Rome fails again

On Tuesday, we played the inevitable Roman counteroffensive into Magna Graecia as part of the Empire campaign.  And they lost again.  This is the deployment map:

I set up the Romans in their usual symmetrical fashion; William deployed the Carthaginians with a classic right punch/refused left flank formation.  The Carthaginians also had the advantage of a ridgeline for their infantry, which I haven't shown in the map because it didn't matter.  You'll be able to see the hills in the photos.

The Carthaginian cavalry wing attack en masse, as you can see from the photo above.  The Romans are hoping that the sacrifice of their own cavalry on their left will keep the enemy horse busy long enough for the legions to try to win it in the centre, or for their own right wing cavalry to make a difference.

The second photograph shows the situation at the Roman centre left.  The Italian foot in the centre left forces one unit of Carthaginian heavy cavalry to retire as the leftmost Latin legion tries to manoeuvre into position.

Here you can see the mirror image of a Roman cavalry advance on their right.  Their cavalry here are unopposed, but have further to go because of the enemy's refused flank.  The outcome depends on which cavalry wing wins through first.

This shot shows the Roman left of centre.  The leftmost Latins are continuing their advance here, leaving one Roman legion to face the mass of enemy Italian foot on their ridge.

Here we have the Roman centre right, with two legions trying to gain an advantage over the Gauls.  The Italians and two of the three warbands fighting for Carthage have advanced off their ridge.

Another shot of the same situation, further to the Roman right.

Slightly later in the same general area.  The Roman horse are starting to come round the extreme left of the Carthaginian line, held by the Sacred Band.

Back on the Roman centre left, the advance continues.

Carthage's local Italian allies attack the Roman legion in the centre.

The Warbands are in trouble and the Roman cavalry is coming around behind the Sacred Band.

However, the Carthaginian horse has now disposed of the opposition and is riding to threaten the Roman left centre.

The left Roman legion is feeling the pressure.  Just after this, the game ended as these guys and the leftmost Latin legion crumbled as one.  Many Gauls died on the blades of the other legions, and the Sacred Band routed on morale - again!