Eannatum and Ush c.2450 BC - Command and Colors Ancients Game

 

Armies deployed - Umma on the left,
Lagash on the right

Opposite end

Umma infantry advance in the centre

Lagash infantry attack

Umma infantry forced to retreat
and units are destroyed

Last Sunday afternoon I played a solo Command and Colors Ancients game with my Sumerians out in the shed. I noticed recently on the Command and Colors Ancients website that there were some new Sumerian scenarios. I thought I'd try this battle, Eannatum of Lagash versus Ush of Umma c.2450 BC, which was a great victory for Eannatum and Lagash. The famous Stele of Vultures, now in the Louvre, actually commemorates this battle. Both sides had similar forces with a slight advantage in cards and numbers for Lagash. There was a reduction in shooting range for LI bow and some special rules for Sumerian Commander Chariots. I didn't worry about any terrain, it was most likely fought on a flat plain.

The infantry of Umma advanced confidently in the centre, two double time cards in their hand, no doubt bolstering their belief in the favour of the gods! The infantry of Umma were forced to retreat and after several turns had two units destroyed. The Lagash infantry pressed the attack in the centre, while Ush of Umma responded by ordering the advance of his infantry on the right flank. Shooting, casualties and retreats followed but Umma finally had some success clawing back a couple of victory points. It was too little, too late, however and Eannatum of Lagash won easily 6-2 victory points.

Lagash attack again

Umma advances on the right flank

Shooting, casualties and retreats
on the Lagash left flank

Umma finally has some success

Umma claws back a couple of victory points

Lagash win 6-2 victory points

Lake Trasimene 217 BC - Command and Colors Ancients Game

 

Initial deployment from the
Roman side along the Lake

From the Carthaginian side

Numidian cavalry skirmish on
the Carthaginian right flank

Last Tuesday afternoon I played another solo Command and Colors Ancients game out in the shed. The scenario was Lake Trasimene 217 BC, Hannibal's famous ambush of the consul Flaminius and his Roman army. The Carthaginians had six command cards, while the Romans start with two but this is increased to three, then four in their second and third turns. The Carthaginians had a good hand of cards, including two Double Time cards, but this did not play out as expected! They played the first Double Time card on the right flank and the Gallic warriors charged in to combat. The Romans fought back well and at the end of their turn had destroyed two Gallic warrior units.

The Carthaginians played the second Double Time card on their left flank attacking with their heavy and medium infantry, led by Hannibal himself. This time they managed to destroy two Roman units and with momentum advance, managed to position themselves to continue the combat. The Romans countered with their cavalry and Triarii,  destroying both Carthaginian heavy infantry units and killing Hannibal with a leader casualty check roll. The game was tied at 5-5 victory points but the Carthaginians played it safe and attacked a wounded Roman infantry unit with their Gallic cavalry on their right flank to secure victory. It was a Pyrrhic victory really for the Carthaginians with Hannibal dead.

Carthaginians play a Double Time
card - Gallic warriors charge

They play another Double Time
card on their left flank

Carthaginians win 6-5 victory points
but Hannibal is killed in combat!

Trebbia 218 BC - Command and Colors Ancients Game

 

Initial deployment from the Roman side

Carthaginians with Mago's ambush 
visible in the top left, off the table

First blood to the Romans!

Mago's ambush attacks the Roman rear

Romans Darken the Sky
destroying two units of slingers

Cavalry join the ambush

Roman right flank collapses

Last Tuesday afternoon I played a solo Command and Colors Ancients game out in the shed. The scenario was Trebbia 218 BC with Hannibal's Carthaginians fighting a Roman army, under the consul Sempronius Longus. Both sides had the same number of command cards but Mago's ambush really made it a tough scenario for the Romans. The special rules for the ambush meant any leadership card played after the Carthaginian player's first turn could be used for this. In my game an I Am Spartacus card was played, five dice rolled, two leader symbol results meant any two units of choice could be used. 

Two warrior units attacked the rear of the Roman infantry. Polybius says (III.74) the troops used in Mago's ambush were Numidian infantry and cavalry but I only read this after the game and had used Gallic infantry and cavalry for the ambush. The Romans played a Darken the Sky card and destroyed two units of slingers. Mago's ambush once launched was devastating with the Roman right flank collapsing. Despite this the Romans fought back well and it was only once a combined attack in the centre of Gallic and Spanish cavalry and infantry that the Roman centre collapsed as well. In the end the Carthaginians won a hard fought game 7-5 victory banners.

Side view

Roman centre is under pressure too

Gallic and Spanish cavalry attack

Spanish infantry join the attack in the centre

Roman centre collapses

Carthaginians win a hard fought
game 7-5 victory banners

Ruspina 46 BC - Command and Colors Ancients Game

 

Initial deployment from the Roman side

Initial deployment from the Numidian side

Numidian cavalry advance

Romans advance in the centre

Numidians play a mounted charge card

Romans advance on their left

Labienus attacks with his cavalry in the centre

Last Sunday afternoon I played a solo Command and Colors Ancients game out in the shed. The scenario was Ruspina 46 BC with Julius Caesar's foraging party fighting a Numidian army commanded by his former lieutenant Labienus. I used Roman cavalry for Labienus' Gallic and German cavalry and for Caesar's cavalry as I thought they may well have been armed with Roman equipment. I was a bit short of painted Numidian javelinmen so I used Libyan javelinmen instead. Labienus' Numidians have five command cards and move first while Caesar's Romans have six command cards but are heavily outnumbered.

This proved to be quite an absorbing and close game. The unknown author of the African War describes the battle:

Caesar was confronted with a new type of battle tactics. He realized that his men's ranks were thrown into disorder whenever they made a charge: when his infantry ran forward too far from their standards in pursuing the enemy cavalry, they exposed their unprotected side and were wounded by the javelins thrown by nearby Numidians. By contrast, the enemy horsemen with their speed easily avoided the soldiers' throwing-spears. So Caesar sent an order through the ranks that no soldier was to move more than four feet ahead of his standard. Meanwhile, Labienus' cavalry, relying on their large numbers, were trying to surround Caesar's small force. As a result, the few Julian cavalry-worn out by the enemy's huge numbers, and their horses covered with wounds-started to give ground little by little while the enemy pursued harder and harder. So, in just a moment, all the legionnaires were surrounded by the enemy's cavalry, and Caesar's forces were driven into a ring formation. Penned up in this way, they were all forced to fight in a very confined space.

The Landmark Julius Caesar The Complete Works, African War 13.15, edited and translated by Kurt A Raaflaub, p.553. Anchor Books, New York, 2019.

In my game the Romans were hampered by rubbish cards and at one stage had three right sector cards and a mounted charge card, none of which they were able to use! The Numidians were able to wear the Romans down by shooting and Labienus' cavalry were able to finish off the job. The Romans counter attacked and destroyed some Numidian cavalry, killing their leader Petreius. The Numidians attacked on their left flank and also targeted the lone Roman light infantry bow unit. The Roman archers were able to evade and survive for a time but eventually ran out of space and were forced to retreat off the board and were destroyed as a result. It was a hard fought win for Labienus' Numidians, 5-4 victory banners.

Romans have rubbish cards!

Labienus' cavalry destroy legionary
cohorts in the centre

Labienus' cavalry destroy legionary 
cohorts on the Roman left flank

Romans destroy Numidian cavalry,
killing their leader Petreius

Numidians attack on their left flank

Roman light bow infantry are their other target

They evade successfully but are running out of space

Roman light bow infantry retreat of the board and are destroyed,
Numidians win a hard fought game 5-4 victory banners

Truceless War - Hippacritae 240 BC - Command and Colors Ancients Games

 

Initial deployment from the Rebels' side Game One

Initial deployment from the Carthaginians' side

Autaritas' Gallic warriors destroy
two Carthaginian elephant units

Carthaginian centre and right flank

Autaritas' Gallic warriors are in the thick of it again

Carthaginian infantry are nearly surrounded

Rebel light cavalry and infantry
shoot on the left flank

Navaras' Numidians finally attack

Rebels win Game One 6-2 victory banners

Last Sunday Gary, Rick and I met down at the Vikings Club in Conder for the monthly meeting of the Canberra Regional Wargame Group. We played two Command and Colors games, the scenario was Hippacritae 240 BC from the Truceless War. The Rebel mercenaries commanded by Spendius and Autaritas, fighting the Carthaginians commanded by Hamilcar and Navaras. 

The Carthaginian elephants were easy targets (only two blocks instead of four for all other units) and Autaritas' Gallic warriors were very effective. The Rebels won both games. Game one was over fairly quickly, see photos above, with the Rebels winning easily 6-2 victory banners. We swapped sides for Game Two, see photos below, and this was a much closer affair. The Rebels eventually winning 6-4 victory banners. As a real bonus I picked up these five books for $22 from the bring, buy and sell table!

 

Navaras' Numidians attack Game Two

Carthaginian centre Game Two

Carthaginian right flank Game Two

The Carthaginian elephants were an easy
target for the Rebels in both games

Carthaginian cavalry attack right flank

Navaras' Numidians shoot on
the Carthaginian left flank

Rebel hoplites retreat from shooting

Navaras' Numidians retreat severely mauled

Carthaginian infantry and elephants suffer the same
fate at the hands of Autaritas' Gallic warriors  

A desperate final attack from the Carthaginians

Autaritas' Gallic warriors destroy the remaining
elephants to win 6-4 victory banners