Closing the gate...

...after the cataphracts have bolted....

For last night's game I had sorted out suitable pointy-stick wielding toys to play the Command & Colours Cilician Gate 39BC scenario.  This saw a Roman army under Pubulius Ventidius Baussus seeking to avenge various previous Roman embarrassments.  The Parthians were led by Pacorus, assisted by Roman renegade Labenius.  I had five players who after some debate sorted themselves out.  Mark H led the Parthians, assisted by Martin R and Kayte H while on the Roman side John A and Jerry E formed a two-man triumvirate.

The initial setup - Romans are on the right, mostly on a ridgeline.

As did his historical counterpart, our Pacorus led his cataphracts straight at the enemy line - 

which it will be remembered was uphill.  What could go wrong?

Quite a lot as it happened.  The four mighty cataphract units were swiftly reduced to one battered unit.

While the victorious Roman infantry stepped down off their hill some Parthian horse archers appeared on their left flank.

Sadly some were soon seen off by the Roman light troops...

...while the remainder were put to flight by the Roman (medium) cavalry.

A subsequent sally by the horsemen shifted things the other way.

To say the Parthian centre was a bit open would be something of an understatement.

Even the normally cautious Romans were goaded forward.  Was it all a Parthian trap?

Well no.  While the horse archers continued having fun the Roman right and centre ground ever forwards and finally clinched a hard fought victory.  Pretty much like the original

Despondency sets in at the Parthian HQ.

While the Romans demonstrate why their democracy failed...