A Small Teaching Game of Hail Caesar

Last night I had my brother over to introduce him to the world of historical wargaming and the Hail Caesar rules with the secret agenda of getting him hooked and thereby gaining a new playing partner. I am happy to report that it was a smashing success! My brother and I have enjoyed gaming together all of our lives and so it wasn't too difficult to lure him to my house with the promise of war elephants.

To make things simple we divided my Carthaginian army in half, with me getting one extra unit of Libyan heavy infantry and my brother receiving both units of Ligurian slingers as well as the Numidian cavalry. The scenery on the table was simple with several trees and ancient buildings on the edges to add depth to the game while leaving the center open for easy maneuvering of the forces while he leaned the rules.

I deployed my forces with the heavy infantry at the center and the Spanish Scutarii supporting them to their immediate right. My left flank was occupied by my lone elephant while the right flank was secured by my Carthaginian cavalry. Seeing my deployment, my brother took the field in a similar manner with his slingers screening his infantry. After some maneuvering and some feints through the middle with the cavalry, a few units were lost on cavalry charges or through skirmishing. Chris was able, in some bold moves to quickly regroup his army into a formed line with his elephant anchoring the center while his Numidian light horse quickly abandoned the left for run to the hold his right flank. My veterans had been so heavily damaged by the times the lines clashed that they were forced to retire behind the Libyans and offer only support to their comrades, which eroded my advantage of being able to bring additional frontage to the conflict.

The heavy clash of lines was immense. There was some giving and some taking, but my loyal infantry had been weakened through a very effective use of his slingers to soften them prior to the lines meetings. Curses and prayers were said, shields were bashed and in the end my army fell in a very close fight.

My brother enjoyed the evening immensely. He loved the game mechanics, the models, and our imaginative travel back through time. He left my house with a smile on his face, my copy of the Hail Caesar rule book tucked under his arm and a resolve to research an army that could oppose the Republican Romans that I am building. I have given him a few ideas, but does anybody have some suggestions for him?

Order of battle and some photographs from the game:

The deployment and ending positions of our armies. I was on the left.

My battle line awaits the enemy and offers a prayer to Tanit.

Libyan infantry falls behind the veterans, exposing their flank.

Enemy cavalry presses the advantage.

The veterans manage to run off the enemy horse but with a heavy toll.

My brother is able to reform his line, centered  by his elephant.

Badly wounded, the veterans are resigned to being a support unit.

My cavalry tried a bold move to break through but were repelled.

After much skirmishing, the battle lines finally converge.

The elephant successfully supports allies on either side.

The chaos of the battle.

The end is nearing.

At Long Last, A Victory for Carthage

Yesterday saw the monthly Hail Caesar battle between the armies of Carthage and Rome. Aaron was kind enough to host the game at his house on a large table set up in his living room which was very fun. Our armies have grown considerably over the last few months and this battle was our largest yet and the most interesting from a strategic point-of-view. The game had moments of panic, twists of fate and some ferocious fighting at the center. At the end of the day, Hannibal displayed great acumen and was able to organize his troops and lead them to a rousing victory.

Hannibal organized his battle lines with his most trusted veterans holding the center supported by the Libyan infantry. To his right flank was his brother Mago, commanding a unit of Spanish Scutarii, a war elephant and the Liby-Phoenician cavalry. Positioned on the left flank was the irritable Hasdrubal and his Numidian cavalry, a second war elephant and a single unit of Spanish. As the morning fog lifted, the Romans emerged - infantry at their center, archers and Numidians to the Carthaginians right and auxiliaries to the left. A single Scorpion was placed atop a hill ready to strike down those that got too near.

The lines on both sides stood and waited. The Roman-allied Numidians suddenly broke from their position and in a cloud of dust raced quickly across the front of the entire Roman line. A gap had been spotted in the Carthaginian left flank and the Romans were quick to exploit it with swift horses and the advance of their auxiliary units. This left flank would prove crucial to the outcome of the battle. Hasdrubal, seeing his error, ordered the Numidians to meet the Romans in a small canyon and to halt their advance. Meanwhile, those Numidians allied with the Romans raced past the skirmish and found themselves suddenly behind the Carthaginian lines, ready to cause havoc. The loyal Spanish lifted their shields and wheeled to meet the unexpected challenge, intent on holding the critical left flank.

On the right flank the Carthaginians were lethargic. Mago failed to rouse his troops to action and in fact, several terrible blunders occurred which resulted in his cavalry fleeing the battle and the mighty war elephant to unexpectedly leave its position and charge toward the enemy in a frenzy. The elephant and its crew were wounded, but the elephant was skillfully returned to the Carthaginian line without too much disruption. Meanwhile the Roman archers crept off to the shores of a small nearby lake hoping to inflict woulds on any advancing enemy while being protected by the marshes and reeds. The Romans on the right flank were unable to take advantage of the Carthaginian blunders due to very poor command rolls. Seeing the inaction of the Romans, Hannibal commanded Mago to abandon the right flank entirely and bring his troops toward the center and away from the lake.

Back on the volatile left flank the fighting was fierce. In the end the Romans auxiliaries and the Roman allied Numidian were either destroyed or sent to flight. Not only was the Carthaginian left flank now secure, but it was free of the enemy and open for a quick advance and flanking maneuver  Hannibal, who had held his eager but disciplined veterans back while chaos was enveloping both flanks, finally ordered the advance at the center. The Ligurian slingers, normally so reliable and formidable on the field, were of little consequence as they were scattered by the artillery and advancing Romans - and so it would be heavy infantry clashing with heavy infantry to decide the outcome. Some strong shields and decisive moves by Hannibal saw one unit of veterans supported by the valiant Spanish punch a hole through the Roman lines. These units then circled back - the veterans moving to their left and the Spanish moving to their right and attacking the rear of the Romans who were already engage, trapping them and leading to the destruction of the Romans.

The game lasted about three hours and was extremely enjoyable. We are still plagued with a very, very high number of failed command rolls during our games which is leading to some frustration for both of us. It isn't that one side gains an advantage because of this as it is happening to both of us, but we would rather not have our armies standing around doing nothing, especially when their are strategic decisions that we cannot carry out in a timely manner and so miss the opportunities. We have decided for the next game to up all of our command values by one to see if that helps.

Below are some photos for the game, I hope you enjoy them.

The initial deployment.

The eager Romans.

The Carthaginian center. The teeth of the army.

Numidians holding the left flank.

The left flank is bloody.

One last charge by the Romans sees them destroyed.

The war elephant frenzies and charges the Romans alone.

The left flank battle is drawn.

The heroic Spanish that stopped the Roman advance.

The center of the field.

Carthaginian veterans push forward.

Mago Barcid surveys the battle.

Libyan heavy infantry move to support the battle lines.

The decisive break through the Roman center.

The hole in the center is visible, allowing the Carthaginians
to surround the Romans.

The new Libyan infantry served well.

The enemy is trapped.

Finishing the job...

Hannibal is pleased as he watches the victory.

Romans stand against the war elephant.

Battle Report: Carthaginian Mercenary Uprising

I was finally able to play a game of Hail Caesar with my eleven-year-old son Maxwell yesterday afternoon. We have played Lord of the Rings together many times before and so he is not new to miniature gaming and he has been watching the growing Carthaginian army with great interest (He loves all things Roman and so is really pushing me to get the Republican Roman army started!).

Since we only have one army, we decided to split the Carthaginians in half and play a scenario that saw a small group of Libyan, Spanish and Numidian allies angry about not receiving their pay from the Barcids. To take matters in their own hands they foolishly decided to attack a nearby Carthaginian camp in hopes of securing some treasure.

It was a very straightforward game as I was teaching Maxwell the rules. He particularly enjoyed playing the part of the leader of the rebel band and shouting commands to each unit and then threatening them with terrible consequences when his orders were not followed!

The Numidian light cavalry saw their first action on the field and were the heroes of the day as they were able to push the Carthaginian formed cavalry entirely off the field. Their swiftness and agility, which allows them within the rules to move out of combat, is a huge asset and I'm looking forward to trying them against the stubborn Romans.

It was a very fun afternoon. Please enjoy these photos of the game:

The enemy commander Maxwell prepares the battle lines.

The mercenaries had control of a Carthaginian elephant.

Skirmishers prepare to engage.

The commander of the unhappy mercenaries looking for their pay.

The moment just prior to the lines clashing.

The Carthaginian elite guard races to secure the flank.

Lines separate and small fights break-out across he field.

The Numidians are released to engage the enemy.

Loyal veterans assaulted by the Spanish and a large elephant.

Hannibal Defeated, Recalled to Carthage

Following another staggering loss by the Carthaginians to the Romans early in this campaigning season, Hannibal has been officially recalled to Carthage by the judges of the Hundred and Four to answer for the string of embarrassing defeats. Hannibal, in true Barcid form, has ignored the arrogant summons and instead has quickly dispatched Mago back to Northern Africa to recruit additional Libyans and Numidians to the cause against Rome.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This month's game of Hail Caesar, played yesterday afternoon, certainly did not go the way of the Carthaginians in the end, but it was great fun and I am learning more and more about the rules (and my army) with each game. Since my regular opponent and myself are both in the process of building our armies, each month's battle gets a little larger, a little more fierce and a little more fun than the previous month -- military escalation at its finest. My Carthaginian army is super fun to play, but I still make some very stupid mistakes and Aaron, who is a great player, is always swift to punish them.

Hannibal deployed the Spanish in the center, two units deep with a unit of Carthaginian veterans to each side. The cavalry anchored the left flank and an elephant on the right. Ligurian slingers were shielding each of the veteran spearmen as word had been received that the Romans had brought archers as well as some light artillery. A large wood stood the the left of the field and and a large rock outcropping to the right - it was Hannibal's decision to march the army forward in formation and reach the gap between these two natural barriers before the Romans, thus securing his flanks.

Hannibal's wise intent was to hold the cavalry in reserve, but the ever impetuous Mago, fearing the cavalry becoming trapped behind the chaos of the battle lines, sent the horse forward beyond the woods in the hopes of meeting some Roman auxiliaries and finding glory. The Romans, who had camped nearer than anticipated, easily intercepted the cavalry - trapping and destroying them before the battle had even begun.

Hannibal, despite the routing of his cavalry, continued forward with renewed determination  The Romans began firing the light artillery which they had carried to the battle, causing casualties to both the Ligurians and the Spanish. The slingers on the Carthaginian left had great success against the advancing Romans, driving them back with devastating and well-placed stones. This flurry of bullets was enough to delay their advance and caused chaos among the Roman army as their lines became disorganized and unresponsive to orders.

On the right side of the field, the Romans were unhindered and charged the sole Carthaginian elephant, thinking that it would easily be driven away. Instead, the elephant reluctantly held its ground and was quickly joined by a fierce line of Hannibal's finest veterans. Together they pushed, pursued and ultimately destroyed the aggressive Roman unit on the right.

Hannibal now noticed the center of his army becoming disordered and unresponsive to his commands. The Spanish, under heavy missile fire, sheltered themselves behind their large shields and refused to be moved, either by the nearness of the enemy or by the shouts of their commander. This reluctance of the middle proved to be the undoing of the Carthaginians on this day. Despite the brave and glorious efforts of the veterans and the elephant crew on the flanks, it was not enough as the Romans smashed into the decimated center, routing the army.

The elusive Hannibal rallied the remaining units to him and made a brave escape across a nearby river.

Here are several photos of the battle, I hope you enjoy them: