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Not being ready for our next ASL game, Patch and I had another night of C&C:A on Tuesday. This time it was the Battle of Sphacteria from Expansion #6, which covers the end of the siege during the Peloponnesian War. The Spartans begin on a rampart (with a camp at an angle) and a line of impassable hills anchoring it on the right. There’s some passable rough terrain behind that, and a small force of Athenians set to take advantage of it. And in an unusually-written special rule, any Athenian unit that has been on or beyond the wall since the beginning of their turn counts as an extra banner.

I started as the Athenians, and began by confusing my right and left. I was thinking I had a bunch of cards for the flanking force, and only realized my mistake on the second turn. I was also looking at the city wall rules instead of the rampart rules, and so was wondering how I was going to do anything for a while. After a little skirmishing, I Double Timed my right up to the rampart and eliminated the Aux in the camp, and advanced in my own MH. Patch used a Line Command to counterattack, but lost two blocks on each of two units in return for two on the MH.

I then Double-Timed the other flank and eliminated another Aux to advance Demosthenes over the rampart and attack Epitadas, losing one block each. Patch countered with Mounted Charge, but lost a MH reducing the one in the camp to one block, and losing two blocks on another while forcing Demosthenes back over the rampart with only one block left on his MH. I Ordered Three Center to put a Light and MH over the rampart, and pick off a block from an Aux with my bows. The MH finished off Epitadas’ unit.

Patch Counter Attacked to let Epitadas join his remaining full-strength Spartan MH, and knocked my MH over the rampart with a loss, and then Momentum attacked to finish off Demosthenes’ command, killing him in the process. His Aux finally finished off the MH that had been occupying the camp.

I used Line Command to activate my entire right flank and picked off the Aux in the camp for the win (thanks to still having a Light on the wall). 6-3

Patch began his round as the Athenians with a Line Command to activate everything except the flanking force. Some lucky archery reduced Styphon’s Spartan MH to three blocks. However, on the right, his Aux got up to the rampart and lost two blocks to zero against Light Slingers. I used Move-Fire-Move to pepper his line, and shift my Light reserve over to the broken area in case Patch had some Right cards.

Instead he Ordered Lights to do much the same thing. After a little more archery, Patch used a second Line Command to bring just about everything into contact. He took out Epitadas’ Spartan MH, and sent an Aux over the rampart. I then used my Line Command to activate most of my command and pick of a MH and weaken a couple units, losing the Aux camp garrison in the process.

Patch Ordered Medium to kill Styphon’s MH, but most of his MHs were dangerously weakened. I used Double Time on my center and split up to try and retrieve the crumbling situation. And Aux went to the left to pick off a MH, and my remaining MH went over the rampart to pick on Demosthenes, but only did one block, and then took two banners to be forced back behind the rampart. A weak Aux then finished off Patch’s MH.

Patch Ordered Four Center to get three units (and Demosthenes) onto the rampart. I Ordered Medium (only one left!) to attack one of his units, but got driven back. With three kills and three units on the rampart, Patch won at the beginning of his turn. 6-3

Afterword: It not often we have an exactly even split. Too often, I win both rounds. The Athenian units counting for as long as they stay alive and in the victory area makes a certain amount of sense, but the scenario rule is poorly worded, and it is pretty much unique in the official scenarios. At any rate, it seems a really rough scenario on the Spartans, and would only be worse if the Athenians could actually draw some Left cards.