This was my first game after competing in the To the Smallest in Cardiff in July and I wanted to share and solidify the rule clarifications I had learnt during the competition. The key rule clarifications I picked up were:
1. A key takeaway from the Cardiff event was that LI with javelins do not receive a free throw when included in a simple ‘advance one square’ order alongside heavier troops. To throw, LI must be given an explicit ‘advance and throw’ order, separate from the movement of other types of troops.2. A general cannot redraw an order card on a Group Move. (He can when moving two units in a square).
Battlefield: As the mini game for setting up a battlefield terrain takes 30min or so, therefore I decided to use one of the pre-designed battlefields from the competition. I picked Cannae 216 BCE as I had the terrain and I’d lost on this battlefield in the competition.
- Mine was 160pts of Polybian Roman - 2103BC to 107BC (200BC)
- James’s had 160pts of Later Macedonian army – 227BC to 168BC
The Roman strategy was to:
- Rapidly advance the Veteran Legions and engage the Raw Macedonian Pike while at the same time driving off the light troops on the Macedonian left wing allowing the Roman Cavalry to envelope the Raw Pikes, charging their flanks and rear.
- The Javelinmen and light troops on the Roman left flank were to prevent the Macedonian light troops from enveloping the Roman left flank.
- The Roman Legions on the left flank were to demonstrate against the Macedonian cavalry and Infantry centre but not to engage if possible.
The battle started to plan although the light troops on the Macedonian left provided more resistance than expected which slowed the defeat of the Raw Pike blocks. However the Romans were well ahead in medals.
Then Disaster! A veteran Roman cavalry regiment eager to charge the rear of the Macedonians turned it’s back on a unit of Macedonian Light Infantry slingers. In one round the Roman unit was destroyed and the general killed, a loss of four medals.
The loss of the Raw Pike blocks and some light troops was not enough to win the battle, and the Veteran Roman Quincunx was forced to engage the Macedonian Pike blocks who had wheeled 90 degrees and were at risk of attacking the Roman’s flank. The fight did not go well for the Romans, and they lost a veteran Quincunx and a second general, a loss of 5 medals!
The Result
Night fell over the battlefield of Cannae with the score of 12 medals out of 14 captured by each side. A draw! In an interview the Roman general Cassius Ceramix, is reported to have said "Victoria nobis erepta est!"
