Rindis.com

After our short firefight in the snow, Patch and I did our usual between-games set of Commands & Colors: Ancients in the first two weeks of April. This time was Ipsus from Expansion #1. This is basically the end of the Successors, as after this, Antigonus is dead, and so is the dream of reuniting Alexander’s empire. Both sides start far back, and have a mix of unit types, though Seleucus has four units of elephants, two heavy chariots, and a heavy cavalry, leading to a very heavy mounted arm. Seleucus also gets an extra card, though Antigonus goes first.

I had Antigonus the first time, and started with Order Two Right to bring up some lights and did a block to a HCH. Patch ordered his center forward, and I moved forward with Order Mediums, and Patch engaged with Order Three Left, forcing me back. Coordinated Attack allowed me to finish off the HCH, and force a LB back, while bringing up other units. Patch Ordered Two Left, causing a hit on my MC (from a blocked retreat), and two on my LB, in return for one block on his HC. Out Flanked did three hits to a Light, in return for a hit on my HC.

Order Lights let Patch get units into range, but he couldn’t do damage at range. I straightened my line with Left Leadership, and Patch Ordered Three Right to do two hits to a LB as it evaded. I used Mounted Charge, but both of my Elephants did nothing (but at least took nothing in return). On my right, I killed Antiochus, and then finished off the HC he was with, and finished off two LC at a cost of one block on my HC. Patch came back with Order Two Left to finish off my MC, and drive off my HC.

I Double Timed my center into contact, and did three blocks to a Aux and two to a Heavy, at a cost of two hits on a Medium. Patch used Order Heavies to get all his center Heavies into action, and a HCH and Elephant on his right. His Elephant did a block and banner to mine, who hit his on the Rampage; he hit it again on Momentum, didn’t get a hit, the battle back forced him to retreat, and the Rampage finished off my Elephant. He did two blocks to a Med, but lost his HCH in return, while finishing off a different Med and we traded two blocks apiece on Heavies. Inspired Center Leadership kept my center in motion, and my Elephants there finished off two wounded heavies. 8-3

Patch started the second game with Out Flanked to move units up, and I Ordered Two Right to do three blocks to a LB. Patch Ordered Mediums, getting one MC into contact, who did nothing, and took a hit and a banner. I Out Flanked, and did two blocks to a MC forced to retreat from missile fire. Line Command activated most of Patch’s army, but only one flank got into contact, where my HCH traded a block with a Light. I Ordered Four Right, and brought a few units up, while forcing his wounded Lights out of line.

Patch Ordered Mediums, but only did one block to a HC, while I forced a MC back, and finished off another. I used Leadership on my right, and lost a HCH and Elephant for no more than a block each to a pair of Mediums. Patch Ordered Two Right and did two blocks to a LC in return for a block on a HC. I Ordered Four Left and finished off his HC while forcing his MC to retreat. Order Lights only got me a single hit on a Medium; Patch Rallied, and got that block back, but nothing else, but did three blocks to a Heavy, in return for taking two.

I Ordered Three Right, and knocked out two Mediums and a Light. Patch brought up a couple units, but didn’t get any hits, and I used a Line Command to move up much of my army, and picked off an Elephant and did a block to a Heavy with archery. Patch engaged with Inspired Center Leadership, doing two blocks to an Aux, and finishing off my Heavy. I Counterattacked to bring the rest of my Heavies into the fight, destroying a Heavy, and doing three blocks to a Med, who retreated two hexes. Leadership Any Section got Patch’s remaining Heavies into action, which did three blocks to a a Heavy, and two to a Light at no cost. I used my own Leadership Any Section to reassemble the center, and ranged got a block each on a Light and Heavy, and then finished off the Heavy in Melee. 8-3

Afterword

It’s another demolition derby. This time, there’s a lot of heavies around, but with the armies starting away from each other, there’s plenty of opportunities for everything else to do their jobs. The first one ended somewhat suddenly on a Mounted Charge, that left Patch’s army pretty shattered. The second time… I had a bunch of ranged shots that did far more than they should have. That killed off a unit directly, and made killing the last couple a lot easier.

Another important break for me was killing Antiochus early in the first fight. If he hadn’t of died, the battle back would have eliminated my unit on helmet rolls that suddenly did nothing.