This is pretty much an AAR, but more of a "just the facts" kind than a real story...
I thought I would put it hear to give people an idea of how the game is playing for me at the moment (and it looked a bit short and sad compared to the literature appearing in the Story forum)...
Hi all, thought I would share the summary of a pretty cool SP camign I am on at the moment as the WRE (Hard/Hard)...
It was my second go as the WRE since learning the hard way about the effects of religion in the game.
The remains of an empire divided, divided physically and religiously. Religious unrest had forced the empire into decline. Provincials protesting the changing of old ways and the inability of Rome to protect them. Poor management had left the empire in a perilous state with revolt brewing in the outlaying provinces. Decisive action was required. First a proclamation stating that there will be no forced conversion to any religion and an order to rebuild the garrisons of the provinces to assist in the maintenance of order. Any cities that revolted against imperial rule would be dealt with harshly, and so it was that Nova Carthage was sacked by the very troops that once formed the garrison. After this abject demonstration of Roman authority rumor of revolt declined and with taxes being use to back up the imperial edicts and appropriate shrines being constructs and garrison troops being recruited unrest subsided.
Now followed a relative time of peace, the calm before the storm. We even found the money to field two legions in addition to the large garrisons necessary to maintain order. This where the Northern and Southern Legions based on the remains of troops fighting local rebellion and bandits (a third is slowly being formed in north Africa as well to finally deal with those Berber tribes).
The Celts in Britain constantly harass us but do not real damage and do not seem interested in invading. The Allemanni attacked one of provinces in central Europe consistently for years until the Southern Legion sufficient built up and experienced to capture and enslave these people. The Saxons poked their nose over the Rhine once but where seen off by the recently established northern legion and have never returned. The ERE have been troublesome, breaking our alliance and attacked there brothers. They are riven by internal dissent and their Empire is showing some weakness. It may be time to reunite the empire under Roma, as it should be.
Recently news of movements in the East has turned up. Great hordes of barbarians moving from the steppes into the Germanic lands. Our scouts of the ones called the Huns but these hordes seemed directionless, wandering even and of no real concern. We did how ever divert funds for the construction of walls, archery ranges and archers to the east. It never hurts to be prepared and the ERE are still of concern. Then another great horde of barbarians appeared just over the Danube. They did not appear to be doing anything but there was concern in Rome. The best local troops were gathered into a small army and sent to guard the one crossing of the Danube.
Military recruitment was increased in the region and the Southern Legion was recalled to Rome for reinforcement and re-equipping after it recent conquest of the Allemanni. A few seasons passed and life in the Empire continued. Taxes paid, cities expanded and incursions by the Celts, Berbers and the ERE fought off... The Southern Legion has been rebuilt into a legion to rival and perhaps even surpass those of old. Experienced from fighting rebels and bandits in Italy and from the conquest of the Allemanni and equipped with the best the smiths of Rome can produced. Just in time too...
Elements of the horde across the Danube, now identified as a tribe calling themselves the Vandels, attacked the small force holding the Danube crossing and while the initial attack was repulsed and second attack with a large number of heavy cavalry punched through the routed the defenders. The remnants retreated to Aquincum where they were reinforced. The city prepared for siege and the Southern Legion was dispatched to assist.
Sure enough the Vandel horde descended upon the city and besieged it. But there were large stores of food and weapons and a fair number of archers and soldiers to man the walls. We could hold until the Legion arrived to sweep these unwashed barbarians away.
As the Southern Legion neared the Vandels must have seen there chance slipping away and decided on an immediate assault of the city. Nearly 5000 soldiers attacked a city defended by 1500. It should have been easy, their siege tower should have burned and their spearmen thrown back down the ladders. The battle started well, but with a first ominous mistake by the defenders. The bulk of the defense was around the gate the barbarians where attacking, but as soon as they moved into range they wheeled their siege tower around and moved it away from the gate and to a section of wall more lightly defended and most importantly away from the bulk of our archers. We responded moving up spearmen to the threatened section of wall and moving archers to get a clear shoot at the tower. Another ominous event, the gods turned their backs to us and the barbarian siege tower would not burn. It rolled through the rain of fire to reach the wall and started loading men.
On either side of the gate ladders where moved to position. The attacker where decimated on the south side of the gate but the ladders went up on the north and the barbarians were on the walls. But our soldiers where there, throwing them back down and holding the wall. Our attention returned to the Siege tower. Reserves where moved to assist as the gate seemed secure. Finally the heavens smiled and the Siege tower caught alight. While it collapsed it had already delivered a significant number of horde warriors onto the wall and the reserved where moved onto the wall to keep them away from the gates. We returned our attention to the north of the gate and disaster! There where no defenders left on the wall, no attackers either just plies of bodies. It took a moment to spot those responsible, some heroic chosen warriors of the horde. They had fought their way to the gate house manned only by archers!! Soldier stationed further along the wall to the north were ordered to the gate house to clear out these attacked but where intercepted by fresh barbarians climbing the ladders. The situation was perilous, for only one unit of solders and the general's cavalry were left to defend the gate should it be opened and a large number of barbarian cavalry was waiting out of the range of the archers on the walls.
Our entire defense was based on keeping those cavalry out of the city and thus out of the fight. The troops to the north heroically and fanatically attacked the enemies blocking their way to the gate house, terrifying them and cutting through them. The enemies on the walls to the south had finally been dispatched and the remaining defender where order to the gatehouse. The control of the gate swung back and forth dramatically. With the enemy cavalry making a change for the open gate only to have it close and withdraw. Over time some got through the gate and only the heroics of the general cavalry through them back out...
Then came the end, the demons that attacked the gate, I say demons because no man could ever fight like that, held the gate room and killed all how tried to remove them!! The gate was flung open one last time the at this point the barbarian King himself committed to the attack charging into the defending general's body guard and, tired as they were, cutting them down. The general was forced to retreat alone to the central square with the rag-tag remnants of his archers. There they awaited the Barbarians final charge and a quick glorious death that was the only option available to a true Roman after such a defeat...
So the city fell, The Southern Legion just a season's march away where the first to hear. To hear and pass on the terrible tales of the destruction brought to the city and it's inhabitants by these barbarian scum. They where the first to swear vengeance against these Vandels and all like them. To swear vengeance against the betrayal by our Eastern brothers that had weakened the Empire until this could have occurred. First vengeance for Aquincum and then for the whole empire. A return to the old ways and to the days of strength and security when all fear the might of Rome!!
