Ilipa – 206 B.C.
Turn 1: Light infantry and skirmishers on the Roman left and Punic right engage to little effect.
Turn 3: Hasdrubal orders all mounted troops forward except for the elephant corps. The cavalry attack the light infantry on the flanks of the Roman line. The Roman light troops suffer heavy casualties. Carthage 1, Rome 0.
Turn 4: Romans order a cavalry charge and devastate the Numidian light cavalry. Carthage 1, Rome 2. Hasdrubal unleashes his elephants on the right flank and the pachyderms run through a Roman medium infantry unit and cause a light Roman cavalry unit to flee off of the field. Carthage 3, Rome 2.
Turn 5: Roman light infantry and cavalry take a stab at the elephants. The huge beasts on the Carthaginian right retreat and, in their rampage, crush several Roman horsemen! A Roman attack on the Punic left has no effect. Carthage 4, Rome 2.
Turn 9: Hasdrubal rallies his forces and three units are raised back up to full strength.
Turn 10: Scipio commits to a Line Command. His entire left and center moves forward and destroys the Carthaginian elephants and light troops in front of Hasdrubal’s main force. Rome 4, Carthage 4. Hasdrubal has his light troops and skirmishers Darken the Sky with javelins, but with poor results. Things are turning in favor of the Romans now…
Turn 11: Marcius and Scipio work together to continue to push forward. Seeing well armored Roman infantry bearing down on them, Carthaginian light infantry evade and fall back, but not without significant losses. Rome 5, Carthage 4. Hasdrubal’s Celtiberian warriors surge forward and crash against Roman auxiliaries and against Scipio’s legionnaires, but suffer extensive damage as the Romans battle back.
Turn 12: A Clash of Shields thunders across the line from Scipio’s men and eliminates one of the Celtiberian barbarian units. Rome 6, Carthage 4. The Carthaginian main line now is engaged with the Roman main line. A Roman auxiliary unit breaks. The Roman center has a dangerous gap! Rome 6, Carthage 5.
Turn 13: Scipio’s Leadership shores up the center just long enough for his legionary troops to destroy another Carthaginian unit. This secures the seventh and final victory banner. Rome wins 7 to 5. The Romans may have won this one, but it doesn’t look like it if you look at the battlefield. Hasdrubal has a lot of men, cavalry, and even some elephants remaining!
