Ancients wargames with miniatures come in all sizes (and scales, but I'm thinking here of how many stands). DBA seems to be the smallest game with a dozen stands per side. At the other end of the spectrum are the monster games you see at conventions and tournaments.
The sweet spot seems to be about 30 stands per side - big enough not to look like a skirmish game but small enough to play out reasonably quickly.
For Optio I generally play with 30-ish stands a side, games lasting about 2 hours, sometimes less. But how long would a big game take? I decided to find out and created two big armies. Rome vs Greece, with 68 stands on the Greek side and 44 stands on the Roman side. Peter took Carthage whilst I led the legions of Rome. Not having enough miniatures, I used flats instead.
The armies were as follows:
Rome
4 x Legions, each with 8 stands
2 x Roman Cavalry
2 x Allied Extraordinarii Cavalry
4 x Allied Cavalry
4 x Auxilia
Greece
8 x Spartan Hoplites
24 x other Hoplites
16 x Psiloi
12 x Peltasts
8 x Cavalry
The Roman army had a command rating of 'good' (a preponderance of drilled infantry) hence could have a general and 4 commanders whilst the Greeks rated as 'average,' allowing them a general and 3 commanders. That meant 5 commands for the Romans and 4 for the Greeks. An army with a poor command rating (preponderance of unwieldy infantry) would have had a general and 2 commanders.
For the terrain pre-game I used the map from the Greek vs Greek campaign.
The battlefield delineated.
Using this map, the terrain was set up then the armies deployed. I had shot myself in the foot during the terrain game, entering the map square where Peter's army was from a side that left me hampered with forest and the town of Cynus, which obliged me to split my Legions into two parts on either side of the town. I deployed one Legion in column to enable it to move quickly into position in front of the forest before the Greeks reached it. This was going to be touch and go. My Cavalry took up position conventionally on the flanks.
Peter also split his Hoplites on either side of a small wood. His Psiloi deployed in front of the Hoplites as a traditional screen, whilst his Cavalry massed on his right flank.
Turn 1. Rome.
Rome started deployment so moved first. I move the Legions at top speed, trying to get them to join up in front of the town. The Cavalry stick to their role of flank guards.
Turn 1. Greece.
Peter sends his Psiloi forward to begin the process of softening up the Legions before his Hoplites reach them. The Hoplites move up and the Cavalry move across then deploy into line.
Turn 2. Rome.
My Roman and Extraordinarii Cavalry on my left are slightly better than the Greek Cavalry opposite them, so I move up my horsemen to engage. The same thing happens on the right flank once I realise that Peter's Hoplites on his left are uncommanded, meaning they move very slowly, which give me time to engage his Peltasts before the Hoplites can support them.
The Legions merge into a single battleline in the centre.
Turn 2. Greece.
Half the Greek Cavalry on the right charge the Romans whilst the other half moves behind them in support. The Psiloi move into range and begin to pepper the Legions with javelins, who pepper them back with pila. The two halves of the phalanx gradually move together.
Turn 2. Melee.
Nobody routs yet but the Roman general is wounded!
Turn 3. Rome.
Legions and Psiloi exchange pointy objects whilst the Allied Cavalry on my right flank turn to face the engaged Peltasts.
Turn 3. Rome (again).
We played this game over two sessions, and here Rome moves by mistake instead of Greece. The Legions charge the Psiloi who evade whilst the Allied Cavalry on the right flank charge the Peltasts who have to take it like men as they are already engaged and can't evade. So I suppose giving the Romans an extra move wasn't that decisive an advantage.
Turn 3. Greece.
The uncommanded Hoplites on the left inch forwards whilst the Cavalry on the Greek right turn to face the Romans.
The engaged Greek Cavalry rout....
Turn 5. Rome.
....and their squares are occupied by the victorious Romans.
Turn 4. Rome.
We get turn order right again. The Legions charge the Psiloi who evade, some through the Hoplites. The Roman and Extraordinarii Cavalry charge the Greek Cavalry: one unit evades and the other stands its ground.
Turn 4. Greece.
The Hoplites in turn charge the Legions whilst the evaded Psiloi and unengaged Legions carry on with their pointed discussion.
Turn 3. Melee.
Nobody routs, but a Roman commander is killed. His family will be proud.
Turn 4. Rome.
The Roman Cavalry facing the Greek horse in the forest pull back out of range of their javelins as they can't themselves shoot into forest. The Allied Cavalry on the other flank also pull back. Meanwhile the Legions advance on the left.
A Roman Auxilia unit is shot to rout on the right whilst a Greek Peltast unit likewise goes down, leaving the Allied Cavalry on its flank free to pull back.
Turn 4. Greece.
One Peltast unit gets into the rear of the legions whilst two Hoplite units advance on the left. Peter graciously let me do line relief with my legions (which I had forgotten about during my move). Front and back stands are swopped and the Legions return to top morale.
Turn 4. Melee.
The heavy infantry grind each other down and a Greek Cavalry unit is routed.
The Romans are happy to stay put, so....
Turn 5. Greece.
One Greek Cavalry unit on the right heads into the forest in column, evidently planning to switch flanks, whilst a Hoplite unit on the left drives the Allied cavalry back.
Turn 7. Rome.
Turn 5. Melee.
A Hoplite unit goes down.
Turn 6. Rome.
Before the Romans can do anything, another Auxilia unit is shot to rout.
I'm not too worried as the Auxilia were there only to delay the Greeks in any case. The Allied Cavalry units on the right manoeuvre to get out of potential trouble.
In the centre the unengaged Legion units turn to flank the hoplite phalanx.
On the left the Roman and Extraordinarii Cavalry charge Psiloi; one unit evades but the other is pinned against the Greek Cavalry behind it and it routs. The surviving Greek Cavalry unit in the forest is now ZOCed by the Roman Cavalry. Ouch!
Turn 6. Greece.
The uncommanded Hoplite units inch forwards. When out of command they can move only half a square per turn: to the edge of a square in turn one, into the adjacent square in turn 2, to the edge of that square in turn 3, and so on. This represents the lack of initiative of their captains who have no idea of the big picture and aren't sure what to do.
Turn 6. Melee.
Another Hoplite unit routs.
A Legion unit advances to the flank of what remains of the hoplite phalanx in the centre.
At this point Peter threw in the towel. His centre was about to be blown away and his Cavalry in the forest were also doomed. Greece had no effective counterplay on its left as most of the units there were out of command, making them as slow as wading through treacle. With no lucky 6's to hope for the writing was on the wall. Game over!
Oh, yes, how long did the game last? If you exclude the terrain pre-game and deployment time, a little under 2 hours. Optio delivers!
