PUSH BACK THE ROMAN INVADERS!

July 29 marked my return to regular Monday night war-gaming with the club after a little over a month off for reasons mostly having to do with my daughter. For the occasion, Greg and I decided to try out the Chipco Fantasy Rules 3! Modified for 6mm ancients (meaning no magic). A number of club members are assembling armies from the Republican Roman era, but we’re the first two to have gotten any decent sized forces done -- Greg’s Romans and my Macedonians. Joining me on the Macedonian side of the table was Jayson of Iron Ivan Games fame, who announced before-hand that he had never won an ancients game before. I’d never played Chipco rules before (I’ll give you my thoughts after the recap). Omens, omens.

Jayson and I won the right to set up as the defenders in a broad valley between two tree-topped hills. He took command of the main infantry line and the Thessalian cavalry on our left, while I took the skirmishers, elephants, light Podromoi cavalry and Hetairoi cavalry spread out to the front and right of the infantry. Because we were the defender we were able to scout one terrain piece to see how difficult it would be to cross. We chose the tree-top hills to our right and found out they were heavy and difficult to get through.