Lake Trasimene

Mike wanted to have a go with his Carthaginians & when I began setting up the table I realised that I could easily make last week's Dunbar table into a Lake Trasimene.  The curve in the shore isn't historically correct, but it allowed the road to be longer - effectively giving us a bigger battlefield without changing the strategic or tactical situation.  The Romans have more points than the Carthaginians which gave them a chance of beating their strategic disadvantage.  Mike & Chris commanded the Carthos.  Jim & Steve the Romans.

The Roman army is on the road in a long column - 2 legions in the centre and an Allied division front and rear (marching towards the camera).  The Carthos were allowed to deploy anywhere  on the hill but at least 12" from the road & had the first move (when the fog lifted).

On the far left the Punic cavalry didn't charge home but pinned the end of the column while Gauls swept down off the hill smashing a gap in the Roman column. 

On the right the Carthaginian charge of Spanish & citizens wasn't quite as successful.  The leading Allied & Roman divisions lost units, but prevented a breakthrough.

The Romans in the center that had not been attacked in the initial ambush tried to redeploy and attack the flanks of the Carthaginians.  The Roman commanders had a difference of opinion about which was the best way to cut their way out.  Jim as Gaius Flaminus pulled rank and ordered the centre Legion to the left.  The surviving half of the rear legion (on the left) attacked the flank of the Gauls & destroyed one warband, but the next one had time to turn and charge the Romans breaking the Legion.  Meanwhile the Punic cavalry drove the Allied rearguard from the field.  On the right Steve's Allies put up some stout resistance as the lead Legion counterattacked.

The centre legion despite (or because of) the presence of Gaius Flaminius (Command rating 7) himself was too slow in moving to counterattack the Gauls.  The triari charged ahead but were left unsupported & were wiped out when the hastasi & principes blundered.

On the right, Steve's Allies & legion were finally overwhelmed leaving Flaminius & the remains of the centre Legion trapped.  

It was a tough ask for the Romans, made tougher by the Carthaginian players' dirty tactics of googling Hannibal's plan and adopting it.  But it was still an interesting game.  In retrospect the Romans probably should have sent the centre legion to the right rather than the left - the right nearly held off the Cartho left as it was - if they had had a bit of help they probably would have broken out giving the Romans some claim to have at least avoided total catastrophe.