South Bay Game Club June Meeting

Even though the May meeting was held two weeks previously and Kublacon was the week before, the turnout tor the June meeting was good.   Five games were run: Mike Simpson ran a Dragon Rampant game set in Wales, Kent Reuber ran an English Civil War battle using Regiment of Foote, Ix ran a WWI naval battle between Russia and Germany at Libau,  Chuck Staedler ran a Sky's the Limit air game set in 1944, and I ran a fictional Second Punic War Battle set about the time of Trebia using Scutarii.

The Romans had a full consular army versus an almost equal point army from Carthage.   Hannibal  had his morale modifier increased from one to two and would win ties for initiative.  The armies were as follows:

ROME
UNIT	ATT	DEF	MOVE	MIS	MORALE	POINTS	NUMBER	TOTAL
GENERALS	+1	X	14	X	+ OR - 1 OR 0	X	1+4	X
VELITES	3	5	6,8	2"	10	7	10	70
HASTATI	3+2	6	6	X	10	9	10	90
PRINCIPES	3+2	6	6	X	10	9	10	90
TRIARII	4	6	6	X	10	9	10	90
CAVALRY	3	6	12,14	2"	10	10	6	60
								400
CARTHAGE
UNIT	ATT	DEF	MOVE	MIS	MORALE	POINTS	NUMBER	TOTAL
HANNIBAL	+1	X	14	X	+ OR - 2,1,OR 0	5	1	10
GENERALS	+1	X	14	X	+ OR - 1 OR 0	X	4	X
SLINGERS	2	5	6,8	2"	11	8	1	8
LT. INF.	3	5	6,8	2"	11	8	7	56
AFRICAN INF.	4	6	6	X	11	10	8	80
SPANISH INF.	3	5	6	X	11	8	4	32
GALLIC INF.	3	5	6	X	10	6	10	60
NUMIDIAN	3	5	12,14	2"	11	9	4	36
SPANISH HORSE	3	6	12,14	2"	11	10	3	30
GALLIC HORSE	3	6	12,14	2"	10	9	5	45
ELEPHANT	4	6	8	X	10	11	4	44
								401

The Roman army had 2000 cavalry and 18,000 infantry.   The Carthaginians had 15,000 infantry, 4000 cavalry, and 20 elephants.  The battlefield was 6 feet wide by 5 feet deep on two 2.5 by 8 foot tables.



 

Greg (on the left) was Hannibal, Gary (on the right) was Mago,

Alan (in front) and Robert (to the rear) were the Roman commanders.

The turn sequence is dicing for initiative with the higher score deciding which side would move for that turn,  the side moving first makes any morale checks followed by their movement and missile fire, then a melee phase, then the second side makes any morale checks followed by movement and missile fire then a melee phase.   Moving units may conduct missile fire at any point during their movement if they have missile weapons.  The defending side can return fire if they are shot at or charged.

Prior to the battle both sides placed terrain features.   For a 400 point game each side could place up to four features.   The Romans placed three hills and Carthage placed two small woods (one on each flank) and two hills. Terrain features may be placed anywhere on the table except for the opposing side's deployment area.   After the terrain pieces were placed, both sides diced for them, with the higher score determining whether they would stay or be removed.  Tie scores go the side that placed the terrain feature.   The Carthaginians added one to their die roll for having twice as many scouting points.  One of the Roman hills was removed and the Roman players were able to remove the woods on the left flank of the Carthaginian army.

Initial deployment

The Roman army deployed in their standard formation with the legions in the center and chose to deploy their cavalry equally on both flanks.   Hannibal (Greg) chose to have two-thirds of his cavalry make a flank attack on his right.  All the elephants were deployed on the right flank with most of the remaining cavalry on the left flank.  The light infantry formed a skirmish screen and the heavy infantry was deployed with gaps between the units.

Carthage won the initiative for the first turn and the Romans won the initiative for all the other turns.  The Carthaginian plan was to let the Romans advance far enough forward so that flanking cavalry would arrive behind their lines.

By the third turn the two armies were engaged in combat.  On the Roman right the three cavalry units engaged the two of the Spanish horse and one Numidian cavalry unit.  The Carthaginians eventually were able to break the Roman horse, but their cavalry was exhausted by that time.   On the other flank the elephants and one Numidian cavalry unit broke the Roman horse leaving the left flank of the Roman infantry exposed.

Elephants on Carthaginian right make contact with a unit of Roman cavalry



The armies approach each other and the Roman cavalry on the right engage the Carthaginian horse

 Roman cavalry on their left flank flee from the elephants, while some of the elephants decide to quit the field.

The two armies engage in combat.  The three cavalry units on the Roman right exchange blows with their opponents.  The velites and the Carthaginian light infantry have fallen back to the rear of the main battle lines.  The small numbered markers are used to keep track of damage to each unit and accumulate throughout the battle.

Half of the elephants had left the field by the time the rest of the Carthaginian cavalry arrived on the field.   Some of the Carthaginian horse headed for the Roman camp while the rest were blocked from engaging the flank and rear of the Roman army by fleeing infantry from the Roman left flank.  With nothing else to do several units of cavalry proceeded to chase down the fleeing Romans and drive them from the field.

Carthaginian flanking cavalry arrive

 

In the center the Roman infantry was slowly cutting its way through the opposing Carthaginian infantry.

 



Gauls in the Carthaginian center recoil along with some of the Spanish to their left.

 

Rush hour on the Via Apia as Roman left flank infantry flees

Hannibal had managed to rally some wavering Gauls and urge them to continue fighting.  Just as it looked like the Romans would break through and escape their camp was captured.  Roman morale collapsed and victory went to the Carthaginians.  Losses for the Carthaginians were just over 1000 infantry and a few cavalry.  About half the Roman army was slain and the rest captured.

6mm figures.  Roman army by Rapier.  Carthage is a mix of Baccus, H&R, and Irregular.