Milano 2012 - Third game vs Later Carthaginian
Sunday morning my opponent was Paolo with his Carthaginian army heavy on elephants.
I defended again and tried to have a bare table to not offer cover to enemy auxilia, and exploit Han mobility.
The table was decent, except a good defensive position that Paolo created with some difficult hills used to box his army in an offset position. We discussed about deployment and plans, and considering that we play a lot together and know quite well each other armies, we agreed that the game would be an hard fought draw with a slog in a limited sector. We agreed then for it to play an all out battle.
I started the battle sending my LhF in the center to slow eemy redeployment. My plan was to put the BwX in the central valley, supported by KnO, and use the cvalry on the left, eventually dismounting as RAxS if needed. Paolo split his mounted command, sending Numidians to chase my LhF and the RCvO on a wide outflank. The spanish scutary were the vanguard of the main army, that advanced all in the gap. Paolo smiling said that of course he would have not done that in a competitive game, where he would have waited back me to enter the valley and expose flanks. Fair enough.
The Carthaginians advanced to make room for their main formations, spearmen, scutarii and elephants.
Han cavalry charged to seal the gap, contacting spanish foot still in column and with elephant support not yet in position
I had at most a couple of rounds before nellys would attack my cavalry, and made the best of it killing some auxilia. Most important, the big difficult hill on the left could not be occupied by carthaginians and I could send there some dismounted cavalry, and furthermore the spearmen advance was stopped due the exposed flank. Spearmen had to endure several round of shooting.
When finally the Elephants charged my cavalry, I started to take losses. Han psiloi were positioned to intercept the behemots. Paolo recalled his cavalry flying column to protect the flank of the beasts, because the auxilia were pinned in the center
Elephant push disordered both lines and the melee was fragmented
Carthaginian CiC coorps was taking heavy losses and two Elephants were slain by psiloi. Paolo moved the two left unengaged behind the spearmen to break my BwX formation.
The charge was unsuccessful, and in the same bound I disheartened the enemy CiC corps
The Elephants recoiled by BwX were shooted and killed, breaking the Carthaginian corps. Paolo conceded the game.
Nice battle, but it would be a different story with an army waiting for the other back between the hills. The light troops coombat would be a long and bloody affair, and just taking one of them an army could pass safely the valley. It would be for sure an interesting game, but also a tiring one.