Saga in Ancient Greece.

Having tipped my toe into the water with the original dark age Saga, I came across the great work of “Dean AKI” from his blog “Too Much Lead” where he described Battle Boards for Ancient Greece.
Also an age of heroes and faithful retainers, it struck a cord with a long held pipe dream of mine to battle in this fabled realm.

Feeling inspired and, after several months of painting Wargames Foundry Greeks and Spartans, designing the complimentary appearance of the Battle Boards "Dean AKI" had created, accumulating and constructing terrain, making the Saga Dice, I was ready to tell the stories of great warlords.

Having experienced the utter brutality of Saga battles from Viking clashes with Anglo-Danes, I choose, for my games, to add some representative casualties to the field. Small stones match the field well and create fitting fatigue markers.

So an epic poem translated from the Ancient Greek, tells of Aristomacos and Dimitrios: Warlords of Sparta and Athens...

A raiding force of Athenians has been discovered on Peloponesian soil. Aristomacos, Spartan Warlord, has called the local hill farmers to join his small force with their war gear; sword, shield and javelin.

Dutifully, they rallied to the Temple Vale, there to join the Noble Spartan Citizens: both those in their full panoply and the more crazy, naked Zealots, and their warrior retainers..

Facing them, Dimitrios’ force of Athenians; their ranks swelled by a large group of Levy: armed with a mix of bows and slings.

Both commanders deployed their Strongest troops flanking their Warlord on either side. Warriors arrayed themselves beyond these. The Levy troops were deployed on the left: anticipating uneven terrain between them and their enemy.

The Athenians pressed ahead, their warriors advancing in line abreast; the Levy more warily edging forward through the trees.

The Spartans answered in kind, but their Levy, having clambered into the rocky terrain, were reluctant to leave; until Aristomacos shouted that none would survive the day whose actions would shame his loyal retainers.

As the Athenian centre advanced, the Levy emerged from the shelter of the woods and pressed on, up to the small hill with its shrine; there expecting to shower missiles onto the Spartan warriors beyond.

The Spartans stepping forward at their silent, “intimidating” best, stunned the Levy to falter and, before their slings and  arrows could be cast, the Spartan warriors were upon them, forcing them back towards the woods with a few casualties to show for their naive daring.

Leaving a unit of warriors and his own Levy to secure his left....

... Aristomacos and his faithful  retainers squared up to Dimitrios’s now crowded Hoplites.

Aristomacos saw a glimmer of a chance: his warriors could prevail with their “iron constitution” and “unrelenting” first strike: their “Kopis”. His Armoured, Noble Citizens closed the space and bludgeoned the Peltasts before their javelins could disrupt them. His most brave, sworn retainers crashed into the Athenian’s biggest, strongest unit, confident their advantage lay with their all out attack.

Fierce as always, but met with calm professionalism, and dazzling skill on both sides, they had to fall back to protect their beloved warlord.

Dimitrios seemed safe behind a wall of shield and spear.

Aristomacos called his Levy forward to tangle with the Peltasts in the open ground before them. Javelins filled the air. The wily hill farmers, with a lifetime protecting their sheep and goats from wild dangers, revealed their skill, but the disciplined Peltasts stepped left and right and used their small shields with agility; and replied with their own small spears.

The Spartan Levy could not stand and take this and were forced to return to the shelter of  the wood.

Spartan pride was atrial by the failure to break the Hoplite wall that protected Dimitrios. Aristomacos again ordered his outnumbered Nobles to assail the bronze fortress.

The Athenian “phalanx” though shaken, prevailed and from the maelstrom of blood, only two Noble retainers stepped shakily back.

Seeking desperate measures to crack the almond shell before him, he called his eager, most loyal, to follow him and clear a way to Dimitrios

Equally brutal, this clash left Athenian dead at the feet of Dimitrios and the remaining retainers sent reeling, exposing their warlord, who lashed out with his last remaining, smaller Hoplite unit to ward off these Spartan fiends.

Their sacrifice fulfilled their duty, as each man went down, trading thrust with bloody thrust. Only one Zealot remained on his feet; blood soaked earth, a  barrier that dignity said could not be crossed

Now his most trusted units had been thrown to the fire and most had burned, Aristomacos shouted for his right flank warriors to engage the Athenian Peltasts that yet stood ready to thwart his grip upon his adversary. Yet suffering the outrageous missiles of the Athenian Levy, the Peltasts fought them back and both groups stood poised.

.

With his Levy doggedly engaging their Athenian, Peltast foe, Aristomacos shouted for his left flank  warriors to join the fray. They dashed to their warlord’s aid and summoned all courage in the face of the richly arrayed Athenian  Lord of war.

Their rush of spears brought forth a lightning, flashing display of dexterity and speed. His sword dancing a deadly pattern, Dimitrios held these Spartan Warriors at bay.  Step by step he was forced back until the last Zealot saw his chance to dash forward and risk his flesh and ultimately his life to serve his Lord and put the Athenian down.

A cry of despair arose from the throats of the Athenian soldiers, those on their feet and those nursing their wounds
Aristomacos had won this clash. 

His retainers, even as they tended to the wounds of their brothers, began to compose their song of heroes, to honour the saga of their mighty victory.

The high cost of the day demanded  the greatest poetry.