Dark Clouds on the Horizon



There was perhaps something portentous in the arrival of two messengers to Amantieus' camp at almost the same time, from opposite directions. From the east came word from his scouts that two Seleukid armies had been spotted. From the west came a messenger from the capital - the Basilieu Ptolemaios had died in his sleep a few nights before. He was now king, but if he couldn't defend the kingdom titles would mean nothing.

Spies in the Pontic court told him their ruler was looking covetously at Bithynia and had even mobilised an army to take advantage of Pergamon's occupation with the Seleukids. Indeed the two powers had only recently concluded a peace treaty ending their own war, and who knew what secret accords had been agreed there. Carving up Pergamon between themselves, perhaps?

His first act as king was to pardon both Messaneos in the Bosphorous and Atintan in Mikra Skythia. He requested that Antintan board ship with the northern army to defend Bithynia against possible Pontic invasion, while he would deal with the Seleukids.

He had a horrible feeling he had many years in the saddle ahead of him.

222BC:



Again saved by the watchtowers, and a spy I had lingering in Pontos, looks like I'm about to be double-teamed by two factions. I can only hope the Aedui won't take too kindly to that stack trying to pass through Galatia, given they've got the numbers to destroy it. Pontos is more of a worry, that's a proper full stack, although there's a lot of levy hoplites and native spearmen in there. Not great cavalry either, but Atintan's cavalry is being raised/retrained in Byzantion. Just him and an FM from Pergamon if he's attacked at the river crossing. I'll send the navy up to blockade their capital if they do attack.

Equally worrying the Ptolemies (no longer my allies...) just signed a ceasefire with the Seleukids. I'm hoping the Getai or Makedonians don't use the shifting of my forces out of Europe as an excuse to attack. Tylis has a strong garrison and good commander, but Kallatis and Byzantion aren't so strong.

The Romans are spreading out along the coast, Pahlava are bigger thanks to some FD action from me. They were getting on with expanding far too slowly for my liking. And not just because I want the Seleukids weaker.

I've got Pantikapaion under siege, I was able to move almost all of the mercenary army out of Chersonesos. Might be a slow one because it's got a full stack and stone walls.


Quote Originally Posted by Swordmaster View Post
Your campaign is really an inspiration to mine, if you know what I mean. (If you don't, you'll know soon enough .)

Oh, and those were some of the coolest screens you've taken so far. Keep it up.
I do think I'm getting better at taking interesting ones that show both at the high level, and up close what's going on.

Quote Originally Posted by Gurkhan View Post
Great AAR man, although all the FD makes it seem like you are trying to play all factions at once. This is not how I play the game, but it makes for interesting reading! A word to the wise, you cannot move anything to cape Horn as South America is not on the map. Keep a postin'"!!
If you think that's a lot of FD, you should have seen my Roman campaign. I'm doing relatively little of it in this one by comparison. My most recent bit of it was giving Zadrakata and Hekatompylos to Pahlava to kickstart their expansion into Seleukid territory.

Oh, failure of basic geography.

Quote Originally Posted by Swordmaster View Post
You're right, we're confusing it with the Horn of Africa.
Aye, that's what I meant.