[Romani AAR] It began on seven hills...

[Chirurgeon]

Dang how did you lose the hold on north Africa? You had two of their cities occupied! Did I miss a battle?

[General Appo]

Ehhh.... he just raided them in an attempt to imitate Regulus invasion of North Africa? Read the AAR, and you´ll see it.

[Chirurgeon]

Ehhh.... he just raided them in an attempt to imitate Regulus invasion of North Africa? Read the AAR, and you´ll see it.

wow so he is trying to replicate each battle too? Dang thats gonna be tough

[QuintusSertorius]

wow so he is trying to replicate each battle too? Dang thats gonna be tough

No, just the general idea of the various campaigns. I couldn't get a battle in Africa, so had to settle for just raiding two of their cities. Fortunately they did then hire scads of mercenaries in Sicily, so when the army returned from Africa, it was to prepare for a big battle.

[QuintusSertorius]

The Battle of Elymia 250BC:

The proconsul Lucius Cornelius Scipio had returned to Sicily after a successful campaign in Africa in 251BC. He had sent ahead for reinforcements and resupplies to join him on the island, for he intended to continue the war against Qarthadast on these shores. He spent the campaiging season of 251 marching for Messana and the desparately needed supplies. He heard through scouts and locals that there was a large Karthadastim force in the region, but he had to prepare rather than lead his weary troops into combat again.

On reaching Messana late in autumnus, the proconsul was struck with an ague, and ordered his troops to build camp and set his subordinates to preparing the men for next season's campaign, while he convalesced in the city of Messana. The client ruler of Messana hosted the ailing general, regaling him with accounts of the numerous attempts the Karthadastim had made on the city, and giving him the true story of the rumours that he had personally turned the tide of one of these battles.

By the spring of 250, Scipio and his army were ready to march, new maniples and a detachment of cavalry arriving from the mainland to bring his consular army back to full strength. Unfortunately he was still stuck with the drunkard Kaeso Claudius Nero, foremost among the tribunes and a thoroughly bad influence on all those young men. His uncle had ensured he was placed with Scipio's army for two reasons; in the vain hope military service might reform his wayward nephew, but failing that he might at least cause trouble for Scipio and slow the ascendancy of that man's star. For if this campaign went well, all might recognise that Scipio was becoming the First Man in Rome.

Yet in spite of his trepidations about vipers in his midst, the army left promptly with the melting of the snows on Etna's lower slopes. It was not until summer that contact was made with the Qarthadast army, on the southern coast several miles from the Karthadastim city of Lilibeo. Scipio halted and made his camp close to the shore.

The Qarthadast, led by the young Hamalcar were content to wait in their camp opposite the Romans, but his hand was forced by a rash captain Abdosir who was eager for some glory and frustrated by the progress of the campaign in Sicily. Hamalcar had only recently hired a large contingent of mercenaries, a mixture of Iberians, Ligurians, Gauls from several tribes and some Hellenic spearmen, and hadn't yet had time to properly integrate them into his army. But he was faced with losing Abdosir's men, which included elites recently transported from Kart-Hadast, and possibly risked another main stealing the glory. For Abdosir had a grandfather on the Council of Thirty, and an ancestor who had been a suffete. So reluctantly he joined battle in support of the hot-headed captain.



Hearing from his scouts that there were in fact two Karthadastim forces approaching his camp, Scipio had his army march out into battle order barely a mile from the tents. He anchored his left flank on the shoreline and deployed in the traditional triplex acies.

In the consilium the night before, he had stressed to his legates, tribunes and centurions the importance of strict discipline, for restraint, not battle-lust would win the day. They had to be wary of the superior enemy numbers and keep the men in hand. He said this not out of cowardice, for he had won the corona civica for gallantry outside the walls of Taras twenty years before, but because he knew what an over-enthusiastic soldier might do. As a general, he must look to the preservation of the whole and beyond the chance to win personal accolades. Nero had insisted that he be allowed the position of honour on the right wing, and given he was a pompous Claudii, none would dare gainsay him. So Scipio granted his request, hoping the man would at least be sober on the morrow. Thus Scipio personally commanded the centre, Nero the right wing and a praefectus sociorum with some allied cavalry the left. Scipio retained a body of Campanian cavalry in reserve where he could direct them to where they were most needed.



The smaller Karthadastim force marched in from the north, with the larger coming in from the east. Scipio ordered his officers to give the command to ground arms while they waited to see what the enemy would do. He was concerned in particular to see if this smaller force would wait for reinforcements, or simply attack.



The reckless Abdosir sent his scant force forwards, leading the light horse personally.



His Iberian light troops were harassed at range by the Roman archers, losing a number of men as they approached. They charged the ala on the right wing, clashing with the Bruttians who stood firm. Matching the Qarthadast captain in impetuousity, Nero charged his horse forwards, his friends following as they slammed into the Iberian's flank. It was too much for the tribesmen, who broke and ran. Heedless of discipline, Nero and his companions gave chase, ignoring a rider from Scipio ordering them back into line.



While this was going on, Abdosir and his cavalry made for the Roman lines and his infantry struggled to keep up and maintain their formation. Abdosir came under a prolonged shower of missiles from the Roman skirmishers, losing half his force. At the critical moment, Scipio sent his Campanian reserve forward, and they broke the will of the Karthadastim cavalry.



Abdosir made good his escape, leaving the rest of his detachment to their fate, and the well-drilled Campanians broke off pursuit. By now the elite African pikemen had engaged, but looked warily over their shoulder at the fleeing captain. The Campanians charged into their rear, and that was it. They ran in all directions, tossing away weapon and shield in their haste. And thus it was that the first Qarthadast force was disposed of. Scipio allowed the allied skirmishers to give chase, cutting down many of the pikemen in their headlong flight.



He gave the order for the rest of the army to wheel and face the threat of the larger army.



Hamalcar had drawn up his men in a single line, but dared not march towards the Romans. He was having language problems communicating with some of the new contingents, and decided to stay put. Feeling buoyed by their easy victory, the Romans advanced to meet their new foe.



Yet still they could not provoke the enemy to attack, so they marched still further, taking care to dress their lines and hold formation. Eventually Nero halted his pursuit and turned back for the Roman lines.



Some Ligurians and Iberians were provoked by Roman taunts, and charged without orders.





But the Iberians particularly suffered from several volleys of javelins, and the survivors turned and ran. Scipio sent his trusty Campanians forward once more to mop up the survivors.



Unlike Nero, the decurion in charge of the Campanians knew his business. When some formed up Greeks and pikemen charged, he turned his cavalry around and made for the safety of the infantry lines.



The pikemen attacked the left flank of Roman line unsupported, and thus some allied skirmishers were able to slip in behind them. For now the praefectus held the rest of his force in reserve, trusting the fighting skill of the Bruttians to keep them safe.

The skirmishers charged.



Then the centurion commanding the nearby principes decided to finish the matter.



Under this onslaught, not even the tough pikemen could prevail, and although some chose to fight to the bitter end, their gesture was futile. Once again the Campanians were ordered forward to finish them.



The principes were ordered back to their place in the line, and for a few minutes there was a lull in the fighting.



Then Hamalcar, despairing of controlling his armies, gave the command to attack. He engaged the Roman left and centre, but his own left wing refused to join the battle, and he haraunged the chieftains to little avail.



More troops were fed into the combat in the centre, and for a time it was a desparate fight.



Meanwhile on the Roman left Gallic warriors tried to turn the Roman flank, stopped only by the allied skirmishers who had already done so much this day. Their stand allowed the Greek and Campanian cavalry to slip around the fighting line.



In the centre the Ligurians broke and again the Campanians capitalised on their despair. The Bruttians wheeled around and hit the Iberians engaged with the prinicpes on their flank. They also gave up the fight.



The Greek cavalry charged the read of the phalanx to little avail, and so withdraw and re-addressed, trying the Gauls instead. At the same time the principes in the left legion, without any opponents marched to the rescue of the left wing.



It was their arrival that turned the tide, the Gauls losing heart.



Daylight was beginning to fail, and on the right wing Nero was growing bored. Plus his hangover was starting to set in, and he wanted to take that out on someone. He brought up the right ala to attack the Gauls who had refused to move when ordered.



His ill-advised maneuver turned the right wing into chaos as the Qarthadast cavalry attacked, and a body of Ligurians joined in support of the Gauls.



On the left flank, the Greek phalanx had had enough, they could see which way this battle was going with the piecemeal command and lack of support.



Seeing the exodus on the left and centre, the Gauls opposing Nero fled, the tribune giving chase eagerly.



Which was to be the last action of the battle as dusk prevented a concerted pursuit.



Scipio was hailed as imperator by his men, for they had soundly defeated a much larger for and their own casualties were relatively light. Even so, in the interests of preserving his force, Scipio withdraw and marched back to Messana to restock. It was approaching the end of the campaigning season, and there would be more to this war yet.

[Chirurgeon]

Great battle man. Too bad they didnt have it together. I notice alot that AI reinforcements will sometimes deploy randomly throughout the field. They will not engage.

[QuintusSertorius]

Yeah, I was a bit annoyed when the smaller force attacked me, rather than the bigger one having seen how reinforcements sometimes do really stupid things.

I did note that the conditions for Imperator have been made easier, used to need a heroic victory against big odds.