The Pyrrhic Dynasty : A Makedonian AAR

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Thanks for following.

My plan for Philippos is to take Lusotannia and Celtiberia, then halt. Hopefully, the Iberians will have enough forces to defend the region and Philippos can move eastward.

The funny thing about Isidoros Oresteus is that I had originally planned to take Gerrha and Maka, then disband his army, kill him, and hand the territories over to the Demetrids. When they made peace with Saba before I could do that, I saw it as a great roleplaying oppertunity.

[paullus]

cool shot:



nice update.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Thanks, paullus.

The weird pathfinding in cities without walls leads to the AI actually pushing through my phalanx. I think it is one of the few AI oddities which actually proves useful to them.

[Chirurgeon]

Just caught up on this MAA! Looking good and there should be some major tension forthcoming. Excellent job

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Chapter 54 : Philip's War (Part II)

The Pyrrhic Dynasty had been suffering from attacks from Numidia, Mauretania, and Iberia, but the Demetrid Dynasty had their own border problems too. The Demetrids had managed to make peace with the Kingdom of Sab'yn and had managed to not provoke any of their other neighbors, however, they were surrounded by those who hated the Arche Makedonia. South of them, Ptolemai VII and his Nubian forces assembled on the weakened border of their old enemy:


In Media and Elymais, the reformed Median Empire was building up their forces and looking north to Armenia, west to Babylonia, and east into Seleukid Persia:


In Anatolia, the Demetids in Pegamon had been besieged by Sotades and now Pyrrhos had pushed east with his rebuilt army and cornered Pefkolaos in Nikaia. Although Pefkolaos had managed to assembled a decent force, almost none of them were professional soldiers:


East of there, the Galatians had begun to move. Taking their entire army, they moved against Demetrid Pontos, where there was a minority of their Galatian brothers:


In Lybia, Antisthenes Gortynios had set up a series of desert forts, beginning at the coast and extending south until the circled Ammonion. Isolated in the desert, supplies and water were short. Due to this, the garrison of each fort had to be small and relatively self sufficient. These garrisons were made up of Hellenic Thorakitai or loyal Aigyptian peltastai:


And near Lake Van, forces of the Demetrids had arrived and surrounded the newly rearmed force of Thaikioi settlers. The Thraikioi took refuge behind a hastily assembled palisade and waited:


Even with a civil war, the center of action for the Pyrrhic Dynasty during this time is centered in Iberia. When the civil war started, the war in Iberia was already well underway. Unable to negotiate peace and seeking the resources of inland Iberia, Pyrrhos ordered his second-born son and heir, Philippos, to remain in Iberia and draw the war to a conclusion. While Pyrrhos marched eastward to Pella to be declared Basileus, his son conquered the Iberian city of Baikor then moved into Turdulia. For a couple years he had waited and established military control over the conquered regions [Type3 governments].

Just as Philippos had moved against Lusotannia, the Iberians attacked the Hellenic city of Emporion. Now, after a short seige, the Iberians decide to attack:


With a ram, siege tower, and many ladders, the Iberians move to take the city by force. As soon as they move forward, the ram is targetted by the men in the towers and is quickly destroyed:


Unable to get through the gateway, the Iberians are forced to scale the walls. Positioning ladders along the length of the western wall, they begin moving up:


Their tower, however, is not as lucking and is set on fire, just to the south:


On the walls, the Hellenes, descendants of colonists, defend their home and fight all those who come over the walls:


The battle on the walls lasts only a short time and the Iberians who climb over the walls are easily defeated. As the second wave of Iberians moves in to attack, the Helenic Hoplitai move outside the city and confront them on open ground:


The Iberian spearmen are no match for the Hoplitai phalanx. The Hellenes surround the last of their enemy and kill them there, before their walls:


The city is easily defended and relieved from the siege:


West of Emporion, Philippos decides to take the city of Oxtraca by force. Oxtraca, capital of the Lusotannan tribe is one of the key cities of the Iberian Confederacy. Although the capital of the Iberian Confederacy had been moved to Numantia, the Lusotannan tribe were one of the founding tribes of the Iberian Confederacy and the contributer of most of the elite infantry for all their wars. The fall of Oxtraca would be a huge blow to the Iberian Confederacy, militarily, economically, as wells as psychologically:


As mid-day approaches, Philippos lines his men up along the eastern wall and moves his towers towards the enemy city:


They approach the walls and the small garrison of elite soldiers throw their javelin as they prepare to fight to defend their city:


Ready for battle, the gates lower and all four Makedonike siege towers open up. Thorakitai rush out and face the city defenders:


The Makedones quickly take a foothold on the wall and push their enemy back:


The Iberians to the south of the gateway soon fall, but elite Iberians hold their ground to the north. Reinforcing the one unit holding them down, more Thorakitai rush in to assist. Soon, the single group of Iberian elites are facing the men from three separate siege towers and are completely surrounded and outnumbered:


While the battle still rages on the walls, Philippos orders his Iberian mercenaries through the captured gateway. On the other side of the walls, they only encounter light infantry and quickly take ground:


Iberian cavalry rush to the gateway to assist in the defense, but the Thorakitai on the walls pelt them with javelin, causing them to retreat:


As the last Iberian elite falls dead on the walls, Philippos orders his army forward and into the city:


The mercenaries move forward first and encounter a group of defenders half way between the walls and the city center:


Outnumbered three to one, these men quickly break and flee.

Slowing marching forward, the mercenaries and Thorakitai spearmen move toward the city center, where the last defenders hide:


While the mercenaries and Thorakitai spearmen draw the attention of the enemy, the Thorakitai swordsmen approach the city center from the rear and the elite Peltastai from the flank:


Surrounding the enemy, Philippos orders all his men to charge forward and finish them off:


The few enemies left standing quickly fall and soon the city does as well:


With the fall of Oxtraca, not only does Philippos take control of a fortress, but completely conquers the Lusotannan tribe. A few nobles escape, but the majority of the tribe and the vast lands they claim fall into the hands of the Arche Makedonia:


Next: Chapter 55 : Death of a Basileus

[Africanvs]

Great Update, I love that line of forts!

[DeathEmperor]

Excellent as always MAA