Impetvs- Carthaginians v Gauls (400 pts)

Kent popped round this evening for our (almost) weekly game, once again pitting his Carthaginian vs my Gauls. He had made a few changes to his last list taking a few more skirmishers and javelinmen at the expense of his Libyan infantry. He too two commands. He fielded something like:

2x Punic cav
2x Vets
2x Spearmen
4x Spanish javelinmen
3-4x skirmishers
2x elephants

I had also tweaked my list, also taking 2 (average) commands.

2x        CM Cavalry 

1x        FL  Vet Warriors-large (Gen)

2x        FL Warriors

2x        S Javelinmen

           

2x        CM Cavalry 

2x        FP Soldurii (Gen) – large units

2x        FL  Vet Warriors-large VBU 5

2x        FL Warriors

3x        S Javelinmen

 The Carthaginians deploy.

 At the top of shot the larger command with the Soldurii (VBU 6), the smaller command take my right flank.

 On my right I throw my cavalry forward early, driving back the punic cavalry but then I bounce off the Spanish javelin armed Scutari.

 On my right the small warband and cavalry advance while the large warband stay on opportunity.

 I pull back my cavalry on my left.

  On my left Kent's Spanish javelinmen destroy one of my cavalry units and the other pulls even further back.

 Kent' centre is covered by his skirmishers and his elephants are converging towards my centre.

 I see your skirmishers and raise you mine. Kent's Italian infantry being used as skirmishers, VBU 3 trumps VBU 2 and my skirmisher screen starts to melt away.

 Still, we try to nibble away at the Scutari before the screen is totally gone.

 My skirmishers are driven back, opening room for the elephants to charge.

 On my right things are looking up. I have destroyed the punic cavalry and my warband are eying up the Spanish scutari.

 Ha! My small warband charge from the direction of woods and hit the Spanish, not quite in the flank but still doing enough damage to destroy them. 

 One FL Javelinmen unit is destroyed, one more unit and that command is broken...

 Meanwhile, on the left Kent charges my heaviest troops (my FP Soldurii) with his elephant, causing casualties but in my next turn my general's unit is thrown in and the elephant is killed.  

 Then the other elephant charges causing even more damage. Suddenly my larger command is feeling a tad fragile.

 Kent's right pulls through. My last cavalry unit is destroyed and that takes me over my break point so my left flank collapses!

 The elephant is driven off but it is too late. With my left flank gone my right flank command calls it a day, retreating back to their homeland.

Result
A rather decisive win in the end (I lost about 27 points, Kent 8!) but I was one unit shy of breaking Kent's force too so closer than it looked. Kent had learned his lessons well and designed this force to really maximise its missile potential. I really though I had a great chance when he sent his javelin armed Scutarri so far forward from his main infantry unit and was confident of overwhelming them with my impetuos troops, but alas it wasn't too be.

I think both forces were well balanced and we both tried to exploit the weaknesses of the opponent while maximising our own strengths, so it was a very enjoyable, and rather quick, game.

Craig