A month later, Nobilior received significant reinforcements from North Africa, consisting of three hundred horsemen and ten elephants, and prepared to do battle with Numancia in the open. To surprise the Celts, ordered Nobilior order his troops, but hiding the elephant in the rear, as Appian account: "So I had come to his hands, he opened the training and the beasts appeared, with whose show, never before seen in battles, both were appalled, not only the Celts, but even their own horses, who fled to the city. Nobilior pursued them to the walls, where they fought bravely, until one of the elephants, wounded in the head with a large stone, was so enraged that his men returned with terrible roar, he began to run over everyone he met, without distinction of friend or foe. A bellows of this, enraged the other elephants, they begin to do the same, and trample, kill and disrupt the Romans. "Seeing the Numantines from the walls that the Romans were fleeing, were in pursuit, killed a good number of them and three elephants, and seized their weapons and banners. Other losses will forced to spend the winter in camp Renieblas where the cold and lack of food caused many deaths in the Roman ranks.
