[Epeiros/Pergamon AAR] Philetairos' Gift

[QuintusSertorius]

unless said FM charge home into your phalanxes.

at least, don't target him with your shooters, and maybe tweak the files so that AI FMs get more hp...

I don't have any phalanxes.

Not about to tweak the files - one of the reasons they reduced the bodyguard hit points in the first place was to curtail the AI's suicide charges. More hit points makes it worse, not better.

[Poulp']

I don't have any phalanxes.

Not about to tweak the files - one of the reasons they reduced the bodyguard hit points in the first place was to curtail the AI's suicide charges. More hit points makes it worse, not better.

I thought there was a way to give pore hp to the FM only, and leaving his bodyguards at one hp.
too bad.

[Swordmaster]

I've never tried to target the enemy general in battles, nor do I make special efforts to avoid killing him. In the end it makes for a good balance where at times he dies relatively early, at other times quite late.

[QuintusSertorius]

But this is contradictory with the Hellenistic tradition. Remember Alexander battle plans where focused on neutralizing the enemy commander. If you need a house rule to make battles more challenging, then try always fighting outnumbered. After all, your kingdom, historically, was the minor player among three great empires.

Perhaps, but there's all kinds of issues with the AI that prevent just looking at it through a historical lens. I often bump up their stacks to give them both more numbers and balance, so I should continue doing that. They're particularly bad for not recruiting any cavalry, or using crappy archers who can't hurt my some of my skirmishers, never mind threatening the line.

I'm thinking perhaps as an exception to the "avoid killing the general", I'll let my FMs target them, since they we've both got a leader at risk.

I thought there was a way to give pore hp to the FM only, and leaving his bodyguards at one hp.
too bad.

He and his officer models will have more hitpoints than the bodyguard anyway - that's hardcoded. His being based on his traits. But it doesn't really matte in a lot of respects, once his bodyguard is dead, he's a sitting duck and it's just a matter of time before he's either killed or makes a break for it (and may be killed on the run if you've got fast light cavalry).

I've never tried to target the enemy general in battles, nor do I make special efforts to avoid killing him. In the end it makes for a good balance where at times he dies relatively early, at other times quite late.

Perhaps, and there are those which really do turn on killing the general. As in I'm struggling through while he's alive, and his death is what makes victory possible, rather than heading for defeat. But sometimes he does die far too early which almost makes the result a foregone conclusion.

[QuintusSertorius]

Second Seleukid War, 222BC

King Amantieus remained in the high passes of the Tauros mountains even as autumn turned to winter and the snow began to set in. The threat from the Seleukids had not passed with one battle, there were other armies moving around the Pergamene border. He only hoped Atintan knew what he was doing in the north.

While blocking the pass he fended off two Seleukid armies. The first was led by Neolaus Aigon Aiolikon, a very young general. Perhaps the losses in the officer cadre from the last war had not yet been made good with new aristocratic soldiers. They were evenly matched, though the Pergamenes had the more balanced force.



Amantieus was keen to get some high ground.



Both armies advanced to meet each other.



A skirmisher's eye view.



The Syrians had an imposing wall of pikes in their centre.



Aiolikon charged the left flank.



Patron Byllideus watched for a time, then spurred his cavalry away from the melee to circle around. Aiolikon, seeing his move turned around and charged.



Byllideus kicked his horse into the fray, seeking out Aiolikon in personal combat. The rest of his cavalry he dispatched to drive off the Seleukid horse.



The was contact all along the line.



Amantieus led some Karians to outflank on the right.



Meanwhile in the combat of bodyguard-against-bodyguard, Aiolikon fell.



At first the battle carried on regardless.



But then units began to flee.



As the cavalry began to charge to the rear, more units joined the flight.



The elites in the centre fought on.



But soon it was a general rout.



With relatively few men killed or wounded, Amantieus had won. But now he had to prepare for the arrival of another army.



The second force came on much as the first did, and was not as well-led. They were fewer in number and had even less cavalry.



They were beaten as well, their commander dying in the rout.



Editorial note

I did actually try not to kill the enemy general in the first battle, I only had Byllideus fight with him. The Curepos struggled a little on their own against the Lonchophoroi Hippeis, but eventually their greater stamina and ability to run away while throwing javelins, along with experience told.

The second battle was almost like a re-run of the first, which is why I didn't go into detailed captures. They had more missile troops, but a pathetic main line. Without even killing their general a lot of it was routed.

Byllideus is proving to be a lethal leader of horse. As an FM he's hopeless, Dull/Uncharismatic/Vigorous, with no Command, Management or Influence levels at all. But he's tough and can fight.

[QuintusSertorius]

The Second Pontic War



Taking advantage of Pergamon's pre-occupation with the Seleukids, a cynical Pontos attacked Nikaia. Fortunately for Pergamon, their spies and agents had forewarned them against the invasion, and thus Sosistratos Atintan had brought the northern army across the Hellespont to defend the homeland. He didn't arrive in time to prevent the Pontic army reaching Nikaia and laying siege, though.



Theirs was a large army, but a force padded out with lots of levies and other poorly armoured troops. But Atintan had problems of his own, lacking and slingers and being saddled with Nikias Sybotios, a lacklustre incompetent for a subordinate. He'd rushed out to join Atintan and was eager to get to the grips with the enemy. If enthusiasm were enough to win a battle, then Sybotios was their ace in the hole.

But experience told Atintan hard fighting was ahead. Not least potentially forcing a crossing to meet the Pontic army, something they'd be sure to contest.