Maps - Ancients - Commands and Colors System Mon, 27 Sep 2021 00:15:32 +0200 Joomla! - Open Source Content Management en-gb (Ancients - Commands and Colors System) JD21 Thermopylae (191 BC) THERMOPYLAE - 191 BC

Roman vs Seleucid

Historical Background
Antiochus III was invited to liberate Greece by the Aetolians, but on arrival he received only the assistance of 4000 Aetolean auxillaries. The Romans dispatched a force of 20,000 infantry, 2000 Cavalry and 15 Elephants. Antiochus retired to, and fortified the Thermopylae position which he manned with 10,000 infantry, 500 cavalry, 6 Elephants, and some war machines. He sent the Aetolians off to garrison the various passes that could outflank his position as Xerxes had done to Leonidas.
The Romans at first struggled to break the Seleucid position, but the arrival in the Seleucid rear of Marcus Cato with 4,000, men who had fought through the Aetolian positions, panicked the Seleucids and they fled south, Antiochus losing much of his army in the process.

War Council

Roman Army
Leader: Manius Acilius Glabrio
Take 5 Command Cards      .
Move First

Seleucid Army (Greek blocks)
Leader: Antiochus III
Take 4 Command Cards     

5 Banners.

Special Rules
If a Roman unit ends its turn on the camp tile the Roman player receives a victory banner (once only).

All hexes to the left of the line of hills e,g, A6, are out of play (impassable) hills.

At the start of each Roman turn that player should roll one combat dice. If a leader is rolled the Roman player must place the following 4 units in any hex from A7 to A12. If 3 hexes are not available they enter the following turn. 2 Medium Infantry, 1 Light Infantry and 1 Leader (Cato).


]]> (Jim Duncan) Roman-Syrian War (192-188 BC) Sun, 31 Aug 2008 22:00:01 +0200
JD147 Thermopylae (191 BC) Thermopylae - 191 BC

Roman vs Seleucid

Historical Background
In the aftermath of the 2nd Macedonian War, Rome and the Seleucids vied for supremacy in Greece. The Seleucid King, Antiochus III, was asked by the Aetolians to come to their aid in Greece, with the promise of troops and other allies. Antiochus set off with his available troops, with orders for other units to follow as soon as possible. No other allies actually materialised and the Aetolians, hard pressed by enemies at home, only contributed 4,000 men.
Rome responded by sending an army of 20,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry and 15 elephants, commanded by the consul Manius Acilius Glabrio, to deal with the Seleucids. Antiochus, with only 14,000 infantry, 500 cavalry and 6 elephants retreated to the Eastern gate of the Thermopylae pass where he hoped to negate the Roman numerical advantage. Antiochus posted his 4,000 Aetolian allies in the mountains above the pass. In the pass he built earthworks between the sea and the foothills and a stone wall extending up the hill to an impassable cliff. He deployed war machines, slingers and archers on the hills and walls above his position, the phalanx behind the earthworks, flanked on the seaward side by the cavalry and elephants, and with the Silver shields, peltasts and other light troops in front to break up the Roman advance. Despite their numbers, the Romans were unable to break the Seleucid position, but Glabrio had sent two forces on a flank march through the mountains. One force of about 2,000 men, under the command of the tribune Marcus Cato, succeeded in defeating the Aetolians they met, and arrived behind the Seleucid position. Fearing a much larger army was in their rear, the Seleucids fled to their camp in panic, but were overtaken and massacred by the advancing Romans. Only Antiochus and 500 of his men, probably the cavalry, escaped.

War Council

Roman Army
Leader: Manius Acilius Glrabrio
Take 5 Command Cards      .

Seleucid Army (Use Greek blocks)
Leader: Antiochus III
Take 5 Command Cards      .
Move First .

8 Banners

Special Rules
The scalable city walls represent the Seleucid stone wall. Treat it as a fordable river for all game purposes.

At the start of each Roman turn that player should roll a dice. If a leader is rolled the Roman player must place 2 Medium and 1 Auxillia Infantry units, and a Leader (Cato) in any of the following vacant hexes: C1, B1, and A1 to A7. This event can only occur once.

If a Roman unit ends a turn on the camp tile, remove the tile and award the Roman player a victory banner.

On the first Seleucid turn, that player is deemed to have played a "Darken the Sky" command card. No actual card is played or drawn on that turn.

The Silver Shields is a special unit. Use the special four silver block unit. The Silver Shields will score a hit for each leader symbol rolled in close combat and may ignore one flag.

An unsupported Seleucid heavy infantry unit may only battle back against a Roman medium or heavy infantry unit with 3 battle dice.


]]> (alecrespi) Roman-Syrian War (192-188 BC) Mon, 06 Oct 2014 09:33:21 +0200
121 Magnesia (190 BC) Historical Background
Following his defeat at Raphia, Antiochus III campaigned continuously to restore his empire. He re-conquered Asia Minor, Armenia, Parthia and Bactria. Next, he avenged Raphia with a decisive victory over the Ptolemaic Egyptians at Panion in 199 BC. By these victories he earned the title ‘the Great’. Meanwhile, Macedon’s defeat at Cynoscephalae in 197 BC left a power vacuum in Greece. Antiochus, seeing an opportunity, invaded Greece, but Rome quickly drove him back. A Roman consular army under Lucius Cornelius Scipio pursued Antiochus into Asia Minor. Antiochus accepted the Roman challenge near Magnesia. Antiochus fielded a large army featuring his Greco-Macedonian phalanx, Galatian warriors, cataphracts, chariots and elephants. The Romans had two legions supported by Greek and Pergamene allies under their king Eumenes II. Though the Seleucid Army was larger, the Roman legionnaires, veterans of the War with Hannibal, were far more effective soldiers. The action started on the Roman right when Eumenes launched a combined skirmisher and cavalry force against the Seleucid chariots. The Legions then moved forward against the Seleucid phalanx. Seeing his army giving away, Antiochus charged forward with his heavy cavalry in an attempt to turn the tide. He broke through the Roman right, but was forced back by the Roman elephants before he could flank the Legions. Then the Seleucid elephants in the center stampeded, Antiochus’ phalanx collapsed, and his entire army routed. Antiochus managed to escape and later made peace with Rome by yielding Asia Minor and paying a large indemnity. However, the defeat led to the rebellion of his eastern provinces, and Antiochus’ life’s work was undone. Rome emerged as the dominant Mediterranean power.

Light Infantry Light Bow Auxilia Medium Infantry Warriors Heavy Infantry Light Bow Cavalry Medium Cavalry Heavy Cavalry Elephant Heavy Chariot Leader
3 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 2
Light Infantry Light Bow Auxilia Medium Infantry   Heavy Infantry   Medium Cavalry   Elephant   Leader
4 2 2 4   1   2   1   2

War Council

Seleucid Army
(Use Persian blocks)
• Leader: Antiochus III
Emperor of the Seleucids
• 4 Command Cards     

Roman Army
(Use Roman blocks)
• Leader: Consul Lucius
Cornelius Scipio
• 5 Command Cards      
• Move First

7 Banners

Special Rules
• The River Phrygios is impassable.

• Optional—Roman Tactical Flexibility. An unsupported Greek heavy infantry unit may only battle back against a Roman medium or heavy infantry unit with 3 battle dice (which reflects the ability of the more maneuverable legions to gain the flanks of the phalanx and strike decisively).


]]> (GMT Games) Roman-Syrian War (192-188 BC) Sun, 11 May 2008 21:41:26 +0200
X04 Magnesia (190 BC) Clash of Giants
Battle of Magnesia 190 BC

Romans vs Seleucids

Historical Background:
“The morning was wet and foggy. King Antiochus’ line was longer than the Romans and could not be seen from end to end…The moisture unstrung the archers bows and made unserviceable the slings and javelin thongs. The Roman soldiers, mostly heavily armed did not suffer this inconvenience. The scythed chariots were opposite Eumenes, a general who had learned how to deal with this arm. Before the battle opened, he sent out the archers, darters, and slingers to skirmish in their front, and by shouts and wounds to frighten the chariot horses and dromedaries. This they readily accomplished, and not only drove the chariots away from their post, but these wheeling, some to the rear, others to the right and left, so unsteadied the auxiliaries of the enemies left wing, that they mostly took to flight before even coming into action. The Roman Cavalry was then sharply pushed forward, and owing to the confusion made by the flying chariots, dromedaries, elephants and auxiliaries, it made short work of the mailed horse that protected the flank of the phalanx. With scarcely any loss to the Romans, Antoichus’ whole left wing had been dispersed.
“The legions now advanced on the front and swung round on the flank of the phalanx, while the horse rode round to its rear. The elephants gave them no trouble, for they had long ago learned how to avoid the danger of these monsters by wounding them in the sides and cutting their hamstrings. The flight of the left wing had already unstrung the phalanx, which needed to have its flanks protected, and the sudden onset of the Romans had allowed them to use their sarissas to but poor advantage…The battle seemed already lost, when the Romans were themselves unsettled by bad fortune on the left..”
“Antiochus who commanded the right of his army, had observed the Roman left, which was close to the river but not leaning on it, had no reserve and little cavalry. About the time Eumenes had succeeded in disorganizing the enemy’s left , the king, leading a choice body of auxiliaries and mailed horseman, drove in the four turmae of Roman horse, and attacking the legion in the flank, forced back a considerable section of it towards the camp. The military tribune M. Aemilius, who commanded the camp, was fortunately equal to the occasion. Issuing from the gates his entire force of extraordinarii, two thousand strong, by dint of entreaties and threats, and by cutting down some of the runaways in flight, he brought them to a standstill, faced them about, and sustaining them with his own fresh forces checked the king’s further advance. A force of two hundred horse galloped over from the victorious right to aid the rallying left, and took Antiochus in flank, and part of the legion wheeled on the king’s left. He was forced back and the line was reestablished.”
“Meanwhile the phalanx, taken fully in the flank and rear by the Roman right, and pressed stoutly in front as well, began to waver. No sooner had Antiochus been driven back from his promised victory on the Roman left, than his centre failed him. The Romans were winners on all points and the king’s army was cut to pieces. …The Romans had won a noble victory. The legion had shown itself markedly superior to Antoichus’ phalanx.”
(Taken from T.A. Dodge’s 1891 Classic: “Hannibal” )

War Council:

Seleucid Army:
Leader: Antiochus III
4 Command Cards      goes to 5 cards if any Roman Camp hex falls to the Seleucid Army.

Roman/Allied Army:
Leader: L.C. Scipio
6 Command Cards 
Move First —The Roman Player moves twice at the start of the game before the Seleucid Player takes his first move. The Players than take alternate turns as normal for the remainder of the game.

The Roman Player wins by getting to 15 Banners The Seleucid Player wins by getting to 13 banners. Also see 5) below for rules on the three fortified Roman Camp hexes and related banner scoring. If the Roman Player eliminate the Antiochus III Leader unit he scores two banners in lieu of the normal one banner.

Special Scenario Rules:

1) All Seleucid Heavy Infantry are considered to be Phalanx Infantry. Phalanx Infantry operates under a set of special rules as follows in a) through e) below.
Example of “Front” hexes: A Phalanx Infantry unit in hex H6 would have the following two hexes adjacent: G6 & G7 as its “front” hexes.

2) The Roman Elephant unit only throws 2 dice maximum if in close combat with enemy elephants or battling back against elephants. (the Romans probably employed North African forest elephants from a now extinct species—these were smaller and less fierce by all accounts than the Indian elephants used by the Seleucid Empire)

3) Roman Auxillia Units (also called “Velites”) may attempt to evade if attacked by a Seleucid Phalanx unit. In this case they evade exactly like any other green light infantry unit.



6) The three fortified Roman Camp hexes only benefit the Roman player—if these hexes are entered by Seleucid units the first Seleucid unit to enter the hex loses one block (as men split off to loot) immediately, and the fortified camp tile is removed from the map—thereby converting the hex to clear. Each camp tile so removed scores the Macedonian Player one banner towards victory. Also the first time a Roman Camp hex falls to the Seleucid Player, he receives one extra Command Card immediately and now has a five Command Card limit for his hand.

7) Seleucid Warrior units are not really Western-style Gallic, German, or Celt-Iberian tribesfolk, rather they represent the much less effective Asiatic tribal levies of the Seleucid king. Therefore ignore the normal Warrior rules in the two following areas:
1) These units always throw three dice in close combat or battle back.
2) The Seleucid Warrior units do not ignore the first retreat result inflicted upon them even if they are at full strength.

8) Due to the dampness of the early morning start of the battle, missile units may not
move and also fire in the same turn regardless of which card is used to move them.
This restriction is lifted after a player has played a card and taken his turn three times.

9) Seleucid Chariot units may not claim support from adjacent units if retreat hits are inflicted upon them by enemy missile fire.
If a Seleucid Chariot unit is forced to retreat, and there are friendly units in one or both of the rear hexes immediately in back of the unit that a possible retreat route could pass through, each such friendly unit (up to two units if both rear hexes are occupied) immediately loses one block—this loss occurs regardless of whether or not the chariot retreat is successfully completed and such losses occur regardless of any losses inflicted on the chariot due to an inability to retreat.
Seleucid Chariot units may never attempt to evade close combat.

10)The Seleucid Medium Infantry are the “Silver Shields” and are therefore considered to be the foot guards of the Seleucid king. These units if ordered via a line command card may move up to 2 hexes (as a special exception to the jargon on the card), and engage in close combat.

11) An Elephant unit attacking a Phalanx in close combat from non-front hexes always uses 4 dice—the Phalanx only uses 2 dice when battling back in such a situation.


]]> (Joe Bisio) Roman-Syrian War (192-188 BC) Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:13:58 +0200
DC09 Magnesia (190 BC) Historical Background
Changes from the offcial version
For this scenario I heeded Appian for deployment, and both Livy and Appian for subsequent events. Hence the Galatian warriors are on the Seleucid left, not right. I beefed up the Seleucid phalanx a bit, and the Romans lose their tactical advantage special rule. This is because neither Appian nor Livy suggest the Seleucid phalanx, pike armed in the Macedonian style, was defeated by the Roman legions. Rather they were given much respect by the Romans who were reluctant to close with them, They were abandoned by their own flank troops, surrounded by cavalry from the victorious Roman right wing, and then disrupted by their own elephants rampaging in the face of fire from light troops. They were only then put to the sword. Given those circumstances, it seems unreasonable to make Roman heavy and medium infantry any more effective against them directly. I have placed the Roman elephants on the right of the centre rather than the left. On the left it is too easy for them to interfere with Antiochus cavalry. There is no evidence in Livy or Appian for this happening in the actual battle. The smaller Roman African elephants are also made appropriately much less effective when used directly against their larger Seleucid Indian counterparts. Both Appian and Livy make much of them being much smaller and afraid of their larger Indian relatives. I have fewer light foot troops in total than the official version. This makes victory more dependant on events on the wings, as in the real battle according to accounts. I have changed the line of the river slightly to further constrict the Seleucid army. Appian describes the Seleucid phalanx as being deployed in a narrow space between the flanks. Finally, it appears that Antiochus heavy cataphract cavalry disappeared in pursuit of the Roman left wing for a while. By the time they came back the battle was over. Hence the optional impetuous special rule. As in almost all ancient battles, different reconstructions are possible. Both Livy and Appian have the battle start on the Seleucid left with a failed attack by the scythed chariots which disrupted the Seleucid cavalry on that wing. Perhaps at the same time, there was a charge on the right by the Seleucid cavalry wing commanded by the king himself. That charge broke their opposing infantry leading to a pursuit by the Seleucid horse, leaving the field to unsuccessfully attack the Roman camp. The Roman ally Eumenes, commanding all their cavalry on the right of the Roman-Allied army then counterattacked the Seleucid left, already disrupted by the rampage of their own scythed chariots, and broke it. In the centre of the battle line, the Seleucids had arrayed their pike phalanx with elephants in the intervals. The Roman attack ultimately managed to disorder and destroy the phalanx. There was further fighting at the Seleucid camp before that fell.

War Council

Seleucid Army
Leader: Antiochus III
Take 4 cards.

Roman Army
Leader: Domitius
Take 5 cards.
Move First .

6 banners

Special Rules
The Phrygius river is impassable along its entire length.

African Elephants
In battle directly against the Seleucid elephant units the Roman elephant unit may not re-roll sword hits, may not ignore sword hits against it, and it must retreat an additional hex for each flag rolled against it.

Impetuous Heavy Cavalry (optional)
If the Seleucid heavy cavalry unit destroys the last block of a Roman unit it may take ground and perform it’s bonus combat as normal, but then rolls 2 dice. Any red symbol means the cavalry are removed from the board for the rest of the game, lost in pursuit. They do not count as a banner for the Romans. Any leaders attached to them at the time are similarly lost. Only roll like this once per turn, even if another unit is destroyed on the bonus combat.

]]> (Don Clarke) Roman-Syrian War (192-188 BC) Thu, 06 May 2010 22:00:00 +0200