An Ancient Campaign - Part 4

Turn 2 of the campaign sees the Carthaginian army at Mariposa. They choose the coastal road and roll a 5 landing on the “River Unguarded” square allowing them to move an additional 2 squares and landing on Cassiopaea. The Roman battle readiness token moves up 1 for each campaign turn. As Carthaginian forces have landed on a city square a battle will now be fought.

At the completion of turn 1.

At the end of turn 2.

Note - The objective of this campaign is to engage in 4 to 5 games, culminating in a final decisive battle. In this final battle, victory for either army will secure their overall success. Carthage gains advantages for this decisive battle by winning the lead up battles, so the successful defence of Mariposa by Roman forces prevented Carthage from gaining an advantage. While each campaign turn will enhance the battle readiness of the Roman army for the ultimate showdown. For further information on the campaign rules, please refer to the previous posts.

Picking the scenario

Looking the the situation I have chosen from the One-Hour Wargames book scenario 12 - An unfortunate oversight. As it seems to fit the campaign situation quite well.

Here is the campaign narrative….

After skillfully stalling the Carthaginian vanguard's advance at Mariposa, the Roman commander, Marcus, made the strategic decision to withdraw his forces to Cassiopeia. 

The Carthaginian forces having fully disembarked from their fleet, including some elephants, now faced a critical decision on their path to conquest. Mago Thalassar, their seasoned commander, contemplated two routes. The coastal road, while quicker, posed a risk due to its intersecting rivers, potentially impeding his progress. On the other hand, the inland approach to Aurelia offered a safer alternative, albeit at the cost of additional time.

Mago weighed the options, considering the potential rewards and dangers that lay ahead. Ultimately, he made a daring choice, opting for the coastal road. With his gaze fixed on victory, he led his army down the coast, aware of the gamble he was taking.

Mago determined to make up for lost time, had pushed his troops relentlessly along the coastal route. They arrived at Cassiopeia, catching the Roman defences by surprise as the Carthaginian army descended upon them using an unguarded ford.

Setting up the game

The game is played on a 6 by 4 foot tabletop. The objective for both armies are to control the hill.

Orders of battle…

Rome:

• 5 Heavy Infantry units
• 3 Light Infantry units
• 1 Catapult unit

All units must be positioned within 12 inches of the city of Cassiopeia.

Carthage:

• 3 Heavy Infantry units
• 2 Cavalry units
• 2 Gaul War-band units
• 1 Elephant unit
• 1 Light Infantry unit

All forces must start on the opposite side of the river.

The next post will be the battle report.