Original D&D Discussion - Alexander the Great (Avalon Hill)

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May 23, 2013, 11:47pm

Original D&D Discussion :: Other TSR Classics :: Other TSR Games :: Alexander the Great (Avalon Hill)

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Topic: Alexander the Great (Avalon Hill) (Read 425 times)

Otto Harkaman
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Re: Alexander the Great (Avalon Hill)
« Reply #15 on Sept 19, 2012, 4:24am »

Reading the rules after thirty years, I don't think I noticed then that you can setup your troops in anyway behind their marked placement on the map, changes things a lot.

Cool on google books is a free copy of Theodore Ayrault Dodge's book on Alexander and Greek warfare. I am reading the section on Epaminondas and his oblique tactical formation. Again I find his student Philip perhaps more interesting then Philip's son Alexander and how he modified Epaminondas'es ideas. However when I display the major battles together and look at the evolution of ideas one easily has to concede to Alexander's genius . It looks a lot like an American football game where you are trying to breach the enemy line to penetrate towards the quarterback.

[image]

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Otto Harkaman
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Re: Alexander the Great (Avalon Hill)
« Reply #16 on Sept 19, 2012, 5:44am »

I wish we could find this owlorbs

Panzerfaust Article: Number 59 Jul-Aug '73: Alexander the Great - "Afterthoughts on Alexander" (Design Notes), Gary Gygax

Wow someone has one up for sale on ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ROLE-PLAY-PANZER....S-/200819953477

« Last Edit: Sept 19, 2012, 5:44am by Otto Harkaman »

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Finarvyn
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Re: Alexander the Great (Avalon Hill)
« Reply #17 on Sept 19, 2012, 8:24am »

If you get it, maybe you can share it with us!

« Last Edit: Sept 19, 2012, 8:26am by Finarvyn »

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Marv / Finarvyn
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Otto Harkaman
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Re: Alexander the Great (Avalon Hill)
« Reply #18 on Sept 19, 2012, 8:29am »

Actually now that I think about it, I can't think of any battle off hand that achieved Alexander's economy of force and penetration tactics. I thought perhaps General Schwarzkopf's Desert Storm. Now that I look at it maybe some small penetrations in the front but mainly a flanking envelopment.

Anybody know of such battle?

Ah I had to do a search and came up with some of Frederick the Great's battles.

« Last Edit: Sept 19, 2012, 8:37am by Otto Harkaman »

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Otto Harkaman
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Re: Alexander the Great (Avalon Hill)
« Reply #19 on Sept 19, 2012, 9:26pm »

Well I am a bit surprised but I can not find any battle that accurately copies Alexander's tactic of creating a breach in a off center part of an enemy's battle line then launching an elite attacking force through to attack the enemy's rear or critical command center.

Maybe von Manstein's plan for the battle of France?

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Otto Harkaman
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Re: Alexander the Great (Avalon Hill)
« Reply #20 on Sept 19, 2012, 10:09pm »

Philip's battle plan of Chaeronea where Alexander prematurely launched his attack is really interesting me. Intuitively I feel it shows more mastery than Issus and Gaugamela. I think it shows how to inflict greater casualties on an enemy force by attacking an exposed flank and what is better in this case is an exposed flank in the center of an enemies battle line, instead of on a wing of an enemy army.

Alexander's premature attack led to a lot of unnecessary Macedonian casualties. Lucky for for Alexander's impetuosity he was able to go after the critical command center of Darius's person at Issus and Gaugamela. Philip had no such easy target at Chaeronea. But I have to add Philip wasn't faced with hordes of asiatic horse archers that could enevlopement him at any moment.

I really don't know how Parmenio was able to hold the left flank against the Great King's horsemen. One of those things you wish you could witness in real action I suppose. Again thinking of Crassus were are those decimating arrows along with wagons, horses and mules carrying ammunition resupplies?

« Last Edit: Sept 20, 2012, 6:22am by Otto Harkaman »

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Otto Harkaman
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Re: Alexander the Great (Avalon Hill)
« Reply #21 on Sept 20, 2012, 6:57am »

This battle plan of Issus is from Lamb's book on Alexander. I think it shows better how Alexander was covering his elite attack force, the Hypaspists and Companion cavalry. Then once contact was made using it to create a penetration. I guess its easy to forget how skilled these guys were.

[image]

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Otto Harkaman
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Re: Alexander the Great (Avalon Hill)
« Reply #22 on Sept 20, 2012, 8:24am »

I guess its also hard to imagine what these men were like, they were tough, tougher then any people we normally encounter and they had personally killed a lot of people.

« Last Edit: Sept 20, 2012, 8:27am by Otto Harkaman »

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Otto Harkaman
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Sir Gawaine the son of Lot, King of Orkney

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Re: Alexander the Great (Avalon Hill)
« Reply #23 on Sept 21, 2012, 2:55am »

Woah!! This looks like a really dangerous stunt, I can't beleive they actually put sickles on these chariots for the movie of Alexander done in 1956. Animated gif of charging chariots at bottom of picture.

[image]

Here is an animated gif of the scene, its pretty cool but large file
http://www.lexweb.us/alexander/chariots.gif

Instead of attacking infantry with them, I think they would be devastating against cavalry. At the very least they would break up the cavalry formation.

« Last Edit: Sept 21, 2012, 12:37pm by Otto Harkaman »

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