This is posted in the forum for the first game, but in case someone comes here first, it really is more appropriate on this one.

Subject: Re: Battles coming in Expansion #1 - TWENTY FOUR SCENARIOS!
Getting back to this thread title (and game).

I just posted this on CsW but I know some folks frequent this site and not that one, so I thought I'd share it here too.


Expansion scenarios

One thing I have noticed about CCA is that it has attracted a lot of players who were not (prior to this game) especially fond of or interested in ancient battles. (I liked the period but not a lot of the games about it.) With that in mind, and with a lot of less-familiar battle titles on the long list of what to expect in the 1st Expansion, here is a brief look at what these names mean.

Marathon 490 BC If this name is not familiar, go for a long run.

Himera 490 BC Not sure here—there is an important battle between Syracusan Gelo and Carthaginian Hamilcar (one of many) on Sicily but it takes place in 480, not 490, and said to be on the same day as the sea battle of Salamis. (Another battle happened here in 311 between another Hamilcar and Agatocles of Syracuse). If it's the 480 battle, this will be interesting, as one aspect of the Carthaginian loss was that their expectation of Greek allies joining their army was "disappointed" when the people they let into their camp turned out to be enemies. Hamilcar is said to have thrown himself into a sacrificial fire when he saw the battle was lost. Perhaps this started the trend of how Carthage dealt with failing commanders.

Plataea 479 BC Post Salamis Greeks vs Persians (with lots of Greeks on their side). Mardonius (for the Persians) out-generaled the Spartan Pausanias but underestimated the Spartans.

Cronium 376 BC - P500 Bonus Scenario More Syracuse vs Carthage. Dyonisius (who conquered much of southern Italy) fails to beat Carthage—-listed as 381 in some sources.

Leuctra 371 BC The destruction of Sparta’s image as supermen, when the Thebans under Epaminondas refused to deploy in the “traditional” fashion and stacked their battle line to win.

Mantinea 362 BC Thebes growing dominance pushed Athens, Sparta, and others to ally. Thebes won this battle tactically but lost Epaminondas and could not continue without him.

Crocus Plain 352 BC Also called “Crocus Field” and one of the first places cavalry made a real difference. Phillip II lost a campaign to expand Macedon into Greece the year before but pre-dated Ah-nold with his own version of “I’ll be back.” He was, and crushed the Phocians—the most powerful Greeks you never heard of.

These battles of Alexander need no description here. Granicus River 334 BC Issus 333 BC Gaugamela 331 BC

Jaxartes 328 BC Alex vs the Sacans (better known as Sythians with their mounted archers). A river crossing in the face of the enemy, protected by catapults (we might finally see a use — and rules – for those “war machines”).

Hydaspes 326 BC Another river for Alex to cross, (in what is modern Pakistan), with 200 Indian elephants on the other side who were seriously used. (There were a few elephants at Gaugamela but not to any effect, so this was a shock for the westerners). Some sources say this was fought during a thunderstorm but others say Alex flanked the defenders with a small force that enabled his main body to cross. While he had twice as many men as Porus, this was still a near-run thing and afterwards his army gave the Macedon version of "no mas." Alexander let the 7 ft tall Porus remain as ruler "in my name" and told the army they were going home. (But he took a round-about way...)

Hellespont 321 BC Half-way a “stump the band” situation—the only battle I find by that name was a naval action in 323, but there was one (of the many) “Successors” battles in 321 described as “near the Hellespont,” Eumenes vs Craterus, and Craterus was killed. Ex one Successor.

Paraetacene 317 BC Eumenes again, this time vs Atigonus in what is now central Iran. Eumenes puts the “Silver Shields” to work and Atigonus squeaked out a victory by exploiting their prowess and rushing cavalry into a gap the Shields' successful advance created.

Gabiene 316 BC Part 2 of the confrontation above, notable for one side using huge dust clouds to ride completely around the other and crush their rear (and loot their camp), while the Silver Shields calmly whipped anything that came near them. Another “inconclusive” battle that turned final when the Shields bartered for their return of their wives and loot by turning over Eumenes to the enemy. Ex another Successor.

Indus 306 BC - P500 Bonus Scenario The band is stumped on this one. Possibly Antigonus and his son Demestrios in an inconclusive battle against another Successor, Ptolemy.

Ipsus 301 BC Antigonus and son vs Lysimachus and Seleucus in which 80 year old Antigonus took an active part. Ex another Successor. Remarkable battle, with 75 Elephants on one side, 400(!) elephants on the other, along with scythed chariots and a combined total of 25,000 cavalry.

These three battles are part of the expansion of Rome into southern Italy (see “Sword of Rome”), versus various Italian and Greek peoples who had "invited" Pyrrhus over from Greece to take command.That the term “Pyrrhic victory” comes from these battles gives an indication of how things went (and suggests that these might be very balanced scenarios)

Heraclea 280 BC First time the Romans see elephants. Pyrrhic victory.

Asculum 279 BC This was a rare thing-- a two-day battle. Another Pyrrhic victory, after which Pyrrhus went to beat up on Carthaginians in Sicily so successfully that Carthage formed an alliance WITH ROME against him! (Noteworthy in that the Romans tried to use armored ox-carts as anti-elephant devices...an idea which worked about as well as it sounds.)

Beneventum 275 BC End of Samnite independence (altho the Romans adapted the pilum from them) The first time a Roman fortified camp was an important part of battle. Some sources say this battle was inconclusive and others describe it as a decisive Roman victory. Either way, Pyrrhus had had enough fun. As he left Italy, he is said to have predicted the next conflict—Rome vs Carthage.

Raphia 217 BC Part of the Syrian Wars between Egypt and the Seleucids. Elephants on both sides. Egypt kept Syria (for awhile).

Cynoscephalae 197 BC Having ended the 2nd Punic War, the Romans turned to Macedon (who had made a pact with Hannibal). A small battle (25,000 each side) that ended Macedonian power over Greece and appeared to show how the Roman system bettered the phalanx. Note this one, guys- ROMAN elephants in this battle!

Magnesia 190 BC Control of Greece is decided between Rome and the Seleucids (rather far from Greece). Scipio Africanus is here versus Antiochus the Great (with Hannibal a spectator on the Seleucid side).

Pydna 186BC - P500 Bonus Scenario Date dyslexia here, as most sources name 168 in this battle in the 3rd Macedonian War, where the son of the Roman commander at Cannae steps in to restore Rome’s expansion. Perseus’ phalanx had swept all before it, winning three previous battles and doing well in this one until broken ground gives the Romans an opportunity to use their greater flexibility. They do. Macedon is Balkanized.

Well, that's an overview of what is coming in the next armored box. The research has just made me even more anxious to get started with another round of sticker applying.