[Epeiros/Pergamon AAR] Philetairos' Gift

[QuintusSertorius]

Siege of Halikarnassos

Marching from Pergamon with a newly-formed army, Alexandros Aiakides laid siege to Halikarnassos. He had come on the invitation of the Greeks living in the area, claiming a tyrant had installed himself in the capital keeping a bodyguard of vicious Karian tribesmen around him at all times. Arriving as liberator, Alexandros led the assault in person.



Once again it was superior Pergamene tactics which turned the tide. Archers and slingers rained death down on the defenders and there was little fight left in the survivors when the Galatians stormed the walls. The tyrant Akestes was killed in the streets.



Defense of Nikaia

Pergamon's ruling council had determined that Byzantion should be the next addition to the confederation, and dispatched an army across the straits of the Hellespont. This angered the Pontic Kingdom who had treaties of friendship and assistance with the current ruling faction in Byzantion and beyond. They issued an embassage who threatened war if Pergamon did not withdraw. Unperturbed, Pergamon continued with it's investment of Byzantion, and Pontos attacked Nikaia in retaliation.



Pyrrhos had only the garrison of local levies, but he also had a contingent of Kretan mercenaries. Demonstrating his supreme confidence, he marched out of the formidabble stone defenses and fought the invaders in an open field. It was the actions of his cavalry which were decisive, routing the hapless levies pressed into service by Pontos.



Editorial note

Another siege won by skirmishers outside the walls causing horrendous damage to anything unarmoured in the city.

In the second instance, the attackers were a couple of units of levy hoplites and some skirmisher cavalry. Pathetic really.

262BC:



I don't think the siege of Byzantion will take long, but I haven't got time to do it tonight, bed calls. Apologies if it's all looking a bit familiar to anyone, there was a reason why I expanded the way I did last time. Grab up the soft targets with mines first, basically, then build up your infrastructure. I seem to be able to support two armies all of a sudden, though both are barely even half a stack.

Sardis and Ipsos keep yo-yo-ing between revolt and calm, I've got spies in each and assassins working on their happiness buildings.

I moved Baktria's starting stack to Cape Horn, they can have it back in about five years when Baktria are supposed to have emerged. As it is, they're just annoying me.