Play-test - End game

Week three of the big game play-test saw the close of the battle. The game took about seven and a half hours to play. Not bad for two players fighting 1300 figures in 40 units or so a side. The game threw up one or two interesting problems and enough general combats to check out the dice modifiers in the tactical combat tables.

I'm now busy doing, what should be, the final editing. We will do a couple more play tests to double check everything, then it will be winging its way down the wire to Andrew at Miniature Wargames.

The Carthaginians temporarily withdraw their Spanish troops in the centre to reorganise and shift emphasis back onto the their right wing. The Roman infantry are proving a very tough nut to crack, their ability to bring reserves into the front line (triplex acies formation) and 'stubborn' status is too much even for Veteran Spanish scutarii.

Finally, the Roman left collapses and the Carthaginian cavalry begin to envelop. The Romans rush battered units to try and form a new line to rearward. But then a new problem for the Carthaginians - their Gallic troops begin waver and crack.

On the Carthaginian left the Romans are outflanked by Libyan spear men and withdraw in good order. The side of the field has been fairly inactive and will remain so.

The Carthaginians are forced to renew the attack in the centre, the Roman centre buckles, the enveloping cavalry arrive.

THE ROMANS ARE OUT OF ARMY MORALE CHIPS!!!!

As the Gauls flee, the Roman centre finally collapses in some style. The Roman units are worn out and when two army morale cards are turned in quick succession the infantry commands fail and the result of the consequential unity integrity loss is rout or dispersal. The battle is effectively over. A decisive, if costly, Carthaginian victory.

The Romans chewed through 84 army morale chips. The Carthaginians started with 58, got as low as 7, and finished with 16.

I will be unable to do a game next week, but this will give me time to set up another big battle and possibly post a detailed preview of an Ager Sanguinis Punic Wars battle set up.