The Battle of the MetaurusHow Hannibal Lost the War...As people think over the actions of Hannibal in the 2nd Punic War, many great battles come to mind…Cannae, Zama, Trebia, Lake Trasimene… Yet, Creasy chose The Metaurus as the decisive battle for the entire set of Punic Wars. How can that be? Hannibal was not even there!
By this time (207 B.C.), the Romans were mostly avoiding head-to-head battles with Hannibal, and he sorely lacked the cavalry strength to force the Romans to fight where he wanted them to. When the Romans intercepted the messengers Hasdrubal sent to alert Hannibal to his arrival, they realized how critical it was to keep the brothers from joining together. Rushing an overwhelming force northwards to hopefully surprise and destroy the new Carthaginian army, the Romans gambled all. And won. Now, see if you can change or maintain the history. The Romans have the numbers (as usual) and overall troop quality on their side. Hasdrubal has a wide range of troops, from crack heavy infantry and light cavalry from Africa to poor quality Celtic levies. And, the Carthaginians have the superior position. The game calls on both players to “do better” than their historical counterparts. Richard Berg’s elegant design emphasizes morale and the importance of getting troops to execute the right commands.
The Battle of the Metaurus includes:Map: Full color, 11” x 17” mounted mapboardPieces: 200 full color, die-cut counters Rulesbook: 8 pages Skill Level: Easy Part of the TPS "Decisive Battles" seriesThat means straightforward rules, key insights into the history behind the game, and designs aimed at one-session conclusions and high replay value. |
Download the latest rules in PDF format Email us your questions and comments Visit our game support folder on Consimworld About the Designer: The designer for this game is Richard H. Berg. Richard has published many games over several decades with such firms as ATO, GMT, SPI, TSR, and The Avalon Hill Game Company to name a few. He has been awarded the Charles S. Roberts Award, a Lifetime Achievement/ Hall of Fame award from GAMA, as well as serving as a contributing author to the London Times History of War. We hope you enjoy the fruits of his talented labor. |
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In 1964, historian Lt. Col. Joseph B. Mitchell published a compact book, Twenty Decisive Battles of the World, an expansion of Sir Edward Creasy's most famous work from a hundred years past, updating it into the 20th Century.
Turning Point Simulations (TPS), a division of LPS Inc, examines these 20 battles with a new series of boxed wargames. These games emphasize accessibility and playability, and come with hard-mounted maps and mounted, die-cut counters. Each battle is presented in a design of low complexity, but high challenge, from some of the industry's top designers.
And be sure to check out our sister publication Against the Odds!
While TPS games focus on the decisive battles across time, Against the Odds magazine investigates all of military history from a broad perspective. The economic, political, religious and social aspects of warfare are examined in concert with events on the battlefield. Get yourself truly "connected" with games and gaming by subscribing to Against the Odds! Learn more...
But his brother, Hasdrubal, was there in northern Italy and heading south. He was in command of an army sent to reinforce Hannibal. A link up of the two forces would give Hannibal the strength and stamina to finally finish off the Romans.
