Battle of Asculum 279BC using Ancient Battlelines Clash

Introduction
This is game 33 in play testing my ancient rules by replaying historical battles.  The previous version of ‘Ancient Battlelines Clash’ is on its own blog page. Note at the time of writing the version I am using to play this battle (Version 3.2) is very much in draft as it is a rewrite of what I planned for V3.0 and closer to what V2.5 (the one I used to play most of my games).  V3.2 currently requires a lot of tidying up, and is missing design notes, examples and the programmed opponent. 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.

Battle of Asculum
Pyrrhus defeated Roman forces at the Battle of Heraclea and after winter, invaded Apulia.  A Roman army marched to defeat him and battle was joined on an open plain near Aculum.

Very little on the internet but here is an article of interest:

Wikipedia entry  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Asculum

I also used Phil Sabin’s Lost Battles.

Troops

Pyrrhus

Pyrrhic forces

1 Agema, Medium Cavalry, high fortitude, impetuous
1 Allied cavalry, Medium Cavalry, high fortitude, impetuous
2 Elephants, Elephant
1 Phalangites, Heavy Infantry, phalanx
1 Tarantine Phalangites, Heavy Infantry, phalanx, low fortitude
1 Allied Infantry, Heavy Infantry
1 Warband, Heavy Infantry, warband
1 Leader with the Agema

Army command ability is +1

Breakpoint: 9

Note: There should really only be one elephant but they existed on both flanks, so 2 it is.

Romans

Riomans.  The anti-elephant light infantry is in front of the cavalry on each flank

4 Cavalry, Medium Cavalry
4 Velites, Skirmish Infantry, javelins
4 Hastati/Principes, Heavy Infantry, line relief, some MP (missile protection)
2 Anti-elephant troops, Light infantry, javelin
1 Leader with one of the legions

Breakpoint: 9

Scenario changes
I reduced the units/elements by about half as I am playing on a table half the size.  I also have less Phalanx/pike units as there is no benefit to rear pike units in ABC compared to DBA.  There was some light cavalry at the battle but I have not represented them as there was not much of them,

Deployment

Setup, Pyrrhus on the left, Romans on the right

All heavy infantry, including the pike units, are two bases deep are simply for visual effect as I had got enough of them out. They are not two units in echelon and confers no benefit in the rules.  I have just realised with this game I can indicate disordered heavy infantry by removing a base!

The Game

Pyrrhus only advances the centre as does not want the flanks to get ahead of the infantry.  The Romans move up there entire force, maintaining a line.

First early moves.

Pyrrhus advances the right flank and the centre battleline moves to within javelin range of the Roman screening Velites.  The missiles had no detrimental effect and the Velites retire from the field.  The warbands charge the roman line, their blood aroused by the missiles.  The others infantry also advances which brings them into contact with the Roman heavy infantry.

The two battlelines clash early on.

All disordered, except one unit of Phalangites that managed to inflict a disorder with no effect to themselves.

And most infantry are disordered (not the far left pike block.  Note I am trying put the method of removing rear infantry bases to indicate disorder.

Roman right flank unsuccessfully attempts to get the anti-elephant light infantry to charge the elephants.  In the centre, the heavy infantry continues to fight on.  On the Roman left flank, the anti-elephant light infantry charges the elephant on that flank.  The elephant is disordered and the light infantry are still in the fight!

Anti-elephant light infantry charge the elephant.

Pyrrhus charges the Roman cavalry.  Both  are disordered.  The Elephant succumbs to the light infantry (two 6's in a row will so that!).  The Pyrrhic right flank is being held by only Pyrrhus and his elite cavalry.

And very luckily rout the elephant. Pyrrhus charges the Roman cavalry.

In the centre, the Pyrrhic allied infantry routs.

The Pyrrhic right flank, charges into the screening light infantry.  The light infantry is destroyed and the force continues on into the Roman cavalry.  A cavalry unit retreats from the elephant and all units are disordered.

The Roman right flank is not so lucky and faces both the enemy elephants and heavy cavalry.

And then the lone cavalry unit is destroyed.  The centre sees the warband destroyed but one Roman heavy infantry is also destroyed.  The Roman cavalry gang up on Pyrrhus....

Carnage everywhere.  Both have losses in the centre.  A Roman heavy cavalry unit is lost on the Roman right flank, Pyrrhus is under attack by two enemy heavy cavalry units.

Who is destroyed.

Pyrrhus succumbs under the weight of enemies.

History is re-written as The Romans win!

Verdict
Wow - after playing 17 games of Heraclea using lots of different rulesets over the last 7 years, it is nice change to move onto the next Pyrrhic battle.  The new version of my rules continues to be tweaked.  And they seem to play a little faster due to some minor streamlining which is what I was after.  The loss of the Elephant was unlucky for Pyrrhus - there is a 1 in 9 chance of the light infantry taking out the Elephant.  The loss of the elephant collapsed that flank for Pyrrhus and he did not manage to recover.  Hoping to play the next and last Pyrrhic battle at Beneventum soon.