[RTR-FOE] Carthage on the march

[FriendlyFire]

280 BC, on the island of Sicily

Mago looked at his army, and he didn't like what he saw. "Not enough loyal Carthaginians, and too many mercenaries who only fight for gold", he thought. Back in Africa, Hasdrubal the Fair was beginning a great recruitment campaign, putting an end to the old dependence of the Carthaginian military on local mercenaries. But here on war-torn Sicily, the tyrant Hicetas hadn't given them the luxury of time – he had attacked with his own mercenary army, and so Mago had scrambled to hire whatever local bands he could find for the upcoming battle.

Read on for the rest of the battle against Hicetas

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Now he looked out over a motley collection of troops, few of whom he really trusted. There were Keltoi swordsmen from Gaul, primitive Nuragic Goatskin warriors from Sardinia, light javelinmen and cavalry from Numidia, Caetrati Falcata infantry from far-off Iberia, and even some wiry Ligurian skirmishers. None of them could really hold the line, except perhaps the Keltoi Ambacti heavy infantry. No, they would have to stand in reserve, waiting for a chance to flank. The main line itself would be formed by his spearmen – he had good Liby-Phoenician Hoplites, and some lighter Polis Hoplitai from the local Greek towns, but too few to hold the opposing army for long. Really, he was gambling everything on his secret weapon, hidden in the woods on one side of the battlefield. Punic war chariots were obsolete, replaced in most armies by more versatile and less costly heavy cavalry, but they could still terrify opposing troops. They would do… they would have to do. At the last minute he posted the Ligurians in the woods as well, to screen the chariots.



Now the enemy army came into view. The tyrant Hicetas marched with twice as many hoplites as the Carthaginians, supported by plentiful skirmishers, Numidian cavalry and Keltoi swordsmen of his own, Hippeis heavy cavalry, and even some of the feared Cretan archers. More importantly, the enemy mercenary units were all veterans with good weapons and armor – you don't get to be a tyrant by fielding an inexperienced army.



Mago's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden realization that the enemy were coming perilously close to the woods where the chariots were hiding! Quickly, he ordered the Carthaginian line to wheel around and deploy at 90 degrees to their original position, luring the enemy away from the woods.



They barely had time to reform before Numidian cavalry came charging up the hill, seeking to rout the javelinmen in front of the Carthaginian line. The skirmishers suffered many casualties, but in charging through them the cavalry rode onto the spears of the hoplites behind, and soon were routing from the field.



Now the main battle was joined, as the rebel phalanx units ran up the hill and smashed into the Carthaginian line. The tyrant Hicetas himself charged at the center of the line, alongside his Hippeis heavy cavalry.



This was too good a chance to miss – one unit of Liby-Phoenicians were ordered off guard mode, ran in from the side, and soon brought the tyrant down!



Even in death, Hicetas accomplished something. His charge had pushed back the weak Polis Hoplitai facing him, creating a dangerous bulge in the middle of the Carthaginian line. And his extra hoplites were threatening to turn the flanks, with only light swordsmen there to oppose them. This was the critical moment.



Mago's horn rang out, and the chariots charged out of the woods behind the enemy (top right in previous picture), with the Ligurians running beside them to attack the enemy archers and skirmishers. On the endangered left of the Carthaginian line, the chariots slammed into the rear of enemy hoplites, to the relief of some beleaguered Goatskin warriors.



At the same time, Mago took advantage of the thinning line in the middle to charge through the bulge, aiming at the vulnerable flank of an enemy hoplite unit. The first charge set the enemy line to wavering – their general had died before their eyes, chariots were suddenly all around them, and from the screams down the slope they could tell their skirmishers weren't having much better luck against the Ligurians. On the second charge, they routed, and it quickly spread across the entire line.



Mago's army ran in pursuit, harrying the enemy mercilessly as they routed from the field, but all were weary and unhappy about the casualties they had suffered. Behind them they left a scene of carnage on the hilltop.



When they reformed, they had many gaps in their lines – but this was a day to remember!



And every unit had served honorably. From this day forwards, Mago would never again allow a bad word to be spoken about mercenaries in his presence. "They just need a good leader", he'd always say, "and some gold, of course".

[FriendlyFire]

House Rules

This is a campaign in the "Fall of Empires" mini-mod from the RTR team. My initial goal is to show what Carthage can do if it avoids mercenaries and sticks to its basic units: Liby-Phoenician Hoplites, Punic Peltasts, and Carthaginian Cavalry (the first battle is scripted, so I had to fight it with the units I was given). Later I might add elephants for a march across the Alps, if my economy makes it that far

I'm playing on hard/hard, to make the AI factions more aggressive, and to give their troops a better chance in battle without turning them into supermen. I'll be avoiding AI exploits: no bridge battles, no campaigns of mass assassination, spies are only used for scouting, and I won't retrain depleted units. Instead I'll replenish them from newly-raised reinforcement units, which has the real-world effect of decreasing overall experience. I'll also limit my use of missile units – you could probably conquer the world with slingers protected by hoplites, but the battles would all be the same endless repetition of "<thwonk> Arrgh!"…

Strategic Situation

I've stolen these map images from the FoE manual, for those who are new to FoE (everyone else, skip to the next section!).

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

First, here are the major playable factions:



The Republic of Carthage is shown in blue, and at the start of the campaign its empire is fragmented. Carthage sits at the center, amongst the cities of North Africa. Nearby it controls two of the five regions on Sicily, plus the lesser islands of Sardinia and Corsica. Far to the west it has some potentially rich gold mines in West Africa, a toehold in Iberia, and the Balearic Islands.

There are also several mini-factions in the game, representing groupings of autonomous city-states:



As you can see from the two maps, every part of Carthage's empire faces immediate threats (or, as the Carthaginian merchants like to call them, "trading partners"):

• North Africa – the Massyli are just to the west. Lots of Numidian cavalry and javelinmen, plus some desert-style legions.
• Sicily – the Greek kingdom of Epeiros holds Syracuse and Akragas, while the mercenary Marmertines control Messana in the northeast corner.
• West Africa – the Mauretanians are inland, and doubtless would like my gold mines.
• Iberia – the Turdetani (no, really, that's what they're called) have me boxed in to a thin coastal strip.

To control this far-flung empire, Carthage starts the campaign with a huge assortment of mercenary units, plus a very powerful navy. Of course, all this power comes with a cost, and the military payroll will soon bankrupt the Carthaginian economy. Something must be done!

Opening Strategy

The homeland of Carthage must be defended at all costs, and therefore the most obvious immediate threat is Massyli to the west. Conquering these desert-dwellers, and then continuing the march westward to destroy the Mauretanians, would leave Carthage with an uncontested African power base. The core of the army to do this will be recruited from Carthago, which has some amazing barracks. It recruits Carthaginian troops with two chevrons of experience, and they then get two more thanks to an Awesome Temple of Ba'al. Better than any mercenary!

By contrast, the armies in Sicily and Iberia will hunker down and go on the defensive, trying to appear just big enough to deter the neighboring factions, but not so big that they're a serious drain on the economy. As for the islands, I really want to hold the Balearics so that I can keep a good source of slingers, but Corsica and Sardinia are much less important.

[Caligula Caesar]

Great read! Beware of an invasion of Corsica, by the way

[FriendlyFire]

Funny you should mention that - my next update later today will feature a doomed last-stand battle for Corsica

[FriendlyFire]

"They're already dead"

279 BC, near Hippo, north Africa

"The treacherous Roman dogs have betrayed us!" The messenger skidded to a halt, struggling to control his horse. He had been riding for days along the North African coast, racing after the Army of Carthage on its march westward. Good Carthaginian organization had supplied him with a succession of horses from watch-posts along the way, but some of the mounts were unruly at best, and dangerous at worst. This one gave a final rear, and then suddenly quieted, exhausted after a long day's ride along dusty unimproved tracks.

Read on for the rest of "They're already dead"

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

"They have landed on Corsica and besieged the town of Alalia!" Hasdrubal the Fair, Dictator of Carthage and leader of her new model army, sat impassively on his own mount as the messenger breathlessly completed his report. Mostly his mind was elsewhere – the long march from Carthago had been unexpectedly punishing, and he feared that at 56 he was getting too old for campaigning. Time to get a legacy in place...

Dismissing the messenger, Hasdrubal turned to Hannibal son of Gisco, who rode at his side. "So, young Hannibal, what do you make of this news?" Fire flashed in Hannibal's eyes, and he started to swear, then caught himself, as Hasdrubal followed up with another question. "And why have we not allied with the Epeirotes before now?" "Sire?" Hannibal was confused by the sudden change of topic, so Hasdrubal continued. "There are three powers on Sicily – us, the Epeirotes, and the Marmertines. This will inevitably result in an alliance between two powers against the third, as we seek to divide the riches of the island. And the Marmertines have already shown their treachery many times over. I ask again, why have we not already allied with the Kingdom of Epeiros?"

Hasdrubal watched carefully as Hannibal paused and then thought it through. "Well, Rome and Epeiros are at war… and we want them to continue that conflict, wearing themselves down to our own benefit?" Hasdrubal nodded encouragingly. "And if we had allied with the Epeirotes before now… our so-called alliance with Rome could have resulted in a ceasefire between the two of them?" "Exactly so", Hasdrubal said, "whereas now we can ally with King Pyrrhus in a common cause against the treacherous Romans, while also ensuring our security on Sicily. So – what now?" "Sire, I will tell the messenger to return to Carthago, with instructions to send a diplomat to King Pyrrhus immediately!" "Good, good, you may go."

As Hannibal left, Hasdrubal beckoned to his assistant. "Give another note to the messenger, for the eyes of Mago in Carthago. Tell Mago that when I am gone, and when he is gone, this young Hannibal should lead Carthage. We already knew that he had the makings of a good general, but now he shows promise of statesmanship as well. Give him another ten years and he'll be ready".

"Yes, my master. And what of Corsica?" "Ah yes, Corsica. I reduced the garrison there, did I not, to pay for improvements elsewhere?" "Yes sire, to less than half of their previous strength, I believe." "Well, it's nearly winter, and the messenger said they were besieged last spring. Whatever we do now will be too late. They're already dead." "Just so, sire. I'll make a note on the tax rolls."

[FriendlyFire]

Last of the Mercenaries

279 BC, on the island of Corsica

Captain Muttun had no intention of dying just yet. After three seasons of siege by the Romans, the town's food supplies had finally run out, and Muttun's garrison must now either sally forth or surrender. Some of his mercenary Keltoi Slingers had argued for surrender, in the hopes that they could find new service in the Roman army. But the Captain had a point to prove to faraway Carthaginian bureaucrats – they might take away his line infantry, but he could still give the Romans a bloody nose with just skirmishers! Besides, the Nuragic Goatskin Archers who formed the other half of his garrison were locals, and they definitely wouldn't react well if Muttun's mercenaries tried to march out of the town in peace. Muttun could almost feel their arrows hurtling down towards his back, and shuddered.

Read on for the rest of "Last of the Mercenaries"

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Now the Romans would feel those arrows! They had foolishly brought just a single unit of infantry to the battle, and while those Hastati might be hard to kill from the front, a side or rear shot could take them down with ease. The only doubt was the Roman general. If his bodyguards charged… Muttun shuddered again. Best not to think about that right now.

He cautiously marched the garrison out of the town, and angled them over towards the nearest low rise, staying out of range of the Romans for now. His troops needed every advantage they could get, and more height for their missiles would be a blessing. They had almost made it when the Hastati finally reacted, charging towards their flank. Muttun quickly ran along the lines, shouting to his men to keep their distance. As he ran he realized that from up here he could just see the Roman fleet, blockading the port of Alalia. The siege had been going on for so long that he had forgotten what it was like outside the town.

No time now! The Roman infantry stopped, drew back and hurled their pila, and charged on – at the archers! The poor Goatskins barely had time to get a shot off before half of the Roman force slammed into them, causing many casualties in that brief encounter. But the archers obeyed their orders and ran, while behind them Muttun's Keltoi Slingers got to work. The Romans had run right past his men, exposing their backs! He couldn't believe his luck.

Up ahead, the archers raced up the hill, outpacing their more heavily-armored pursuers. They would run to get ahead, stop, turn, fire one volley, and then run onwards. Their arrows stood little chance of making it past a scutum shield, but it kept the attention of the Romans while Keltoi slingshots were hitting them in the back. As they climbed the slopes, fewer and fewer Hastati were still in the chase…

Until finally, after the Roman infantry had chased the archers all the way to the tree line, but down to just a handful of men, they broke and ran for it – into a fresh hail of stones from Muttun's slingers.

It was a slaughter – the Roman standard-bearer was one of the last to fall, running desperately away from his tormentors. As Mutten ordered his men to cease fire, he suddenly realized that the enemy general was nowhere to be seen. Caius Fabricius Luscinus had played no part in the battle at all, leaving the field when it became obvious that his men had lost! Truly, the Romans were both treacherous and cowardly.

Muttun's men would drink well tonight, and feast on captured Roman rations. Those who had advocated surrender would be the target of many jokes. And the Goatskin Archers would go off and do… something primitive… as part of their celebrations. They'd probably ask him for the Roman corpses. Best not to ask why. For the last time that day, Muttun shuddered.

[FriendlyFire]

Death of a King

278 BC, near Kirta, Africa

The new Army of Carthage was eager for battle, having marched out from Hippo to reach the western border with Massyli. More by good luck than good judgment, Hasdrubal the Fair brought them there with perfect timing. A spy further west reported that half of the known Massylian forces were in the small coastal town of Igilgili. This left their inland capital of Kirta only weakly garrisoned. Furthermore, their king Syphax was alone outside the city! Hasdrubal insisted that a diplomat be sent to inform the king that the alliance between Carthage and Massyli was at an end. It was one thing to stab someone in the back, but you should at least give them a moment to realize that the blow was coming…

Read on for the rest of "Death of a King"

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Realizing that to attack Syphax now would bring out the Kirta garrison to reinforce their king, and that a victory on the open field would avoid many casualties in a bloody battle for the city, Hasdrubal ordered his forces to battle. War with the Kingdom of Massyli!

Hasdrubal commanded elite Liby-Phoenician Hoplites from Carthago, Punic Peltasts from Utica and Hadrumentum, some precious Balearic Slingers and Numidian Cavalry brought over from Sicily, and a single unit of Carthaginian Cavalry. This new model army had taken a year to recruit, and replaced the old tradition of a mass of mercenary troops with a small Carthaginian elite. This would be Hasdrubal's legacy for the ages…

The sight of all those the bronze shields glinting in the sun must have proved too fearsome for the Massylian king, for no sooner had they crested a ridgeline than the enemy forces turned tail and withdrew from the field. The victory was a hollow one – the Army of Carthage wanted a chance to prove itself!

Frustrated, the army laid siege to Kirta. Their one consolation was the knowledge that the enemy forces in Igilgili couldn't arrive in time to relieve the city. Within a season they had constructed four battering rams for Kirta's wooden walls, and the day of the final battle soon dawned. Syphax couldn't run now – he was a fearsome general, and he had faction heir Gadusan and another family member at his side, but his meager city garrison was no match for the Carthaginians: two units of light Numidian Infantry, and some Numidian Archers.

Spirits were high as the Army of Carthage approached the walls. The Balearic Slingers quickly took the enemy archers under fire, while the peltasts wreaked terrible havoc on the Numidian Infantry behind the walls. They soon ran, allowing the hoplites to easily break down the gate and enter the city.

The first hoplites inside had just reformed into a good phalanx when Syphax charged around the corner and into their midst! For a famed general this was foolish in the extreme, especially because a second unit of hoplites had broken through the wall on the other side of the king, and quickly ran through the breach to attack his bodyguards from behind. Syphax's heir Gadusan charged in as well, in a desperate attempt to help his king, but was soon routed by the Liby-Phoenicians. Syphax himself had nowhere to run – surrounded, his death came quickly amongst the stabbing spears. [Lucky timing on my screenshot!]

Now the outcome of the battle seemed certain. Although Gadusan's bodyguard and the Numidian Infantry rallied, hoplites smashed into them from both sides, and soon they were fleeing back towards the city square.

As the Massylian situation grew ever more hopeless, Gadusan chose to follow his king's example. He died a heroic but pointless death, charging headlong into spears on a side street.

On the square, the remaining Massylian general was overwhelmed by an onrushing tide. Light missile-armed cavalry are no match for charging Liby-Phoenicians!

Now the square was held by just a single unit of Numidian Infantry. Their destruction was a bloody affair, beginning with a volley from the peltasts.

Then Hannibal charged in, his grey steed rearing as the young general lashed out at the Numidians with his deadly falcata sword. [Again, lucky timing!]

Finally, the last few desert legionaries were ground down by a remorseless ring of hoplites. They had fought bravely and desperately, but could only take a few of their attackers with them.

A first victory for the Army of Carthage!

And another city added to the Carthaginian empire. The looting possibilities in enemy capitals are always particularly fruitful – destroying the Numidian aristocracy in Kirta brings in a cool 16,000 denarii.

[Next time I'm going to wait for the sun to rise a bit more before starting the battle: this one was so early in the day that the shots are too dark for my liking. What do people think of the cropped image format, without the interface – better?]

[FriendlyFire]

First blood on Sicily

276 BC, on the island of Sicily

Hannibal son of Gisco stared in disbelief at the burning siege tower. This was supposed to be a minor settlement, an easy victory to get his men used to war again! As the hoplites who had been pushing the tower ran for their lives, Hannibal found himself wondering, what would the rest of Sicily be like?

Read on for the rest of "First blood on Sicily"

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Two long years had passed since his charge on the square at Kirta. The Massylian citizens had been surprisingly accepting of their new masters, and while Hasdrubal the Fair oversaw the conversion of the conquered city into a productive Punic colony, Hannibal had been allowed to lead the Army of Carthage westward to finish off the remaining Massyli forces. Halfway to their destination, a single enemy general had ridden out to challenge them on the coastal plain. Hannibal couldn't even remember his name now… Asniden? Ansiden? Something like that. A brave man, no doubt, and proud of the ability of his javelin-armed bodyguards to outrun any Carthaginian steed. But their light armor was no match for slingers protected by the hoplites of the new Carthaginian army, and the general fell on the final volley. Just another dead hero by the roadside, Hannibal had thought, and marched the army onwards – only to find that the Massylian town in front of them now flew a rebel flag! That lone general had been the last king of the Massyli, and on his death the entire nation had fallen into rebellion and banditry. Hannibal hadn't even given the man a proper burial…

The relief of that unexpected victory, and the prospect of a couple of easy years of clearing out the remaining minor rebel settlements, had soon vanished. Another messenger rode along the coastal road with dire news – the Epeirotes had broken the alliance and besieged the Carthaginian city of Panormus, on the north coast of the island! Was Carthage never to know peace again? The Epeirote army was too large for the Carthaginian garrisons on Sicily to attack – all they could do was mass what forces they had behind the city, and hope that help arrived before the inevitable assault. Meanwhile Hannibal had force-marched the Army of Carthage back along the coastal road and on to ships waiting at Carthago. By the time they reached the shores of Sicily, the situation had stabilized somewhat: the Epeirotes had briefly lifted the siege, allowing the Carthaginian armies inside and outside the city to combine their troops, and unite once more under Mago's leadership. Mago sent word to Hannibal that he thought he could hold Panormus, and that a diversionary attack might be helpful. Hannibal therefore landed his troops on the south coast of Sicily, and besieged the Epeirote town of Herakleia Minor. This minor settlements was defended by just a handful of Polis Hoplitai and Greek Toxotai archers, vastly outnumbered by the Army of Carthage.

And yet here the battle was only minutes old, and the Epeirotes had already burned one of his precious siege towers – this was not a good omen! Thankfully Hannibal's men quickly recovered from the shock, gaining the walls through a second siege tower and capturing the gatehouse. As Hannibal rode through the gates, he suddenly saw why the gatehouse and walls had been deserted. The Epeirotes were massing in the main street, the archers preparing to fire at his men while the Polis Hoplitai stood behind them, ready to repel any frontal attack. The superior numbers of the Army of Carthage would count for nothing here, they'd just be more targets for those damned archers.

Hannibal's hoplites began to fall – most of the arrows bounced off their large shields, but the Greeks were firing massed volleys, and a few shots inevitably hit home. "Slingers, to the walls!", Hannibal shouted. "Skirmishers, attack! And you men, follow me!" And with that he rode for a side street. Above him, the slingers moved into position, to pour slingshot into the Greeks from the safety of the gatehouse.

And on the main street, the peltasts ran forward, hurling their javelins at the unarmored archers. Under this combined fire, the Toxotai soon wavered and broke, running for the square behind them. But the Polis Hoplitai stood firm in the shadows, and they would be a formidable force to face head-on in a narrow street.

The sound of heavy running footsteps behind them told the Polis Hopltai that something was wrong. Their fleeing archers had no armor, and no-one else should be back there… should they? "Turn!", their captain suddenly shouted, "turn and charge!" They did so just as the unit of Liby-Phoenicians that had followed Hannibal arrived behind them. Hannibal had led his hoplites through the narrow side streets and behind the enemy, trying to set up a devastating charge into their rear, but the captain's quick reactions instead turned it into a bloody pushing match between hoplites.

Hannibal once again threw himself into battle alongside his men, even as he saw his saviors running towards him. Another unit of Liby-Phoenicians was charging down the main street on their own initiative , and now they would hit the Epeirote rear. The Army of Carthage knew instinctively what to do by now – if in doubt, use hammer and anvil!

That second charge proved decisive , breaking the Polis Hoplitai in seconds. Most were cut down as they ran, but a few made it to the town square, only to be overwhelmed by the chasing Carthaginian forces.

The omens had been wrong, but Hannibal was still concerned. The entire Massyli nation had been conquered for roughly the same number of casualties that his men had suffered here today! A minor settlement, indeed. Sicily promised to be a bloody battleground…

[I'm cursed by low-angle sun in city battles. Maybe I should only capture them in summer!]

[FriendlyFire]

The Sicilian love of Artillery

Two years later…

Hannibal looked across the battlefield with grim satisfaction. Far in the distance, he could see the Marmertine troops descending into the natural hollow that separated the two armies. The enemy captain was a fool to attack on this ground! By the time those troops had climbed up out of the hollow again, they would be disorganized, exhausted, and no match for the battle line arrayed in front of Hannibal. Still, if the Marmentines wanted to throw their lives away, the Army of Carthage was happy to send them screaming into the afterlife.

Read on for the rest of "The Sicilian love of Artillery"

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

For two years Hannibal had led the Army of Carthage around the island of Sicily. Their beginnings had been… inauspicious. Back then he had been naïve, and after capturing the town of Herakleia from the Epeirotes, he had seen no reason not to march on the neighboring city of Akragas. The Epeirotes had stripped the heavy infantry from their city garrisons in order to put a larger army in the field, and so Akragas was held only by two cavalry units. Cavalry, to defend narrow city streets! Hannibal's hoplites tore through them with ease, and he quickly found himself ruler of Akragas. Unfortunately, the inhabitants were most definitely not happy to see him. Hannibal's mistake had been to go straight for the city. If he had conquered the other nearby towns first, he could have gradually won the city population over to the Carthaginian side. Instead, the riots in Akragas were continuous and bloody. Faction heir Mago rode in to govern the city and lend his considerable influence to the situation, but within six months he and the Carthaginian garrison had been thrown out of the city, which then declared its independence from the three great powers on Sicily.

This left Hannibal cut off from easy reinforcement in the center of the island, and as his troops were the only army that Carthage possessed he was cautious about losses. Therefore instead of directly challenging the Epeirote field army, he kept besieging their small towns, forcing the enemy to either lose the population or attack him on ground of his choosing. The Epeirotes had attacked twice, throwing away their remaining cavalry on his lines:

While their generals either died or fled under hails of javelins:

Yet the Epeirote infantry always refused to engage! After seeing their cavalry and generals rout, they would quit the field of battle in good order. Finally he trapped them in the small town of Henna in the central mountains, and assaulted the walls to force the issue. By now his troops were almost used to the Greeks burning their siege towers.

But once they reached the walls, the Liby-Phoenicians expected and gave no quarter, closing in on the gatehouse defenders from both sides and slaughtering them mercilessly.

And charging the final Epeirote unit that was desperately trying to make it back to the town square.

The decisive battle for Henna broke the back of Greek power on Sicily. Hannibal then led his army to easily take their remaining towns of Heloros and Leontinoi, cutting down the Epeirote general Hiero in the process. It seemed just a matter of time (and reinforcements) before he could capture the city of Syracuse itself, in the southeast corner of the island. But the treacherous Marmertines, watching the situation from their city of Messana in the northeast, wanted some of the newly-conquered territory for themselves. Breaking their alliance with Carthage, they besieged war-torn Henna with one army, while keeping another army in the field to block Hannibal's approach from the south.

Hannibal was too wily to fall for such stratagems. He trusted the hoplites and peltasts that he had left in Henna to give a good account of themselves, and so instead of trying to lift the siege he marched his army around the mountains to besiege the Marmertine town of Agyrion, attacking it from the north. An eye for an eye, a town for a town. As he had hoped, the Marmertines had no stomach for such a trade, and lifted their siege of Henna to attack him – on ground of his own choosing. More importantly, their other field army had been unable to reach the battlefield in time, and he therefore faced a much smaller force.

A strange whooshing and a sudden wet sound brought Hannibal's attention back to the present. In front of him, a peltast had been lifted bodily off his feet and thrown backwards, as if punched by some giant invisible hand. The man fell in a crumpled heap and lay still, having lost his life without even the chance to cry out.

Hannibal cursed silently – he had forgotten about the Sicilian love of siege artillery! Now he could see the enemy Scorpions far below, their crews winding up the engines for another volley. "Cavalry, flanking charge!" His horsemen would finally get a chance to prove their worth. For two long years he had held them back from city battles in narrow streets, and from enemy hoplites retreating in good order. Here on the open field it was a different matter. Sweeping down and around the enemy troops, they charged into the midst of the Scorpion crews, routing them instantly.

Meanwhile, the enemy heavy cavalry had finally reached the top of the hill, firing missiles and then launching a ragged charge at the Carthaginian peltasts. In a well-practiced drill, Hannibal's skirmishers ran back through the line of hoplites waiting behind them, and the onrushing cavalry died by the score on Liby-Phoenician spears.

With the surviving enemy cavalry routing from the field, Hannibal's troops could now stand unopposed and pour missiles upon the Epeirote hoplites struggling up the hill towards them. The enemy infantry tried desperately to reform, but their losses were too great and their situation was hopeless. Soon they too were routing alongside the cavalry.

Last to die were the Agyrion garrison, arriving on the battlefield just in time to be pinned from the front by a fresh unit of Liby-Phoenicians, and then hit in the back by the second great Carthaginian cavalry charge of the day.

Yes, thought Hannibal, this was much better than city battles.

[FriendlyFire]

Now for some real-world notes on the campaign so far

Whenever I write that my generals were surprised by something, that's because it caught me off guard too! There's been a lot that I didn't expect:

• I really thought that Hasdrubal's cunning "wait until the Romans attack, then ally with the Epeirotes, then together we can kick the Marmertines off Sicily" plan would work. It was so beautiful! And so doomed by the AI's instinct to attack the human on hard mode
• The Corsican garrison really shouldn't have survived that battle against the Romans. I honestly thought that it was going to be a heroic-but-doomed-last-stand story. If the Roman general had charged my slingers, his Hastati would have survived to (eventually) catch and kill my archers. Why the general turned and ran I'll never know, but you should see Captain Messun again in a future installment.
• Who knew that the Kingdom of Massyli would collapse after I took one city and then killed a single family member?? Now my core cities in Africa are surrounded by little rebel-held towns: I hope that I can just use them as training grounds for future generals, but if their garrisons come out in the meantime I could be in trouble.
• I swear that I've lost more siege towers in this campaign than in any previous one. Must be Greek fire on those Sicilian arrows or something…
• Greek Toxotai archers with the AI's hard-mode attack bonus can actually kill hoplites from the front! That caught me off guard in city battles, and when the AI backs them up with hoplites of its own you suddenly have a tricky problem to solve.
• I honestly thought that Hannibal could take and hold Akragas on Sicily, but even with low taxes and the faction heir as governor, public order was a pathetic 15% when it was first conquered, and 35% when they kicked me out 6 months later. That's why Hannibal has spent the past two years taking all the minor settlements
• Dodging the Epeirote and Marmertine field armies on Sicily has been lots of fun. I've also lost a unit of reinforcements to the rebels as I tried to march past Akragas, so Hannibal's army definitely feels "cut off". And I figured out early on that you never want to attack in the mountains, and so the only way to force battle is to besiege the AI's town garrisons.

Speaking of which, my standard city garrison right now is a unit of Liby-Phoenician Hoplites (amazing defenders) backed up by a unit of Punic Peltasts (dirt cheap, big shields, surprisingly useful). I also use this combination as my garrison for front-line minor settlements, so that I can pull them out at a moment's notice to reinforce my main army. By ditching all the mercenaries and sticking mostly to these units, I've kept a steady income of 20-40k per turn, and so my cities have been constantly building since the first turn.

For the screenshots I've finally decided to run this campaign in 1024x768 mode (ugh!) so that I can get crisp images with no blurry resizing, and I then crop their height down to 1024x490, in order to fit more on a vertical page. For the last set of screenshots I've also played around with various effects in Paint.NET. Right now I'm partial to the photo>glow function, which makes the bronze helmets and shields stand out a bit more – you can see this in the the peltast-being-shot-by-a-scorpion image. Oh yeah, that was another thing that surprised me: I'd forgotten they had Scorpions! When my troops started getting the little "under missile fire" icon I though the Marmertine archers were somehow shooting uphill over a super-long range. If you look closely you can just see another Scorpion bolt zipping across the top of that screenshot, way too close to Hannibal's head for my comfort. His career could have ended right there and then

[FriendlyFire]

Good Carthaginian Spearpoints

Meanwhile, in West Africa…

Hasdrubal the 'Fair' looked up as his body slave entered the room in a hurry. "Sire, the Mauretanian army is outside the town, and the heir to their throne has sent a messenger demanding your surrender!"

Hasdrubal snorted. "They certainly took their time", he said, "now help me with this armor." He really was getting too old for combat. The body slave started forward, then hesitated. "Sire, there's still time… you could leave by the rear gate and escape to the mountains in the east…" His voice trailed off, nervously.

Read on for the rest of "Good Carthaginian Spearpoints"

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

"Escape?" Hasdrubal was amused. "You have seen those mountains, haven't you? No roads, not even minor tracks, and full of rebels. Why do you think we came to Siga by sea?"

That journey had been a year ago, and Hasdrubal had to admit that it had been somewhat… impetuous. When a spy in west Africa reported that the rebel city of Siga had only a single unit in its garrison, Hasdrubal had seen the chance to easily expand Carthaginian holdings. He sailed west from Carthago with Numidian and Carthaginian cavalry, hugging the coast. Speed was of the essence, as the spy reported that an army from the neighboring Kingdom of Mauretania was moving slowly eastward towards Siga.

The Carthaginian fleet had won the race, landing Hasdrubal and his cavalry at the port of Siga. He quickly recruited a local mercenary band of Libyan Hoplite infantry and marched on the town, capturing it from the rebels with few losses. And its citizens had been pathetically happy to see the Dictator of Carthage, eager to gain his protection for their bleak township. But the Mauretanian army kept advancing, and Hasdrubal soon realized just how isolated his position was. Recruiting all the local mercenary cavalry he could find, he was also fortunate in being able to call on some good Liby-Phoenician Hoplites from the nearby settlement of Rusadir. Their presence improved his morale tremendously. Now he was ready for battle against this Mauretanian upstart.

The body slave was still agitated, almost dropping Hasdrubal's helmet in his nervousness. "But sire, they have more troops, and Siga still has no walls – they can charge down on us through the streets!"

"That is exactly what I am counting on them doing", Hasdrubal replied, taking the helmet and fitting it smoothly over his head. The slave's mouth dropped open. Hasdrubal suddenly realized something. "You've never seen combat, have you?" "No sire, never have." "Then let's find some armor for you. You're going to see what happens when a charging enemy meets good Carthaginian spearpoints."

An hour later, sitting on his horse behind those spearpoints, Hasdrubal had to admit that it was a pretty fearsome sight. The Mauretanians were thundering towards him, all their troops mixed up together, and their javelins pouring from the sky like rain. Just for a second, he had a moment's doubt. Then the first Mauretanian noble hit the shield wall – and died.

Now Hasdrubal lifted his horn to his lips and blew one long note. Even above the din of the melee, he could hear the sudden hoofbeats as his cavalry raced out of a side gate and around to the front of the town. In front of him, his hoplites were being slowly forced backwards by the sheer weight of numbers, but they fought grimly and determinedly. Then he saw it, the first wavering in the Mauretanian front line. Behind them, the Carthaginian cavalry had formed up for a perfect set-piece charge into their rear, threatening to pin them in place against the hoplites!

As the heavy Carthaginian cavalry pulled back to reform, their place was taken by the lighter Numidians, hurling javelins into the backs of the enemy.

One javelin soon found its mark, and the Mauretanian king would need a new heir after this day.

Surrounded and with nowhere to go, their leader slain before their eyes, the rout spread quickly through the Mauretanian ranks. The Carthaginian cavalry charged in again, hacking away at the enemy troops desperately trying to flee. None escaped, the Numidian mercenaries made sure of that. And when the battle was over, the dead lay thick at the feet of the hoplites.

[Check out those stats: the Liby-Phoenicians were on guard mode the entire battle, even when they were pushed back into the ranks of the Libyan Hoplites behind them, yet they managed to rack up 150 kills for only 22 losses! Also, I may have gone a little overboard with the "glow" function in these images ]

[Pat89]

Wow! That's a long AAR in such a short time!!

It'll take some time to read everything

[FriendlyFire]

Writing the AAR definitely makes me want to play more - there's a "I wonder what happens next?" thing going on I'll throttle back a bit...

[Maurits]

Why would you? I love the daily read that I have because of your AAR!
And I hope you'll finish it. Too many good-promising AAR's remain unfinished..

[FriendlyFire]

I have high hopes of finishing it - so far I haven't made any big mistakes in the campaign, but it's not a pushover either. Just the right combination to keep me interested

I'll post another update later today. Quick question for anyone who's bothered: do you prefer inline images, or clickable thumbnails? Like this:


I just figured out how to do thumbnails with photobucket, and I realize there may still be some readers on dialup

Edit: Actually, I may run a little experiment. I'd keep the "big inline images for broadband readers" thread here, but then start a duplicate AAR somewhere else (maybe in the Writer's Guild section?), as a "clickable thumbnails for dialup readers" thread. And then crosslink the two so people can choose which experience they want.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

This is everything an AAR should be. Brilliant.

[FriendlyFire]

"Hannibal?"

273 BC, Carthaginian city of Panormus, on the island of Sicily

"Hannibal?" Mago, de facto heir to the Republic of Carthage, only needed to utter that one word. The runner, panting in front of him, nodded. "His reinforcements… just arrived … at the east gate… sire", he got out between deep breaths.

Mago nodded his thanks, then looked up, and shouted "Captain!" One of the peltasts posted on the gatehouse battlements jerked to attention, and turned to stare down at Mago. "Sire, ready to fight to the death, sire!" Mago sighed. It was a fine sentiment, spoiled only by the way that the boy's voice had cracked into a high squeak at the end. "Never mind that, what of the Marmertine Army?" Mago was too far away to see, but he could imagine the Captain swallowing his fear as he spoke. "They're still coming, sire. Siege tower, ram, ladders, and many more troops behind them!"

Read on for the rest of "Hannibal?"

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Mago wished he had his mercenaries now. Seven years ago, fighting the tyrant Hicetas in the hills outside Lilybaeum, those mercenaries had hung on bravely until some obsolete chariots could rescue them. Now the Carthaginian military had almost completed its conversion to native troops and allied levies, and the mercenaries and chariots were long gone. He looked at the meager garrison around him. A few peltasts on the gatehouse, a few hoplites behind him. Eager local boys like the captain, equipped with good weaponry from the new garrisons, but untested in combat. This was what the accountants had given him, to defend a proud city of Carthage! Against the Marmertine army from Messana in the east, the garrison would melt away like snow. For the Marmetines were ex-mercenaries themselves, grown fattened on the riches of Messana, but still well-versed in the ways of war. Behind those rams and ladders and siege towers they had hoplites from Campania, Pedites Osci infantry, and even heavy cavalry for when they opened the gate. For that would surely happen – the Captain's peltasts were no match for the swords and javelins of the Pedites Osci. No, Mago was relying on Hannibal's army to save him. If there was time.

Mago made his mind up. "Get your men down from the gatehouse, Captain, and post them on the square!" The captain needed no encouragement, turning to hurry his men down the stairs. "And when Hannibal's troops get there, tell them to form up in front – we'll block off the main road, just like Hasdrubal did in Siga." Only on a much bigger scale, Mago thought to himself. From all that he had heard of the reports, Siga was barely a town, with narrow winding streets. But Panormus had broad streets, befitting a city of its size and importance, and this could be an entirely different gamble.

An unnecessary gamble, Mago thought angrily, as he rode back behind his men. All because Hannibal needed one more moment of glory! After defeating the first Marmertine field army, Hannibal had led his forces on to besiege and take their minor settlement of Tauromenion. The entire Army of Carthage, to take a town held by a single Marmertine general! This foolishness left the way open for the second Marmertine army to strike deep into Carthaginian territory, besieging Mago and his garrison in Panormus. Hannibal had rushed his troops back across the island… and then sat there for six months, encamped near the city but unwilling to attack the Marmertines in hilly terrain. Meanwhile the Marmertines tightened their grip on the city, building siege engines until they finally felt brave enough to attack.

As Mago reformed his men, the enemy seemed confused by the lack of resistance on the walls. They moved cautiously inwards towards the main gatehouse, before opening the gates and finally coming down from the walls. This delay allowed Hannibal's elite Carthago hoplites to run in from the east gate, and form a broad double phalanx line across the main road leading to the square. The peltasts eagerly backed them up, and in the first exchange of fire cut down some Osci skirmishers who probed down the main street. This seemed to enrage the Marmertine general, who immediately threw his heavy cavalry against the winded Carthaginian hoplites.

The enemy cavalry took terrible casualties, but succeeded in pushing back one of the two units in the first Carthaginian line. The Marmertine hoplites then charged in behind their cavalry in a huge mass, leaving Mago's other front-line unit dangerously isolated. And behind came the Osci Pedites, hurling javelins before engaging with their swords. The Carthaginians were being slowly pushed back and ground down.

Mago knew that now was the critical moment – and if there was one thing about Hannibal that he had faith in, it was the young general's sense of showmanship. He wasn't disappointed. With a sudden blaring of horns, Hannibal appeared, charging down the street from the main gate. He led his bodyguard straight into the enemy's rear, slashing at the infantry around him. Mago had to admit that it was a stirring sight, and all eyes on the battlefield seemed suddenly drawn to this figure, alone against almost impossible odds.

Hannibal seemed to realize this too, and when the enemy infantry began getting the better of his bodyguards in the melee he hastily withdrew back up the street. The Marmertines gave a great cheer, and renewed their push on Mago's tiring hoplites – who cares if this Hannibal had retaken the main gate? They would take the square, and with it the city!

And so when hoofbeats again sounded down the street, only a few Marmertines turned, confident in their ability to once more fight off the young general. Not nearly enough turned, for the hooves were actually those of Hannibal's entire cavalry wing, who had followed their leader around city streets to the main gate. These heavy Carthaginian horsemen sent men flying with their powerful charge. Hannibal's own charge had been for show and for history, but this charge was to decide the battle!

Hammer and anvil ultimately won another victory for Carthage, and although later historians would compare Panormus to the battle of Siga, differing only in scale, those who were there knew the endings were vastly different. In Siga, the light Mauretanian troops had panicked after the first significant charge, to be cut down by the hundreds as they ran. In Panormus, the embattled Marmertine army fought almost to the death, refusing to break even when surrounded and repeatedly charged. The final cheer of the Carthaginian line was muted by exhaustion, and the loss of many good men.

Now they had destroyed two Marmertine armies, and only one more remained, defending Messana…

[Now I'm playing with radial blur Glad you're all enjoying it so far, and thanks for the kind words!]

[FriendlyFire]

Stain of the Marmertines

Battle of Messana, 272 BC, on the island of Sicily

After defending the streets of Panormus, the Army of Carthage remained near the city for half a year, rebuilding its strength with local recruits. The army had not rested this long since it first marched out of the gates of Carthago some six years earlier, and the veterans welcomed the break. Their general Hannibal did not share their joy. A spy had reported that the last Marmertine army was also building its strength in Messana, and now included many ballistas in its ranks. Hannibal hated the things, and this news gave him further doubts about the wisdom of attacking the Marmertine army as it sheltered behind strong walls. Thus an uneasy stalemate settled over the island, neither side ready to attack the other.

Read on for the rest of "Stain of the Marmertines"

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Kingdom of Epeiros, the other power on Sicily, took advantage of this lull to send out a small army of its own. The Carthaginians watched it carefully, but the Greeks apparently had no stomach for another bruising battle. Instead, their army marched west from Syracuse, clearly heading towards rebel-held Akragas. The city's small garrison fell after a brief siege, and since Akragas had originally been an Epeirote colony (before its brief and inglorious occupation by Hannibal's army, and subsequent rebellion), the Greeks had now regained an important territory. Indeed, they then proposed a ceasefire with Carthage, and the resumption of trade ties. The Epeirote diplomat's proposal was grudgingly accepted by Mago and Hannibal, remembering Hasdrubal's goal of keeping Epeiros and Rome fighting each other instead of Carthage. Hasdrubal might be far away in west Africa, but his words still ran the Republic.

The Epeirotes now hold Akragas, and Syracuse in the east. Hannibal and the Marmertines face each along the northern coast.

The ceasefire with the Kingdom of Epeiros was one of the few areas where Mago and Hannibal agreed. Now that they were in the same city, they were getting on each other's nerves. And although Mago outranked Hannibal, he could not match the young general's battlefield prowess or rapid rise in fame – Hannibal was being spoken of in the streets as "Hannibal the Conqueror", which irked Mago to no end. Most of those conquests had been of minor towns, using overwhelming force! Now, facing a similarly-sized army behind city walls, Hannibal seemed to hesitate.

The news from elsewhere in the empire was also troubling. Captain Muttun had been recalled from Corsica for his heroics, but the Romans had then returned to the island with a much larger force. This time the few garrison troops were apparently overwhelmed, cut down on the square where they stood.

An inglorious defeat.

Mago and Hannibal pieced together what had happened from the reports of merchant sea-captains, who had sailed in to the port of Alalia to find it flying a Roman flag. Carthage's accountants were not displeased: they had already calculated that they spent more on wages for that garrison than Alalia ever repaid in taxes on its meager fishing income. As far as they were concerned, the island's capture was no loss to the empire of Carthage. This was not a popular view amongst the Carthaginian military, who smarted at the loss to their age-old enemy.

Then in the summer of 272 BC came more urgent news. A Carthaginian spy reported that half of the Marmertine army had left Messana, and were training in the hills. This galvanized Hannibal into action, and he quickly ordered the Army of Carthage to prepare to march. The veterans grumbled good-naturedly at the prospect of new blisters on feet made tender by six months of easy living.

They were surprised when Hannibal, rather than leading them in an attack on the Marmertine field army in front of them, instead led them onto the coastal plain and around the enemy's flank! And their blisters were soon to return, for Hannibal proceeded to force-march them all the way to the walls of Messana, and then insisted on many scouting missions before finally settling on a position from which to besiege the city.

Hannibal bypasses the enemy on the main road, and takes Messana under siege.

Hannibal had once again seemingly abandoned the city garrison of Panormus, but he was confident that the Marmertine army in the field would turn to break his siege of Messana. And then the Army of Carthage could fight on ground of his own choosing, with the Marmertines forced to attack his prepared line of hoplites. He didn't have long to wait – and as he had predicted, the enemy attack also brought forth the garrison of Messana. The two enemy forces were roughly equal in size, and both had plentiful ballistas, but the Marmertines had lost their best men and equipment in the battle for Panormus. Now their main line was composed of simple Polis Hoplitai, not nearly so fearsome to Hannibal's own hoplites as the Pedites Osci had been. His men wouldn't have to face swords and javelins today!

Forces for the Battle of Messana.

Swallowing his pride, Mago rode at Hannibal's side on the day of the battle. He had grudgingly admitted the wisdom of the young general's strategy, and was not foolish enough to demand control of the army. Hannibal had also offered an olive branch of his own, giving Mago command of the proud Carthaginian Cavalry. Mago's role would be to charge down the enemy ballista crews, before their missiles could blast great holes in Hannibal's lines. And Mago saw the opportunities for glory here, particularly as the two Marmertine armies lacked any cavalry to oppose him. Now the people would talk of his name as well!

Hannibal deployed the Army of Carthage on a low rise, and watched the first enemy force march straight towards him. They would first have to pass through some woods in the middle of the battlefield. Meanwhile the Messana garrison was approaching on his left, but was still some distance away. Hannibal had already predicted the first line of attack, and his peltasts were hiding in the forward edge of the woods, with orders to attack the ballistas if they passed by.

But Hannibal soon saw that the ballistas were moving to the flank instead of following their covering forces into the woods. Their crews must either be unwilling to push the heavy engines through the tangled undergrowth, or maneuvering for some higher ground. Either way, by avoiding one fate they had made another inevitable. "Mago, send them to the afterlife!" Mago was already urging his horse forwards, leading the cavalry on a long sweeping run around the Carthaginian right flank. The enemy infantry were by now deep in the woods and unaware of the threat, while the second enemy force was too far away to matter. Caught in the open by Mago's cavalry, the ballista crews had no defense. One quick charge and the crews were routed!

Mago's first charge

Leaving the light Numidian horsemen to finish running down the crews, Mago swiftly brought his heavier cavalry back behind Carthaginian lines. Along the way they evaded a couple of half-hearted charges from the first enemy units to emerge from the woods, and these movements further disrupted the enemy lines.

Now the Army of Carthage waited on their low rise, as the Marmertines tried to reform in front of them, combining both their armies into one. Soon Hannibal saw the threat from the fresh ballista units arriving in the middle. Did they have the range yet? He wasn't about to wait to find out.

Carthaginian battle line in the foreground, Marmertine troops in the distance, with ballistas just in front of the woods

"Mago…", he began, but the older man was already away, riding now to the left flank. This time the ballistas were much nearer to their protective infantry, and Mago had to lead his cavalry between enemy hoplites. Despite the spears bristling to either side, Mago urged his men to look only forwards as they galloped.

Seeing the danger to the heir to the Republic of Carthage, Hannibal ordered the Carthaginian line forward in a general attack. The timing was perfect, since Mago's movements had once again distracted the enemy, and the Marmertines were strewn across the field, facing in all directions. Only their ballista crews seemed to know what they were doing, and as it turned out they did have the range. A few ballista bolts hit home, but the stout Liby-Phoenician Hoplites kept charging, and caught the enemy infantry off guard.

Carthaginian hoplites charge into the enemy Polis Hoplitai, as ballistas fire into the melee

Almost at the same instant, Mago charged with his cavalry once more into the ranks of ballista crews, hacking about him as he gloried in the feel of it all. In his battle against Hicetas, he had been too occupied with commanding the army to really know what he was feeling. Now, freed of the responsibility of ultimate command, he was amazed at the new life that battle brought to him!

Mago's second charge

Hannibal had seen how hard Polis Hoplitai will fight in defense of their town or city, but out on the open field they seemed to crack under the sudden onslaught. Disordered and caught out of position, the first enemy units to face the charging Liby-Phoenicians soon turned and fled. A few of their comrades further from the charge initially stood firm, but they too took flight when the Peltasts suddenly emerged from the woods behind them, and the rout became total. Few of the fleeing enemy escaped the chasing Carthaginians, or the hail of arrows and slingshot from Hannibal's missile troops. The ballista crews in particular were shown no mercy – none of Hannibal's troops wanted to give them the chance to escape and come back again with their devilish engines.

Finally there was only a single Hoplitai survivor on the battlefield. He had almost made it back to the treeline, beyond which lay Messana and safety, when some of Mago's cavalry crested the ridge in front of him. Blinded by the sun, he never even saw their final charge.

The final router.

The battle had been won astonishingly cheaply: Carthage's accountants would be pleased! Mago thought briefly of teasing Hannibal about having waited so long to confront such an apparently weak foe, but he pushed that thought aside. No point in such grudges now. It had been a glorious victory, and the stain of the Marmertines had been erased from history.

And so peace finally descended on Sicily, as Hannibal and Mago led the Army of Carthage through the gates of undefended Messana. Mago had imagined himself as the pacifier of the conquered city, but things rapidly began to unravel. Some of the citizens spat on the ground as he rode past, and then a few small rocks were thrown at his bodyguard. Finally, as they neared the city square he heard the beginnings of a chant from the crowd, and an aide hurried to his side. "Ah, sire… the people seem to… well, that is… they are demanding to be ruled by…". Mago sighed deeply, as the chant grew clearer and louder. "Hannibal… Hannibal… HANNIBAL!"

Two generals - Mago is almost as good, except for that "Conquering Hero" trait...

[Poor Mago – as faction heir he should rule Messana, but he could only maintain public order at 65%, whereas when Hannibal took over his status as a conquering hero boosted it to 85% ]

[FriendlyFire]

A Changing of the Guard

271 BC, on the island of Sicily

For a year, Hannibal ruled over the newly-conquered city of Messana. Even as the citizens grew to accept and even like their new Carthaginian master, Hannibal himself grew increasingly impatient. The young general was not a natural governor – his skills lay solely on the battlefield, and if Sicily was to suffer an enforced peace, then there were battles elsewhere to fight.

Read on for the rest of "A Changing of the Guard"

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

News had also reached Hannibal of his leader's final victory in West Africa. After defeating the bulk of the Mauretanian army at the heroic Battle of Siga, old Hasdrubal had taken his cavalry and trailed the surviving enemy westwards to their last African city of Volubilis. Once again his famous luck had held, with the Mauretanians foolishly dividing their superior forces. This allowed Hasdrubal's cavalry, with the addition of a few Hoplites and Peltasts, to besiege and conquer Volubilis.

Hasdrubal had then led his small army onwards, defeating the remaining enemy forces in detail in a series of battles up the west African coast. And thus in 271 BC, barely 9 years after he first conceived of the strategy, Hasdrubal's plan had come to fruition. He had started with a divided and vulnerable powerbase:

And created for Carthage a united and powerful empire, centered on Africa:

Granted, the Romans now held the island of Corsica, there were still a few rebel townships left to conquer in Africa, and Sicily was shared with the Greeks, but these were minor annoyances at best. The Romans were even now paying tribute in return for a ceasefire, and this tribute far exceeded their income from Corsica.

A more serious threat lay in Iberia, where the Turdetani were natural allies of the Mauretanians. They had soon declared war on Carthage due to Hasdrubal's campaign in Africa. To defend against them, and protect the two Carthaginian cities of Gadir and Malaka, Gero the Elder had been forced to raise a substantial army.

From their city of Illipa the Turdetani were sending out small probing forces. At first Gero contented himself with pushing these interlopers back, forcing them to retreat by sheer weight of numbers. When they kept coming he led his troops to completely wipe out two of the small forces, but learned in the process a healthy respect for the swords and javelins of the Iberian way of battle. And meanwhile the Turdetani gradually built up a full army in Illipa. It clearly wouldn't stay there forever – the stage was being set for a major conflict.

In the winter of 271 BC worse news reached Sicily: Hasdrubal the Cunning had died peacefully at the age of 64, just a season after arriving in Iberia to take command of the situation. Control of the Carthaginian empire now fell to Mago, and he summoned Hannibal for a private meeting. History does not record what was said, but the outcome seemed to have left both men satisfied. Mago, as faction leader, would now rule from Sicily. He would continue the great economic advances that had been made possible by Hasdrubal's military reforms, while also keeping the peace with the Epeirotes and watching for any further aggression from Rome. The Army of Carthage would be dispersed to garrison the cities and towns on the island. Meanwhile Hannibal would be declared faction heir, and would sail immediately for Iberia. Once there he was to take command of the new army, defeat the Turdetani by any means necessary, and secure new lands for Carthage on the Iberian peninsula. And so the two leaders parted, knowing that it was probably for the last time…

[One of the real problems when starting as Carthage is the great distance between different parts of the empire, and the relatively small number of family members. Gero the Elder starts out as the only general in Iberia and West Africa, and it takes a year or two for anyone else to reach him by ship. I treat these voyages as one way – once a general is there, to bring him back again would be a pointless waste of time.]

[FriendlyFire]

Ambush at Baetica

269 BC, in southern Iberia

Gero the Elder watched from the long grass as the enemy column marched past him down the hillside, totally unaware of his presence. The Turdetani army had just crossed the border and seemed to be heading southwest, undoubtedly planning to lay siege to nearby Gadir. Gero's own forces were arranged in ambush, ready to fall on the enemy from both flanks. His men included Liby-Phoenician Hoplites and Punic Peltasts, local and Balearic Slingers, the cavalry contingent that had come over from Africa with Hasdrubal the Cunning, and two bands of locally-recruited Iberian Elite Scutarii. For Gero's previous skirmishes with the Turdetani had convinced him that spears and hoplite shields weren't always enough against Iberian swords and javelins.

Read on for the rest of "Ambush at Baetica"

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Gero the Elder ambushes the Turdetani army as it crosses into Carthaginian territory

Gero still had his doubts about the upcoming battle. The Turdetani had many more sword-armed heavy infantry, and ample skirmishers. His own forces were divided, with one half hiding in the grass on each side of the enemy column. And he had given command of the far half to Shamar Volubilis, whom he had personally adopted and promoted from the ranks. This had been a move born out of desperation – there was just too much ground to cover here for one general! Maybe he should have waited for a different candidate, one with some special talent or spark of genius. Shamar was a proud veteran but seemed ashamed of his lack of learning, to judge from the retinue he had gathered around himself. This would also be Shamar's first major command, and Gero had no idea how the younger man would react.

Gero and Shamir, his adopted son

Too late to worry now… Gero raised the horn to his lips and sounded the charge. The plan was as simple as he could make it. The two halves of the Carthaginian army would charge, squeezing the enemy column between them. Hoplites would form the main lines, with peltasts and slingers standing uphill to provide supporting fire, and the Iberian Scutarii anchoring the vulnerable downhill end of the lines. Once battle was joined, the heavy Carthaginian cavalry would charge from the top of the hill, seeking to hit the flanks of the engaged enemy. Meanwhile, the lighter Numidian cavalry would chase down routers.

Opening positions for the Ambush at Baetica

Things went awry from the start of the infantry charge. While Gero's own hoplites advanced in good order from the left, Shamar's line charging from the right seemed to lose cohesion, and weren't helped by some of the Turdetani counter-charging into their midst. Nevertheless, the slingers and skirmishers were already taking a heavy toll of enemy troops at the top of the hill.

Gero's line charges from the left, and Shamar's from the right. The enemy are trapped in the middle.

Soon after that first impact, the battle degenerated into a long melee stretching all down the hillside. The clean battle lines were now hard to see, lost in a swirling mass of troops. The initial Carthaginian charge had caught the Turdetani unprepared, but as the enemy reformed and began to strike back, the hoplites suddenly found themselves in a fight for their lives. On the right, Shamar unleashed his cavalry contingent for a downhill charge, trying to relieve the pressure on his infantry.

Carthaginian cavalry charge downhill into the melee, seeking to relieve pressure on the right side of the hill

Just when things seemed to be spinning out control on the right, Gero saw a chance to regain the initiative on the left. The enemy general Irorecios of Tartessus had finally disentangled his cavalry bodyguard from the downhill end of his column, and was now leading them uphill. Gero saw that they'd soon hit the Iberian Scutarii anchoring the downhill end of his line. "Counter-charge!", he shouted at his own bodyguards, "and a prize for whoever brings down Irorecios!" Two masses of cavalry ran into the middle of the Iberian Scutarii at almost the same instant, and in the fight that followed the Turdetani horsemen came off worst. Soon Irorecios was valiantly trying to rally his few surviving bodyguards.

Irorecios of Tartessus, attacked by Gero the Elder and Iberian Scutarii, tries to rally his bodyguard

The enemy general's efforts were to no avail, and after the last bodyguard died Irorecios fled downhill, in fear of his life. This was the chance the Numidian cavalry had been waiting for, and they swept along after him, dodging little masses of fighting men all down the hillside. There was no chance of escape from their swift-moving ponies…

Death of Irorecios of Tartessus, cut down by Numidian cavalry as he fled the field

The combination of their general's death, repeated charges by heavy cavalry, and withering fire from the Carthaginian slingers, soon convinced most of the Turdetani troops to flee the scene of the ambush. Finally there were just two knots of men at the top of the hill, as isolated bands of Turdetani heavy swordsmen fought to the last, taking as many Carthaginians with them as they could.

The end of the Ambush at Baetica, with two last stands near the top of the hill, while most Turdetani troops try to flee downhill

When the melee finally ended it was clear that the ambush had wiped out the best Turdetani field army, and for a relatively cheap price. Still, Gero the Elder left the battlefield knowing that he'd have to talk to Shamar about that first charge…

[This battle is making me rethink my reliance on Liby-Phoenician Hoplites, because they really weren't happy going up against heavy swordsmen]