Setting up Plataea 2

The numbers don't completely match Grant's figures. His Greek army had 270 figures, my version 276. For the Persians he ran to 303 figures including 66 cavalry. Originally, my version had 288 figures including 48 cavalry. To get closer to Grant's figure - and closer to the size of the force facing the Spartans - I added another unit of Sparabara to make the Persian figure up to 312. 

View of the battlefield taken from behind the Persian right flank.

The Spartans under Pausanius are to the foreground. The Spartan force is basically as per Grant except that, being element based, the battalions are 48 strong instead of 50.

The Spartan hoplites on the hill have been here before - original Grant figures.

The Athenians. Two of my 48 - strong G3 units rather than 42 as per Grant. Only 12 Athenian archers instead of 20 - and also veteran Grant figures.

The rest of the Greek hoplites - 2 24 strong battalions of ex-Harry hoplites corresponding to the 42 hoplites in the original.

Next, the Persians. I've followed the idea that the Immortals left the army with Xerxes and replaced the 42 Green Immortals with 2 24 strong Sparabara units, one of Medes, one of Persians. The 'Horsetail' light cavalry should really be to the side of the Spara units and number 20 - but I've used my standard 12 figure units. One thing about these cavalry is possibly the same - they are ex-Grant figures so could be from the original Horsetail or Crescent units...

The 42 strong Black Immortals have been replaced by a 48 strong spara unit. The light infantry in front should be J/B/Sh rather than B - but it seemed to be the best place for the Sakae rather than with the less reliable parts of the army.

Cavalry corresponding to the Scorpion and Crescent cavalry - my own interpretation of the army didn't include the Crescents but I added them to match the book. I seem to have reversed their positions though - I'll correct that for the refight. Frankly, looking at that wide open space between the Spartans and Athenians I will have to seriously misuse these to avoid a massacre...  Figures behind roughly correspond to the Cadusii and Apadan - spear/bow/shield but in my 24 figure units rather than the 24 of Grant.

This included the Phrygians but also includes space for the Lydians, Thracians/Bythynians and Indians that were listed in the centre (as in, escaped with Artazabus)

And finally the Thebans - 48 ex-Harry hoplites, 12 of my light cavalry rather than the 20 light cavalry in the original.

 So that's the setup. The battle itself has lots of options - play as per Grant, do my own thing, or go with a version of Harry's or Ross' version...

 And nothing stopping me have more than one go at it, same as Ross...

 

Setting up Plataea

 Getting there with an attempt to do something similar to the Charles Grant version of Plataea - similar in the sense I've also tried to match it with the Herodotus version of the Persian army as well. My table is a foot too narrow to allow for the depth Grant was able to achieve in his battlefield as well - in his version, the battlefield looks to be almost deeper than it is wide!

 Anyway, I'm splitting this bit into two parts - mainly because this is a pure experiment. I've set it up and tried to do a short (but very large file) video of the setup as a taster... and at time of typing this no idea whether it will work!

 The picture is slightly out of date as far as the Persian left flank is concerned - updated version will come later.

Meanwhile, this is the experiment - seems to have worked even though the quality is not of the best.

 

The Spartans

 Already used the old 'This is Sparta' line...

Going back to 'The Ancient War Game' Grant used G7, the Spartan hoplite with pilos helmet, for his version of Plataea. It seems reasonable for me to see what I've got in that line and base/rebase any that need it.

My total based force of G7. From left to right, 'mine', 'Harry's' and 'Charles Grant' figures. 7 units of 24 = 168 figures.

'My' Spartans are all ones I cast myself. For wargames purposes these figures are the ones I would prefer to use in any 'normal' battle - though in fact I also have a preference to my other Spartans based on G3 for early, the GC5 converted cavalry figure for later. This figures are difficult to 'stack' behind each other or move into contact!

Ex-Harry's figures - two units that seem to have had different painters, one much better than the other.

Ex-Charles Grant - much the best painted figures. Still a few unbased - originally there were 88 of them.

This picture demonstrates an issue with the figures. Some have very think and robust spears, others they are so thin they snap easily. Of my ex-Harry figures, 24 out of 96 have snapped spears. Mine are preferred for use simply because I've mostly only used thicker spears plus a few of the 'better' thin ones.

Close up of some Charles Grant figures. Some paint loss but nicely painted. Note one of these has had a crest added to the helmet to make an officer figure.