Heraclea Interactive Replay

Turn 1: Drusus's Activation

The voting:

	Option	Votes
	Activate Drusus, attack HC	4
	Activate Falco, secure left flank	1
	Activate Cassius, move up the cohorts	2

My thoughts:

We got a good voter turnout and some pretty detailed submissions. Thanks to all who sent in moves!

The voting was pretty heavily in favor activating Drusus. The chance of tearing up the Epirote HC is certainly tempting -- the Romans rarely are presented with an opportunity like this.

Activating Drusus does have a few disadvantages, though:

• Drusus has already been activated this turn, so he must roll (vs Laevinus's mediocre strategy rating, 3) to use a line command;
• since the RC units have already moved, moving them again gets them an automatic TQ hit; and
• HC is Defense Superior to RC in a frontal assault.

In spite of these tactical objections, it's in the Romans "strategic" interest to attack with Drusus. The Roman right wing isn't the wing of decision -- that's the job of the left wing (with its RC facing LC) and center (with superior numbers and LG vs PH). Barring extreme Roman luck, the right wing is going to be chewed up. But attacking now provides an opportunity for favorable cohesion hit exchanges, and any routed units are useless for the rest of the turn, even if rallied by Pyrrhus. And any time Pyrrhus spends rallying or counterattacking is time not spent bringing up the elephants.

While Pyrrhus is setting things aright on his left, the Roman left wing and center chop up their opposition.

Drusus rolls for a line command and fails with a dieroll of "5".

At this point should Drusus move defensively rather than offensively? At least one voter thought so, but I think taking the cohesion hit for moving gives a better payoff if some Epirote units are routed, too.

So, three RCs move forward into the flank and rear of the HC lines. The two adjacent HCs successfully do a Reaction Facing Change (better a flank attack than a rear attack) and everyone prepares for shock, one RC vs the rearmost HC and the other two RC vs the HC on the front line.

The subsequent dierolls are not kind to the Roman. The RC attacking alone (without a buddy to help absorb TQ hits) rolls an '8' and takes 3 TQ hits. The shock dierolls themselves are mediocre ('5' and '0') and don't succeed in routing anything but the cowardly RC. (The rear HC was in danger of collapse with 6 cohesion hits, but passed his TQ check.)

At this point you fellows that voted to move the cohorts forward get to say a very loud "I told you so!"

However, Drusus does have one success -- he succeeds in rolling for momentum.

So, the current question: should the Epirotes trump? With who? If that leader succeeds, what should he do? If he fails, what should Drusus do?

Mail me.

(It probably doesn't matter for the current option, but remember that Pyrrhus is the only leader that can give orders to the elephants. At some point Pyrrhus may want to move east.)