Aranor
10-23-2006, 02:31
WOLVES ON THE BORDER, A GETAI CAMPAGN.
First off: the rules. My campaign is a VH/M settings.
I’m posting this AAR about halfway through my current Getai campaign. Currently I am at war with the Makedoni and it has ground down into a real meat grinder with the withdrawal of my premier army in the field (who this AAR will follow solely)
A BREIF HISTORY:
After many years of conquest the Thrakian lands were now under the control of the Getai, only Nicomedia remained free. Now the Getic eyes turned northwards to the steppes and expansion into this untamed wilderness. New armies were recruited to expand the empire northwards, taking careful steps not to disturb the Sarmatians who we have traded with peacefully for many years.
The Empire at 251bc
https://img106.imageshack.us/img106/1314/getai251bcyu7.th.png (https://img106.imageshack.us/my.php?image=getai251bcyu7.png)
In 252bc a small Sarmatian band of raiders crossed the border and attacked a Getai settlement. The Sarmatian war had begun. Caught off guard by this treachery the High war council of the Getai were caught off guard and hurriedly assembled a mercenary army under the command of Partatua a young general who showed some promise and sent him off to fight the Sarmatians while 2 more armies were trained and placed under the command of Sluxna and Oltentia. Meanwhile in the north Partatua was having a hard time adapting to the strange tactics of the Sarmatian horsemen and they handed him defeat after defeat. Demoralized he turned back for home with hordes of Sarmatians hot in his heels chasing him all the way. While Partatua was escaping to the homelands; in the south Oltentia and Sluxna arrived in the Sarmatian wild lands. Very quickly they suffered the same defeats as Partatua, but recovered to decimate the armies that attacked, thus crippling the Sarmatian war machine. Very quickly Sarmatian cities began to fall one after another. During the siege of Ursa Oltentia was killed when a group of Sarmatian spearmen wheeled around on his cavalry charge and killed his horse throwing him and breaking his neck. His death stunned his men, but it galvanized them into an even more ferocious fighting machine and they summarily slaughtered the Sarmatian troop’s man for man and killed all the inhabitants of Ursa.
Meanwhile back in Sarmiszegethusa the Council of Nobility met in the shadow of the Kogaionon to discuss the general state of the empire and the hottest topic on everyone’s lips was the war with the Sarmatians which had revealed a startling lack in preparedness of the Getai military machine, as was evidenced by the poor quality of the troops. Comosikus, an elderly member of the nobility and the governor of Tylis put forth a radical plan to overhaul the failing old ways of the military and institute a new reform of standing armies to exist throughout the empire. The first would be raised in Sarmiszegethusa. Unknown to the council was the imminent danger building to the south. The treacherous Makedoni were massing for a strike at Sardis, Tylis and Byzantion. While large garrisons defended the cities nothing else stood between them and the Makedionian hordes to the south.
In the spring of 232bc the Makedoni attacked Tylis. Now war existed on 2 fronts! For the Sarmatians, while near defeat, were still causing problems in the north. Fortunately the first standing army of the Getae was nearing completion. All it needed was a leader.
Nearing his home in the capital of Sarmiszegethusa Partatua looked forward to seeing his wife, and perhaps fathering a child, when a messenger arrived. He was to proceed with all speed back to the capital! The Makedoni have attacked! And he was to take command of the first major army of this new era in Getic military history.
In the summer of 229bc he arrived back in Sarmiszegethusa to take up the reigns of this new army. All were green beyond belief, but they had the fire burning in their eyes and the firm belief that should they die they would sit beside Zalmoxis in the afterlife! And so they began the long march south…. And into history.
The Empire at 229bc
https://img125.imageshack.us/img125/189/getai229bclj7.th.png (https://img125.imageshack.us/my.php?image=getai229bclj7.png)
THE WOLF PACK:
Partatua decided to attack the Makedoni capital of Pella, his spies reported that it was heavily guarded. But he knew that its loss would shock the vile Greeks into submission. By this time also the doubts of his own defeats to the Sarmatians in the north ate away at his sole, and it was whispered widely among the troops that he was a coward.
This caused a great deal of discontent and morale was at an all time low. Still they marched on to Pella and lay siege to the city in the summer of 228bc
As was expected the Makedoni sent wave after wave of troops to try to relieve their capital and resting place of their greatest ever kings, never should their remains be allowed to fall into the hands of dirty barbarians. However none could breach the lines of the Getae phalanx, and with a new strategy he had devised Partatua placed his archers and Komotai skirmishers in the rear lines and used their fire power in concentrated and deadly barrages on enemy units, softening them up for the main battle lines. By the end of 228 BC some 10000 Makedoni troops lay rotting in the fields surrounding Pella, among them was no less than 5 Makedoni royal family members. This was enough for the Governor of Pella; he sallied forth with his army to try to put an end to this insult. But by this time Partatua had proven his worth to his men and they loved him for all his victories. His very words inspired even the weakest of soldiers to fight for him. As the garrison sallied forth the Getae battle lines formed up in their now classic formation. The first row grouped the Getikoi Stratiotai as the main battle line, forming up behind them was the Komotai Agrainai; the third line consisted of the Komotai. The fourth line formed the beginning of the reserves, in that the Drapanai formed up, the fifth and final line contained the Komotai Thorakitai Stratiotai used to break up enemy formations or provided assistance to faltering troops these were the most elite men in the army. Forming up on the left flank Partatua placed his heavy cavalry body guards each had served with him in Sarmatia and he was brothers with all of them.
Quickly the battle was joined each side jostling for position. Half way through the battle and all of Partatua’s reserves were committed, he himself had not escaped the fighting, having driven off several flanking attempts. But by the end it was an emphatic victory for the Getae army, now known by their enemies as the Wolf Pack, for their inhuman howling before and during battle.
In the winter of 228bc the great city of Pella was taken. Near the end of that year an assassin infiltrated the city and assonated Partatua in his sleep. And with that the life of the Getae’s most promising young general was snuffed out. A single assassin took care of what 10000 of Makedonia’s finest young men could not.
The Wolf Pack was outraged at the underhanded killing of their leader; they vowed never to stop killing the Makedoni until none was left alive! But for now they would leave Pella with the body of their general, their hero and take him on the long march back to the Kogaionon where he could rest beside Zalmoxis as his favorite son.
In the year 222bc a new young general had come of age. His name was Idanthyrus; he possessed all the fire and drive of the Wolf Pack’s previous general but none of the combat experience; however his men made up for that with their own. Each now combat veteran. Learning from the death of Partatua, Idanthyrus ordered assassins and spies to provide protection for himself and his troops. With this in play they moved south again. By this time the wart in Sarmatia had been over nearly 10 years so all the Getae resources were now flowing south.
Idanthyrus knew that he must continue down the Greek coastline to the great city of Demitrias. In the winter of 220bc he laid siege to this city. And again the Makedoni demon flowed out of their holes in the ground to attack the Daoi. Every time they defeated one army another seemed to take up its place, the flow of troops seemed to be never ending, and their throats became horse from howling at their enemies allay and night. Terrified the Makedoni commanders usually ran at the first chance they had, only to be cut down by the Daoi as they gave pursuit. They were living up to their word on a single man would leave the field alive while they were on it! In the winter on 218 BC the Garrison commander was out of food in the city and had no choice but to sally forth to try to drive these invaders from their lands. But again the wolves proved too cunning and out flanked the enemy commander to take the walls and use his own towers against him! This through the army into disarray and the Daoi charged. Again the Makedoni were slaughtered to the man. Thus the city of Demitrias was captured. Not willing to settle back Idanthyrus immediately set off to Athens and by spring he was at its walls.
The garrison commander was so surprised at the site of these invaders at his walls so quickly he sallied forth to try to remove them before they had had time to dig in. So in the winter of 218bc he attacked. Again the howls of the Wolves rang out to the heavens terrifying the enemy into a mass of quivering children. After a short but heavy engagement the Makedoni were destroyed and the city of Athens was theirs. However all was not well in Athens. For in the cities darkest shadows lurked a killer. As Idanthyrus ate with his men one evening the assassin stuck poisoning him. Within moments he was dead. The treacherous Makedoni had struck again! 2 generals cut down in the prime of their lives. Morning their general the Wolf pack again made that familiar journey back to the Kogaionon.
As soon as they had left Athens however the Makedoni laid siege to the city and retook the city in 217 BC. By the year 215 BC a new general was ready to be named he was Dnestr, he showed all the promise of his predecessors and more! And with a new general came a new battle plan. He would arch on the port city of Thermon, while not in the hands of the Makedoni, he did know that if he captured this city it would become impossible for the vile Makedoni menace to out flank him in the Peloponnese. In 214bc he laid siege to the city of Thermon, and in a relatively minor skirmish took the city just one season later. The other reason he wanted this city was because here lay the Dephine oracle and temple of Apollo. In s rash decision that only could have been made by youth he ordered it burned to the ground. This infuriated the Makedoni and they sent their most elite army to deal with them. The army arrived in the spring of 213bc and immediately attacked. In a brutal battle the Makedoni pushed the Daoi right to the brink of breaking but fortunately they held on and were able to drive off the Greek devils once again. The price for this was high however. Looking to seize upon this victory Dnestr came up with a convoluted plan to cross into the very Southern tip of Greece and lay siege to Sparta her self! Already well under strength and weary from the previous battles the wolves made their way to Sparta. Spies sent ahead of the main army told of a lightly defended city with a major prize……. The Makedonian king Demetrios himself! This was too good to be true Dnestr thought as he urged his men on harder. In the spring of 212bc he was at the Spartan walls preparing to dig in.
Immediately sensing weakness the Makedonians attacked Dnestr’s much wearied troops each time they drove the Greek vermin back more of their brothers lay dead in the fields. They could not keep this up for much longer; Dnestr’s madness would kill them all.
Finally giving into pressure from his staff Dnestr agreed to withdraw from the field back to the Getae homelands for refit. He ordered back hulled ships from Pella to the coastline and in the dead of night nearing the end of 212bc the Daoi left Sparta vowing to return to finish the job they started.
Upon returning to Buridava from some much needed R&R Dnestr was relieved of command in favor of Zalmoxis a young nobleman who had shown some promise in the arts of war. So in 211bc under a new commander the Wolf pack again set off to continue the fight against the Makedoni. Only time would tell if this young general would show the strength of his name sake…………
The Empire at 211bc
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/9190/getai211bczf1.th.png (https://img246.imageshack.us/my.php?image=getai211bczf1.png)
Time to meet the Wolves
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/9145/daospackgi3.th.png (https://img246.imageshack.us/my.php?image=daospackgi3.png)
https://img102.imageshack.us/img102/885/zalmoxisii8.th.png (https://img102.imageshack.us/my.php?image=zalmoxisii8.png)
First off: the rules. My campaign is a VH/M settings.
I’m posting this AAR about halfway through my current Getai campaign. Currently I am at war with the Makedoni and it has ground down into a real meat grinder with the withdrawal of my premier army in the field (who this AAR will follow solely)
A BREIF HISTORY:
After many years of conquest the Thrakian lands were now under the control of the Getai, only Nicomedia remained free. Now the Getic eyes turned northwards to the steppes and expansion into this untamed wilderness. New armies were recruited to expand the empire northwards, taking careful steps not to disturb the Sarmatians who we have traded with peacefully for many years.
The Empire at 251bc
https://img106.imageshack.us/img106/1314/getai251bcyu7.th.png (https://img106.imageshack.us/my.php?image=getai251bcyu7.png)
In 252bc a small Sarmatian band of raiders crossed the border and attacked a Getai settlement. The Sarmatian war had begun. Caught off guard by this treachery the High war council of the Getai were caught off guard and hurriedly assembled a mercenary army under the command of Partatua a young general who showed some promise and sent him off to fight the Sarmatians while 2 more armies were trained and placed under the command of Sluxna and Oltentia. Meanwhile in the north Partatua was having a hard time adapting to the strange tactics of the Sarmatian horsemen and they handed him defeat after defeat. Demoralized he turned back for home with hordes of Sarmatians hot in his heels chasing him all the way. While Partatua was escaping to the homelands; in the south Oltentia and Sluxna arrived in the Sarmatian wild lands. Very quickly they suffered the same defeats as Partatua, but recovered to decimate the armies that attacked, thus crippling the Sarmatian war machine. Very quickly Sarmatian cities began to fall one after another. During the siege of Ursa Oltentia was killed when a group of Sarmatian spearmen wheeled around on his cavalry charge and killed his horse throwing him and breaking his neck. His death stunned his men, but it galvanized them into an even more ferocious fighting machine and they summarily slaughtered the Sarmatian troop’s man for man and killed all the inhabitants of Ursa.
Meanwhile back in Sarmiszegethusa the Council of Nobility met in the shadow of the Kogaionon to discuss the general state of the empire and the hottest topic on everyone’s lips was the war with the Sarmatians which had revealed a startling lack in preparedness of the Getai military machine, as was evidenced by the poor quality of the troops. Comosikus, an elderly member of the nobility and the governor of Tylis put forth a radical plan to overhaul the failing old ways of the military and institute a new reform of standing armies to exist throughout the empire. The first would be raised in Sarmiszegethusa. Unknown to the council was the imminent danger building to the south. The treacherous Makedoni were massing for a strike at Sardis, Tylis and Byzantion. While large garrisons defended the cities nothing else stood between them and the Makedionian hordes to the south.
In the spring of 232bc the Makedoni attacked Tylis. Now war existed on 2 fronts! For the Sarmatians, while near defeat, were still causing problems in the north. Fortunately the first standing army of the Getae was nearing completion. All it needed was a leader.
Nearing his home in the capital of Sarmiszegethusa Partatua looked forward to seeing his wife, and perhaps fathering a child, when a messenger arrived. He was to proceed with all speed back to the capital! The Makedoni have attacked! And he was to take command of the first major army of this new era in Getic military history.
In the summer of 229bc he arrived back in Sarmiszegethusa to take up the reigns of this new army. All were green beyond belief, but they had the fire burning in their eyes and the firm belief that should they die they would sit beside Zalmoxis in the afterlife! And so they began the long march south…. And into history.
The Empire at 229bc
https://img125.imageshack.us/img125/189/getai229bclj7.th.png (https://img125.imageshack.us/my.php?image=getai229bclj7.png)
THE WOLF PACK:
Partatua decided to attack the Makedoni capital of Pella, his spies reported that it was heavily guarded. But he knew that its loss would shock the vile Greeks into submission. By this time also the doubts of his own defeats to the Sarmatians in the north ate away at his sole, and it was whispered widely among the troops that he was a coward.
This caused a great deal of discontent and morale was at an all time low. Still they marched on to Pella and lay siege to the city in the summer of 228bc
As was expected the Makedoni sent wave after wave of troops to try to relieve their capital and resting place of their greatest ever kings, never should their remains be allowed to fall into the hands of dirty barbarians. However none could breach the lines of the Getae phalanx, and with a new strategy he had devised Partatua placed his archers and Komotai skirmishers in the rear lines and used their fire power in concentrated and deadly barrages on enemy units, softening them up for the main battle lines. By the end of 228 BC some 10000 Makedoni troops lay rotting in the fields surrounding Pella, among them was no less than 5 Makedoni royal family members. This was enough for the Governor of Pella; he sallied forth with his army to try to put an end to this insult. But by this time Partatua had proven his worth to his men and they loved him for all his victories. His very words inspired even the weakest of soldiers to fight for him. As the garrison sallied forth the Getae battle lines formed up in their now classic formation. The first row grouped the Getikoi Stratiotai as the main battle line, forming up behind them was the Komotai Agrainai; the third line consisted of the Komotai. The fourth line formed the beginning of the reserves, in that the Drapanai formed up, the fifth and final line contained the Komotai Thorakitai Stratiotai used to break up enemy formations or provided assistance to faltering troops these were the most elite men in the army. Forming up on the left flank Partatua placed his heavy cavalry body guards each had served with him in Sarmatia and he was brothers with all of them.
Quickly the battle was joined each side jostling for position. Half way through the battle and all of Partatua’s reserves were committed, he himself had not escaped the fighting, having driven off several flanking attempts. But by the end it was an emphatic victory for the Getae army, now known by their enemies as the Wolf Pack, for their inhuman howling before and during battle.
In the winter of 228bc the great city of Pella was taken. Near the end of that year an assassin infiltrated the city and assonated Partatua in his sleep. And with that the life of the Getae’s most promising young general was snuffed out. A single assassin took care of what 10000 of Makedonia’s finest young men could not.
The Wolf Pack was outraged at the underhanded killing of their leader; they vowed never to stop killing the Makedoni until none was left alive! But for now they would leave Pella with the body of their general, their hero and take him on the long march back to the Kogaionon where he could rest beside Zalmoxis as his favorite son.
In the year 222bc a new young general had come of age. His name was Idanthyrus; he possessed all the fire and drive of the Wolf Pack’s previous general but none of the combat experience; however his men made up for that with their own. Each now combat veteran. Learning from the death of Partatua, Idanthyrus ordered assassins and spies to provide protection for himself and his troops. With this in play they moved south again. By this time the wart in Sarmatia had been over nearly 10 years so all the Getae resources were now flowing south.
Idanthyrus knew that he must continue down the Greek coastline to the great city of Demitrias. In the winter of 220bc he laid siege to this city. And again the Makedoni demon flowed out of their holes in the ground to attack the Daoi. Every time they defeated one army another seemed to take up its place, the flow of troops seemed to be never ending, and their throats became horse from howling at their enemies allay and night. Terrified the Makedoni commanders usually ran at the first chance they had, only to be cut down by the Daoi as they gave pursuit. They were living up to their word on a single man would leave the field alive while they were on it! In the winter on 218 BC the Garrison commander was out of food in the city and had no choice but to sally forth to try to drive these invaders from their lands. But again the wolves proved too cunning and out flanked the enemy commander to take the walls and use his own towers against him! This through the army into disarray and the Daoi charged. Again the Makedoni were slaughtered to the man. Thus the city of Demitrias was captured. Not willing to settle back Idanthyrus immediately set off to Athens and by spring he was at its walls.
The garrison commander was so surprised at the site of these invaders at his walls so quickly he sallied forth to try to remove them before they had had time to dig in. So in the winter of 218bc he attacked. Again the howls of the Wolves rang out to the heavens terrifying the enemy into a mass of quivering children. After a short but heavy engagement the Makedoni were destroyed and the city of Athens was theirs. However all was not well in Athens. For in the cities darkest shadows lurked a killer. As Idanthyrus ate with his men one evening the assassin stuck poisoning him. Within moments he was dead. The treacherous Makedoni had struck again! 2 generals cut down in the prime of their lives. Morning their general the Wolf pack again made that familiar journey back to the Kogaionon.
As soon as they had left Athens however the Makedoni laid siege to the city and retook the city in 217 BC. By the year 215 BC a new general was ready to be named he was Dnestr, he showed all the promise of his predecessors and more! And with a new general came a new battle plan. He would arch on the port city of Thermon, while not in the hands of the Makedoni, he did know that if he captured this city it would become impossible for the vile Makedoni menace to out flank him in the Peloponnese. In 214bc he laid siege to the city of Thermon, and in a relatively minor skirmish took the city just one season later. The other reason he wanted this city was because here lay the Dephine oracle and temple of Apollo. In s rash decision that only could have been made by youth he ordered it burned to the ground. This infuriated the Makedoni and they sent their most elite army to deal with them. The army arrived in the spring of 213bc and immediately attacked. In a brutal battle the Makedoni pushed the Daoi right to the brink of breaking but fortunately they held on and were able to drive off the Greek devils once again. The price for this was high however. Looking to seize upon this victory Dnestr came up with a convoluted plan to cross into the very Southern tip of Greece and lay siege to Sparta her self! Already well under strength and weary from the previous battles the wolves made their way to Sparta. Spies sent ahead of the main army told of a lightly defended city with a major prize……. The Makedonian king Demetrios himself! This was too good to be true Dnestr thought as he urged his men on harder. In the spring of 212bc he was at the Spartan walls preparing to dig in.
Immediately sensing weakness the Makedonians attacked Dnestr’s much wearied troops each time they drove the Greek vermin back more of their brothers lay dead in the fields. They could not keep this up for much longer; Dnestr’s madness would kill them all.
Finally giving into pressure from his staff Dnestr agreed to withdraw from the field back to the Getae homelands for refit. He ordered back hulled ships from Pella to the coastline and in the dead of night nearing the end of 212bc the Daoi left Sparta vowing to return to finish the job they started.
Upon returning to Buridava from some much needed R&R Dnestr was relieved of command in favor of Zalmoxis a young nobleman who had shown some promise in the arts of war. So in 211bc under a new commander the Wolf pack again set off to continue the fight against the Makedoni. Only time would tell if this young general would show the strength of his name sake…………
The Empire at 211bc
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/9190/getai211bczf1.th.png (https://img246.imageshack.us/my.php?image=getai211bczf1.png)
Time to meet the Wolves
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/9145/daospackgi3.th.png (https://img246.imageshack.us/my.php?image=daospackgi3.png)
https://img102.imageshack.us/img102/885/zalmoxisii8.th.png (https://img102.imageshack.us/my.php?image=zalmoxisii8.png)