Command and Colors: Epic Ancients -- Gaugamela

I've long been a fan of the Command and Colors series, if only in that it allows one to play out straight-forward games -- as opposed to anything resembling a simulation -- in a limited period of time to a satisfactory conclusion.  These things cannot be said of many of C&C's more elaborate peers.

Tonight HL and I had a go at the epic Gaugamela scenario.  I've been listening to The Illiad of late and wanted something of that "push of spear", blood-on-bronze, semi-naked man battling that it evokes.  The setup is classic C&C, viz.: you get Darius' problems (no heavy infantry and three fewer command cards), Alexander's problem (many fewer fellows), and, yes, Alexander's Companions.

I decided to play matters fairly close to the event, at least initially.  I ran up my light horse and started plinking away at HL's left while refusing on my own left.  It takes no statistician to deduce, though, that trying to roll the sole green circle on a single die is not a recipe for success.

Yep, still there.

 HL, on the other hand, was having none of my nonsense.  He crashed into my phalanxes with his elephants and drove my psiloi hard and fast back onto their supports.  The single-block unit below is having the textbook definition of a bad day.

Seeing all this, I sent Alexander and his Companions into Darius' center-left.  I'd be curious to know the thoughts of more experienced ancients hands than I, but the Companions (three, three-block medium horse units that can ignore their first hit and flags) are a serious foe.  I didn't make matters any easier on Darius when I played "Clash of Shields" in the midst of the melee they caused granting each of my units two additional combat dice.

HL, sensing matters slipping away, played "I am Spartacus" and rolled reasonably well.  Alexander himself was forced to survive two leader rolls and was whittled all the way down to a single block.  In the end, though, it wasn't enough and the collapse of this sector alowed him to rack up the 12 victory blocks needed for the win.

The whole grand affair lasted less than three hours.  Much to recommend in this, I think.