[Epeiros/Pergamon AAR] Philetairos' Gift

[QuintusSertorius]

The Seleukid War, 238BC

Syria

Messaneos had fixed upon one last battle before he left Syria. The Seleukids were running out of armies, and there was only so long his ships would be safe before the Seleukid navy woke up. Retreating for the shores, he was attacked one last time.



He set up with the coast to his back, leaving lots of open space for his cavalry to operate.





The Seleukids came on, phalanx to the centre, Jewish spearmen opposite the Pergamene left and swathes of skirmishers and freed slaves.



The view from the front line.



Larruos commanding on the left saw the first action.



In the centre the phalanxes engaged.



Larruous charged a group of Jewish spearmen trying to outflank the Pergamene line. Some skirmishers came to his aid.



Meanwhile Messaneos had taken his cavalry wing all the way around the enemy, and now could see their rear.



Larruos broke his opponents, then spurred away to begin charges to the rear.



The Gallic horse routed a second group of Jewish spearmen.



Messaneos rode down some freed slaves.



Only the phalanxes in the centre were left.



The Gallic cavalry appearing behind them crushed their spirit.



The regular phalangites fought on, despite those in the rear ranks seeing they were being surrounded.



It was the return of the Gallic cavalry that ended their resistance.



Messaneos had been granted a string of victories, and now he departed these foreign shores.

[QuintusSertorius]

The Seleukid War, 238BC

Phrygia

Young Megarikos was marching back to resupply his army in Sardis when a Seleukid force fell upon him in the mountain passes in Phrygia. He was outnumbered by a small margin, but chose to fight anyway.



Megarikos made for the heights, the Seleukids with the same idea.



The Seleukids came over the top of the hill. Their height advantage allowed them to rain missiles down on the Pergamenes, who had a hard time responding.





The lines engaged and the Seleukids tried to turn the Pergamene right. Megarikos ordered his peltasts onto the flank.



On the left the Pergamenes moved to turn the Seleukid flank by return.



Megarikos charged into the melee on the right.



The Galatian mercenary horse charged home.



Megarikos pushed through the enemy and moved around them.



He charged home, routing the flankers.



The centre and left were still struggling.



Now able to move more freely, Megarikos crashed into the back of the Seleukid line.



Two of the three phalanxes broke.



Soon the whole army was in flight.



Megarikos had won, but taken many casualties. A lot were wounded by missile fire, particularly those who had lost eyes to sling bullets.



Editorial note

I actually lost this battle to a post-battle CTD, but even though I repeated it with an auto-calc, I thought it was interesting enough to see one that was quite close for a while. I hate fighting uphill.

237BC:



On his way back, Messaneos decided to take Rhodes. There was already a spy there and it fell almost immediately. Now he's in control of the island, which can churn out Rhodian slingers for me. I'll wait a little while, mashing up the Greek navy before FD-ing a ceasefire since they need the trade income. Especially now Makedonia have grabbed some territory to match them. I now have 9 territories after 35 years (approx 140 turns), which isn't bad going.

Money has been a problem recently, possibly because I've got so many men under arms and haven't conquered anything. Taking Rhodos has already made a difference in just at turn, that'll be the big port. Aside from possibly Kyrene while the Ptolemies are still my allies, I'm not sure I want to expand for a bit. Quite safe where I am. Plus I need to look to my economy for a bit.

[QuintusSertorius]

Atintan's Raids

The war with the Seleukids simmered away with several inconclusive marches and counter-marches. Meanwhile across the Hellespont, Sosistratos Atintan, a young general with the northern army, led some lightning raids on the Triballi and Scordisi.









233BC:



The Aedui were really struggling against the Romans, so I figured I'd raid some places and give them some new territory. Plus experience for both my northern army and a young FM. Two brief sieges and job done. Hopefully that will slow their marginalisation in Gaul in favour of the Arverni, who are allies of Rome. I also had to FD Mediolanum back to them after the Romans took it, been a full-time job trying to contain Rome.

Seleukids are starting to get annoying; they send useless stacks of 6 units to besiege my settlements, which I then beat off without actually fighting, only for them to try another one. I don't want to take Ipsos yet, but I might have to. They're also failing to combine what they have into an effective force. There's a group nearby which doesn't have any proper regular phalanxes. Then there's a small stack with two regular and one elite phalanx. Put them in that other stack and there's a half-decent army there. They've also grown in strength, I think another deep raid might be in order once things are calm in Anatolia again.

Greece is still stalemated. Must be why KH accepted a ceasefire a while back without even having to use FD. Course I did also sink their navy. The Aedui are thrown into the mix there now they share a border with Makedonia. They've just besieged Dalminion, too. Maybe that'll attract the Romans to taking the Illyrian coast?

[QuintusSertorius]

The Seleukid War, 233BC

Mysia

Messaneos had been shadowing the Seleukid army for most of the year, marching and counter-marching, but neither side willing to offer battle without an edge. And neither had been able to get that edge. So he was completely surprised by the sudden bold move of the Seleukid commander to break off contact and march deep into Pergamene territory. Not simply deep, but to the heart of it - he invested Pergamon itself.

This added a whole new dimension to this war; Messaneos' wife and his children were in Pergamon. He could not afford to fail. The Seleukid force was larger than his own, though not as big as the combined might of his army and the garrison of Pergamon. He had no intention of relying on their strength, though.



Forest covered much of the battlefield, hindering the movements of both the Syrian pikes and Pergamene cavalry. The enemy was bold in their numbers and advanced.



They made an impressive sight.



But then they halted. Tired of the delays, Messaneos ordered the advance.



The lines closed.



Megarikos had command on the left, he and the Gallic horse made straight for the Seleukid light cavalry.



They drove them far from the main fighting, and fought their own separate battle.



Never wanting for valour or skill at arms, Megarikos cut a swathe through the lighter opponents and led the howling Gauls in the chase as they ran.



Still the lines hadn't closed, the Seleukid pikes apparently nervous of making contact.



As Megarikos began the trip back, Messaneos still struggled to pin the enemy down.



Ordering a charge, he began a flanking movement.



Some units broke on the left, but it was a confused affair.



Messaneos killed some skirmishers, trying to get a clear run to the rear of the enemy line.



A channel opened up as two phalanxes tried to fight back to back.



More units routed, but the whole picture was still unclear.



Eventually the enemy gave way.



A vengeful Messaneos had won the day, but not without many Pergamene casualties.



Nevertheless the threat to the capital had been averted. Messaneos nearly rode his tired horse to death reaching the city after the battle to see that his family was safe.

Editorial note



I've got to be honest, I didn't have a clue what was going on during most of that battle, the stats don't even help build up a picture of it. First, there was the really annoying habit of the Seleukid phalanxes to keep edging away every time I advanced. Eventually I just had my front line charge them, which is why they got chewed up as badly as they did. Second, their phalanxes got all mixed up, so I couldn't get at the rear or flank of any of them. They just seemed to fight on and on and on, then suddenly all routed.

I think it's time I stopped using those Anatolian hillmen, they're not very good. Always seem to get messed up out on the left, too. Perhaps it's time to bring in the Thracian peltasts.

[QuintusSertorius]

The Seleukid War, 232BC

Phrygia

With Messaneos struck down by an illness, a rarity for an other hale and robust man, it was down to someone else to lead the resupplied and reinforced army of Pergamon to avenge the attack on their capital. That responsibility fell to Epimenes Amantieus, an up and coming young officer. He attacked a column outside Ipsos, the old Persian capital, which brought the Seleukid garrison out to rescue their men. The commander of the garrison was Miltidades Kadysios, son of the man slain by Megarikos in a duel several years earlier. He was eager for revenge against the people who had taken his father from him.



Amantieus hid most of his army in the cover of the woods, confident to wait for the enemy to develop before him. He didn't want the garrison arriving at a critical moment when he was already engaged.



Once they had gathered and began to organise themselves, he sounded the advance. Now there could be no surprise from the enemy.



They sent the men from the column forward first, and the Pergamene skirmishers got to work.



As they engaged, the rest of the force moved to join the battle.



At the sharp end...



Kadysios charged, a Pergamene officer responded to the challenge.



Kadysios lost his bodyguard in his blind rage. He hacked down Pergamene infantrymen and screamed like a wild beast.



The fight in the centre was fierce.



On the left the cavalry began to envelop the Seleukid line.



Amantieus followed suit on the right.



Kadysios was pierced many times by spears, and died howling in defiance.





The Seleukid left collapsed.



As Karian tribesmen cut down routing troops, they spread a panic in the Seleukid centre.



But the panic was not total, some Seleukid regulars fought on regardless.



Amantieus charged home to rout one group of regulars.



Some resistance carried on for a time.



But it was ultimately futile, the day was Amantieus'.





Editorial note



I'm not quite sure why that one was a Heroic Victory, yet others have only been Clear. Still it was fun to fight, some textbook hammer and anvil work, unfortunately some textbook suicidal AI general as well.

Always interesting to see who got the kills - Curepos feature strongly again as usual, as do my Family Members. Karians got a lot of kills, largely because they caused the mass rout as they chased off the enemy Anatolians. Similarly the Thureophoroi on the right who followed them to the rear of the phalanxes.

[QuintusSertorius]

232BC:



No, I didn't take Ipsos. I could have walked in, but I don't want it yet, because then I won't have any way of draining Seleukid resources. I did however send a spy there, if it revolts I'll let it be. Although I am tempted to take it just to destroy their barracks there and quieten them for a bit so I can launch another raid on them.

I don't know, or perhaps I should take Ipsos then FD some peace on them for a time? Or take it and launch raids around the stuff they took like Ani-Kamah. They've still got a front along the Mazaka-Tarsos line to attack me even if I do have Ipsos, though they'd also have a go at Egyptian Side.

To be honest I'm more tempted by launching an expedition to Kyrene while I'm still allied to the Ptolemies.

I've been going for a one-battle-per-post format which I'm hoping helps with loading a little. At least it might mean we get onto a new page faster, anyway.

[Swordmaster]

So you really enjoy slaying all those Syrians? Wait, brother, I'll have my revenge.

Awesome stuff, btw. Too bad the AI still doesn't know how to handle phalanxes. Just had the same frustrating things in my own campaign.

[QuintusSertorius]

It's not as if it's a hard thing to do; put them in an unbroken line, put some other units on their flanks, don't mess with it after that.

I left off taking Ipsos and I'm starting to regret it a little. Same pointless besieging of my settlements with a half-arsed effort, same battles in the same places. Maybe it's time to drive them out of central Anatolia and take the fight to them?

I've stopped retraining units now, making things too easy especially when I can churn out troops with two chevrons and upgraded weapons out of a lot of places anyway.

[QuintusSertorius]

The Seleukid War

Bithynia

Nikaia was attacked by a Seleukid force once again. Now named as successor to Ptolemaios Aiakides, Epimenes Amantieus led the army as heir-apparent to the defense of Bithynia.



But the Seleukids retreated without a fight.



Editorial note

Really annoys me when the AI does this, makes me go through all the rigmarole of laying out my troops, then just retreats the moment I move. Why couldn't they have done that when I attacked initially?

[QuintusSertorius]

229BC:



I need to get a conclusion with the Seleukids, repeating the same battles and sieges every few turns is getting boring. I think that means taking Ipsos then FD'ing a ceasefire. I could spawn some decent troops in one of their generalled stacks (they've now got about four FMs hanging around Anatolia) to make it a balanced force for one last proper battle, then kick them out.

Then I've got to think about where I go next, I can't really sit idle, not least because my best general, Messaneos, is a Warmonger who doesn't like idleness. He's currently in Thracia about to start a war with the Getai to take Kallatis eventually. He's going to start with a raid on their capital, Buridava.

Kyrene and Syrakousai are the main targets I'm thinking of. Not sure I want the Bosphorous so soon, I'll leave that as somewhere to progress to once I've got Kallatis.

Makedonia are proving to be pathetic, they've just lost Demetrias. Even though I regularly spawn medium phalanxes, thureophoroi and peltastai in their stacks and settlements, they still can't hold on to anything. Maybe I need to invade Greece and humble KH a little?

I just tinkered with Spain, giving Numantia to the Arverni, which has already provoke a war without it even rebelling. Also caused Rome and the Arverni to break their alliance, which is good. Gave Baikor to Qarthadast but unfortunately it hasn't revolted.

There's a lot less rebel territory out there nowadays. Still a fair amount, though, consider it's over 40 years in.

[Timoleon]

Looking at the battle statistics of your heroic victory in Phrygia, I noticed that 45% of your 327 casualties where healed afterward. It is huge! I've never had such a percentage in such a big battle. It is even more impressive if you consider that the enemy had few missile troops, as I can tell from the screenshots, and most of your casualties occurred in the melee. What where the traits and ancillaries of your leading general Epimenes Amantieus?

[QuintusSertorius]

I'd have to go back and check, but as far as I remember he's just got a Herbalist ancillary and high management and influence.

[Timoleon]

Did he have such recovering percentages in all of his battles?

[QuintusSertorius]

That was actually the very first one he fought. I'll have to see if he gets the same when he drives the Seleukids out of Ipsos.

[tapanojum]

I'm loving this AR and the way the captions tell the story perfect of your screen shots!

Awesome

[QuintusSertorius]

The Seleukid War

The Defense of Pergamon

In the winter of 229BC, while Amantieus was investing Ipsos, a Seleukid army slipped past the Pergamene army and laid siege to the capital. Once more the political and spiritual heart of the Pergamene kingdom was under threat, including the Basilieu himself. Pergamon didn't have a garrison, trusting instead to both it's stone walls and the standing army which usually protected Mysia from invasion. However that army was miles away in Phrygia and unable to come to the capital's aid.

But the king was not dismayed, for he had the resources of a vast city to draw upon. A proclaimation was issued to the people, calling for them to come to the defense of their city. The armouries were opened and many thousands of citizens given spear, helmet and shield, still others armed with javelins. There were also several hundred veterans in the city who strapped on their old armour, dusted off their weapons and mustered with the ordinary citizens.

The Seleukid commander was slow in locking down his blockade, which allowed many Pergamene nobles to slip out of the city with their friends to their country estates. There they gathered up retainers and supporters, along with as many horses as they could find from their farms, and returned to the city under the cover of darkness. They styled themselves the Patriotic Cavalry, a force composed of the cream of Pergamon's aristocratic youth. What they lacked in skill and experience they made up for in enthusiasm and patriotic zeal.

And so Pergamon's makeshift army was made ready to face the foe, mustering an almost equal number.



Ptolemaios ordered them to sally out before the Seleukids had any time to prepare siege engines. It was a chaotic affair.



Eventually, however, under the cover of archers in the towers, they were shaken into a semblance of a battle line, veterans in the centre and on the left flank. The Patriotic Cavalry rushed out to attack the first horse they could see, some Arabian light cavalry.



They they spotted the prize which every man among them desired - the enemy general Ionikou. But his bodyguard proved too skilled for the overenthusiastic youths, and they were forced to retreat.



He then stumbled into the veterans on the left, and they were not so easily dissuaded.



Rallying, the Patriotic Cavalry rushed in to attack once more.



Years later, many of the men present, and even some who weren't even in the city that day, would claim they were the one to slay Ionikou. In the generations to come, many families would maintain a tradition that it was one of their ancestors who struck the fateful blow. The truth would never be known.



The death of Ionikou was like a body blow to the Seleukid army, who broke and ran.



The Patriotic Cavalry were merciless in their pursuit of fleeing Seleukids. Let them be an object lesson to anyone who would threaten their king and capital.




Editorial Note



I wasn't going to bother with captures and the like for this battle, but then I changed my mind and I'm glad I did, because it was one of the most fun ones I've had. Also a little crazy, having so much heavy cavalry and otherwise nothing of quality at all. The idea of rationalising the garrison in Pergamon, which was otherwise useless, as a citizen levy appealed a great deal as well.

I couldn't wait to share this one, so I stopped playing to do so.

The next battle won't be fun, that's the siege of Ipsos. Unless that other army breaks off the siege of Side, it'll be a grinding, painful siege of full stack against full stack.

[hrrypttrbst]

That's going to be a hard battle

[QuintusSertorius]

That's going to be a hard battle

I know. It's not noble or glorious, but I'm tempted to wait it out a little, to see if that other stack, or reinforcements from Mazaka or Tarsos will come and turn it into a battle.

[Swordmaster]

How did you get the AI approach your walls so closely? The few times I sally, they run to a corner of the map, far from the towers' reach.

[QuintusSertorius]

How did you get the AI approach your walls so closely? The few times I sally, they run to a corner of the map, far from the towers' reach.

To be honest, I've no idea why they came as close as they did. I was expecting them to march away, but instead they lined up anchoring one flank on the walls. Which was dumb.

[QuintusSertorius]

Campaigns in Getia

Having been banished from the Pergamene court for his militaristic activities in trying to join the wars in Greece, Alexanor Messaneos travelled to Pergamon's northern borders in Thracia. There he met up with Sosistratos Atintan who was bored with drilling troops but never actually venturing beyond the mountains that marked the frontiers of Pergamon's power.

Messaneos outlined a plan that caught his imagination - a fast-marching raid on the Getic capital of Buridava, then before they had time to gather their wits they'd march out east with as much plunder as they could carry and take Kallatis by siege. Then leave some men to garrison Kallatis, turn around and deal with whatever armies the Getai could muster, and sign a peace accord before anyone in Pergamon even knew a campaign had been fought.

There would be riches, glory and honour for Pergamon as well as bringing more Greek colonies into the confederation. In the summer of 228BC they laid siege to Buridava, bringing warriors swarming to protect it like ants defending their hive.



The two armies met outside the city, one line against another. In the distance the garrison of Buridava, including one of their warchiefs rushed to join what they thought would be a slaughter.



The serried ranks of Getic warriors were a sight to behold.



As they closed, Messaneos prepared his cavalry to swing around and outflank.



Meanwhile on the left, Atintan spurred all of his cavalry towards the Getic chieftain.



Messaneos began his move.



The cavalry skirmish on the left kicked up clouds of choking dust as man and beast alike scrabbled to survive.



Some Dacian light cavalry responded to Messaneos' flanking maneuver.



On the left, the arrival of infantry to support the chief forced Atintan and his cavalry to back off.



Messaneos had won his skirmish and then routed some Gallic levies.



The Dacian chieftain gave up on chasing the elusive Atintan, and turned his attention to the Pergamene skirmishers. Leaving him unaware that the cavalry were returning.



He died as one of the Gauls, a man named Lucco, stabbed him through the spine with his lance. Atintan promised him whatever he could carry of the chieftain's personal effects. The canny Celt said he'd rather have the chieftain's horse.



The Getic line began to fragment.



As the cavalry swung round into the rear of the Getic line, it dissolved into a general rout.



The first stage of their plan was complete, a Getic army defeated and Burdiva in flames.



Editorial Note



That was actually a much harder battle than it might look from the battle report, there were some really dodgy moments. Like trying to keep Atintan alive while in constant melee contact with the Getic chief. Since his cavalry was the only one out of that little block with any chance of surviving a prolonged melee. The Illyrians and Gauls had to keep breaking off an charging again, with him playing anvil. Plus there were some really scary Drapanai with the chief, who I did my best to slay at range with the slingers before they closed.

The Thrakian peltasts and regular peltastai holding the left were champions in this battle, they single-handedly held of Drapanai, elite skirmishers and heavy phalangites, and still didn't lose that many men. Also lost a fair few men to arrows, they had lots of archers. Fortunately their cavalry was pathetic, all lights and barely-mediums who were no match for my Thrakian Prodromoi.

[QuintusSertorius]

The Seleukid War, 228BC

Phrygia

As a general, some might have called Epimenes Amantieus a martinet. He was very particular about standards of decorum among his men, appropriate terms of address and respect for rank. Yet he was also a soldier's soldier who lived simply on campaign, ate the same thing as the men did and shared their hardships. He never asked them anything he wouldn't be willing to do himself and the men loved him for it. It was only because of their affection for the general that they endured the hardships of besieging Ipsos through the winter.

The siege dragged on through spring, and some thought Amantieus had lost his nerve. He'd only commanded one battle, and while he had won convincingly, perhaps it was a fluke. The rumblings went on into the summer, but Amantieus had a plan. Ipsos' garrison was big, an army camped within the walls and a direct assault would be bloody. Instead he was hoping word had got out before the blockade to the Seleukids camped in Mazaka or Tarsos. If they came to relive Ipsos, he could offer battle and fight both in the open field. Over the winter the defender's spirits had dropped because the Seleukid heir - also the governor of Mikra Asia - had died of a vomiting fever.

When a Seleukid army arrived, Amantieus offered battle.



He was at a disadvantage, fighting uphill. He had to brush aside the smaller force to crown the heights before the defenders of Ipsos arrived.



The relief force was summarily dealt with.



But the commander of Ipsos' garrison arrived ahead of his men.



He charged the Pergamene right, Amantieus and his cavalry pulled out to get space enough to charge.



Amantieus could see Phrygikou through the press, but couldn't reach him.



On the left, a tired Byllideus and his cavalry returned to rest behind the Pergamene infantry. They had chased down the fleeing men from the relief force.



The savage fight on the right rolled on as the first of the troops from Ipsos arrived.



Another Seleukid noble joined the fight, charging the centre.



Meanwhile Phrygikou's bodyguard had all been slain.



He didn't last long unprotected.



Amantieus' men cheered his success.



The early-arriving phalanxes routed, and a victorious Amantieus chased them down.



But this battle was far from over, and as they climbed the hill, the Pergamenes were presented with the full scale of the task still to be overcome.



Amantieus ordered the men to climb and fight.



The Anatolian flankers on the Pergamene right were raked by missile fire, then charged by cavalry.



On the left, meanwhile, the levy phalanxes didn't stand.



They started a panic.



And while cutting down running men, Byllideus sent his men to outflank the Seleukid centre.



On the right, Amantieus had broken through the Seleukid flank cover and got in amongst their skirmishers.



It proved decisive, outflanked on both sides as Byllideus' wing arrived, the Seleukids gave up.



Amantieus had once again justified his men's faith in him.



The victorious general forced the Seleukids to sign a peace treaty surrendering Phrygia to Pergamon, and promising to limit it's operations west of the Taurus mountains.



Editorial Note



Despite the AI completely messing up reinforcements, and doing the old suicidal general thing (again), that was actually a hard battle. Mostly because yet again I started out on the reverse slope of a hill, and had to climb it to get into fighting position. My slingers did very little as a result, because unless they're either level or higher than their targets, they're feeble. That's why their kills are so low - the Greek ones got most of theirs killing routers from the first army, not from their usual business of picking off troops before the battle starts.

It might have been a bit of an exploit waiting until another army attacked rather than taking the place by storm, but I hate sieges.

Amazingly, the Seleukid AI accepted a ceasefire without me having to use FD. That's the second time they've done that, they're surprisingly reasonable about things like that. Perhaps just because I'm on Medium difficulty, and they've got plenty of other enemies to deal with. Though they did immediatly find themselves attacked by Pontos.

[QuintusSertorius]

227BC:



So nearly 15 years of war finally comes to an end, and a satisfying one at that. Captured is my latest bit of dischord, I managed to make Qarthadast and the Lusotanii go to war through FDing Baikor to Carthage which then revolted. But rather than just making peace the next turn, a conquest of Spain has begun! Rome and the Iberians are allies, so maybe it'll start things again. I might FD Karali to the Romans soon, I've held off on it because they're already strong.

Now if there were some way to get them to attack those rebels in Illyria; I moved some stacks there but they ignored it to come back north. Maybe if the Aedui get on with taking them, the Romans will come after them?

I'll take Kallatis soon, then prepare an army for the Bosporan invasion.

[General Appo]

Good going. I don´t think the Romans will start coming after the Illyrians until they have at least taken Patavium. That´s just how they work.

[QuintusSertorius]

Yeah, I guess. They're not far off Flaminius' campaigns in Cisalpine Gaul anyway, so I won't put them off much longer. Then hopefully they'll roll down the Illyrian coast, rather than trying to take the Central European Defense on. Or carrying on into Gaul.

[Swordmaster]

The seventh shot from that post is really very nice, skirmish on the foreground with the whole chaotic battle behind it. They put up a good fight, from what I can tell, but you handled them very well.

Nice role-playing the characters, too.

EDIT: Lol, talking about the fight at Buridava, that was. Your tempo in posting updates is as relentless as your battles!

[QuintusSertorius]

I checked out Amantieus' Traits, and the man is a really tightly-wound and Spartan sort. Yet he's got massive influence and management so I figured he's one of those difficult sorts who's actually really good at what he does - which is primarily being a leader.

Messaneos on the other hand blatantly cares about nothing but combat (well as his family, but often they're an afterthought). I think the roleplaying justification for the conquest of the Bosphorous will be him, on the run, causing trouble somewhere even further away from Pergamon.

I'm going to have problems with the next generation, all the great men of Messaneos' generation (like Larruos who has three sons), most of whom were marriage candidates or adoptees, have had useless children (only one of Larruos' is useful, one salvageable, the other hopless). Unlike the way I disposed of Hellenos and Pyrrhicos, I can't just get rid of all of them. A few will make alright governors, and one or two reasonable generals, but I might have to start making more use of mercenary generals. I'm going to dispatch two of Larruos' sons to the Bosphorous as governors, they'll at least manage that.

Talking of FMs, I think in the 15 years I was at war with the Seleukids, I killed about eight of their nobles. Four just in the last year. Including their Faction Heir, who died during the siege of Ipsos. He wasn't young, mind, unlike mine who's in his early 30s. Ptolemaios hasn't got long left, he's already in his early seventies. His cousin Alexandros died recently.

Still it means the original Epirote line is gone now and I can make a complete break with that history.

[QuintusSertorius]

Campaigns of the rogue general Alexanor Messaneos

His compact with Atintas still healthy, the two generals marched for Kallatis with their borrowed army. The first stage of their plan had been successful, and now for the second. The capture of the Getic coastal city which had once been a Greek colony. Information gleaned from outlying villages suggested there was still a vibrant Greek community in the town, but that it was in many ways subservient to the Dacians. This could not go on.

What Atintas did not know, however was that Messaneos was already thinking ahead to his next campaign, and even an endgame. He could not run from the Basileu's agents forever, he needed somewhere to build a power base of his own. But that was for the future, the now was Kallatis, which they laid siege to.

Kallatis

The garrison of the town were completely unprepared for the arrival of a foreign army outside their walls, so swift was the Pergamene army's march. There were few defenders willing to resist.



It wasn't really a battle, Messaneos lost few men.



Taking his share of the plunder and slipping away on a horse during the night, Messaneos then left Atintas alone to face the music.

Editorial Note



For the first time I witness firsthand just how scary Thrakian elites are. They went through the general and his bodyguard like they were nothing, and the unit of Lugoae defending the square lasted about a minute with them in their rear.

Bosphorous

Messaneos spent a year planning for his next move, hiding around in the countryside and drawing on his contacts for favours. His plunder went into greasing palms and more importantly hiring mercenaries. Lots of mercenaries. In the summer of 226 he gathered his mercenary army in the Thrakian forest and trained them in the manner of Pergamon's armies. He welded them together into a cohesive fighting force. He promoted the leader of one mercenary contingent to his second-in-command, to aid in co-ordination during battle.

Then one of his other favours came in. He was friends with the commander of Pergamon's navy, Admiral Damosthenes. His request was simple: provide transport for his army to the Bosphorous region. There were Greek communities there who he had been in communication with and some factions within them would welcome anyone who would overthrow their tyrants.

When they landed he asked one more thing of Damosthenes - bring back his family. These plans in motion, he disembarked late in the campaigning season. He was attacked immediately by the army of the tyrant.



They appeared in the distance, marching through the driving snow. Messaneos had deployed in the standard Pergamene fashion.



The lines closed, though it remained eerily still and quiet.



Then suddenly both armies pitched into action. The air was ablaze with arrows from foot and horse-archers.



Some Scythian nobles charged the Pergamene line.



Messaneos and his Thrakians drove them off.



Meanwhile the Taurii foot attacked.



Getting frustrated at the volume of arrows buzzing around, Messaneos ordered his mercenary horse-archers to push up and drive their counterparts away.



A swirling melee ensued, broken when the Thrakians charged home.



Messaneos' second and the Gallic mercenaries charged to the rear and broke many of the Taurii infantry.



Several fraught charges later, their entire army was in flight.



And in spite of many wounded by arrows, a victory was forged. Messaneos' mercenary army had performed adequately well.



Editors Note



I was actually a little surprised at how easy that battle turned out to be, not least because of my suboptimal use of my horse archers. I got frustrated at everyone being shot up, so just charged them after the enemy horse archers, which at least got them away from my infantry. Their foot archers had greater range than my Kretans too, which meant I couldn't touch them.

The Thrakian cavalry I originally sent after the fleeing Scythian nobles kept on charging when I wasn't paying attention and routed one band of archers. That's when I spotted them close by the horse archers, who were suffering in melee, and they massacred the enemy horse archers. They and indeed all my cavalry got a lot of kills in that battle.

[Timoleon]

I really like the way you describe battles step-by-step and you analyse them afterward. Keep going!
How do you take so many screenshots? Do you use some specialized software or do you alt-tab out of the game all the time?

[QuintusSertorius]

225BC:



My soon-to-be Bosporan Kingdom, the dynasty Messaneos will found. He took Chersonesus with ease (there was hardly anything left, so I auto-calc'ed), and his two sons are on the ship coming back. I won't be sending anyone or anything else up there, it's going to run it's own business. Perhaps when Ptolemaios finally dies (73 and still kicking) some kind of reconciliation between Messaneos and Pergamon can be made.

Rome have broken through in Cisalpine Gaul. Hopefully they'll turn to the Illyrian coast next. Qarthadast are romping through Spain. For added chaos, I gave the Arverni Numantia again, though as consolation I gave the Lusotanii Ivernis in southern Ireland, which had bizarrely revolted to the Aedui.

The Getai accepted a ceasefire without the use of FD, which is becoming a pattern. Maybe my faction is strong enough that they're more willing to listen? Seleukids are at war with Hayasdan now as well as Pontos. Pontos finally took Trapezous.

Pahlava still aren't moving much, I think I might need to FD them some territory to get them started. Zadrakata at the very least.

Makedonia are still useless, even after I moved all of KH's standing armies to Cape Horn. Literally all of them.

I really like the way you describe battles step-by-step and you analyse them afterward. Keep going!
How do you take so many screenshots? Do you use some specialized software or do you alt-tab out of the game all the time?

I hope they don't come off as a little repetitive, since I use broadly the same tactics most of the time.

I Alt+Tab out of the game, paste them into Paintshop Pro, convert them to JPEG then save them, then back into the battle. Nothing fancy just a little effort.