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I just don't get the spear-fetish the Roman AI seems to have. Triarii, Levy hoplitai, levy Gallic spearmen...Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus
Indeed, it's the only way to get around the frankly moronic behaviour of the AI when it comes to diplomacy. You've destroyed all their field armies and taken some settlements, and they have no means of resistance. Yet refuse a ceasefire?Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus
So, Marcus, what are you going to do now that 1.1 is out? Your AAR has gone on for really long... it's now an EB Forum legend...
Or maybe you already have 1.1 downloaded on a separate vanilla install?
I was planning on quiting on the release of v1.1. I am playing a version that is now more than two releases old. However, I have just made a change that could give me another couple months out of this campaign.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chaotix27
I've got both v0.97(what I call my version) and v1.1 on my computer so I don't have to worry about choosing one or the other.
I've got at least three chapters worth of pictures and the next chapter is nearly done. I think I'll finish up the next chapter then work on the 'citymod' and the EB2 FAQ. In the next week or so I'll see if I want to continue the campaign and thus the mod. Until then I'll make a update or two when I have the time.
I should probably just let this thing die now, though...
You probably should let it die, but that would be such a great pity.
Chapter 48 : A New Man
Since the fall of the great city of Kart-Hadast, her old territories of allies had remained united and resolute in their definance of the Arche Makedonia. Neokles had expected the satrapies of Kart-Hadast to rebel, fall apart, and begin fighting eachother as soon as Kart-Hadast had fallen. None of this had happened, instead they built up their forces and remained an obstacle to the Arche Makedonia.
As the summer of 179BC hits, the Arche Makedonia finally finds out why Numidia, Mauretania, Garmana, and the desert tribes have stayed united. Men from Kart-Hadast had hidden themselves away in the region and now reemerged to take up power after the withdrawl of Neokles and his army from the region. Several aristocrats from the city of Kart-Hadast and an army of her elites have managed to remain undefeated, hidden in the hills of Numidia, and now they strike back at the newly conquered Makedonike cities in Africa:
https://img392.imageshack.us/img392/4757/maa2538vl8.png
The garrison of the city of Ippone desides that it is best to confront the Qarthadastism army quickly before they run low on supplies and the enemy can build up siege equiptment. As the Makedones charge out of the city, the Qarthadastism men rush forward to meet them:
https://img413.imageshack.us/img413/2594/maa2539pn9.png
The African elites attempt to attack the Makedonike battle line before they can form up, but towers and skirmishers rain disaster down on them and they pull back:
https://img392.imageshack.us/img392/3251/maa2540fb4.png
Elite Sacred Band Spearmen attack the Makedonike battle line before they can form up, but it is too late and the line is already fully established. Realizing they have too few men to break the Makedonike line, the Qarthadastism generals order a general retreat but not all obey:
https://img413.imageshack.us/img413/5355/maa2541up6.png
Circling around the side of the city, the cavalry attacks the enemy bolt throwers, who are among those who refuse to retreat, and chase the engineers down, killing every last one of them:
https://img209.imageshack.us/img209/1743/maa2542gp9.png
When the last Sacred Band Spearman falls dead, all that remains are the elite African Pikemen from the city of Kart-Hadast. They make an attack against the Makedonike line but are quickly surrounded by flanking cavlary and skirmishers:
https://img413.imageshack.us/img413/2919/maa2543np9.png
Although all of the Qarthadastism aristocrats escape, the city garrison manages to wipe out most of the elite army, an army that cannot be replaced from amongst the Numidian population:
https://img413.imageshack.us/img413/3490/maa2544hz5.jpg
Pyrrhos, in Kart-Hadast, is relieve that the city is saved but fears that a full war will break out in Africa. Coming from north of there, a letter reaches Pyrrhos in Kart-Hadast. His eldest brother, Neikolaos, writes of what seems to be bad news to come. The Iberian Confederacy has suddenly pulled her armies from the war in Gaul and is now mobilizing on the Arche Makedonia's borders. Though they still claim to be allies and friends of the Arche Makedonia, this action can only be seen as an act of war:
https://img413.imageshack.us/img413/3628/maa2555wm8.png
Far from any battle front, a man had been educated in the ways of war, politics, and philosophy. First completing the Spartan Agoge then studying in Athenai, he had matured as a wise and strong man. This man is Philippos, third-born son of Pyrrhos' four sons. Being more than twenty years of age, Philippos, with consent of his father, decides that it is time to get some actual experience. Gathering a few men, Philippos begins his military career by engaging brigands. Fighting in Hellas, Makedonia, Thraikia, Anatolia, and Syria, Philippos begins to gain actual military experience.
While in Syria, Philippos begins to gather a larger army, first being the famed Syrian archers. During this time in the east, Philippos is exposed to great animosity. The governors and ruling elite of the area, mostly decendants of Antigonos, treat Philippos as though he were a enemy rival and are very cold to him. It would seem that the popularity of his father and the successes in the west have inbittered the eastern branch of the family.
As time passes Philippos begins to get the feeling that he is constantly watched and fears that an assassination may come at any time, from his own people. Escaping the animosity, Philippos takes what few men he has and sails for Aigyptos, where the ruling class has no strong family connections to any branch of the Antigonids.
Once in Alexandreia, Philippos finishes assembling some men for his army. Being raised in Italia and exposed to different types of warfare, Philippos attempts to assemble a new type of army, completely lacking any pikemen. While in Alexandreia, Philippos hears news, travelling down the Neilos, that the Nubians have betrayed the ceasefire and now march north. Volunteering his services, Philippos marches his new army southward and confronts the Nubians in the open field:
https://img209.imageshack.us/img209/8598/maa2545kb6.png
Lining his infantry in three lines, Philippos places his men with the most javelin out front and his elites in the rear. Then behind the three infantry lines are the archers and finally the cavalry:
https://img413.imageshack.us/img413/9492/maa2546xh6.png
The two armies both move toward eachother and as the distance decreases and the enemy come within javelin range, Philippos halts his men. With the enemy just before them, the first line opens fire with their javelin and pelts the Nubian front line:
https://img296.imageshack.us/img296/4735/maa2547ib9.png
As they come into range, Philippos orders his archers to open fire on the elephants behind the Nubian line. It may be hard to kill the great beasts, but it is quite easy to scare them.
Just as the first line runs out of javelins, the Nubian vanguard rush forward and charge the Makedonike line:
https://img296.imageshack.us/img296/4770/maa2548sm9.png
The initial Nubian attack is followed by the changing of the bulk of the rest of their army. As the first line begins to get tired and surrounded, Philippos orders the second line to attack and the first to withdraw:
https://img395.imageshack.us/img395/6447/maa2549mj0.png
The second line does well in reinforcing the first line, but the first line is unable to retreat from the chaos.
The battle begins to grow stale as neither side gains an advantage over the other. Then the elephants panic. Charging through their own men, the elephants break through the middle of the battle:
https://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3870/maa2550vd2.png
The elephants deal casualties on their own side but fall dead just short of the Makedonike line of engaged infantry.
With the elephants out of the way, Philippos moves for his end-game and circles his cavalry around the right flank. Once in possition, he signals to his third line to charge into the battle, while he charges them from the side:
https://img257.imageshack.us/img257/1081/maa2552oz5.png
With this move the Nubians quickly break and route. The Makedonike army gives chase and few are able to escape into the desert, where they die from exposure anyways:
https://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3504/maa2553qf9.jpg
Philippos' new army defeats the enemy, but not easy enough. The first line proved to be too weak and the third line is too expensive to keep in a standing army. Philippos returns to Alexandreia, where he dismisses his elite Makedones and reviews what happened in the battle. From Alexandreia, Philippos takes what is left of his army and boards a ship, travelling first to Makedonia then to Sikilia. Dispite the fact his battle was not an overwhelming success, the battle does teach Philippos many things for him to consider in future engagements:
https://img296.imageshack.us/img296/2697/maa2554kl0.jpg
Just as Neokles is settling in to managing the Arche from the capital at Pella, disaster strikes. In the first major crisis of his reign, a plague hits Makedonia and manages to infect people of all classes, all the way up to the highest level of society, including Basileus Neokles himself:
https://img257.imageshack.us/img257/2520/maa2556vl2.png
The second crisis of Basileus Neokles' reign is quick to follow the first. Betraying the long standing alliance, the Iberian Confederacy attacks the city of Emporion and betrays the very people who had saved them from enslavement under the armies of Kart-Hadast:
https://img395.imageshack.us/img395/503/maa2557vp4.jpg
With this act, the Iberian Confederacy also looses there only other ally, the Arverni king. With a long shared border with the Arche Makedonia, the Arverni would be fools to chose to betray such an ally:
https://img257.imageshack.us/img257/787/maa2558hu4.jpg
[I reloaded and betrayed them so I would keep the allies...]
The attack on Emporion is easily broken as the attackers flee from the garrison when it sallies, but now war has come. There to counter the invasion is an old man, Neikolaos, son of Nepos, liberator of Gaul, eldest brother of Pyrrhos, and hero of the Romaioi War. Neikolaos is the one man that Pyrrhos looks up to and the only other surviving hero of the Romaioi War. It is said, in fact, that if Pyrrhos had been offered the throne he would default it to his eldest brother, for Pyrrhos looked up to him and saw him as the leader of their branch of the family.
Now Neikolaos assembles his Gallic army, a small number of which are old veterans of the Romaioi War, and marches them against the Iberians who are defying Makedonike land:
https://img257.imageshack.us/img257/337/maa2559ak7.png
As the two armies enter the field, Neikolaos marches his men forward to meet the enemy:
https://img257.imageshack.us/img257/7859/maa2560kw5.png
In the center of the line are the Hellenized Gauls, newly trained and equiped in mixed style, a result of the Makedonike conquest of the area:
https://img257.imageshack.us/img257/2959/maa2561fn0.png
As the enemy approach, the battle line halts and gets down so that the missile units may fire over them at the approaching enemy, who take heavy losses to the arrows and lead shot:
https://img395.imageshack.us/img395/363/maa2562jq6.png
Even under a rain of death, the Iberians are undetered and unfrightened as they slowly move forward:
https://img257.imageshack.us/img257/4210/maa2563sd6.png
Finally the Iberians charge the Makedonike line and engage Neikolaos' Gallic forces. On the left flank, elites with huge sheilds confront the line:
https://img296.imageshack.us/img296/930/maa2564ee4.png
Meanwhile on the right flank, swordsmen skirmish with the Makedonike line before charging forward:
https://img257.imageshack.us/img257/4627/maa2565us7.png
The Iberians fight along the entire Makedonike line, but they focus the bulk of their force on the Hellenized soldiers in the center. This tactic manages break through the center but tie down the flanks so that the center cannot be reinforced:
https://img296.imageshack.us/img296/921/maa2566tg1.png
Soon Neikolaos' center breaks and the Iberians surge through. With the flanks tied down and the center fleeing, Neikolaos orders his archers to hold their ground and tie down the enemy while he takes the cavalry around the right flank and frees up the men tied down there:
https://img211.imageshack.us/img211/7718/maa2568ui7.png
With the Makedonike center completely gone, the battle desolves into three separate battles, two on what used to be the flanks and one where the archers fight to keep the Iberians from taking the field.
In an attempt to free up the right flank, the elderly Neikolaos personally leads a charge in at the rear of the Iberians:
https://img296.imageshack.us/img296/7356/maa2569zl9.png
The cavalry charge is successful and the Iberians on both flanks begin to break. The Iberians fall back but quickly regroup. While the cavalry and the remnants of the Makedonike line infantry rush to the aid of the archers, the spearmen who were originally ordered to guard the extreme flanks rush forward and meet the regouping Iberians:
https://img296.imageshack.us/img296/3162/maa2570jb2.png
After a short skirmish, the Iberians break once again and the Gauls chase them from the field. Meanwhile, the Iberians who had been battling the archers break and flee as well:
https://img296.imageshack.us/img296/3946/maa2571wo1.png
Giving no quarter, Neikolaos orders that his men chase down the enemy and kill as many as possible. By the end of the day few remain:
https://img296.imageshack.us/img296/6273/maa2572sn3.jpg
Neikolaos realizes, in the aftermath of the battle, that he and perhaps all of the Arche Makedonia has underestimated the power and skill of the Iberian people. Realizing that native forces won't be enough to fend off the Iberians, Neikolaos writes to his little brother Pyrrhos and requests that one of the armies of Makedones deployed in Africa be relocated to the Iberian front. In Africa, however, is only one professional army, the personal army of Pyrrhos. Rather than deploy his army and allow for Numidian/Mauretanian invasion, Pyrrhos sends word to Sikilia to build an army and to inform his son, Philippos, that upon his arrival he is to move to Iberia and engage this foe. Pyrrhos does not only send his son to Iberia because he believes he is the best general but to separate him from modern politics of the Arche.
As war starts up in the west, war draws to a close in the east. By taking their new capital at Apameia and blocking off the trade routes through Hyrkania, Bykoli and Pefkolaos manage to restrict what was once the reborn Median Empire to a tiny strip of land in eastern Hyrkania:
https://img296.imageshack.us/img296/1882/maa2576hu4.png
As the Arche Makedonia pushes eastward, more the eastern customs become dominant over the Hellenized aspects of Syria or even Babylonia. In these regions, the Arche Seleukeia even funded such eastern customs and religions:
https://img296.imageshack.us/img296/4627/maa2577jl5.jpg
After about a year of few events, Philippos manages to land his new army in Iberia. Mustering two armies of Iberians to join his attacks, Philippos moves his army west from Mastia and begins his counter attack on the Iberian interior:
https://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7507/maa2596ee8.png
The known world in 178BC:
https://img98.imageshack.us/img98/176/hxmak177be6.png
Next: Chapter 49 : An Era of Disaster
Great work, it´s finally time to take Iberia. Though the title of the next chapter is a bit worrying.
Also, I´m guessing that none of your generals died in that plauge?
Nice work:2thumbsup: Glad you haven't stopped.
General Appo, maybe the plague is part of the next chapters title?
Sweet go Marcus, hopefuly nothing too bad happeneds in the next chapter......:juggle2: . BTW, did you get that plague for role-play purposes?
or was it so kind of weird event???? and lastly seems to me in 1.1 in italy you can recuit some pretty nice units there now as Im playing as Epeiros and am recuiting some legions into my armys :laugh4:
Thanks guys. :bow:
The plague started in Sardis and I moved a spy into Makedonia. Since plagues are basically harmless I did so for roleplaying, since domestic problems are so rare in RTW. The plague continues for a while...
Italy is pretty bare for me. I get Rorari, Hastati, and Equites and that's it.
Great Job MAA. Like a good book you keep me turning the pages. I have grown quite attached to the little world you have created here on the forums! You have kept it interesting and it has been a pleasure following it! Awesome job!
Oh and congratulations on over six months of the Antigonids!! You started this thread on October sixth of last year!! I don't know if this is possible but it sure would be cool to see a time lapse of your empires growth. Somehow string together your screenshots of your map or something. I know your busy but that would be cool to see your empire evolve!
Thanks for following, Chirurgeon. I always try to keep up with your great AARs, too. Your latest sure has been successful. In the chapter after the next there is some Makedonia-Iberia action. Those Iberians sure are tougher than they look...
I haven't played since the v1.1 release, so this AAR may finally come to an end when I run out of content and pictures in two or three chapters. (The next one is almost done.)
I could give a chain of minimap pictures and a short description of what each Basileus did militarily over the years. I might do that, as things wind down...
Well getting it to 50 chapters would be a nice round number. Sounds like thats doable. Yea from what I hear 1.1 is all the rage. I am too deep in my AAR to stop, however I did notice that there are some new units for Iberia in the new release. Go figure right?Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus
Chapter 49 : An Era of Disaster
The rule of Basileus Neokles continues and the plague in Makedonia refuses to pass. Growing in intensity, the plague begins to kill nobles, governors, and generals. Suffering from the plague, himself, Basileus Neokles grows ever tired from the exhaustion of dealing with the problems of governing:
https://img357.imageshack.us/img357/1917/maa2574yj0.jpg
His brother Bykoli and his good friend / advisor Pefkolaos rule the eastern part of the Arche from their military controlled, newly conquered city of Apameia. Unable to move his army out and risk loosing the city, Bykoli decides to remain and send out envoys to do his bidding. One of the first things he does is calls the Mekybernaios family to Babylonia. Bykoli grants this family, who is extremely loyal to him, the governorship of this area and has them rule this historic fertile land betweens the two great rivers:
https://img241.imageshack.us/img241/7176/maa2575wk9.jpg
After Philippos had crushed the standing army of Meroe, another peace treaty had been signed between the Arche Makedonia and the Kingdom of Meroe. The dynasty of Ptolemai VII was not to be trusted, though. He never stopped seeking to retake the lands of Aigyptos. After a couple years, when a new army had been assembled, Ptolemai VII brakes the peace treaty and attacks the fortress city of Pselkis once again:
https://img357.imageshack.us/img357/6876/maa2578xp5.png
A Nubian army lead by a Makedonike general from the court of Ptolemai VII besieges the city and prepares to attack it with siege equipment. As the lumbering machines move forward, the archers on the wall open fire at them:
https://img357.imageshack.us/img357/9061/maa2579rh8.png
With little effort, both enemy rams are set on fire:
https://img530.imageshack.us/img530/7960/maa2580yw5.png
And then the archers set ablaze one of the enemy mining sites:
https://img241.imageshack.us/img241/179/maa2581mq9.png
As the archers attempt to set the final mining entrance on fire, the siege towers reach the walls and the Nubian infantry comes pouring out:
https://img241.imageshack.us/img241/9886/maa2582jf4.png
Undermined by the emeny sappers, a section of the wall comes crashing down. Although nobody is on it at the time, it does come crashing down on a division of Klerouchoi phalangitai:
https://img530.imageshack.us/img530/5083/maa2583rh9.png
With a breach in the wall, the enemy general orders his cavalry to rush forward and move into the city. The enemy cavarly are met with a quickly arranged block of spears and their charge is stopped. Though halted, the Nubian cavalry start pushing through the line. To sure up the defenses, the majority of the reserves are rushed to the fight:
https://img241.imageshack.us/img241/434/maa2585se1.png
The last remaining group of reserves then moves to the walls to help finish off the last of the enemy coming out of the towers:
https://img357.imageshack.us/img357/8561/maa2586qc6.png
More Nubian cavalry rush through the breach in the wall, but they all die there on Makedonike sarrisa:
https://img241.imageshack.us/img241/3558/maa2588qr5.png
Realizing that the battle is lost, the enemy general orders a retreat. Outside the wall, however, the Makedonike cavalry have already blocked off the escape. Finishing off his cavalry quickly, soon only the enemy general remains:
https://img357.imageshack.us/img357/457/maa2589be9.png
With both horse and man exhausted from the fight, he fails to escape and dies there. Once again the armies of Ptolemai VII have been repelled:
https://img530.imageshack.us/img530/6678/maa2591yl8.jpg
Although the battle is won, it is a direct blow to Neokles. He came to the throne claiming he would usher in a new age of peace and prosperity. Now the Arche is at war with her old ally in the Iberian Confederacy, Arab armies constantly cross the deserts and attack the Levant, and all of his peace treaties with Numidia, Mauretania, and Nubia have all fallen apart. Although Neokles is a non-violent man, he is surrounded by violence from all sides and striken by a plague.
In the city of Tolosa in Gaul, the great general Neikolaos dies:
https://img357.imageshack.us/img357/1488/maa2592ps7.jpg
This is a great blow to Pyrrhos, who looked up to his elder brother greatly. Although the death is declared a death by natural causes, it occures while Neikolaos is being visited by guests, envoys from Bykoli. Rumor quickly spreads that he was poisoned so that the descendants of Alexandros would not challenge Bykoli' right to the throne. Pyrrhos' advisors quickly set up greater security for him and prepare for any type of problem.
This is only the first of many mysterious deaths. In the court at Pella, several nobles mysteriously die from the plague, even those who were recovering or didn't seem ill at all. The one thing that ties all of the mysterious deaths together is the fact that each noble had been a man advocating Pyrrhos take the throne. Because of the amount of those dying in Makedonia, there is no time to investigate each death and even the most mysterious deaths are left as speculation.
Surrounded by war, plague, assassination, and intrigue, Neokles is once again forced to deal with disaster. Due to heavy rain and a storm, the city of Halikarnassos is flooded. Although few are killed, much damage is done to the town, draining the already low treasury:
https://img530.imageshack.us/img530/1125/maa2594pu1.png
More troubles follow and Neokles is besieged with problems. Just as it seems the plague in Makedonia is ending, it spreads. Reaching down into Hellas, the plague once again grows and hits Makedonia again, even in places were it seemed to have passed:
https://img357.imageshack.us/img357/690/maa2595sl8.jpg
In Africa, the surviving nobles of Kart-Hadast once again strike at the Arche Makedonia, this time with an army of mostly locals:
https://img357.imageshack.us/img357/6006/maa2600db6.png
In Nubia, the armies of Meroe once again cross the border and invade Makedonike territory:
https://img530.imageshack.us/img530/9913/maa2601tf3.png
And in Nabataia, several new waves of Sab'yn invaders cross the desert, moving from one hidden water source to the next:
https://img530.imageshack.us/img530/6495/maa2602wx9.png
Troubles from all sides besiege the new leader and just as things seem as bad as they can get for the Arche Makedonia, the worst possible things happens. Exhausted from overworking and stress, the plague finally takes Basileus Neokles in his sleep:
https://img357.imageshack.us/img357/3039/maa2597rs3.jpg
News quickly spread across the Arche Makedonia and the question of who would be the next Basileus was asked on every street corner and in every tavern. The nobles still fear Bykoli and Pefkolaos coming to power, but the decendants of Antigonos and Demetrios don't want a distant branch of the family gaining power.
In Bosphoria, the sons of Euboulides have a claim on the throne as well. Other than Bykoli, they should have been the next in line. They lacked great support of the nobles, but they have the loyalty of Bosphoria, Pontos, and Egrisi. Also, they have Lysippos. Lysippos, hero of the Armenian and Median Wars, is the brother in-law to the sons of Euboulides and loyal to his family. With Lysippos, the sons of Euboulides would gain a strong general and all the armies loyal to him. However, of the three brothers, only the eldest, Herakleon, sought the power, but even he was not willing to go to war for it.
Then of course there is Pyrrhos of Makedonia, decendant of Alexandros who was nephew to Antigonos Gonatas. Nepos, who had planned the Romaioi War and died just before the fall of Roma had been the head of the Alexandros branch of the family. He had had three sons: Neikolaos, Gelon, and Pyrrhos. Gelon only sought out a simple life and administered northern Italia quietly. With Neikoloas now dead, that meant Pyrrhos not only had the support of the nobles and armies, due to his fame in battle, but he also had the support of the Alexandros family as the rightful leader.
Pyrrhos had been planning an invasion of Numidia and was in the process of releaving the siege of Ippone, when the news of Neokles' death came. Realizing what had to be done to save his family and possibly the entire Arche, Pyrrhos quickly withdrew to Kart-Hadast, where he gained support from the populace while making ready to sail:
https://img357.imageshack.us/img357/8559/maa2604ra0.png
And in the east, new reaches Bykoli and Pefkolaos in Iran. Bykoli was the descendant of Antigonos Monophthalmus, Demetrios Poliorcetes, Antigonos Gontanas, Megas Demetrios, and Aristotelis. Bykoli is the only man left living who could claim direct descendence from all the great rulers of the Antigonid Dynasty:
https://img530.imageshack.us/img530/595/maa2603mm2.png
Upon hearing the news of his brother's death, Bykoli and Pefkolaos assemble their entire army and quickly march westward, abandoning the newly conquered territories. Civil unrest builds in these regions and soon other garrisons and armies are abandoning their posts. Lysippos, in Media, assembles his army and moves to retreat. Before he leave, though, he makes contact with the surviving Median royalty and exchanges the territory of Media for a promise of a peace treaty. Although this is outside the power given to Lysippos, there is currently no man in all the Arche who has the power to be angry at him for doing so:
https://img530.imageshack.us/img530/4990/maa2636lk2.jpg
Lysippos quickly retreats his Persia / steppe army to Armenia. Along the way, his old Pontic-Hellene army joins him and Lysippos moves both armies all the way to Egrisi and prepares to join up with his brothers in-law in Bosphoria.
Bykoli and Pefkolaos, meanwhile, move to Babylonia. In Babylonia, he retrained his army and gained support from the generals, armies, and people of the area. The people were quick to join the two men when they inform the populace that Pyrrhos had murdered his brother and sought to gain complete control of the Arche Makedonia for his own gains and to usher in an age of tyranny. The average people are quick to accept such "truths" and soon Bykoli has the complete support from the Persian Gulf to Assyria.
The known world in 177BC:
https://img530.imageshack.us/img530/...mak1772lj9.png
Next: Chapter 50 : Philip's War
That sounds fantastic. If you manage to explain to me how one can start and roleplay a civil war, you will be my deified hero! :2thumbsup: :2thumbsup: :2thumbsup: :bow: :bow: :bow:
This is amazing. After nearly 50 chapters you still manage to mix it up. I liked how you referred to the Lusitannan as the Iberian Confederacy. I laughed a little upon hearing that. This should be interesting!
I did more than just roleplay a civil war. How to get the civil war to work and have it actually be a challenge is the idea for a challenge that I came up with a couple weeks ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by Centurio Nixalsverdrus
Back when Carthage conquered the Lusotania territory from the Iberians I started considering them Arevaci (Celtiberians) since that was their capital and the strongest tribe left. When the retook Lusotania I decided to call them the Iberian Confederacy. In the next chapter I'll be fighting your Iberian Confederacy. (It looks like your AAR has made it into both mine and hooahguy's recently.) :laugh4:Quote:
Originally Posted by Chirurgeon
Can't wait. And later explain it, please.:smiley:Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus
I think its cool how we can do that. I am really intrigued as to how you did a civil war. CAn't wait!Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus
Some weeks ago i thought about how to do a civil war for a (at the moment postponed) romani aar. I'm curious to see if you have some better ideas than i had :beam:Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus
Brilliant update!:beam: Did you give some territories to the AS for the civil war?
It all sounds great and the name of the chapter is really true to the story i was amazed how much disaster come from every side of the Arche Makedonia
Thanks for the comments.
I don't think my form of civil war would work for the Romani. It isn't too complex, but requires a few things being setup correctly. And forced diplomacy.
Hmmm... I think I know what you´re planning. Oh well, we´ll see if I´m correct.
well, time to come out of the shadows again! looks like civil war is coming up more often these days among AARs.... mine, yours, ect.
good luck!
Chapter 50 : Philip's War
When the news of Basileus Neokles' death arrives in Iberia, Philippos is already besieging the Iberian fort-city of Baikor. Upon hearing the news, Philippos prepares to assemble his army, march east, and join his father in his claim for the throne. Before Philippos could even inform his men of his intention, however, a letter from his father arrives. Pyrrhos writes to his son of many things. First he talks of his intensions to sail for Sikilia and then the city of Roma to gain support for his claim to the throne.
After discussing his general plan, he tells his son of what it would take to be a good general and a good leader. It is advice that Pyrrhos has given all of his sons many times and Philippos knows it well. Even written, Philippos knows he was more sincere now than he had ever been before. Pyrrhos listed the virtues that he saw made up the perfect man and perfect leader, virtues Philippos had striven for his entire life.
Philippos took all of his father's words to heart, but then came the surprising news. Pyrrhos gives direct orders to Philippos, as a son and a subordent general, to remain in Iberia and to fight the Iberian Confederacy. Pyrrhos intends on taking his first and third born sons with him, as well as his young fourth born son, to Makedonia, but he wants Philippos to not get invovled. He tells his son that he wants at least one son that is not tainted by the politics of the time, who could be clean of all ill doings that were about to come. Pleading with his son to remain out of the evils he will soon endure, Pyrrhos finishes his letter by telling his son to look to his uncle Gelon if anything happens to him.
https://img441.imageshack.us/img441/2443/maa2672dd7.png
Young Philippos decides to heed his father's words and remain in Iberia. The young man is extremely loyal to his father and to his home of Makedonia. He is a noble and virtuous man. The only thing he lacks is charisma. He isn't an unfriendly man, he simply believes that there are better ways to spend his time than giving speaches and befriending nobles at feasts. He is very smart, and dispite his low charisma found himself a smart wife to compliment him. Taking after his father, in the short time that he has been active, he has grown to become a good military leader.
With trouble brewing all around him, Philippos knows that he must bring this war in Iberia to a close quickly. Were a civil war to break out in the Arche Makedonia, Philippos knows that reinforcement will never come. Risking early losses, Philippos decides to attack the besieged city of Baikor and take it by force:
https://img165.imageshack.us/img165/6439/maa2606ti1.png
The garrison is small and the only thing stopping Philippos is the stone walls encircling the city. With siege towers in position, Philippos orders his men to take those walls:
https://img252.imageshack.us/img252/9466/maa2607yj9.png
The elite Peltastai quickly take the lightly defended walls and begin raining down death from their high position:
https://img252.imageshack.us/img252/7268/maa2609rx3.png
With the walls taken and the forward defenders disorganized, Philippos makes his move and orders his main force through the gates:
https://img165.imageshack.us/img165/729/maa2611tp6.png
Seeing such and outnumbering force, the few defenders of the walls fall back to the city's center hill and regroup. Philippos then moves his entire army into the city and slowly marches on the city center.
The infantry move against the inner defenses and the Syrian archers begin the final battle by weakening up the enemy with several volleys of arrows:
https://img165.imageshack.us/img165/2756/maa2613on8.png
The infantry charge the first line of defenses, who quickly break and flee:
https://img165.imageshack.us/img165/2523/maa2614gm8.png
Moving in from the great hall in the center of the town, a small group of Iberian swordsmen counter the vast army of Makedonike spearmen:
https://img525.imageshack.us/img525/3994/maa2615ma7.png
Circling his cavalry around through the town, Philippos personally leads a charge at the rear of the enemy and quickly kills the last defenders:
https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/6660/maa2616kc6.png
Although losses are taken, they are quite few for an attack on an enemy city:
https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/7210/maa2617cl9.jpg
Philippos rests his army a couple months an establishes military control of Baikor. Once the initial unrest subsides, Philippos moves one of the allied armies of coastal Iberians into the city and moves his army westward.
Just to the west, in the town the locals call Sucum-Murgi the Arevaci king, Tueizu Consaburacoi, current head of the Iberian Confederacy, is raising an army. Cornering a small scout army, Philippos is able to draw the elite Iberian army from the city and into a battle on the open fields:
https://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9308/maa2618on1.png
With the Iberian scouts cornered at a small lake, and the two large apposing armies approaching eachother from either side and the battle begins:
https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/3234/maa2619wv0.png
Philippos marches his army forward a short distance, halts, orders his archers to fire a single volley then marches forward again:
https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/7092/maa2620pj1.png
Slowly moving forward and regularly firing volleys of arrows, the Iberian light infantry is quickly widdled away until only a handful of men remain, running for the hills:
https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/4085/maa2622vb5.png
With the small army gone, all that remains are the two elite armies, facing off along the edge of the lake:
https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/3654/maa2623zh0.png
Philippos moves his men forward then halts. Facing off against eachother, only a short distance between them, the two lines begin skirmishing with their javelin:
https://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5606/maa2624gv5.png
The skirmishing lasts a short while, then the Iberians charge forward at the Makedonike line:
https://img165.imageshack.us/img165/5388/maa2625tf0.png
At first, not much is evident, then the Makedonike line starts taking losses and loosing cofidence. Seeing the situation, Philippos yells to his men to hold their positions and rushes his cavalry around his right flank.
Skirting through the woods, Philippos surprises the Iberians and charge out into the rear of the Iberian left flank:
https://img165.imageshack.us/img165/9375/maa2626ks4.png
Philippos quickly pulls his cavalry out of the fight and regroups them. Leading another charge, this time on the center, he hits the enemy in the rear again:
https://img165.imageshack.us/img165/5038/maa2627fv5.png
Philippos pulls his cavalry out again and as he looks back at the line he sees his own men beginning to faulter. Looking to the Iberian right flank he sees why. King Tueizu Consaburacoi is shouting out orders to his men and leading all aspects of the battle. Even units that are loosing the fight against the Makedones are filled with confidence simply because this man is here.
Realizing what must be done, Philippos charges in at Tueizu Consaburacoi on the Iberian right flank. Tueizu Consaburacoi attempts to escape but is quickly caught by the Makedonike cavalry:
https://img165.imageshack.us/img165/3163/maa2628em0.png
Almost like magic, as the Arevaci king falls, so does his army. Leaving the dead bloody body of the king laying in the field, Philippos charges his cavalry in one last time at the enemy and the entire army breaks:
https://img165.imageshack.us/img165/1827/maa2630pt2.png
Chasing them from the field, Philippos makes sure no enemy makes it back to the city to defend it:
https://img165.imageshack.us/img165/8928/maa2631oz6.jpg
Philippos learns much, both from his experience and from witnessing the great enemy general. For future conflicts, Philippos knows how to lead his men better:
https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/6710/maa2633ju7.jpg
One thing Philippos learns from this battle is the weakness of the Thorakitai soldier. In order to better meet varied enemies, Philippos devides the Thorakitai class into two types, creating a class that uses only a straight shortsword and no spear:
https://img441.imageshack.us/img441/4512/maa2670rf9.png
After seeing to his wounded and resting his men, Philippos marches west and takes the enemy city. With no Iberian army for many miles, a huge chuck of land falls into the hands of the Arche Makedonia:
https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/8080/maa2634vv8.png
In the city, Philippos captures the treasury of the Arevaci king and gains a small furtune for himself. With it comes respect as well as jealousy:
https://img165.imageshack.us/img165/3725/maa2635gb0.jpg
The known world in 176BC:
https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/...mak1762nq4.png
[You'll notice some heavy FD there.]
Next: Chapter 51 : The Race for Pella
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4000th post ! ! !
Intresting chapter:2thumbsup: .good work:2thumbsup: !!
congrats on your 4000th post mate. Can't wait to see who wins the race for Pella
Painful chapter for me. Good to see the Iberians putting up a good fight though :) Congrats on your 4000 post. Is that Iberian brown in Ireland? How did the AI manage to do that?
Whoa, damn, what happened to Baktria?! I thought they were supposed to be the most advanced faction... were they just a paper tiger, or did the Saka get lucky?
Come on guys, read the freaking AAR! Or didn´t anyone notice the "You´ll notice some heavy FD there". Obviously he has been using Force Diplomacy to give away those regions.