Akragas 406 BC (C&C Ancients)

Historical Background: The Carthaginians on their third invasion of Sicily laid siege to the city of Akragas. The Syracusans under the command of general Daphnaeus marched to Akragas' aid. A long battle outside the walls followed with the Syracusans winning the day, but the city defenders failed to sally out and join the fight. Although Hamilco's Carthaginians suffered heavily what remained fled back to their camp to join Hamilco's second army. Daphnaeus did not make a second attack and withdrew his army after the Carthaginian navy cut off his supplies. The city fell eight months later without a fight.

Hamilco attacks on both flanks with his heavy chariots and light cavalry. They inflict some casualties among the Syracusan light troops, but are driven off with one unit of heavy chariots completely destroyed. (Syracuse 1, Carthage 0)

The Carthaginians advance their whole line but are met by a fierce charge from Daphnaeus in the center with his heavy infantry. The auxilia troops around Hamilco are quickly destroyed, but his medium infantry heroically takes on two units of heavy infantry leaving all three battered. Dionysius pushes on the right with his medium cavalry. (Syracuse 2, Carthage 0)

The Carthaginian center collapses with the destruction of another auxilia unit and the medium infantry. Daphnaeus tightens his center to compensate for the loss of a unit of heavy infantry. (Syracuse 4, Carthage 1)

While Hamilco retreats from the center with the light cavalry from the left wing, the Syracusans continue to push despite the lost of another unit of heavy infantry. Dionysius join Daphnaeus in the center. The auxilia of the former destroys a unit of Carthaginian light infantry, sealing a victory for Syracuse. (Syracuse 5, Carthage 2)

Successors

When Alexander the Great died in 323 BC, he left no clear heir to the immense empire he had conquered. It was not long after his death that the Macedonian generals began to war among themselves over who would be the regent or successor to Alexander’s empire. By 305 BC they had given up on succession and began to carve out their own kingdoms. Successors is a four-player game based on those wars.

(Black) Antipater with Lysimachus
(Blue) Craterus with Leonnatus
(Yellow) Ptolemey with Antigonus
(Red) Perdiccas with Peithon
(Green) Rebels and independants

Turn 1 (323 - 320 BC): Macedonia is immediately hit by the Dardani from the West, who then go on to pillage Thrace before finally being defeated. Antipater (black) then turns his eye on the Greeks who have declared themselves independent following Alexander's death. Craterus and Leonnatus (blue) dislodge Antigonus (yellow), branded a usurper, from Phrygia, while adding Cappadocia to the empire and thus establishing a strong influence over Asia Minor. Antigonus flees to Halicarnassus to secure the city's fleet before moving on to Crete. Ptolemy (yellow) moves up the Levant securing it and the Phoenician fleet. Meanwhile, in the East, Perdiccas (Red) rushes to Damascus to grab Heracles, the bastard son of Alexander, which he brings back to Babylon for safekeeping with Alexander's baby son. Perdiccas then brings Mesopotamia under his influence. Meanwhile, Peithon (red) sacks the treasury of Ecbatana before moving to secure the Easternmost provinces of Persis and Susiana. Not long after he leaves, Media is brought to turmoil with the arrival of twenty three thousand Greek colonists heading back home.

Turn 2 (319-316 BC): With Alexander's lavish funeral procession ready to depart Babylon with Perdiccas (red), the other generals prepare to block his route to Pella, lest he accrues enough legitimacy to be, without doubt, Alexander's successor. Craterus and Leonnatus (blue) prepare to block the way through Anatolia, while Antipater (black) finishes the reconquest of Greece, bringing the Athenian fleet under his control. With an uncertain path to Pella, Perdiccas and Peithon (red) instead decide to square off with Ptolemey (yellow) in Syria, but fail to engage before the silver shields flock to the latter and a stalemate ensues. Peithon attempts a bold attack near Damascus but is decidedly beaten and loses his mercenaries, the bulk of his army. Meanwhile, Antigonus (yellow) finishes the conquest of Crete before adding Rhodes and Cyprus to Ptolemey's dominion and a firm control of the sea. He then moves on to Pamphylia and Lydia. With no funeral procession forthcoming, Craterus (blue) moves to Syria with unclear intentions, while Leonnatus (blue) adds Lydia and Caria (Halicarnassus) to their dominion. In the East, Eumenes joins Perdiccas' camp (red) and lead the funeral procession with the two heirs into Media to the city of Ecbatana, where Alexander is buried. A third heir, Philip III, half brother of Alexander, is brought to Memphis by Ptolemey's men (yellow) for his security. These years close with the death of Antipater (black) who is replaceed by Polyperchon and with Demetrius joining his father Antigonus (yellow).

Turn 3 (315-311 BC): To fight the growing influence of Ptolemey (yellow), Perdiccas (red) enlisted the help of Polyperchon (black). While Perdiccas would fight Ptolemey in Phoenicia to deprive him of a fleet, Polyperchon would strike at Rhodes. The plan succeeded all too well, with Ptolemey retreating to Cyprus and his fleet completely destroyed by Polyperchon. With the threat of Ptolemey (yellow)thwarted, Craterus (blue) decided to strike into Syria to curb Perdiccas' (red) influence. Craterus pursued Peithon (red) throughout Syria but was ambushed in the desert when Perdiccas joined the latter to form a massive army. Craterus' forces were annihilated and he limped back to Cappadocia while an epidemic broke out among Perdiccas' army. Perdiccas and Peithon (red) separated their forces, with the former standing guard in Syria against Ptolemey (yellow) and Craterus (blue), while the latter headed south. Meanwhile, Leonnatus (blue) attempted to cross the bosphorus and enter Thrace, but was blocked by Lysimachus (black). Polyperchon (black), realizing that Peithon (red) was making a grab for Philip III, crossed the Mediterranean and battled the latter, defeating him. Peithon retreated back to the Levant while Demetrius (yellow) returned from an expedition in Cyrene to snatch Philip III and take him with him. Polyperchon (black) now decided to seize Egypt for himself, causing Ptolemey (yellow) and Peithon (red), bitter enemies for the previous years, to form an alliance against him. They both rushed to Egypt, but were too late. Despite a short revolt in Greece, Lysimachus (black), who had recently married the half-sister of Alexander, Thessalonike, became the successor to Alexander's empire due to his overwhelming influence.

Himera 480 BC (C&C Ancients)

Historical Background: Phoenicia and Greece both colonized the western Mediterranean. Carthage unified the Punic cities into an empire, while Syracuse rose to become the leading Greek city under its first Tyrant, Gelon. With Theron of Akragas, Gelon took control of Himera and drove out the former ruler, Terillus, in 483. King Hamilcar of Carthage, an ally and friend of Terillus, led an army to Sicily in 480 BC to restore him to power. Hamilcar established two camps to the west and southwest of Himera. As the armies skirmished outside the city, Gelon's raiders captured a message providing the date of arrival of a body of Greek cavalry reinforcing Hamilcar's army. A treacherous plan was hatched to substitute Gelon's own cavalry for these reinforcements. At dawn on the specified day, Gelon's horsemen entered the Punic sea-camp without raising any suspicion. They suddenly attacked, raising havoc and killing Hamilcar. Meanwhile the rest of Gelon’s army launched a surprise attack against both camps. Most of the forces in the sea-camp were slaughtered but a successful counter-attack at the hill camp prevented the total destruction of the Carthaginian army. A peace treaty was signed between Syracuse and Carthage, which held for seven decades. Since Hamilcar’s expedition coincided with the Xerxes’ invasion, it was believed to be part of a coordinated assault on the Greek world.

Hamilcar is killed and most of the forces in the sea camp are defeated with minimal loss.

Meanwhile, Gelon on the left wing pushes unsupported into the main Carthaginian camp.

Gelon and his heavy troops are killed and Syracusan left wing collapses, giving hope to the Carthaginians. Unfortunately for them, a last push in the sea camp gives the victory to Syracuse. (Syracuse 6 banners; Carthage 4 banners)