I have been remiss by missing three battles from this journey including Alexander's first defeat at the hands of Proconsul Brooks and a draw against Hannibal of Carthage - who Ptolemy slew in combat. He was back for revenge tonight as he returned to form through the will of Zeus.
Rob was sporting his new camp, purchasd at Cancon, which we both think is rather splendid. He deployed this forward as it was fortified, the rest of his army trailing back from on each side. Rob loves to infest hills but tonight this let him down as his cohorts were too far back to easily effect the fray (in his victory against me one cohort held the flank while on a hill against two companion units.)
The Macedonian centre surged toward the camp guarded by only two cohorts as two others marched across rough hills to save them.
In the centre Thracians attacked Roman slingers, Alexander decided to try to rally a hit from them ... it didn't work. If the slingers fell the thracians could attack the rear of the cohorts striving to drive off Ptolemy's right flank assault.
At one cavalry unit routed each the flank was hanging in the balance. After Ptolemy's impact charge the roman cav had but one hit left before breaking. The infantry would slog it out for much longer.
After Ptolemy had crushed the last of the opposing cav a cohort charges to the resue of the roman right flank. They manage to catch the companions before they could charge and a prolonged meelee ensued in which the low discipline of the cavalry kept them fighting and fresh. Victorious thracians loom in the background ... this looks grim for Rome.
Looking back toward the camp. Pike crashes into cohort inflicting heavy damage, the camp is threatened and, after their epic march, the cohorts descend from the hill to be threatened by hoplites, peltasts and corinthian allied cavalry under the command of Craterus. Hits were mounting and routs were imminent!
The thracians decided the flank battle crashing through one cohort with romphia and ready to take another. Romans teeter on ful scale rout, the Macedonians have lost slingers and one companion unit.
Two cohorts crumble before repeated assaults from fresh pike. The battle ends with Alexander's royal purple pikemen smashing on the camp door.
Zeus, Apollo and Ares be praised ... victory smiles again on Alexander!
