Defeat reinforcements before they can organize

The arriving reinforcements are attacked before the Carthaginian force turns back to its original opponent because the new army has not yet organized. Once it breaks, pressure shifts to the enemy commanders while the scattered Carthaginian units concentrate for the rest of the battle. Heavy infantry losses make the result a Pyrrhic victory, although destroying two Roman maneuver armies has greater campaign value than the immediate casualty exchange suggests. Within the game's model, killing senior leaders also reduces the enemy's ability to rebuild and expand. The sequence demonstrates how to defeat separated forces in detail and judge tactical cost against operational effect.