Mediterranean Tyranny - Punic Wars Campaign Start

Friday we got together to kick off a new ancients campaign using my uncle's new campaign rules, Mediterranean Tyranny. We met to bid for starting locations on the Mediterranean map. In this campaign it's not necessary that you play an army that historically was located in your starting country, but knowing I was planning on pushing a Carthaginian army I bid on and won the rights to start with my capital in Carthage. Byron has graciously agreed to be my Hasdrubal, second in command.

Players weren't required to declare their armies at this meeting, but the other players are:

• Bob in Latium (Rome) pushing either a Gaul or a Roman army with a heavy Gaul allied contingent.
• Mike in Greece, who I expect to push a Greek or Syracuse army, with Earl as his 2iC
• Charlie in Levant who hasn't declared his army, but I suspect either Roman or Syracuse
• Rob in Egypt, probably Roman

I'm looking to expect a heavy dose of Roman armies to face. Hopefully Hannibal and his veteran African spear phalanxes are up to the task. If not each player has one chance during the campaign to conduct 'military reforms' and adopt a new army list. Either way I expect to have fun and get some more use out of my recently completed Carthaginian army. Maybe this campaign I'll even get to use my elephants!

After the campaign set-up meeting we adjourned to the basement for a warm-up game of Hannibal at the Gates. Ralph had set up a game of Romans vs. Seleucids. Bob, Mike and Earl as the Macedonians and Charlie, Rob and me as the Romans. Rob was our attacking force of two legions up the left flank, I held the middle with one legion and our extrordinarii and Bob was on the left with a legion and our ballista.

Charlie launched his scythed chariots at our lines right off, but Bob and I weathered the storm and sent the chariots to the rear (or Valhalla) with our counter attacks.  On the right Rob was successful, but there wasn't much of substance opposed to him so his success was with little gains in terms of enemy core units killed. In the center the Seleucid phalanx stood up well. We called the game a draw at the end of the evening with several of us having an early morning drive for a Saturday game the next day. See my next update for info on that game.