[Epeiros/Pergamon AAR] Philetairos' Gift

[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.