The Pass of Apollo 210BC

For our first game of 2020 we staged a Carthaginian vs Romans game last night.Brian is still poorly(get well soon matey!) and Dave is being kept captive by a Japanese Warlord somewhere in Sunderland! so it was up to Paul,Graham and I to have what turned out to be a real classic!

Top photo is the scenario,bottom is the table before any movement.-Paul was Hannibal,Graham and I were the Roman generals.Paul had two "hidden" Numidian light cavalry units,which he placed (although we didn't know it!) one behind the temple and the other in the woods to the right.When he "exposed" them(now,now!) they did devastating work.

It has to be said that Graham was a bit "tardy" moving his legion forward of the protecting hill on his right flank-no amount of cajoling or attacks by Paul's Spanish javelinmen could make him move forward,MEANWHILE........................................

On my flank,all hell has broken loose!-as I was forming my lines,Paul launched his Celts against me,so to "blunt" the attack I threw (unwisely!) my cavalry at him,only to be beaten-woe is me!!!-never mind my three lines are formed and raring to go.

Getting tired of waiting for Graham to advance,Paul is marching his heavy Africans and Spanish troops through his Elephant line-oh dear,Graham will have to react now-hurrah!!

Spurred(sorry about the pun!) into action,Graham's heavy cavalry are taking on the Celtic cavalry,in the central pass-this was thrilling stuff,and the melee swirled this way and that for a couple of moves before the Celts were victorious.In the background you can see that Graham's legion is now engaged,and he is winning-another hurrah!!

This shot shows the state of play at around move number 7-all action!-Graham is looking pensive!

On my flank,the Hastati have been replaced by the Princepes,and my Triarii are marching into the central pass to try and stem the Carthaginian flow-this is tense stuff!!-Where are the Elephants??

My Triarii are now in position,holding the gap like heroes!-Paul is facing them off with his Carthaginian Heavy cavalry-these charged in and messed my troops about something rotten!!!
That line of Elephants looks ominous-he wouldn't,would he??

YES!!-I suppose there are worse ways to die than being trampled by 3 tons of pachiderm,but at the moment I can't think of one!!
In the background Graham is making real headway against Paul's troops,but the Elephant "tsunami" has made his flank insecure-woe is us!

A general view of the table at about move number 10,just before Paul let his Elephant line loose against my triarii-the whole table is alight with fighting-marvelous stuff.

Back in "sync" now,my legion has "shot it's bolt" and the Carthaginians have control of the central pass,and Graham's legion has been stopped in it's tracks-so we can't get to the table edge and claim a victory-this was on move number 14!!
What a great start to 2020,well done to us all,and roll on next week!