14 JUN 05 - Practice Game of Hannibal played at Pet Shop Comics.

16 JUN 05 - Strategic Cards drawn for 218 BC

17 JUN 05 - Carthage decides to keep initiative for Round 1, 218BC.

18 JUN 05 - Brian C, Bernie, and Tom test pay Ancient Warmaster w/15mm.

20 JUN 05 - Team Carthage plays card #1, Corsican and Sardinia Revolt. Map upated.

21 JUN 05 - Roman Senate recruits new general, Gary S, for Team Rome.

23 JUN 05 - Team Rome plays card # 4, Celtiberia Revolts. Map updated, Master Card list updated.

24 JUN 05 - Warmaster Ancients Reference Sheet .pdf added to rules section.

25 JUN 05 - Team Carthage play card #47 Allied Auxiliaries (Lucania).
Played to place three PCs in Segovia, Toletum and Segobriga. (all in Celtiberia). Map updated.

27 JUN 05 - Brian and Tom play a WMA Punic Battle unisng counters. 1500pt battle won by Roman infantry in the center. Carthaginian Cavalry unable to make contact before the center of the Carthaginin line collapsed. Learned much about tactical play.

27 JUN 05 - Team Rome plays card #3 Numidai Revolts. Western Numida Carthaginain PCs removed. MAP updated.

29 JUN 05 - Team Carthage attempts to regain Wetsren Numidia playing Card #44 (worth two OPs) to place Political Control counters in Icosium and Saldae. Map updated.

04 JUL 05 - Team Rome secures ports of Carales and Oristano in Corisica/Sardinia.

06 JUL 05 - Team Carthage secures ports of Sassari and Aleria Corisica/Sardinia.

07 JUL 05 - Team Rome plays Card 37 3 / Minor Campaign

Using the 3 op points to convert the following areas

Nuoro (Sardinia/Corisca)
Zuccabar (Western Numidia)
Tupusuctn (Western Numidia)

10 JUL 05 - Team Carthage plays card #22 Mutins Numidians to place 1 PC in Tuarini, they now control Gallia Cisalpinia and have an ally in Italy.

10 JUL 05 - Rome incites Revolution in Easten Numidia and gain an ally!

13 JUL 05 - Carthage pushes more political control and picks up Western Numidia and some Spanish waterfront proprty in Idubeda . Team Carthage plays card #33 to place 3 PCs in Vescera - Western Numida, Dertosa - Idubeda, and Tarraco - Idubeda.

16 JUL 05 - With a major Campaign Card Rome attempts a Naval move from Rome to Salade in Africa. Cartahge blockw with Card 41 Bad Weather. Menwhile in Siclily, Logus take a tour of the countryside spreading Roman detachments as he goes, ending his tour where he started (Moving Longus and 6 CU's from Agrigentum to Lilybauem. Leaving 2 CU's there. From Lilybaeum to Panormus. Leaving 2 CU's there. From Panormus to Enna. Leaving 2 CU's there. From Panormus to Agrigentum). Carthage used its last card for the block, no Rome can play its last card with no Response from Carthage and ending the year/turn.

25 JUL 05 - 217 BC - Rome loses all PC in Africa due to Isolation, but still is up by one provence for 218 BC. As a consequence, Cartahge gives up PC of the Balaric Islands.

Rome keeps T. Longus as Pro-Consul and the Senate elects Flaminus and Fabius as Consuls. Both of the Consuls go to Rome. Rome adds 2 CU's at Rome (Now 10) and 3 CU to Longus at Arretium (now 5).

Carhage adds 2 CU's to Gisgo (stacked with Hanninal's 10 CUs) and 2 CU's to Hanno at Carthage (now 6).

Carthage decides to retain 1st move for 217 BC.

29 JUL 05 - Team Carthage has decided to use card 21 to place 2 PCs. We want one in Thurbursicu and one in Cirta.

30 JUL 05 - Played 1800pt battle at FOTOG Games Day - Battle Report 1.

01 AUG 05 - Rome plays Card 45 / 2 Allied Aux (Etruria) to build up the army at Rome to 12 CU's.

06 AUG 05 - Carthage uses Card #20 to move Hannibal, Mago and 10 CU's to Narbo

13 AUG 05 - Rome places on PC in Verona and Hannibal contunues his adavce towards the Alps ending in Druentia.

13 AUG 05 - Using card 43 Rome moves Fabius as Army Commander
Flaminuis as secondary commander with 10 CU's.
From Rome to Falerii
From Falerii to Ariminum
From Ariminum to Mutina
From Mutina to Boii -- Roman get one subjgation point on the Boii.

27 AUG 05 - Hannibal realing the Boii are about to fall rush across the Alps with only minor attrition losses and assualts the numerically great comined Consular Armies of Fabius and Flaminius.

11 SEP 05 - Hannibal wins the Battle of Boii. Fabius dies and Rome losses 5 CU's. Carthage losses 3 CU's but one of them in an Elephant CU. - Battle Report 2

15 SEP 05 - Rome, greatly concerend by thier loss in Italy Recalls T. Longus and 5 CU's to Rome from Siclily. T. Longus' forces join the newely appointed Counsel Marcellus along with another 2 CU already in Rome.

17 SEP 05 - Carthage plays card 55 - Messenger Inercepted and pull Elephant Fright from the Roman hand addint it to the Carthaginian's.

19 SEP 05 - Rome activates Marcellus at Latium and maches to Boii to attack Hannibal. Marcellus picks up Flaminius and his comabat units totallaling 10 CU's to Hannibal's 7 CU's for the 2nd Battle of Boii.

16 OCT 05 - 2nd Battle of Boii is resolved. Not all Roman forces make to the battle and the battle ends in a draw but the Romans end up leaving the field to Hannibal. Both sides lose 1 CU each and Marcellus, Flaminius and their 9 CU's fal back on Mutina. Hannibal holds Boii with 5 CU's and 1 Elephant CU. Battle Report 3.

26 OCT 05 - Carhage places a PC in Azalia (Iuduba)

02 NOV 05 - Rome Places a PC in Nice (217BC Ends)

04 NOV 05 - 216BC Underway. Carthage plays Card 46 to build 1CU with Hannibal

07 NOV 05 - Carthage plays Adriatic Pirates (Card 50) to mobe Hasdruble and 3CU to Croton leaving 1 CU behind in New Carthage.

15 NOV 05 - Nero attacks Hannibal at Boii, Hannibal falls back to Insurbia, Nero pursues and a battle ensues. Hannibal wins the battle, Nero must fall back through the Boii tribe now eager for a chance to attack Nero's bloodied legion. Rome loses 4 CUs, Carthage loses 2CUs. Ambush at Boii must now be resolved. Battle Report 4.

29 NOV 05 - Boii ambush resolved as an attrition roll. Rome looses 1 CU and retreats to Mutina.

01 DEC 05 - Carthage plays a minor campaign and attacks with Hannibal against Nero at Mutina and moves Hasdrubal in Lucina.

04 DEC05 - Nero attempts to evade from Hannibal but fails. There will be a battle at Mutina.

11DEC05 - Nero drives back Hannibal at Mutina.

07JAN06 - P.Scipio brings out the Legion of Rome to link up with the Consular Army at Mutina. The Combined forces then drive on against Hannibal at Boii. Hannibal, heavily outnumbred, successfully evades to Insurbia.

10JAN06 - Hannibal uses Card 52 to flee across the Apls from Insurbia to Rhone. Hannibal suffers no Apls attrition.

17JAN06 - 216BC Round 4 Rome. G. Nero leads (Card 19) the new Consular Army (8CUs) at Boii across the Alps in pursuit of Hanniabl. The Roman army suffers slight attrition in the passes (1 CU lost). But now across the Alps the G. Nero finds his passage consted by Ligurians at Druentia as Carthage has played Card #7 Hostile Tribes. A Roman vs Barbarian battle will follow.

27JAN06 -216BC Round4 Rome Continued - The Ligurian ambush of Nero is resolved by attrition table vice battle. Rome loses 1CU, the Nero presses on against Hannibal at Rhone. Hannibal fails his evasion roll and Nero with 6CU's pin Hannibal with 1 CU at Rohne.

28JAN06 - Campaign Ends with the defeat of Hannibal at Rhone!

Our refight the 2nd Punic War as a Warmaster Ancients Campaign has come to a close. Hannibal at long last was pinned down at Rohne by Nero. Hannibal was outnumbered 6:1 in the final battle. As you might expect Hannibal was wiped out with the rest of his troops by the revenge hungry Romans.

We fought this campaign to a conclusion in just over six months, from June 14th, 2005 until January 28th, 2006. We had nine major participants involved and a few “joiners” jumped in on a battle or two. We played 14 Strategic Rounds and fought out four major and one minor battle on the Table Top.

It’s a shame Hannibal had been run down. The Carthaginian Strategy had just started to evolve with a 2nd front opening up in Italy. I’m not sure Rome ever had a strategy other than to attack Hannibal and Garrison Sicily, but “to the victors go the laurels.”

All but one major battle were Carthaginian victories. Team Carthage did very well tactically when fighting from the northern Italian stronghold of Gallia Cisalpina where they had local support of the Celtic tribes like the Boii and Insurbians. The Carthaginians won three battles there, beating a larger Roman Army every time. The Carthaginians then opened up a second front in southern Italy with Hasdrubal. At last a strategy! Hannibal draws of Roman attention in the north, breaking Legion after Legion from his stronghold while Hasdrubal grabs land in the south. But alas, the many victories won against the odds by the Carthaginians made them overconfident. They ventured away from the support of their stronghold to drive on Rome itself. The next battle was a defeat for Hannibal and then Rome brought up fresh reserves while Hannibal had none to call on.

From here on out it became a race as Hannibal attempted to fall back on Spain to rebuild an Army. But Rome kept the pressure on Hannibal pursuing him across the Alps and finally crushing him in Rohne (central France).

In the end I’m very pleased that the campaign went to a solid conclusion and I thank all those who helped to make it happen. It was a great learning experience. And I hope to take the lessons learned here and make it even better the next time around.

Some key “Lessons Learned” from this campaign experience:

1) The “Card Driven” campaign of system of “Hannibal” was difficult for many to grasp. I feel it left some with a sense of helplessness.
2) The Battles were too darn big! It was very hard to schedule a battle and get enough people and enough miniatures at together.
3) As much as I like to be inclusive and let as many people participate as possible, a certain degree of dedication should be required for people to play in the game. Serious battles were often hinged on the actions and skills of not so serious gamers who just wanted to push troops and roll dice. Nothing wrong with that, but the players who worked hard to learn the rules, follow the campaign, and often provided miniatures had watch some of that hard work go up in smoke while players who had little to no idea of what they were doing were allowed, by me, to fight in many of the games.

What’s next? I’m interested in hearing what ideas our gaming community might have, however after conversation with many, I am initially inclined to run another Warmaster Ancients campaign that will have multiple factions/teams. At least half a dozen countries/teams, so that diplomacy will be a significant factor. This may be a “pure historical” period using something like “Successors” or “Sword of Rome” as the basis or it may be “hypothetical” where we have teams/counties that range from Ancient Egyptians to Vikings probably fighting it out on some imaginary continent/world, think Hypoboria, Greywawk, maybe even Middle Earth as the Game Map. No need to rush out and start preparing anything yet, just some initial ideas and connectivity and workload issues may yet rule out me doing anything while away next year.

Tom