Bruce and I played a Big Battle game of DBA 3.0, in 15mm, this weekend. I didn't take any photos so pulled a "stock" photo out of the archives. . .
I used my Later Carthaginians (II/32a), maxing out the Libyan Spears and Numidian Light Horse options. Bruce played the early version of the Pontic Mithridatic (II/48) army, with Pikes instead of imitation legionaries as Blades. Not quite contemporaries, but very close in spirit!
Hannibal attacked Mithridates on a nearly featureless plain. Our foot troops were quite similar - Pikes, Spears, Warband and Auxilia - so fighting along the infantry lines could therefore go either way. I decided to gamble with the 6 Numidian Light Horse elements by deploying them, along with all of my Cavalry - 3 elements plus the command's General - on my left flank opposite the 3 Pontic Knights and some Light Horse, and rushed them immediately. It was scary at first, but then the Numidian Light Horse (with a second rank in support) Quick-Killed all of the Pontic Knights and broke that command. I lost 2 Light Horse during the fight, but the remaining Numidians and the Cavalry then regrouped and fell on the flank of the center infantry line, killing the General of that command and helping to break it while Hannibal himself held off the Pontic Light Horse on the opposite flank. Both of my flank commands were within 1 element of becoming demoralized when the Pontic army broke, so a well-fought contest on both sides.
DBA 3.0 is, in my not so humble opinion, the very best version of a great set of rules. They really shine in the Big Battle format with multiple commands.
Last weekend Bruce and I played our first official game of straight-up Big Battle DBA 3.0. I trotted out some of my 15mm Later Carthaginians to face Bruce's Pontics. Not quite contemporaries, but not too far off.
We played the rules as written, except we played on a larger-than-specified area; 6' x 4' instead of 4' x 2'. Since Bruce, as the defender, took the minimum amount of terrain possible and the battlefield quarters were larger than normal, we ended up with wide-open terrain.
I had two commands made up of two Later Carthaginian armies, plus a 12-element Numidian ally on the left flank. The two Carthaginian armies were divided into two commands, the center of Elephants and Psiloi and the larger right flank of Spear and Auxilia with some supporting light troops. I decided to assign the higher Pip dice roll each turn to the larger command of Spear and Auxilia, even though the elephant command required more Pips per Elephant. That decision would lead to some frustration soon enough.
Here are the armies deployed as seen from behind the Carthaginians; the Pontics have a large double-ranked command of Pikes in the center flanked by Knights and Light Horse facing the Numidians, and more Light Horse and Psiloi on the other side of the Pike.
I sent the Numidians charging forward to test the new Light Horse ability to fight with rear support. . . demoralizing the command but taking the Pontic right flank with it. The Elephant command refused to go forward, except in fits and starts, while the right flank skirmished with its Pontic counterparts.
I held the demoralized Numidians in place for a few bounds, until a low roll caused them to begin fleeing. Then the Pontic skirmishers on the right flank broke, so the Pontic pike were unleashed in the center against the Punic Spear. The new side support for spear allowed them to hold up the Pike long enough for the Elephants, who had finally managed enough Pips, to fall on the Pontic pike right flank while the Auxilia did the same on the left. Shades of Hannibal; and the Pontic army reached it's break point.
A fun game for the Carthaginians, while Bruce was a bit dismayed at his Pikes' inability to break through the Punic Spear and wondered if the new side/rear support rules in 3.0 have pulled the teeth of the Pikes.
Have a great Fourth of July!
