Spotlight on the Carthaginian Army

The story of Hannibal and his 15 year campaign in Italy against Rome is one of the great stories of history.  After reading “Hannibal” by Theodore Dodge, I decided to paint up an Old Glory Carthaginian army as my first army in Field of Glory.  The great thing about painting up Carthaginians is that they have a very diverse list and many of the battlegroups can be ported to other Army lists. The Carthaginians also present you with a two-for-one.  Paint up a Later Carthaginian army, add 8 bases of heavy chariots and the Sacred Band and voila!!! You have an Early Carthaginian army!  In addition, they are a natural foil for the many Roman armies lurking in the closets of your ancient gaming brethren.  

African Spear:  This is your bedrock unit. You only need 18 bases for the Later Carthaginian list but I recommend painting 24-28 bases. The extra bases come into play if you run the "Hannibal in Italy" special campaign list or if you want to run an Early Carthaginian list.  Early Carthaginians are fun to run because you get Heavy Chariots and the Sacred Band.  On the other hand, Early Carthaginians doesn't have elephants.  African Spear are decent Heavy Foot but you'll have trouble against Armored Superior Roman legions and horse based armies.  If you are bumping up against Romans regularly, consider a "Hannibal in Italy" list so you can upgrade these fellows to Armored Superior. 

Unless you are a Master Painter, you'll want to consider shield transfers. I used Little Big Man Studios but I hear the Veni Vidi Vici transfers are excellent as well.

Elephants:  If you're going to run Later Carthaginians, you have to have elephants and if you are going to have elephants, double down on crazy and max them out. That means 6 bases of thundering madness and if that doesn't sate your elephantine obsessions, you can bring in 2 more with a Numidian ally! Elephants are fun but dicey to run.  I've had them break from missile fire alone when I failed to keep skirmishers in front of them. I've also seen them stomp through an armored elite Soldurii unit. Just remember to keep them away from your cavalry. 

When asked to explain his obsession for fielding elephants in battle, Hannibal reportedly responded “Go big or go home."

Gallic Foot:   Gallic foot can be run as medium or heavy foot. These impact foot swordsmen gives you a different tool in your Carthaginian army toolbox. Think of them as a down payment on a future Gallic army. Once you've painted up your first Gallic Foot and Cavalry battlegroup for your Carthaginian list, you are on your way to your next army!                                          

 

Spanish Scutarii: Medium Impact foot swordsman.  I love the look of these guys and even though I have a Gallic army, I think about painting up a Spanish army from time to time.  Because the Gallic army and Spanish army are really mirror images of each other, it doesn't really make sense to do this so I'll probably settle for painting up more bases this fall or winter.

 

Balearic Slingers: They are one of the few superior skirmishers in the game and I count them as a must-have.  I've had them put away their slings and go mano-a-mano in melee. Being superior, they stomped their skirmish opponent but good. You'll thank me every time you get to reroll 1s in the shooting phase.

Numidian and Libyan Javelinmen: Javelinmen are the first to the front and first to the rear. Mundane but necessary. The Libyans sport the mohawk and apparently, when they shaved their heads, some of them also shaved off their ears.  Not the best sculptures...

Numidian Light Cavalry:  I recommend maxing out your light cavalry to 12 bases and if that's not enough for you, bring in more with a Numidian ally.  I really like these figures and by the 3rd battlegroup, I learned that basing them at angles and farther apart made them look more wild and skirmishy.

Spanish, Libyphoenician and Gallic Cavalry: This is the cavalry arm of the Carthaginian army.  Carthaginian cavalry is good but may run into trouble when matched up with lancer-armed cavalry.

Camp:  Every army needs a camp and this one is fairly docile.  I should have made up a "No looting" sign for it.  Then again, its not like barbarians can read.

After Romans, Carthaginians are probably the second most popular army in ancient miniature gaming.  They are colorful, rich in history and their battles well documented.   You'll find many Roman accounts (fair and balanced!) and resources for creating battles and campaigns.  

 

If you're thinking of painting up a Carthaginian army, I'd recommend Old Glory.  Their figures are affordable and nicely sculpted for the most part.  If you have the $, you might also look at Xyston Miniature's as their figures are perhaps the best in this field.  I've been eyeing their website for some time.  First though, I have to decide what army I want to paint next.

The Battle of Chevellu Pass

Last night, we tested a scenario Clay designed based on Hannibal's descent from the Alps and the Allobroges Tribe's ambush. The scenario was built for fun and to that end, it was a smashing success! The battle featured 3 commands-Carthaginian 650 pt. army with Hannibal + 2 sub generals and his Spanish Ally 650 pts. + 2 generals.  Against them was a 1,100 Gallic army + 3 generals and a Spanish contingent.  To simulate the difficulty of an Alps descent, all hills were Steep Hills except where the Gauls had their camp.  The center of the board was dominated by 2 impassible mountains, edged with steep hills and forest. The Carthaginians and their Spanish ally each had a Mob that represented baggage trains with a movement rate of 3".  If the baggage train was touched by the Gauls, it was sacked and points given to the Gauls.  The challenge for Hannibal was to get the 2 baggage trains through the difficult terrain loaded with ambushes and off the board for points.  The challenge for the Gauls was to slow down/stop a larger Carthaginian army and sack the baggage trains.  The table was 9' by 4'.  Clay will present the Gallic point of view and I'll report for Carthage. This was my first time photographing a match after dark and the photos are not great.  I hope that doesn't detract too much from the overall narrative. I'll order a tripod, read some tutorials and employ the steps necessary to achieve better results in  the future.   

Carthage:  My partner and I split the board.  The terrain left of center made the large board feel claustrophobic and the map was littered with ambush markers.  I took Hannibal and the Carthaginians.  I estimated I had little chance of forcing the center so I only posted 2 battlegroups of African Spear and a group of skirmishers for the task.  I deployed my baggage train so it could follow the Spanish advance to my right or up the road if I were fortunate enough to force the gap.  I posted most of my troops on the left flank, which had a gap between the forest and the steep hill that anchored the Gallic flank. I hoped to knock down the Gallic line and swing around his flank.  Deployment is key  and my deployment on the left flank sowed the seeds of my difficulties.  My Spanish partner deployed his Scutarii Heavy Foot in a double battle line.  Since Spanish foot is all average, he was counting on rear support to win him the day.

Gaul: Late yesterday we could see the clouds of dust on the horizon signaling the arrival of the Carthage-Celtiberian invaders.  Before dawn, I ordered our Iberian Spanish ally to the forests along the mountain passes setting up numerous ambushes-in all 4 Scutarii battlegroups and one Catraetti battlegroup hunkered down in the steep hills and woodlands in the expected path of the enemy.  Our camp was behind a large gentle hill that looked out over the open valley on one side and the mountain pass road on the other. The hill would be the perfect location from which to fend off the Celties or the Hannibalites that make it thru the pass. All roads to Rome pass right by my Hillcamp!  The hill defense will include 3 battlegoups of warriors, 2 BGs of light troops, some chariots and my heavy cav...and of course the women and children will guard the camp itself!  To my right, I have 3 BGs of warriors including the Elite Soldurii, plus the 4 BG of ambushers guarding the pass itself plus the woodlands along the Carthaginian approach.  Finally, to seal the deal, I will send my eldest son, Vignor, to outlflank the Celties with cavalry and chariots...ohh it will be such a joy to watch as Vignor rolls into the flank of the invaders, while i enjoy a glass of mead on the hilltop!

Ambush Alley

How do Elephants and Cavalry mix? Right, they don't

Spanish advance reveals...more Spanish!

Carthage: The early going saw us move up cautiously and uncovering ambushes.   I only had one unit of Medium Foot and my Heavy Foot Offensive Spear turned out to be useless in difficult terrain. The Gauls had a flank march under way that kept us on our toes as we advanced.

Gaul:  The Carthaginians are stumbling into the Scutarii at every turn!  And they are marching the Carthage spearmen right into the mountain pass!  Meanwhile Hannibal is in the Carthage rear, harrying women and children to get the baggage and rush to the mountain pass.  All is going according to plan, except our Iberian light troops got too cute and were caught in the rear by a Carthage light, leading to a quick demise.  On my left, the Celtiberians continue a slow plod up the meadow passes, and have sprung yet another ambush-this time his light troops revealed a Scutarii, who will stand steady in the forest awaiting the real enemy-the Celtiberian heavies. Fortunately son Vignor is wise enough to hold off on his outflanking move...the trap is yet to be sprung. Ahhh, the mead is strong and the view is spectacular!

Peek a boo!

My only Mediums rout in 1 turn and disrupt 3 units in the process. Ugh!

The Spanish make it look easy.  Nice lines, nice advance. 

Carthage:  Against long odds, my advance up the pass in the mountains succeeds.  I charged a line of skirmishers and caught them!  When the skirmishers routed, we pursued and caught them again, getting us through the gap.  My 2nd unit of African Spearmen would not prove so lucky. They deployed, tried to catch the ambushing Scutarii in the flank and failed.  In face to face melee in the difficult terrain, my Spearmen broke.  Meanwhile, Hannibal was overseeing the baggage train and its double moves.  I should have had him out on my left flank and not fooling around with mules and wagons.  On my left, disaster strikes when my only Medium Foot is charged and routed in one turn! This disrupt 3 nearby units and forces my Elephants to pivot in place and out of line.  My commanders had to bolster my disrupted units while the Gallic commanders led charge after charge from the front.

Gaul:  Reports from my right flank, where the Soldurii fend off Numidian horse and the Scutarii are crashing out of the woods onto the flanks of the enemy, couldn't be better.  I send back a message to move the warriors forward to aid the Scutarii, and trap the elephants.  But I also hear disturbing news that a battlegroup of Carthage spear has made it thru the pass...how can this be?  Offensive spear, fighting in a state of disorder, uphill, is no match for our nimble and fearsome Scutarii-they will certainly win the day!  Now on our left, I must say that Vignor is taking his sweet time. I would have crashed into the side of the light cavalry trying to flank us up here on the hill...that opportunity is long past but certainly he will come to battle now, as the main army exposes its flank. Oh that Eldest son of mine is wise, but perhaps a might bit slow, I'll send out my own cavalry and chariots just to pin the Celties long enough for Vignor to get involved. I shouldn't have to do this but it is Vignor's first time on an outflank move, so I can help make his first time a success.

The Spanish tide rolls forward

Carthage:  At this point of the game, I had to pass a Complex Movement Test to not consume more beer.  Beer dulls the pain of failure but it also dulls the mind. The left flank came undone after I lost a leader in melee and that morale checks undid what was left of my front.


Gaul: WHERE IS VIGNOR?!!  My chariots are battling on and on, my heavy cavalry fall back in anticipation of the flank move, the Scutarii ambushers have calmly waited in the mountain forest under a constant barrage of missiles, and now falter, the Mead is warming, the women are starting to smell in the hot sun...WHERE IS THAT HALFWIT KID OF MINE!  The messenger from the right flank indicates the Carthaginian invaders are all but routed...Two BGs of elephants, a BG of Celtiberian warriors, and a cavalry unit are all in full rout, and we haven't even brought the Soldurii to bare yet!  But wait, what's this?  The Scutarii guarding the mountain pass, uphill, in the woods, have fallen to a BG of African Spearmen?  IMPOSSIBLE!

Spanish success!

Success!

Carthage:  With the pizza gone and the beer supply looted, we call it a night.  Taking stock, the Carthaginian left is in ruins.  The Gallic center is cleared, allowing a baggage train to exit the board.  The Spanish have cut a path to the road to exit their baggage train as well.  Clay commented that with our Friday night game, beer and pizza, it felt like we were back in college.  That is the mark of a great night!

Gaul: VIGNOR YOU IDIOT!  NOW you arrive!  The battle has been decided you FOOL!  Darkness is here and Hannibal is marching his baggage train thru the pass.  I gave the Kid EVERY opportunity...I  put up flagging to lead him to the field; I gave him fast reliable troops and yet he couldn't find his backside with two hands!  Blahh!  Well we sent much of the Carthaginians packing and should do some serious damage to the Celtiberians as they attempt to take this hill...but in the end it appears the baggage will get thru, and I will have to retire from the field; we have dealt a serious blow to Hannibal, but he will make it thru our lands with some of his army intact....alright, where is the Halfwit son of mine?!

In hindsight, I overpowered my right flank. My Soldurii never saw combat, and one Scutarii didn't either. I dearly needed these troops in the center; or closer to my camp.  While I defeated the Carthaginian left, it wasn't tied to the primary objectives, so this was a big mistake.  I was too weak in my center and left. Even if Vignor the halfwit showed up with his +2 bonus flank move, he might not have had enough power to carry the day, not without me stepping forward OFF my wonderful hill.  A couple of troops stripped off my right might have really made the day.  Goes to show, the setup is often the most important part of the game. As it was we have great battles, and everyone had some success.  Fun fun!

Back story

I was raised in a military family so it’s little surprise that I’ve had an interest in all things military since I was a child. My parents lit the fuse to a lifelong passion for historical gaming when they gave me Avalon Hill's PanzerBlitz for my 14^th birthday.  A year later, I walked into a gaming convention at the Univ. of Maine with PanzerBlitz under my arm.  There I met Ed, one of the great miniature gamers and people I’ve known in my life.  He was running Gettysburg Day 2 in 28mm and convinced me to put down my boardgame and give miniatures a try.  The fact that I'd never played miniatures before didn’t dissuade him.  On that afternoon, I successfully defended Little Round Top and from that moment on, I was hooked. Ed let me design the American Civil War battles we fought on the weekends at his club.  I spent many hours painting armies, researching battles and setting them up in miniature.

Post-college, my wife and I were busy raising a family and I switched to PC gaming since it allowed me to manage the few free moments of time I had to myself.  As my son grew up, we played lots of fantasy & historical games.  When he turned 12, I decided to do the father and son painting and gaming thing.  We pulled up war gaming websites to decide what armies to paint and play.  It was love at first click when he found Warhammer Fantasy and my son would spend hours paging through exquisitely painted fantasy armies.  Over time, we painted up Orks and Goblins, Dwarfs and Tomb Kings armies.  We were pretty decent when we got to the Dwarfs, thanks to the tutorials and painting advice on the web.  Painting and basing had advanced light years from when I left the hobby in the ‘80s!

My favorite unit.

If you squint, they almost look like Gaesati warriors.  Squint harder!

My son’s homework grew exponentially in Middle School and he developed a love for composing music and playing the oboe.  Over time, I lost my painting buddy and my interest in Warhammer.  90% of my casual reading is military history, so fantasy was never the best fit for me.  I decided to return to historical gaming.  I bought the Field of Glory rules and Old Glory starter armies for Rome and Carthage. Transitioning from painting 28mm to 15mm was a challenge for me.  My vision isn't that great any more and the techniques I used in 28mm failed me in 15mm.  I was so unhappy with my first unit that I nearly quit 15mm ancients in disgust.  Luckily, I turned to the web and discovered MacPhees Miniature Men blog.  His tutorials on painting and basing gave me the step by step instructions I needed.  Saved by the bell, er, blog! 

From that poor start, I've painted up Mid Republic Roman, Carthaginian, Gaul and Ottoman Turkish armies in the last year.  The downside to 4 armies is that I keep switching from army to army without mastering any of them.  In the months ahead, I'm going to struggle to avoid the siren song of "switch armies!" and try to master my Early Carthaginians.  On the other hand, I'm dying to see how my Seljuk Turks match up with Scott's Mongol horde.  So much gaming, so little time!