The DBA Gamer

My buddies and I decided to start a small campaign yesterday. The enemies are anachronistic, but close enough to their actual historical enemies to make the games reasonable. The date is arbitrary. I am the Macedonian player.

Region is basically Macedonia and Thrace.

Rome (Marian) invades from the west (From Corcyra); Thrace in the east, and Macedonia (Antigonos Gonatas) in the middle.

###Spring 220 BC###

Rome: Field army in Appalonia. Declares war on Macedonia, invades Berea. Macedonians initially struggle with the extended Roman line, but are able to form up with terrain features on both flanks whilst attacking the Roman flanks with knights and cavalry. Romans barely escape annihilation, losing 1/2 their cavalry, half their light troops, and one fourth of their heavy infantry. The Macedonian losses were trivial.

Macedonia: Declares war on Rome. Field army in Thessalonica moves to defeat Roman army at Battle of Berea.

Thrace: Field army in Phillipopolis does nothing.

###Summer 220 BC###

Rome: Roman army rallies in Appalonia.

Thrace: Declares war on Macedonia and invades Amphipolis. Thrace does little better than Rome facing the Macedonians in a pitched battle on open ground. A fierce battle in the center turns into a near rout of the Thracians as the Macedonian pikes turn the flank while the elephantry breaks through the center. The mounted contingent of the Macedonian left wing takes heavy casualties as the general races ahead of his Thessalian escort, who are destroyed by the light Thracian troops. After the battle, the Galatian warbands are given first choice of spoils by the Macedonian general for holding the army’s left flank against 2 to 1 odds for the entire battle.
Thracians lose half of their light horse, half their psiloi, and a third of their light troops.

Macedonia: Declares war on Thrace and defeats the Thracian field army at the Battle of Amphipolis. Only casualties are Thessalian cavalry.

###Fall 220 BC###

Rome: Proposes the Romano-Thracian Alliance of 220 B.C.; moves field army to Dyrrachium.

Macedonia: Dismayed by the new alliance formed by Rome and Thrace, Macedonia invades Phillipi hoping to create a buffer/frontier against the Thracians, and to cut into Thracian conscription abilities. The Battle of Phillipi is a bloody battle of attrition, with the decisive action taking place in the woods and hills. Thrace’s defense of the city is bolstered by the appearance of several cohorts of Roman legionaries. Macedonia loses all of its light troops, with the Thracians losing 3/4 as many troops. Macedonia retreats to Amphipolis.

Thrace: Spurred on by the victory at Phillipi, the Thracians invade Amphipolis. The Macedonians retreat to Thessalonika, placing their hopes in the onset of Winter to disrupt the Thracian besiegers. Unfortunately, the retreat of the Macedonian army leaves Amphipolis’ citizens in despair, and not wishing to suffer through a siege they throw open their gates to their new Thracian masters.

###Winter 220 BC###

All armies retire to Winter quarters.