Yes, another historical refight using Midgard again today! The battle of Maleventum in 275 BC. Pyrrhus had returned to Tarentum from fighting the Carthaginians in Sicily - he found his former allies, the Samnites, had been more or less overrun by Rome in his absence. He therefore fought with a basic Pyrrhic army with Tarentine allies.
The new Consul, Manius Curius Dentatus, emerged from Rome with an army, replete with a new anti-elephant stratagem, flaming pigs!
We now diced for sides, Rhod and I got Rome, Phil and Lawrence, the Pyrrhics. They were the attackers. The terrain had woods on one side and a gully on the other, leaving the centre clear. (I was keen to try my new 'Incendiary Pig' trait out!)
The Battlefield, Romans to the left.
Facing my Roman Right, Lawrence had a Phalanx and 3 units of Psiloi with slings and bows.
On the Hellenistic right, facing Rhod was a unit of Tarentine hoplites and light Cavalry, together with the Agema and Thessalians. His Elephants backed them up.
Rhod had an allied and Roman Legion, and had all the Roman cavalry, but they were outnumbered by the Pyrrhic horse opposite.
I, on our right, had a Roman and Allied Legion, with a unit of Allied infantry.
Lawrence sent his Light Infantry into the woods.
Phil advanced the Tarentine Leukaspides in support of his cavalry and elephants...
...who were advancing towards Rhod's wing.
I responded by sending my Leves to contest the wood with the Greeks.
Rhod expanded his line of cavalry, supporting them with his Leves.
The Pyrrhic cavalry raced across the table, contacting the Roman Equites and the Leves.
The Roman cavalry were driven back by Pyrrhus at the head of his Agema. The Tarentine cavalry rode down the Leves, but in both actions, the Roman troops put up a good fight.
Rhod's Allied Principes charged the Thessalians, who routed them immediately!
Phil's Agema broke the Roman Equites, and his Hoplites charged the victorious Principes. The Tarentine cavalry, despite being damaged, charged the flank of the Roman Allied cavalry.
The Tarentines were broken, but managed to damage the Allied cavalry first.
Rhod lost a Hero to the Hoplite attack!
Rhod brought some Hastati up to face the Elephants who now had a clear attack vector! My C-in-C, Dentatus allocated the Incendiary pigs to the Hastati successfully!
The Hastati charged, flaming Pigs in the lead!
Rhod's Allied cavalry charged the 'blown' Agema and routed them!
I diced for my pig ignition and just made it with a '3'! this meant a successful deployment, and Phil's elephants fought at half basic dice!
This meant the Elephants were defeated and pushed back! Great die roll Rhod!
The situation on our left was stabilising!
On my right, the Phalanx was approaching, my Leves were fighting hard against the greater number of Greek Psiloi.
In almost desperation I charged a Leves unit, but the Greeks evaded.
The Greek slingers charged the Leves, but my men managed to evade through the Allied infantry.
Still put out by the pigs, the Elephants broke and ran.
The Pyrrhic pikes charged my Principes, driving them back.
My sneaky Leves went round the flank of the slingers and shot, causing no damage to the unit but a javelin felled their Hero!
Only the Tarentine Hoplites remained of Phil's wing.
I made another desperate attack, sending my Roman Hastati into the flank of the victorious Pyrrhic phalanx Taxis.
On the right of our line, the Greek Archers had damaged my Allied infantry and a unit of Leves. They outranged me, and I couldn't reply.
Unfortunately, despite damaging the Pyrrhic Taxis, my Hastati were charged in flank by another Taxis. this let the Pyrrhic Taxis finish off their prey!
Rhod managed to outflank the Leukaspides, I sent Dentatus in to help, and the Phalanx Taxis broke!
My Hastati were destroyed too, no surprise!
My Leves charged the slingers in the wood, who failed to evade, and were destroyed!
Rhod now sent his leves against the Hoplites, and damaged them with javelins again!
On our centre right, the Phalanx charged but they were getting beaten by my Legionarii!
That was the end of the game, the Romans had (historically!) won, with +2 Rep against -2 for the Pyrrhics. A close game and very hard fought, but everyone enjoyed it!
(The Romans had a victory 'Hog Roast' to celebrate!)
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