The Hammer of God: Judea vs. the Seleucids, 167-160 B.C.
The Hammer of God: Judea vs. the Seleucids, 167-160 B.C. Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Historical Background
Judea had seen its Golden age during the reigns of King David and Solomon, when the major powers of the day were diverted by internal problems. Since then, Judea's own, internecine squabbles had led to a political division which allowed Egypt and the Mesopotamian "Power of the Day" to successively control these "crossroads of the Middle East". The strength of Judea lay in its inhospitable terrain - the present day West Bank - and many of today's political problems stem from a misunderstanding of what exactly constituted ancient Israel.
In 175 BC, only 15 years after Antiochus III was defeated at Magnesia (see War Elephant Game Module), Antiochus IV Epiphanes ascended to the Seleucid throne. Antiochus III had followed a policy of religious tolerance, which kept Judea peaceful and inside the Seleucid orbit. Antiochus IV's strategic assessment perceived Egypt and Rome as his main threats, and he correctly saw that his Southern flank depended upon his domination of the Judean high ground which flanked the traditional coastal invasion route along the Eastern Mediterranean. Based on this perspective, he decided to Hellenize Judea to create cultural bonds which would bind the Judeans to his regime.
Clearly, Antiochus IV didn't have an iota of insight into the Jewish people and their absolute adherence to their religion, and their one God. It appears that he may have been misled by divisions within the religious theocracy that ruled Judea, but the evidence for this is thin. Politically ancient Judea was experiencing a power struggle within its Priesthood. The more secular faction had made overtures to Antiochus to back their cause in return for tighter control and a portion of the substantial Temple treasury. It has been suggested by some scholars that this was his motivation in overturning his father's policy of religous tolerance within the Seleucid empire.
In any case, in 168 BC Antiochus IV was in the process of withdrawing north along the coast road after failing to take Alexandria by siege. While in transit, he learned that the simmering tensions between the Hellenized Jews and the Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem had resulted in major riots. Out of frustration and anger, Antiochus dispatched Apollonius to Jerusalem to deal with the problem. The resulting massacre of the Jewish population reached its peak with the Holy Temple being desecrated by Pagan ritual and then converted into a shrine to Olympian Zeus. A fortress known as the Acra, or Citadel, was constructed on a hill facing the Temple ... and it now had a permanent Seleucid garrison.
With the situation in Jerusalem under control, the Seleucid forces now moved into the countryside to enforce the edict against the performance of Jewish practices. One of these detachments arrived in the village of Modin, northwest of Jerusalem, where an altar was set up and a Jewish priest, Mattathias, was ordered to perform a sacrifice and eat pig's flesh. When Mattathias remained rooted in place, another villager attempted to comply with the order. The reaction was instantaneous: Mattathias slew the traitor and then led the village in the annihilation of the Greek unit. The first Jewish revolt was underway.
Mattathias led the people into the foothills around Gophna, northwest of modern day Ramallah, where they began training in relative isolation from Seleucid forces. This revolution was carried on in an almost classic Maoist context. For the first year the forces trained, politicized the troops in the devout teachings of Judaism, and defended their base while strengthening their ties with the people in the countryside. Mattathias' family would eventually become the Hasmoneean dynasty, a dynasty whose celebrated early beginnings would be tainted with murder and depravity in later generations. The doctrine followed by the rebellion is an early example of Mao's dictum that the people were the water through which the guerrilla fish swam. Through these efforts, a highly efficient intelligence organization was built and a hard core militia organization formed. Mattathias died during this first year, but not before designating his middle son (of five), Judah, to succeed him in leading the revolt. Later, after his numerous military victories, he would become known by the name of "Maccabaeus": the Hammer.
The Judean forces were armed with mostly homemade weapons and slings, and it is with these weapons that they prepared to bring a 'modern' Greek army to battle. The Seleucid army was formed along traditional Macedonian lines, but the Phalanx had evolved into a more offensive arm than it had been under Alexander. As seen from earlier engagements, such as Cynoscephalae, the Phalanx had difficulties in delivering its offensive punch in rough terrain. Even more importantly, the Seleucid army of Antiochus was only a shadow of its Alexandrian self, riddled with poorly-motivated and only partially trained Syrians and eastern mercenaries, few of whom grasped the nuances of phalangite fighting. And a large portion of the Seleucid army were local recruits, who proved to be a source of a portion of the Hasmonaean cadre as the war progressed.
Judah realized this and avoided when possible engaging the Seleucid army on its own terms. Throughout the revolt, the Seleucid army would find itself attempting to employ conventional, set-piece battle tactics against an unconventional opponent fighting a guerrilla war in terrain optimized to his tactics. The character of the soldiers was also a significant factor. The Seleucid army was composed largely of professional mercenaries, trained to fight by day, whereas the Judean soldier was a son of his country, fighting for well articulated ideals and trained to strike at night. This is a situation that Generals Howe and Westmoreland would have understood ... although they don't seem to have, judging from the results they, too, obtained.
From the beginning of his command, Judah began to change the character of the revolt when he began to conduct offensive, hit-and-run night attacks. These forays bought the Maccabaean rank and file combat experience and, perhaps more importantly, captured weapons. As the Judean forces gained confidence, their intelligence organization allowed them to ambush larger Seleucid units, and those successful ambuscades accelerated the process. Eventually, entire areas of the countryside came under Maccabaean control, and the Seleucid garrison in Jerusalem found itself cut off. Faced with a deteriorating situation, Appollonius, the Seleucid governor of the region, decided to intervene. The Maccabaeans faced their first major test.
Special Rules for All Maccabdsus Scenarios
Band of Brothers
All of the Judean leader units are brothers (literally!!), and they had an uncanny ability to coordinate their activities when divided into independent commands. Therefore, all Judean leader units may issue Line Commands without being in range of the Overall Commander (Judah).
Line Eligibility
All Judean units constitute a line and may be separated by one space. Use Seleucid line eligibility rules from Magnesia. If you wish, you may use the "ragged" line rules (from Consul Game Module) for the Judeans, but not for the Seleucids.
The First Battles
Nahal el-Haramiah
Historical Notes
In 166 BC, Appolonias moved along the mountain watershed from Samaria (northern Israel) to Jerusalem. He was maneuvering to break the blockade of Jerusalem imposed by the Judean forces in the countryside. Certainly, a phalanx of Seleucid heavy infantry would quickly put down the revolt, as his prior operation had done in 168 BC. He took the direct Samaria-Jerusalem route, which passes along the flank of the Gophna area. His force numbered approximately 2,000 men of two Chiliarchiae (two Phalanx counters). Judah mustered approximately 600 men for the proposed ambush in a defile at Nahal el-Haramiah.
Judah's plan was to divide his force into four sections. One unit would seal the southern end of the defile along the Seleucid route of march, while a second section would attack from the eastern side, forcing the Phalanx to turn and face it. (Note: this is simulated by a Phalanx being forced to deploy from column into line formation.) A third unit would then attack from the western side of the defile into the rear of the Phalanx, while the fourth unit would then snap the Seleucid retreat route shut by blocking the northern end of the defile.
Suffice to say the plan worked "as advertised," with the Seleucid force annihilated after putting its neck into the Judean noose, and Appolonias being killed in the process. This would be a consistent theme in Judah's attacks, whereby he attempted to disrupt the enemy command and control structure by killing their overall commander.
Player Note: This is a great Solitaire (or S&M, if you're Seleucid by birth) scenario. The Seleucids haven't got a chance ... but it's a good example of what most ancient warfare was like. The large set piece battles of antiquity are noteworthy for the attention they were paid by their contemporaries - and their rarity. For example, during the First Punic War, most of the warfare in Sicily was between Carthaginian and Roman detachments approximately the size of those depicted in this scenario. The only difference is the Judean forces had an overwhelming intelligence advantage, which was rarely the case during the Punic Wars.
Map: Use the Cynoscephalae Map
Judean Player Set Up
The Judean forces are placed anywhere on the map, as long as they are more than 7 hexes from an "M" hex. Each Judean unit begins the scenario stacked with a Judean Leader unit. The Judean combat units may not stack. Deploy the following Judeans: Judah, Simon, Johanan and Jonathan; plus Maccabasan MI (1-2) and Maccabaean LI (1-2).
Seleucid Player
No Seleucid units begin the scenario on the map. On game turn I, Appolonias automatically gets the first orders phase and must move both Seleucid units onto the map in column formation. The Seleucid units - Appolonias and Seleucid PH (1-2) - enter on any M space.
Special Rules
Judean Ambush: If a Judean unit begins the scenario on a Level 5 or Level 6 hex it is considered hidden until it moves, fires a missile, or a Seleucid unit moves adjacent to it. A hidden unit may not be engaged in combat. Seleucid units may not enter Level 5 or 6 hexes or leave column until at least one Judean unit has lost its hidden status.
Defile of Doom: The Seleucid units are moving with purpose of quelling an insignificant rebellion. The Seleucid units have 10 game turns to traverse the map and exit it through an "R" hex. The Seleucid units must pass through either or both hexes 2728 and 2729 at some point during their march.
Loss of Command Control: It was a Judean tactic to disrupt the enemy command structure by killing their leader. If Appolonias is killed he cannot be replaced with another Seleucid leader. This will eliminate any Seleucid ability to move units, although exceptional incompetence on the Judean player's part could still snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Victory Conditions
The Judean Player wins if:
- All Judean units remain hidden and the Seleucid units have not exited the map OR
- All Seleucid combat units are eliminated.
The Seleucid Player wins if:
- Either Seleucid Combat unit exits the map OR
- All Judean Combat units are eliminated OR
- Judah Maccabaeus is killed.
Battle of Beth Horon
Historical Notes
Just to show how slow on the up-take they could be, the Seleucids decided to try the same maneuver as at Nahal el-Haramiah... but with a slightly larger force. Clearly - to them - the only thing missing was more men. Calling General Taylor.
Upon hearing of the defeat at Nahal el-Haramiah, Antiochus realized that the situation in Judea was serious. He dispatched General Seron, in 165 BC, to set the situation right. Seron marched down the coastal route to avoid the Gophna region and then headed east to Jerusalem. He got within one day's march of Jerusalem, but Judah's intelligence service allowed him to position his forces along another defile, this time at Beth Horon pass.
In a virtual re-run of the first engagement, the Judeans sprung their trap. About the only difference between this engagement and the former is that Seron led from the front and not from the middle of the formation, as Appollonias had done, so Seron was killed in the opening volley. Also, with more Seleucid troops around, Judah realized that he couldn't trap the entire Seleucid force in the defile. So he routed the lead elements, which resulted in the entire Seleucid force heading for the coast. The score at half-time: Judeans 2; Seleucids 0.
Players' Note: See the Players' Note from Nahal el-Haramiah.
Map: Use the Cynoscephalae Map
Judean Player Set Up
The Judean forces are placed anywhere on the map so long they are more than 7 hexes from an "M" hex. Each Judean Leader unit must stack with a Judean Combat unit. The Judean combat units may not stack. The units available are the same leaders as for Nahal el-Haramiah, plus Maccabaean MI (1-4) and Maccabaean LI (1-4).
Seleucid Player
No Seleucid units begin the scenario on the map. On game turn one Seron automatically gets the first orders phase and must move all the Seleucid units onto the map in column formation. The Seleucid units - Seron and Seleucid PH (1-4) - enter through any "M" space.
Special Rules
Judean Ambush, Defile of Doom, Loss of Command Control are the same as for Nahal el-Haramiah.
Victory Conditions
Same as for Nahal el-Haramiah.
Battle of Emmaus
Historical Note
After the last two ambushes, Antiochus finally woke up to the fact that the Jewish revolt had grown into a major rebellion that could not be salvaged without a serious military effort. With Antiochus just about to embark on an eastern campaign, he clearly could not leave his rear unguarded against a possible Egyptian counterstroke to retrieve Judea and Coele Syria. Therefore, he reluctantly appointed Lysias, a member of the royal family, as regent and gave him a proportion of his forces to extinguish the Judean revolt. Lysias, in turn, appointed Ptolemy, Nicanor, and Gorgias (the Seleucid equivalent of Larry, Curly, and Moe, as it turned out) to lead an expedition to set matters aright in the Spring of 165 BC .
The Battle of Emmaus (near present day Latrun, scene of vicious fighting during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War) came about as a result of the Seleucids refusing to be caught in the Judean hills, as the previous two expeditions had before them. The Seleucid plan seems to have been to encamp at Emmaus and wait for the situation to develop. The site was chosen because the surrounding terrain was favorable for Seleucid linear battle doctrine. There is great disagreement between I Maccabees and II Maccabees (that's the extension of the Old Testament which is sometimes included in the New Testament and our main source of information on the revolt) as to the size of the Seleucid force, but, by both accounts, this was probably a combined-arms, Macedonian style army of around 20,000 heavy infantry and supporting auxiliaries, plus around 4,000 cavalry. So confident was the Seleucid leadership that they invited Idumean mercenaries (Negev Arabs) and slave traders in on the upcoming triumph.
Judah, again utilizing his superior intelligence service, moved his forces into a blocking position within striking range of the Seleucid camp, hoping to lure the Seleucids outside of their camp. The Seleucids, amazingly, decided to launch an uncustomary night assault on the Jewish positions, but the Maccabaean intelligence service discovered the plan. Judah decided to leave a small rearguard in the Jewish camp to lure the Seleucid night attack away to the East, while the main forces attacked the camp. For the assault on the main camp Judah took approximately two-thirds of his army and attacked the Seleucid camp at dawn from the Southwest, while the remaining third of the Judean army moved north of the Seleucid camp with the mission of attacking the Seleucid rear once their main forces were engaged.
The initial phases of the Maccabaean plan went well, at first, when the Seleucid night attack force, under Gorgias, was lured off to the east. When Judah initiated his dawn attack he discovered the Seleucid army deploying on the plain, forcing the Judean forces to fight a stand up conventional battle. Only the superior Judean morale kept them in the fray, as the weight of the Seleucid phalanx was awesome - especially when deployed under conditions of its choosing. The day was won by the Judeans, however, when the Northern attack group struck the rear of the Seleucid camp, routing their forces. When Gorgias and his wandering men arrived, they were greeted with the view of the main army routing to the west. They followed suit. Score: Maccabaeans 3, Seleucids 0.
Map: Use the Beneventum map. Only the broken hexes, elevation levels, and the Roman Camp (with some modifications) are used in this scenario. All other terrain features are ignored.
Judean Set Up
Except for the Rear Guard, all Judean units set up off the map. The Rear Guard sets up within two hexes of the Elephant Rampage hex which is used to simulate the location of the Judean camp. The Judean camp is just a location for watch fires; there are no terrain effects, except that during night turns this hex is visible at the day LOS ranges. The remainder of the Judean units deploy onto the map using the Maccabasan Battle Plan Special Rule.
- Rear Guard: Simon; Maccabaean LI (1-2)
- Main Force: Judah, Johanan; Maccabaean MI (1-6), Maccabaean LI (3-6), Maccabaean SK (1-2)
- Northern Group: Jonathan; Maccabaean LI (7-10)
Seleucid Set Up
The Seleucid Army begins in the camp. This is not a Roman-style camp but a temporary encampment. Use the Roman camp rules from SPQR, except that there are no towers and the wall has no ditch, just a simple berm. Both sides move within the camp as if they were Roman. Seleucid leaders get automatic line commands if they are within the camp and any portion of the line is also inside the camp. Once outside the camp the normal SPQR rules pertain.
- Main Force: Combat units are set up one unit per hex, no stacking.
- Nicanor: Set up in the Tribune tent.
- Ptolemy: Set up in the Tribune tent.
- Seleucid PH (1-8): Set up in Triarii and Principes Tents.
- Tarentines LC (1-2): Set up on the road that leads out the Porta Principalis Sinistra.
- Galatian LC (1-5): Set up in the Extraordinaires tents and the Alae Cavalry tents.
- Lydia SK (1-3): Set up in a gate.
- Crete SK (1): Set up in a gate.
- Arab LI (1-4) [represents Idumaens]: Set up in the Alae Cohort tents on the south side of the camp.
- Night Attack Force: Sets up 10 to 15 hexes from the Judean camp which is their objective. (Important: See Gorgia's Gambit, Special Rule below.)
- Gorgias; Argyraspides HI (1-4), Arab LI (5-6)
Special Rules
Retreat Edges
Seleucid retreat edge is the Western mapedge. The Judean retreat edge is the Eastern mapedge.
Night and LOS
The first five game turns of the scenario are at night; dawn arrives on game turn six. Use the LOS rules from the Beneventum scenario. Any Seleucid unit that finds itself outside of twice any friendly Leader's Command range during a Night Turn must make a TQ check during the Rout Phase.
Gorgia's Gambit
Historical Note: Based on the knowledge that the Seleucids rarely conducted night attacks, Gorgias attempted to surprise the Judean host on the opposite hill by launching a surprise night attack. He wasn't a great leader, but he had chutzpah (guts). The Seleucids did not realize that the Judeans knew all about the attack. Once again, the superior Judean intelligence service gave the Judean forces the crucial edge. Judah left a small (200 men) rear guard at the Judean camp to keep the camp fires burning. When Gorgias approached the camp, they withdrew... with Gorgias in hot pursuit. By the time Gorgias realized he'd been royally snookered, the main Seleucid force had been routed. This rule controls the Night Attack Forces movement during the beginning of the scenario.
Each time they are "activated" - given orders - the Night Attack Force must move as quickly and directly as possible toward the visible Judean camp. Gorgias must attempt momentum die rolls, and all Seleucid units that can, must move during each orders phase. When the Seleucid units gain an LOS to a Judean unit the Seleucid unit must attempt to close and shock attack the Judean unit if possible. If the Judean units exit the map edge (see Maccabaean Battle Plan) then the Seleucid Night Attack Force must exit the map edge. If one Judean unit exits the map and the other doesn't, then the Seleucid units will first attempt to close with the Judean unit on the board.
Once any Seleucid combat unit has exited the map then the remainder must do so by the shortest route possible. Once the entire Seleucid Night Attack Force has exited the map it may attempt to re-enter under the following conditions:
- First Day Game turn; or
- The Seleucid Main Force has reached its Army Rout level.
Once one of the conditions has been met, then the Seleucid player undertakes an Initiative dieroll. If the dieroll is the same as or lower than Gorgias' Initiative Rating, then place Gorgias and his Night Attackers on the mapedge through which they previously exited. The entire force has an automatic order for this first orders phase. Thereafter the normal rules pertain. While off the map Gorgias is activated but may give orders to remove cohesion hits only.
Once the Night Attack Force has reentered the map, and a combat unit therein has a LOS to a friendly unit that is routed, the unit(s) must make an immediate TQ check. Whenever a Night Attack Force unit fails a TQ check due to this condition it may not be rallied for the remainder of the scenario.
Or, to put it plainly: Gorgias and the Night Attack Force is fairly useless.
Seleucid Main Force
The Seleucid Main Force may not move until the Dawn Game Turn, or until any Seleucid unit inside the Camp sights a Judean combat unit. Once either of these conditions has been met, the Seleucid Main Force may move normally according to the rules of play. Whenever the Seleucid Main Force reaches its Army Rout level the scenario is not over but all Seleucid Main Force units rout and may not be rallied for the remainder of the scenario. Once they rout off the map they are eliminated for victory purposes.
Maccabaean Battle Plan
Historical Note: Judah had decided to react to Seleucid movements instead of taking the initiative. He wanted to exploit a Seleucid mistake, clearly a high probability event, since the size of the Seleucid force made any type of direct approach a dangerous proposition. The Battle of Beth Zur confirmed this assumption. Once Judah discovered the Seleucid battle plan for a night attack he knew his moment had come. Since the enemy was dividing its force, Judah did the same in an attempt to defeat the enemy in detail. The Judeans were split into three groups: Northern, Main, and Rear Guard. The idea was for the Rear Guard to lure the Seleucid Night Attack force away from the camp while the Main Force engaged the Seleucids by assaulting their camp. At the critical moment the Northern Group would attack the Seleucid camp from the rear. (Shades of Mago at The Metaurus!)
Judean Rear Guard
The units of the Judean Rear Guard may move as soon as they have an LOS to a Seleucid unit. The Judean Rear Guard may exit the Eastern mapedge by expending one additional movement point. Once the Judean Rear Guard has exited the map it may re-enter as a normal reinforcement two game turns after the Seleucid Night Attack Force has reentered the map.
Main Force
The Judean Main Force may enter the map starting with the Dawn game turn by having Judah issue a line command. Place all Judean Main Force units on the Western mapedge within 8 hexes of the Via Appia road hex. All Judean Main Force units may move during this first orders phase, as per that initial LC. The instant the Seleucids gain an LOS to a Judean unit, Judah may make no further momentum die rolls for his initial activation. For all subsequent activations this restriction is permanently lifted.
Northern Group
The Northern Group is off the Northern mapedge awaiting the critical moment. On any orders phase Judah may issue a Line Command to activate the Northern Group instead of activating other Judean units. Once the activation order is given the Northern Group may attempt to enter the map. Once each game turn, starting with the one in which the activation order has been given, Jonathan rolls the die against his Initiative Rating. (Same as or lower means success.) Upon passing this activation die roll, all units of the Northern Group are immediately placed on any North mapedge hex and may move as if they had received a line command. Once on the map the Northern Group uses the normal rules of movement.
Victory Conditions
The Judean player wins by routing both the Seleucid Main and Night Attack Forces off the map. The Seleucid player wins by routing the Judean Army.
Army Rout Levels
The Judean players army rout level is 69 TQ points. The Seleucid Night Attack Forces rout level is 16 and the Main Force is 51.
| Scenario | Player | Size | TQ Pts | Rout Ratio | Quality Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Emmaus | Judean | 68 | 138 | 50% | 2.03 |
| Battle of Emmaus | Seleucid Main Force | 139 | 112 | 35% | .80 |
| Battle of Emmaus | Seleucid Night Attack Force | 38 | 32 | 50% | .84 |
| Free Set Up Scenario | Judean | 68 | 138 | 50% | 2.03 |
Free Set Up Scenario
Designers Note: The historical scenarios give you a general view of how a smaller force could bring a numerically larger but inferior quality force to battle and often make it look easy. The historical Emmaus scenario can be won by the Seleucid player but it is hard to do. In the Free Set Up Scenario the Special rules and historical restrictions are dropped to allow the Seleucid player to try and bring the Judean force to battle on an open plain where their cavalry can make a difference.
The position of the Seleucid camp is 15 miles west of Jerusalem. The Via Appia on the map is considered to be the main road to Jerusalem which is off the East edge of the map. If the Seleucids can exit their army off the East mapedge without routing, then they would stand a chance of relieving their garrison in the Acra in Jerusalem and gain an important political victory.
Judah has his army on a camp which is considered to center on the Elephant rampage marker on hex 1243. Judah must destroy the Seleucid army to thwart its attempt at relieving its garrison.
Special Rules
The Seleucid Army begins in the camp. This is not a Roman-style camp but a temporary encampment. Use the Roman camp rules from SPQR, except that there are no towers and the wall has no ditch, just a simple berm. Both sides move within the camp as if they were Roman. Seleucid leaders get automatic line commands if they are within the camp and any portion of the line is also inside the camp. Once outside the camp the normal SPQR rules pertain.
Seleucid Set Up
Use the Seleucid Set Up from the Historical scenario but the Night Attack Force sets up in the camp.
- Gorgias: Tribune tent.
- Argyraspides HI (1-4): Hastati tents on the North side of the camp.
- Arab LI (5-6): Alae Cohort tents on the North side of the camp.
Note (transcriber's): the printed Free Set Up list gives placements only for the Night Attack Force, the units the instruction above changes. The other Seleucid units are not listed in this scenario, so they are placed as in the Historical scenario's Seleucid Set Up. This is an interpretation of the printed text, not a separate rule.
Judean Set Up
All Judean units set up within 15 hexes of the Jewish camp.
Victory Conditions
Once the first Seleucid unit begins to exit the camp the players must keep track of the number of game turns that transpire. The first game turn is considered a day game turn. The scenario lasts 20 game turns, from the time that the first Seleucid unit begins to exit the camp. If neither player has won by the end of the 20th game turn then the battle is a Judean moral victory.
The Seleucid player wins if he can exit 50% of his army off the East edge of map within 4 hexes of the Via Appia hex (3044) prior to routing; OR Routs the Judean Army.
The Judean player wins if the Seleucid army routs prior to exiting 50% of its army off the East edge of the map.
Part II: Historical Background
When we last left the Maccabean forces, they had defeated the Seleucids in the Battle of Emmaus. This defeat was a serious blow to the shaky Seleucid throne especially when coupled with Antiochus' failed Eastern campaign. Using captured arms from Emmaus, Judah was able to bring the Judean army up to 10,000 effectives, which he would now need as the Seleucids saw their long-term survival hinging on defeating the revolt.
Lysias, the regional viceroy, personally led a new and more serious effort to eliminate the Judean rebels and restore Seleucid order. Mustering a force of 20,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry, the Seleucid army set out for Jerusalem to relieve the garrison in the Acra fortress overlooking the Temple complex. The route taken was initially along the coast through friendly territory to Ashkelon, then inland through friendly Idumaen territory to Hebron, where a major camp was established. Judah judged that the relative strengths of the two sides (24,000 versus 10,000) prohibited a direct assault on the camp, and once again built a battle plan based on catching the Seleucid army on the march in a defile.
As the Seleucid army moved north to Jerusalem, they once again put their collective necks into the Judean noose near Beth Zur.
Special Rules: For all Maccabeus Scenarios
Band of Brothers
All of the Judean leader units are brothers (literally!!), and they had an uncanny ability to coordinate their activities when divided into independent commands. Therefore, all Judean leader units may issue Line Commands without being in range of the Overall Commander (Judah).
Line Eligibility
All Judean units constitute a line and may be separated by one space. Use Seleucid line eligibility rules from Magnesia. If you wish, you may use the "ragged" line rules (from Consul) for the Judeans, but not for the Seleucids.
Battle of Beth Zur
Historical Notes
The size of Lysias' army precluded the enveloping tactics used earlier in the war, but Judah set up an ambush along the Seleucid route of march near Beth Zur (modern Hirbet Bethheiran). The battleground was a defile overlooked by high ground and interspersed with ravines.
Judah, utilizing his superior Command Control, once again divided his forces into four groupings (3,000, 1,000, 1,000, and 5,000 respectively) led by Judah, in control of the 5,000 man reserve, and his brothers commanding the remainder. The Seleucids once again cooperated by entering the defile; the Judean forces issued from surrounding ravines and high ground, ambushing the flank of the column and routing it. The Judean forces pursued the retreating army back to its base camp, but before the fresh Judean reserve could assault the camp the Seleucid forces hastened back to the coast.
This was the most serious Selucid defeat to date due to the presence of a royal viceroy with direct implications for the survivability of the throne. With the Seleucid empire wracked by discontent, Judah felt that he had gained the breathing spell he needed to move for Judean independence. Consequently, he marched on Jerusalem and cleared it of Seleucid forces, except for those in the Acra which would remain a thorn in his side for the remainder of the rebellion.
On the twenty fifth day of Kislev in 164 BC (December), Judah rededicated the Temple and declared Jewish religious freedom. As related in the Talmud, the story of Hanukkah relates how a small quantity of oil used for the ceremony, sufficient for one day, burned for eight until additional supplies could be made. This miracle was seen as direct evidence that the rebellion had the blessing of the almighty and added significant political strength to Judah's position.
Player Note: As in any ambush style scenario, it isn't fun to be the Seleucids. Unless the Lord is against the Judean player, this one will be over in two turns once the ambush is sprung. It is intended to be a solo learning excursion on how a guerrilla attack should be conducted.
Map: Use the Metaurus map. The river is treated as clear terrain, and the streams are Wadis which act like Minor Streams except there are no cohesion effects for units in march column; otherwise, all other terrain effects are those stated in the Consul rules.
Judean Player Set Up
All Judean units begin the game hidden on the map. See the Special rules for their placement onto the map.
- Judah, Johanan, Jonathan, Simon
- Maccabaean MI (1-6), Maccabaean LI (1-10), Maccabsean SK (1-6)
Seleucid Player Set Up
All Seleucid forces begin the game off map; see Special rules for their entry onto the map.
Note on Seleucid leaders: Except for Lysias, I have no idea who the secondary commanders were, so I will use the three stooges as a reasonable representation of the Seleucid command structure.
- Lysias, Nicanor, Ptolemy, Gorgias
- Seleucid PH (1-10), Tarentines LC (1-2), Galatian LC (1-5), Lydia SK (1-3), Crete SK (1), Arab LI (1-6) [represents Idumaens]
Special Rules
March To Jerusalem
The Seleucid forces are on the march to Jerusalem to relieve their garrison in the Acra. Basically, the Seleucid forces will be in single file, front to rear orientation with no breaks in the line until the ambush is sprung. The only real choice the Seleucids have is the order of the units and leaders in the march column.
The Seleucids enter from hexes 4236, 37, 38, 39 and are moving to exit the map at hexes 2200, 01, 02, 03, 04. They must pass through hexes 3106 or 3107 in the process. Additionally, no Seleucid unit may enter a level 6 or higher hex prior to the Judean force deployment on the map. The Seleucid player has 30 turns to get his entire army exited off the map. This restriction is lifted once the Judean player deploys his units on the map, in which case they must exit the map whenever they can prior to the Seleucid army routing.
While the Seleucid army is in march column, there are no Orders Phases. Each Seleucid unit/leader may move once per game turn until the Judean units are placed on the map. Once the Judean units are placed on the map, play reverts to the standard sequence of play.
Maccabaxan Battle Plan
The Judean forces are hidden in ambush and therefore do not begin the scenario on the map. Prior to any Seleucid movement, the Judean player may begin his ambush. This is done by the Judean player placing his forces anywhere on the map in any level 5 or higher level hex or in any Wadi hex regardless of level. One Judean leader immediately conducts an orders phase and the game continues until completion with the normal order of activations continuing after the Judean unit placement.
Retreat Edges
Seleucid retreat hexes are 4236, 37,38, 39. The Judean retreat edge is the Northern mapedge.
Victory Conditions
The Judean player wins by routing the Seleucids off the map. The Seleucid player wins by routing the Judean Army OR by exiting more than 25% of his army's TQ value (33 TQ pts) off the map through hexes 2200, 01, 02, 03.
Army Rout Levels
The Judean Army Rout Level is 81, whereas the Seleucid Army Rout Level is 46.
| Battle | Player | Size | TQ Pts | Rout Ratio | Quality Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Beth Zur | Judean | 80 | 162 | 50% | 2.03 |
| Battle of Beth Zur | Seleucid | 169 | 132 | 35% | .78 |
Battle of Beth-Zechariah
Historical Note
The emergence of Jewish nationalism caused the surrounding Hellenistic regions to conduct a series of massacres of their small Jewish populations. Judah and his brothers determined that their legitimacy and the future of Jewish nationalism required a direct response to these atrocities. Consequently, a series of military expeditions were launched into the surrounding lands to rescue the besieged Jewish communites. In a series of lightning campaigns into the coastal regions and Gilead (modern Jordan), thousands of Jewish refugees were rescued from local military forces and escorted into Judea. Judah also determined that the Idumeans needed to be punished for their aid to the various Seleucid armies that had moved through their territory, and a punitive expedition was successfully launched to the South.
At the height of these maneuvers, Antiochus IV died and appointed Phillip as regent over his empire until his son, Antiochus Eupator, came of age. Lysias, who had previously been the regent, launched an effort to maintain his power over the throne by maintaining his control over the young king at Antioch. Exploiting this instability, Judah determined to conquer the Acra and the last vestige of Seleucid power in Judea. His assault on the fortress in 162 BC failed and he continued the siege, but the garrison was able to get messages to Lysias, who decided to attempt another expedition to destroy the fledgling nation. Lysias gambled that Phillip would not descend on Antioch before he could complete his operation and he set off with young Antiochus V Eupator in tow.
An interesting historical note is that after Antiochus III was defeated at Magnesia (See War Elephant module), the Seleucids were forbidden from using war elephants. Technically they renounced their use but, when you have a Roman sword at your neck, you tend to go with the flow. Anyway, Lysias gambled that the Romans wouldn't care enough to do anything serious, while the tuskers might be the edge the Seleucids needed to put down the rebellion once and for all. Lysias, on the other hand, really wasn't fooling around this time. How do we know? He took the ancient equivalent of the kitchen sink, yes, you guessed it, Chariots.
This time Judah made his first military mistake. The Seleucids had brought more light troops than normal and protected their flanks when moving through defiles by holding the high ground. This neutralized Judah's guerrilla tactics, so he decided to fight a stand up battle with the Seleucids as it was the one thing he felt they wouldn't expect. Taking a high ground position astride the Seleucid route of march, Judah prepared to fight his first defensive battle.
Lysias, upon sighting the Judean forces, placed his army in battle formation and advanced to contact. His forces were led by the Elephants and light forces, with cavalry protecting the flanks of the Phalanx so that it could close on the Judean main battleline. What the chariots were doing I haven't a clue. Judah's army initially had trouble with the elephants and their first encounter with a combined arms army properly deployed in its element. Seeing that the day was going against him, Judah withdrew in good order to fight another day.
Lysias took advantage of his victory by relieving the garrison at the Acra and laying siege to the Judean forces on the Temple Mount and in other parts of the city. With victory just within his grasp, his rival Phillip advanced on Antioch, forcing him to withdraw. Making the most of a bad situation, he made a proposal to Judah which reestablished the Jewish right to practice their religion in return for peace, which was duly accepted. Lysias returned to Antioch and defeated Phillip, allowing him to maintain the regency. With the main objective of the revolt attained, many of Judah's followers returned home.
Map: Use the Cynoscephalae map.
Judean Player Set Up
Judean units set up on any level 3 or higher level hex.
- Judahs, Johanan, Jonathan, Simon
- Maccabaean MI (1-6), Maccabaaan LI (1-12), Maccabaaan SK (1-6)
Seleucid Player Set Up
The Seleucid units set up on any level one hex on the southern edge of the map. Re-read the note above on Seleucid commanders; except for Lysias, the secondary commanders are only representative, although Nicanor seems to have gotten some employ during the later campaigns.
- Lysias, Nicanor, Ptolemy, Gorgias
- Seleucid PH (1-10), Tarentines LC (1-2), Galatian LC (1-5), Syrian HC (1-2), Lydia SK (1-3), Tralles SK (1-3), Crete SK (1-4), Arab LI (1-10), Argyraspides HI (1-8), Elephants (Indian 1-6), Chariots (1-3)
Note: It is important that you use the units with the numbers indicated. The SK units, such as the Cretans, have varying ratings and the ones indicated are the ones to be used.
Special Rules
Retreat Edges
Seleucid retreat edge is the Southern mapedge. The Judean retreat edge is the Northern mapedge.
Seeing the Elephant
Whenever a Judean unit is engaged directly by an elephant unit it rolls the die against its TQ: if it passes, it takes one cohesion hit; if it fails, it takes three cohesion hits. This die roll is in addition to any other TQ check die rolls associated with Shock combat. This impact is nullified by the successful implementation of the Eleazar the Elephant Killer rule.
Eleazar the Elephant Killer
Historical Note: Judah's brother Eleazar was a brave young man who saw how the elephant units were striking fear into the hearts of the Judean combat units. He personally fought his way through the screen around an elephant, got under it and killed it by striking into its soft underbelly. Unfortunately, when an elephant dies it tends to fall to the ground. Judah lost his first brother in combat, but the Judean forces had been shown that elephants weren't invincible.
Anytime an elephant unit conducts shock combat against a Judean combat unit, the Judean player may declare the Eleazar assault. The Elephant unit makes an immediate TQ check; if it is a failure, then the elephant unit immediately rampages. If it is successful the Elephant unit takes one cohesion hit (which may cause a rampage), but in either case the Seeing the Elephant special rule is suspended for the remainder of the game.
Victory Conditions
The Judean player wins by routing the Seleucid army or eliminating 15% of the Seleucid army (38 TQ points) and retreating the remainder of the Judean army off the North mapedge without having it rout. The Seleucid player wins by routing the Judean Army.
Army Rout Levels
The Judean Army Rout Level is 88, and the Seleucid Army Rout Level is also 88.
| Battle | Player | Size | TQ Pts | Rout Ratio | Quality Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Beth-Zechariah | Judean | 90 | 176 | 50% | 1.96 |
| Battle of Beth-Zechariah | Seleucid | 310 | 259 | 35% | .83 |
Battle of Elasa
Historical Note
With peace declared and religous freedom once again Seleucid policy, the cause of Judean nationalism was sacrificed on the altar of Theocratic expediency. Judah did not believe that Judean religious freedom would be sustainable without political freedom, so he fought on. It was at this time in 162 BC that the Seleucid throne was rocked by Demitrius, a cousin of the nine year old king. Demetrius had been a Seleucid hostage in Rome who escaped and, through a Coup d'Etat, took control of the Seleucid throne, killing Lysias and the young king in the process.
Using his perogative to appoint the High Priest, Demetrius appointed Eliakim, who began his theocratic rule by executing religious opponents. To support his new man Demetrius sent General Bacchides, who continued to kill suspected Maccabaean supporters in the Gophna region. This return of oppression moved Judah to action, which in turn caused Demetrius to send Nicanor of Emmaus fame (See Maccabees, Part I, C3i Nr.2), who was ambushed at Capharsalama (Battle of Adasa 161 BC) on the Jerusalem road. (Well, at least Nicanor cannot be accused of being inconsistent.) I haven't included the batfie since it is a repeat of Beth Zur. If you are unclear of how this type of battle goes, play Beth Zur.
After this victory in 161 BC, Judah sent a delegation to Rome to sign an alliance. The alliance was signed, which would seem to guarantee Jewish independence. It backfires because Rome was not the Rome of the empire yet, and the Seleucids couldn't afford to allow this type of situation to continue any longer. With a policy of religious freedom still in force, most Judeans weren't that enthused to meet yet another Seleucid army in battle. Also, Bacchides seems to have been fairly competent. Essentially, he takes 20,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry and moves directly on Jerusalem. Demetrius had calculated that Judah wouldn't be able to muster much of an army, and he was right. Judah tried to maneuver an army of around 3,000 soldiers to try and once again perform a miracle, but it was not to be. At Elasa, Judah's small army took on the Seleucid host. When the Judean troops saw the dimensions of the mismatch, many deserted. Judah attacked with 800 of his most motivated troops (this is why we gave him a TQ of 9). He almost pulled it off. Here is the description from I Maccabees:
The Seleucid cavalry was divided into two detachments; the slingers and the archers went ahead of the main force, and the picked troops were in the front line. Bachhides was on the right. The phalanx came on in two divisions. When Judah saw that Bacchides and the main strength of his army was on the right flank, all his stout-hearted men rallied to him, and they broke the Seleucid right; then he pursued them...when the Seleucids on the left saw that their right had been broken, they turned about and followed on the heels of Judah and his men attacking them in the rear... (I Mace. 9:11-16)
Judah was killed and the rebellion was over.
To fight this battle take Judah and his brothers plus Mis 1-4 and pit them against the Seleucid army from Beth Zur on the Cynoscephalae map. The Judean player loses when all of his units are eliminated or have routed off the map. The forgone conclusion should take but a few turns.
Judah's genius lay in ability to have superior intelligence about the enemy's intentions and in his ability to motivate and train a hard-core guerrilla army. He consistently did what the Seleucids didn't expect, and he defeated one army after another. He succeeded for as long as he did because the Seleucids had serious internal problems and the Seleucid policy of Hellenizing the Judeans was unpalatable to the Judean theocracy. Once the issue of religious freedom was addressed directly, much of the motivation for the rebellion evaporated in the minds of the people. What the Seleucids had (which Judah did not) was the ability to hire one mercenary army after another. Sometimes quantity is a quality all its own. In the end, Judah's decendents would become a bloody-minded royal line which would eventually strangle by its own inept hand.