Carthage vs Rome. 28.11.13.

It was another two-game Thursday yesterday,Brian in the morning and Brian and Paul at night.
As it happened we played the same game,but with different results,and play tested a couple of minor,but significant,changes to our normal rules.

The morning game,with Brian writing his battle plan and orders,he commanded the Carthaginians.
Our plans were quite simple,each were to hold the stream flank,whilst attacking "vigorously" on the other flank.

This shows us attacking "vigorously",my Hastati have driven off Brian's light troops,and are meleeing with his Spanish infantry.In the immediate foreground you can just see some Numidian cavalry,passing through a marsh to out-flank me and take on my inferior light cavalry.

After some initial skirmishing,Brian launched his Elephants at my line of Triarii,this proved disastrous,and they eventually fled back-hurrah!! Meanwhile on the far flank,our heavy cavalry are shaping up for a fight!-This fight went on for about four moves before I was victorious-for a while!!-Then Brian sent in his second line and drove me back-great wargaming!!

Brian's Numidian cavalry have "smote" my light cavalry and driven them back to a nearby hill(to quote Caesar!)-This was to prove significant in the following few moves,as it compromised my retiring Hastati,as you will see!!

Things are looking good in the centre for me,I am just about to exchange lines and let the Princepes take over the fighting-but I must keep an eye on those pesky Numidian cavalry,if they get in my rear(stop it!!) I could be in trouble.

Damn it!! my outnumbered and casualty-ridden light cavalry are heading for home,forcing my "retiring" Hastati to form a defensive formation(in this case a square!!)-Things have also taken a backward step with my Princepes,who have been beaten in a melee-things ain't looking good!!

Brian's heavy cavalry have pushed me back over the stream,but I have "mobbed" him with my second line,and saved the flank-hurrah!!

The final shot,one flank each won,so a "DRAW" was declared!!
The subtle changes to the rules that we were testing,are pretty obvious,I think,from the photo's you can see that there are no individual units fleeing all over the place,that's because we used the "LINE" as the fighting "UNIT"-it looked right band felt right,so we'll play test some other Ancient games just to make sure-good stuff.
Brian is busy painting his Late Roman figures,and brought these along to let us see.

One word,Brian, MAGNIFICENT! those shield transfers are great,now for the rest of them........

Roll on Sunday.