  In the shooting phase, Drangianan BG 2 scores 2 hits to 1 on its opposing number who failed its cohesion test dropping to fragmented.  The two BG 1s managed 1 hit each.  In the melee phase, the opposing BGs 3 each scored 2 hits for a draw.  Persian BG 4 managed 0 hits and takes 3 in return from Drangianan BG 5.  Persian BG 4 lost a base from hits and then fragmented.  At the end of melee, the Persians were down 5 attrition points to none ending the battle in a resounding Persian defeat.

End of game

The death of Shapur I left the upstart Persian Monarchy in disarray.  The unborn child of Shapur is whispered to be safely tucked away in the royal palace on the slopes Dezh Dokhtar.  But Shapur has an older brother...