The Scipii - Story thread

[Tricky Lady]

This thread is intended for the Scipii PBM write-ups only.

Please post your comments and suggestions in the general discussion thread: The Scipii PBM - Discussion & Suggestions

Thanks.

[Tricky Lady]

270BC

Cornelius Scipio returns from Rome on a hot summer day. The young and unexperienced leader of the Senate faction, a man named Marcus Maxentius, had summoned Cornelius to meet him in Rome. He requested the help of the Scipio family to increase the might of the Roman factions in Europe. Maxentius demands that the Scipii will conquer the city of Syracuse from the Greeks. Cornelius only accepts this mission reluctantly. After all, the Greeks have been the family's best trading partner in the Mediterranean, and Cornelius is not too happy to lose diplomatic prestige by declaring war on his lifetime allies.
An army lead by Cornelius Scipio and his sons Quintus and Gaius leaves Capua and sets sail for Messana in Sicily.

270BC, winter

The Scipii army is reinforced by Messana's garrison force, and a couple of new recruits. The army marches towards the Greek positions.

269BC, winter

A spy reports that a seizable Greek army has left Syracuse and hides in the woods northeast of Syracuse, at the foot of the Etna. Cornelius decides to deal with them later; first all energy must go to breaking the Greek garrison.

268BC, summer

Cornelius didn't want to assault the city, contrary to his sons' advices, and decided to starve the city garrison out. The morale of the Greeks collapses in December 267 and they surrender for the might of the Scipii army. A small force is moved out of Messana to occupy the city. Half of the population is enslaved and shipped to Messana and Capua. In order not to lose too much precious time Cornelius sends out his spy to trace the roaming Greek army which, much to his surprise, didn't lay siege on Messana, but still hid in the forests near the Etna.

267BC, summer

The Greek forces, led by captain Otus, are spotted by the Scipii army. The Scipii, led by Gaius Scipio, the most talented general of the family, don't hesitate and attack immediately.
The Greeks try to hide in the forest, but are unstrategically positioned at the lower part of a short slope. Gaius Scipio sends his archers forward to pepper the hoplites, who are positioned most forward, with arrows. It seems that the trees don't give enough protection, as many hoplites are hit. When the archers are slowly running out of ammunition, Gaius decides to move his Hastati forward.



Gaius' troops before the clash with the Greeks. You can see the Etna and the Mediterranean at the background.

One unit of Velites moves at the left flank, in an attempt to be able to fire some javelins from behind the enemy line. The first units of Greek hoplites seems to have suffered heavy losses from the Roman arrows, as their unit size is reduced to 25. They don't pose much of a problem for the routined Hastati and free almost instantly. Quintus and his bodyguard march on the left flank, and start charging a free unit of peltasts who just stand unprotected. At the same time the Greek captain forms a phalanx and starts moving towards the line of Hastati. Unfortunately for him, he is now badly outnumbered, and he is suddenly surrounded by two Hastati. A few minutes later, the Greeks brake their ranks and flee.



The Greek captain is slowly being surrounded by Hastati. Another unit of Hastati is moving in at the bottom of this screen; when they reach the Greek line, the Greeks will break and run.

Captain Otus gets a javelin in his right eye and dies instantly. The general's bodyguards start chasing the routing Greeks and capture and kill over 75 men. Only 2 Greeks manage to escape the battlefield.
When the battle is finished, Flavius Cassius Veteranus, the 95-year old veteran mascotte of Gaius' bodyguard gallops to the General and shouts: "The Greeks are fleeing the field. THE DAY IS OOOUUUURRRSSSS!".



267BC, winter

Marcus Maxentius is most pleased when he is informed of the defeat of the Greeks. Another emissary is sent to Cornelius, who resides in his new palace in Syracuse now. The new objective should be to conquer Lilybaeum from the Carthagians.

266BC, summer

Cornelius Scipio falls ill and his health slowly declines. He appoints his oldest son Julianus to be his heir.
An army under command of Gaius and Quintus Scipio moves to Lilybaeum and lays siege to the city.

266BC, winter

The Carthagian garrison (a very small force of a few town militia) sallies and gets reinforced by an army that lands on the beaches of Sicily. Both armies are easily defeated and Lilybaeum can be taken without an additional fight afterwards. Gaius Scipio enslaves the population and sends them to the main Scipii cities.
(I accidently pushed the autoresolve button on the pre-battle screen, so no screenies here)
A diplomat is sent to the Greeks to offer a ceasefire in exchange for a 4-years tribute of 3450 denarii. The Greeks accept.

264BC, summer
The Senate decides that the port of Carthage should be blockaded. As Cornelius had ordered to start constructing a fleet a few years earlier, this is not a difficult mission for the Scipii family. The new fleet is sent to Carthage and its port is blockaded immediately.


264Bc, winter
Thapsus must be the next city under the Scipii's reign. The Senate has decided so. Cornelius sends his sons Gaius and Quintus, over to Africa.

263BC, summer
The Scipii army lands on the African shores. A Carthigian fleet transporting a mid-sized army is spotted by the nearby Scipii fleet. The Scipii launch an attack, sinking the entire Carthaginian army. No survivors are reported.

263BC, winter
Thapsus is besieged by the Scipii. Gaius Scipio feels unsure about his forces and decides to starve out the Carthaginian garrison.

262BC, summer
Death of Cornelius Scipio. Julianus, governor of Capua, is appointed as the new faction leader.

260BC, winter
Thapsus falls.



Gaius Scipio, the most talented general in the Scipii family.



Quintus Scipio, Gaius' side-kick on the battlefield.



Julianus Scipio, the new faction leader, and also a decent general.

[YAKOBU]

Hi everyone .

Apologies for no pics and the briefness of my thread .

259BC Summer
Quintus Caecus is able to gain an alliance with the Thracians.

259BC Winter
Gaius Scipio defeats 2 small Carthaginian armies on the way to siege Carthage. Troops have to be moved into Thapsus and the tax rate is lowered after rioting by its citizens. Marcus Crispus is able to gain an alliance with Germania as well as securing trade rights.

258BC Summer
We have fulfilled the senate mission by blockading Carthage. The Greek cities offer trade rights which we accept after getting them to agree to an alliance.

258BC Winter
The army of Gaius Scipio lays siege to Carthage. The senate requests that we get a trade agreement with the Numidians.

257BC Summer
Publius Scipio comes of age and is already showing good command skills. Quintus Caecus is able to gain trade rights with the Scythians.

256BC Winter
Oppius Vulso is able to gain an alliance and trade rights with the Numidians, thus fulfilling the senate mission.

255BC Summer
The senate requests that we blockade Corduba.

255BC Winter
Oppius Vulso is able to gain an alliance and trade rights with the Spanish.

254BC Summer
The senate assigns Quaestor to Gaius Scipio in recognition of his great deeds. We have fulfilled the senate mission by blockading Corduba.

254BC Winter
A small army sallies forth from Carthage to try and lift the siege but the army of Gaius Scipio easily beats it thus ending the siege. The population is enslaved to help the growth of our other cities. Placidia is married to Appius Claidius who has shown skills in command. The senate offers us a mission to take Lepcis Magna.

253BC Summer to 252BC Summer
Gaius Scipio marches his army towards Lepcis Magna.

252BC Winter
Gaius Scipio lays siege to Lepcis Magna.

251BC Summer to 250BC Summer
The siege of Lepcis Magna continues.


I think I wasted time by laying siege rather than attacking with siege equipment. I have not played RTW much due to work and family commitments but tested a few sieges after my turn. I think the early sieges are quite easy and I will not waste time laying siege early in the game in my next PBEM.