DBMM New Zealand

A Tale of Two Orchards

Sunday at Pukekohe was the scene of another epic encounter with Mark Caunter (aka "The Auld Enemie") as my new Syracusans invaded Africa against Mark's Later Carthaginians. As my list included a couple of triremes (I mean what is the point of Syracusans if you don't take some naval?) this meant my sole terrain choice was a Sea. The remaining terrain consisted of two gentle ridges, both of which intruded slightly into the sea, and two Orchards, one on my left in the valley between the ridges and one in the middle of the table, just on Mark's side of the center line.

Deploying first, Mark had a mounted force of Cv and Numidian LH on his far left (my right) supported by Spanish Ax(S), Psiloi and four elephants. His centre was a similar command (but without elephants) with the Ax(S) and Ps aiming to dominate the central orchard and the Cv and LH in reserve. His right was a strong phalanx of Libyan Sp and a large body of Ps who looked to infiltrate my left through the orchard on that flank.

My deployment was similar, with the Triremes and Citizen Hoplite Reg Sp(I) on the left, 6 elements set to screen any infiltration from the orchard and the remainder covering the left flank of the Mercenary Hoplite Reg Sp(O) who continued the line up to the central orchard. I then had a force of Samnite Reg Ax(S) facing that orchard, supported by some Ps(S) and a force of Spanish Irregular Ax(S) to the right of the orchard facing Mark's (regular) Spanish and elephants, crucially with a pair of boltshooters in support. Finally, facing the Carthaginian horse was a mix of Cv(O) and Tarantine LH(O).

The action started fast and furious on my right with both mounted forces facing off in single lines, with no reserves on either side, meaning that once the fighting began it was going to be desperate. Mark attempted to tip the balance by moving his elephants across but three bolt shooter shots later saw these quickly consigned to the dead pile. The mounted on each side then clashed in a bloody melee decided by the Syracusans rolling 3x6-1's to the Carthaginian 1 which, with the elephant losses, saw the Carthaginian left collapse and break.

Meanwhile, a bitter battle had started for the central orchard. The initial attack of the Syracusan Samnites was soundly repelled with loss, but the pursuing Carthaginian Spanish, emerging from the trees, then found themselves facing superior numbers of Syracusan reserves and were bundled themselves back into the orchard.

While this was going on, the rival phalanxes had squared off, neither wishing to advance with the bloody fighting in the central orchard still in the balance. However the Carthaginian Ps had managed to infiltrate the orchard on my left, threatening the flank of the Syracusan phalanx. To counter this (and with rare good pips for what was my low pip command) I sent a large body of the Citizen hoplites into the orchard. I mean Sp(I) vs Ps(S) in difficult going, what could possibly go wrong? Well, after a few rounds of combat, no less than 6 Citizen hoplites were destroyed for minimal loss to the Carthaginians, leaving the rest of the Citizens disheartened and with their flank exposed!

With the bloodbath in the central orchard starting to go against him, Mark seized his chance and pushed forward his Libyans to engage the Syracusan phalanx. Unsurprisingly, the disheartened Citizens folded like a pack of cards and I thought, with my centre already having taken heavy losses in the orchard, the ME transmission would break them too. But no. They'd lost 7 ME and 2 ME for seeing the Citizens break took them to 9 out of 30 - understandably disheartened but still in the fight!

Finally, with both armies more or less out on their feet, the Spanish Ax(S) from my victorious right at last tipped the balance in the central orchard, with Mark's centre command breaking and with it the army. Syracusan losses were 45% plus a disheartened command for a very Pyrrhic 16-9 victory.

Phew, what a struggle! Could have gone either way and another epic to add to the long running rivalry Mark and I have. But what on earth was I thinking sending Sp(I) into the left orchard

https://www.facebook.com/groups/824840264342234/posts/2839752809517626/

Early position on the left with the Carthaginian Psiloi infiltrating the orchard and the Syracusan Citizens watching safely from the edge

Bang! The first of the three Carthaginian elephants disappears!

The right is now an elephant free zone although one of the boltshooters is about to be overrun by some Numidian LH. However these raiders were quickly mopped up by Syracusan reserves.