Punic Wars
Army Lists for 'Hordes of the Things'

By Richard Bodley Scott

 

The Punic Wars were the most epic struggle in the history of the rise of Rome, with Hannibal as their most heroic (also hated and feared) foe. Salammbo, by Gustave Flaubert, is a colourful and somewhat fanciful account of the Mercenaries War, a civil war between Carthage and her unpaid mercenaries which took place between the 1st and 2nd Punic Wars. He adds some interesting, if historically inaccurate, details.

CARTHAGINIANS

Stronghold: Fortified camp.

Rider General (Hannibal or Hamilcar) @ 2 AP.

1

Behemoths (Elephants with towers) @ 4 AP.

2

Riders (Gallic, Spanish or Numidian cavalry) @ 2 AP.

3

Spears (Libyan or well-trained Punic spearmen) @ 2 AP.

2

Warband (Spanish, Gallic or Ligurian foot) @ 2 AP.

2

Alternatives: Hero (Hasdrubal, Maharbal or Mago) @ 4 AP, Sneakers (bogus deserters with swords concealed under their tunics) @ 3 AP, Lurkers (Numidian ambush party) @ 1 AP, Hordes (Allied Italian or poorly trained Punic foot) @ 1 AP, Shooters (Balearic slingers) @ 2 AP. From Salammbo: Behemoth General (Hanno - leprous rotting fat man riding on elephant or carried on litter) @ 4 AP, Knights (clibanarii in golden scale armour mounted on big horses without mane, hair or ears, with silver horns in the middle of their foreheads to make them look like rhinoceroses) @ 2 AP, Artillery @ 3AP.

MERCENARIES

The army of Carthage's mutinous mercenaries, as represented in Salammbo. Stronghold: Fortified camp.

Hero General (Matho) @ 4 AP.

1

Spears (Campanian, Greek or Libyan spearmen) @ 2 AP.

4

Warbands (Spanish or Gallic foot) @ 2 AP.

3

Shooters (Balearic slingers or wild nomad archers) @ 2 AP.

1

Riders (Numidians or wild nomads mounted on asses, onagers, zebras, buffaloes or camels) @ 2 AP.

2

Knights (cataphracts with men and horses covered in hippopotamus skin armour bristling with nails) @ 2 AP, Beasts (war dogs) @ 2 AP, Artillery (flaming pigs, helepolis, or individual stone or bolt shooters) @ 3 AP.

ROMANS

Stronghold: Fortified camp.

Rider General @ 2 AP.

1

Riders (Roman or allied cavalry) @ 2AP.

1

Blades (Roman or Latin hastati and principes) @ 2 AP.

6

Spears (Roman or Latin triarii) @ 2 AP.

2

Hordes (other Italian allied infantry) @ 1 AP.

4

Alternatives: Blade General @ 2 AP, Hero General (Marcellus) @ 4 AP, Warband (head-hunting slave legionaries) @ 2 AP.

 

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