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.

Ptolemaic Vs Seleucid DBMM 400pt battle

400pt game on a 5×3 foot table using DBMM V2

04 03 2014

210bc Ptolemaic [me] Vs 200bc Seleucid

Ptolemaic army

CiC Ptolemy Kn(F)w; 4 Kn(F)w; 7 Ax(S); 5 Ps(O)

Sub Margos Kn(F)w; 2 Cv(O); 2 Kn(I); 3 Lh(O); 5 Ax(S)

Sub Antiochus Kn(F)w; 24 Pk(O); 4 Bd(I)*; 4Ps(S)

Camp 6 Bg(O)

 

Seleucid

CiC Kn(F)w; 2 Kn(F)w; 2 KN(F); 4 Wb(S)*; 2 Lh(O); 2 Lh(F)*; 6 Ax(S)*;

Sub Pk(S); 12 Pk(S); 13 Pk(O);

Sub Kn(F)w; Kn(F)w; 4 Ax(O); 4 Ax(O)*; 7 Ps(S)*; 8 Ps(O)*

Camp 5 Bg

 

The Seleucid army invaded Ptolemaic territory from the East in the summer; Ptolemy made his stand with the Nile on his left. There where Sand dunes on its bank and a gentle hill jutting into the river and a patch of rocky ground and another gentle hill on the far end.

The armies deployed like this, Ptolemaic first

 

 

With fine weather, the Seleucid commander woke his army early and attacked at 3am.   At 3.20 his forces where here

The Seleucid continued to move slowly forward with his right flank falling behind and by 4.20 was very close to allowing the Ptolemaic’s to see his forces. [visibility with no moon being 80paces]

 

 

His next move brought him into sight of my pickets but not into contact.

This allowed me to move at last, 4.50

I moved my right pike into the Galatians and the picket into the knights, hoping to disrupt his force.

That didn’t work and little else could move with my generals being in reserve and therefore not in sight.

The next hour went fast, with combat along the whole front, with dawn and then sunrise opening up my generals control but this was of no help to the enemy as there generals where in the front line. On my left his lights attacked mine but where then ridden down by my knights, while his general was pushed back and his companion routed. This enemy command was close to disheartening but the battle was not going well in other areas.

On my right my Thureophoroi and light horse charged in and got recoiled and then the Thureophoroi got chewed up my the knights.

The centre was the main point of combat as the two blocks closed with each other. Long story short, my men caught in camp were not ready to fight and that showed in there efforts [loads of 1’s and 2’s]. by 5.40 my centre was disheartened and would break on the enemies next push and then take the army due to other losses.

Game over

A decisive loss as I was caught unawares by the enemy.

This was one of those times I wish I had scouting, funny how when you take it you don’t use it and when you don’t.

 

We both love playing this game and the variety it brings to games.

 

 

 

Nikephorian Byzantine V’s Russ DBMM battle

400pt game on a 5×3 foot table using DBMM V2

31 08 2013

1000ad Nikephorian Byzantine [Stuart]  V’s Russ [Me]

Russ army 21,000

Plus Scout and Ambush

Command A		Type
2	Army Baggage	Irr	Bg(F)
1	CiC    Vladimir Grand Prince of Kiev	Irr	Cv(I)
4	Archers	Irr	Ps(O)
8	Javelinmen	Irr	Ax(S)
1	Druzhina	Irr	Cv(I)
2	Magyar  Scouts	Irr	Lh(F)
Command B		Type
2	Army Baggage	Irr	Bg(F)
1	Sub   Stanislav Prince of Smolensk	Irr	Bd(O)
21	Spearmen	Irr	Sp(O)
8	Archers	Irr	Ps(O)
2	Druzhina	Irr	Cv(I)
Command C		Type
1	Pecheneg Ally    Kuchug	Irr	Cv(O)
11	Horse Archers	Irr	Lh(F)
Command D		Type
2	Army Baggage	Irr	Bg(F)
1	Sub   Yaroslav Prince of Rostov	Irr	Bd(O)
23	Spearmen	Irr	Sp(O)
8	Archers	Irr	Ps(O)
Train Command		Type
6	Army Baggage	Irr	Bg(F)

Nikeporian army  [I think]  3500 mounted, 9,000 foot

CiC Cv(S); Kn(X)/Kn(I) wedge; 4 Cv(S); 1 Lh(F); 3 Bw(X)/Bw(O); 2 Ps(O); 1 Ax(S); 2 Bd(X)

Sub Cv(S); (X)/Kn(I) wedge; 4 Cv(S); 1 Lh(S); 3 Bw(X)/Bw(O);1 Ps(O); 8 Bd(I);

Camp 4 Bg(O) 8 TF; 1 Art(O); 1 Ps(O)

Russ Ally Bd(O);  7 Sp(O); 4 Ps(O)   [Illegal as there is a minimum of 11 Sp, list allows for 0-14 so a4 spear 1 Gen plus 2 Baggage]

As Vladimir had invaded the empire, I selected 1 FE and 1/2 FE of DH and 1/2 FE orchard.     I lost my 1/2 FE Hill

The empire went for 1FE & 1/2 FE DH 2 1/2 CH and a road.

Terrain set up West is to right

Byzantine deployment

Byzantine deploy

Russ Deployment

Pencheneg’s delayed and Javelininmen in Ambush behind right hill

Battle was due to start at 4am but as I had invaded in Spring into warm I could only start an hour before Dawn which was 4.30 with no moon.

I had lost a scout during scouting but did know all his army was encamped with no surprises.

So I went with a night attack, anything to stop lots of regular units moving around my flanks.

I got 3 moves in the dark, which due to variable die meant I did not get into sight of the enemy.

After 3 turns of Night Russ moves

This was my position at 5.30 when it became the Byzant turn as dawn started to break the pitch darkness.

Now we had 400 pace visibility and they could respond.

They threw there foot forward to gain a little

Byz 5.30 Dawn

space and also the right wedge. Starting to form a column with the Russ Ally

 

 

 

 

Byz 5.50

Move 5.40 to 5.50

His Russ column has  come back into a line 6 deep in the middle.

His Art is potting at my Lights on my right and recoiling or fleeing them., this is all that happens all game there.

My sub on the right has been recoiled by archery and some spear on my left have surged forward from shooting.

Russ 6am

6am after Russ move.

Contact with the rebels. My CiC with Lights and mounted is starting to threaten the enemy flank.

 

 

 

 

 

Russ 6.20

6-20 after Russ move

Contact along the whole front.

Byzant wedges have been hit rather than hitting me.

1st Knight wedge goes down to blades.

My Delayed command has arrived.

I am about to hit the enemy left with my CiC.

Russ 6.40

6.40 after Russ  move

The Byzant move die was 1 all along on there last move which allowed me to slam into there flank removing the lights [Ps & Ax]

That along with gaps appearing along the line under the pressure of so many spear and blades, meant the game was going my way.

6.50 End

6.50 start of Byzant turn.

With his right fank command broken the loss takes the Russ ally out as well and that plus the lost units on his left took the army.

A heroic victory for the Russ

Shows what a night attack can do just by limiting there movement

Report of DBMM V2 Battle between Rus & Nikephorian Byzantine

Here you will find the account of the battle played 16 Jan 2013

Report of Battle between Rus & Nik Byzantine 1000ad 350pt

Report of DBMM V2 Battle between Late Crusader & Syrian

Click here for the report.

Report of Battle between Late Crusader & Syrian 350pt

 

Realised that we made a couple of mistakes in the game.

1st My delayed command could not arrive in the flank of my rear edge.

2nd the Syrians could not leave part of the flank march of board to use the pips for something else.

Russ V’s Tang a DBMM V2 battle

A report of a DBMM Version 2 battle between a Late Tang army and my Russ.

 

Click here

Report of Battle between Russ & LateTang 350pt

 

Seleucid civil war A DBMM v2 battle

Click on link for the report

Report of Battle between Early and Middle Seleucid’s 350pt

A civil war between 2 Seleucid forces using DBMM v2 350points on a 3×5 foot tables