Second Punic War - Cannae (216 BC)

This is the fourth scenario in our campaign representing the Second Punic War based on my own campaign rules. 

The scenario was played using the Commands & Colors Ancients rules but on hex terrain from Kallistra and using 6mm figures from Baccus instead of blocks.

The History

Now, fully aware of the threat posed by Hannibal, the Romans assembled a truly large army, perhaps up to 80,000 strong, led by two consuls (Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro) who commanded on alternate days.

The traditional account puts Varro in command on the day of the battle, and much of the blame for the defeat has been laid on his shoulders. His low origins seem to be exaggerated in the sources, and Varro may have been made a scapegoat by the aristocratic establishment. He lacked the powerful descendants that Paullus had, descendants who were willing and able to protect his reputation—most notably his grandson Scipio Aemilianus, the patron of Polybius, one of the main sources of this history.

Varro was determined to attack Hannibal, who had posted his army in a location that negated the Roman advantage in numbers – bluffs on one flank and the Aufidus river (now called the Ofanto) on the other. Undeterred, Varro simply packed his legions one behind the other into the constricted area and launched the mass headlong at the Carthaginian centre. They advanced into yet another trap. Hannibal had deployed his excellent cavalry and heavy infantry on the wings, leaving his medium infantry and Celt levies in the centre. The Roman advance did indeed push the Carthaginian centre back and inflict losses, but in the meantime the Carthaginian cavalry had routed the Roman cavalry on both flanks and closed in on the rear of the Roman army while the heavy infantry advanced on both Roman flanks. Surrounded and unable to manoeuvre, the Roman soldiers were slaughtered by the thousands, and the army was destroyed. Cannae was Rome’s greatest military defeat, and Hannibal’s greatest victory.

 

The Refight

The Romans and the Carthaginians faced off against each other. Rome at the bottom of this picture, and Carthage at the top.

The battle started with the Romans widening their left flank in order to make envelopment by the Carthaginian Numidian cavalry much harder.

On the Carthaginian left flank, Hannibal and Hastrubal led forward their troops. The Balearic slingers advanced in front and started inflicting losses on the Roman light infantry.

Consul Gaius Terentius Varro then ordered his entire line of infantry to advance towards the enemy.

The Carthaginians advanced the infantry on their right flack, The heavy infantry moved into the front line and the Balearic slingers moved in front to start skirmishing with their Roman opponents.

The javelins of the Roman skirmishers caused the Balearic slingers to take losses and fall back.

On their right flank, the Carthaginians ordered forward Marhalbal with his Numidian light cavalry and the Balearic slingers to skirmish with the enemy. But they had no noticeable effect on the Roman line.

The Roman auxilia threw their javelins at Marhalbal's Numidian light cavalry causing some casualties.

The Carthaginians attacked with their centre, with the Gallic warriors in the lead. They crashed into the Roman light infantry who stood firm, having the legionaries and the consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus directly to their rear. Both sides took losses, but the Gallic warriors failed to gain ground.

The Roman light infantry moved out of the way as the Roman legionaries with consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus at their head charged into the Gallic warriors and annihilated them.

Determined to avenge their comrades, the Libyan heavy infantry double-timed to attack the Roman legionaries.

The fighting in the centre paused, with both sides having taken heavy losses. However the Carthaginian advance had been halted and consul Paullus had retired to bring up hid heavy infantry to block the gap.

The Romans pushed forward their auxilia into the attack.

The first Roman auxilia caused Marhalbal's Numidian light cavalry to evade after taking losses. 

The second Roman auxilia finished off the already decimated Libyan heavy infantry,

However the other Libyan heavy infantry was too hard a nut to crack even though it too had been decimated, and they managed to strike first causing the third Roman auxilia to retire after taking 50% losses.

Now much emboldened, these Libyan heavy infantry - with Marhalbal and a handful of Numidian light cavalry in support - charged into the neared Roman legionaries. However the Romans stood firm, and wiped out the attacking Libyans without taking any losses themselves.

The Romans ordered forward their light troops, to deal with the Numidian cavalry which evaded after taking some losses.

The Carthaginian light troops opened up on the Roman auxilia, causing some losses and the most advanced unit to retire to the safety of its own line. 

Seemingly unsure where to concentrate, the Romans attacked with their cavalry on the left flank, moved forward their heavy infantry with Paullus in the centre, and on the right a unit of legionaries advanced.

The advancing legionaries were immediately charged by a combination of Carthaginian Cavalry with Hasdrubal at their head and Gallic warriors.

Both the warriors and the legionaries took losses before the legionaries retired.

On the Roman left, they pushed forward and their cavalry yet again caused the Numidians to evade after taking losses.

In the centre, the Carthaginian Cavalry and the Gallic warriors attacked again, the cavalry charged the legionaries while the warriors charged the supporting auxilia.

But yet again this attack failed, the Romans stood firm despite being outnumbered.

Now seeing their chance to attack the weakened Carthaginians, Marcus Atilius Regulus brought up a fresh unit of heavy infantry, and together with the legionaries and auxilia they wiped out both the  Gallic warriors and the Carthaginian Cavalry killing their commander Hasdrubal.

These losses were the final straw for the Carthaginian army, they turned and fled the field.

The Romans had reversed history and defeated the Carthaginians, they achieved the major victory that Hannibal had hoped for. However consul Varro remained stationary on the unengaged right wing throughout the battle, proving perhaps that Polybius' view of him wasn't that far off.

Scenario Result 

Roman Victory: Carthaginians 2 - Romans 7

Campaign Result 

	Victories	Banners
Romans	2	24
Carthaginians	2	19

Second Punic War - Lake Trasimenus (217 BC)

This is the third scenario in our campaign representing the Second Punic War based on my own campaign rules. 

The scenario was played using the Commands & Colors Ancients rules but on hex terrain from Kallistra and using 6mm figures from Baccus instead of blocks.

The History

Much of Hannibal’s "genius" for warfare lay in his ability to take the measure of his opponents’ abilities and intentions. His opponent in 217 BC was Roman Consul Gaius Flaminius, a vain and incompetent patrician. Armed with this knowledge, Hannibal determined to set a trap for his opponent by ravaging the countryside to spur Flaminius to action. True to form, Flaminius rushed headlong into pursuit of Hannibal, marching his army through the narrow defile next to Lake Trasimenus where Hannibal’s army lay in wait. Hannibal posted his veteran infantry as a blocking force, hiding his light infantry and cavalry in the hills. As the day of battle dawned, a heavy mist covered the area – Flaminius further aided Hannibal’s plans by neglecting to send out scouts. The Roman vanguard stumbled into the Carthaginian blocking force, and the battle was joined. Almost immediately the ambushing Carthaginians descended from the hills and fell on the Roman column before the soldiers had enough time to deploy. Flaminius died early in the fighting; more than half of his army died along with him, either in the desperate fighting or drowning trying to escape. It was noteworthy that the only portion of Flaminius’s army to escape intact was the vanguard – those soldiers fought their way through Hannibal’s best infantry to do it. It surely was not through lack of bravery that the Roman army met disaster at Lake Trasimenus.

 

The Refight

The Romans and the Carthaginians faced off against each other. Rome at the bottom of this picture, and Carthage at the top.

Hannibal ordered his right flank forward and to move onto the hill.

The 3 units on the extreme Roman left advanced to counter the Carthaginian movement.

Two units of Gallic warriors and one of Carthaginian cavalry charged over the crest of the hill and into the Romans infantry below.

A Carthaginian cavalry unit moved forward into the defile to attack the auxilia beyond.

The charge over the hill was stopped, they took heavy casualties and were repulsed. Even the general leading the charge was killed; although in doing so the Roman's took heavy losses themselves.

The Carthaginian cavalry in the defile was slightly more successful, in that they inflicted losses on the auxilia without any noticeable casualties themselves.

The Roman infantry in the centre moved forward to attack the few remaining Gallic warriors.

The Roman medium infantry attacked the Carthaginian slingers hoping to drive them off.

The remaining Gallic warriors were wiped out.

The cavalry slaughtered many slingers but took surprisingly heavy losses themselves

The Gallic warriors on the hill, charged down and wiped out the Roman legionaries and killed Consul Gaius Flaminius. An unlucky result for the Romans, but historically correct!

The Carthaginian slingers, which were under pressure from the Roman cavalry, retired over the hill to safety.

The Carthaginian auxilia, with their commander at their head, advanced to face the Roman cavalry causing them to evade back to the safety of their own infantry.

With a cry of "Avenge The Consul !!", the Romans attacked the Gallic warriors. Their auxilia and light infantry surrounded the warriors as the remaining cavalry charged head-on.

This attack was not as successful as it was hoped, the Roman cavalry was destroyed and the auxilia and light infantry took losses. The Gallic warriors to heavy losses themselves, but still stood firm.

In the centre, one Carthaginian unit wiped out the remaining Roman auxilia while a second unit caused the Roman light infantry to evade.

On their left flank, a unit of legionaries advanced to attack the Carthaginians from the front while a unit of light infantry sneaked over the hill to take the cavalry from behind and cut of their possibility to evade the coming attack.

The legionaries wiped out the Carthaginian cavalry and the auxilia on the hill wiped out a unit of Numidian light cavalry which could not evade because they were packed in so tightly.

Hannibal order his Numidian light cavalry to move towards his centre. In doing so they skirmished with the Roman light infantry causing them to retreat back over the hill.

Seeing the lone band of Gallic warriors, a long way in front of their comrades, the Romans attacked them with their light infantry, in a bold action that could win the the battle. One unit through their javelins from a distance while the other charged in for hand-to-hand combat.

However the Roman attack was not successful, and the brave light infantry we surrounded by Carthaginians and wiped out. 

The Carthaginians had defeated the Romans, but it was not the major victory that Hannibal had hoped for; the Carthaginians had lost almost as many men as the Romans.

Scenario Result 

Carthaginian Victory: Carthaginians 6 - Romans 5

Campaign Result 

	Victories	Banners
Romans	1	17
Carthaginians	2	17

Second Punic War - Trebbia (218 BC)

This is the second scenario in our campaign representing the Second Punic War based on my own campaign rules. 

The scenario was played using the Commands & Colors Ancients rules but on hex terrain from Kallistra and using 6mm figures from Baccus instead of blocks.

The History

After the battle at the Ticinus River, Hannibal soon faced an entire Roman army under the Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus. As vain as he was inept, Sempronius wanted a victory to finish our his year as Consul. He took no cautionary advise from the wounded Publius Cornelius Scipio, but instead sent his army, cold and hungry, through the icy waters of the Trebbia to engage Hannibal's army on the far side. Hannibal had prepared the first of many traps for unwary Romans - he had placed his brother Mago and a picked force of cavalry and infantry out of sight in a ravine. The Romans did not discover them as they passed by. Despite their cold and hunger, the Roman infantry was doing well against Hannibal's main line. Then twin disaster struck. Mago's detachment emerged from hiding and struck the Romans from behind, and the weather turned markedly colder. Assailed from two sides, and now literally freezing to death, the Romans broke. Many died trying to recross the Trebbia. Sempronius's army of two double legions was effectively destroyed.

 

The Refight

The Romans and the Carthaginians faced off against each other. Rome at the bottom of this picture, and Carthage at the top.

View from the Roman lines

The Romans started the battle by advancing units on their right flank.

The Carthaginians used the same tactic, advancing units on their right flank.

The Romans advanced 3 units of infantry on their left flank: one of warriors, one of auxilia and one of light infantry. The light infantry used their javelin's to annoy the advancing elephants. This caused the elephants to rampage and retreat out of javelin range. They rampaged through the nearby Carthaginian heavy infantry and Numidian light cavalry causing heavy losses to both.

Hannibal then sprung his ambush. Hannibal's brother Mago, had been hiding in a ravine behind the Roman lines, and now charged out at the head of a unit of Carthaginian medium cavalry and two units of warrior infantry straight into the rear of the Roman right flank.

This surprise attack, destroyed the Roman right wing cavalry, caused severe damage to their supporting light infantry and even the warriors.

Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus then ordered the Roman infantry in the vicinity of the ambush to double-time and attack the advancing Mago and his men.

The Roman initial attack destroyed the Carthaginian cavalry causing Mago to retreat to the relative safety of a unit of warrior infantry, while his other unit of warriors fled towards their own lines.

The Romans continued to attack Mago's ambush, until Mago himself was killed and all his troops destroyed with the exception of a few warriors fleeing towards the safety of their own lines.

Seeing the seriousness of the situation, the Carthaginians ordered their heaviest troops into the fray. Hannibal himself led forward the heavy infantry on the Carthaginian left flank, while the other heavy infantry unit on their right flank advanced support by the elephants.

Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus then ordered the Roman infantry line on the left and centre to advance. The warriors on the far left attacked the Numidian light cavalry causing them to evade without loss. The Roman light infantry and auxilia threw their javelins at the advancing elephants, but this time with no noticeable success.

Hannibal ordered his two elite units on his right flank into action.

The Carthaginian elephants charged into the Roman left flank auxilia.

And the elite infantry charged into the Roman legionaries.

The elephants destroyed half of the auxilia but took heavy losses themselves before rampaging to their rear, luckily no Roman troops were trampled underfoot.

The elite Carthaginian infantry caused serious damage to the Romans legionaries and then beat a hasty retreat back to their own lines, forming up between the light infantry.

The Romans ordered their line to reform, moving up fresh troops. They still tried to annoy the elephants with their javelins but again with no success.

Hannibal ordered the line of Carthaginian infantry to advance towards to Romans. The light infantry threw their javelins at the Romans but with no noticeable effect.

Two units of Roman legionaries, led by Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus himself, charged into the elite Carthaginian heavy infantry. The elite Carthaginians manages to get in the first blow, causing Roman casualties, before they themselves were wiped out. 

On the Roman left, the Consul and his legionaries were attacked by Carthaginian infantry supported by Hanno and his Numidian light cavalry. They caused some casualties on the Romans before being forced to retreat.

While on the Roman right, Hannibal led his elite infantry to attack the Roman auxilia, but only caused them to retreat.

The Roman left flank cavalry performed a mounted charge at the Numidian light cavalry who still hadn't recovered from being trampled by the rampaging elephants. They were wiped out.

In the centre, the Carthaginians wiped out the legionaries, causing the Consul to retreat to the safety of his own auxilia.

The Roman left flank cavalry performed a mounted charge into the rear of Hanno and his Numidian light cavalry. The caused some casualties but this was not the overwhelming success they had hoped for.

Ignoring the Roman cavalry to his rear, Hanno, the Numidians and the Carthaginian infantry charged onwards, destroying the remnants of the Roman legionaries in front of them.

But the Roman cavalry didn't give up that easily, and yet again attacked the rear of the Numidian cavalry. This time wiping them out.

The Carthaginians had lost so many troops, their morale failed, and they retired leaving Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus and his Roman army in control of the field.

Scenario Result 

Roman Victory: Carthaginians 5 - Romans 7

Campaign Result 

	Victories	Banners
Romans	1	12
Carthaginians	1	11