Reinforced Artillery

Over the course of the Second Punic War, as Hannibal campaigned through Italy, it became apparent that confronting him in a pitched battle was far too dangerous an undertaking. Although it wounded Roman pride at the time, Quintus Fabius Maximus' strategy of avoiding direct confrontation in favour of harrying and slowly whittling the enemy forces down gradually came to be seen as the most prudent course of action. Therefore, having strong artillery with which to harass the Carthaginian army from afar had obvious advantages. The thinking was that slowly destroying Hannibal's forces would affect their morale as well as their number, as there is nothing so demoralising as being unable to face an attacking enemy in open combat.