Romans and Sassanid Rematch with Midgard

 Colin and I got together for a Roman/Sassanid rematch with Midgard Heroic Battles, this time swapping armies from our last encounter. Colin now had the Late Romans whilst I took the Sassanid Persians.

The Romans started by rapidly advancing their infantry forward (Disciplined units are a wonderful thing!). I countered by leaving my rubbish levy spears in place and advancing a unit of archers to get into killing range of the oncoming legions. 

I thought I'd get in early so I rushed my elephants forward to crash into the end of the advancing Roman line.

In the meantime the massed Roman cavalry sat back, waiting for the Sassanids to come to them.

However the Sassanid cavalry commander had the same thought, so the cavalry sat, glaring at each other for the first three turns!

Meanwhile the elephants did what they do best, trampling Roman legionaries and sending them running backwards!

My gamble pushing the archers forward started to pay off, as they inflicted casualties on the Roman auxilia.

But now the Romans Legions can within reach of the levy and charged forward.

As the elephants followed the retreating legionaries, the accompanying bowmen engaged in a archery duel...

...which the Romans lost, just as the remnants of the legionaries dissolved under the elephants attack.

As expected the levy were soundly beaten and pushed back by the Roman legionaries. However, by some fluke the humble Sassanid archers held off the Roman charge and fought the auxila to a standstill.

Now the elephants turned around, ready to charge into the rear of the victorious legionaries.

Changing circumstances now forced the Roman cavalry to advance, on one side to engage my victorious light cavalry.

On the other side to take out the Sassanid archers and counter the elephants. In both cases the Sassanid cavalry responded.

With the respective cavalry now engaged in a fierce melee, there was nothing to stop the Sassanid elephants charging into the rear of the Roman legionaries, not a pretty sight (if you are a Roman!).

As the elephants destroyed their second unit of legionaries, the situation at the end of turn 5 was clear. Sassanids +1 Reputation, Romans -4. Had the Romans forced a cavalry fight earlier it might have been different, certainly I would have been less willing to turn the elephants around to attack the legionaries if they had been a risk of cavalry on their flank.

In both game the elephants were decisive, so we need to think of tactics to counter them, perhaps using skirmishers, as happened historically. The fact that both times the elephants managed to get the charge in on the Roman infantry helped them as well.