315 Pharsalus (48 BC)

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Caesar played line command and moved forward unhurt by Pompey's archers. He then hit the enemy troops like a freight train. Caesar's troops did get seperated leaving gaps for Pompey to take advantage of. Caesar lost a general and several heavy troops including the the one he was directy. However, Pompey also lost a general and had few options. A calvary charge by Pompey was attempting to knock Caesar out, but they were crushed by Caesar's counter charge. caesar won 7 to 4.

This time Caesar did not get a line command out early. He attacked ad hoc doing some damage. However, a Clash of Shields allowed the Pompeian forces to push him back down the line. Caesar lost his heavy unit but was able to attach to medium unit. Pompey had moved his archers this time out of harms way, which deprived Caesar of some easy kills. Pompey looked like he had Caesar, but at the last few turns he ran out of steam, and Caesar won 7-6. An exciting battle this time.

We played twice switching sides and it was two Caesar victories, 3-7 and 2-7. In the first battle Caesar got two line commands and moved the heavy units to get the center. Pompey did not move his cavalry and the other flank was destroyed for both sides, leaving the battle for the center, where Caesar himself helped win the day. On the second battle the situation was similar but there was an indecisive cavalry fight. Both sides retreated their broken units and in the fight for the center Caesar again prevailed. Caesar seems much stronger in this battle though there are a lot of shattered units for both sides that do not count as banners and do not reflect in the final results.

Caesar's right section fought off Pompey's opening cavalry charge, but his left section under Antony first buckled, then collapsed from great pressure brought to bear by Pompey's right. Caesar dithered, unsure whether to lend assistance on the left leaving his right vulnerable to another charge, or stay put as deterrence. He chose the latter, leaving Antony's men to their fate. In the end though, Caesar could not stem the tide on his right either. A last gasp infantry charge up the middle yielded a few banners for Caesar, but Pompey's renewed attack from the left, combining infantry and cavalry, crushed Caesar's right, many fleeing the battlefield off board's edge. Pompey victorious 7-6.

It appears that one of the Ceasarian leaders is missing from the map.

Recently replayed Pharsalus twice as a solitaire contest. Caesar was victorious in both battles. Battles were contested using the game board and 6mm figures. Battle reports are available at the following links:

Game 1: palousewargamingjournal.blogspot.com/202...pharsalus-48bce.html

Game 2: palousewargamingjournal.blogspot.com/202...caesar-v-pompey.html

Vittoria Cesariana 7-3. Si muove rapida la cavalleria di Labieno che fa arretrare la destra di Cesare ma senza grandi risultati. Senza scomporsi, Cesare ordina prima a Calvinus e poi ad Antonio di avanzare. Gli arcieri pompeiani vengono facilmente eliminati ma Antonio si trova in difficoltà alle prese con la fanteria media e gli auxilia di Lentulus. La cavalleria media pompeiana carica di nuovo ed elimina tutta la destra cesariana meno i legionari e i guerrieri. Cesare ricompatta le sue forze nel centro con tutta la fanteria pesante rimastagli e sferra il colpo decisivo.