Tuesday 8 June 2010

Ideas for next year's game III - Magnesia

Magnesia is the third possibility for a big game in 2011.  

Plusses with Magnesia are that it really does have all the toys; armoured elephants, pikes, Romans legions   scythed chariots, camelry and cataphracts.  There aren't really many ancient battles that have a more varied selection of interesting troop types.  Some of the new figure ranges such as the Polemarch Successors and Aventine's Romans and elephants would tie in well with the project.  Finally, the flat battlefield I built for Zama could easily be adapted as Magnesia, by adding a river on the Roman left, and a camp behind the Roman centre, making it that bit different from Zama.

Issues with Magnesia are that we'd need a similar number of Romans to last year's game; essentially all of Craig's and Keith's (unless I get my Romans painted up).  We'd need to paint a large number of pikemen, elephants and a very large number of scruffy Seleucid skirmishers.   We'd also need  lots of Seleucid cavalry, that we'd probably need to source from Polemarch to match the bigger Aventine/Foundry minis we will be using (and I have some reservations about the necks on the horses; I need to see samples).  There were thousands of cataphracts....  we might need as many as 80-90 of these, alone.  Finally, we'd need scythed chariots, and Polemarch's aren't out, yet. 

Despite these difficulties, Magnesia would be a very engaging game, as it was the last major attempt of the Successors to resist the rise of Rome, and the quite possibly the last pike vs pilum battle.  Tempting...

9 comments:

Graham C said...

For the very reasons you highlighted I've already started on this as a solo effort!!! Using most of the manufacturers you outline. The 1st Corps chariots aren't bad 80 phalangites painted only another 230+ to go!!!

Caliban said...

Hi Simon, there's also the small matter of Galatian infantry and cavalry in the Seleucid army. I recently did an estimate of our club's resources with this battle in mind, and the Galatians are the one thing we don't have. Having said that, I've just in the last few weeks painted up enough Ligurians who could stand in for the foot - the horse, though, is a different matter!

Good luck
Paul

Rafael Rico said...

In Seville we have played (for Field of Glory) the battle of Magnesia
I leave you the link of the dossier
http://decimovalerio.blogspot.com/2010/04/fog-batalla-de-magnesia-190-acr.html

Hank Edley said...

No hill for a climber Simon .. :)

BigRedBat said...

Thanks chaps.

Graeme, it is the Big One, isn't it.

Paul, I have some Galatians; it is all the cavalry that gives me kittens.

Rafael I shall have a look.

Hank, flat as a pancake!

Simon

ZeroTwentythree said...

Considering that you listed "less to paint" as a minus for doing Chaerona, I think Magnesia sounds like a good call. ;)

BigRedBat said...

Hi Z23, Magnesia would be a "Stretch goal". I'm currently undecided as to whether I could face my personal share of that much work!

ZeroTwentythree said...

Sent me a unit/group of figures to paint, if you're willing to pay the overseas postage. I'll volunteer to paint a few figures to feel like I'm part of something big & impressive. ;)

BigRedBat said...

Hi Z23; that is very generous! Your painting is excellent. I may hold you to that...

Simon