Today we replayed the Battle of Bagradas - the follow up to the battle of Adys last week, we had Phil back so we had 2 a side. This time I was a Roman, with Phil as Consul Marcus Atilius Regulus. Tony had Xanthippus with Lawrence as his sub commander. (Xanthippus had come over with Greek mercenaries after the battle of Adys to help reinforce the Carthaginian army... for more info hit this link)
The Romans got to be attackers, probably historically.
The Table for today, (we were having a try out with my new Neoprine mat) Carthaginians to the right.
The Carthaginians deployed with a centre of Spanish backing up the African Spearmen and Punic infantry, Lawrence had his flank guarded by Libyan Javelinmen, Balearic slingers, and Numidian cavalry.
Tony took their right with half the Phalanx, Punic Cavalry, and Greek Bows and Slings.
I had my Leves on the left flank, the Allied Cavalry and 2 Legions.
Phil on my right had 2 units of Leves, Roman Equites, and the other 2 Legions.
I moved my Leves on the flank of the Punic line, my Horse followed and I brought my Triarii to the end of my Legions and extend the line to help with the larger number of Punic Cavalry I was facing, let alone the Elephants!
Phil did the same on his wing.
At least we had a good solid line at this stage!
Tony advanced his Punic Cavalry, flanked by his light infantry.
Lawrence began moving his Spanish to extend his line too...but they were slow to act!
The Numidians were quickly on the flank trying to interfere with Phil's redeployment.
My Leves were a little slow moving forward, which slowed the following cavalry.
In the centre, the Roman Legions stepped forward a little.
The right wing deployed to engage the Numidians.
Tony got his Punic Cavalry right to avoid my Legionarii and hopefully overwhelm my cavalry and Leves?
Lawrence was STILL having trouble getting his Spanish moving!!!
The light troops, did seem unwilling to advance without their support.
I advanced my Legions to pin the Punic Cavalry, and prevent them attacking my Allied Cavalry and light troops.
I kept 2 units of Legionarii back as I was unsure where the Elephant was going!
Phil halted with a line well able to contest any Carthaginian light troops, we hoped!
Things were developing on my left, I was skirmishing with light infantry and doing better than I expected.
I hoped to be able to fight the Elephants with 2 units of Legionarii.
Phil held back, waiting to see if my wing would prevail.
This meant of course, he was under shot from the Balearic slingers.
My Principes tried to dislodge the Greek archers with their supporting Leves.
The Balearics hit a Levis unit
I kept my Allied Cavalry back to avoid getting hit by the 2 Carthaginian Cavalry units!
However, I was able to charge the Greek slingers (who failed to evade), with my Allied Levis.
The other Levis unit charged the Greek Archers, who fell back through their Elephants, which left them unable to evade a Legionary maniple!
My Allied Levis were damaged, but destroyed the Greek slingers!
No surprise, the Archers didn't hang around long either!
However my Roman Leves, having chased the archers to their doom, now got caught by a unit of Punic Cavalry, but amazingly they held, both sides taking 1 Stamina loss!
In the centre, my victorious Principes were charged by some Punic infantry, but held them.
Phil began to advance his Legions too.
I charged the Hastati next to the Principes who had held and as we were doing throughout the day, I rolled rather well! (9 out of 14 dice)
This wiped out the Punic infantry unit!
Along the line, both Punics and Romans were clashing!
On my left, my Allied Cavalry had charged to support the Leves and wiped out the Punic Cavalry...only my damaged Levis unit protected their flank from the other Punic Cavalry though!
The Roman infantry were beating their Punic opponents.
Our right wing was being held by those Balearics and the Numidians.
A Punic infantry unit broke and ran!
The Balearics destroyed a Levis unit on the right with shot! The Numidians were beaten by the Allied Levis unit on the table edge!
Phil charged and broke another Punic Infantry unit!
Along the line, yet another unit broke, these were African Spears.
The Numidians fled disgracefully! The Balearics desperately charged the Roman Equites.
On my wing the Elephants finally charged a unit of Hastati...
...Yet another African Spear unit succumbed to the might of Rome!...
...as did the Hoplites next to them!
The Elephants beat my Hastati, but at least my men injured the Elephants!
However, this ended the game Rome +14, Carthage -6.
A final look across the bloody field...
I felt really bad for the poor Carthaginian players, they rolled really badly much of the day, where Rome definitely had the gods with them!!!
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