Realism vs gameplay balancing?

[Shigawire]

Granted but one shouldn't downplay Hannibals strategic brilliance despite the opposition.

Absolutely not. Hannibal's brilliance at Cannae is a shining beacon of inspiring military feat..

The same applies to the opposite, as one should be careful in calling the Roman plan foolish. Foolhardy, simplistic and stubborn maybe, but when viewed in light of the Romans breaking through Hannibal's line at Trebbia, it's a sound plan.


Prometheus, the Romans had more than 50`000 infantry. They had 86`000 total. Unfortunately they had the 10`000 Triarii watching the camp. Foolish mistake. If they had kept their Triarii on the battlefield, they might've defended against the cavalry-charges from the rear. And so, at the battlefield, the Romans wielded 70`000 infantry and 6`000 cavalry.

Polybius writes that:

Of the infantry about ten thousand were captured fighting but not in the actual battle, while only perhaps three thousand escaped from the field to neighbouring towns. All the rest, numbering about seventy thousand, died bravely.