This week, at Peter J's request, I've set up a battle from the 2nd Punic War. Our first thought was to do a game using Hail Caesar but, because I don't have the army lists done, because I don't really know the rules (it would be a first battle using Hail Caesar), because I only have the PDF of the rules (which Warlord were offering for free a while ago), and because Mark D. wants to try a game of To The Strongest (rules the rest of us are familiar with), I've decided to set up the Battle of Ilipa 206 BC on the T.T.S. grid.
I haven't done this battle before, I can't think why, so it's probably worth me writing up the following blurb for the players as a pre-game briefing.
Historical Background
The remnants of the Roman army, under it's soldier elected leader Marcius Lucius managed to cling onto a small enclave north of the Ebro until reinforced by fresh troops, and new commanding officer named Nero that came over from Italy.
Nero did much to improve the situation and by the Spring of 210 BC he was aggressively expanding Roman territory south of the Ebro.
In 209 BC Scipio took the Barca capital of New Carthage, and followed this major achievement by defeating Hasdrubal at the Battle of Baecula in 208 BC.
This victory cemented Scipio's reputation with his soldiers - they were well trained veterans, well led and confident.
207 BC saw the Romans under Scipio consolidating their gains, especially over the rich silver mines in the Baecula region. The Carthaginian counterattack under Hasdrubal Barca fizzled out before it achieved anything and the Carthaginian army went onto the defensive by dispersing into surrounding cities.
The army is variously described as somewhere between 50,000 and 70, 000 foot, between 4,000 and 4,500 horse and thirty-two elephants.
Hasdrubal established his camp on top of a ridge near a town called Ilipa (probably in the modern region of Seville) from where he could taunt the Romans.
Scipio called in his various detachments and new Spanish allies. His army, roughly half Italian and half Spanish, amounted to 45,000 foot and 3,000 horse. He marched towards Ilipa and his willing enemy. Here, on a ridge on opposite side of the wide flat bottomed valley, Scipio established his camp.
Each morning, both armies would march out of their camp and form up in the plain between the ridges. Both sides formed up in a conventional fashion.
The Carthaginians formed up with their African infantry in the centre flanked by Spanish troops supported by elephants, with wings of cavalry.
The Romans deployed with their legions and alae in the centre flanked by their Spanish allies with cavalry on the wings.
Neither side would attack, and after the usual taunts, both armies marched back to their camp for the night. Every day the routine was the same until.....
The Carthaginians formed up as usual. The Romans formed up differently.
On this morning, Scipio deployed his Spanish infantry in the centre flanked by a legion with its alae of Italians, whilst on the wings the cavalry deployed supported by the army's velites.
Scipio's plan of attack was sophisticated. His Spanish troops would advance and pin the Carthaginian centre in place without coming to hand strokes. The Romans and Italians would attack the Carthaginian's Spanish troops and cavalry whilst the Roman cavalry and velites manoeuvred around the enemy flanks.
Scipio hoped that, having thrown the Carthaginian battle plan into confusion by his novel deployment, his troops might get into their final attack positions before the enemy could respond effectively. His judgement was correct and his victory was an emphatic one.
The Game
The game has been set up on a 16 x 7 grid. No mans land is three squares.
The grid has been marked with green dots. They are easily seen when looking for them but they are unnoticeable when you aren't. A grid of bold lines is not required.
The Romans
The Romans are deployed, with a second square front line and three clear squares to either flank, from left to right, in the following order of battle (colours denote separate commands).
- Romani / Latini equites backed by velites + heroic general.
- Romani / Latini equites backed by velites.
- Hastati backed by principes + general, triarii in the back square.
- Spanish scutarii.
- Spanish scutarii + attached general.
- Spanish scutarii.
- Spanish scutarii.
- Hastati backed by principes + heroic general, triarii in the back square.
- Romani / Latini equites backed by velites.
- Romani / Latini equites backed by velites + general.
The Carthaginians
The Carthaginians are deployed, with a second square front line and two clear squares to either flank, from left to right, in the following order of battle.
- Numidian cavalry backed by Numidian cavalry.
- Spanish cavalry backed by Spanish cavalry + attached general.
- Escorted African elephants backed by Spanish scutarii.
- Escorted African elephants backed by Spanish scutarii + attached general.
- Spanish catrati backed by African spearmen.
- Balearic slingers backed by African spearmen.
- Balearic slingers backed by African spearmen + general.
- Spanish catrati backed by African spearmen.
- Escorted African elephants backed by Spanish scutarii.
- Escorted African elephants backed by Spanish scutarii + attached general.
- Spanish cavalry backed by Spanish cavalry.
- Numidian cavalry backed by Numidian cavalry + attached heroic general.
Notes on Troops
I will use the standard rules, with one exception (see elephants), but I'll play around with the definitions for some troops.
- All equites save on 6+ and have 1 ammunition chit.
- Velites save on 7+ and have 3 ammunition chits.
- Hastati save on 6+ and have one pilum chit; they are drilled legionaries.
- Principes save on 5+ and have one pilum chit; they are drilled legionaries.
- Triarii save on 5+; they are drilled legionaries.
- All scutarii are deep shock javelimen units and save on 7+ and have 2 ammunition chits.
- Spanish cavalry save on 7+ and have 1 ammunition chit.
- Numidian cavalry save on 7+ and have 3 ammunition chits.
- All Carthaginian skirmishers save on 7+ and have 3 ammunition chits.
- African spearmen are deep units and they save on 6+.
- Escorted elephants save on 7+ and have 3 ammunition chits; elephants count as deep (2 hit) units but they can share a square with one other unit of any size.
Scipio's surprise tactics
Scipio's surprise deployment threw the Carthaginians off balance and they were unable to respond to Scipio's plan. To allow Scipio an advantage in the early stages of the battle, the Carthaginians count all movement as doubly difficult in turn one and difficult in turn two. Thereafter the element of surprise is lost.
Sources
From my Punic Wars books I used the following books as the main sources for reconstructing this battle.
The Fall of Carthage - Adrian Goldsworthy. ISBN 0-304-36642-0
Scipio Africanus, Romes Greatest General - Richard A. Gabriel. ISBN 978-1-59797-205-5
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