“Friends, Romans, Countrymen, grievous news reaches the Senate. Consul Fabius has sacrificed his own flesh before the monstrous elephants employed the barbarian Hannibal at Boii, capital of Gallia Transalpina. This deed shall go down in the history of Rome as one of great heroism, but the loss of two full legions requires us to look to the defense of Italy before we can memorialize Fabius’ great sacrifice.”

And so it was after over a year of political intrigue and diplomacy, Carthage and Rome finally meet in a major field battle. After running out of diplomatic options, Rome sent two consular armies under Fabius and Flaminius to subjugate the Gauls in Gallia Transalpina. Fabius at the command of a combined four legions advanced on the Boii tribe as the first target in pacification of the Transalpine Gauls. Hannibal, though cautioned by his war council to stay west of the Alps, realized that he could not let his sole ally in Italy fall to Roman aggression and boldly marched across the Alps and directly into a numerically superior Roman combined army. The Boii had been resisting Roman attempts at subjugation for months, but would fall soon. Hannibal was determined to keep this from happening.

Initial deplyments - Carhagnins on the left and Romans on the right

Hannibal, due to the warm summer, took only minimal losses while, crossing the Alps. Most importantly, nearly all of his elephants survived the crossing. (Carthage rolls a “2” on Alps attrition table) Still he was greatly outnumbered by the Roman host that he sought to vanquish. Fabius attempted to intercept Hannibal has the Carthaginians emerged from the Alpine passes. Fabius hoped to beat Hannibal in the field and then crush the scattered remnants of the barbarians against the mountains of the Alps. However local Gallic forces, through guerrilla actions, delayed and harassed Fabius’ column, keeping him at bay until Hannibal could close. (Rome fails Interception Attempt)

Team Rome is ready to face Hannbal's assault

Thus it came to pass that Hannibal entered the fields that surrounded the Boii Tribe’s capital settlement to find a much larger Roman army eager to embrace him (Carthage 2450 pts vrs Rome 3100 pts). To face this challenge, Hannibal (Roger) divided his army into three “wings”. On his left would be Mago (Barry), in command of Macedonian Phalanxes sent by Phillip V to aid in the war against their common enemy, Rome. On the right, the Hannibal placed his Gallic allies under the Boii Chieftain (Frank).

Hannibal (Roger), the Boii Cheiftan (Frank with son) and Mago (Barry) prepare thier ranks for an assualt

The Carthaginians devised a cunning plan. The three wings would deploy equally across the Roman front, but as they advanced, the Gallic contingent would spread out to cover nearly half the field to harass and tie up half of the numerically stronger Roman forces on the Roman left. This would allow Hannibal and Mago to concentrate their hardest hitting units against the Roman right. In the center Hannibal would personally lead the Elephant and Shock Cav Brigade at the heart of the Roman Army, directly towards Fabius.

Hannibal (Roger) ponders his next move as his troops sweep past the town of Boii and his horse contest the key hill.

Like the Carthaginians, the Romans deployed in more or less three equal wings. Fabius (Chris) personally commanded the Roman center. To his left Flamius (Rick), with a significant portion of the Roman light horse, would advance on the Gauls. On the right, a Tribune (Carl) was appointed to command three brigades of Roman infantry, a skirmisher briagde and a cavalry detachment. The Roman plan was to let Hannibal come at them, and then exploit whatever weakness developed as the Carthaginian lines became over stretched while matching up against the numerically superior Roman army.

Chirs' Romans - soon to be Elephant Fodder!

For the first three hours (turns), the Carthaginians advanced with little opposition from Romans. The Macedonian and Roman heavy cavalry on the Roman right ground each other down, while skirmishers also traded javelins and arrows. Mago, had much difficulty getting the Macedonians to move but did slowly bring them up.

Roman and Macedonian Cavalry clash on the Roman's far right (see the box on the edge of the world?)

On the Roman left, Flaminius made great headway against the Gallic light horse, nearly encircling the Carthaginian rear, but his forces become dispersed over to great an area and they become hard to control. Meanwhile, the Gallic Chieftain was able to send his heavy horse, followed by a brigade of warbands to aid in the assault on the Roman center.

Frank's Gallic Horse

In the Roman center Fabius’ staff had difficulty translating his orders into action. Tthe Roman Infantry in the center were for the most part idle, while only a pair of cavalry regiments were advance to contest a hill. This key ground was directly along the axis of the main Carthaginian hammer blow (Hannibal with a brigade of elephants and shock cavalry). The Carthaginian's Shock Cavalry cleared the hill of the Roman horse, and allowed the elephants, with Hannibal at their lead, a view of the Roman center below the hill. Hannibal now advances his two elephant regiments into the first line of Romans, and despite his personal leadership, the stalwart Romans actually repulse the Carthaginian monsters.

Elephants to his front, Carl to his right, Chis says "Bring it on Elephant Boy!"

Fabius, encouraged by this initail success, spurs this Roman brigade into a charge against the momentarily stunned Hannibal. Fabius also manages to throw in a fresh regiment of Roman Heavy cavalry on the right and the remnants of a light horse regiment on the left of the great beast. Despite this outstanding tactical move, the gods of war show their fickleness (Chris famous dice rolls return) and the Romans are decimated. Following the impetus of their success, the elephants with Hannibal still urging them on from the front smashed into and destroyed a following unit of Triarii, the Romans’ elite. After this, this Roman center was laid open, and Hannibal maintains the initiative and manages to swing his now tiring elephants to sweep down the line of Roman infantry.

Fabius spurs his forces to counter charge the Elephants

Fabius seeing this grave threat, rushed to his last reserve unit, a regiment of heavy cavalry, in a desperate gamble to save the Roman line. He personally joined this heavy cavalry unit, and some nearby skirmish infantry rushed to his assistance. But before he could fully react, Hannibal slamed into the flank of the Roman horse with his elephants and managed to draw in some remnants of his Numidian light horse to aid against the Roman skirmishers. Alas, the nobles that comprise the Roman heavy horse were trampled under the thunderous elephant charge and with them Fabius too passes into the pages of history as he is gored by the tusk of one of the great beast. Yet with his dying breath, Fabius plunges his sword into the great beast’s neck ensuing that his nemesis joins him in Hades. Seeing the this last great act, the Roman skirmishes are inspired to throw themselves also at the elephants and one of the two precious regiments of Hannibal sees its last elephant fall to Roman javelins.

Fabius (bottom of picture) tries to save the flank of the Roman Heavy Cavalry from Hannibal's Elephants

With the loss of their commander and the large hole cut through the center of their army, the Roman wings lose faith and begin the withdraw. The relatively fresh Romans on the left easily disengage, but on their right wing the Romans find themselves pressured heavily by the Macedonian Phalanxes which had finally closed and now wanted their share of Roman blood.

The Phalanxes close!

So it was, that at after five and a half hours (5.5 turns), the Consular Armies of Fabius and Flaminius were vanquished. Romans losses included Fabius, a Tribune, and nearly two full legions (1245 pts = 5CU’s). Hannibal, kept his losses to a minimum by keeping a large portion of the Romans off balance and out of the fight. Hannibal’s losses are slightly more than a quarter of his forces (735pts = 3 CU’s). But significantly Hannibal lost one of his nearly irreplaceable two elephant regiments.

Carl's Romans close on Carthaginain foot, but it's too late!

“It is indeed dark times for Rome. Fabius has fallen along with nearly half of the army, the Boii are liberated, and Hannibal has a foothold in Italy. But these are the times that define the Roman people, Rome still has strong ally base in Italy and control of the seas. Rome may have lost this battle, but it is just a battle and this is a WAR! For the glory of the Senate, the sons of the Tiber, and for the memory of Fabius, let us rally and rebuild our armies. Hannibal is far from his support and we are close. Let us strike back and fight anew unto the gates of Carthage itself! Onward Rome!”

The best looking troops in the Game, Roger's Greek Mercanaries! Too bad they don't fight as good as they look!