Campaign Battle Year 8 at Numantia

Mike's Romans v. Carthaginians With Mark commanding for PeterW

Following their Pyrhic victory against the Spanish at Baetis last week, the Romans have had to retire to Numantia as the Carthaginians have moved there from Gades & cut their supply.  This battle is do or die for Rome as defeat leaves the army cut off & doomed.

The Romans are on the left.  Most of the Carthaginians are out of sight behind a ridge or in the woods & not on the table.

The Romans have made a general advance.  The Carthaginians have come forward on both flanks.  (There were cavalry in the woods on the far flank and infantry on the near flank).

The Romans have breasted the hill and the whole Carthaginian army is now down on the table.  The Carthaginian wings are advancing only slowly while Roman centre has rushed forward. 

In the foreground the Carthaginians advance only slowly as the Roman horse throw javelins & retire.  On the far flank the Carthaginian horse has failed their command to move.  On the ridge the Warbands have charged the Romans on the crest.  One warband broke through but was then counter attacked by Roman reserves.  The other was stopped & the combat continues. 

The Romans on the ridge have broken the warband's front line, charged on into their reserves and driven them from the field.  The 3rd Roman legion & heavy cavalry has quickly made up for lost time and rushed up to support the centre division precluding any flanking move by the Scutari.

At this stage the Carthaginian commander decided that with his centre smashed & his army divided in two it was too dangerous to continue.  He ordered a general withdrawal.  Now, at last, his orders were speedily obeyed and the Romans could not prevent the withdrawal (even if they wanted to).

Last week the Romans couldn't buy a decent command dice until the last turn of the game.  This week it was the opposite.  This time the dice gods were firmly on the Roman side and a sound Roman plan gave them a remarkable victory against the numbers. 

Even without the warband division the Carthaginians still had a good chance of winning, but their commander decided that with his line broken there was too big a risk of total disaster (& crucifixion) so he declined the double-or-nothing gamble. The Carthaginians will retreat to Gades and Rome holds onto Numantia.