Hasdrubal

Abilities

Ability	Ability's picture	Description	Statictics of the stock ability	Statistics at tier 10
Flying Column		A short, sharp charge with a low cooldown. Available at tier 1	Cooldown: 18s Duration: 2s Movement Speed: +25% Acceletration: +30% Charge Impact: 10% Silenced	Cooldown: 8s Duration: 3s Movement Speed: +70% Acceletration: +51% Charge Impact: 25% Morale: +5 Silenced
Deep Pockets		Incentivise an allied unit with the promises of wealth. Available at tier 3	Cooldown: 80s Duration: 30s Targeting Range: 35m Melee Attack: +20% Melee Defence: +20% Morale: +10	Cooldown: 50s Duration: 50s Targeting Range: 45m Melee Attack: +40% Melee Defence: +40% Morale: +20
Bribe		Undermine an opponent's will to stay in the fight. Available at tier 5	Cooldown: 120s Duration: 20s Targeting Range: 30m Enemy Melee Weapon Damage: -35% Enemy Melee Attack: -40% Enemy Reload Time: -40%	Cooldown: 100s Duration: 30s Targeting Range: 40m Enemy Melee Weapon Damage: -70% Enemy Melee Attack: -80% Enemy Reload Time: -40% Enemy Charge Impact: -30%

With which units can he be played?

Though being a support commader he can use cavalry or infantry and he will be a deadly commander if the players skill level allows it

What is his playstyle?/How to play him?

Hasdrubal is mainly a support commander, due to the two buff/debuff abilities that he has. He can hold a line for a long time when played with spears, and can harass his enemies when playing with cavalry.

Tips and tricks

With Hasdrubal, you often have two charges, which you can use to dodge charges and then counter charge, to escape from a fight, dodge arrows and such.

Historical context

Hasdrubal Barca, born 245 BCE, was the second son of Hamilcar Barca, brother to Hannibal Barca and a general of Carthage during the Second Punic War. Not much is known of his younger years but it is believed that he was by Hannibal's side when their father drowned in the Jucar river.

When Hannibal in 218 BC set out for Italy, he appointed Hasdrubal as commander of the newly conquered Iberians Peninsula and with a small army hoping to reinforce Hannibal in Italy the following year. A Roman expedition led by Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio which in 218 BCE entered Iberia and caught Carthage off guard and halted the plans of reinforcement. The Romans had secured a foothold at Emporiae blocking any hope of both reinforcing Hannibal and advancing north. Being outnumbered Gnaeus Scipio was reinforced by his own brother Publius Cornelius Scipio. The war stagnated as the Scipio brothers consolidated their position and Hasdrubal had to deal with potential rebellions.

After the Battle of Cannae in 215 BC an optimistic Hasdrubal attacked the Romans at Ilerda but failed and had to be reinforced by the youngest of the Barca brothers, Mago Barca. The reinforcements should have gone to Hannibal in Italy but with Hasdrubal's defeat in the Battle of Dertosa, that plan diverted. After three years of defending Iberia from Rome, a more pressing matter rose in West-Numidia, as king Syphax had begun to attack Carthage's territories in Africa. After defeating Syphax's army in battle where 30.000 Numidians were killed, Hasdrubal once more turned his attention at the Scipio brothers, which led to the Battle of the Upper Baetis in 211 BC. The Scipio brother led the Roman army standing at a total of 53.000 men, while the Barca brothers and fellow Carthaginian general Hasdrubal Giso led an army of 48.500 men. The Scipios had split their army between them leading to two battles fought within a few days of each other. Hasdrubal Gisco and Mago Barca set out towards Castulo to face Publius Scipio while Hasdrubal Barca withstood Gnaeus Scipio and bribed Gnaeus' mercenaries to switch side.
As Publis Scipio arrived near Castulo he was constantly harassed by light Numidian cavalry and chose to attack a reinforcement army later that night while they marched behind his army for fearing of being surrounded. Early in the morning he caught them and fought while having ab 18.000 to 7.500 advantage, but failed to defeat them before Hasdrubal Gisco and Mago Barca arrived. During the battle Publius Scipio was killed, leaving his brother Gnaeus to command the remaining Romans forces in Iberia. Gneaus who was now outnumbered due to the deserted mercenaries chose to retreat to northern Iberia but was in the end defeated and killed by the three Carthaginian armies.

The Romans who had survived the two battles headed north and was 211 BC reinforced by Claudius leading an army of 10.000 men and another 10.000 men led by Scipio Africanus. Scipio Africanus waited a year while training his men just to take advantage of the bad blood between the Carthaginian commanders. In 209 BC Scipio Africanus captured the city of Carthago Nova and at the Battle of Baecula Scipio Africanus defeated Hasdrubal Barca.
In 208 BC Hasdrubal was summoned to join Hannibal in Italy and eluded Scipio Africanus by crossing the Pyrenees and crossed Gaul. Using Hannibal's construction his march was easier and the native tribes who now feared the might of Carthage were nowhere to be seen. Hasdrubal who had sent out messengers to tell Hannibal about his approach was intercepted by the Romans. Hasdrubal soon found himself surprised by two Roman armies and was killed at the Battle of the Metaurus. Hasdrubal's head was sent to Hannibal's camp in a sack to show him of Hasdrubal's utter defeat and that no reinforcements would come.