DBMM Battle report of a clash between Later Carthaginian & Alexandrian Macedonian

Battle report of a clash between Later Carthaginian & Alexandrian Macedonian

400points DBMM V2

Later Carthaginian 210bc  in Spain

Command A		Type
2	Army Baggage  wagons	Irr	Bg(I)
1	Sub  Hastrbal	Reg	Cv(O)
8	Numidian Cav	Irr	Lh(O)
4	Libyan / Numidian Skirmishers	Irr	Ps(S)
2	Poeni Cav	Reg	Cv(O)
Command B		Type
2	Army Baggage  wagons	Irr	Bg(I)
1	Sub Hanno	Reg	Cv(O)
6	Libyan Spear	Reg	Sp(O)
8	Libyan / Numidian Skirmishers	Irr	Ps(S)
2	Bolt Shooters	Reg	Art(O)
Command C		Type
2	Army Baggage  wagons	Irr	Bg(I)
1	CiC  Hannibal   [Brilliant]	Reg	Cv(O)
4	African Elephants	Irr	El(I)
8	Spanish Foot	Reg	Ax(S)
Command D Iberian’s		Type
2	Army Baggage  wagons	Irr	Bg(I)
1	Iberian Ally	Irr	Cv(O)
1	Long Sh Cav	Irr	Cv(O)
2	Slinger	Irr	Ps(O)
6	Scutarii	Irr	Ax(S)
2	Caetrati	Irr	Ps(S)
Train Command		Type
8	Army Baggage  wagons	Irr	Bg(I)
1	Balearic Slingers	Reg	Ps(O)

 

Hannibal had assembled the above army to face off King Philip who was invading Spain with his son Alexander. The Macedonian’s had a pretty standard force of  we think.

Philip Pk[S] + 12 Pk[S] , 15 Pk [O], 2 Ax[O], 3 Ps[S], 2 Ps[O]

Alexander [B] Kn[F]w, 3 Kn[F]w, 3 Cv[O], 1 Lh[S]

Sub Kn[F]w, 16 Sp[I], 4 Ps[S], 2 Ax[O]

5 Baggage

 

Hannibal ended up facing East, with the Mediterranean on my right [placed by the enemy], Hannibal had found a hilly wooded area near to the coast that the Macedonians where marching along to face them.

Hannibal deployed with his Numidian’s on his left with the general and his guard behind. Then came his heavy foot [Exaggerating Army Size ] flanked by bolt throwers with more skirmishers behind. On the far right by the wooded hill and the sea was his Iberian allies. Hannibal was in reserve, and deployed to the right to advance between the woods with his Spanish and elephants.

His plan was to draw the enemy foot towards his foot, to allow the artillery to break them up and the skirmishers to slow them down, so tying the enemy centre up. Then the Numidians would work the open flank while Hannibal and the Spanish dealt with the other end, using the elephants to batter through if needed.

 

Philip deployed with his massive pike block facing my Heavy foot, with a Greek hoplite force protecting his left my the woods and sea. Alexander was in reserve on the right, waiting.

 

 

My side looked like this

Hannibal’s army 

Over all view at start

Macedonian army

Hannibal moved off first at 8am on a morning when snow was likely as Philip was marching in winter. However the Iberians where not really ready for a winter campaign and decided to sit still for now.

The rest of his force moved only slowly due to command issues. However they still managed to expand the Numidians out and the skirmishers in the centre went forward.

 

Philip raced forward with his pikes, uncovering that their was only one rank of Libyan Spear not two. Alexander moved to threaten the Numidians and cover the flank, while the Greeks slowly moved to cover the pikes left.

 

The field looked like this  after the first turn

The next two turns was more slow manoeuvre, with the Libyan Spear moving away from the Pikes, who where suffering from artillery fire. Hannibal had tried to encourage the Iberians but they where happy where they where, talk of Macedonian gold was going around the camp. Also it started to snow, limiting visibility as it got heaver.

 

Turn four with the snow coming down hard, the Carthaginian Javelin skirmishers on the left got stuck into the end of the pikes while a light horse hit it in flank. The end was exposed due to bolt fire and the unit started to fall apart.

In response Alexander charged into the light horse and skirmishers killing both, but moving further forward from his supports.

Situation as here

After four turns

The battle started to go Hannibal’s way now.

First the centres clashed, with the pike including Philip being driven back by showers of javelins, with many deaths. Alexander carried on moving forward taking out more light infantry and the bolt thrower, the rest of his force trailing behind. The Numidian light horse faced off the Greek horse and light foot on the far left and behind Alexander.

On the left Hannibal had moved his elephants with Spanish support close enough with the forward movement of the Greeks to lunch a charge. The Spanish left column hit the right most hoplite, destroying it with missile fire, while Hannibal with a brilliant stroke pushed back the hoplites in front of him allowing his flanking elephants to destroy more poor Greeks.

Over the next two turns, the Greeks went from dishearten to running away, while the pikes lost a 6th of their strength.

At battle end it looked like this.

After 6 turns battle end

My right at end

My Left at end

As can be seen, Alexander and his men are in 2 columns  both with exposed flanks.

Hastrbal’s force had lost 3 light horse and 3 Light Infantry so 4.5Me out of 18.

Hanno in the centre had lost a artillery unit as well as 2 spent and 2 destroyed light infantry so 2ME out of 18

Hannibal lost one Spanish unit, while the Iberians had not taken part.

The Macedonians had lost their whole left flank as well as numerous pike from both flanks. With Alexander’s knights about to suffer badly.

 

A good game.

For a change I got elephants to work for me, as Hannibal again used the disappearing center tactic.