= Casus belli: Third Punic War
:doctype: article
Seth Kenlon
2025-03-12

== Introduction

After 2 failed wars, each spanning 2 decades, the once great Carthaginian Empire owed its meager existence to the tenuous grace of the Roman Republic.
However, what the people of Carthage lost in military might, they compensated with a burgeoning economy that enabled them to pay off its war debts in record time.
Instead of placating the Roman senate, however, the swift payment incensed them, making them jealous of Carthage's success.
With the mandate "Carthago delenda est" ("Carthage must be destroyed"), Rome forbade Carthage from raising an army _even in its own defense_.

In 151 BCE, Numidian forces threatened what was left of Carthage's territory.
Hasdrubal the Boetharch, a Carthaginian general, raised an army in defence.
A bloody war was waged, with heavy losses on both sides.
Adding insult to injury, no sooner had Hasdrubal returned home than Rome declared war on Carthage for raising an army without the Roman senate's permission.
The Roman general Scipio Aemilianus took troops by sea to the city of Carthage to put an end to the persistent rivalry once and for all.

== Choose historical or fictional play

The first 2 Punic Wars are open for debate, but it's difficult to argue that Rome's actions were justified in the third Punic War.
Playing the "bad" army (Rome, in this case) in a 2-player game can be fun.
How fun it is in a solo game, however, Iepends on whether you play wargames analytically or empathetically.

If you play analytically and want to recreate the conditions of the battle in this campaign, then you need a contigency of civilians in the city in addition to soldiers.
Although Scipio Aemilianus eventually agreed to take captives, but this order was not in effect while the Roman army worked its way through the residential quarter.
Civilians (including women, children, and the elderly) in the city are military targets.

If you play empathetically, and you prefer to play heroes rather than villains, then you may use this campaign as a work of fiction instead.
To provide Rome with much needed justification, use the optional magick threats provided in each Scenario.
These threats are obviously fictional, but they're designed to transform Carthage into a threat to reality itself, making Rome the obvious "good" army.

== Scenario 000

It's the year 146 BCE, and the sixth year of the latest war between Rome and Carthage.
Many cities have fallen, and now Carthage itself is under seige.

=== Setup

Use urban terrain to create a city wall.
Inside the city, place an Objective marker.

* **Terrain**: Urban
* **Rome**: Breach the city wall and enter Carthage. If Rome wins, go to Scenario 001.
* **Carthage**: Defend the city and prevent the Roman soldiers from entering the city. If Carthage wins, go to Scenario 002.
* **Victory**:  Control the objective.

=== Special rules

Rome is invading from the beach, where ships of legionaries supply reinforcements.
When a Rome unit is destroyed, the Rome army may gain an additional unit.

At the end of each round, Carthage gets 1 free attack from the top of the city walls.

**Optional magick**: 1 Carthage model may possess magickal powers.
Once each round, at any time, the magick user may either:

* Cause 1 Roman unit to move in any direction, using its normal Movement speed.
* Make a magical attack.

== Scenario 001 [Rome]

Your troops have arrived at the wealthiest residential quarter.
These are the homes of the most oppulent and influential Carthaginians.

=== Special rules

Gain 1 additional unit for this Scenario.

Your objective depends on your _casus belli_, your cause of war.
Choose a motive, or roll a d6:

1. **Personal glory**: Prove yourself on the battlefield by killing Hasdrubal the Boetharch.
2. **Economy**: Carthage's economic success is a threat to Rome. Destroy all trade goods on the board.
3. **Revenge**: Carthaginians destroyed your family estate during the second Punic War. In a historical game, capture all civilians on the board. In a fictional game, kill the magick user.
4. **Loot**: The Roman army pays well, but not well enough. Capture all treasure markers on the board.
5. **Stabilisation**: Eliminate Carthage as an potential combatant in an already volatile region. Destroy all Carthage officers on the board.
6. **Patriot**: Your city is better than theirs. Burn all buildings on the board.

=== Setup

Using terrain, create a very busy urban environment.

For a historical game, add Carthage civilians in buildings and on the streets.

In a fictional game, Carthage civilians have optionally already fled the city, but 2 powerful practioners of forbidden magicks have come to the city's defence.

Add treasure markers (treasure chests, or similar), trade good markers (crates, barrels, and so on) in various locations around the city.
Also add a building marker to each building.
When the Rome army controls any marker at the end of a round, the marker is considered triggered (a treasure is acquired, trade goods are seized, or a building is burned).

* **Terrain**: Urban
* **Rome**: Achieve the objective defined by your _casus belli_.
* **Carthage**: Prevent Rome from achieving its goal.

== Scenario 002 [Carthage]

You have repelled the Roman troops from your city, but a contigency of the survivors are making their way inland to join up with reinforcements.
Weaken their ranks before reinforcements arrive.

**Note**: Do not use this Scenario for historical play.
Instead, use Scenario 001 regardless of the outcome of Scenario 000.

=== Special rules

Gain 1 additional unit for this Scenario, and add it to the battlefield at any time.

In a fictional game, 1 Carthaginian may be a magick user.

At the end of each round, roll 2d6.
On the result of a matching pair of numbers across both dice (1 and 1, 2 and 2, 3 and 3, and so on):

* The Roman army may add 1 unit of Roman reinforcements to the Starting Zone of the battlefield
* The Carthiginian army may add 1 mythical creature, such as a Gorgon from Greek myth, or a Deep One or Hunting Horror from Lovecraft lore, or a Troll from Middle-Earth, or similar.

=== Setup

Create an arid, rural battlefield with at least one region of difficult terrain.

One end of the board is the Starting Zone, and the opposite end is the Finish Zone.
Both armies start in the Starting Zone, on opposite sides of the battlefield.

* **Terrain**: Rural (arid)
* **Rome**: Get at least 1 officer to the Finish Zone.
* **Carthage**: Prevent Rome from reaching the Finish Zone.

== Scenario 003

The Roman army has reached the Temple of Eshmoun, intent on leveling it to the ground.

In a historical game, this is Carthage's last chance to preserve its culture, if not its capital city.
In a fictional game, it's Carthage's last chance to complete a ritual to summon an Elder God or Daemon for protection.

== Special rules

The Carthaginian army in this Scenario are actually defectors of the Roman army, so they are well acquainted with Roman tactics.

Once each round, a Carthage unit may either make a free move, or compel a Roman unit to make a free move, up to its standard Movement speed.

There are 2 special Carthaginian characters in this Scenario:

* Hasdrubal is trying to reach Scipio Aemilianus to surrender.
* Hasdrubal's Wife is trying to reach the temple, to burn it (and herself) down in protest.

Both Hasdrubal and Hasdrubal's Wife may enlist any Carthaginian unit to assist and protect them.
Should either Hasdrubal or Hasdrubal's Wife succeed in their goal, a Summoned Monster (such as a a Daemon Prince from Age of Sigmar, Balrog from Middle-Earth, Star Spawn from Lovecraft, or similar) appears in the Temple of Eshmoun.

The Summoned Monster activates at the start and again at the end of each round, and attacks whatever unit is closest.
The Summoned Monster never attacks Hasdrubal's Wife.

* **Terrain**: Temple
* **Rome**: Stop Hasdrubal and Hasdrubal's Wife from achieving their goals. 
* **Carthage**: Ensure that Hasdrubal or Hasdrubal's Wife achieve their goals. 
* **Victory**: Should a Summoned Monster appear, the army that lands the killing blow is the victor.
