Battle of Trebia 218BC using Ancients Battlelines Clash

Introduction

This is game 38 in play testing my ancient rules by replaying historical battles.  The latest version of ‘Ancient Battlelines Clash’ is on its own blog page. I am play testing the rules by replaying all the Peter Sides scenarios from his Historical Battles books.  ABC is designed to finish in around 30 minutes on a 2'x2' table.

I have been slow in play testing these rules for the last few years.  For November 2019 I set a challenge to play the 10 First and Second Punic Wars battles in the book.  This battle is game 3 in the attempt.

Battle of Trebia 218BC

The first major battle of the Second Punic War between Hannibal and Tiberius Sempronius Longus.  Logus was provoked into battle that was effectively a trap of Hannibal’s.

Here are a few internet links of interest I used for this replay:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Trebia

https://www.commandsandcolors.net/ancients/maps/60-second-punic-war-218-202-bc/258-005-trebbia-218-bc.html

https://juniorgeneral.org/rome/trebbia.html

I also used Phil  Sabin’s Lost Battles.

Troops

Roman

Romans

4 Legionaries

4 Allies, HI,

4 Velites, javelins

2 MC

Breakpoint 10

Carthaginian

Carthaginians

4 HI

4 Skirmishers, slings

3 MC

2 Numidian LC, elite

2 Elephants

1 Numidian LC, elite, javs (Mago ambush)

Army Command Ability +2

Breakpoint: 13

  

Scenario changes

Changes from the Peter Sides’ scenarios were to make the Roman Allies HI, rather than Auxilia and Warband.  Carthaginian infantry similar – all now HI.

Deployment

Mago LC in ambush and will come on in Turn 3.

Deployment (Mago on far left as a reminder to bring him on)

Game

Romans move up the infantry battleline and hold back the cavalry flanks.  Carthaginians advance along the line, with the Elephants holding back a little to not hit the skirmish line before infantry contacts.

Carthaginians advance but Elephants holding back from the Roman skirmishers.

Romans move a large part of the infantry line to the Carthaginian heavy infantry line.

Skirmishers are fighting it our

Romans lose three Velites, Carthaginians lose one.

Rome came out better after the skirmisher clash. 

Carthaginian right flank cavalry charge the roman cavalry.  Note the Numidians hang back – they would have a good chance of being destroyed in directly melee the Roman Heavy cavalry in the first round of melee.  Both heavy cavalry units are disordered.

Carthaginian right flank cavalry charge the lone Roman unit opposing them and are locked in melee.

Carthaginian skirmisher fires at the Roman infantry who charge and rout it.  In the ensuing combat with the Carthaginian heavy infantry there are a number of disorders.   The remaining Carthaginian infantry charge into the Velites, rout them and in combat with the Romans all are disordered.

The centre infantry battleline sees everyone locked in melee.

The left flank elephant charges a disordered Roman infantry and The Romans are routed!

c

Time for the Elephants - they charge a disordered legion and the latter routs.  

The Elephant pursues at it was impetuous against the heavy infantry.  Right into a Velite!  The elephant is disordered and pushed back.

The Elephant pursues into Velite missiles and is subsequently pushed back.

The Carthaginian left flank cavalry split and the majority, including Hannibal, charge the lone Roman heavy cavalry.  The Roman heavy cavalry is disordered.

On the Carthaginian left flank, Hannibal and some supporting Numidians charge the Roman cavalry that then rout.

The heavy cavalry is subsequently routed.

The smaller contingent of Roman heavy infantry and Velite move into contact with the elephant, the Velites are routed at contact.

The Elephant charges the Velites and rout them but the Elephant then routs from melee with the Roman legions.

The Carthaginian Heavy cavalry charges but retreats disordered.  The Elephant charges and is routed.

The Elephant is not more.

Across the main infantry battleline, the Romans lose one unit, the Carthaginians one unit.  A victorious Roman infantry unit charges into an elephant and they are locked in melee.

The centre clash sees one Roman and one Carthaginian heavy infantry unit routed.

The unengaged Roman infantry advances into melee with the weakened elephant and it routs.

There was an elephant in melee with the legion on the left.  It routed.

The Numidian cavalry moves into the melee on the Roman left flank but the melee remains unresolved.

On the Carthaginian right the cavalry are still locked in melee.  The Numidians join the fray (the Numidian rout next turn!)

Mago  arrives with the Numidians.  Will hopefully help out in the middle against the heavy infantry.

Mago arrives in the rear of the Roman line with some light cavalry.

The Roman heavy infantry succumbs to two Carthaginian heavy infantry.

The Roman centre is collapsing the the middles of the line but the edges are still Roman.

But the Roman leader advances into the heavy cavalry and manages to rout them (supported heavy infantry with leader vs single unit disordered heavy was not going to end well).

The Roman general with a legion (centre unit) advances into the disordered cavalry and the cavalry rout.

And another unsupported Carthaginian heavy infantry routs on the Roman left end of the battleline.

And on the Roman left, another Carthaginian heavy unit routs.  All of the centre belongs to the Romans.

Numidians flee on the Roman left flank 

The Numidians on the Roman left, just before they rout.

The Carthaginian side is only 2 points from breaking (one more heavy unit)  and the Romans are only one unit (2 points) away as well.

There is some movement of units not in contact – positioning for upcoming melees.  Mago and the elite Numidians manage to charge into the flank of the Roman heavy cavalry.  It is soundly defeated.

Mago charges the flank of the Roman left cavalry.  Attacked on two side, the Roman Cavalry routs.

The Carthaginians win.  It was a close game.

The end.  The Romans on have heavy infantry left (all the units on the right).

Verdict

A lot closer game than I thought it was going to be.  No rules changes this time and I do like the way the new rules handle light units such as the Numidians.