Trebia 218 BC

Hannibal famously traversed the Alps in 218 BC invading Italy. He defeated a Roman army at Ticinus in northern Italy recruiting a good many Gauls and other allies in the process. 

Rome reinforced Scipio with a second army under the command of Longus and their armies converged near Placentia at the junction of the River Po and Trebia. Hannibal, with approximately 29,000 infantry and 11,000 cavalry, were camped across the Trebia from the Romans. The Romans numbered approximately 16,000 Roman Legionaries, 20,000 allied infantry (most trained in the Roman manner with a contingent of Gauls), and 4,000 cavalry.

Hannibal sent a contingent of light cavalry to harass the Romans who responded by crossing the freezing Trebia in pursuit of the skirmishers. Longus took it upon himself to lead the Roman army who found themselves opposed by the main Carthaginian force.

Initial dispositions with Mago's ambush concealed in the ravine at the bottom right of the photo.

Rules used are Hail Caesar 2. Tabletop size 5'3" x 3'9".

Continued -

ORDERS OF BATTLE

Carthaginian

Commander - Hannibal*    L 10 

Hanno  L 8 (centre left)

• 1 unit African Spearmen
• 1 unit Spanish Scutari
• 2 units Gallic Warriors
• 2 small units Balearic Slingers
• 3 small units Spanish Caetrati
• 3 small units Libyan Javelinmen

Unnamed Sub-Commander  L 8 (centre right) 

• 1 unit African Spearmen
• 1 unit Spanish Scutari
• 1 unit Gallic Warriors
• 1 unit Ligurians
• 2 small units Balearic Slingers
• 3 small units Spanish Caetrati
• 3 small units Libyan Javelinmen

Unnamed Sub-Commander  L 8 (left flank)

• 1 unit Spanish Cavalry
• 1 small unit Punic Horse
• 2 units Gallic Cavalry
• 3 small units Numidian light horse
• 1 Elephant

Unnamed Sub-Commander  L 8 (right flank)

• 1 unit Spanish Cavalry
• 1 small unit Punic Horse
• 2 units Gallic Cavalry
• 3 small units Numidian light horse
• 1 Elephant

Mago  L9  (Ambushers)

• 3 small units Numidian light horse
• 1 unit Spanish Scutari
• 3 small units Libyan Javelinmen

* Hannibal does not have his own division. He can take control of any division when he joins that divisional commander using his own leadership rating.

Mago - May spring his ambush from turn 3. It will be his choice when to spring it but must pass an activation test. If he fails then the ambush will be delayed until an activation test is passed.

Roman

Commander - Longus  L 9  (centre right - 2 x Roman legions)

• 4 small units Velites
• 4 small units Hastati
• 4 small units Principes
• 2 small units Triarii

Unnamed Praetor  L 8  (centre left - 2 x Allied legions)

• 4 small units Velites
• 4 small units Hastati
• 4 small units Principes
• 2 small units Triarii

Unnamed Praefectus Sociorum  L 8 (right flank)

• 2 small units Italian Cavalry
• 2 small units Roman Cavalry
• 2 units Gallic Warriors

Unnamed Praefectus Sociorum  L 8 (left flank)

• 4 small units Italian Cavalry  

Carthaginian centre-left and left flank.

Carthaginian centre-right and right flank.

Carthaginian centre with the 3 units of Gallic warriors at its core and Hannibal behind looking on.

Roman left and centre laid out in their manipular formation. Velites are thinned out due to losses from earlier actions.

Roman right flank.

Longus with his Roman division of 2 legions on the centre right.

Longus was awarded the first turn. He intended to use his advantage in infantry including the quality of his legionaries to destroy Hannibal's centre having no doubt that they would be successful against the mish-mash of mercenaries opposing Rome. His cavalry were tasked with holding the flanks as long as possible giving him time to deal with Hannibal's infantry before dealing with the mounted troops.

For Hannibal it was pretty much the reverse of that. It was his intention to let the Romans come to him and he would use his cavalry advantage to destroy their flanks. His infantry would absorb and hold the Roman infantry allowing for Mago to spring his ambush onto the rear of the Romans. They will be trapped and ripe for destruction.

The early moves proved slow for the Romans with a series of failed command rolls.

Hannibal's right flank charged into their Roman opposite numbers and initially the heavily outnumbered Italian cavalry managed to hold the charge through a counter-attack.

A command blunder lead the allied legionaries to drift to the left very nearly intermingling with their cavalry. Longus had to follow suit with his Roman legions to maintain a coordinated front.

It is now turn 4 and the Roman left flank begins to collapse.

That collapse arrives with the Carthaginian turn. Just one small Italian cavalry unit remains and as a result the division is broken.

In the centre, Hannibal sent his skirmishers forward to engage with the Velites. A failed command roll resulted in the left centre division halted and a visibly angry Hannibal rushed to take over the command himself.

The Roman attack on their left flank began well. One Gallic warband was destroyed and another pushed back.

The victorious Spanish cavalry conducted a sweeping follow-through into the Hastati maniple in the far right of the photo. It proved disastrous with the Spanish unit destroyed.

On the far left the Roman cavalry had destroyed the Gallic cavalry and one of the Numidian light cavalry units was similarly dispatched. The Carthaginian left flank was beginning to look rather precarious.

Turn 5 sees the total demise of the Roman left flank division. The Romans hurriedly attempt to form a defensive line using nearby Hastati and Principes maniples including the Triarii reserves. 

The Roman plight on their left is further accentuated by the arrival of Mago's force. His first command roll gives him the maximum 3 moves allowing him to sweep some distance onto the battlefield with the Roman rear within sight.

Hannibal decides to capitalise on the Roman discomfort and moves his centre right division forward with his skirmishers inflicting casualties including driving back several Velites.

Hannibal's intention was for a general advance but his centre left division proves rather tardy. He joins the commander to ensure they make a decent advance the next turn.

The Romans have considerably more success on their right flank utterly wiping out 3 small units of Numidian light horse. A Gallic unit is also destroyed and the Carthaginian commander wounded.

All is not lost for the Carthaginians though as their elephants pile into the flank of the Roman Gaul allies. The Gauls fall back disordered and shaken pursued by Carthaginian Gallic mounted warriors and the elephants. 

Turn 6 - The Carthaginians on their right flank were dogged by poor command rolls with most units having to rely on their own initiative. As a result most of the cavalry charges were limited and for the most part easily beaten back. Even so the Roman line began to break up caused by a successful charge of Numidian light horse. 

On the Carthaginian centre right, the Spanish Scutari successfully held a well supported charge by a maniple of Hastati. Immediately behind the Roman frontline, Balearic slingers and Spanish Caetrati began clearing away the Velites bringing further pressure to bear on the Roman left.

A successful charge by Hastati (centre left of photo) destroyed the Ligurian unit but they in turn were shaken by casualties sustained by a swarm of javelins thrown by Libyan skirmishers.

Hannibal's presence has the desired effect hurriedly bringing forward the main centre left force. The Carthaginian skirmishers pay a heavy price for fending off the advancing Roman legions.

Disaster for the Carthaginians on their left flank. The Gallic cavalry and elephants battling the Roman Gallic allies were destroyed when a Roman cavalry unit ploughed into the rear of the Carthaginian cavalry. This lead to the entire division breaking. The 'entire' being the single unit of Spanish cavalry at the bottom of the photo which will now retire from the field. 

The bonus for Hannibal being the dispersed nature of the Roman right flanking division. It is going to take some time for the Roman commander to get some cohesion back into his force unless he decides to commit his units piecemeal into the fray.

An overview at the end of turn 6. Both sides have their difficulties and the battle could go either way.

Turn 7 - Poor command rolls continue to dog the Carthaginians on their right flank with both Mago and the right wing commander failing their rolls. It fell to unit initiative moves to maintain any sort of momentum and in their desire to turn the Roman flank quickly, rashly charged the long spears of the Triarii.

The end result was dire for the Carthaginians with the destruction of their Gallic cavalry and the Numidians thrown back.

Having taken direct control of the centre-left division, Hannibal wastes no time in launching them at the Roman legions.

The 2 Gallic warbands enjoy the most success punching through the Roman line with their 'wild charge'. At the end of turn 7 Hannibal desperately needs his right flank commander to get a grip.

Turn 8 - The Triarii have successfully repulsed the first cavalry attacks on the Roman left flank but now have to defend themselves against a hail of javelins thrown by encircling Numidian light horse. Mago has a successful command dice roll enabling him to rush through his infantry (right of photo).

Another view of the Roman left flank.

A Carthaginian Gallic warband was destroyed leaving a gaping hole in their line. Fortunately for Hannibal the Roman commander on their right flank was having difficulty moving his troops into a position where he can bring them to bear on the Carthaginian centre.

Aside from the warband, both sides struggle to gain the advantage on the Carthaginian centre-left division.

The Carthaginians enjoy success on the far left of the photo when a unit of African spearmen destroy a unit of Principes. They conduct a sweeping advance into a shaken unit of Hastati who are also destroyed.

Turn 9 and the Roman right flank division again remains static!

On the Carthaginian centre left division, Hanno is killed when fighting with his doomed Spanish Scutari who are defeated by Roman Hastati. Hannibal joins his reserve replacement at this crucial time to ensure little chance of command roll failures. He pulls back his African spearmen to plug the hole left by the Scutari (lower left of photo).

In the centre the Gallic warband continues to fight it out with the Roman maniples, and although narrowly defeated hold their ground.

On the right another warband, having rallied from shaken, launches a charge at the shaken Principes. They won the combat but the Principes held and the warband were once again shaken. 

The Roman centre left division consisting of the 2 allied legions, are in danger of encirclement. Numidian cavalry swarm around a unit of Triarii inflicting heavy casualties as they hurl their javelins from all sides. The Carthaginian right flank commander at long last benefits from successful command rolls and brings his cavalry forward. 

Top left sees Mago continue to sweep around the Roman rear with his infantry.

Turn 10 and the Roman right flank commander begins to reform his command. His small unit of Roman cavalry receive 3 activations allowing it to swoop on a small unit of Balearic slingers. The slingers stand their ground hoping to break the charge with a strong volley but fail to do so and are comprehensively destroyed. The victorious cavalry fall on the flank of the African spearmen along with Hannibal himself. The spearmen are defeated and fall back in good order with Hannibal narrowly escaping death!

Disaster befalls the Carthaginians when the centre left warband is destroyed in combat with Hastati causing the division to break. The African spearmen is the only unit left of this division and will now retreat. 

Mago continues sweeping around the rear of the Romans and is now in a position to intervene. Will he be too late?

The one area where the Romans are in peril is their allied legions now fully encircled. Carthaginian cavalry charges in with the Romans holding. In the upper middle of the photo, African spearmen charged into a Hastati maniple pushing them back into the shrinking Roman circle. 

Turn 11. In an act of desperation, Hannibal joins the shaken Gallic warband in an effort to overturn the stalemate in its fight against 2 maniples of Principes. The gamble paid off with both Roman units destroyed together with a unit of Velites. Hannibal narrowly escapes without injury or worse and turns the warband towards the threat materialising from his now vacant left flank.

In the centre, Longus moves several units to counter the threat from Mago with both sides hurling javelins at each other.

The Carthaginian right flank commander successfully rallies his elephant unit and immediately launches them into the fray.

The elephants' charge yields dramatic results destroying a unit of Principes. A sweeping charge allows them to pile into the flank of more Principes.

The Roman unit is defeated and falls back shaken. Together with losses inflicted by Hannibal the Roman allied division is broken. Both sides have now sustained 2 broken divisions and the next loss will determine the victor.

Turn 12. The increasingly desperate situation for both sides leads to commanders taking increasingly aggressive and risky measures to defeat their enemy. On the right of the photo is the aftermath of a charge by a unit of Principes supported by Hastati against the Gallic warband lead personally by Hannibal. Electing to remain with the warband Hannibal survives the ensuing melee which sees the Principes destroyed. The shaken warband though is not in a position to take advantage of its victory and will require rallying by Hannibal.

On the far left, Mago launches his Spanish Scutari into the makeshift Roman line. He pulls in a nearby Numidian cavalry unit in support and to further increase his chances of success risks his own life by joining in. The Scutari win the melee but the Hastati hold their ground in good order.

The last melee of the broken Roman allied legion sees a unit of Triarii defeat the Gallic cavalry causing them to fall back in disorder. Unfortunately for the Triarii, their casualties cause them to be shaken with no possibility of rallying.

The Carthaginian commander seeks to disengage as quickly as possible to support Hannibal and Mago in the centre allowing the broken Roman division to 'escape'.

Cavalry and a Gallic warband from the sluggish Roman right flank division finally spring into life and rush to support the flank of Longus' Roman legions.

Turn 13. Dramatic events occur in the centre of the battlefield. On the middle right a unit of Principes charged the African spearmen. It was defeated and had to fall back but in doing so collided with units engaged in melee and as a result it was destroyed. The Carthaginian commander was wounded in the action.

In the middle of the photo the Romans destroyed the Scutari and to Carthaginian dismay, Mago was killed. Only the Romans being in a shaken state saved the Carthaginians from more embarrassment. 

Hair-raising stuff for Hannibal as his Gallic warband are defeated in both the Roman and Carthaginian turns and on each occasion are merely pushed back still in good order. Hannibal cannot afford to lose the Gauls which would see Carthaginian defeat and therefore, continues to risk his life.

The situation in the centre after Mago's death. Roman units charged along their flank (right of photo) with all skirmishers and light cavalry succeeding in evading. The broken allied division takes advantage of the opening to retire from the field as quickly as possible. 

The Carthaginian right flank commander throws any available unit forward as fast as he is able with the elephants in the lead.

Turn 14. The Roman allied legions are in the distance hastily retreating from the battlefield. On the left the Roman right flank division intermingles with Longus' Roman legions forming a new line. In the hope of buying them more time and maybe even a victory, Longus launches a single small unit of Hastati at the African spearmen (middle of photo). They succeeded in delaying the spearmen but were destroyed in the process.

In the upper right of the photo the Carthaginian mounted troops of their right flank division begins to reform into some sort of order. Mago's replacement uses his skirmishers to pepper the Romans with javelins. 

The desperate struggle continued between the Gallic warband and the Hastati supported by Roman cavalry. Alas Hannibal pushed his luck too far! During the Roman turn he was killed but the Gauls still would not give in, falling back once again. Seeing the dire situation, the Carthaginian right flank commander ordered his Punic cavalry to charge the flank of the Hastati in the hope of turning the tide for the Gauls. 

The photo shows that charge with the cavalry ploughing into the Roman flank. The Hastati, flushed with success, held firm. For the Gauls though they were on their last legs and without Hannibal's support they finally succumbed. Both they and their supporting Spanish Caetrati were destroyed causing the division to break. 

With 3 of their 5 divisions broken and end was brought to the battle signalling defeat for the Carthaginians. A narrow victory for the Romans but one that turned the tide of history.

It all started to go wrong for the Carthaginians early in the game with the unexpected defeat of their left flank division. Without that mounted force swinging around the flank and rear of the Roman legions it was going to be tough for their infantry. 

Mago's ambush did not help. A messy entrance to the battlefield finding itself among the heavily engaged Carthaginian right flank. By the time they reached the rear of the Roman central divisions the latter had sufficient units to counter the threat.

It could have gone either way in the end and proved to be something of a nail-biter!

I am now swinging quite firmly behind Hail Caesar as my go-to set of rules for ancients. I do not intend to write a review leaving that to more capable persons than I. More posts will follow covering my foray into other rules from this family. i.e. Black Powder and Pike & Shotte. Suffice to say my ageing brain is better able to cope with simpler rules using similar mechanisms. My days of playing multiple periods using multiple rules are coming to an end!