[Epeiros/Pergamon AAR] Heirs to Lysimachos

[QuintusSertorius]

This is the AAR for my Epeiros-as-Pergamon historical houseruled game. It's a M/M game run with rtw.exe. The aim, once started, is largely to survive until 133BC (when I'll bequeath my kingdom to Rome), and possibly for a time try to recreate the Kingdom of Thrace.

As in my previous game, I'll be monitoring and tinkering with the progression of the AI factions, largely through giving lots of money to the Eleutheroi through the console to slow them down, but also moving armies around.

I'll make no bones about the fact that I've cheated heavily at the start, moving armies around and using auto_win to speed along sieges to grab territory fast. I gave Taras to the Romans in the first turn, and used it's garrison to get Rhegion, which I also gave to them after cheating to build the mines there. I've taken the Illyrian coast which I intend to hold "in trust" (but not expand from) until 229BC, when I give it to the Romans. My original homeland I'll similarly hold until around 200BC, or perhaps right down to 167BC depending on how much hassle it is to administer. I've got them to prevent another faction taking them, and to bankroll my early start, which will be slow and possibly without any expansion for a while.

I also snapped up Pergamon, Nikaia and Byzantion at the start, and built up their regional barracks and first tier mines with cheated money and process_cq. I'm not playing for "challenge", so if you're expecting to see that kind of game you'll be disappointed. It's about a historical simulation, and the cheating at the start is necessary both to establish my "starting position", but also to set me up for later. They've all got client rulers in place, and so won't be faction-able for a while yet.

I'll continue to shepherd the Romans and try to preserve the smaller factions, as well as cause the decay of the Seleukids and Ptolemies, and rise of Rome and Parthia.

As with the other AAR, I'll stick with the style of player commentary on the campaign map stuff, and try to make a "character" level summary on the battles.

The AAR opens with the last of my stolen acquisitions in the winter 270BC:

My early game will probably be a bit dull, since I'll be establishing this core of three provinces by building them up, and just running the other ones as cash cows. I reckon I'll start thinking about expansion in about 250BC, unless the other faction's activities provoke me to have to do something.

My only real houserules at this point are trying not to expand very fast, or indeed at all initially. Need some thought about where I'm going. Tylis and Naissos are obvious targets to complete the Thracian venture, in Anatolia it's Sardis, Ipsos, Side and Halikarnassos, along with possibly Mytilene. But I want to pick my wars wisely.

[General Appo]

Nice. But... ya gotta kill of Helenos. That bastard will only cause you trouble. Just send him alone against a rebel stack or something, whatever gets him killed.

[QuintusSertorius]

Kill him off before he has children? Where is he? To be honest I've not looked at any of my family members in detail, just been using Pyrrhos and Ptolemaios to grab territory.

I've been doing some more thinking, and when I give Illyria to the Romans in 229, I might make my original territory go rebel. They're pretty useless money-wise anyway, though Epidamnos has some mines.

Right now I'm rationalising my current holdings as the creation of a new Hellenic League, I'd welcome suggestions as to what it might be called. Comprises Epeiros, some Hellenised Illyrian tribes, and several city-states, all banded together for mutual protection against Makedonia and the Koinon Hellenon. As well as the Seleukids.

[Lysimachos]

Oh, "Heirs to Lysimachos", i feel so honoured ;)

Earnestly, i'm awaiting how you do with non-romans ;)

[QuintusSertorius]

I played a fair bit with Greek armies while roleplaying as Pergamon in my other game, so I'm not all that worried.

I'm going to restart the game without taking Illyria, and making my original provinces rebel once I've got that core three. Update soon.

EDIT: Here we go, an alternative winter 270BC, with my original provinces soon to rebel, I hope.



Already have armies ready to go for Tylis and Halikarnassos, but they'll be fights I actually play out rather than auto_win-ing.

[QuintusSertorius]

269BC:



Original lands are now rebel, so I hold only the three core provinces I mentioned. In all of them I've cheated to build mines so my money won't be completely rubbish. Not at war with anyone, trading with everyone. Focusing on rebel settlements within my orbit, as you can see.

[General Appo]

Nice. What are the rebels in your homeland named? I guess Epeirotes or something for those in Ambrakia, but what of does in Epidamnos?

[QuintusSertorius]

Nice. What are the rebels in your homeland named? I guess Epeirotes or something for those in Ambrakia, but what of does in Epidamnos?

It says Illyrians for Epidamnos.

[QuintusSertorius]

A beginning is a fragile thing...

Pergamon was not a kingdom yet. It was the rump state of a once-mighty coalition of kingdoms and tribes led by Lysimachos. That had disintegrated in the wake of the Diadochi Wars, leaving the city-state at the heart of that kingdom with just a few allies against the might of many other Hellenic and Hellenistic powers.

To the west the Antigonid Kingdom of Makedonia was strong, the city-states of Greece had formed into the Koinon Hellenon. Epirus had briefly flared as a potential rival to them both, but then the death of their king had led to the collapse of the alliance of tribes. To the north the Getic tribes of Dacia were uniting and could threaten Byzantion's sphere of influence.

To the south and east, the great empire of the Seleukids and to the east the rising kingdom of Pontos. Both were real threats to Pergamon's continued existence. There was nothing to do but expand into those buffer zones between Pergamon and the stronger powers. While they might be able to swallow us whole, at least we could make ourselves big enough to choke them.

Conquests in Karia and Thracia

Halikarnassos

Marching from blessed Pergamon, Ptolemaios and his officers and men laid siege to Halikarnassos. They made use of skills hard-won through much fighting with the Successor armies.



They built rams and lined up nervously, waiting for the signal to attack.



Then it began. As the rams did their work, the slingers and skirmishers harassed the enemy.



The wall and gate were both breached.



Then the Pergamenes poured into Halikarnassos, slaying all who resisted.



The fighting continued into the streets.



It was brutal, hand-to-hand combat.





Ptolemaios found a side-street, and led some troops to outflank those blocking the advance.



His arrival at the rear of the enemy crushed their will to fight.



Vengeful cavalry rode down anyone too slow to get away, and the fight went to the heart of the town.



Only some native Karians remained.



The Pergamenes attacked from all sides, but the stalwart men fought on.



Ptolemaios joined the fighting in person, inspiring his men by example.



And slowly but surely, the brave Karians were overcome.



Tylis

Meanwhile in Thracia, Pyrrhos (no relation to the former king of Epirus) attacked Tylis. The fierce Thracian tribes were rich in gold, and would serve as useful troops in Pergamon's armies. But they had to be pacified by the sword, first.



There was nothing subtle about Pyrrhos' plan. Smash the walls, storm inside, kill everyone who resisted.



Pikemen led the assault.



There was a breakthrough at the gate, the Thracians routed.



The Pergamenes pressed on into the town.



Few resisted.



Then the chief joined the fray. He was slain.



The last stand was made by some Gallo-Thracians.



They held for a long time, and claimed the life of young Skymnos.



But Pyrrhos brought men around their rear, and they were crushed between the two groups.



Victory was had, but at a price.

[QuintusSertorius]

The death of one of my Family Members was carelessness on my part, really. I wasn't paying attention to what was going on in that second battle, and his cavalry stood toe-to-toe with those touch Gallo-Thracians for a long time.

268BC:



There we have a beginning. It'll probably be a while before I expand any further, got some building up of my economy to do, and an army to resist the Seleukids and Makedonians to build. That's not going to come quickly. Indeed I may have to take Kallatis, and risk the ire of the Getai to fund those two armies. I reckon as a port it's more valuable than Naissos.

Galatia is another possible intermediate target, though that will put me in the Seleukid and Pontic firing line. Even if it means Celto-Hellenic hoplites and some good light cavalry.

Decisions, decisions.

[General Appo]

Very good, but what of Helenos? The moment you think yourself safe he´ll jump out and destroy your hard-earned kingdom in a snap.

[QuintusSertorius]

Very good, but what of Helenos? The moment you think yourself safe he´ll jump out and destroy your hard-earned kingdom in a snap.

I killed him off in 271, attacking Dalminion on his own. What's so bad about him? Does he go crazy?

[Maion Maroneios]

Interesting AAR, but somethingI noticed is that you always fight with guard mode on! Why is that?

[Swordmaster]

Interesting AAR, but somethingI noticed is that you always fight with guard mode on! Why is that?

For hoplites, it's important to keep formation. Guard mode somewhat aids with that.

[QuintusSertorius]

Interesting AAR, but somethingI noticed is that you always fight with guard mode on! Why is that?

For hoplites, it's important to keep formation. Guard mode somewhat aids with that.

Actually I always have whomever is facing the enemy's front with guard mode on. I only switch it off for flankers. Minimises the losses amongst the people pinning the enemy down, and means they won't be tired either.

[Swordmaster]

Actually I always have whomever is facing the enemy's front with guard mode on. I only switch it off for flankers. Minimises the losses amongst the people pinning the enemy down, and means they won't be tired either.

Also when the attackers themselves are on guard mode?

[General Appo]

I killed him off in 271, attacking Dalminion on his own. What's so bad about him? Does he go crazy?

Both the times I´ve played the Epeirotes he´s gone bloody mad, being virtually impossible to keep in a town or allowed to command armies. Also, you did post in my AAR once, so perhaps you know how he is behaving there. Lets just say that he´s not exactly every stepmothers dream.

[Swordmaster]

Both the times I´ve played the Epeirotes he´s gone bloody mad, being virtually impossible to keep in a town or allowed to command armies. Also, you did post in my AAR once, so perhaps you know how he is behaving there. Lets just say that he´s not exactly every stepmothers dream.

You got something against fat guys, huh?

[General Appo]

No. But when Bacchus is disgust by your drinking habits and your poetry causes physical pain, then yes, I do have something against you.

[QuintusSertorius]

Also when the attackers themselves are on guard mode?

Yep, I'm not that bothered if you've got two units not really doing much to each other, if I've got someone behind them carving them up.

I'm currently very tempted to take Krete. It's not all that heavily defended, bar a KH half-stack sitting outside doing very little. I wonder if I'm in danger of blitzing though.

[QuintusSertorius]

Capture of Kydonia

Simias Klathiatos landed on Krete with a small force from Karia to bring the island into Pergamon's sphere of influence. It was hoped the island's command of the sea-lanes nearby would give Pergamon's burgeoning confederation control over trade routes. His invasion force was smaller than that mustered by the defenders of the island.



As the defenders sallied out, Klathiatos formed up his men in a simple battle order. Hoplites to the centre, Illyrian levies either side, skirmishers out front.



The battle was hard-fought, with Klathiatos' superiority in cavalry being put to good use. He himself clashed with the tyrant's bodyguard several times.



But it was the Illyrian cavalry who killed the tyrant, Ainesidemos.



That broke the spirit of the Kretans, and after some clever maneuvering in the town, they were subdued.



265BC:



You'll notice I've got a nice surplus in the bank, now. That's largely because I have pitifully few units, and all my settlements are ports. Plus my mining income as a result of cheating to build them is about 7500 a turn. Four of my six provinces have mines, too (just Karia and Kydonia which don't).

Rome are expanding ridiculously fast, going both north into Cisalpine Gaul and west into Sicily. I've had to boost the garrison in Patavium in the hopes of slowing them down. Part of it is my fault; I've had to keep adding to the garrison of Rhegion to stop it revolting back to me. They keep stripping the garrison and I don't want to be at war with them. Though perhaps if they actually took it properly, that might make them develop it properly?

And so Kydonia is added to my holdings. It's a bit of a cheap shot in a way, because I know the AI is too stupid to attack it, and likely won't land anything there at all. It never did in the last game I played, not til I used move_character to put a Makedonian army there.

I am now, however a little paralysed by indecision as to where to go next, because in essense I've taken all the easy steals. For the moment I'm trying to avoid war with any other faction, at least til my economy is strong enough to support some armies. I need the trade for now.

If I go for Naissos, which was part of the historical Kingdom of Thrace, I put myself in the path of both the Getai and Makedonia. Neither have taken it, but they're both angling in that direction.

If I go for Mytilene, that throws the Makedonians at me. I could do it the subtle way - send spies to get it to revolt, then snap it up when it's rebel. I'm doing that already with Ipsos, which is flicking between revolt and some semblance of stability as a result of my spy.

Talking of which, Ipsos and Sardis are possibles, but I'd then be at war with the Seleukids. Until I've got a proper army in the region, I don't really want to risk that.

Ankyra is a possible, although I might then be over-extended and exposed to both Pontos and the Seleukids. I think for now it suits me that it's rebel, and has a massive stack there (courtesy of create_unit...).

And then there's Rhodos. In a way I think that might be a good steal, KH aren't brilliant at defending it, and it might weaken them enough to slow down their war against the Makedonians (which they're winning, again). Completes the island chain to Krete, and has that wonder that boosts sea trade.

Thoughts?

[||Lz3||]

um suddendly I'm disliking sieges... , no fun whatsoever ,always the same tactics ...

btw I'm starting my own historical romani campaign based upon yours but I'm a little lazy to post my AAR... heheh I hope I can achieve your goals (I'm also helping the AI it is indeed interesting )

keep up whit the good work... master...

[QuintusSertorius]

um suddendly I'm disliking sieges... , no fun whatsoever ,always the same tactics ...

btw I'm starting my own historical romani campaign based upon yours but I'm a little lazy to post my AAR... heheh I hope I can achieve your goals (I'm also helping the AI it is indeed interesting )

keep up whit the good work... master...

Ultimately I use what works, but I also find sieges incredibly boring. So always the same tactics, and I rarely bother to post them either. Open battles are much more interesting.

I always found helping the AI added a lot of depth and richness to the game, the way just playing your own faction lacked. Good luck with it!

[Tyrfingr]

I fear that conquering Nikaia already has put you into crosshair of the Seleukids. In every campaign I have played this far, the Seleukids have always gone for Nikaia within a couple of years.

[QuintusSertorius]

I fear that conquering Nikaia already has put you into crosshair of the Seleukids. In every campaign I have played this far, the Seleukids have always gone for Nikaia within a couple of years.

Pontos were aiming for it originally, but they've got more than enough problems trying to take Sinope and Trapezous. I'm prepared for when that war eventually comes, which is also why I'm thinking I really need to grab the islands (Rhodos, Salamis, Mytilene) for their sea trade and easy defense to build up my economy.

But that means pissing off KH, Egypt and Makedonia to do it.

[Tyrfingr]

But that means pissing off KH, Egypt and Makedonia to do it.

Pissing off Makedonia shouldn't be too much of a problem. As soon as you take Mytilene, they will be forced to walk along the northern shores of the Aegean Sea to get to you, and they will probably head for either Tylis or Byzantion first. The problem for them, though, is that there's a bridge just after they have crossed into your territory, a bridge they will have to cross if they want to reach any of your cities. If they capture Serdike however, they will have the opportunity to go through the mountain-pass there, making defending your territory alittle more difficult.

[Swordmaster]

Process_cq in Rhegion to add happiness buildings, or remove the population.

EDIT: Oh, and perhaps you should repay those debts you made in the beginning. ;-)

[QuintusSertorius]

Pissing off Makedonia shouldn't be too much of a problem. As soon as you take Mytilene, they will be forced to walk along the northern shores of the Aegean Sea to get to you, and they will probably head for either Tylis or Byzantion first. The problem for them, though, is that there's a bridge just after they have crossed into your territory, a bridge they will have to cross if they want to reach any of your cities. If they capture Serdike however, they will have the opportunity to go through the mountain-pass there, making defending your territory alittle more difficult.

Thing is, there's quite a lot of space before they'd get to me, and I have watchtowers, so I'm not as worried about defending the passes. Also they seem to have their hands full with KH and struggling to hold on to what they have, so perhaps the response will be slow.

You're right that taking Mytilene will only give them one point of attack, though. Same as taking Rhodos will do to KH.

Process_cq in Rhegion to add happiness buildings, or remove the population.

EDIT: Oh, and perhaps you should repay those debts you made in the beginning. ;-)

Think I'll have to reduce the population. Annoying thing is the only buildings I put there are some mines and military pacification. I wonder if, because I conquered it first, the original buildings have become keyed to my faction?

Repay my debts? Whyever would I do that?

There's over 100,000 in money spent on mines.

Masterless men

Pergamon's ruling council had voted overwhelmingly in favour of bringing Rhodos into the fold of their confederacy. It would provide command of the sea lanes in the Aegean and link up nicely with Kydonia. But in the meantime there was a more pressing concern, masterless men, no doubt demobilised mercenaries lurking around the road between Pergamon and Nikaia, raiding merchants.

Alexandros saw this as an excellent opportunity to train the men he intended to use for the invasion of Rhodos.



Despite having to fight uphill and through thick forest, greater numbers carried the day, and Alexandros' army was beginning to be welded together as a fighting force.



263BC:



Alexandros and his army were shipped across by friendly pirates, and have begun the invasion of Rhodos.

Roman advance seems to have been checked for the past few years. They still keep trying for Messana, and have a lot moving northwards but I doubt they can manage Massalia, Mediolanum or Patavium yet.

[Frodge]

Nice AAR you've got here Quintus, as was the case with the Romani one. have you considered renaming your faction and changing the colour to actually "make" the Pergamenes, so it doesnt jus appear to be Epirus in Asia Minor?

[Swordmaster]

Lol, "friendly pirates"? Quite convenient.