Temple of the Golden Virgin

This ancients game was played using Hail Ceasar which is the ancients version of Black Powder and as I hate the BP rules I was very sceptical how this game would work out but I have to admit that I was very surprised and the rules seemed to work very well and even felt like an ancient  battle.
All the games I've played with BP from Marlburian, AWI, Napoleonics to Colonial games have all felt the same with no feel for a particular period and it was only the different figures that reminded you which period you were fighting.  Hail Ceasar on the other hand has obviously had a lot of thought and effort put into them and you really felt like you were having an acient battle.

The game scenario was put together by Donald Adamson who also umpired the game and involved a Persian force with Greek mercenaries defending the Temple of the Golden Virgin from the ravages of Macedonian barbarians supported by just as barbaric Spartans.

These are some of my Athenians who were guarding the Persian left flank

This was the main Persian force defending the temple commanded by Bill Gilchrist.

Hugh Wilson commanded Corinthian Greeks on the right flank.

The table was set up with a high range of hills running across the table with 3 passes which the Macedonians had to pass through to get to the temple and just off table was a beach with the Macedonian ships tied up waiting to take home their prizes.

The Macedonian centre was commanded by Martin Gibson

Angus Konstam commanded the Spartan mercenaries on the right flank and Colin Jack commanded another division of Macedonians on the left flank.

Rather than just have a straightforward bash Donald had come up with the idea of both commanders trying to bribe the others mercenaries to switch sides which was done with a dice roll.  I failed the test and decided to fight for the Macedonians whereas the Spartans passed and remained loyal to their paymasters so before the battle even started things were looking bad for the Persians with now four commands against two.  This situation didn't last long as Angus managed to roll a blunder and ended up being forced to charge the nearest troops, which happened to be my Athenians.  At this point Donald decided that Angus had changed sides and now joined the Perisans.



Athenians and Spartans clash

Centres about to clash

Right flank combat

The fighting on both flanks remained bloody but inconclusive whereas in the centre it was a different story and Bill lost his army commander and virtually all his troops only having left his new replacement commander and a unit of temple guards.

The new Persian commander

Temple guards