Battle of Raphia, 224 BC (Med Campaign 5)

 Ptolemy and Seleucus are at it again - Seleucus is trying to throw Ptolemy out of Phoenicia. 

This battle report from John Graham-Leigh:

Excellent battle today against Russ King.  We diced for sides and I took the Ptolemaics; I invaded so had the advantage of setting up second.  

Seleucus occupied a large gentle hill in the centre with thureophoroi and Galatian warbands, with Thracian peltasts and psiloi in the open facing my left.  The pike phalanxes opposed each other in the centre, and on the right the Seleucid cavalry (DBM knights), light horse and elephants opposed my weaker cavalry (DBM Cavalry) and light horse.  There was a large area of rough going opposite my far right which I seized with Cretan archers and camel-riders (Inferior Light Horse).  I expected to defend on the right and attack on the left with my lancers, elephants and numerous thureophoroi.

Mixed fortunes on the left as the Thracians slew many of my infantry but the lancers and elephants destroyed Galatians and thureophoroi.  Ptolemy was himself at risk when Galatians luckily beat an elephant, but survived and led a victorious charge.  The right-flank Seleucid command broke.  On my right the Cretans delayed the Seleucid attack, but it eventually went in with heavy casualties on both sides.  In the centre I had more pikemen (only one file of Seleucid Argyraspids) and got the luck of the combat dice.  The Seleucid phalanx crumbled and then broke.

A tight game - my flank commands were both one element from breaking - but eventually decisive.  10-0 in DBM scoring.

 

Ptolemy is now firmly ensconced in Phoenicia. Thanks to John and Russ for playing this out and sending through such a good report and photographs. Very nice to see some good old DBM lines in action!

Campaign history.