Gaul

[Hound of Ulster]

be careful not to spread your forces over too wide a front or too many fronts. I suggest signing a ceasefire with Germania once you defeat thier sieges.

[Ozzman1O1]

that couldint be said any clearer hounds of ulster.

but,i like to consider regions you control 'home bases' for regions your invading,like this...have a faction leader,a fule bannered army,and a ship from brittania(your home base on attacking germania)and sail to denmark,once you take that,germany will slowly crumble....

[Vitellus]

I've been trying to get those dirty Krauts to accept a ceasefire after I destroyed their first full-stack, about a decade ago or so. I've had a permanent diplomat outside Moganticium ever since.

In any case, it's not going to be a big offensive, as I can't leave myself open to the Limeys. My plan was to just mount a simple offensive at Trier. Taking that city protects Lugdunum, Alesia, AND Samorobrivia in one fell swoop. I can either burn it to the ground and use it for a buffer, or hold a line along the Rhine. Either way, it solves most of my problems.

[Hound of Ulster]

Leaving regions you conquer, in a chevauchee-style raid, and then abandon to the Rebels, as a buffer is a very wise move, because the main enemies of Gaul (Julii, Germania), while usually take thier sweet time taking these rebellious proviences, which gives you as the Gauls time to consalidate and, if needed, re-train, your forces.

The problem with Gaul is that the Julii are very aggresive even on the lower difficulty settings, which means you don't have much time to build up your forces before the Hasati and and Principes come in chucking thier pilum at you.

[Vitellus]

Victory! Victory on all fronts!

It's been a difficult 2 or 3 years, but the tide has turned now (permanently, I hope) to the side of Gallic arms.

In Italy, I marched my army across northern Latium, crossing the Tiber to the north of Rome. I'd march down the west side of it and besiege the city safely from there. However, the Senate army pursued me and attempted to force a river crossing. MY massive force wheeled about, lured the entire army to battle just above te ford, and then the other half slammed into their rear. Only 1 general escaped to bring news of the catastrophe to Rome. 2000 Romans died to about 50 Gaelic casualties, mostly in cheap warbands. Rome, virtually undefended, fell before the year was out.

Around Patavium, massive Greek stacks continued to besiege the city. Time and again they were destroyed by my Foresters sallying. Finally, I took the offensive and took Segestica, drawing off pressure from Patavium. From here I can hit the Greek stacks as they come up the coast from Salona, and if they besiege the city, my Foresters shoot 'em dead! I can hold here whilst I take the offensive on other fronts.

The war in Spain went well. One Carthaginian army was destroyed outside Numantia. When I arrived outside Corduba, it held a massive garrison of cavalry, plus another full-stack nearby. I withdrew a short distance, and the full stack attacked me, unsupported. I was outnumbered, but I used my superior infantry to force a hole in their line and then roll them up. Marching back to Corduba, I stormed the city, the Roundshields proving ineffective against my multitudes of infantry in the streets. Corduba fell, and the three remaining Carthaginian armies in Iberia evacuated for North Africa. I intend to send a diplomat to secure a ceasefire and trade rights.

Spain has provided no resistance. A minor stack besieged Osca, but were forced back in a sally battle. Their main field army (a pitiful quarter stack) remains encamped a short march to the south. However, to their rear, I've sent half of the army that took Corduba (the other half remained for policing and retraining) to take Carthago Nova from its pathetic garrison. I think the war in Iberia is safely over. I'll keep a full stack until Osca is taken, just in case, and then a minor garrison in Corduba in case Carthage feels like coming back.

It is in Gaul that the real war is, now. My planned offensive never materialized, as a powerful German assault hit Samorobrivia whilst I was relieving yet another siege at Lugdunum. That city fell, and a minor force slipped behind my lines to besiege Condate Redondum. I sallied against the 2 spear warbands with my 3 warbands and peasant unit, but was narrowly defeated - 1 spear warband can defeat 3 warbands, even when outflanked and hit from the rear! It disgusts me. The city fell.

With my military situation now resembling that of France's just prior to the Battle of the Marne in 1914, there came an abrupt reversal of my fortunes. Germanic armies were roving willy-nilly across northern Gaul, approachng Alesia from the west and north was well as the usual eastern attack. I had lost 2 cities and had 3 more threatened - all of the homeland, in fact.

However. I had finally raised a decent force in my rear, mostly of warbands, to chase off the 3 large rebel armies that had been blocking my trade routes for years. I got two generals out of these battles, and by the time the three rebels were destroyed (they'd been around for nearly a decade!), I had decent 3/4 stack perched just south of Condate Redonum, on the bridge there. I had a full stack barreling northwards from Alesia (sweeping east through German territory and destroying a few small armies on the way) to retake Samorobrivia, a second full stack IN Alesia, prepared to fight the Germans to the west, and finally, my elite Italian force just crossed the Alps and is bound for Trier. The next two or three years, if all goes well, will see the complete destruction of the German war machine and a final end to this long war.

Now, to do something about those dozen Grecian armies headed for my borders...

[Ozzman1O1]

take my advice,until you can make chosen swordsmen,FORGET about sicily

[Vitellus]

Oh, I'm churning out a goodly number of those in Italy, but I'm ignoring Sicily (which is completely Scipii territory, the last of the Roman Republic) until the Hellenes are destroyed.

Anyways, campaign update:

Iberia is quickly winding down. Carthago Nova fell after a brief fight, leaving the Spanish two scattered armies that I can see and 1 remaining settlement. I'm concentrating my 4 major forces in the area (one in Numantia, in Osca, in Corduba, and in Carthago Nova) to put a large field force to take the final settlement. It shall then sweep up remaining Spanish rebels if they're on trade routes and proceed to either Germany or Illyrium.

In Gaul, the Germans were caught completely flat-footed by my counteroffensive. 4 Gallic full-stacks (granted, two of them mostly warbands wtih a general attached) attacked north from Lemonum, west from Alesia, north from Alesia, and north from the Alps simultaneously. The Germans were spread out in a bunch of little stacks and proved no opposition, despite nearly equalling my numbers. Samorobrivia fell to my old field force, the German faction leader barely escaped the Alesian garrison with his life, his army in shambles around him, the Lemonum army destroyed or scattered about 5 stacks of 2-3 spear warbands and 2-3 screeching women each, and is besieging the last ten or so in Condate Redondum, oh, nad Trier fell in a single turn to the combination of spy + elite Italian force. With that battle, when Germans fell by the hundreds to Gallic arrows, all my losses over the past decade were avenged!

With German resistance crumbling everywhere, the plan is to swing my elites back over the Alps, to take the fight to the Greeks, whilst the Lemonum force supports my main field army as it moves into Germany, and the fullstack that WAS garrisoning Alesia at last invades Britain. I can finally guard myself AND attack on this front, after too long on the defensive.

The problem now lies in Venetia. Three Greek stacks came up and attacked. I met one in a field battle, but the victory there cost me nearly as many casualties as the Greeks - in more valuable swordsmen, too. I dare not face them in the open field again unless I have more room to manuever - keep getting pinned in forests and lose track of events.

One of the remaining stacks is now besieging my battered field army in Segestica, while the other is making hard for a weakly held-Patavium. Spies report more Greek stacks all marching northwest - Greece has no other enemies save Gaul.

Still, I have every confidence my elite force can turn the situation around. So far I've been fighting the Hellenes with the scrubs of my army (plus foresters), and winning. With good troops, who knows?