River Po 203 BC – Command and Colors Ancients Game

View of initial deployment from the Roman side

View from the Carthaginian side

Punic cavalry and elephants advance

Punic cavalry retreat

Elephants and a Roman cavalry unit are destroyed

Last Tuesday afternoon Rick came over and we played another Second Punic War CCA game out in the shed. The scenario was the River Po 203 BC, also known as the Battle of Insubria, with the Carthaginians led by Mago, fighting four Roman legions led by the proconsul M. Cornelius Cethegus and the praetor P. Quintilius Varus. The Romans had the advantage in infantry but this is quite a balanced scenario to play in terms of numbers and command cards.

The Carthaginians moved first and advanced with their cavalry and elephants on their right flank. The Romans responded by playing a mounted charge card. Once the dust settled from this the Carthaginian elephants and a Roman cavalry unit were destroyed. The cavalry tried again, the Punic cavalry routed, a leader was killed and the Roman cavalry retreated to lick their wounds. The Carthaginians then targeted the Velites light infantry with shooting and combat as they were unable to retreat through the main Roman line. The Carthaginian heavy infantry then attacked in the centre led by Mago. Some lucky dice rolling by these units saw the Carthaginians win 7-4 victory banners.

Cavalry try again

Carthaginian left flank

Gallic warriors advance in the centre

Carthaginian heavy infantry attack in the centre

Carthaginians win 7-4 victory banners

Just before Easter Peter, Hans, Martin and I did a ride in the Snowy Mountains on our e-mtbs. We started at the Smiggins Hole-Guthega link road, rode down to the Guthega Power Station, up to Schlink Pass, then down to Geehi River for lunch, then up the Geehi Reservoir Road finishing where it joined the road to Khancoban, near the Geehi River campground. Here’s a few pics of our ride.