Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage Campaign

The following is a system for linking the boardgame "Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage" by Avalon Hill to De Bellis Antiquitatis by Wargames Research Group. We (Ix and I) have playtested it once during the summer of 2000. During that playtest, Hannibal didn't do much in Italy -- in fact, he got killed in the first combat bound of the first tactical battle of the campaign. Oh well. We understandably ignored the boardgame rule that killing Hannibal is a sudden-death (so to speak) victory for Rome. Ix, as the Carthaginians, struggled on for several years until a major Roman campaign invaded North Africa and eventually took Carthage itself. We fought quite a few pitched battles, and many more times we maneuvered around whole provinces without fighting. All in all, a great success.

You must have access to both Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage and DBA to play this campaign.

For any given battle arising in Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage (HRVC), players fight a DBA battle instead of card play.

Each Combat Unit (CU) in Hannibal translates into two elements in DBA, with the exception of Carthaginian Elephant CUs, each of which translate into one DBA elephant.

Combat Units translate into "Roman" and "Carthaginian" elements; in addition, there are temporary "Allied", "Militia", and "Tribal" elements which are derived from political control of certain provinces.

DBA battles are fought on tables 2400 p deep and 4800 p wide.

Army Lists (recent change)

Due to the great variations possible in army sizes, the following modified DBA army lists are used:

Roman

• 1 to 3 CU (2 to 6 elements)
  • 0-1 Cv, 1-3 Bd, 0-1 Sp, 0-1 Ps
• 4 to 6 CU (8 to 12 elements)
  • 1-2 Cv, 3-6 Bd, 1-2 Sp, 1-2 Ps
• 7 to 12 CU (14 to 24 elements)
  • 2-4 Cv, 6-12 Bd, 2-4 Sp, 2-4 Ps

Carthaginian

• 1 to 3 CU (2 to 6 elements)
  • 0-1 Cv, 0-1 LH, 0-1 Sp, 1-2 Aux, 0-1 Wb, 0-1 Ps
• 4 to 6 CU (8 to 12 elements)
  • 1-2 Cv, 1-2 LH, 1-2 Sp, 1-3 Aux, 1-2 Wb, 0-1 Ps
• 7 to 12 CU (14 to 24 elements)
  • 2-4 Cv, 2-4 LH, 2-4 Sp, 3-6 Aux, 2-4 Wb, 1-2 Ps

Multiple generals

If a player has more than one general in a battle, the senior-most is the DBA CinC and the remaining friendly generals are sub-generals. The Carthaginian player can divide his elements into commands as he sees fit, but the Roman player is governed by the requirements for Consuls and Proconsuls.

• If a Consul is present, he must be CinC. If both Consuls are present, determine the CinC by the HRVC rules.
• Each Consul must command at least ten Roman elements (they can command Allies and Militia, but Allies and Militia do not count toward this minimum command size).
• If both Consuls are present, the Roman elements must be divided between them as evenly as possible.
• Any Proconsuls present command Roman troops only if each Consul present has at least ten Roman elements.
• Allies and Militia can be allocated to any Roman generals present.

General's tactical rating

Instead of adding battle cards for tactical skill, the CinC rolls multiple PIP dice. The basic number of PIP dice is the CinC's tactical skill rating; add one additional PIP die per sub-general within Command Range (i.e., 1200 p with clear line of sight, or 600 p beyond blocking terrain). After rolling, the CinC then allocates one PIP die to each friendly general (including himself) that is within Command Range. Note that sub-generals that are within Command Range of the CinC do NOT use their tactical skill rating.

If the CinC is killed, or if a sub-general is out of Command Range, the sub-general rolls his own PIP dice, one die per that general's tactical skill rating. The general then gets to pick one of his own dice to use that turn. PIP dice cannot be traded among generals if the CinC is dead or out of range (i.e., only an original CinC can allocate PIP dice, and then only to sub-generals in Command Range).

For example, Hasdrubal (rated three) has Hanno (rated two) and Mago (rated one) as sub-generals. Hasdrubal rolls five dice per DBA turn, and can pick any three of them to use that turn, allocating one to each of the three commands. If Hanno is 1300 p away from Hasdrubal, Hasdrubal rolls four dice and allocates two of those dice to himself and Mago; Hanno rolls two dice and picks one. If Hasdrubal is killed, Hanno rolls two PIP dice and picks one; Mago rolls one PIP die and has to take what he gets.

The Retreat Table and Withdrawal Dicing

The Retreat Table is not used after the DBA battle; the casualties in HRVC are determined by the combination of the Attrition Table and the Retreat Table, but DBA victory is already determined by which army loses more troops, so there is no justification for a retreat penalty (unless retreating through enemy territory).

Unlike the DBA rule ending a battle immediately when an army loses one-third of its strength, in this campaign a command must withdraw when beaten. An army can also voluntarily withdraw if it passes a die roll test (see below). An army or command cannot stop withdrawing once it begins to do so.

A withdrawing army or command has the following special abilities and restrictions:

• Elements can move toward and across the friendly base edge at no PIP cost, as long as this movement does not end in contact.
• Elements that move any other direction, or into contact, cost one extra PIP.
• Elements that withdraw across the friendly base edge are not destroyed.
• Elements that recoil or flee across any edge at any time are destroyed.
• All elements of a withdrawing army or command suffer a -1 combat modifier.

To begin a voluntary withdrawal, players dice as described in HRVC (summarized below):

• The entire army must voluntarily withdraw; individual commands cannot voluntarily withdraw.
• The withdrawing player declares that he wants to withdraw during his own PIP dicing.
• The withdrawing player must roll 1D6 less than or equal to his CinC's tactical skill.
• If this roll succeeds, the opponent can attempt to cancel the withdrawal; this requires rolling less than or equal to the non-withdrawing CinC's tactical skill.
• If the first roll succeeds and the second roll fails, the army begins its withdrawal.
• If the first roll fails, or the second roll succeeds, there is no withdrawal that turn.
• A player can attempt to withdraw any number of times per DBA game, but only once per DBA turn.
• Players cannot attempt to withdraw during their first PIP dicing of a DBA game.

Battle Card Bonus and Penalty

HRVC has a variety of battle modifiers that have different effects, such as adding or subtracting battle cards, modifying the ability to withdraw or counterattack, and so forth. In general, those modifiers that represent local allied or militia troops add elements of DBA troops; others will modify the PIP dicing, terrain setup, and so forth.

• Movement:
  • If Intercepting, CinC gets one more PIP die than normally called for.
  • If failed to Avoid Battle, opposing CinC gets one more PIP die than normally called for.
• Tribes: Carthage gets two extra elements of Wb if battle is in a friendly tribal space.
• Allies:
  • Africa
    • Carthage: two elements, 0-2 Sp, 0-2 Aux
    • Carthaginia: two elements, 0-1 Cv, 0-1 LH, 0-2 Sp, 0-2 Aux
    • Eastern Numidia: four elements, 2-4 LH, 0-2 Ps
    • Western Numidia: four elements, 2-4 LH, 0-2 Ps
  • Hispania
    • Baetica: two Aux
    • Celtiberia: two Wb
    • Idubeda: two Aux
    • Orospeda: two Aux
  • Italia
    • Apulia: two elements, 0-1 Cv, 0-1 Sp, 1-2 Aux
    • Campania: two elements, 0-1 Cv, 0-1 Sp, 1-2 Aux
    • Etruria: two Sp
    • Gallia Cisalpina: two Aux
    • Lucania: two Aux
    • Samnium: two Aux
  • Other
    • Corsica/Sardinia: four Aux
    • Gallia Transalpina: four Wb
    • Massilia: four Aux
    • Sicilia: four elements, 0-2 Sp, 2-4 Aux
    • Syracuse: four elements, 0-2 Sp, 2-4 Aux
• Militia: Rome gets four Aux in Latium

Up to two Allied (not Tribal or Militia) Aux elements can be taken as Ps instead.

After the DBA Battle

Players count their surviving non-elephant "Roman" and "Carthaginian" elements, halve them, and adjust their CU on the campaign map accordingly. Note that elements that withdraw across the friendly base edge survive; elements that cross other edges, or that cross the friendly base edge other than by withdrawal movement, are destroyed.

If there are an odd number of surviving elements, the winner of the battle rounds up, the loser rounds down.

Surviving Carthaginian elephant elements transfer one-for-one to the campaign map.

Casualties among Allied, Militia, and Tribal elements do not transfer back to the campaign game. However, there may be political repercussions to heavy Allied casualties. If an army loses one-third or more of its Alled elements, roll 1D6 and divide by two, dropping fractions; the result is the number of PC markers that the player must remove from within the area providing the Allies. If an army loses two-thirds or more of its Allied elements, it must remove 1D6 PC markers from the area providing the Allies.

Roman Militia do not cause PC loss because they are barrel-bottom scrapings anyway; Tribal casualties do not cause PC loss because they are warband fanatici and don't care about casualties.

Special Capabilities of the Generals

Rome

• Publius Scipio: Strategic 2 in Hispania, Strategic 3 elsewhere, Tactical 2.
• Titus S. Longus: Strategic 2, Tactical 2 if attacker, Tactical 1 if defender.
• Gaius Flaminius: Strategic 2, Tactical 2, Pursue on 1-4.
• Fabius Maximus: Strategic 3, Tactical 3, Avoid Battle on 1-5.
• Marcellus: Strategic 2, Tactical 3, Siege die roll +1.
• Gaius C. Nero: Strategic 1, Tactical 2, moves six with Campaign Card.
• C. Terentius Varro: Strategic 1, Tactical 1, Intercept on 1-4.
• L. Aemilius Paulus: Strategic 3, Tactical 2 if attacker, Tactical 3 if defender.
• Scipio Africanus: Strategic 1, Tactical 4, two dice on Siege Table if using Force March Card.

Carthage

• Hannibal: Strategic 1, Tactical 4. Once per DBA battle, can use any TWO of his PIP dice for his own command in the same turn; can declare that he is using this special ability after rolling that turn.
• Hasdrubal: Strategic 2, Tactical 3.
• Hanno: Strategic 3, Tactical 2. Can remove Roman PC in non-walled city.
• Mago: Strategic 2, Tactical 2. Naval Combat die roll -1.
• H. Gisgo: Strategic 2, Tactical 1. Avoid Battle and Intercept on 1-3.

Special Cards

Some of these will not translate well to the DBA table.

• 6 Marharbal's Cavalry: Play during DBA setup (during deployment) to get two extra Cv and/or LH (owner's choice) for the duration of the DBA battle.
• 20 Spy: Play before DBA setup; the player not playing the card chooses terrain, and the other player picks the base edge (without dicing), chooses whether to set up first or second, and chooses to take first or second move.
• 42 Elephant Fright: Play at any time during DBA battle; for remainder of that bound, Elephants are destroyed if beaten.
• 59 Ally Deserts: During DBA setup (before deployment), remove two elements of allies from enemy and deploy it on your own side.

Delay of Game Penalty

To keep the attacker on his toes, if twelve consecutive player turns go by with no recoils and no kills, the attacker immediately breaks and begins his withdrawal.

DBA lists of interest

31b Later Carthaginian: 2 Cv, 2 LH, 2 Sp, 2 Aux, 2 Wb, 1 Aux (or El), 1 Ps

While the Carthaginian Wb are listed as "Gauls", the Carthaginian army in Spain would probably have Celtiberians instead; no difference in game play, just a justification for using the army list as-is.

46b Polybian Roman: 2 Cv, 6 Bd, 2 Sp, 2 Ps

Etruscans (30b) are mainly Sp; Samnite/Umbrian (30c) are mainly Aux; Campanian/Apulian (30d) are mainly Cv, Sp, and Aux; Syracusan (34) are mainly Sp and Aux

Numidians (53) are mainly LH and Ps.