by Paul LaFontaine, 10 May 2026
Four players participated in this scenario. This was the battle of Pharsalus, the 48 BCE showdown between Caesar and Pompey in the Roman Civil War. Players Lewis++ and Tiberghien commanded the forces of Caesar, Dr. Truth and Seabass commanded the forces of Pompey.
All players and the umpire had physical sets at their locations and the umpire reports were pointers via Discord allowing players to keep the situation on their own maps. These players are experienced and have their own physical sets or use Tabletop Simulator.
Lewis++ and Tiberghien were victorious, using terrain and an innovative plan to overcome the forces of Pompey. The historical outcome was reproduced in our session, though in a way that was completely novel.
The Problem
The problem for Caesar was that he was heavily outnumbered. Though his legions were more experienced and of higher quality, he commanded a much smaller force. Historically, Caesar had to employ a unique formation to win the battle over Pompey. In this scenario, the players face a similar problem and must find a way to overcome superior numbers through skill and tactical judgment.
Caesar (Blue) Briefing
You command a smaller but highly experienced force composed largely of veteran legions forged in years of campaigning. Many of the legions are understrength after earlier fighting and rapid maneuver during the campaign, but the men are hardened soldiers accustomed to discipline, long marches, and decisive action.
Your OOB:
most images can click to enlarge
Your force: 22,000 infantry in two legions, 1,000 cavalry in one group.
Your mission is to defeat the enemy on the field and seize political control of the region.
Pompey (Red) Briefing
You command a large and diverse army that significantly outnumbers the enemy forces. The greatest strength of your army lies in the cavalry arm drawn from allied nations. This coalition army provides you with overwhelming numbers and strong cavalry superiority, though its diverse composition requires careful coordination on the battlefield.
Your OOB:
Your force: 38,000 infantry in two wings, 5,000 cavalry in four groups.
You must march south and defeat the enemy force. Your personal survival is contingent on your winning here, so fight well and drive the enemy from the field.
Turn 1
The scenario begins as Dr. Truth (1) and Seabass (2), commanding Pompey’s forces, organize themselves and begin their march south. Their plan is to form an L-shaped formation and trap Caesar’s forces against the river. Lewis++ (3) and Tiberghien (4) have a very different approach. Knowing they are outnumbered, they intend to use the terrain to offset the larger enemy force by crossing the river and using it as part of their defense.
Turn 2
Dr. Truth marches due south while sending his cavalry forward (1), and Seabass follows the line of the river (2) toward Steinhaufen. Lewis++ sends his cavalry north (3) to delay the enemy and buy time for Caesar’s forces to cross the river, while his own column and Tiberghien’s (4) march toward the crossing point to the northeast.
Turn 4
Two turns later, Seabass encounters the Caesarean cavalry (1), and though it slows him, his infantry comes up and succeeds in driving it off. Dr. Truth continues his march (2) and swings his cavalry east while his infantry turns southeast, forming the L-shape intended to trap the Caesarean forces. Tiberghien begins crossing the river while Lewis++’s infantry serves as a screen (3), buying time for the movement to continue.
Turn 5
The Caesarean cavalry has sustained losses and moving southeast (1), trying to find a way across the river. The forces of Pompey under Seabass and Dr. Truth have formed their curved line (2) and are advancing eastward. Tiberghien is across the river and moving onto the high ground (3), while Lewis++ begins his own crossing to his south (4).
Turn 6
Seabass catches wind of the cross-river movement and divides his force in two, leaving part of it to guard Steinhaufen in the north against any crossing there while moving the other half southeast (1) toward the point where the enemy has crossed. Dr. Truth takes the cavalry south (2), planning a wide sweeping movement around Hauphof to strike the enemy in the flank. Tiberghien and Lewis++ continue to move to the high ground (3).
Turn 7
Seabass faces a difficult decision. His forces near Steinhaufen are unopposed (1), but in the south he has a smaller force at his disposal. Unable to see the forces behind the ridge, and with all six of his colleague’s infantry seconded to him (2), he must decide whether to attack or hold. He chooses to wait. Dr. Truth continues his long ride around the flank (3), while Lewis++ and Tiberghien strengthen their defense on the high ground east of the river (4).
Turn 8
Seabass sends three units across the river (1) and is opposed only by the now understrength Caesarean cavalry, giving him an opportunity to work that flank. In the south, he holds his position and does not attack (2). Dr. Truth continues his long ride (3) and is likely still an hour away from influencing the battle, while Lewis++ brings his units into position to meet the next attack (4).
Turn 9
Lewis++ commits his infantry to driving back the incursion at Steinhaufen just as Seabass gives orders for his troops to retreat if attacked . The timing is perfect, and Seabass’s infantry is pushed back across the river (1). Seabass holds his main force (2) and decides not to attack until the cavalry arrives, while Dr. Truth begins his ride north (3). The scene is now set for the final climactic battle.
Turn 10 – END OF SCENARIO
Seabass pulls his infantry south to support the attack there (1). Lewis++ sends his infantry across into Steinhafen. The assault in the south moves into difficult terrain (2) and cannot crack the Caesarean line. Dr. Truth launches his cavalry attack (3), and though it collapses part of the Caesarean position, the line holds.
This is another of a series of Kriegsspiel AARs very similar to the events in our Wargame HQ at the Origins Game Fair. You can find the original article here.
The failed crossing in the north, the inability to break the center, and the cavalry’s failure to roll up the southern flank leave Pompey’s forces in a poor position. They begin to retreat and then collapse. As in history, Pompey’s army leaves the field, and Pompey is left to his fate.
Lewis++ and Tiberghien chose an unusual and innovative approach to defeating a force much larger than their own. The outcome was probably ahistorical, but they applied a sound principle to the problem: they used terrain to offset superior enemy numbers. This is one of the fundamentals of good command, and both players used their forces wisely in coordination with the ground while timing their actions effectively enough to defeat the larger army. Their only slight miscalculation may have been committing the cavalry forward, which left that force exhausted early, but it was more than compensated for by the intelligent manner in which they conducted the defense.
Dr. Truth and Seabass had a very solid plan, using the river as a navigation point to swing their forces around and create an attack from two sides. Had their enemy remained in place rather than rushing across the river, they likely would have been successful. Seabass, a new player, performed very well. He had one opportunity in the north to push units across and threaten that flank, where Tiberghien would have struggled to defend alone while heavily outnumbered in the south, but he chose not to exploit it. An attack one or two turns earlier might also have pinned Lewis++’s infantry and opened the way for a flanking movement. Dr. Truth’s decision to ride the cavalry around the flank was sound in concept, though perhaps executed on too wide a sweep, as it took too long to come into position for the decisive stroke. They played well, and only by the narrowest margin was their opponent able to hold on and deny them victory.
Historical Outcome
The Battle of Pharsalus, fought on 9 August 48 BC in Thessaly, was the decisive engagement of Caesar’s Civil War. Julius Caesar confronted the forces of the Roman Republic commanded by Pompey the Great, whose army included the majority of the Roman Senate and significantly outnumbered Caesar’s troops. The campaign leading to the battle had already seen Caesar capture Rome, defeat Pompeian forces in Spain, and maneuver across Greece after setbacks earlier in the year. Pompey, pressured by allies eager for a decisive victory, chose to bring Caesar to battle to take advantage of his numerical advantage being strongest in cavalry and allied auxiliary troops.
At Pharsalus the two armies deployed in traditional Roman formation with three lines of infantry. Pompey concentrated his powerful cavalry, archers, and light troops on one flank, intending to overwhelm Caesar’s weaker cavalry and roll up his line from the rear. Caesar anticipated this move and secretly formed an additional line of infantry to counter the expected cavalry assault. When the battle began, Pompey’s cavalry initially drove back Caesar’s horsemen, but Caesar’s concealed infantry line attacked them with close-range spear thrusts, causing the cavalry to panic and flee. This exposed Pompey’s left flank, allowing Caesar’s veterans to attack and collapse that side of the Pompeian army.
With his cavalry routed and infantry line breaking, Pompey lost control of the battle and withdrew from the field while Caesar’s troops captured the Pompeian camp. Caesar’s disciplined veterans, hardened by years of campaigning in Gaul, proved decisive despite their smaller numbers. Pompey fled east in search of refuge but was later assassinated in Egypt upon arrival. The victory at Pharsalus effectively ended organized resistance to Caesar’s authority in the civil war and marked the turning point that ultimately led to the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of Caesar’s dominance in Roman politics.
Conclusion
This scenario worked very well because there were four players, and the friction that comes with four separate commanders always adds value in a Kriegsspiel setting. Seabass was a new player, but he performed very well alongside Dr. Truth, while Lewis++ and Tiberghien, both experienced players, developed a unique approach to a historical battle that produced a decidedly unusual outcome.
I could have disallowed the movement across the river, which likely would have produced a more historical outcome, but these scenarios are not intended to be exact recreations of the battles themselves. They are meant to present the same command problems faced historically and give players the opportunity to solve them creatively. Lewis++ and Tybergene were certainly creative in this case, and I thought Seabass and Dr. Truth reacted well once they understood what was unfolding. While one could argue that the river near Pharsalus was not historically crossable, I allowed it here, and the result was an excellent game.
The game being used is Battle Decisions: Kriegsspiel from Catastrophe Games.
We completed 10 turns in 73 minutes, which is roughly 7.5 minutes per turn. A great sign that we were moving at a crisp pace that drives enjoyment was that on several occasions the players asked for a few more moments to gather their thoughts and issue their orders. This happened on multiple turns, which is an excellent indicator. It means the tempo of action was not allowing players to sit too long and overanalyze their options. Instead, decisions were coming from a blend of intuition, experience, and sound judgment. Less analytical and more instinctive, this is where Kriegsspiel truly shines.
Thanks to Lewis++, Tiberghien, Seabass and Dr. Truth for playing the scenario. It was a great group with plenty of laughs and, I think, a genuinely good time for everyone involved. I hope you’ll come join us for one of these evenings and take part in the fun.
We’ll see you out there.
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