[Epeiros/Pergamon AAR] Philetairos' Gift

[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.