Too Much Trasimene?

Perhaps, but I forge on anyway...

Game #5 in this series features a remote game with Peter from Grid based wargaming.  You can read Peter's account of this battle at Battle of Lake Trasimene. 

Last fall, Peter and I discussed choosing a Punic Wars battle and then refighting the action in a Home and Away series.  Each would use his table, armies, and rules of choice.  The Battle of Lake Trasimene was chosen and Peter was up first.  Using OHW and his D3 adaptation, the battle was fought.  He commanded the Romans while I took the Carthaginians.  My recap of that action can be found at Thoughts on Lake Trasimene.

In Thursday's game (Friday for Peter in Australia), roles were reversed.  Peter played Carthage while I played Rome.  The Rules of Engagement were my adaptation of Basic Impetvs.

Did I manage any better than Peter when he took charge of the Roman Army at Lake Trasimene in his game?  Please read on to find out.

The battle begins as usual with Hannibal holding the initiative on Turn 1.  Rather than the now, familiar charging down from the heights in the first impulse with Marharbal's Gauls and cavalry on the Carthaginian Right, Peter did something quite unexpected.

In the first impulse, Marharbal activates his wing.  Rather than charging ahead toward the Romans strung out along the road below, Marharbal advances up to the tree line and halts.  What?  Surely this gives the advantage to Flaminius.

When Flaminius activates, he moves his legion inland to face the enemy.  What I failed to grasp in the previous games is that reaching the Roman line on T1 is a 50/50 proposition.  While the Gauls may reach the enemy, there is half a chance to stop short, isolated, in disorder.  Ah, Peter is a cagey adversary!   

Marharbal advances to tree line and halts.

Flaminius orders his legion and they march inland.

Thinking this a tactical blunder against Flaminius, Flaminius prepares himself to take the fight to the seemingly, reluctant enemy.

Now, the beauty of Peter's plan begins to unfold.

With the Carthaginians hugging the tree line, Flaminius advances to within charge range.  There is no need for the waiting Gauls to take the 50/50 chance of failing to contact.  The warband on the far left of Marharbal's line screams down from the woods.  The Gauls strike light infantry.  The hastati to the light infantry's left choose not to offer support since defeat might send both units routing into the lake.  The light infantry suffers heavily and is driven back to the lake's edge.  The Gauls pursue.  The lights break and rout into the lake.   

First warband attacks!

Caught in pursuit...

the light infantry perishes into the lake.

The second warband, launches its charge down the hill and into the enemy.  The target is a body of principes to which Flaminius has attached himself.  This time, I opt to support the principes with the hastati to its right.  Letting loose two volleys of pila to no effect, the warband comes on.  In the melee, the warband throws eight dice to Flaminius' nine. Flaminius' dice register no hits.  The warband's dice show five!  In the Cohesion Test, the principes fail and take two hits.  Flaminius has lost the melee and must retreat.  Flaminius and the principes retreat one hex.  Compelled to retreat as well, the hastati retreat two hexes and perish into the lake.  Flush with success, the warband continues to pursue Flaminius.  Flaminius is caught and driven into the lake.  The Roman heavy infantry drown taking Flaminius with them.  The Roman Left Wing has been hollowed out.      

Flaminius attacked!

Roman heavy infantry driven back
 with the hastati going for a swim.

Pursuit continues and Flaminius falls.

Big hole where Flaminius' legions once stood.

Still one more Gallic warband to emerge from the woods.

Out from the cover, the third warband charges down from the hill.   With enemy now on its flank, the hastati has no room to maneuver.  In a protracted clash, the hastati are finally driven back to the lake's edge with the Gauls in hot pursuit.  Making a last stand at the water's edge, the Gauls are repulsed.  Whew! 

By now, a few units from the defile have shifted to return back to the lake.  One of the early arriving units is a body of Roman cavalry.  Struck from behind, the Gauls are ridden down and dispatched.

The Gauls keep coming!

The hastati are driven back to the lake...

and make a defiant Last Stand.

Gauls cut down from behind.

What about the fighting in the defile?  Are the Romans having better luck on that front?

With Carthaginian heavy infantry moving up to seal off the defile, the Romans push forward in an attempt to toss the enemy aside.  In mass clashes of heavy infantry, the fight hangs in the balance.  Finally, one unit of Carthaginian heavy infantry breaks for the rear.  A breach in the line!  Is success here too little too late?  

Clash in the defile...

finally leads to Roman success!

Back at the lake, the Romans continue braving the storm.  

The Gauls at the lakefront attack the retiring hastati.  Like those before, these heavies are driven into the lake.  Now, Marhabal brings his medium cavalry into action.  The lone principes is attacked and driven back.  The cavalry come on in pursuit overrunning a band of velites.  The retreat turns into rout as the principes are driven off the table with the cavalry in hot pursuit.  The Roman Left is no more!

Hastati driven into the lake!

Principes retreat from enemy cavalry.

Velites are overrun...

and principes rout off table.

With the Roman Left in tatters and army morale wavering, it comes down to the triarii to hold on until the defile can be secured.

Fighting continues in defile.

Standing alone, the triarii look on as Hannibal comes forward with his heavy infantry.  The heavy block attacks with Hannibal at the lead.  Hannibal is repulsed but casualties are high.  As Hannibal draws away, his place is filled by Spanish scutarii.  Weakened from their earlier exertions, the triarii's resolve gives away.  Rome's last hope routs into the lake.

This battle is over.   

Battle comes down to the triarii.

Hannibal attacks but is repulsed!

Scutarii attack...

and the triarii rout!

Wow!

I really got my headed handed to me on a platter in this contest.  How bad was it?  Take a look at the Dead Pile below.  It was not even close.  Peter took me apart at every opportunity leaving the battlefield denuded of Romans.  The Gallic warbands tore open the Roman line and never let up.  In two turns (we played three complete turns), the Roman Left and Flaminius were no more.

Impressive victory, Peter, and very well played.  I thought your hesitancy at the start was an opportunity for Flaminius but it turned into a slaughter.  Great job!

Dead Pile

We completed three turns in under two hours.  The result was another outcome that mirrored the historical account.

One more replay coming up on Monday in a rematch with Postie's Rejects.  Thank God I am umpiring only.  My heart cannot take much more of this stress.

Again, great job, Peter, in what was a very enjoyable beat down.