Ambush at Pedasos - 496 BC

Carian vs Persians

Historical Background
After the triumphant victories at the Meander River (497) and the sacred site of Labraunda earlier that year, the Persian army under the command of Daurises moved to extinguish the Carian uprising once and for all by moving into the highland Carian homelands.  Overconfident and seeking the climactic battle that would remove the Carians from the Ionian Revolt, Daurises stumbled into a well-laid and perfectly executed nighttime ambush at Pedasos.
Following the sage advice of the veteran warrior Heracleidas, the Carians had enticed the Persians to strike with false reports of an army forming near Pedasos.  Outnumbered perhaps as much as 3:1, the Carian forces lay in wait along the hillside road to Pedasos, and caught the Persian army strung out in a line of march and completely unprepared for combat.  The fierce Carians, known prior to the Ionian Revolt as formidable mercenaries throughout the eastern Mediterranean, exacted their revenge for their earlier losses.  The Persian force was crushed and scattered about the unfamiliar terrain, with perhaps only half the imperial army escaping the carnage.  Included in the casualties were Daurises and three of his senior subordinates, bringing the campaign against the interior to an abrupt halt.  
Despite the crushing loss, the Persian Empire eventually redoubled their efforts throughout western Anatolia and within a few years had quashed the remainder of the rebellion.
The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in command. Can you change history?

War Council

Carian Army
> Leader: Heracleides, Pixodarus
> 4 Command Cards
> Move First

Persian Army
> Leaders: Daurises, Amorges, Sisimaces, Myrsos
> 1 Command Card* (4)

Victory
8 banners

Special Rules
1.   To reflect the confusion caused by the Carian ambush, ALL Persian units (except baggage train and evading units) MUST accept all banners on the first Carian turn.

2.  *The Persian player will gain one extra command card per turn, until reaching four cards.

3.   Persian Baggage Train special rules:
a - May be ordered with mounted cards and section cards only, and move 2 hexes.  
b - May not enter hill hexes.
c - May not attack another unit, and may only battle back (2d).
d - All units who attack a Persian unit adjacent to baggage, and are capable of bonus close combat, MUST attack the baggage train on bonus close combat.
e - A single sword hit on the baggage train allows the Carian attacker to remove the baggage train, and count it as a victory banner.  All other dice results are ignored. Carian light infantry units may not capture baggage train.
f - Only symbol hits count when the baggage train is battling back; all other results are ignored. Leaders may stack with the baggage train, but no leader bonus is given.
g -  Once the baggage train is taken, ALL Carian units adjacent to the baggage train MUST end their turn.
h -  The unit that takes the baggage train immediately loses one block to represent looting.

4. Persian victory banners:  The Persian player may get victory banners either by   eliminating Carian units, or by exiting the Persian left edge of the board.  Each Persian unit, including leaders, that exits the board on the Persian left edge will count as a victory banner for the Persian player.  To successfully exit off the Persian left edge, a Persian unit must move off the map on its own turn.