Akragas 406 BC

[MengJiao]

  The Syracusians won this battle against the Carthagenians, but still lost Akragas due to a naval defeat and the fact that the Carthagenians had their besieging army available later.

   This scenario is heavily modified from the Tyrant expansion to GB of Alexander and I'm going to use the Hoplite rules (simpler command, rout etc.).  I suspect the Carthagenians are going to win since that tends to happen when I modify things about battles where they lost.

   Anyway here is the start of Turn one:

[MengJiao]

  The Syracusians won this battle against the Carthagenians, but still lost Akragas due to a naval defeat and the fact that the Carthagenians had their besieging army available later.

   This scenario is heavily modified from the Tyrant expansion to GB of Alexander and I'm going to use the Hoplite rules (simpler command, rout etc.).  I suspect the Carthagenians are going to win since that tends to happen when I modify things about battles where they lost.

   Anyway here is the start of Turn one:

   The initial collision is violent.  The Punic medium and light infantry does fairly well:

[MengJiao]

[

   The initial collision is violent.  The Punic medium and light infantry does fairly well:

    And the Punic infantry with the help of Etruscan and Celtic mercenaries, smash the right flank of the Syracusian hoplites, leaving a hole there on the left of the Syracusians' Greek allies who are still doing okay, which vaguely resembles an aspect of the historical battle.  Also on the far left of the Syracusian line, Dionysius has had his career cut brutally short by some Numidian cavalry.  I suspect one more turn will bring the collapse of the Syracusian forces.

[bayonetbrant]

THat's a lot of numbers! :)

[MengJiao]

THat's a lot of numbers! :)

  And they all add up to massive loss of cohesion.  If the game as simulation is to be believed, a few thousand well-paid Etruscans, Celts and Punic Veterans could have routed an uncoordinated attack by somewhat unenthusiastic hoplite militia in about half an hour.  I guess that does sound plausible and its all there under the numbers.

[MengJiao]

[

   The initial collision is violent.  The Punic medium and light infantry does fairly well:

    And the Punic infantry with the help of Etruscan and Celtic mercenaries, smash the right flank of the Syracusian hoplites, leaving a hole there on the left of the Syracusians' Greek allies who are still doing okay, which vaguely resembles an aspect of the historical battle.  Also on the far left of the Syracusian line, Dionysius has had his career cut brutally short by some Numidian cavalry.  I suspect one more turn will bring the collapse of the Syracusian forces.

And yes, Punic forces got the initiative/first choice and first move on turn 3.  Three chit pulls later a Punic mercenary mass of hoplites punched a hole in the middle of the Syracusian allies hoplites -- which were already on the verge of collapse due to having run into battle and having been thrown into further disarray by bands of Celtic mercenaries -- and the Syracusians hit 82 route points while the Punic forces were only at 65.  The loss of Dionysius earlier was not much help to the Syracusian forces either.  Historically Dionysius did well commanding cavalry in this battle having given up his accounting job for a cavalry command.  Later he went on (historically) to be the first and greatest Tyrant of Syracuse.