White Tunis 310 BC - Command & Colors Ancients Game

 

Armies deployed from the Syracusan side

Opposite end from the Carthaginian side

Carthaginians advance on their right flank

The Syracusans are heavily outnumbered

Carthaginian chariots and cavalry attack

Carthaginian chariots and cavalry retreat

Syracusans advance with centre and right flank

Last Saturday afternoon I played a solo Command and Colors Ancients game out in the shed. The scenario was White Tunis 310 BC. Diodorus Siculus is the main source for details on this battle. Agathocles, the tyrant of Syracuse, invaded Africa with a small Syracusan army of 13,500 infantry, including  3,000 Greeks and 3,000 Samnites, Celts and Etruscans mercenaries. He burnt his ships to avoid their capture by the Carthaginians, committing his army and himself fully to the campaign! According to Diodorus a hastily assembled Carthaginian army of 40,000 infantry, 1,000 cavalry and 2,000 chariots jointly commanded by Hanno and Bomilcar opposed them. 

I modified the scenario slightly ditching the two single block Syracusan cavalry units and added a unit of Carthaginian medium cavalry. The Syracusans were heavily outnumbered but had the advantage in quality of troops with six heavy infantry units, six command cards and first move. The Syracusans had poor cards through out the game, with very limited options, including two mounted charge cards, but no cavalry! The Carthaginian Sacred Band led by Hanno inflicted damage early on the Syracusan left flank breaking the Celt Warriors unit and two hoplite units, including Agathocles' bodyguard. The Syracusans were on the back foot the entire game and when Bomilcar led an attack in the centre it was a comfortable 6-3 victory points win for the Carthaginians.

Side view

Hanno leads the Sacred Band

Syracusans are on the back foot

Skirmishing on the Syracusan right flank

Bomilcar's Carthaginian heavy
infantry attack in the centre

 Carthaginians win 6-3 victory points

Early Carthaginians versus Pyrrhus in Sicily

 

Armies deployed from the Epirot side

From the Carthaginian side

Epirot right flank

Epirot centre all pike

Epirot left flank

Carthaginian right flank

Carthaginian centre

Carthaginian left flank

Epirot attackers advance

Last Sunday afternoon I played a solo early Carthaginians versus Pyrrhus of Epirus, in Sicily 277-275 BC, ADLG game out in the shed. I knew this would be a very one sided game so included some of the best early Carthaginian troops like the four horse heavy chariots and Sacred Band even though they were most unlikely to have been in use in this late period in Sicily. The chariots performed quite well but otherwise the Carthaginians proved to be no match for Pyrrhus' Epirot army and were slaughtered very easily indeed.

Carthaginians attempt to plug the gaps in their line

Carthaginian left flank

Carthaginian right flank

Carthaginian centre is a mess

Combat on the left flank

Combat on the right flank

Pike charge in the centre

Carthaginians are slaughtered

Early Carthaginians versus Syracusans ADLG Game

 

Early Carthaginians and Syracusans deployed

Opposite end

Carthaginian left flank

Carthaginian centre

Carthaginian right flank

Skirmishers shoot on the Carthaginian left flank

Infantry in the centre close

Last Wednesday afternoon Garry came over and we played an Early Carthaginian versus Syracusans ADLG game out in the shed. Garry's Syracusan army was led by the tyrant of Syracuse, Agathocles (317-284 BC), who actually campaigned in Africa 310-307 BC, which was where our game was set. Agathocles was obviously a pretty slippery customer, he had the leaders of his Numidian and Cyrenean 'allies' killed and then took over their armies!  

I'd already deployed my army to save time and Garry was quite canny in his deployment, supporting his cavalry on the flanks with units of hoplites. I attacked regardless and it proved to be quite a close game with the Carthaginian chariots and Sacred Band, both elite units doing well. In the end we ran out of time but the Carthaginians were closer to breaking than the Syracusans with most of their right flank in tatters. I'll use a similar Early Carthaginian army for our next game but the opponent will be Pyrrhus of Epirus in Sicily in 275 BC.

Campanian cavalry and chariots line up a
charge on the right flank

Combat on the left flank

Carthaginians charge in the centre

Carthaginian chariots and cavalry charge on the right

Carthaginian chariots charge on the left

Carthaginians are on the verge of breaking

Carthaginian Sacred Band

 

Here are the Carthaginian Sacred Band for my Early Carthaginian army, that I've finally finished painting. The figures are a mix of Crusader, A&A, Gripping Beast and Foundry with shield transfers by LBM/Victrix, Veni,Vidi, Vici, Foundry and some are hand painted. They have a mix of armour too with iron and bronze corslets with linen pteruges, linothorax and bronze scale.

Early Carthaginians versus Syracusans Mortem et Gloriam Game

 

Syracusans deployed on the left, Carthaginians on the right

Opposite end of the table

Carthaginian left flank

Syracusan right flank is rather congested

Armies advance

Last Friday afternoon Garry came over to my place and we played an Early Carthaginian versus Syracusan Mortem et Gloriam (MeG) game out in the shed. It was a Magna sized game of 7000 points a side and we both actually had a hard time fitting all the troops on the 6 x 4 foot gaming mat. In future we will probably use the full length and breadth of my rickety old table tennis with a 9 x 5 foot mat. 

The Carthaginians were the attackers and wasted no time in advancing and the Syracusans did like wise. An early charge by the Syracusan light cavalry saw the Numidians evade. The entire Carthaginian line then charged into the Syracusans. The Syracusan Campanian cavalry were routed and casualties started to mount on both sides with gaps appearing in the lines. In the end we ran out of time again and the game was a draw but a result didn't feel that far off.

Numidians evade 

Carthaginian chariots declare a charge

Carthaginians charge the Syracusans

Campanian cavalry are routed and casualties mount on both sides

Game ends in a draw

Here are a few Carthaginian reinforcements I painted up this week and used in the game. The chariot, crew and horses are by Newline Designs with an Agema Miniatures spearmen that I couldn't fit in the Agema chariot I painted earlier in the year. The Libyan spearmen are by A&A Miniatures and Gripping Beast with a back rank of previously painted Victrix figures. The Carthaginian citizen spearmen are all Victrix figures with a new front rank.

Carthaginian chariot

Libyan spearmen

Carthaginian citizen spearmen