Hail Antiochos! Once more into the fray.

Last weekend saw another 'big game' ancients clash in Belfast - this time returning to the Hail Caesar rules to accommodate the variability in our approaches to basing. My Seleukids allied with Tony's Carthaginians, to take on Paul's Romans and Karl's Iberians. 

I didn't realise it when we agreed to the division of an almost plausible Syro-Punic alliance against Rome and its Iberian allies, but our side may have ended up with dramatically more units - and divisions. That said, I think we actually had less heavy infantry than the other side.

The Carthaginians deployed to our right, opposite the legion of Rome. I say legion (singular) as there was only a single division of seven heavy infantry units supported by two units of velites - something that wound prove quite a hard nut to crack.

My Seleukids were deployed against the Spaniards and Celtiberians, the field to our front interrupted by a frustrating village and with all the Iberian units focused towards the centre, leaving the powerful Seleukid cavalry division with no immediate opponents. They would need to advance quickly to strike around the village and take the outnumbered Iberians from the rear.

Turn 1, and the cavalry failed their orders role, remaining stationary. The skirmishers of the light division advanced to try to fire on the Iberians as they advanced, but then every other Seleukid order roll was failed. I decided that when we got back to Antioch, the translating school would need to receive some additional funds.

Over on the Carthaginian wing, their Numidian horse were overly enthusiastic and rode right up to an oasis, hampering their prospects of future manoeuvre, while only half the Punic infantry managed to advance. Meanwhile, the Romano-Iberians had much more luck with orders, advancing along their line. A unit of Balearic slingers and some caetrati moved into the town. 

Turn 2, the Seleukid and Punic lines generally advanced forward, the Seleukid infantry unable to take advantage of its numbers due to the placement of the village and hamlet. Romans and Punic infantry clashed, while a unit of royal Spanish bodyguards also charged some Carthaginian infantry. The Seleukid camelry swept up the fire on the Spaniards and slingers in the village.  The Seleukid cavalry division was ordered onwards, and failed its command roll. The translation teachers will be sacked on our return to Antioch.

Turn 3 saw a Punic unit shatter some Roman hastati, the Spanish royal guard shatter some Punic spearmen, and a single unit of badly shot-up Celtiberians charge some Seleukid thureophoroi supported by a pike phalanx, somehow routing them both. Mostly I am on board with Hail Caesar, but sometimes the combat results are a bit of a farce. The cavalry on the Seleukid left were ordered onwards; failed their order roll, and ensured crucifixion for the translation teachers of Antioch.

Turn 4, and the second line of Seleukid thureophoroi, supported by Cretan archers, and led by the Seleukid king himself, charged the Celtiberians, finally shattering them, and forcing them to retire.

Elsewhere, the Romans were grinding down the Punic infantry, but slowly. As Rome trudged on, its allies (making up the larger part of the army) were faltering. 

Having started to comprehend their predicament, the translators passed on the message to advance to the Seleukid cavalry ("... oh.... advaaaaance. I see."), but even then it was only a single move order and the brigade reformed, having quite given up on the sweeping advance down the flank.

Turn 5, and the Seleukid camelry reformed to charge into the rear of the caetrati in the village, the Balearic slingers having already withdrawn under heavy fire from Seleukid slingers and archers.

The Punic lines reformed the face the Romans pressing in on their right flank, finally bringing their Numidian subject-allies into play, peppering the Romans from the rear. 

The Punic elephants were also earning their peanuts, proving far better service than the Seleukid elephant which was almost bested by some Spanish cavalry. The Spanish horsemen were, however barely, shaken. This left the remaining Spanish brigade one unit away from breaking, which would havd victory to Carthage and Antioch.

The Seleukid light infantry brigade formed up a new line, ready for action, if unnecessary. Behind them, the cavalry brigade once more received a very limited order and formed a new third line.

The Seleukid thureophoroi and Cretan archers pressed on, urged by their monarch, and attacked the last of the Spanish infantry driving them back, and securing a glorious allied victory.

So, from starting in a position of overwhelming numbers and a foregone conclusion about the battle's outcome, the Carthaginian-Seleukid alliance were almost undone due to the congestion of units and the inability for the cavalry commander to get his orders across. Sure, the cavalry need not have turned up for the battle as they played no role whatsoever. Of the light infantry division, it was only the skirmishers and camelry that played any role in the battle, and the atrocious first Seleukid combat saw an entirely combat-ready Seleukid phalanx flee from a charge against their neighbours! 

This was not the walk in the park that it should have been. The Royal Seleukid School for Translators is accepting applications now!