Carthaginian Command

 

Here's a Carthaginian command stand that I've just finished painting. The Hannibal figure with folded arms is by Xyston and the other command figures are by A&A. The A&A command figure pack includes a Hannibal figure and comes with two identical mounted (see photo below) and foot figures. I have at least five Hannibal figures, one on an elephant (Relic), one mounted with a standard bearer (1st Corps) and these three here!

Never Mind the Billhooks Game Three

 

Yorkist forces deployed

Lancastrian forces deployed

Lancastrian light horse

Lancastrian knights and skirmishers

Lancastrian bow and bill blocks 

Lancastrian bow and bill block advance and shoot

Lancastrian artillery make some noise

Last Wednesday afternoon I went over to Rick's place and we played a 160 points Never Mind the Billhooks game. Rick commanded the Lancastrians and I commanded the Yorkists.  It was his first game with these fun rules, and only my third. After some initial manoeuvring we got stuck in and started on the play deck cards. 

The Lancastrian forces on the left flank quickly got the upper hand and routed the Yorkist light horse and crossbowmen. The  Lancastrian knights were badly shot up by the Yorkist archers and the survivors limped behind a hill to play no further part in the game. In the centre the infantry advanced and the obligatory archer duel commenced, with the Yorkist foot on the receiving end of some withering fire. 

At this stage the Yorkists were down to their last Morale Token and in desperation the Yorkist Commander-in-Chief charged in to a duel with the Lancastrian Commander-in Chief. The Yorkists had lost the battle but their Commander-in-Chief won the duel!

Lancastrian and Yorkist light horse charge and countercharge

Yorkist light horse rout

Yorkist skirmishers rout but the Lancastrian knights are pin cushions!

Infantry advance in the centre

Shooting casualties mount

Yorkists cop a hammering

Yorkists have lost the battle but their C-in-C wins the duel

Second Punic War Mortem et Gloriam Game

 

View of the table from the Carthaginian side

From the Roman side

Carthaginian left flank

Carthaginian centre

Carthaginian right flank

Hannibal with Libyan Spearmen and elephants

Numidian and Gallic cavalry

Gallic and Spanish infanrtry

Last Thursday afternoon I played a solo Second Punic War, Pacto sized Mortem et Gloriam (MeG) game, out in the shed. It was early days with Hannibal in Italy (218-216 BC). The battery in my camera died at the start of the game, so the only photos I took were right at the beginning and right at the end. I haven't played a MeG game for a while and made some silly basic mistakes but by the end of the game was getting the hang of it again.

The Carthaginians got off to a good start and managed to break the Roman cavalry on both flanks. In the centre the Gallic infantry charged the Italian allies and the elephants charged Roman units of Principes and Hastati. A couple of wounded generals later the Romans managed to break the Carthaginian elephants and the Gallic infantry in the same turn and the Carthaginians were pretty much done. I may try a rematch at some point and will try the Carthaginians without elephants.

End of the game - Gallic infantry breaks

Same fate befell the Carthaginian elephants!

Remains of the Carthaginian left flank

Centre and right flank

Spanish and Numidian cavalry

Remains of the Gallic and Spanish infantry

Hannibal and Libyan spearmen

Gallic and Numidian cavalry

Sassanid Elephant and Infantry

 

Here's a Sassanid elephant and infantry that I've just finished painting. The ellie and crew are by Aventine Miniatures, although the mahout is actually A&A as I couldn't find the original Aventine mahout. The shield transfers and ellie blanket are by LBM. The Sassanid spearmen are all A&A with replacement shields I bought from Phil Hendry years ago. The larger version of these shields is available from Aventine. The archers are a mix of Aventine and A&A with a single Vendel Mede archer with a globe hat.

Battle of Clastidium 222 BC - Command and Colors Ancients Game

 

Side view of the table

View from the Roman side

View from the Gallic side

Marcellus is wounded but victorious and joins a unit

Roman cavalry attack Gallic light infantry

Gauls retreat on Roman right flank

Romans attack 

Cavalry combat in the centre

First post and game for the New Year! Last Monday afternoon I played a solo Command and Colors Ancients game out in the shed. The scenario was the Battle of Clastidium with a mainly cavalry force of Romans under Marcellus fighting a Gallic force of Insubres and Gaesatae under Britomartus/Viridomarus. For the background on the battle see the post: https://bucellarii.blogspot.com/2020/11/republican-roman-cavalry-and-leves.html

I wanted to incorporate the single combat between Marcellus and Britomartus in the scenario and did this by giving, Marcellus three wounds and Britomartus two, with two dice each in combat, hitting on leader and sword symbols. The victor would gain a victory point for killing their opponent, as well as depriving the enemy of a leader. 

In my game Marcellus was victorious but wounded and joined a cavalry unit in the centre. The Gauls had four command cards to the Romans six and no leader, after Britomartus was killed. The scenario for the battle, if anyone is interested, can be found on the Command and Colors Ancients scenario list site:

https://www.commandsandcolors.net/ancients/maps/59-celtic-war-225-222-bc/256-203-clastidium-222-bc.html

The Romans had a couple of Order Medium Troops cards which proved very handy for their five medium cavalry units. In the end the Romans won fairly easily 5-0 victory points. The Gauls never really got going and their most effective troops, the Gaesatae, had limited opportunities for combat. However a couple of the Roman cavalry units were only one block away from being destroyed, so the result was closer than it seemed.

Gauls attack 

Roman cavalry successful on the Gallic left flank

More cavalry combat in the centre

Romans evade

Gallic left flank is destroyed

Gauls counterattack

Roman cavalry holds on

Romans are victorious