Lysimachid Army - DBA #39 |
The lance armed Xystophoroi (Companions), historically the General's element. | ||
Allied or mercenary Greek cavalry. Lysimachos employed some Thracian noble cavalry as well. | ||
Thracian, Paionian or Greek light horse. Shieldless and armed with javelins. | ||
The phalanx. Lysimachos used both Macedonians and Thracians as pikemen. | ||
These elements represent the Thracians recruited by Lysimachos fighting in their native style. Sadly for miniature painters by this era the Thracians seemed to have stopped wearing their distinctive and colourful cloaks. The Thracians had begun adopting the larger oval theuros before the Galatian invasion, in addition to the traditional pelte or small circular shield. For DBA they are based three to a stand. An option would be to paint up an element of Greek peltasts instead of Thracians; they would be based four to a stand. | ||
Thracian or mercenary javelinmen, archers or slingers. | ||
An elephant. Lysimachos, being located in faraway Thrace, had no opportunity to obtain elephants until very late in his reign. He eventually seized a few after defeating Demetrios, or possibly from Cassandros' army a few years later...sources differ slightly. Crew rode directly atop the elephant; towers were not yet in usage. | ||
Greek Hoplites from Lysimachos' subject Greek cities on the Thracian coast and later from Asia Minor. |
In 313 BC a coalition (instigated by Antigonid diplomacy and probably gold) of Scythians, local Greek cities and Thracians confronted Lysimachos, although he was able to convince the Thracians to leave the coalition and join him. Although the DBA rules make no mention of it, the Scythians (DBA #25) might well be included as an opponent of Lysimachos, since they fought a pitched battle with Lysimachos at this time. Later Hoplite Greek (#32) is possibly another foe, but the Greek cities seemed to prefer more passive opposition and seiges, rather than pitched battles. Still, that would make an interesting double size DBA game - Scythian and Greek allies versus Lysimachos and the Thracians.
By 302 BC, he felt confident enough to intervene in Asia Minor against Antigonos. Outnumbered by the large Antigonid army, Lysimachos proved his military skill by deftly avoiding battle until 301 BC, when his ally Seleucus was able to join him and crush Antigonos in the crucial battle of Ipsus. As spoils of war, Lysimachos seized most of Asia Minor from the defunct Antigonid Kingdom. Demetrios, son of Antigonos, held the Ionian coast for a time, but was eventually forced out by the victorious Lysimachos by 295 BC.
Demetrios rallied his forces, was proclaimed King of Macedonia after the death of Cassander and had begun a successful invasion of Thrace, but Lysimachos allied with Pyrrhos of Epirus. Together they defeated Demetrios then conquered and partitioned Macedonia. A few short years later after the death of Demetrios in 285 BC, Lysimachos turned on Pyrrhos and seized the remainder of Macedonia. He managed to defeat the redoubtable Pyrrhos by guerilla tactics and diplomacy, inducing Pyrrhos' Macedonian army to desert the "foreign usurper".
Lysimachos was at the height of his power. He was a competent but very cautious general, never risking an open battle if there were any other options. However Lysimachos was a ruthless, cruel and paranoid leader. Early in his reign he tortured a close friend to death for merely playing a jest on Lysimachos' wife. After the baggage of his mercenaries was plundered by the enemy, Lysimachos promptly ordered the slaughter of all 600 Autariatai soldiers just in case they were thinking of deserting (!). His eldest son was executed for the mere suspicion of treachery.
By 282 BC most of his Asian possessions had defected to Seleucus and his Black Sea coast Greek cities were in rebellion and unrest due to his heavy taxation and conscription demands. Lysimachos was forced to risk everything in open battle against Seleucus at Corupedium the following year. Like Antigonos, he lost and died on the battlefield.
The one spear element can be supported with the Psiloi, or alone can support a flank of the phalanx. A Lysimachid army does possess three auxilia, which can come in handy in rough going.
A Lysimachid player must use the terrain to his advantage, since his historical opponents will outclass him otherwise. Antigonos has more pike, Seleucus possesses a formidable mounted force; Lysimachos must hope for bad going to counter both these armies. The reverse is true for Thracian and Illyrian foes; they have large numbers of auxilia. Those armies will be swept aside by a pike block in good going.
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