ADLG Carthaginian v Republican Roman

Another game in Stan and I's series of games using a variety of historical opponents against his Republican Romans. This time I thought I'd use the original Carthaginian (aka Later Carthaginian) army I painted many years ago when I first started playing 15 mm Ancients.

The figures are all Donnington and are part of a largish collection that I built up over a long period. For the army I chose one command of mounted, one of Gauls, Libyan Spearmen and Elephants and a final allied Numidian command of light cavalry and javelinmen.

The table had some fields on the Carthaginian left, plantations on the right and a fairly empty centre. The Carthaginian cavalry deployed on the left, the infantry and elephants in the centre and the Numdians on the right:

The Numidians quickly discover some ambushing Roman allied Extraordinarii and infantry, the Roman allied infantry are better quality but outnumbered:

On the left the Carthaginian cavalry advance, again they outnumber their Roman opponents but are not such high quality. In the centre a mass of Roman legionaries face the Carthaginian Gallic and African foot supported by the elephants:

The Numidians swarm around the Italian allied infantry:

Two of the Italians charge home, the third holds back after taking a shooting casualty:

Already it looks like it will be a classic Carthaginian v Roman match-up, will the Carthaginians be able to overwhelm the Roman flanks before their centre collapses?:

The Roman cavalry fall back as their infantry advance

The Numidians quickly gain the upper hand in the plantation:

The menacing Roman legions close in:

The Carthaginian cavalry chase their Roman opponents and find time to send some help to the African spearmen:

The main battle lines will clash soon. The Numidians have pretty much wiped out the Italian allied infantry and some Numidian light horse prevent the Roman cavalry retreating much further:

The Italian allied infantry are dispersed, the Numidians need to turn and support their Gallic colleagues quickly:

The Numidians quickly move into position. The Carthaginians have the numbers but the Romans are better quality in the approaching infantry clash:

Numidians hurl javelins at the legions, wounding the end one:

On the left the lines clash!

Neither side gains a big advantage:

The lone Carthaginian cavalry element charges a legion in the flank. Meanwhile the Gauls attack the rest of the Roman line supported by the Numidians. The attack goes badly for the Gauls with two elements being quickly wiped out:

Unable to retreat further the Roman cavalry launch a desperate attack on the Carthaginian cavalry:

On the Carthaginian left the African spearmen and elephants have inflicted some damage on the Romans. On the right the Gauls continue to collapse:

The Carthaginians throw more mounted into the cavalry fight and quickly gain control of it. The Roman army is almost broken:

The Roman army collapses into rout:

So a pretty historical outcome with the Carthaginians crushing the Roman flanks before the Romans could cut through the Carthaginian centre. Stan's Romans were better quality but outnumbered and for once I manged to make the numbers count.

I think sticking closely to historical opponents makes the games more interesting and the army choices resulted in a fairly straight forward game we both enjoyed.