This is our third hail Caesar battle, Joost wanted to play a siege, Sander wanted a fight across a river and I wanted a pitched battle, since we were never good at compromising, we decided to do all three. Abe joined our group for this game (and ever since)
Butterius (Abe) began with his Division in the Castellum, the objective was to hold the Castellum, Carthage got the first turn and the Roman reinforcements had to enter the field in their turn.
The Libyan infantry began with a charge against the wall, the ladders were placed and the Libyan troops stormed up. The principles on the wall of the Roman Castellum fought back and screamed offensive comments to the Carthaginians (and they threw chickens and rabbits down..?) the Libyan troops were driven back. Proudly the principles threw the ladders down. The other troops marched forward, with the exception of Alex's cavalry they did not move.
Rolandus marched hid division onto the table and his cavalry stormed towards the Castellum. Scipio (Erik) brought his infantry forward far behind the River, his cavalry rushed forward and took up a defensive position near the bridge.
Incompetentus gave his Division the order to enter the field in the Centre of the battlefield but the order did not come through (a blunder), his troops panicked and rushed back, several Legionnaires were trampled in the panic that broke out and the first Roman casualtys of the battle were a fact.
The Cavalry of Latok arrived from behind the River. A Division of elephants placed itself at the bridge, these three elephants accompanied by two units of skirmishers had to keep the two divisions of Scipio behind the River, the infantry of Latok moved towards Incompetentus. The last unit of elephants moved towards the Roman cavalry of Rolandus.
The Celtic infantry of Alexius charged the units of Rolandus and the violent Celtic attack managed to destroy a unit of Hastati. Encouraged by their victory they stormed forward and made contact with the unit of Principles that stood behind it, however the Princlipes held their ground.
The Libyan troops placed ladders against the wall and stormed up again, again they were driven back by the principles of Butterius on top of the wall. A last unit Libyan infantry took up a battering ram and pounded into the Eastern port.
Rolandus went full into the attack, during the bloody battle men fell on both sides but both sides held. Scipio marched farther forward and the troops of Butterius shouted more degrading insults towards the Libyan troops.
After the blunder from Incompetentus (thrown by Abe) Roland decided that he had to show “the youth” how dice should be thrown, unfortunately this time another blunder was rolled (double 6), the troops did enter the field, but because they were in such a disordered state they could do nothing more.
The Libyan troops again placed their ladders against the walls but a clumsy Libyan soldier lost his balance and fell off the ladder, he suffered a broken leg. Again panic broke out among the Libyan troops who had witnessed this horrific scene. The ladders were abandoned and they stormed off the table again in a panic. Despite the low amount of casualties they had suffered during these three turns Hannibal (Sander) considered an adaptation of his tactics. At the East Gate a single Libyan unit managed to break the gate open. The Celts of Alexius and the legionnaires of Rolandus continued the fight, the Celts were now sustaining heavy casualties and they were now slowly driven back. The elephants of Joost now came close to the Cavalry of Roland. Latok's infantry marched towards Incompetentus.
Rolandus and Alexius fought through without a clear winner emerging but both units were taking many casualties. Afraid to be attacked by the elephants of Joost Roland’s cavalry decided to charge the elephants, cavalry against elephants is never a good idea and the elephants proved too strong, the cavalry unit was broken. The elephants trampled the few injured Romans that had survived the short clash. The troops of Scipio moved forward and reached the river. Incompetentus saw that the enemy cavalry was very close and full of passion he gave his Division the command to charge the enemy cavalry but by a lack of enthusiasm they moved forward but far too slowly, they couldn’t reach the cavalry. In the castellum Butterius places two units behind the battered gate and waited for the inevitable attack.
The troops of Alexius and Rolandus were both at the end of their wits and both bloodied divisions pulled back. Hannibal left the ladders where they were and ordered his Libyan troops to move to the Western gate, while Carthaginian troops started battering on the western gate, a unit of Libyans charged through the Eastern Gate where they were greeted by a wall of Spears, the Triarii of Butterius drove the attackers out.
The Veterans of Latok, supported by Spanish infantry stormed the units of Incompetentus. Surprised by the aggressive attack of Latoks veterans a unit Hastati was overrun. The remaining units of Incompetentus were driven back. Totally surprised by this efficient attack from Latok, Incompetentus tried to reorganize his troops.
The units of Scipio (Erik) moved onto the bridge and the velites cast their Javelins at the elephants, one elephant went off in a panic. Latok drove Incompetentus further back and yelled across table that he would push Incompetentus of the table. In a panic Incompetentus ran up and down while he called contradictory orders to his troops.
Alexius tried to bring order to his troops and his cavalry again failed to move forward (to date they had made only one "move"). The Libyan troops battering on the Western port managed to break it. The Veterans of Latok fought on and in the confusion a second unit of Incompetentus was destroyed. Incompetentus brought in his triarii to close the gap, Incompetentus took charge of the Triarii himself.
Scipio wanted to get rid of the Carthaginian elephants but he did not necesarililly have to see them up close. He gave his division commander Alexandrisius the order to charge the elephants and lead his units personally. Somewhat impressed by these ferocious animals, his unit fought hard against the elephants but the poor Alexandrisius was seized by an angry elephant, the last thing his men saw was how this brave Roman General was torn to pieces. Despite the loss of Alexandrisius the Romans hacked into the legs of these poor animals and the elephants were driven back. Rolandus charged with his entire Division and u secluded unit of Celts was destroyed.
Incompetentus fought on against the infantry of Latok, the Punic veterans fought as a disciplined machine, Incompetentus called to his men but the confusion that arose by his unclear orders caused his troops to be slaughtered, with tears in his eyes and sitting on his knees Incompetentus begged for mercy, he would not receive this, on the orders of Latok the head of incompetentus was removed from his body. The remaining unit of Incompetentus was driven further back.
Latok gives the order for the execution of Incompetentus much to the delight of Hannibal (Sander)
The threat of Rolandus was regarded as too great by Hannibal to continue at the gate and Alexius and the Libyan troops under Hasdrubal gathered now in front of the walls, the siege of the castellum was now completely neglected as the Carthaginian Infantry divisions were forming against Rolandus. A unit of elephants now also moved towards Rolandus, only Alex’s cavalry once again didn’t move.
The last units of the former Incompetentus were destroyed, Latok left no Romans alive.
Rolandus now stood face to face with two infantry divisions, a Cavalry Division and a Division of elephants, where a normal person would have withdrawn Rolandus chose to attack (very Roman) and he charged two infantry divisions with its single division. Butterius gave orders to attack the flank of a Libyan division from the castellum to support Rolandus (whose flank was threatened by a unit of elephants). Despite the pleas of Rolandus, the orders of Butterius did not convince the troops and they remained in the castellum. Safe behind high walls they saw no use in joining the bloody battle that raged in front of the walls.
Scipio managed to defeat the elephants and his Division marched onto the bridge.
Latok sent three infantry units forward towards Scipio. A fourth unit was treated to a few fun anecdotes by Latok himself, this reinforced the moral of the veterans.
A unit Libyan infantry moved again into the castellum through the Eastern Gate and the defending unit Triarii was completely surprised and they were destroyed by the Libyans. Carthage had a foot in the castellum. Butterius gave the order to go out of the gate again and support Rolandus that was having a difficult time fighting off so many Carthaginians. Butterius tried to convince his troops to come to the aid of Rolandus but after a long discussion and effective consultation his troops decided unanimously that the situation of the troops of Rolandus was hopeless and that they did not consider it "practical" to support them. Rolandus, frustrated by the lack of help from the troops in the castellum that he came to save from the Carthaginian siege, drove the Celts of Alexius back but his other units were attacked in the flank by two elephants and this attack and the Libyan infantry to the front managed to destroy a unit of Principles. Rolandus fled to the rear unit of Hastati where he prepared for a renewed Carthaginian attack. He continued to hope that, in time, help from the castellum would arrive.
Erik’s cavalry charged a unit of skirmishers and destroyed them, they now stood right in front of the Cavalry of Latok. Scipio (Erik) gave the order to attack Latok's infantry but his troops couldn’t reach them. Butterius brought two units forward and a counter attack from the castellum drove the Libyan troops out. Rolandus (now played by Abe) meanwhile drove the Celts further back, the other units of Rolandus (with Rolandus himself) fought against a supremacy of Libyan troops and elephants. Aid from the castellum again did not come and Rolandus began to realize that no aid would follow.
The elephants charged the flank of Rolandus and Rolandus was driven back against a wall, his other units fought the remaining Celtic Division of Alexius and they managed to defeat them. And with blood red eyes of anger and frustration they cut the Celtic warriors to pieces. Alexius’s lifeless body fell the ground. The Cavalry of Alex was finally moving slowly forward. The Cavalry of Latok attacked the Roman cavalry but the fight remained undecided.
The Roman units that had destroyed Alexius were now charged by Alex's cavalry but the Romans pushed them back, they also drove a unit of Libyan infantry back.
The unit with Rolandus was attacked in the flank by elephants, at the front they were fighting the Libyan infantry, cornered against a wall they were all cut down to the last man. Only the otherwise so brave Rolandus saw the way the fight went and while his men died he climbed over the wall and brought himself to safety.
The Cavalry of Latok drove the Roman cavalry back. A Roman cavalry unit was driven so far back that they were pushed into the river where they perished in the churning water. Latoks infantry charged the troops of Scipio (Erik) but Scipio held. Butterius fought of the Libyan infantry and managed to destroy it. The castellum was again firmly in Roman hands.
The last two units of Rolandus were now in trouble, the principles were charged and destroyed by the Cavalry of Alex, and the Triarii were caught between the Libyan infantry and Punic cavalry and was also destroyed. Thus died the last troops of Rolandus, with one Roman division he kept four Carthaginian divisions busy and managed to destroy one of them, another Carthaginian division was left behind severely damaged. The only survivor was Rolandus himself who realised that the sacrifice that his men made was high but by dealing with four divisions the attacks on the castellum had been discontinued.
Scipio's Division was now completely across the river and fresh troops stormed towards the enemy. The Cavalry of Latok, two of his infantry divisions and his last skirmishers were destroyed in a single turn.
On the left flank Carthage had won, the units that were left, however, were severely weakened. However, the castellum remained firmly in Roman Hands, because of Rolandus, Carthage had practically made no more attempts to occupy the castellum. The units of Latok were heavily weakened and the Division of Scipio (Erik) marched virtually intact in the direction of the castellum.
With the arriving troops of Scipio and the castellum intact and fully manned Carthage realized that they could no longer take the castellum.
Cheering loudly the Romans once again called offensive comments towards the retreating Carthaginians. Hidden behind the wall, Rolandus saw Scipio and his troops moving into the castellum. That night Rolandus, Scipio and Buterius feasted on the wine inventory of Buterius.
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April 25, 2024, 11:59:05 PM
December 11, 2013, 06:49:43 PM