Eastern Hegemony: Pontus AAR

[Bramborough]

Starting a Pontus campaign, and will try to keep up an AAR thread along the way. I see folks talking about Sparta, Carthage, Suebi, Arverni, but no one mentions playing Pontus. I don't know anything about the faction, other than that they're labeled Hellenic but have some Eastern characteristics.

I have Hooah's Suebi AAR as an example, at least first few installments will be similar.

Part I

A poor people aspire to greatness...or at least, survival...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I am Mithridates, King of Pontus. This may seem, to the ill-informed, a high and mighty state of being. Those who have been to my lands, however, know the poverty of my people and the weakness of my armies. My great capital Amaseia is a mere hamlet, and our wealthy port city of Sinope but a decrepit wharf. Pontus must grow in might, wealth, and land. Not for my own aggrandizement, but for the survival of my people. If we aspire only to cling to this sliver of seashore, we will not cling to it for long.

All is not, however, so bleak. We are a Greek people, and our brethren across the Aegean and Euxine Seas look favorably upon us. Bithynia to our west is an ally, and Trapezos to our east a Grecian friend. We have secure flanks, and a sea upon which Greek trade may flow to Sinope, however small its docks may yet be.


Pontic homeland

Enemies we have as well. The grubby Cappadocians hold lands to our south, and have been at war with us for generations. A fragile peace holds with neighboring Galatia, but ere long the rattle of spears will doubtless be heard in this direction as well. So be it. Pontus must have land. Galatia et Cappadocia it must be. Pontic armies have only Eastern spearmen and slingers to fill the ranks. This is just as well, as these meager wages are all my treasury can support.

I place our soldiers under the command of my kinsman Praxiteles and charge him to recruit more men in the countryside. He styles his host the Scions of Sinope. A fine-sounding name for such a rabble. At least it IS an army of sorts; I remain at Amaseia in command of "the Lykoi"...which consists only of my personal bodyguard. All others I've stripped away for Praxiteles. Our hopes are pinned on the Scions...our only army.

After two seasons' recruitment, Praxiteles marches south through the passes into Cappadocia, and falls upon the town of Samosata. The small garrison valiantly sallies forth to defend their homes, but the Scions easily overwhelm them with numbers. Praxiteles has done well, and the Scions of Sinope have won a fine victory.


The armies meet outside Samosata

In Amaseia, meanwhile, I secure a formal alliance with Trapezos. Long friendly with us, they readily agree. Bithynia, heretofore merely a defensive ally, enters into full military alliance with us as well. The Bithynians, of course, take this opportunity to pull us into war with Galatia. A bit annoying, but Galatian lands have been our object in any case, it fits with our plans. War it is.

Mazaca is Cappadocia's only remaining settlement. Praxiteles, however, cannot march there directly from Samosata without traveling through Seleucid lands. The Seleucids are friendly enough with us, their Greek heritage derived from Alexander. Not so friendly, however, as to allow Pontic armies to march through their fields without a prohibitively expensive toll. I bid Praxiteles return home to find another path through the mountains to Mazaca. I am concerned that Samosata will try to rebel without our spears patrolling their streets, but the Scions are Pontus' only host, I must have them home. Praxiteles returns to Amaseia, and prepares to march west.

Praxiteles, I am pained to say, fails me. Bithynia promises a reward to our treasury for the capture of Ancyra, the Galatian capital. My kinsman seeks glory, and proposes to march direct on the Galatians. I must confess I allow myself to be swayed. The Scions debouch from the mountain pass and upon the plain before Ancyra. Praxiteles has neglected to send spies ahead, and knows not the Galatians' strength or nature. It is to be his undoing.

I have heard of peoples far far to the west, called "Kelts". The chroniclers and poets speak of their valor and fierceness. Apparently the Galatians are of this ilk. As large a host as the Scions of Sinope may be, the Galatians' Wandering Warriors horde is still larger, and supported by another substantial army. They march forward from Ancyra and fall upon the Scions on the plain. Spears and slings they have as well, much like our Pontic levy...but theirs are a fiercer variety, and are supported by some horse. This bodes ill for the Pontic cause.

Praxiteles vainly endeavors to retreat, and falls back to the foot of the mountain pass. The Galatians pursue and bring him to battle on unfavorable terms. The Scions pick a small hillock as the best ground available - meager though it is - for their stand. The Galatian host, however, overwhelms them. Our spearmen break, our slingers rout. Praxiteles' bronze phalanx guard fights hard, but cannot be everywhere at once. My kinsman falls on the field, the Scions of Sinope are no more, destroyed.


The Scions of Sinope await their fate on the Galatian plain, their foes approaching in the distance

Our plight grows grave. We have always been poor....now we are poor and without an army. My family retains unquestioned power...but the Battle of Ancyra causes murmuring among our nobles. I must confess before Zeus that they have valid cause. Praxiteles, my kinsman, led our only army to ruin, and I as king allowed him to do so. Amaseia is virtually defenseless, without even walls for its small garrison to man. Philotheos, first among equals in the noble circle, remains unswerving in loyalty and offers his services to the Pontic state. I am gratified, of course, but also see that other men of wealth and power (such as they are in impoverished Pontus) may come to view Philotheos as a leader...perhaps a king.

The gods, however, smile upon us, as the Galatians seem content to remain in their own lands. No doubt the threat from our Bithynian allies plays no small part in keeping them close to their capital. We have time to rebuild our armies. I post our spies in the mountain pass, and charge them with keeping an eye on Ancyra and the activities of the Wandering Warriors. I begin recruiting spears and slings in earnest for the Lykoi, my own (soon-to-be) host. I also charge our philosphers and armorers to focus their knowledge and wits upon developing tactics and weapons, so that we may achieve a more hardy soldiery than that available to us now.

I can see, however, that for the foreseeable future, I must meet the Galatians with such troops as we can produce. I cannot beat them man-for-man, so I must outnumber them. The Lykoi will not be sufficient in and of themselves. A second host must be raised. Reluctantly, I bid Philotheos to raise such an army in Samosata (which, as foreseen, has meanwhile grown progressively more unruly). While not hardened for battle, our citizens are loyal, and they flock to our banners. Pontus will soon march again.

[phred]

Very nice!
What difficulty are you playing?

I started a Pontus campaign but I never finished - I seem to have faction ADD and can't complete a campaign.
I'm looking forward to reading more.
subscribed.

[Hooahguy]

Great! Cant wait for more!

And it comes at a time when work is overloading me, giving me little time to play the game, much less write an AAR.

[Bramborough]

Very nice!
What difficulty are you playing?

I started a Pontus campaign but I never finished - I seem to have faction ADD and can't complete a campaign.
I'm looking forward to reading more.
subscribed.

Only playing on Normal. After 2 campaigns with Rome at Normal, I was definitely feeling like stepping up to H or VH...but didn't really know what to expect with Pontus. The faction change alone was enough. You've already done the Pontic start, so you know they get the short end of the stick.

Rome starts with four settlements, including 2 provincial capitals; plenty of slots to work with. Roman starting infantry (hastati), moreover, already have a substantial qualitative edge over neighboring troops, an advantage which Rome never relinquishes even if one doesn't aggressively pursue military tech-up (never even built a Level IV barracks in my first campaign, and rarely recruited troops from my Level III barracks). I had become accustomed to just mowing through everybody with my starting armies. It was fun...but wasn't much of a challenge. I won't play Rome again on Normal.

Pontus is a whole different ballgame. Only two settlements to start, both of them minor. The province in which they're located, furthermore, is populated with friends and allies (Trapezos and Bithynia), and it's probably a bad idea to turn on them to fill out the province, since Pontus is already at war with Cappadocia and soon Galatia. So the initial challenge is to expand into and establish Galatia et Cappadocia as Pontus' first full province. Which means supporting the initial effort with two small towns, neither of which has all its available build slots yet. Then there's troop quality. Eastern spearmen and slingers are the only troops available, and they're pretty much bottom of the barrel, only a step above Mobs. They have to suffice for quite a while too, because even when the first couple of barracks are researched and money available to buy them, one still has to find a scarce building slot or wait for one to grow. However one slices it, the first couple of armies are just entry-level spears and slings. Admittedly, neighboring enemies have the same issue, but that's kinda my point. Pontus may not be at a huge disadvantage, but neither does it enjoy any quality edge. It's our spears/slings vs their spears/slings. Comes down to maneuver and numbers, not troop quality. It's a bit harder vs Galatia, because their Celtic versions (levy spearmen) have better melee, armor, and morale stats...not hugely better, but enough to make a difference when there's no number disparity.

This is all compounded by my noobish Roman experience, which is to just plow my high armor/morale melee infantry into whatever they run into, and they (almost) always win with impunity. Obviously that doesn't work here. I didn't really know how to use these spear guys (not sure I do even now). Mithridates may have fobbed off the defeat responsibility on Praxiteles, but the truth is that I played like an idiot for that first battle. I just pounded my one stack toward Ancyra without looking ahead, or even looking at the encyclopedia to see what kind of early troops Galatia had available. Didn't even know they were Celtic. I was surprised that they had already built a full 20-unit army in just a few turns...an army that proceeded to thoroughly bushwack me.

So anyhoo, yeah, I've got my hands full on Normal with Pontus, at least in the early going. Which means, frankly, that I'm having probably the most fun with R2 I've experienced since release. I'm actually worried right now about the potential ramifications of pretty much every move I make. It's awesome.

[phred]

I had hoplites in my army when I first battled Galatia and it was still a messy battle. (you do want hoplites ASAP)
After the battle, Bithynia mopped up the remaining partial-stack while I was besieging their city.
They saved me from having a second battle against the remainders plus the garrison.
After that I made sure I kept Bithynia as an ally and always declared war on their enemies.

[BroskiDerpman]

Yay! Pontus is actually my favorite out of all of them. (Rome not included in comparison of factions) Looking forward to this!

[Bramborough]

Part III


The Triumph of Ariobarzanes: Cappadocian conquest, the Galatian War, and the Peace

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I am Ariobarzanes, third king of Pontus. Mithridatic blood flows in my heirs' veins if not in mine. I had hoped one day in the future one of my descendants might sit the Pontic throne...but certainly had not expected to mount the dais myself. Young Prokopios' untimely death at Amaseia has thrust the crown upon me. So be it. Mithridates founded this kingdom and fostered the vision of its future greatness. Prokopios preserved Pontus in its hour of danger. It falls to Ariobarzanes to fulfill Mithridates' vision. We have served our enemies with severe defeats, yet Galatia and Cappadocia remain hostile and rebuild their armies.

My cousin Ameinias served as deputy commander to Prokopios the Lykoi and performed brilliantly in lifting the siege of Amaseia. Upon the king's death, Ameinias assumes command of the Lykoi, while I retain direct charge of the Sentinels of Hyperion, still recovering from the siege. I immediately send Ameinias through the very mountain pass through which the Cappadocians had descended upon Amaseia. Striking Cappadocia before they can raise another large host is imperative. The following season, I move to support him, the Sentinels traveling a different route through Galatian territory. I shall not see my Amaseian court again for nine years.

Alas, both Galatians and Cappadocians prove to have substantial reserves despite their recent defeats. I nearly repeat Praxiteles' folly on the Galatian plain at the hands of the rapidly reconstituted Wandering Warriors, and am forced to retire. Likewise, Ameinas is unable to advance on Mazaca unsupported; the Cappadocian forces are already too robust to justify such risk. The Lykoi and Sentinels must regroup and act in concert. The following year, we advance once more through the mountains upon Mazaca, now with both Pontic armies in tandem. The town lies before us, heavily defended, but its armies now a poor match for our combined strength.

We descend upon Mazaca for the assault. The entire Cappadocian host, both garrison and field army, sallies forth to meet us in the field before the town. My Sentinels of Hyperion face the enemy directly, while Ameinas maneuvers the Lykoi to envelop the Cappadocians from our right. Once both armies are in position, we advance simultaneously to destroy the Cappadocians. Their forces boast an unusually high number of cavalry due their consolidation of generals' bodyguard detachments, but to no avail. Our massed slingers take a frightful toll before Pontic spears close straight ahead on the left to shred the defenders. The Cappadocians are utterly destroyed, their capital fallen into our hands. They are a threat no more.


Lykoi moving into position for the Pontic advance at Mazaca



Word comes from allied Bithynia that the Galatian Wandering Warriors have once again marched to the Euxine coast, this time to threaten Nicomedia. A fatal mistake...they have left Ancyra undefended. Unrest in Mazaca is a concern, but is balanced by tranquil Samosata, by now under Pontic rule for a generation. Every spear will be needed for the assault on Ancyra's walls. We move north at once with all our forces. The Galatian general abandons his threat to Nicomedia, and returns to defend his capital...but we have stolen a march on him, and the Pontic armies reach Ancyra before the Wandering Warriors. We invest the city.

We must take time, however, to prepare the assault; we'll need ladders to mount Ancyra's walls. The Warriors draw closer during this interval. Despite the Galatians' strategic mistake, Ancyra's garrison is substantial indeed in its own right, and this promises to be a bloody affair regardless. I cannot allow the Warriors to influence this assault, but as they emerge onto the Galatian plain, it appears they have returned in the nick of time. Has Praxiteles' old nemesis, destroyer of our fathers among the Scions of Sinope, once more thwarted Pontic designs?

Statecraft hinges on more than armies...and it is not only the prerogative, but the duty, of a king to employ less-than-honorable means in service of his people, however distasteful. I turn to the Eye of the King, Dioscuros, a shadowy figure of whom I prefer to know as little as possible. This wraith has performed admirably in keeping us apprised of enemy movements, but the man has darker talents. I charge Dioscuros to stop the Wandering Warriors by whatever method he deems best...and send him into the night. My Eye does not disappoint. Dioscuros steals into their camp and poisons ration wagons, spreading sickness and death throughout their ranks. The Wandering Warriors will not move this day. Well done, Dioscuros. I lament that we live in a world where a such a man can and must exist...but since the gods will it so, I rejoice that you employ your wicked arts in Pontus' service, and not to her detriment. On to Ancyra!


Not so fast, Wandering Warriors...how about you just sit here for a bit and watch?

Ladders prepared, Warriors neutralized, it is time to assail Ancyra's walls. Ameinias' Lykoi are on the field to support if necessary, but I prefer to keep him unengaged, as the Warriors will not be long immobilized and we will soon need to deal with them. My Sentinels of Hyperion lead the assault. Spearmen move the ladders forward, coming under slinger fire from the ramparts. Our own slingers answer. Men in both Pontic yellow and Celtic green fall. The ladders reach the wall, and the spears ascend. A short nasty fight ensues on the ramparts, but Galatian slingers are no match for our spears at such close quarters. We gain the wall and the local towers.

The Galatians regroup for a stand within the town. By now our success is assured, but more blood must be spilt. A band of Galatian nobles puts up a stout defense among the houses of Ancyra, their eventual death certain, but wildly and savagely taking ranks of our spearmen with them. The nobles are overwhelmed, at a high cost of Pontic blood. I admire their valor, mourn the blood cost, both ours and theirs, and chafe at the unnecessary sacrifice. The Galatian capital, however, is fallen. Ancyra is ours...Pontus' first walled city. Amaseia will forever be the ancestral and spiritual capital of Pontus...but fortified Ancyra is now the locus of our power.


Sentinels of Hyperion storming the walls of Ancyra


Last stand of the Galatian Nobles



Typically, a resounding Pontic victory does not mean the end of threats. During this Cappadocia/Galatia campaign, our ally Trapezos has endured difficult times. Already at war with Armenia, they have also fallen under Cimmerian attack. Trapezos city itself has fallen to the Armenians, and Trapezan Phasis is under Cimmerian blockade. Our eastern border opened, an Armenian host now advances upon Amaseia. The Wandering Warriors, moreover, are once more mobile, weakened but still strong, and remain close at hand near conquered Ancyra. As always, we must move quickly.

The Wandering Warriors had force-marched to prevent the assault on Ancyra, and would have succeeded had not Dioscuros impeded their progress. Thanks to the Eye of the King, the Warriors remain strung out along a forest road in vulnerable order. The Lykoi, unblooded at Ancyra, fall upon them in an early morning fog. The Wandering Warriors, long the bane of Pontic arms for the past three decades, are finally caught in a Pontic net from which there is no escape. A recounting of "tactics" here is of little value, as it is not so much a battle as a massacre. Praxiteles' nemesis is no more, and his spirit may rest easy.


The Wandering Warriors die in fog at the hands of the Lykoi

In the meantime, my Sentinels force-march back to Amaseia to meet the looming Armenian threat. Their host has crossed into Pontic territory and the capital would surely fall without such a measure. I reach Amaseia in time, and for now the Armenians move no further. The Sentinels of Hyperion, however, are essentially immobilized at Amaseia, as I cannot afford to leave the capital unprotected as long as Armenia threatens. This is of relatively small concern for the near future, however, as Galatia is near extinction, with one small rump of an army caught between the Lykoi and Nicomedius' Bithynian host. The Galatian Mountain Men will doubtless be crushed by either force within a season.

Or so it would seem...but the Galatians do not go quietly into the night just yet. The Mountain Men, abandoning their homeland, search for a new one...and one wonders if not perhaps with some secret connivance at the Bithynian court. The Galatian remnant marches back down to the Euxine shore, passing directly before a strangely inactive Bithynian army. Odd. The unhindered Mountain Men then continue their march along the coast, headed straight for undefended Sinope. Our Lykoi, having expected Nicomedius to handily dispose of the last vestige of Galatia, belatedly give chase, but will not arrive in time.

It becomes clear that this Galatian general absconded with his nation's treasury before Ancyra's fall, and has used it to employ every soldier of fortune in the Anatolian peninsula. The surprisingly strong mercenary army quickly overhwelms the small Sinope garrison....somewhat annoyingly, with the assistance of a Cimmerian fleet. In the hour of triumph, we lose our only port, and now-landlocked Pontus loses trade income from Bithynia, Trapezos, and Cataraoi. Will these infernal Galatians never cease to injure Pontic fortune?

More alarmingly, now the Bithynian host moves quickly...and Nicomedius' stratagem becomes apparent. Why spill Galatian blood on an empty plain one already owns...when soon one may spill the same blood for a worthy prize? The Bithynians would be happy to conquer "enemy" Sinope and incorporate it into their own territory. I must not only retake Sinope, but do it fast enough to beat my "friends" to the city. Peace is made with Armenia, so that the Sentinels of Hyperion may be free to march once more. They exact a hefty price...but nothing to compare with the prospect of Sinope permanently under the sway of another power. The price is paid, and the Sentinels march, as do the Lykoi.

Three armies - two Pontic, one Bithynian - arrive before Sinope together. Even mercenary-bolstered as they are, the Mountain Men...last Galatian force in the field...is no match for the combined host. The Sentinels of Hyperion lead the assault, Sinope is retaken, and the Galatian menace is at long last eradicated. Pontic and Bithynian have fought shoulder-to-shoulder in this last chapter of the Galatian War...but clearly Nicomedia will need closer scrutiny in the future.



Ten years have passed since Prokopios fell to the assassin's blade. This decade has seen Ariobarzanes continually in the field...I have not actually sat upon my throne or conferred with my civil ministers since crossing into Galatian territory nine winters ago. Now for the first time since Mithridates founded independent Pontus 50 years ago, the realm is at peace on all its borders. The court heralds and chroniclers (hopefully not prematurely) have already proclaimed the "Peace of Ariobarzanes".

A state of war remains with Cimmeria and their fleets are worrisome, but their seat lies across the Euxine, and their attentions much more focused on Trapezan Phasis. Armenia to our east is no doubt an eventual enemy, but quiescent for now. Our western border touches allied(?) Bithynia and friendly Sardes, while to the south lies the Seleucid Empire, no enemy to Pontus. Cyprus bears watching...they have taken Inconium from Sardes. The Hellenic Cypriots are friendly enough with the Pontic court...but they are a satrapy of Egypt, and eventually war with seemingly every independent state with whom they come in contact. I will send Dioscuros to keep me apprised of Cypriot intentions.

But for now the Peace reigns, and I must use this time to strengthen Pontic coffers as well as its armies. My armorers and tacticians have pointed the way to Greek methods of war, now the barracks must be built. Eastern spears and slings sufficed for the Galatian War, but Pontus will need Grecian armor and pike for the future. Fields must be planted, temples erected. Sinope trade must be re-established. May the Peace of Ariobarzanes be one of enduring substance rather than ephemeral fragility.

[Bramborough]

I had hoplites in my army when I first battled Galatia and it was still a messy battle. (you do want hoplites ASAP)
After the battle, Bithynia mopped up the remaining partial-stack while I was besieging their city.
They saved me from having a second battle against the remainders plus the garrison.
After that I made sure I kept Bithynia as an ally and always declared war on their enemies.

Phred, I re-read your post now with a bit of amusement, as for me "allied" Bithynia acted a bit differently in a similar situation. See Part III, near the end. It was probably just some random AI nonsense upon which I'm building an imagined storyline...after all, I can't just let Nicomedia remain unmolested forever, and will eventually need a pretext. Still, it was somewhat suspicious....

[phred]

Phred, I re-read your post now with a bit of amusement, as for me "allied" Bithynia acted a bit differently in a similar situation. See Part III, near the end. It was probably just some random AI nonsense upon which I'm building an imagined storyline...after all, I can't just let Nicomedia remain unmolested forever, and will eventually need a pretext. Still, it was somewhat suspicious....

I saw that. You had the exact opposite experience.
A couple of weeks or so ago I had a crash during the AI turn and I had to replay the same end turn 5 times in a row.
Each time was different - once it was 2 factions declaring war on me, another was one enemy offering peace and a large payment, I can't remember the other variations.
But I thought the differences were pretty interesting.

[Bramborough]

Part II

The short but heroic reign of Prokopios, Savior of Pontus

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I am Prokopios, lately Prince, now King of Pontus. Proud family heritage though I have, I bear the dubious distinction of being son to Mithridates I. I bore Mithridates love for my father, and loyalty for my king...but the chronicles record how he and Praxiteles endangered our realm. During the ill-conceived Galatian campaign during which Praxiteles fell, Mithridates had sent me with a small squadron of ships to navigate on the Euxine Sea. My object was to make contact with peoples on its northern shore and establish trade. In contact I was successful, encountering Cimmeria and the Cataraoi...trade eluded us, however, as these peoples far too high a gift to open their ports. Our ally Trapezos fell into war with Armenia. By terms of our treaty, we were compelled to declare against Armenia as well. I knew that on land Pontic forces could spare no men against Armenia, so I took my modest fleet to Trapezos to render what aid I could, if needed.

At Trapezos I learned of the death of Mithridates, then in his 72nd year, and I assumed the throne. No time for pageantry, as the Pontic kingdom was in peril from large Galatian and Cappadocian armies having crossed into our territory. I could not remain with my fleet with this threat upon us. Upon my father's death, command of the Lykoi had fallen to Choeros, an aristocrat. Philotheos, first among nobles, was raising a second army, the Sentinels of Hyperion, at Samosata. It was imperative that as the new king, I must lead Pontic armies in the field. I transferred command of my fleet, the Heralds of Triton, to the noble Euanthes, and took command of the Lykoi at Amaseia. Both armies, after several seasons of recruiting, were ready to take the field and reverse our fortunes opposite the Galatia-Cappadocian threat.

None too soon. The Galatians' main field army, the Wandering Warriors, had descended to the Euxine coast and was marching on Sinope. Philotheos and I concentrated our forces and marched to meet them. Flooding delayed our progress, as well as causing destruction in the Sinope region, but nevertheless we reached Sinope before the Galatians could besiege. Upon our approach, The Warriors fortified an encampment on the small plain just above the town. We attacked, both Lykoi and Sentinels of Hyperion advancing in concert. The hour was at hand to avenge the Scions of Sinope.

We had learned from Praxiteles' defeat the value of missile fire volume. At Ancyra our troops had broken under a hail of stones much heavier than that which our army could administer. We did not make this mistake again. Our armies now featured a much higher proportion of slingers, and we used them to deadly effect against the Galatians massed within their palisade. The Lycoi attacked the south gate of the fort, the Sentinels the east. From both directions our hordes of slingers unleashed a hail of stones, decimating the Celtic troops before our spears advanced to take the gates. The Galatians fought bravely at both gates for quite some duration, but eventually could not withstand the fire and the press of our spears. They broke, and began to stream out the north gate of the encampment. The few horsemen of our generals' bodyguards ran down what survivors they could. Ten Galatians died for every Pontic soldier...Ancyra was indeed avenged. Remnants of the Wandering Warriors retreat along the coast. The flood conditions prevent us from quickly following to finalize their destruction, but the threat to Sinope is thwarted.


Sentinels of Hyperion storming the Galatians' east gate, while the Lykoi assault the south gate in background

Despite our light losses, this victory was marred by the death of Philotheos, who rashly threw himself in the midst of the heavy fight at the east gate (that's what I get for letting AI control one of the armies...oops). He was a valiant and noble general, and I mourn his passing...but cold calculation dictates that this is not altogether a tragedy. I confer command of the Sentinels upon Ariobarzanes. While not Mithridatic blood-kin, he is related by marriage, his fortunes firmly tied to our dynasty's. I now have both Pontic field armies firmly under the throne's control.

We cannot pursue the weakened rump of the Galatian force, for an equally dire threat emerges from Cappadocia. While we have defeated one enemy, another has left the roads and marched unseen through a forested mountain pass toward our capital. The Cappadocian host, the Scions of Xerxes, has emerged just above Amaseia, clearly intent upon besieging our capital. Ariobarzanes force-marches the Sentinels back to the capital. It is a risky maneuver, but otherwise the capital is defenseless. Ariobarzanes enters the city just in time, and the Cappadocians encircle Amaseia. I follow with the Lykoi at a normal pace, trusting that Ariobarzanes can hold until we arrive at full strength. The gambit succeeds.

Both Pontic and Cappadocian armies are weakened, although Ariobarzanes has taken the worst of the attrition. He cannot sally forth and take the brunt of the assault. The Lykoi, replenished during our march, engage the Scions of Xerxes to lift the siege. We press ahead in a rainstorm to attack our foes. The Cappadocians have made their own organizational mistake, the reverse of our earlier over-reliance on spears...slingers they have aplenty, but far too few infantry. Our lines press ahead with our own slingers in front, but the Lykoi don't tarry long to await the results of extended missile exchange. Our spears advance to rout the under-supported Cappadocian slingers. Their few infantry put up a spirited defense on their right flank, anchored by a small hill, but the Cappadocian left quickly crumbles, and the remaining Scions of Xerxes are enveloped and routed. Unable to retreat, their destruction is complete. The main Cappadocian field army is eliminated.


Lykoi slingers open the engagement against the Cappadocians, lifting the siege of Amaseia.

Pontic fortunes are on the rise. One enemy field army is gravely weakend, another destroyed. Sinope and Amaseia are delivered. We must follow this success by taking the battle to our enemies' lands before they have opportunity to levy more large hosts. We march on Mazaca immediately.

------------------------------------

To me, Ariobarzanes, falls the sad duty to report the death of Prokopios. On the very night of his triumph on the field before Amaseia, a Cappadocian assassin stole into his tent and shed the royal blood with poisoned blade. Short though his reign was, Prokopios delivered Pontus from dual foreign threat. No nation ever had a better king at such a perilous hour. We mourn his passing, and celebrate his valor.

The young king died without heir. The throne passes to me. I can aspire only to a dim shadow of Prokopios' brief but spectacular greatness. I begin by continuing my predecessor's vision. We must capitalize on our enemies' momentary weakness. The size of our armies, moreover, is straining our small treasury; the bounty of new territories is imperative. On to Mazaca!