Qadesh in 2mm (and some nicely painted 28mm)

One of the advantages of wargaming with 2mm scale, with two-pages rules and on a 30x30mm board, is that the whole set is highly portable. On friday evening I went to my old wargaming friend's home and we played a scenario based on the Battle of Qadesh (circa 1275 BC) on his writing desk. Before the great battle, he showed me his latest brush work... some nice 28mm miniatures for the War of Spanish Succession... another interesting period to wargame (and who knows if we will end up with another two-pages set of rules for these?)

But now, back to the Bronze Age. Here is the Scenario for the Battle of Qadesh, played with the Legio VIII rules (that you can download from the Pz8 yahoogroup).

Egyptians

Amun Division (North, with one Foot unit inside the Egyptian Camp)

1 x Light Chariots (Mounted, bow, Veteran, Regular)  @ 8 points

+ Exceptional General (Ramesses II)

1 x Bowmen (Heavy Foot, Unarmoured, Bow, Raw, Regular) @ 6 points each

1 x Spearmen (Heavy Foot, Shielded, Raw, Regular) @ 7 points each

1 x Light Foot (Unarmoured, Bow, Raw) @ 2 points each

Re Division (West)

Ptah Division (South, enters from turn 2)

Ne’arin Division (North, enters from turn 3 if D6 = 5,6)

Each with:

1 x Light Chariots (Mounted, Bow, Average, Regular)  @ 7 points

1 x Bowmen (Heavy Foot, Unarmoured, Bow, Raw, Regular) @ 6 points each

1 x Spearmen (Heavy Foot, Shielded, Raw, Regular) @ 7 points each

1 x Light Foot (Unarmoured, Bow, Raw) @ 2 points each

Total points = 89 points, Army Breakpoint = 8 units

The Egyptian Camp counts as Rough Terrain (not as fortifications) but Chariots can move inside.  It should be large enough to accomodate 2 units. It at the end of a turn is occupied by one or more unopposed Hittites units, it counts as 1 unit for Egyptian Army Breakpoint.

Hittites

Chariot Striking Force (West of Oronte River)

1 x Light Chariots (Mounted, bow, Veteran, Regular)  @ 8 points + Average General (Mutawalli II)

4 x Light Chariots (Mounted, bow, Average, Regular)  @ 7 points each

Infantry Reserve (East of Oronte River, enters from turn 2)

7 x Spearmen (Heavy Foot, Shielded, Raw, Regular) @ 7 points

2 x Light Foot (Unarmoured, Bow, Raw) @ 2 points each

Total points = 89 points, Army Breakpoint = 7 units

The Orontes River is considered Rough Terrain, but Chariots can cross it.

The game took about one hour and resulted in an Hittite "Phirric" victory. Ramesses II charged fiercely Mutawalli II and his bodyguards, but was killed in the process (Gods did not protect him this time), then the Hittite infantry steamroller crossed the Orontes and captured the Egyptian camp after a fierce battle, in which Mutawalli II suffered the same fate of his enemy! Total casualties were 8 Egyptian units (including the General's unit, that counts double, and the camp) vs 6 Hittite units (including the General's unit)... looks like a replayable scenario. 

The rules seem to work well, with a couple of additional notes:

1) units can not shoot to enemy units already engaged in melee (seemed obvious, but my friend asked if he could...)

2) units can attack other units only from their front (this is important... beware of flank or rear contact!)