A Cartel of Carthaginians

A Headless Body Production

Venue: In an undisclosed basement, somewhere in New Jersey
Event: The Great Hefalump Head Butting Contest*, Round 2
Players: Phil Gardocki running Siam
              Jim Bisignani running Carthaginian
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.

*The taking of the maximum number of elephants was required

The Siamese, commanded by Yul Brynner, the Competent and his sons, Nakarintradhiraj VIa and Nakarintradhiraj VIb, both Competent
3 Elephants, Elite
2 Guards, Medium Swordsmen, Impact, Elite
13 Warriors, Medium Swordsmen, Impetuous
7 Light Infantry, Bow
2 Light Infantry, Firearms, Elite
1 Medium Cavalry
Breakpoint of 28

The Carthaginians are commanded by unknown commanders of unremembered qualities. Hannibal might have been there, or he may have just phoned this battle in. Exact troop counts, except elephants, may be in error.
1 Elephant, Mediocre
4 African Heavy Spearmen, Armored, Elite
4 Warriors, some Javelinmen, others, Medium Swordsmen, Impetuous (or not)
2 Heavy Swordsmen, possibly armored.
5 Light Infantry, various weapons, mostly Elite
2 Medium or Heavy Cavalry
4 Light Cavalry
Breakpoint of 22

Tournament rules: All armies must have at least 1 elephant and must take the maximum number of elephants for that list. Including allies, if allies are taken. On rounds 2 and 3, any lists with a Brilliant or Strategist commander may reorganize their commands.

Display Conventions: When you see a word bubble like "Ouch!" or " อุ๊ย!" or "𐤀𐤉𐤍!", this implies a disorder from missiles. Red XX's signify recently routed units. Letters in parenthesis represent some value change for the specific unit. For commanders it is s for strategist, b for Brilliant, c for Competent and o for Ordinary, u for unreliable. For troops it is e for Elite, and m for Mediocre. Other abbreviations, Hvy Heavy, XB Crossbow, LB, Longbow, Jav Javelin, 2HW 2 Handed Weapons, B Bow, Kn Knight, HKn Heavy Knight, HC Heavy Cavalry, Md Medium, Sgt Sergeants, LC Light Cavalry, Chr Chariot, Cat Cataphract, Pa Pavise, LI, Light Infantry, HG Hand Gun, FKn Foot Knight, Hvy Spear, Heavy Spearmen.

Inappropriately capitalized words are used to highlight terms that are specific to the game. For example Brilliant, Competent and Ordinary have specific game values for the commanders.

"XX" implies a unit killed in that location on that turn.

The Board:

The Carthaginians win the initiative and elect to attack in the plains.

Deployment: 

The bulk of the Carthaginian horse take their right flank. The Med. Swordsmen are actually Javelinmen.

Their center with a large force of armored heavy foot.

Their left command with the last elephant in Italy

The Siamese have 3, nearly identical commands.

So there is no weighted flank options.

Just a Competent commander, his pet elephant, and 5 bands of warriors. Left, right and center.

Turn 1:

A general advance on all flanks.

Nakarintradhiraj VI(a) cants his line a bit to try and keep the Carthaginian cavalry in front of him.

The rest of the commands just advance.

Nakarintradhiraj VI(b)'s lights are not needed as a screen, so one is sent to the field to play with the Carthaginian light horse.

Turn 2:

Next door, the Kingdom of Vija... verses Triumvirate Roman.

Carthaginian light horse advance aggressively. Their heavy horse just standing by. Their javelinmen line up on Nakarintradhiraj VI(a)'s elephant.

The Carthaginian heavies advance.

But their left flank takes a "refuse flank" option.

The Carthaginian light horse mis-guessed the charge reach of the Siamese warriors. And are charged from behind their flank. They opted to stand rather than run off the board.

Nakarintradhiraj VI(a)'s main bodies charge. The Carthaginian infantry evade short to Nakarintradhiraj VI(a)'s long and are caught! On Carthaginian light foot is destroyed on contact, the Siamese warriors pursuing into the Javelinmen. But amazingly, the Siamese elephant failed to break the other light infantry.

Yul Brynner's forces charge all the way down the line. Winning 3, losing 2 of the initial combats.

Nakarintradhiraj VI(b)'s also charge down the line. Even though supported, his troop of elephants fail to breach the enemy lines. Worse, his supporting warriors are routed by the Carthaginian's mediocre elephant.

Turn 3:

So far, all looks good. I have more winning battles, 7, than losing ones, 4, and I outnumber the Carthaginians as well.

Even though disordered, the Carthaginian lights stand and fight.

The Carthaginian heavy horse strike! Destroying two units of Siamese warriors.

Their furious charge spent, Yul Brynner's forces falter against their better armored foes.

A disaster on the right as Nakarintradhiraj VI(b)'s elephant troop rampage through their elite guardsmen.

It took help from Siamese crossbowmen, but the Carthaginian lights are finally defeated. Nakarintradhiraj VI(a)'s troop of elephants are fighting alone.

In the center, both lines have lost units.

Nakarintradhiraj VI(b) tries to reorganize his lines to counter attack.

At the bottom of the 3rd, it is Siamese 17, of 28.

The Carthaginian are at 14 of 22.

Turn 4:

Nakarintradhiraj VI(a)'s troop of elephants is flanked.

Carthaginian African Spearmen blow a huge hole in Yul Brynner's line.

The Carthaginians release the leash of their lonely elephant, destroying another Siamese warrior on contact.

Nakarintradhiraj VI(a)'s elephants have rampaged. His role has been reduced to trying to distract the Carthaginian horse.

Yul Brynner has turned the flank of the African Spearmen, routing one.

Off to the right, a Siamese Guardsmen is routed as well.

The fragile Siamese are at 24 of 28

The Carthaginians are at 15 of 22.

Turn 5:

In a last act of defiance, the Siamese Firearms-men engage the Carthaginian's elephant. It looks like it's luck has run it's course.

The Carthaginian score is now 16.

Turn 6:

Carthaginian horse now flank Yul Brynner's line.

Their center heavy foot begin the work of "cleaning up"

Their final point scored against one of Nakarintradhiraj VI(b)'s warriors. Which had been in combat for 7 rounds since turn 2. No kidding! You can rewind and look.

Carthaginian aggressive rally attempts has countered their loses, and their score remains at 16.