I too found problems when trying to recreate Cannae using just the standard DBA rules...
...but found that giving the Spanish/Gallic Auxiliaries in the centre a combat factor of 4
(by whatever means you prefer - they were after all veterans after three victories in a row)
gives a much better recreation of this famous and well documented battle.
Zama however requires many more ‘special scenario rules’ in order to get an historical result.
The actual battle had the Carthaginians in four lines: first the 80 elephants (out on their own
in front of the whole army, where they were expected to be lost), behind them the Ligurians,
Gauls, and the Moorish-Numidian skirmishers, then the Carthaginian-Libyan spearmen, and
lastly Hannibal’s veterans (who after nearly two decades of conflict were experienced Italians,
many of them former Oscan allies of Rome, fighting in the Roman style).
Many people, and even some modern historians, don’t fully understand Hannibal’s battle plan.
He
knew his mounted forces on the wings were outnumbered and unlikely to stand, so he devised a
plan to draw the enemy mounted away by having his mounted on each wing make a fighting withdrawal.
This worked, and the superior numbers of Roman mounted on the left wing and the superior numbers of
allied Numidian mounted on the Roman right wing went haring off in a wild mounted pursuit after them,
which kept them out of the battle for several hours and bought Hannibal some time.
The elephants softened up the Roman centre but were defeated (as expected).
The Ligurians and Gauls behind them did the same (but they were
not ‘routed’...they recoiled to end
up on the wings of the spearmen behind them, causing Scipio to bring up his Triarii reserves in order to
match the Carthaginian battleline).
Things were evenly matched...until the Roman mounted returned from their wild pursuit to crash into
the Carthaginian rear.
The problems when using DBAElephants: these were used as if they were skirmishers...impossible for us wargamers as our elephant
models are so big! They’ll have to form part of the first line with the Ligurians-Gauls-Numidian skirmishers.
Also, lose two elephants and the mounted on each wing and the battle is over before the infantry engage.
Making the elephants a bit weaker but ‘expendable’ (like Hordes) helps to keep the battle going.
The Generals: Hannibal was not with the Carthaginian cavalry, or he would have routed with them.
Likewise, Scipio was not with the Roman left wing cavalry, or he would have gone off on a wild pursuit.
Again, losing the commander-in-chief makes the battle end before the infantry centre becomes engaged.
Having both generals attached to a reserve element makes the battle last longer, and is more historical.
The Ligurians-Gauls: in DBA, with just 12 elements a side, the Roman Hastati and Principes are combined
into one element, so are treated as one line. Well, if the Roman first two lines are treated as one, why not do
the same for the Carthaginians, and have the Elephants, Ligurians, Gauls, and skirmishers in one line?
So my reconstruction is something like this:-
Scipio Sp Sp
LH LH Ps Bd Bd Bd Bd Ps Cv Cv (underlined elements shows the general’s position) El Ax Ps Ps Wb El LH Sp Sp Cv (the Carthaginian mounted are facing two elements,
to delay the inevitable flank attack) Bd Bd
HannibalThe Roman Psiloi (some Velites, some Numidian Javelinmen) will be recoiled by the Elephants,
who will pursue until they are double-overlapped and destroyed, the Carthaginian skirmishers
will flee (forming a weak reserve), and the Ligurians and Gauls will recoil to form the wings of
the Citizen Spearmen.
Then both sides will bring up their reserves to form a longer battleline.
The only problem is the Roman wild mounted pursuit of their defeated mounted opponents.
DBA only allows a 1 BW pursuit, which is not enough, and Cv and LH don’t pursue in DBA.
Ideally the Roman mounted should pursue until they reach a table edge.
Of course, all this is merely a suggestion...