Today, we had 6 players, so decided to do the oversized game from 2 weeks ago again. This time, we had Rhod, Tony, Paul (randomly Roman) against Phil, Lawrence and I running the Carthaginians.
The Romans got to be attackers.
I took the Carthaginian right with Heavy Cavalry, Gauls, Balearic Slingers and Spanish Caetrati.
Phil, with Hasdrubal, took the Punic and African Spearmen, and his beloved Elephants of course!
Lawrence had the Numidians, some Spanish Scutarii and Libyan Javelinmen.
Facing me, Paul had 2 units of Velites, and 4 of Legionarii.
Tony had most of the Legionarii, with a unit of Gauls.
Rhod, on the right, facing Lawrence, had Spanish infantry and...
...the Roman Cavalry. He sent his Caetrati in to contest the wood.
The Roman centre moved forwards slowly, maintaining formation.
Paul seized the wood here with his Velites and advanced slowly on my Gallic infantry.
I decided to send my Heavy Cavalry to the flank to scare the Velites.
Lawrence baited the Roman and Allied cavalry while the Libyan Javelinmen went to contest the wood.
My Balearics tried pelting the Romans with their slings, but had no appreciable effect.
The Legions looked impressive, and dangerous.
The Velites facing me seemed happy to stay in cover.
The Roman infantry continued to trek over the table.
The Roman Cavalry looked ready to sweep Lawrence away?!
The Roman Infantry were skirting the other side of the wood.
On my wing, I more or less completed my redeployment.
Phil stayed still, baiting the Roman Centre to attack.
Lawrence brought his Spanish Infantry to support his light troops.
I hoped by deploying wide, the Romans would thin their army out before the Carthaginian centre attacked.
The Allied Cavalry charged the Numidians, who evaded. In the wood, the Libyan Javelinmen got 3 hits from 3 dice, and damaged a (Roman) Caetrati unit.
The Caetrati broke as they retreated!
Lawrence's Spanish Infantry now made the Roman Cavalry pause.
I decided to send a unit of Heavy cavalry back to the centre to distract the Legionaries!
The Roman Centre was nearing the Punic centre.
Lawrence now had to detach a unit of Scutarii to face the Legionarii coming round the wood. His Libyan Javelinmen now shot and damaged the second (Roman) Caetrati unit.
The Caetrati bravely charged, the Libyans evaded, and the Caetrati were destroyed by Lawrence's Scutarii!
The detached Scutarii wewre ambushed and routed by the Roman Allied infantry.
I charged the Velites with my Scutarii, I had 10 dice and got 2 hits, Paul had 8 dice and got 4 hits! Fortunately my men didn't break!
The Romans were rapidly attacking my Gauls!
The Roman centre halted just over charge range away.
Lawrence was in danger, Cavalry to his front and legionaries on his flank, with only light Javelinmen keeping them off.
Some Punic infantry moved forward to help.
They were beaten back by the Allied Infantry, initially. elsewhere a Roman Legion unit was engaged by 2 Carthaginian spear units.
On Lawrence's wing, things looked to be coming to a head...
I got one Gallic unit in and Beat the Legionarii badly, but the next unit was hit and routed!
My Gallic Hero broke the unit facing him, easily.
Phil now charged his Elephant and routed a Triarii unit after a hard fight.
In the centre, though, a Punic infantry unit was badly beaten and the supporting unit behind damaged badly.
My Cavalry caught and destroyed a Velite unit.
In the centre, the Elephants hit the Gauls!
After initially holding, my second Gallic unit was broken by a Legionary unit.
The Elephants stomped the Gauls gleefully!
Fortunately, in the centre, Phil managed to outflank a Legionary unit and broke it.
He now had a hole in the Roman front.
Another Roman unit was flanked and destroyed in the centre.
On my wing I was trying to keep the Romans there in check!
My second Cavalry unit had reached the centre.
The Roman Infantry was slowly pushing into Lawrence's flank.
My Cavalry charged along with one of Phil's damaged units...the Romans Broke.
My Gauls and Balearics were keeping away from the Romans on my wing.
Oddly, the Roman Heroes didn't leave the combat we had won with my Cavalry.
The Elephant was behind the Roman line.
The Carthaginians were trying to contain the remaining Legionarii.
Lawrence charged the Roman Cavalry, and amazingly broke both (His Numidians had damaged the Allied cavalry previously)
At the end of turn 10, things looked peaceful...
We checked Rep and Carthage still had +6, Poor Rome -8!
Another defeat for Rome, and a very hard fought game. Well done to all the players!
