Sorry for being away for so long (for those who wondered). As you can see from my profile, I live in an exotic location. It was there, whilst taking an unsuspecting swim in the Indian Ocean, that I was captured by Somali pirates and held for ransom in Baraawe, in southern Somalia. They appreciated my rendition of I am a Pirate King by G&S and I appreciated Bariis Iskukaris, so we got along splendidly whilst waiting for the non-existent ransom money to arrive.
After several weeks I managed to escape, disguised as a Wagner mercenary, but that's a whole other story.
Anyhoo, back I am and ready with an AAR of a really desperate battle. Republican Rome (Peter) vs Carthaginian mercenaries (yours truly).
The storyline goes thus: Some Spanish, Gallic and Numidian soldiers for hire have encountered a Roman expeditionary force and bring them to battle, hoping to procure eternal glory besides doubling their pay. The two armies meet not far from the coast in relatively open ground.
The battlefield template, placed over the terrain map square where the two army block met, can be moved one square in any direction to finally decide the terrain. This is what we got.
And the battlefield is set up and the armies deployed. Both armies were average re command ability so had 4 commands each. Rome on the left, Carthaginian mercenaries on the right.
Roman had
4 units of Legions - morale 2-2, drilled, resolute
2 units of Auxilia - morale 2-2, drilled, average
2 units of Light Archers, 2-1, agile, average
2 units of Roman Cavalry, 3-2, agile, resolute
28 stands in all
Carthage had
4 units of Spanish Auxilia, 2-2, drilled, average
2 units of Gallic Warband, 2-1, unwieldy, resolute
4 units of Skirmisher Foot, 2-1, agile, average
2 units of Balearic Slingers, 2-2, agile, resolute
3 units of Numidian Light Horse, 3-2, agile, resolute
2 units of Elephant, 1-1, unwieldy, brittle
34 stands in all
The agile-drilled-unwieldy classification determines what kind of manoeuvres the units can perform. Unwieldy units for example cannot form column. The brittle-average-resolute classification determines how many units of the army must rout before that unit automatically fails the morale test and routs in turn. 1/3 of the army for brittle units (including loss points for killed generals and commanders), 1/2 for average units and 2/3 for resolute units.
Each side is allowed so many commands: 3 for poor command armies (predominance of unwieldy infantry), 4 for average command armies and 5 for good command armies. Both sides here were average command, so 4 commands each, indicated with yellow brackets.
Overall Carthage had the quantity but Rome had the quality. It would be a very close-run affair. BTW the Carthaginian Medium Cavalry is at the top on the right. Forgot to to annotate it.
Turn 1. Rome.
Rome deployed first so moves first. Everyone advances. You don't create empires by hesitating!
Turn 1. Carthage.
Indeed you don't. Full speed ahead!
Turn 2. Rome.
Chaaarge! The Roman Cavalry charge the Numidian LH who prudently evade.
Turn 2. Carthage.
Everyone keeps moving forward and now the enemy comes within range of the Slingers.
Turn 3. Rome.
Peter decided to pause his advance and move up his Archers on the right to engage the Slingers screening the elephants.
Turn 3. Carthage.
The Numidian LH move up against the Roman Cavalry that had fallen back earlier. Meanwhile the Gallic Warband advance on the other flank. Carthage's plan is to take out Rome's flanks and then move against the Legions in the centre.
Turn 4. Rome. Turn 4. Carthage.
Missed a photo here. Whilst a Cavalry free-for-all takes place on the Carthaginian right, the Warband advance on the left, obliging the Skirmisher Foot to get out the way by passing through them to the rear.
Turn 5. Rome.
One Roman Cav unit charges a Numidian LH unit who must either take it on the chin or evade off the battlefield. It chooses the former. The other Roman Cav unit moves to cover the first one. On the other flank the Auxilia pull back from the Warband. They won't last long against them so they trade space for time.
Turn 5. Carthage.
Time for a general advance across the line. The ellies move up, obliging their skirmisher foot screen to get out the the way. LI - skittish bunch - must evade friendlies as well as enemies.
Turn 5. Melee.
The Numidian LH unit goes down, giving a morale boost to the Roman MC.
Turn 6. Rome.
The Auxilia continue to fall back. Their plan is to engage the Warband as far as possible from the Legions so that when they finally rout, the Warband will take time moving back to engage the legionaries.
Meanwhile, a Roman MC unit heads for the Carthaginian rear. Time to sow murder and mayhem. The other Roman MC unit moves only one square as it is out of command.
Turn 6. Carthage.
Two units of Numidians head after the Roman MC in the Carthaginian rear. Meanwhile Elephants, Auxilia and Warband push hard on the flanks, the plan being to hit the Legions from the flanks and rear at the same time.
Turn 6. Melee.
The elephants grind the legionaries down, but nobody routs just yet.
Turn 7. Rome.
Roman Cavalry and Archers shoot the ellies on the Roman left into a panic and off they go. The other Roman Cavalry unit forms line to face the approaching Numidian LH, neatly ZOCing the lead LH unit which will complicate its life as it can't form line in ZOC without becoming disordered.
Meanwhile the legions advance in the centre, obliging one Carthaginian LI unit to evade through the Poeni Spear and trapping another that can't evade (a cavalry unit behind the Poeni Spear unit to its rear). The Auxilia on the Roman right turn to face the approaching Warband. They've run out of space - time to face the music.
Turn 7. Carthage.
Chaaarge! The Warband finally close with the Auxilia, knocking two intervals off their morale (Warband do well in charge against foot units).
In the Carthaginian rear one Numidian LH units moves onto the flank of the Roman MC. A bit of trickery: the Roman MC can't charge the LH unit in front of it as a unit in column doesn't exert a ZOC, and a unit in ZOC can charge only the units ZOCing it, in this case the LH on its flank.
Turn 7. Melee.
The Auxilia, battered from the Warbands' charge, rout in melee as does the trapped LI unit.
Turn 8. Rome.
Send in the legions! Both sides are now fully engaged. Whilst the HI fight each other in the centre, the Skirmisher Archers head for the Roman rear, intending to help shore things up on the Roman right flank.
The Roman MC unit faces the Numidian LH ZOCing it, becoming disordered in the process, but what else can it do? Meanwhile the other Roman MC charges the Poeni Spear in the flank, disordering it.
Turn 8. Carthage.
The Carthaginian LH charge the Roman MC, routing them...
....and occupying their vacated square. Meanwhile the Gallic Warband do a 180 degree turn and prepare for the trek to the Roman line in the centre.
Turn 8. Melee.
The ellie on the Carthaginian left finally routs the legion it has been munching through all this time....
....and occupies its vacated square.
Turn 9. Rome.
The Roman Archer Skirmishers moved into range and start shooting up the victorious ellie who gets very little time to savour its triumph.
Turn 9. Carthage.
The uncommanded Warband begin their half-square-per-turn creep towards the legions. Meanwhile the Skirmisher Foot move to try and find something useful to do. The Numidian LH on the other flank likewise decide to be proactive, and move up against the surviving Roman MC.
Turn 9. Melee.
Nobody routs this time.
Turn 10. Rome.
The Skirmisher Archers finally rout the ellie.
....and off it goes to the Elliesium Fields to join the chorus of trumpetings.
Turn 11. Rome.
Nothing much, so
Turn 11. Carthage.
On the Carthaginian right, the LH form line and begin shooting up the engaged Roman MC. On the left the Warband and light troops move towards the action.
Turn 11. Melee.
Two Carthaginian Auxilia units fold....
....and their squares are occupied by victorious MC and Legion units.
Turn 12. Rome.
The MC unit gets out of a hotspot for some necessary R&R.
Turn 12. Carthage.
The Carthaginian LH begin a grand outflanking manoeuvre whilst the light infantry get into the fight and the Warband continue trundling to the rear of the legions.
Turn 12. Melee.
Another Carthaginian Auxilia unit goes down. The Carthaginian centre is gradually falling apart.
The victorious legion occupies the square vacated by the routed Auxilia.
Turn 13. Rome.
The Skirmisher bow move up to confront the Numidian LH whilst the MC heads to the rear of the Warband.
Turn 13. Carthage.
The LH move up to engage the Skirmisher Archers, whilst light troops continue moving up.
Turn 13. Melee.
Another Auxilia unit bites the dust.
The legion occupies the vacated square.
Turn 14. Rome.
A legion unit charges Carthaginian LI who naturally evade, and other legions start heading to their side of the battlefield where all the fun is. Meanwhile the Roman MC gets into the rear of the Warband, ready to sow death and destruction the next turn. Roman Skirmisher archers and Numidian LH trade missiles
Turn 14 Carthage.
Chaaaarge! The LH charge the Skirmisher Archers who evade but cannot outrun them. Ouch! One Archer unit is routed. Double ouch!
Turn 14. Carthage.
The victorious LH occupies the vacated square. The threatened Warband turns to face the music. This disorders it (unwieldy units become disordered by a 180 degree turn) but what else can it do?
Turn 14. Melee.
The surviving Roman Archer unit is routed. Bows really aren't much use in hand to hand combat.
Job well done by the Numidian LH.
Turn 15. Rome.
One Legion unit charges a LI unit that cannot evade. Another ouch. The Roman MC charge the disordered Warband, knocking it down a morale interval and the other Legion units keep moving up.
The one LH unit is now ZOCed and trapped by the victorious Legion unit. Damn!
Turn 15. Carthage.
Warband turn to face the Legion in an attempt to save the ZOCed LH. Meanwhile a LI unit heads towards the other advancing Legion units.
Turn 15. Melee.
Nobody routs.
Turn 16. Rome.
Forward Romans! Forward to glory!
Turn 16. Carthage.
Chaaarge! In go the Warband. A flank charge against a Legion imposes an All Grey modifier, i.e. all grey (firm) morale intervals are treated as white (shaken) with a -1 in combat. Otherwise no effect (no combat resolution for a flank charge). Legions handle flank attacks better than other units.
Turn 16. Melee.
The disordered Warband engaging the Roman MC finally rout.
Turn 17. Rome.
The victorious Roman MC get busy, heading to the flank of the other Warband unit. Meanwhile the Legions move up to engage the unengaged Numidian LH. The Legion facing the Numidian LH cannot charge it since it has been hit in the flank by the Warband and must fight it in melee.
Turn 17. Carthage.
LH pull back whilst LI move up.
Turn 17. Melee.
Nobody routs this time.
Turn 18. Rome.
It's looking bad for Carthage. The Roman MC charge the Warband in the flank, disordering them (-2 modifier for all morale intervals) whilst the legions move up against the Numidian LH.
Turn 18. Carthage.
One LH unit evades the trap but not much the other can do.
Turn 18. Melee.
In a turn of fortune, the legionary commander dies! He was engaged in combat and the combined current morale of his unit plus his own combat factor totalled less than 6, so he threw a die - got a 6, wounding him - then threw again - and got another 6, killing him. Optio is evil in that high dice throws are bad luck. 😈 Take that, Mad Ron!
Turn 19. Rome.
Rome didn't move, so....
Turn 19. Carthage.
Desperate to save herself, Carthage gangs up on one Legion unit with all the missile troops she has.
Turn 19. Melee.
The Warband finally rout. The Carthaginian army is close to disintegration.
Turn 20. Rome.
The Legion unit is finally free to charge the LH in its ZOC. The other Legion unit moves up to escape the missile barrage.
Turn 20. Carthage.
The LH move across to try and maintain the missile pressure.
Turn 20. Melee.
The LH rout, and with them the rest of the Carthaginian army. Game over!
Despite the long drawn-out nature of the battle (20 turns!) the game lasted only two hours and 12 minutes according to the timestamps on my photos. Optio does not produce long games.
Eheu!
Another view of Carthage's defeat. My playtester Peter might as well revel in his victory. Gotta keep him coming back....
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