OGAM Achaean Greece 2 of 2, Trojan War

Part 2 Trojan War, the Sea Peoples invasion, Dark Ages until the recurrence of the city-state and the Hoplite.

Heroes

Last time I looked at the early hero. This chap was pretty free, he might be sent by a God or King, but he had no followers or responsibilities. Even the Argo crew was a lose collection of heroes.

Your Trojan War hero is the opposite. He or she is royalty, has shiploads of troops to feed, shelter and equip. After the battle there's the meeting of the stockade repair sub committee and those traders to meet with regards to winter fodder for the horses.

While they may behave in the old way, the odds are the chariot is there as an advantage point for sniping with a javelin (shooter, short and any of the pluses). The chariot might get him there, but dismounting is the order of the day. So you can either put 2 chariot models together or have a separate dismount figures.

Several heroes fought exclusively from the ranks, Odysseus and Ajax being the most obvious, as I said last time, they may both be borrowed from older stories.

Ajax Q3 C4, Armoured, Boasting, Group fighter, Hammering blow = 132.

I think Ajax gets overlooked. Like many of the war heroes he's a young lad thrust into responsibility and conflict at a very young age. His death resonates with todays understanding of post stress trauma, so makes very uneasy reading. Probably because it's one of those passages that makes Homer ring so true.

Mortals

Here are my suggestions for troops:

Later armoured javelin (CO) Q4 C2, Armoured, Greedy, Shooter, short (15-3+3+5) = 20

Javelin skirmisher (OO) Q4 C2 Shooter Short @ 18 points

Archer or Slinger skirmisher (OO) Q4 C2 Shooter Medium @ 20 points

Amazon versions, these seem to be head-takers, so lose the (more time consuming) -3 Greedy option.

Amazon cavalry (OO) Q4, C2, Mounted, Dashing, Shooter (short) (15+7+4+3) = 29 Rare (4)

Myrmidon or Sea Peoples warband (CO) Q4, C3, Armoured, Dashing (23+5+4) = 33 Rare (8)

Or you can use the Egyptian list version (CO) Q4, C3, Steadfast, desert walk @ 27 (P53)

(Many of these may have been veterans of the war)

Trojan War. Osprey's Myths and Legends Troy by Si Sheppard lists the phases the war went through:

The originals. The locals, small local allies and Dardanians, most of these were refugees or enemies of the Achaeans like the Thracians. Sea peoples like the Lycians.

After the death of Hector, the Amazons arrived and a new weapon entered the battlefield- cavalry. Until Ajax and Achilles re-entered the fight, this weapon gave them the upper hand. My suggestion:

Amazon Legend, C3, Q3, Mounted , Shooter Medium, Good shot, Group fighter 106 (greedy-3)

Memmon, King of the Ethiopians. He is the “mirror-image” of Achilles, so use the same stats. Use the Egyptian list for troops, even if you don't have the right figures.

There is another way of looking at the war, the (sanctioned) involvement of the Gods.

OGAM Trojan War - The Gods go to war

Previously on

“TROY, THE QUICK AND THE DEAD”:

Patroclese is dead.

Reconciled with Agamemnon, Achilles prepares to unleash his vengeance by leading the whole Achaean host.

Zeus summons all the Immortals to him. He knows that Achilles wrath can change the fate of the war.  “Damn you all to Hades hairy nether regions!” yells Zeus from his Throne, his ambrosia spilling onto the tiled floor.  The assembled gods, goddesses shuffled uneasily.  “I know what you want” looking pointedly at Athene and Hera, who stare back defiantly.  “I'm going to let you go to Troy, but remember what happened last time you tried to interfere with these little sons and half-sons!”

The assembly speeds off, dividing into the two factions:

On the Trojan side, Apollo persuades Aeneas to challenge Achilles. Seeing the outcome, Posideon whisks Aeneas away in a fog, thus saving his life.

Hector goes to confront Achilles, but Apollo persuades him to wait. Again Hector steps from the ranks, but Apollo whisks him off, saving his life again.

Having split the Trojan forces, Achilles has trapped half the army against the river Scamander. Taking mortal form, the god of the river pleads with Achilles to stop filling him full of dead.

Unmoved, Achilles attacks the river god, who is aided by Apollo, in a fight that sweeps him downstream, allowing the Trojans to flee across the river. Coming to Achilles aid, Hephaestus sets fire to the plain, boiling the river.

The gods now intervene:
Athena attacks Ares and Aphrodite.
Posideon challenges Apollo, who refuses. Artemis taunts him, but is attacked by Hera.

The gates of Troy are clogged by retreating troops. Achilles approaches but is met by Apollo in the guise of Prince Agenor.

The Trojans retreat, leaving Hector for a final showdown with Achilles.

Next time on TROY----

If you don't have the correct troops for the below, you could run this as a Roman arena event or a Medieval (or later) pageant.

Several films and TV series and touring productions have set Shakespeare using inter-war or even modern settings. So if you have figures, go play!

I've kept these mundane, you can add or upgrade the legends, your choice!

Scenarios

Death of Patroclese

Achaean

Hephasaistos* @ 212

Legends
Patroclese Q3 C3 Armoured, unique @ 70

2 Hero's Q3 C3 Armoured, Shooter short, Good shot, @ 82 =164

Mortals
8 Myrmidons (CO) Q4, C3, Armoured, Dashing @ 33 =264
2x 8 Spearmen (CO) Q4 C2, Armoured, Greedy, Shooter, short @ 20 = 320
Total 1,030

Trojan
Ares @ 336

Legends
Hector Q3 C3, armoured, combat master, unique @ 90
2 Hero's Q3 C3 Armoured, Shooter short, Good shot, @ 82 =164

Mortals
2x 8 Spearman (CO) Q4 C2, Armoured, Greedy, Shooter, short @ 20 = 320
7x Javelin skirmishers (OO) Q4 C2 Shooter Short @ 18 points = 119
Total 1,026

*May seem an usual choice, but I didn't want one of the “usual suspects”, he did make the armour and aids Achilles later. Plus Ares and his missus, need I say more? There's no mention of his automatons in the book, but ---.

Achilles Takes the Field

(Achilles could die here, as could any of the Heroes. Choice of gods may lead to a shooting match.)

Achaean

Artemis @ 332

Legends
Achilles @ 108
Hero Q3 C3 Armoured Shooter short, Good shot, @ 82

Mortals
8 Myrmidons (CO) Q4, C3, Armoured, Dashing @ 33 =264 (if a run-on game, adjust for casualties)
8 Spearmen (CO) Q4 C2, Armoured, Greedy, Shooter, short @ 20 = 160
4 Javelin skirmisher (OO) Q4 C2 Shooter Short @ 18 points = 72
Total 1,018

Trojan
Apollo @ 380

Heroes
Hector Q3 C3, armoured, Shooter short, Good shot, combat master, unique @ 102
Aneas Q3 C3, armoured, Shooter short, Good shot, groupfighter, unique, @ 98

Mortals
2x 8 Spearmen (CO) Q4 C2, Armoured, Greedy, Shooter, short @ 20 = 320
6x Archer or Slinger skirmisher (OO) Q4 C2 Shooter Medium @ 20 points = 120

Total 1,020

Achilles fights the River Scamander Terrain should include river across 1/3 of the table.
Achaean
Hephasaistos@ 212

Heroes
Achilles @ 108
Hero Q3 C3 Armoured Shooter short, Good shot, @ 82 (who's job is to run “interference”)

Mortals
8 Myrmidons(CO) Q4, C3, Armoured, Dashing @ 33 =264 (if a run-on game, adjust for casualties)
2x8 Spearmen (CO) Q4 C2, Armoured, Greedy, Shooter, short @ 20 = 320
2 Javelin skirmisher (OO) Q4 C2 Shooter Short @ 18 points = 36
Total 1,022

Trojan
Apollo @ 380

Legend
Scamander Q3 C3, Amphibious, Artificial, Hammering Blow, Huge, unique @ 96

Mortals
3x 8 Spearmen (CO) Q4 C2, Armoured, Greedy, Shooter, short @ 20 = 480
3 Archer or Slinger skirmisher (OO) Q4 C2 Shooter Medium @ 20 points = 60
Total 1,016

Athena vs Ares

Achaean
Athena @ 248

Legends
Odysseus, armoured! @ 72
2 Hero's Q3 C3 Armoured, Shooter short, Good shot, @ 82 =164

Mortals
8x Ithicans (CO) Q4 C2, Greedy, Steadfast, @ 14 = 112

2x 8 (CO) Q4 C2, Armoured, Greedy, Shooter, short @ 20 = 320
5x Archer or Slinger skirmisher (OO) Q4 C2 Shooter Medium @ 20 points = 100
5 javelin skirmisher (OO) Q4 C2 Shooter Short @ 18 points = 85
Total 999

Trojan
Ares 336

Legends
3 Hero's Q3 C3 Armoured Shooter short, Good shot, @ 82 =246 @ 70 =210

Mortals
2x 8 Spearmen (CO) Q4 C2, Armoured, Greedy, Shooter, short @ 20 = 320
4x Archer or Slinger skirmisher (OO) Q4 C2 Shooter Medium @ 20 points = 80
Total 1,002