Pahlava AAR ver 2.01 Part I Baktria insults my envoy

[mogami]

Hi, It seems I cannot do a turn by turn AAR because I can't stop clicking next turn. Part I: Will encompass the first 134 turns.
In the beginning I decided to turn my attention to the Saka Rauka not wishing to have them hovering in the north while I fought in the south.
To that purpose I sent out my diplomat to arrange peace with my neighbors. I wished for an alliance with Baktria, Saka was a danger to them as well.
The army captured Bukharak and then fought a few rebel armies. I am mainly a builder early in the game so I was content to reduce the size of the army to save money while I built my 3 towns.
My diplomat went to speak with Baktria and arranged trade without issue, but when I asked for a exchange of maps and an alliance they replied "we will laugh at that joke over our ale". I would have taken a simple "thanks but no thanks"
Baktria then began a rapid expansion and when they reached my border by acquiring Antiocheia-Marg I became concerned enough to begin mobilizing the Army.
The first campaign was to capture A-M and then drive down the long straight road to Baktra. The Army was composed of 2 Family Members with 6 Horse Archer type units, 2 cataphracts, 4 tribal/Hillman types, 2 Hellenic medium spear, 4 archers.
Once A-M was unders siege Baktria began sending relief forces but they were in small, separated groups. I detached one leader with 4 horse archer units to deal with this threat. Over the course of the next 4 turns he disposed of 6 groups composed of 9 enemy units. None of them contained cavalry. He was unable to rejoin the main army before a larger Baktrian force arrived to attempt to lift the siege. I had made up for this by sending new units from Pahlava as well as several more mercenaries.
In the resulting battle all Baktrian forces were destroyed and A-M was captured. The road to Baktra was now clear.
Pausing just long enough to rebuild depleted units the army moved down the long highway that Baktria had thoughtfully just improved.
In what became the standard for sieges during this war Baktria moved scattered formations in their attempt to lift the siege while my detachments held them off. It was in one of these that their faction heir Diodotu was killed. He was attempting to meet up with another army but it was destroyed leaving him nearby with just his bodyguard. Put up a good fight but was overwhelmed. By now my detached leader had an army of his own (all cav).
With the fall of Baktra I attempted to convert the population to the Pahlavan way of life but ended up turning it into an allied city.
Seems you can't ungreek these Greeks.
Next I moved to secure the flank by capturing Oskohara. I appealed to Baktria to accept terms but once again was rebuffed. Saka went to war with them at this time. I formed an alliance with Saka.
Marakanda was next and because Saka was laying siege to Antiocheia-Eschate , Baktria sent no help south. They did however defeat Saka in time for my army to arrive. Using Saka units nearby I fought a battle in the open that destroyed the army outside of town.
Several events now conspired to delay movement to the final Baktrian city.
My faction leader died, The governor in Bukharak died leaving me with no one to shuttle depleted units home to rebuild and move back to the front. And it was at this time that the city of Baktra became unmanageable as a Royal land and was converted to Allied City but still the unrest required a large garrision. (in numbers the garrision in Baktra is my largest force) I began to experience a shortage of money and my building programs were halted.
I reduced overhead by placing my more expensive units into the minor settlements but they could not be used in the field.
I went through the captured towns and destroyed for the revenue all the improvements that offered +1 to culture. (I hope that was greek culture they were growing)
So there was about a 5 year pause before I was able to continue.
On turn 129 I had the army gathered at A-E (minus infantry and foot archer units) I would buy these just outside of Oyrta.
On turn 134 the Battle was fought.



(It will require several edits/posts to cover battle)

Each Baktrian army contained 2 leaders. The better general and the faction leader were not in command of the army they were in.
The army outside of town contained depleted mostly infantry/missile units. The army in town was full strength with around 50 percent cav.
The ground was open, hilly and rough with a large flat toped mountain dominating.



Here the enemy is moving up the mountain. 2 of my Baktrian horse archers are following.
There was another path up the mountain behind my starting position. I detached a horse archer, tribal skirmisher and a foot archer to climb it. Later I added a tribal axe unit to this force but it never made the climb.

My horse archer drove off a enemy light cav unit to gain access to the summit. In this he was aided by my light infantry. However one of the enemy leaders charged over and routed my infantry and it seemed I would be pushed off. But the Baktrian's only pushed me back long enough for a small force to descend down the path I had just ascended. This placed them in the rear of my army down below.
Anticipating the arrival of the second enemy army I had held back half my infantry (2 units yippee) and a foot archer. They deployed on a hill facing this new threat while the cataphracts went up the hill in mass.
Here is where the axe men encountered the enemy coming down the hill. I sent a horse archer to their aid.
The enemy leader now found his supporting units were routing so he rode to come up the path behind my assault I met him with the reserve and he turned around again. He would spend the rest of the day running between my forces. .



Most of this first Baktrian army was light infantry/archer types but lagging in the rear going up the mountain were 3 native phalanx units. I had used 2 Baktrian horse archers to harry them while my massed heavy cav moved into position to climb the path. When they charged they hit the rear phalanx and it broke. Moving the horse archers out of this furball I had them attack enemy skirmishers to the left while the charge moved on up. Seeing the 3rd phalanx had turned around and was bracing to receive the shock I divided the cav and had 3 units engage while the other 4 went into the gap my horse archers had opened driving back the enemy light troops. Into this hole in his line moved the second enemy leader. I had one unit turn around and hit the phalanx from behind breaking it and adding 4 units to my move upwards.

When this second leader broke and ran the entire army (except for leader number 1 down below) broke and the mountain top was mine. Of course now the second larger enemy army appeared on the map edge.

looking down at new enemy army

Waiting for the enemy on my extreme left I had placed 2 of my 4 Baktrian horse archers (the other two had went up the hill) I also had 2 horse archer units but they were both commited. One chasing the leader and one on the mountain top. What I had not committed were those 2 light infantry and foot archer and I saw they were going to be crushed by those 8 charging enemy horse units. So I ordered 5 of my heavies into double line and sent them down the mountain full speed. They hit the enemy charge right in the flank and two of the enemy Saka horse routed right away and right out of the battle.

the heavies right before impact.

It was a general melee for a while but compared to climbing the mountain coming down it went a lot faster.
When the charge was about to stall I sent the last 2 heavy horse down aimed right at enemy leader. He was facing the wrong direction. With his capture this second army broke and ran and the rest was just mopping up.





I don't have any ale but I did drink a beer!