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Saturday the local HMGS-South group played a fictional Punic War battle using Battlesystem.

Carthaginian right flank

Carthaginian heavy cavalry drives off Roman skirmishers to hit the flank of Roman infantry. Medium cavalry charges the front. A Roman unit is destroyed and the heavy cavalry recoils.

Roman cavalry exploits a hole in the Carthaginian lines to attack Carthaginian skirmish cavalry. An elephant counter charges into their flank.

Roman infantry drives off the skirmish cavalry with fire. Roman infantry hit a phalanx unit in flank and rear.

With both sides bloodied and lines in disarray, we called a halt to the carnage.

Battle of Salamis, 306 BC

Saturday the local HMGS-South group played a game of Hail, Agrippa! at the Dogs of War shop. The Hail, Agrippa! rules are a modification of Hail Caesar published in Issue 66 of ‘Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy’ magazine. [Hail Agrippa! rules link]

The scenario was based on the Battle of Salamis (Crete), 306 BCE fought between an Antigonid fleet led by Demetrius and a Ptolemaic fleet led by Ptolemy in person. The main source for the battle is Diodorus.

The units in the game (4 models on a base) represent about 10 ships each. Miniatures are primarily Langton 1:1200 and Navwar 1:1200, with a few Valiant 1:900 and scratch-built ships.

As described in Diodorus, the Antigonid fleet deploys first, and the Ptolemaic fleet second.

Ptolemy has chosen to deploy to seaward (east) of Demetrius. His lightest ships are on the right wing.

Ptolemy advances rapidly while Demetrius pivots.

The left wings and centers clash and both right wings are delayed by failed orders. Ptolemy loses a unit.

Most of Ptolemy’s center is destroyed by bad rolls on break tests. Demetrius swings his right wing inward. The remaining Ptolemaic ships flee.

Flying Colors Naval Game

Saturday the local HMGS-South group played a Revolutionary War naval game at the Dogs of War shop using the Flying Colors rules. The scenario was a simplified version of the battle of Cape Henry, 16 March 1781. Old Glory miniatures were used instead of the games ship counters.

The British line split into two formations and attempted to double the French van, but the French maneuvered downwind to avoid this. A 120 degree wind shift then gave the French the weather gage. The British sustained more damage overall, although the leading French ship accumulated enough hull damage to strike her colors.

With nine ships in each fleet, only the leading ships fit on the table at the start.

On the second turn the British split into two formations. The French maneuver in a single line for several more turns.

A stern rake forces the leading French ship to strike.

The British switch from formation commands to group commands.

The rear of the French line comes into action at long range.

The flagship of the British second in command is nearly dis-masted. The British struggle to maneuver around the crippled French ship which has struck.

Diadochi Era Siege Ship

seige

This is a very speculative attempt to model a double-hulled ship carrying a siege tower in 1/1200 scale. Demetrius I Poliorcetes or Lysimachus may have used something like this for siege operations against cities in the early 3rd Century BCE. See Chapter 6 of “The Age of Titans” by Murray.

The model uses the hulls of two 1/900 scale Ramming Speed ships by Valiant Enterprises. The tower is 30 meters tall in 1/1200 scale, or about 3/4 of the estimated height of Helepolis.

RECON 2015 Thursday Photos

Punic War Battle

Battle of Salamis, 306 BC

Flying Colors Naval Game

Diadochi Era Siege Ship