Kevin Get's a Win!

A dark shadow has crept over my wargaming efforts this week. It has taken a while but things are almost back on an even keel for the year ahead, we had our first War and Conquest game of 2018 today, a 3,000 points game Romans vs Carthaginians, no elephants yet as they are still on Kevin's list of things to do.

I was feeling a bit cocky yesterday and thought I might actually go on the offensive, so I took three legionary cohorts with excellent fighting capabilities backed up by two Auxiliary cohorts, massed archers, some skirmishers, horse archers and my Contari shock cavalry. We have a system for putting down terrain and I really didn't give this much thought and for some inexplicable reason was happy with an open battlefield.

Legio XII left, Carthaginians right.

My deployment area was on my right and I found it a bit cramped, I set up my left flank hoping to quickly get these units out and into line, the cavalry I was going to use aggressively while my massed archers cleared the way. The Carthaginians lined up in the centre with four phalanxes, and very large warband, along with some Italian close order troops, they also had three cavalry units on their right. I wasn't unduly worried about these as I thought I could shoot them to death and have the Contari run over them, mmm.
 
Things started well enough although once again my shooting was dreadful, when are those massed archers going to do well? I got rid of the enemy skirmishers on my right with the Lanciarii but they in turn were charged and did not rally, no big deal as this had put a Carthaginian phalanx in a nice position to be hit from front and flank. I would be presenting the warband with a flank but I thought my initial attack would rout the phalanx and my cohort would hold the warband until the Auxiliaries hit them, all I needed was to win the initiative for the next turn and it was game on. Well I didn't, and had to turn the cohort on the warband while the Auxiliaries battled bravely but futilely.  On the left I destroyed one cavalry unit with archery and got into combat with another, I hoped the Contari would win this quickly and hit the unit behind, but no, this turned into a protracted fight which eventually destroyed both units.

Both sides advance.

Steady lads.

Fighting spreads along the lines.

Back on my right the Auxiliaries fled and were dispersed, I had seen this coming and had positioned the rallied Lanciarii to again try and flank the phalanx, they refused to form up, and ran for the rear. The main lines now clashed and a huge, brutal melee began, Cohors II and III beat the warband and a phalanx but Cohors I after a brave fight gave way. A turn later I surveyed the battlefield, Kevin's right had now contacted my archers and Auxilia II but they did not look like winning, on my right all I had left were two cohorts and the Lanciarii the former too far away to turn or make a difference elsewhere and the latter being hunted by two phalanxes. It was time to face defeat, something the Thunderbolts have not done in a long while.

No quarter.

Roman right victorious, can we see victory?

Roman left about to collapse.

I was tempted to to use "Legio XII Humbled" for a title but in the light of a new day the lads actually fought very well against a tough opponent with the exception of the Contari. I keep hoping my cavalry will defeat all before them but that has not happened yet, next time I shall give them heavy armour before letting them loose or I may bring my cataphracts. I have held off bringing heavy cavalry but as Kevin settles in with his Carthaginians I need to use all I can to break the flanks of the enemy before I am overwhelmed by the phalanxes, of course he still has elephants in his repertoire which we have not seen yet to counter these. Having moaned I have to admit the cohorts have a better score against the phalanxes than the other way around.

I cannot really blame the Twelfth, my generalship was not up to scratch here and Kevin fought better, I also had to deploy first which never helps, I also take the blame for not using the terrain to my advantage, mea culpa. I do however feel it quite legal to moan about my inability to grab the initiative for most of the game. Well done Kev!