My major concern as I got ready for my 3rd game was that I had missed breakfast but our French brothers had thought of this and had cake and coffee for the players. Bonus!!!
This time I was playing with Luc Joosten who was using a Palmyran army that had Cataphracts and Romans.
Again I went for as much terrain as possible, aiming for uneven and rough, luckily for me I got a good set up and based my plan around the terrain. My African Vets would dominate the open centre and advance as quickly as possible, on the right I would have 2 units of Gauls to defend the flanks and use the terrain with the Numidian foot and a unit of Numidian Cav darting forward to try and keep the Palmyran light horse back so I could double move for as long as possible. The Elelphants to the left were to be used as a counter cavalry force and try to keep the enemy off the main battlelines flank. The Gauls next to the Elephants were to try and get to the terrain blob on the other side and dominate that. The Numidian Cav were to slow the enemy cavalry down and to try and get a unit through and head to the enemy camp. While the Gallic Cavalry were tasked to slow the enemy down or wait for a good situation while guarding my camp (Its below my Cavalry but out of sight).
This is a few turns in, on the right my Numidian Cav charged the Palmyran light horse who eventually decided to stand after fleeing a few turns. The combat was even but my Gauls are moving up quickly and will get involved soon if I dont break. In the centre my battle line has advanced and I allowed it to break to get some of my units closer to the enemy while a unit of Numidian Foot is moving up to the Romans to tempt them out. On the far left a unit of Numidian Cav has headed out of the picture and had got past the Roman Cavalry. Just left of the main line a unit of Numidian Cav was charged by some enemy light horse and I stood and got disrupted. In response the Gauls moved up and were about to support until the 2nd enemy light horse unit moved in front of them to lure them away. I decided to charge that unit and let the Elephants come in to support my Numidian Cav. The Gauls must have been practicing sprints though as they caught the light horse and promptly smashed them. This sent they flying forward towards the Palmyran bowmen (medium foot).
On the right my Numidian Cav finally beat the Palmyran light horse with the help of the Gauls and the whole line continues forward trying to reorg itself before contact with the enemy. The Gauls in the centre lose a base to the bowmen but charge into combat anyway and manage to disrupt then fragment the Palmyran's. The Elephants manage to get in position and charge the Palmyran light horse to help the Numidians who had now dropped to Fragmented and had Cataphracts moving in to join the fray. In response the Gallic Cavalry moved up to threaten the Palmyran Cataphracts in cast the fancy trying a flank charge on the Numidian Cav. Outside the picture to the left a unit of Numidian Cav is running rings around the Roman Cavalry.
On the right and centre my battle line relines itself as the Numidian Foot move out to lure the Romans out. In the centre the Gauls defeat the Palmyran bowmen who flee and are destroyed. The Palmyran light horse break from the Elephants and the Numidian Cav follow the enemy and destroy them then head into the safety of the terrain. The Elephants end up plowing into the Palmyran Cataphracts who are disrupted but hold. Seeing the other unit of Cataphracts advancing the Gallic Cavalry decides to make a dash for safety and heads into the terrain while the Numidian Cav on the far left dash around the Romans and make for the terrain.
This is a snapshot just before the Palmyran's break. On the far right the Palmyran's charge with their Roman Auxiliaries against the Gauls who hold and then with support from the African Vets manage to break the Auxiliarie. The far right unit of Gauls suffer a couple of volleys of bowfire but drive home their charge. Even with the death of a stand they manage to break the Palmyran Bowmen who turn and flee. In the centre the ruse works and the Romans launch forward but only hit with 1 unit of 4 who win the impact but are quickly surrounded and fragmented. Support arrives too late from the other legions who arrive next turn but are again defeated in pockets. The Palmyran Cataphracts facing off the African Vets are forced to charge and crash into the spearwall and are quickly routed by the steady spear. The Numidian Cav hides in the terrain and reorgs itself to disrupted. The Elephants urged on by a general manage to kill a base of Cataphracts and an enemy general that starts a rapid decline in morale that results in the Palmyran Cataphracts breaking.
This was enough to break the Palmyran army who turned and fled. A great victory for Hannibal as I lost no attrition points and broke the enemy army, my first and likely last 25-0.
Good-
1-My Gauls were placed against realistic opponents and managed to earn their keep.
2-The Numidian Foot managed to break up the legions and allow the African Vets to destroy them in small packets.
3-I managed to use the Numidian Cav and Gallic Cavalry well enough that my opponent was forced to fight me on at best equal terms.
4-The Elephants were protected until they will given a chance to fight troops they excel at fighting.
Bad-
1-My camp was poorly placed.
Con
