by Andrew H
The following is an account of a sole game, played using the second edition, found in Sabin’s book “Simulating War”. The main changes from the first edition are that Marcellus arrives at a lower demoralisation level, Hannibal finds it easier to ambush Roman armies entering a region he is in (until Fabius arrives) and the choice of whether to have a battle or skirmish is now 50/50 between the two sides. The wording of the rules has also been improved.We start in November 218 BC with Hannibal and the Consul Scipio the Elder confronting each other in Gallia Transapadana Inferior, where in a skirmish the Romans lose 2,000 cavalry. The Gauls revolt against Rome, bringing reinforcements to Hannibal. Scipio falls back to Gallia Cisalpine Inferior where, in December he joins with the army of his colleague Sempronius. Hannibal has followed and the united Roman army offers battle at the River Trebia. The Roman cavalry are defeated, but the Roman infantry break through the centre to safety. 26,000 Romans are lost compared to 4,000 Carthaginians. The Romans shelter in Placentia before retiring to winter quarters in Umbria. [Given the initial set up most games may follow this fairly historical route for the first few turns – unless the dice favour the Romans.]
Spring 217 sees new Roman Consuls and armies – Servillus with last years army in Umbria and Flaminius with a new army in Etruria Inferior. A Carthaginian Gallic army garrisons the north and Hannibal sets off into Umbria. In June he ravages the region; Servillus allows this so he can unite his army with Flaminius, who avoids ambush as he crosses the Apennines. In late June Hannibal tries to cross into Picenum, the combined Consular armies block his passage and give battle in the coastal plain near Ancona. The cavalry battle is a draw, but an allied legion routs when attacked by Gauls and the Romans are compelled to fall back, leaving 9,000 dead on the battlefield. [During this game I had an amazing ability to roll a couple of 6’s (which is an automatic miss) for both sides, hence the indecisive nature of some of these battles.] Hannibal crosses into Picenum, the Romans follow after him. When Hannibal tries to ravage the fields around the colony of Firmum Servillus gives battle in mid July. The result is indecisive, both sides lose 1,000 cavalry and 4,000 infantry, but the colony’s crops are saved. [The rules don’t say what happens after a drawn battle or skirmish, I assume whatever the active army is trying to do is blocked.]
Hannibal moves to Samnium, the Romans follow. [Hannibal losses if Southern Italy does not revolt, for that to happen the Romans must lose enough prestige or manpower, and Hannibal must be in the area; hence the moves south. Romans lose prestige for having an area ravaged, running away from the Carthaginian’s or refusing battle if offered.] At the town of Gereonium Flaminius (the Consuls were sharing command) attacks Hannibal, catching his cavalry in disarray while they were ravaging crops, and then encircling the Carthaginian left flank, driving them from the field. 13,000 invaders lay dead, as opposed to Roman losses of 3,000. [Two 6’s for the Carthaginian cavalry, so no loss to the Romans, but a Carthaginian cavalry loss when combined with a draw in the infantry fight meant a Carthaginian defeat and a Roman cavalry pursuit]. The Romans took heart [Two Roman manpower losses equal one Carthaginian so the Roman manpower loss marker was back on 0!] and Flaminius offered battle again two weeks later at Luceria. Although Hannibal’s Gauls were driven back the cavalry battle was more equal, enabling the Carthaginians to cover their retreat. But Hannibal had lost another 5,000 men.
Hoping to better his luck [and ambush the Romans as they followed] the Carthaginians moved to Apulia. Flaminius, trusting in his good fortune followed incautiously. Finding the Carthaginian camp apparently unoccupied he allowed his men to rush in to loot it, thus allowing Hannibal to spring an ambush [see Livy Book XXII 24]. But the Romans rallied and 6,000 men were killed on each side [a draw in an ambush!].
In September Hannibal tried to ravage Apulia, the Romans kept close to him and skirmishes were fought, the Romans generally getting the upper hand. When Servillus and the Roman army offered battle Hannibal declined [Badly outnumbered in infantry and almost equal in cavalry]. But in early October 215 Servillus’ army, having become overconfident, demanded battle [see Livy Book XXV 21], only to be ambushed by a flanking force concealed in a wood and driven back onto the Carthaginian cavalry who blocked their retreat. Servillus and 36,000 Romans fell on the field of battle.
The next year opened with Fabius elected as Dictator. He followed Hannibal from Apulia to Campania [Hannibal gets more prestige points for devastating Campania than any other region, and time was getting short to get the south to revolt] and in August confronted him outside Nola. The large Roman cavalry force held the Carthaginian flanks to a draw, but getting the worst of the initial infantry clash Fabius withdrew, losing 7,000 as opposed to the Carthaginian’s 3,000 [Not having won the cavalry battle there was no Carthaginian pursuit]. A second battle at Capua was indecisive, both sides leaving some 5,000 on the battlefield. By now Hannibal was getting desperate; the Romans army of 62,000 men greatly outnumbered his own 24,000 and the steady dribble of casualties, no reinforcements and precious little southern Italian assistance meant it looked as if his great campaign would run into the sand. In early September he moved back to Samnium; the Romans followed. Fabius had been called back to Rome for religious reasons and his Master of the Horse, Minucius, was not so cautious. Caught in a narrow valley in misty conditions the Roman army was ambushed and defeated, lossing 33,000 men, and Minucius. [Actually Fabius was leading the army, but Cleo, Muse of History, forbade the thought he be ambushed].
Impressed by this victory the southern Italians revolt. Marcellus and reinforcements join Fabius; Hannibal tried to move to Campania to spend winter there, but is blocked and loses some cavalry in a skirmish.
The year ends with 29,000 Carthaginians and Italians confronting 50,000 Romans. Adding up the points the Romans have a tactical victory; given the disparity in force sizes and the arrival of Marcellus 215 BC may see the end of the Hannibal’s War in Italy.
So overall a tense game; Hannibal avoiding a complete defeat later in the day than he liked. The Roman’s problem is they have to keep following Hannibal and sooner or later will be ambushed by him. But this time they managed a very credible series of victories, aided by some fluky dice rolls on both sides. Time to set it all up again and see if the dice behave themselves.
