The Ballad of Bradicles

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Project Entry by blipvertus

A Horse of Course - Day of Battle Pt 2

May 26, 2023

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Eeyoricles spurred the horse forward clearing the forest edge. He saw the Roman equites beginning to move, likely to throw a few javelins and retire. No matter, he’d return the favor and waved the Psiloi forward.

Uncertain if leaving the safety of the woods was wise, they moved forward realizing that the Hetairoi were likely the object of the equites wrath. A few ranging shots to little effect gave the equites no concern. They gathered speed and then at the last minute drew their swords and charged the Hetairoi. Caught flat footed the Hetairoi had little recourse other than to abandon their Xystons and draw swords themselves. Badly bloodied but still standing, they held but were much reduced.

The Psiloi continued to move, clearing the way for a possible charge by their own cavalry. As they did, they crossed the paths of the Equites and loosed more javelins, bringing them down!

“Now, Pezhetairoi, now is the time! Forward the pikes!,” and with that, the pikemen came on, leveling their pikes at the last moment. They pushed the Romans back, reformed again and and again. There were few casualties on either side but both sides were exhausted.

Eeyoricles saw that the Hetairoi had sorted themselves out and gotten reorganized. He ordered them to rampage in the enemy’s rear. He hoped it would be enough.

Meanwhile, on the other flank. The javelin men had moved forward, got off one shot to no effect then been essentially decimated by a subsequent pilium attack. Meanwhile the slingers further to the right weren’t doing much better.

The Romans begin a general advance. The pikes on the right move up and wheel left to take on the center Roman unit and weaken it but take casualties themselves.

The Roman’s allies finished off the pikemen leaving the Hypaspists to face off against three Roman infantry units. They go for the smallest, weakest unit first.

The Hypaspists failed to finish off the Romans who managed to make almost all their combat saves, armor saves and grit saves. Now exhausted, the Roman leader charged in.

And the Roman commander promptly runs roughshod over the last of the veterans.

Not content to kill the veterans, the Roman commander next rides down the few remaining slingers, killing them to the last man.

Bradicles surveyed his right flank which currently consists of himself, his musician and three javelin men on the extreme left. He concedes the battlefield with a bow to the Roman commander.