Event Six - The War of the Four Basileis

[TinCow]

Movement orders for Round 2 may be submitted now. They are due by 22:00 GMT on Tuesday, March 24th.

[TinCow]

Round 2 closed. Movements commencing.

[TinCow]

Movement Phase 2 Results:

Kousinos Sophianos Alliance:

Kousinos Sophianos (Cecil XIX) and Ioannis Erotikas (Ramses II CP) joined their armies together in a single column and immediately set out east, marching towards Amida. The roads through the mountains were long and arduous, but they were free from enemies and they two armies made good progress. They have finally reached the northern tributaries of the Euphrates, and can now turn south without hindrance of the mountains. Amida is but a short distance away to the south. A determined march without interference from hostile armies could place them on the outskirts of Antioch or Edessa. Both armies are encamped together and would react as one in the case of an attack.


Ioannis Komnenos III Alliance:

The armies of Ioannis Komnenos III (Ignoramus), Arintheos Voutoumatis (Zim), and Isaakios Komnenos (flyd) were united in purpose and made immediate preparations to march east, towards Sinop and Kousinos Sophianos. Megas Voutoumatis began by marching his twin armies north along the east bank of the Bosphorus before turning east. However, his secondary army has a baggage train that includes slow-moving artillery. By the time he reached the northern crossing of the Bosphorus, he found himself as the rear-guard. He continued up the coast road towards Sinop, following those who had gone before him.

Ioannis Komnenos III's armies had taken that crossing a few days before and were moving up the coast road towards Sinop when Megas Voutoumatis reached the crossing. While they also had slow-moving artillery with them, Ioannis had a shorter distance to cover to the crossing and was thus able to march farther towards Sinop. They reached Sinop before deciding to halt so that Megas Voutoumatis did not fall too far behind.

Isaakios Komnenos' army was not encumbered by siege weapons as his allies were, and he made even better time by choosing to take to the sea. He boarded his fleet and set sail for Sinop. He could have sailed far and fast, and caught a glimpse of the rear-guard of Kousinos Sophianos (Cecil XIX) and Ioannis Erotikas (Ramses II CP) before they disappeared into the mountains to the east. However, he saw no sign of the slow-moving land armies of his allies and was unwilling to risk battle on his own. He therefore landed and secured the port of Sinop, waiting for his allies to catch up.

The three armies are slightly strung out along the coast road. Isaakios Komnenos is slightly east of Sinop, at the port, Ioannis Komnenos III is a short distance west of Sinop, and Arintheos Voutoumatis is about halfway between Constantinople and Sinop. All three armies are close enough to march to the aid of one another in the event that one is attacked, though the distance between them would likely result in some delays before the reinforcing armies arrived on the field. The siege trains of Ioannis Komnenos III and Arintheor Voutoumatis will continue to slow down their march, but Isaakios retains control of his fleet and has maneuverability that is unmatched amongst the combatants.


Andronikos Komnenos Alliance:

Andronikos Komnenos (woad&fangs) marched back north, across the bridge west of Edessa, where he met his ally Nikitas Moschos (Ituralde). Together, the two armies turned west and began a march towards Antioch, along the north bank of the Euphrates. This route bypassed the bridge guarded by Iosef Ek Artas (mini), but it was initially without roads and thus the going was slow at first. When the river turned away to the south, they continued west, towards the north bank of the Orontes river and the famous Iron Bridge.


Ioannis Tagaris Alliance:

At this point, the outriders of Iosef Ek Artas' (mini) army, investigating the sight of the large dust cloud in the distance, caught sight of their foes. They immediately returned to report the move to Senator Ek Artas. The Senator had not made any plans to leave the bridge (no orders received) and indeed had been informed that the armies of Basileus Ioannis Tagaris were marching to join him at the bridge. Unsure of whether to abandon his post or not, he decided to dispatch messengers to the Basileus' approaching armies. It did not take long for these mounted riders to find Ioannis Tagaris (TheFlax), who had begun marching north immediately from Tortosa along the coast road to Antioch. With him was Aleksios ek Kerkiras (Ibn-Khaldun), who had merged his ragtag band of peasants with the main force.

Upon being informed that Andronikos and Nikitas were marching for Antioch, Basileus Tagaris decided to fortify the river crossings and hold them against his foe. He had specifically made plans to fortify his encampment, but with the Empire bankrupt, he was unable to obtain sufficient resources to build a proper fort, and the only one in the region was on the wrong side of the river. Instead, he did what he could to prepare some basic defenses, such as stakes and a shallow ditch, while he waited for his allies to join him. Of these allies, only Georgios Angelos (Tristan de Castelreng) was on hand, having marched alongside the Basileus with his fast-moving cavalry. (No orders received, but previous turn's orders were to join with Ioannis Tagaris, so that order remained in effect in the absence of new orders.)

Vartholomaios Ksiros (Rowan) had immediately begun marching north to join with Basileus Tagaris, but he was much farther to the south and the Iron Bridge was near the limits of his marching distance. Realizing that Andronikos and Nikitas would arrive at the north side of the Iron Bridge before Vartholomaios Ksiros would arrive to aid him, Basileus Tagaris send the riders back east to notify Iosef Ek Artas of the impending battle. Iosef ek Artas immediately made preparations to march to the aid of his Lord, but his lack of preparation for this eventuality resulted in a slow start.

As dawn breaks over the Iron Bridge, Ioannis Tagaris (TheFlax), Aleksios ek Kerkiras (Ibn-Khaldun), and Georgios Angelos (Tristan de Castelreng) hold the south bank against Andronikos Komnenos (woad&fangs) and Nikitas Moschos (Ituralde). The three members of the Tagarian Alliance are heavily outnumbered and the quality of their troops is inferior. However, they have taken the wise precaution of constructing some primitive defenses, which may buy them a small amount of time. The Battle of the Iron Bridge will surely be determined by their ability to hold their ground until Vartholomaios Ksiros (Rowan) and Iosef Ek Artas (mini) arrive to reinforce them.

Far, far away, Helarionas Anargiros (YLC) marched east towards Sofia. It was a long march, but he encountered no opposition. He has made camp near the city and is pleased to hear that the armies of Ioannis Komnenos III have completely abandoned both Bosphorus crossings.

Round 3 will not begin until the Battle of the Iron Bridge is resolved.

Current save: LOTR-1200-3

[TinCow]

The results of the Battle of the Iron Bridge have been implemented. On the Tagarian side, the armies of Aleksios ek Kerkiras (Ibn-Khaldun) and Georgios Angelos (Tristan de Castelreng) have been completely destroyed, and both generals have been killed. Ioannis Tagaris (TheFlax) has escaped alive, but with only a single regiment of foot archers. The armies of Vartholomaios Ksiros (Rowan) and Iosef Ek Artas (mini) remain fully intact. On the Komnenoi side, Andronikos Komnenos (woad&fangs) has lost all of his Dismounted Byzantine Lancer units and Nikitas Moschos (Ituralde) has lost all but one of his Dismounted Byzantine Lancer units, plus both units of Byzantine Spearmen.

As per the rules, Vartholomaios Ksiros (Rowan) and Iosef Ek Artas (mini) can switch sides during their movement phase, if they wish:

(E) Surviving generals on the losing side can choose to switch sides after the battle is completed, taking their surviving units with them. Those who have survived by withdrawing from the field can keep their loyalty and attempt to escape in the next movement phase. Those who have survived by being captured must change their loyalty or be executed or imprisoned, both of which will permanently remove that avatar from further participation in the Event. If a Basileus is captured, he may choose to change his loyalty to the Basileus whose army who defeated him. If this happens, the defeated Basileus permanently becomes a normal general and is no longer considered a claimant to throne for the purposes of this Event.

Current save: LOTR-1200-4

Movement orders for Round 3 may be submitted now. They are due by 23:00 GMT on Friday, April 10th.

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Movement Phase 3 Results:

Kousinos Sophianos Alliance:

Kousinos Sophianos (Cecil XIX) and Ioannis Erotikas (Ramses II CP) considered the terrain carefully, attempting to determine whether there was a threat to their rear from the marching armies of Ioannis Komnenos III and his allies. After checking with the outriders and consulting with the maps, it was determined that none of Ioannis III's armies would reach their encampment in the near future. In order to engage the enemy, Sophianos and Erotikas would actively have to backtrack, and this they were not keen on doing. So, they continued on towards Antiokheia and the assembled armies of the other two claimants to the throne. The two allies made good time through the mountains, finally emerging from a valley to glimpse the Mediterranean in the distance. As their men were tired from this long march, the final push to Antiokhheia would have to wait. Kousinos Sophianos (Cecil XIX) made camp inside an abandoned fort west of the Iron Bridge, with Ioannis Erotikas (Ramses II CP) outside the walls, but nearby.

There will be enemies aplenty for Kousinos Sophianos and Ioannis Erotikas to fight in the very near future.


Ioannis Komnenos III Alliance:

(Note: No orders received from Ignoramus, therefore I continued with the orders received from him last turn, which were to pursue Kousinos Sophianos and Ioannis Erotikas.)

The armies of Ioannis Komnenos III (Ignoramus), Arintheos Voutoumatis (Zim), and Isaakios Komnenos (flyd) continued on in their pursuit of Kousinos Sophianos and Ioannis Erotikas.

While Ioannis Komnenos III was focused on the pursuit, Arintheos Voutoumatis and Isaakios Komnenos were both mainly concerned with keeping close to their Basileus. As such, the group closed up slightly. The siege trains of Ioannis Komnenos II and Arintheos Voutoumatis continue to slow them down, and their scouts reported that their quarry's trail was growing very cold. It was not long before the encumbered armies grew very tired and had to rest along the river roads between Sinop and Amida. Isaakios Komnenos, who is not encumbered by siege engines, remained slightly ahead of his companions, but intentionally did not push on ahead. He could reach the others quickly if the need arose.


Ioannis Tagaris Alliance:

After the defeat at the Iron Bridge, Ioannis Tagaris and his men were in a panic. Orders went back and forth quickly, trying to determine what to do. First the strong walls of Tortosa were suggested as an opportune location to make a stand, but then Antiokheira was suggested. In the confusion, Iosef Ek Artas' (mini) set off south for Tortosa, while Vartholomaios Ksiros (Rowan) entered nearby Antiokheira. Ioannis Tagaris (TheFlax) himself could not make up his mind as to what to do (no orders received). However, as the Andronikos Komnenos and Nikitas Moschos marched across the Iron Bridge, he fled in panic. Antiokheira was already within sight, and he could see Senator Ksiros' men streaming into its gates. Thus, the Basileus and his small contingent of archers fled into the city as well, to avoid instant capture. They are now besieged, and their prospects are grim.

Back in Macedonia, Helarionas Anargiros (YLC) continued his determined march eastwards. He made good time and reached Constantinople, which had long been abandoned by Ioannis Komnenos III. There his army made camp and enjoyed civilized luxuries for the first time in many weeks. Unencumbered by a siege train, Senator Anargiros is gradually closing the distance on Ioannis Komnenos III. This slow closing will continue if he continues along the northern coast road, but he could also attempt to bypass the lumbering army by turning south and driving straight for Antiokheira and the Levant.


Andronikos Komnenos Alliance:

Victory at the Iron Bridge swelled the armies of Andronikos Komnenos (woad&fangs) and Nikitas Moschos (Ituralde) with pride. They sent out messengers requesting the surrender of Ioannis Tagaris and his allies. Responses were apparently received, but in the confusion of Ioannis Tagaris' retreat, no such truce ever materialized. Seeing their enemies fleeing without any apparent intentions of immediate surrender, the victors urged their men forward to prevent them from escaping. Vartholomaios Ksiros was too close to Antiokheira to prevent his army from entering and securing the gates, but inside the city he was trapped, and soon Ioannis Tagaris joined him.

Andronikos and Nikitas moved their armies fully across the Iron Bridge and made ready to besiege the city. While Iosef Ek Artas had escaped to Tortosa, his small army was of little threat to the victors of the Iron Bridge. They have cornered Ioannis Tagaris inside the city and he cannot escape. If the diplomatic negotiations do not bear fruit, Ioannis will have a very difficult time repelling the inevitable assault.

Note: Due to the short time frame that would have expired with everyone retreating into and besieging Antiokheira, any assault on the city will occur BEFORE anyone else can move. Thus, if Andronikos Komnenos (woad&fangs) and Nikitas Moschos (Ituralde) order an assault on Antiokheira in the next movement phase, the battle will take place without risk of Iosef Ek Artas, Kousinos Sophianos, or Ioannis Erotikas interfering.)

Current Save: LOTR-1200-5

Movement orders for Round 4 may be submitted now. They are due by 01:00 GMT on Monday, April 13th.

[TinCow]

The time for submitting movement orders for Round 4 has been extended. They are now due by 22:00 GMT on Monday, April 13th.

[TinCow]

Movement Phase 4 Results:

Ioannis Tagaris Alliance:

Ioannis Tagaris (TheFlax) and Vartholomaios Ksiros (Rowan) held the walls of Antiokheira, hoping for a miracle. (No orders received from TheFlax.) Iosef Ek Artas' (mini) was not to be their savior, as he too remained hidden behind his walls in Tortosa. (No orders received from mini.)

However, Helarionas Anargiros (YLC) remained active and continued his pursuit of Ioannis Komnenos and his allies. He marched east, up the coast road towards Sinop, following in the footsteps of those that had gone before him. A good way west of the town, his advance scouts returned in a panic. A large army had been spotted approaching from the opposite direction.

Ioannis Komnenos III Alliance:

Ioannis Komnenos III (Ignoramus) was slowly becoming disconcerted by his slow progress and the trailing army of Helarionas Anargiros. It did not take a military genius to realize the threat posed by a large army in his rear. As such, he ordered an about face of all of his allied forces, and marched east back along the coast road towards Constantinople. Arintheos Voutoumatis (Zim) and Isaakios Komnenos (flyd) followed their Basileus dutifully. (No orders received from flyd, continued with the previous turn's orders, which were to stay with Ioannis Komnenos III.) This involved all three armies making an about-face and turning back the way they came. Isaakios Komnenos, who had been the vanguard, became the rearguard, and Arintheos Voutoumatis switched from the rearguard to the vanguard.

It was thus that Arintheos Voutoumatis first encountered Helarionas Anargiros on the coast road. Messengers were quickly sent back to inform his Basileus of the impending battle, but Ioannis Komnenos III's slow speed prevented him from reaching his ally before the battle started. He hurried on with as much haste as possible, expecting to arrive after the start of the battle. Messengers were also sent on to tell Isaakios Komnenos to increase his speed to join his allies in battle. He increased his marching speed, but soon he encountered problems of his own...

Kousinos Sophianos Alliance:

Kousinos Sophianos (Cecil XIX) and Ioannis Erotikas (Ramses II CP) boldly divided up their forces. Senator Erotikas shed his infantry and took the entire mounted strength of their combined armies and marched swiftly north to harass Ioannis Komnenos. With every single man mounted, he made extraordinarily good time. He traversed the entire mountainous interior of Anatolia in a few days, and soon his scouts reported that signs of the march of many large armies had been spotted. These were the tracks of Arintheos Voutoumatis, Ioannis Komnenos III, and Isaakios Komnenos, disappearing back towards Sinop in the west. Senator Erotikos' men were well drilled and increased their speed even further, to hit the fleeing enemies in the rear. That rear was held by Isaakios Komnenos, whose renowned laziness was currently manifested by a failure to send out trailing scouts. After all, the only nearby enemy was to the west and Arintheos and Ioannis were between him and them; there was no reason for concern. Thus it was that the first Isaakios Komnenos knew of the approach of Ioannis Erotikas was the shouts of the rearmost men in his marching column. As the horsemen of Senator Erotikas broke into a charge, the only thing that Isaakios was certain of was that his allies would have to do without him in the battle they faced.

Meanwhile, Kousinos Sophianos took his unmounted army and marched towards Antioch. He approached the Iron Bridge warily, noting the carnage that had been inflicted in the recent battle. Smoke in the distance indicated that the siege of the city continued. Surprisingly, no enemy scouts were spotted at the Iron Bridge, and no force came out to oppose his advance parties. Exploiting the failure of his enemies to guard their most dearly captured prize, he crossed en mass and formed up in battle order on the other side.

Andronikos Komnenos Alliance:

The walls of Antioch clearly posed a daunting prospect to Andronikos Komnenos (woad&fangs) and Nikitas Moschos (Ituralde). The men who held the walls were outnumbered and inferior, but the walls themselves were worth as much as an entire army. Preparations were required for a siege assault, and preparations took time. So, the victors of the Iron Bridge waited and continued to prepare for the assault. (No orders received from woad&fangs and Ituralde.)

So it was that they were still manning the siege lines when Kousinos Sophianos' army approached from the Iron Bridge, ready for battle. The victors of the Iron Bridge now face an attack from two sides, with Kousinos marching against them directly, while the garrison of Antioch remains ready to sally forth at any moment. The only consolation in this situation is that the two sides are not allied and have no means to communicate. In a battle between three enemies, cooperation is sure to be uncertain at best.

Current Save: LOTR-1200-6

Round 5 will not begin until all three battles are resolved. They will be fought simultaneously, but could take a while to prepare, so please be patient.