First try with Saga Age of Hannibal

[SteveBurt]

A solo game, using the 'prized Possessions' scenario, Romans escorting wagons vs Carthaginians.
Also a chance to try my quick home-made Saga mat; green felt and an hour with a big brush. Total cost 0.

The game went well; had more of an ancients flavour than I expected with the very tough Romans using Pila and Gladius and the Carthaginians using devious manoeuvres; the elephant is strong but quite brittle. A Roman win in the end but it looked hopeless for them half way through

[Codsticker]

Really tempted to get the Age of Hannibal book but I haven't played Saga in ages and I am still working on my Normans and haven't started on my Aetius and Arthur collection...

[SteveBurt]

It's a nice supplement - I think I'd not bother with the mounted for the Romans next time and take more legionaries. The mounted were useful to see off the Numidians, but hardly any of the Roman battleboard helps them. The figures are mostly multi-based for mass battle games - but I just use little casualty markers and it all works fine.
I'll try out Gauls vs Greeks next, I think; I have figures for all the armies already.

[Coenus Scaldingus]

Really tempted to get the Age of Hannibal book but I haven't played Saga in ages and I am still working on my Normans and haven't started on my Aetius and Arthur collection...

Same here, on pretty much all counts! (Though I have work-in-progress Vikings instead of Normans.)

How about the troops of Carthage, SteveBurt? From a screenshot on the webstore I see they have two flavours of Warriors (citizens or "contingents"), I'm guessing they'll be affected by different abilities on the board? Is it good to have a mix then, or are the non-citizens mainly useful for the additional options (cavalry with optional javelins)?
Just browsing the Victrix plastic boxes and thinking about which sets would be good to have... you know, just in case...
Of course, many of the allies could do double duty as the start of another faction too.

[SteveBurt]

Citizens get more abilities, and are easier to activate (any dice will do), contingent can be sacrificed to save citizens by one ability, and the Numidian cavalry have to be contingent and are very useful

[Easy E]

I am much more interested in this going forward.   Thanks for your thoughts, it helped me out a lot.

[Coenus Scaldingus]

Citizens get more abilities, and are easier to activate (any dice will do), contingent can be sacrificed to save citizens by one ability, and the Numidian cavalry have to be contingent and are very useful

Sounds like the majority Citizens with the occasional Contingent sprinkled in would be the way to go then, good to know, thanks!