"Punic Wars Noob wants your opinion" Topic

Hello all,

With Raven Banner Games now carrying the plexiglass WofUN figures TMP link I've decided to try my hand at some Punic Wars action.

The problem is, the only thing I really know about the Punic Wars is that (according to the History Channel) this guy named Hannibal who looks like Vin Diesel (but isn't) got into a scrap with Rome. Blah, blah… Elephants, blah, blah… beat the Romans up pretty bad around some lake and really made them mad. Blah, blah… big battle in Africa where the Romans finally put the smack down on the Vin D. look-alike.

So, using Wikipedia as my prime informational source I've looked at the listing of what units come in the WofUN Punic War full pack. They are:

Carthaginian
Libby-Phoenician Heavy Cavalry
Carthaginian African Elephants( from the side)
Commanders, Elephant towers and Priests
Gallic Mercenary Cavalry
Iberian Mercenary Cavalry
Italian (Oscan) Mercenary Cavalry
Numidian Light Cavalry
Libby-Phoenician Heavy Infantry
Gallic Armoured Infantry
Carthaginian Citizen Spearmen
Hannibal's Veteran Heavy Infantry
Libyan and Numidian Light Infantry
Gaesati Naked Gallic Mercenary Infantry
Scutari Iberian Mercenary Heavy Infantry
Caetrati Iberian Mercenary Light Infantry
Iberian Slingers(Skirmishers)
Italian (Oscan) Mercenary Heavy infantry
Carthaginian Commanders

Romans
Roman and Allied Legionary Cavalry
Roman and Italian Allies, Velites, Skirmishers
Roman and Allied Mounted Officers and Commanders
Roman Hastati
Roman Hastati 2
Roman Principes 1
Roman Principes 2
Roman Triarii
Roman Allies Hastati
Roman Allies Principes
Roman Allies Triarii

My Noob question is; does this look like a good mix? I notice the Romans only have 1 Cavalry unit, the Carthaginians many. I know the Romans were pretty much foot slogger heavy, so that doesn't surprise me, but according to my sources (again, the a fore-mentioned Wikipedia) the Numidian Light Cavalry fought at one time or another for both sides. So I was thinking of switching them to the Roman roster…

What say ye, you great and wise holders of all Roman knowledgeand history?! Should I madly take this plunge? And will I be pleased with my preset mix?

Veni Vidi Vici,

Dave

Is the Vin Diesel miniature included in the pack?

Using the army lists for Triumph on Meshwesh you can get a good idea of a ratio of the different troop ratios. Even if using other rules.

Polybian Romans:
link

Several Carthage lists, but since you mention Hannibal
Later Carthage (Hannibal in Italy):
link

The packs you list above look like the correct troop types.

Although you may need more Gallic Warriors and depending on what rule system you are using the troops above may not represent the "hastily raised legions".

It also depend on which battles you plan to represent.

Rome was outclassed on mounted vs. Hannibal, but later when they took the battle to Carthage in Africa, the Numidians changed sides. The Numidians also fought against the Romans in their own war.

In my humble opinion, the mix looks right-ish if you want to do Hannibal in his Italian campaign, but wrong if you want to do the war in Spain, or Scipio Africanus in North Africa. I think the Romans should have 2 cavalry units, one for each flank (1 Roman, and 1 Italian Allies).

You do not have to field every troop type in a single battle. Some of the allies hated each other more than the Romans. Gauls hated Iberians and fought independent Italians quite often.

I don't know how many based worth of troops each unit is, but that mix seems correct.

During the home and away season the Carthaginians won every match with the Numidians on side. For the final match the Numidians changed sides because the Romans made them an offer they couldn't refuse.

Thanks everyone….

Dave

Polybius has the following numbers of troops with Hannibal at Trebia in Italy. 2000 Iberian cavalry, 4000 Gallic cavalry, 4000 to 5000 Numidian cavalry depending on how the numbers are interpreted, 37 elephants at Trebia only (they died shortly after the battle), 8000 Libyan heavy infantry, 4000 African light infantry, 4000-6000 Scutari, 4000 Caetrati, and the rest Gallic infantry. The Romans usually had about 500 cavalry per each legion or Latin Ala (believed to be organized like Roman Legions by this time) that were fielded.

You could do a lot worse than be guided by the army lists in DBA v3

My favourite Ancients war, you're at the start of a great hobby and history experience.

I just went with the megalomaniac option in 15mm. So I have

Numidian Army
Spanish Army
Gallic Army
Large native Carthaginian/Libyan contingent

Plus a Republic Roman force of about 500 foot and 48 mounted.

The figures I have used
War and Empire
Corvus Belli (Gauls now produced by PSC in a non metal form)

link

So Frostie,you would say the war and Empire figures are compatible with Corvus Belli? What about Old Glory andEssex?

Carthago Delenda Est!