003 Bagradas (253 BC)

Evert being otherwise engaged, this week's C&C game was against Deon and we went for his favourite, Ancients. I have not played Ancients a lot - I find it a bit too fiddly - so even an early scenario is new to me. Last time he played Bagradas, Deon was the Carthaginians, so he took the Romans this time. And I had elephants for the first time!
Obligatory trumpeting noises out of the way, I found my hand full of left and right flank cards. So my Carthaginian cavalry trotted up and the lights engaged the Roman flanks with some archery. Deon returned fire and then sent some of his cavlry into the fray. End result: I lost two light cavalry and he lost one medium.
By now I had a hand full of centre cards: time to get those elephants into play. Deon had conveniently moved up his medium infantry, so a couple of turns saw the elephants hitting them. (In the meantime Deon used a cavalry charge that resulted in him losing his other medium cavalry when mine battled back. The score was now 2:2.)
As expected, the elephants mashed the Roman medium infantry, killing one unit and damaging two others. The Roman light and medium troops fought back with surprising effect, destroying two elephant units! (Admittedly one of them was damaged when the third unit rampaged.) The score's now 4:3 to the Romans.
There was a bit of re-grouping on the Roman side, while the Carthaginian infantry started advancing (a Line Command card). However, it was my Mounted Charge that swung the battle as the cavalry hit damaged units on both flanks of the Roman force: unable to evade, a light infanry, auxilia and light cavalry went down. That's 6:4 to Carthage.
Deon made a final attempt to get Hasdrubal, whose medium cavalry unit was down to one block, but missed. And the coup de grace was a "Move - Fire - Move" card (my second) that let me finish off a one block unit for the win. It was a closer game than the 7:4 scoreline suggests and one that I throughly enjoyed.

This week was the return match of C&C Ancients scenario 3, Bagradas, with Deon. So, my turn to be the Romans facing the Carthaginian elephants. Though, after last week, I was more worried about the cavalry: six Carthaginians to the Romans' four.
The initial action was on the Roman left flank, where Deon advanced his lights: infantry and cavalry. I countered with the Roman cavalry, eliminating one Carthaginian light cavalry (first blood to me), but leaving the Roman medium cavalry reduced to one block. Deon had more right flank cards and continued this attack, reducing the Roman light cavalry to a single block, too. But both damaged cavalry were able to retreat out of the way.
Action then moved to the centre and the elephants. I moved some of the Roman medium infantry into the line, giving the elephants targets that couldn't evade. However, the exchange went in the Romans' favour, losing one medium infantry for two elephants. This made the score 3:1 to the Romans.
The last elephant trampled another medium infantry before it fell - 4:2.
Then the Carthaginian heavy infantry moved up. Nicely into range for me to play "Darken the Skies". The flocks of arrows damaged several Carthaginians without removing any - though the cavalry threatening the Roman right had to retreat. A "Double Time" from Deon saw the Carthaginian heavies hit the Roman mediums, but I was able to pull back after taking some damage.
Time for action on the Roman right: the Carthaginian light cavalry came back into the fray, but one of them fell to the Roman light infantry and cavalry. That's 5:2.
Suddenly the Carthaginian cavalry swung round the Romans' left flank and took out the two one-block cavalry units hiding at the back - plus some light infantry that got in the way. And the score's 5:5.
Then a "Clash of Shields" gave me two extra dice where troops were in close combat. I took out light cavalry on my left and medium cavalry on my right (leaving Hamilcar stranded in the open!) to win 7:5.
It was another close and entertaining game.

Bagradas – 253 B.C.

Turn 1: Carthage moves light troops forward. Regulus orders his cavalry on the left and right flanks to strike out and scatter the forward ranks of Xanthippus’ lines.
Turn 2: Carthaginian light cavalry counterattacks and drives off the Roman horsemen. On the left flank, the Romans rally and medium and light cavalry charge the Carthaginian equestrians. They fall back with serious casualties.
Turn 3: Roman cavalry continue to harass the opposition and earn a victory banner. Xanthippus orders the elephant corps forward in the center.
Turn 5: Elephant corps charges but abysmal dice rolling causes minimal damage to Regulus’ legionnaires. Romans strike back under Regulus and two of the three elephant units rear back in panic; some Roman units, unfortunately, are trampled in the scrimmage.
Turn 6: The African elephant corps regains control of their armored pachyderms and charge the Roman line again. The carnage is horrifying! A Roman unit is eliminated, another retreats away wildly. The units serving side by side with Regulus, however, hold firm and manage to slay several of the giant beasts!
Turn 10: The battle is raging fiercely in the center… only one elephant group is left but they’ve cost the Romans many men. The Romans are now summoning up their reserves consisting of heavy infantry.
Turn 11: The Roman gods favor the legionnaires this turn as the heavy infantry, led by Regulus, steadily move forward and cut down the last elephant unit as well as a band of North African warriors. Romans are ahead five to three.
Turn 12: Reserves on both sides are forming up new battle lines in the center. But the Romans are well ahead now, six to three.
Turn 13: Xanthippus orders the entire center of heavy Carthaginian infantry to surge forward; the clash of sword and shield can be heard across the line! The struggle is costly for both sides. Regulus barely manages to hold his line together and the surviving units battle back with fury causing some Punic units to collapse and fall back. The losses are too much for the Carthaginians and Xanthippus retires his forces. The Romans secure the win seven to four. MVP was Regulus and the two units led by him over the course of the contest. The elephants for Carthage caused considerable damage but failed to eliminate enough foot troops to decide the engagement. The Romans were able to kill off the elephants with medium troops which then allowed the heavy legions resting in reserve to move forward and finish off the battle in the center.