Battle of Telamon 225BC using Ancients Battlelines Clash

Introduction

This is game 46 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.

Battle of Telamon
One Roman army arrives and the Celts decide to retire from the war.  Thinking the advancing Roman  cavalry was a skirmish, it was soon realised there was another Roman army to their rear.  the Celts formed two lines facing front and rear to meet the two oncoming Roman lines.

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Telamon
https://www.karwansaraypublishers.com/awblog/the-battle-of-telamon-225-bc-part-2/
https://www.commandsandcolors.net/ancients/maps/59-celtic-war-225-222-bc/65-x07-telamon-225-bc.html
http://soawargamesteam.blogspot.com/2019/05/25th-april-northamptonshire.html

Troops

Roman

Line 1

Line 2

8 Legionaries, Heavy Infantry

6 Velites, Skirmish Infantry, javelins
2 Cavalry, Medium Cavalry

Leader with the Cavalry

Breakpoint: 10

Gauls

Line 1

Line 2

8 Warbands, Medium Infantry, warband
2 Chariots, Medium chariots, javelin

2 Cavalry, Medium Cavalry

Leader with warbands

Breakpoint: 12

Note that I had the Gauls with 4 chariots but only used 2 by mistake.  If I was playing again I would use 4 chariots.  This would have also made for a closer game!

Scenario changes

The Peter Sides scenario had the two Romans armies attacking on oblique angles to the Gauls.  I have gone with the Gauls between the two Roman armies.  I am in the Society of Ancients and the Slingshot magazine has all the Telamon Battleday 2018 information. It is all packed away and not very accessible so could not refer to it.

Deployment

Gauls are the inner two lines.

Game

Roman Infantry advances.  Both cavalry clash on the hill and both locked in melee.  The Gauls charge the Velites, who retire and then the Celts continue into the legionaries.  Disorder everywhere but no routs (other than the Velites).

All but the chariots in melee.

One more round of combat.  The cavalry is still in melee.  The Gallic chariots enter the fray but are disordered.  Four warbands rout, while one legionary unit routs.

The warbands get the worst of it, although one Roman unit is lost.

Another two warbands and a chariot rout

More Gallic losses.

One more warband routs, including the leader.  Romans win.

And the Romans win!

Verdict

A very fast game - 3 turns.  Fast as the opposing lines were very close leading to a lack of decisions required.  Maybe next time they should be further apart.  Forgetting the two extra Gallic Chariots also made the Romans stronger - they would have lost more legionary units if more chariots were present.   And also fast as there was only 4 battle infantry in each line.  I think extending the lines to be 6 or even 8 infantry would have made a longer game with possibly some more decisions. Maybe even include the camp on the other hill (which would be on the opposite edge to the cavalry clash hill).   It was fun, and the ideas here are only if I ever decide to run it again in the future.