Late Republican Roman versus Mithridatic Pontic ADLG Game

 

View of the table from the Pontic side

Side view

Roman attackers advance

Light cavalry skirmish on the Pontic right flank

Roman centre with fortified camp

Pontic left flank

Last Friday afternoon Craig and Garry came over and we played a Late Republican Roman versus Mithridatic Pontic ADLG game out in the shed. The Pontic right flank was in trouble early in the game and the situation only deteriorated from there. The Pontic left flank was more successful and managed to survive and even win several messy combats with their cataphracts. In the centre the Roman legionaries gradually ground down the Pontic imitation legionaries and Galatians. It was a straightforward and convincing victory for the Romans once the Pontic left flank and centre were destroyed.

Light cavalry combat

Centre closes

Pontic right flank already under pressure

Pontic left flank is looking better

Pontic centre has gaps

Messy combat on the Pontic left

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

Carthaginians versus Republican Romans ADLG Game

 

View of the table from the Carthaginian side

From the Roman side

Side view

Carthaginian left flank

Carthaginian centre

Last Tuesday afternoon Craig came over and we played a Second Punic War game set in Spain out in the shed. Craig commanded the Roman defenders with Celtiberian allies and I commanded the Carthaginian attackers also with Celtiberian allies. The Carthaginians advanced and attacked while the Romans held back. There was a marsh near the river on the Carthaginian left flank which hindered movement and prevented the Carthaginians from exploiting their cavalry advantage. 

Both flanks and the centre of the two armies were engaged in combat and slowly but surely the Romans ground the Carthaginian forces down as usual. On the Carthaginian right flank a single unit of Roman allied Iberian cavalry tied up three units of Carthaginian Gallic cavalry and routed two of them. However the infantry combat on this flank went the way of the Carthaginians with the Spanish Scutarii out performing their Celtiberian rivals. In the centre and on the Carthaginian left flank combat favoured the Romans. In the end both sides were still a fair way from breaking but the Romans had the best of the encounter to claim a minor victory.

Carthaginian right flank

Roman commander

Carthaginian commander

Combat in the centre

Combat on the Carthaginian right flank

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