Vendetta - 2nd Himera 409 BC

King Hannibal of Carthage vs. the Greeks of Sicily

Historical Background:
In 410 BC King Hannibal of Carthage led a large army of Carthaginian mercenaries and tribal allies to Himera in Sicily (the site of the defeat and death of his grandfather at 1st Himera in 480 BC) seeking both revenge and to challenge the rising power of Syracuse posed to Carthaginian interests after that powerful Greek city-state had wiped out the great Athenian expedition to the island several years prior (413 BC). The Syracusans, for their part, took up the gauntlet and dispatched a force of picked hoplites and allies to succor the citizens of Himera, these were led by Diocles who had been elected as a “strategos” (a kind of Greek city-state general officer) in 412 BC. After a short rest Diocles led out his phalanx at first light, taking the Carthaginians in their siege lines and camps before the city by surprise. He started to drive them back smartly for a time, but his forces soon became over-extended. Hannibal, recovering quickly, managed to get his army into a semblance of order and put in a counterattack with some crack troops. The flank of the Syracusan/Ally phalanx was turned and the Greeks were forced back to the city supposedly losing several thousand killed. The Carthaginian losses might well have been higher, but in the main represented easily replaceable mercenaries. After this defeat outside the walls the Greeks were forced to evacuate their non-combatants from the city via the sea. Himera fell a short time later and was destroyed by the vengeful Hannibal---it is recorded in the annals that he burned supposedly three thousand prisoners taken in the fall of the city at an altar dedicated to the memory of his grandfather who himself had been burned at a makeshift altar by the Greeks in 480 BC.

War Council

Syracusan/Allied Army
Leader: Diocles
5 Cards
Move First

Carthaginian Army
Leader: King Hannibal
3 Cards initially—draws an add’l card at the end of the second Carthaginian turn and another add’l card at the end of the fourth Carthaginian turn—ending up with a final hand of five cards for the rest of the scenario.

Victory: All Banners are scored per the normal rules save for eliminating Hannibal
Carthaginian: 5 Banners
Syracusan Allied: 8 Banners (but score 2 Banners if King Hannibal is eliminated)

Special Rules:
Command:
A Leader attached (stacked with) a friendly unit may cancel one sword hit on the unit in lieu of canceling a retreat hit.
Hannibal may cancel both a sword and a retreat hit if stacked with a friendly unit.
A unit involved in close combat with the support of a Leader may only count one helmet hit amongst those rolled to inflict a hit on an opposing unit

Special Troop Rules:
Libyan Light Chariots: The Carthaginians have a Libyan Light Chariot unit (use the existing Red Heavy Chariots to represent these) with the following special rules which are modified Chariot rules to represent the Libyan Chariots. :
a) Treat this unit in all respects for Command, combat die rolls, and other purposes as if they were a Light (green dot) unit.
b) Normal Movement is 3 hexes, retreat distance only one hex per Flag result taken
c) Rolls 2 dice normally in close-combat/battle-back and hits on swords for both.
d) Has missile capability—treat as a regular 2 hex range mounted missile unit.
e) Other than a) to d) treat as a normal chariot unit ignoring first sword hit etc.
Hoplites: Both sides Heavy Infantry are assumed to be heavily armed and armored Greek warfare fighting style Hoplites—therefore such units always ignore the first sword hit inflicted upon them, except if the unit is in an outflanked position in which case such hits are applied normally.

Tribal/Mercenaries: The Carthaginian Auxillia are assumed to be a ruck of Sicilian Tribal Levy and light mercenaries. The units are treated as normal Auxillia except:
a) The units have no missile capability
b) Their retreat distance is now 2 hexes per Flag taken instead of 1 hex.

Peltests: All Syracusan/Allied Auxillia are assumed to be Peltests—therefore they are allowed to evade per the normal rules if attacked by Carthaginian Heavy or Medium Infantry only in close combat. Treat as normal Auxillia otherwise.

Outflanking---This is an easy way of introducing facing and flanks to the game with little fuss—it can be retrofitted to other scenarios where appropriate:
A unit is said to be “Outflanked” if it is surrounded in all six adjacent hexes by either enemy units, or hexes adjacent to an enemy unit. The presence of friendly units or impassable terrain does not negate an “Outflanked” situation in any way. Units on the board edges (and not surrounded by six adjacent hexes) cannot be “Outflanked”.
Effects of being Outflanked: “Outflanked” units when battling back roll only half the normal number of dice they would be normally entitled to rounded up—to a maximum of only two dice—“Outflanked” units when battling back never hit on helmet rolls even if supported by a leader. A unit’s “Outflanked” situation is judged at the instant it battles back.

Special Terrain Rules:
Walls of Himera:
The Camp tiles represent the Walls of the city of Himera---Carthaginian units may never enter such hexes or hexes adjacent to the Walls of Himera. The Carthaginians may attack into hexes adjacent to the walls normally but may never advance after combat into such hexes and may not fire missiles at Syracusan units located directly on top of the Camp/Wall tiles.
Carthaginian Siege-work Lines:
The Ramparts Tiles represent the Carthaginian siege lines near the city. Ignore the normal rampart rules. Ordered Syracusan units/leaders may only enter such tiles & stop via movement that starts from an immediately adjacent hex or via a momentum advance after combat. Syracusan Cavalry & Carthaginian Light Chariot units may never enter or attack into such hexes. Once a Syracusan unit enters a siege-work tile it is removed from play and the hex reverts to clear terrain for the remainder of the scenario. Carthaginian units, which are not in an outflanked condition, defending in siegework tiles add one dice when battling back only. Siegework tiles do not block line of sight. Syracusan/Allied Auxillia missile firing at Carthaginian units on Siegework tiles do so at only one dice regardless of whether or not they have moved.