2nd Battle of Himera. 409 BC. (Tyrant Module) p1/2

Simple Great Battles of History

originally played and recorded 23rd of August 2010. Background post for an upcoming series of posts regarding the Tyrant Module and the Battle of Akragas  206 BC.

The 2nd Battle of Himera 409 BC

Abbreviations:
H= hit (Cohesion Hit)
WS=Weapon System [various unit types effectiveness versus each other, frontal or flanking attacks]
CH=Cohesion Hit [The ability for a unit to stay together and a measure of its #of troops)
TQ= Troop Quality
Size Ratio (SR)
DRM –Die roll Modifier
Reduced Side (weakened unit prior to rout)
DR=Roll for Rout
Red=Syracuse
Blue= Carthage

In SGBoH you count player turns not just turns overall. The goal is to kill more than the other guy and accrue Rout Points (RP).

Each turn you may activate one formation (group of counters), and you may attempt to seize or steal a turn from the opponent. The turns follow move, missile fire, return fire and shock. Each TQ point is worth 150 guys or a 100 horsemen (give or take) and each turn is 20 minutes. Oh and the terrain scale is 70yars a hex.

Introduction:
I thought it might be fun to try and bring a battle to life, to test my new understanding of SGBoH and hopefully attracts a new player or two.
I have tried to include some details about the game as I go along. It’s likely a bit disjointed as this was done over several days play and attempts at recall of what happened.
Location:

Opening:
Hannibal tossed restlessly in his sleep. Dreams of revenge plagued him. Upon the hill in the encampment overlooking Himera on the Northern coast of Syracuse his army rested its weary bones. Yet he found no solace in his slumber. No peace yet.

It was just days after the siege of Selinus had concluded. He had exacted a heavy toll upon the Syracusan’ s at the cost of many of his crack troops and Libyan veterans.

It was not enough.

Nearly 80 years ago his grandfather Hamilcar then King of Carthage died in the flames of the Altar on the pebble strewn beach in front of Himera. Since then his father Gisgo had not been seen. Banished as he was to exile for the failure to beat these island dwelling, olive eating scum.

Hannibal would avenge Syracuse’s treacherous midnight attack upon the sea camp 80 years ago this day. They would not surprise Carthage again!

As he dreamt of taking Diocles heart in his hands and squeezing the blood from it unto his dying eyes, he imagined the sound of battle would cease around him as he did so………

………The sound of battle! His eyes fluttered open. “No!” He roared, “No!” Just then one of his general staff stormed in, as the sound of horns all around peeled in the pre dawn quiet. “Hamilcar and the siege line are about to break my liege!” “What are we to do?” he asked.

T 1Red:
Down the hill from the main camp on the Siege Line, Hamilcar was hard pressed. He too had dreamt of Diocles blood, and that of the citizens of Himera, but no longer. He was fully awake, and fighting for his very life as General Heloris’s crack Syracusan Guard Peltasts and Mercenary Greeks charged his center. Javelins filled the air , their men exacted a heavy toll on his troops, his men repay in kind. [Javelins attack at a Strength of 3 a one hex range, with modifiers3 str 6 units inflict 3 hits, and receive the same. ]

 

They quickly closed for shock combat. Now would be the test of his men. Dam it , thought Hamilcar we are beset again by these bastard sons with a sneak attack.
[Syr shock atk #1 +4 DRM = 1H/2H (Atk/Defender, result), The Syr Gd shock Atk #2 is +5 DRM = DR+2 (succeed your Rout roll and you take the damage, /or 2H_R, ] the Libyans avoid routing against the Guard troops but only just, as 300 of them fall where they stand. Finally the third Syr shock attack of Helons men attack and inflict [1H/2H ] another 300 odd casualties.

Blue 1. Hannibal strides confidently to his horse shouting orders as he goes. “Move the Sicel Levies, and the (Hannibal successfully seizes) Libyan Veteran Corp to a defensive perimeter, while we rally the men. “ Artarbas, get out there and provide some help to Hamilcars retreat”

Medium Infantry move to Perimeter position.

End of Turn Blue 1&2.

Red2 Heloris presses his advantage and drives into the weakening line. “Now men now into them” he cries. Drawing his sword, Heloris ducks a strike, backhand slashing his opponent. Javelin fire is exchanged and the Syr Guard close the 75 m rapidly and eviscerate the Libyans in front of them. Likewise on their flank [3CH ] 200+ men are cut down. Several hundred Libyan Light Infantry are killed in the first 20 minutes of battle.

Red3. Diocles seizes successfully and sends Demeratus into the action. The Syracuse Knights gallop into the fray, sustaining minor damage (+1CH) and they shock attack inflicting more pain upon the Libyan’s weakening center (1H/2H). “Lets inflict some hut on these arrogant bastards!” says Diocles as he wields his short spear through the throat of the horse in front of him, smashing his shield into the man on the horse. His horse tramples the warrior beneath him.

Blue3 Artarbas rides out with chariots, straightens his helm, adjusts his plumes and inspects his cloak for lint. The Light Cav [LC], Heavy Cav (HC) and 300 chariots [CH] follow across the field, in the distance they can see the Light Infantry preparing to face the Phalanx’s [PH] of Syracuse.

Red4 Demeratus’s attempt at flanking with his HC in the center fails as the Libyans (Reaction Face Change- RFC) in time to meet the charge. All in 2 shock attacks yield [2H_R and 1H/2H.]

T4Blue Hamilcars right flank hit and run attacks the Epilekto Phalanxs’ drawing blood on two units. Hamilcar pauses breathing hard and looks around, his left flank under attack, his center disintegrating, and …..ohhhh no, those 4 Phalanx’s are charging right at him.

It’s not going to be a good day he thinks. He wipes blood from his eye and cleans his short sword on his cloak. “Stand and fight Carthage stand and fight. “ He roars.

Normally he would orderly withdraw but there is nothing between him and the camp. He can see Artarbas trotting gaily towards him, but he is too far away still. I must buy my cousin Hannibal time he thinks. “Time to die for Carthage” he mutters. He hoists his shield high, waves his sword and charges in front of his men into the heart of the Phalanx.

T5&6Red(successful seize) Diocles had indeed ordered the PH’s forward. A hail of Javelins, stones and missiles pepper his line. (+5CH from missiles), Diocles ignores the 600 bodies falling around him and charges for Hamilcar, Diocles men in his immediate Phalanx PH are subsequently Reduced [ Some units have the ability to keep fighting in a ‘reduced’ state; Meaning they have taking a whipping but keep on ticking however less effectively than before and are just a hairs breath from Routing] by the fierce combat, and retreat. But 3 Libyan units lie dead on the field, over 2,250 men die to buy Hannibal time. Hamilcar, with dented helm, bloodied body and broken shield finds a horse and rides to find more of his men (Ldr otherwise engaged rule 4.36, means ho does not die if the unit he is with dies, he comes back next activation).

Not a good day indeed.

[In 6 turns Diocles has inflicted 35 Rout points. His army needs 65 more points to defeat Hannibal.

Hannibal on the other hand has time. He needs just 70 points total to break the Syracusan Army. Syracuse is out manned by nearly 2-1, and Hannibal has a high quality army with nearly double the TQ factors (259 v140).

Will Syracuses small 10,000-man army hold against Hannibal’s 20,000 men and 150 chariots? ]