Your closest call...

[lugh]

Inspired by Psiloi's thread, what's the closest you've been to defeat when you snatched victory from it's clutches?

Mine was late High era, as the Spanish facing the Egyptians in Egypt. I had a bulky, heavily armoured army that had earned it's wings in Scandanavia and was in no way cut out for desert fighting. So... I thought 800 fanatics might help.
Lined everyone up and advanced at a fast trot, fanatics forming the front line, flanked by ChivFK and my Knights behind. Halfway to the enemy, my cavalry has no endurance left and the FootK aren't much better. figuring that my mass of Fanatics can easily handle the piddling Eggys, I troop on, leaving the chivalry (mainly Lancers, mind) further and further behind.
I was wrong. The Knights arrive just in time to cut up a few skirmishers that were harrassing the hundred or so fanatics that survived, then had to fight up hill, under a storm of arrows. They took the hill, but with no fast cav and facing a lot of Camelry archers, I had to again march to the enemy, up another army, somehow breaking them again.
Then their reinforcements came.
I ended up embattled, in a corner, under a hail of arrows from all the camelry. At this point even my 9* general was wavering, along with all his Knights.
In a last ditch effort, I charged (read as walked painfully slowly) my general and remaining Lancers to the enemy general, killing him. Half the eggys routed, but the other half encircled my Knights. Commiting my last few men, the battle turned into a messy melee in little valley. Camelry charging and recharging, with my Knights too tired to even think of disengaging to do the same.

I eventually drove them off, cornering the last camelry unit between two lancer units.
How many men did I have on the field at the end? 18.
The upshot of this though, was the Eggy Empire being broken in two, a crap heir coming to power and a civil war breaking out!

[Scurvy]

well, i once had a battle online (mtw not vi) where we played 20k

I took my dane army and he took germans...

we both rush centre so our inf were mall held up, but then we both flanked with all out cav round our right flanks (so cav turned round opposite flanks) all inf got destroyed in seconds and it was a total mess... so our cav get stuck in routers and start fighting each other

maybe 3 mins later its just 2 generals left and i killed his gen with 2 men left :)

great fun, but perhaps a bit lacking tactically :P

[X Clan]

I once got pretty cocky with my Archer units in early. I sent ~1900 of them, 14 foot Archer units and 4 Horse Archer units, against 4 full stacks 6400 rebel peasants.

I sent the Horse Archers up first, two units on each flank and just had a turkey shoot until the ammo was depleted.

I then sent up two foot archers at a time to just one flank. The rear unit was used to cover a retreating front unit just in case a peasant unit or two decided to give chase. Which they did often. And as often, they (the peasants) would just return to their line or withdraw all together.

This went on for some time. The rebels appeared to be down to there last units of about 1600 men on the field. I had withdrawn all but the last of the standard (cheap) normal archer unit. Back on my main line were the 4 Horse Archery units and 9 Bulgarian Brigands units. I love these Bulgarian Brigands. They are very fast, on foot and love to melee. I was intending to save them all for last and just use them in a final melee against the last few hundred remaining rebels after all their ammo was completed.

Well I didn’t get a chance to do that. My entire front line was not a line at all. It was in a jumble with units scattered here and there around the really point. Everybody was busy laughing and joking. Visiting friends, grooming, drinking tea and lying about the last girl they were with.

Just as the “last” standard Archer Unit was halfway through its ammo, the entire enemy front line marched. All ~1500 of them (give or take). Never seen this before with peasants. One to four units moving, “Yes” but not the entire front. And when they didn’t stop at the usual “Killing Zone” I got a little concerned.

And now they were no longer marching. They were running towards my front line. I immediately charged the “Sleeping” Horse Archers in order to buy time to organize my front line. One hundred and Sixty Horse Archer were quickly surrounded and reduced to about 40 before my front line was in any reasonable order, set to “Hole the Line” and to “Hold their Position” while firing into the melee. The situation for the Horse Archers was pretty pathetic. They were trying to rout (without orders) but could not get out of the melee. A total of 12 Horse Archer from 3 units (1 unit totally annihilated) was able to get out of the melee and exit the field.

The 540 Bulgarian Brigands (no reinforcements available) had only used about a third of their ammo when the ~1200 plus rebel peasants were just mere feet away when I charged them. With a Charge 1, Attack 2, Defense 0, they were sitting ducks in the defense.

Melee went on, and on, and on, and…..Horns! Somebody was routing. The peasants! Their back was broken. The long march to a sprit right into the Horse Archers had taken it’s toll. They should have been very tire when the melee with the 540 Bulgarian Brigands began. And now there were on the run. They could still win if…..

Thinking fast, I halted the Bulgarian Brigand’s attack and ordered them to use their bows. And they were doing just that as the rebels wasted time reorganizing under a hail of missiles. The rebels attacked again. Another Melee. Another rout. Another reorganizing under a hail of missiles. By the third attack, I was out of ammo. So when they routed, I had no choice but to pursue with my remaining 153 Bulgarian Brigands.

When the rebels tried to reorganized, they did so with swords in their back. So after a few losses they kept running. The Bulgarian Brigands are fast, and they continued to kill and capture rebels all the way to the boundary (Enemy is leaving the Field) where 130 exhausted Bulgarian Brigands waited for a warrior’s death in vain.

129 totally exhausted, haggard, maimed, disfigured and bloody Bulgarian Brigandians rolled their eyes as one of their members was heard breathlessly bragging about all the women he was going to impress with the war wound cut ho his left cheek.

Final tally: (All prisoners executed for ruining a perfectly decent social hour)

Rebels Killed: 4,782

Forces Killed by Rebels: 148 Horse Archer, 410 Bulgarian Brigands = 558

Forces killed by friendly: 1 slightly wounded Bulgarian Brigand Womanizer.

[Martok]

Nice AAR, XClan! I don't think I've ever heard of that many archers units being employed in a single battle before.

Final tally: (All prisoner executed for ruining a perfectly decent social hour)

Rebels Killed: 4,782 total
Forces lost/Killed by Rebels: 228 Horse Archer, 410 Bulgarian Brigands = 638 Total
Forces killed by friendly: 1 Bulgarian Brigand Womanizer.

Good one.

[Lanemerkel1]

Inspired by Psiloi's thread, what's the closest you've been to defeat when you snatched victory from it's clutches?

Mine was late High era, as the Spanish facing the Egyptians in Egypt. I had a bulky, heavily armoured army that had earned it's wings in Scandanavia and was in no way cut out for desert fighting. So... I thought 800 fanatics might help.
Lined everyone up and advanced at a fast trot, fanatics forming the front line, flanked by ChivFK and my Knights behind. Halfway to the enemy, my cavalry has no endurance left and the FootK aren't much better. figuring that my mass of Fanatics can easily handle the piddling Eggys, I troop on, leaving the chivalry (mainly Lancers, mind) further and further behind.
I was wrong. The Knights arrive just in time to cut up a few skirmishers that were harrassing the hundred or so fanatics that survived, then had to fight up hill, under a storm of arrows. They took the hill, but with no fast cav and facing a lot of Camelry archers, I had to again march to the enemy, up another army, somehow breaking them again.
Then their reinforcements came.
I ended up embattled, in a corner, under a hail of arrows from all the camelry. At this point even my 9* general was wavering, along with all his Knights.
In a last ditch effort, I charged (read as walked painfully slowly) my general and remaining Lancers to the enemy general, killing him. Half the eggys routed, but the other half encircled my Knights. Commiting my last few men, the battle turned into a messy melee in little valley. Camelry charging and recharging, with my Knights too tired to even think of disengaging to do the same.

I eventually drove them off, cornering the last camelry unit between two lancer units.
How many men did I have on the field at the end? 18.
The upshot of this though, was the Eggy Empire being broken in two, a crap heir coming to power and a civil war breaking out!

When my last Varangian of an entire 960 man army full of them killed off the last 100 enemy spearmen on his own

[IrishMike]

A MP game way back in the day. It was a 3v3 late period game. They had 2 half armies left and my other two allies had been chased from the field. I attacked one and routed it, while the other army was organizing and then they attacked me uphill. I won with only 3 Gothic Footknights remaining, that was bloody close.

[Psiloi]

In the great battle against the mongols, in Khazar, i defeat to all the mongols unit that went across the forest, i had killed to the general in the beginning. But i make a mistake and try to change my army since that forest to other forest more great; a new mongol army arrive with three units of MHC and the other was again MHA. They attacked to my byz army in the middle of the way and my army begin to lose, can you belive??, the attack of my general Katafractoi with only 1 men!!!! crushed the rear of one unit and the entire enemy fled (because he is slow, he arrive in the exact moment and the moral of the mongols was horrible) He was God in the Earth.
That day i learn to love to the KTs, i always recruit a KT for my general and try to have at least one unit in my army, they can win a losed battle.

[Cowhead418]

In the great battle against the mongols, in Khazar, i defeat to all the mongols unit that went across the forest, i had killed to the general in the beginning. But i make a mistake and try to change my army since that forest to other forest more great; a new mongol army arrive with three units of MHC and the other was again MHA. They attacked to my byz army in the middle of the way and my army begin to lose, can you belive??, the attack of my general Katafractoi with only 1 men!!!! crushed the rear of one unit and the entire enemy fled (because he is slow, he arrive in the exact moment and the moral of the mongols was horrible) He was God in the Earth.
That day i learn to love to the KTs, i always recruit a KT for my general and try to have at least one unit in my army, they can win a losed battle.

Interesting battle you had there. KT generals are what created the "Jedi" term and they can be extremely tough to bring down.

It seems quite clear that you are still learning the English language so here are a few tips: in some of your phrases like "love to the KTs" or "attacked to my byz army" or "killed to the general" just leave out the word "to". That way it will be "love the KTs", "attacked my byz army", and "killed the general", which is correct. Even with the grammatical errors, it was still very readable though.

[Psiloi]

Interesting battle you had there. KT generals are what created the "Jedi" term and they can be extremely tough to bring dow.

It seems quite clear that you are still learning the English language so here are a few tips: in some of your phrases like "love to the KTs" or "attacked to my byz army" or "killed to the general" just leave out the word "to". That way it will be "love the KTs", "attacked my byz army", and "killed the general", which is correct. Even with the grammatical errors, it was still very readable though.

And, when do you see that 1 man can be 1 mEn??

The english word "to" is the spanish word "a" (jej believe me), and in those phrases if you don't put "to" sound wrong for my spanish ear.

Yes, i'm (slowly) learning english. Thank you very much Cowhead , good luck in the battle

[Cowhead418]

And, when do you see that 1 man can be 1 mEn??

The english word "to" is the spanish word "a" (jej believe me), and in those phrases if you don't put "to" sound wrong for my spanish ear.

Yes, i'm (slowly) learning english. Thank you very much Cowhead , good luck in the battle

Yes I can understand your problem. I often make the same mistake in my French class when I directly translate an English phrase into French that is incorrect and would sound extremely weird to their ear. Good luck with your learning!

[Ironside]

Playing an Almohad jihad campaign, one of my frontline provinces gets attacked by superior troops of the French, led by a 6* general. The defence is consisting of mostly jihad troops so the troops aren't exactly the best (although the UM and peasants were sent on a suecide mission earlier, 4000 of them, lost badly vs 600 steppe cav after walking through several provinces without a fight)

My troops is geting badly mauled, my general is dead, my reinforcements get crushed, everything is going straight to hell. In a final attemt to turn the tide, one of my naphta trowers kills the enemy general. But the fight continues and my remaining troops gets fewer and fewer. Until finally the French routs. My exhausted remains of the army, now consisting only of 9 men in three units cannot chase the routers as they're all exhausted.

The men consist of two units of hashishins with 2 and 4 men and one unit of naphta trowers with 3 men, waiting for the enemy reinforcements to arrive as the "the enemy is fleeing the field" haven't showed up yet.

Waiting and waiting . The only thing that happens is that my troops regain stamina. After a while I decide to check out the big forest in the middle of the map (the French starting point) with the 4 men unit. To my surprice, they are greeted with flying rocks. After scouting around, I find a lone catapult still sitting the in the woods. The battle was brief, leaving no survivors and grants me the victory .

My army was so weak that the comp actually considered victory possible with only his catapult crew (usually the comp withdraws his siege crews when abandoning the battlefield). And one hit/unit on me would probably had given him it.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Early in the Ninth Century the West Saxons have expanded to control the entire coast and now war with Mercia is inevitable. We struck first, taking and holding two Mercian provinces, the North Saxon lands taken from us in the days of our forfathers.

Now the Mercians send a great general, five stars, against the Saxon King and his depleated but battle hardened army of Fyrdmen, archers and Horsemen.

The Shield Walls crashed together and locked on both flanks while the Saxon Huscarles clashed with the Merician Huscarles in the centre, outnumbered two to one. They died bravely to a man, but they bought enough time for the King's bodyguard and the horsemen to take them in the rear, with the help of the best of the Fyrdmen they beat the Mercian Heros.

Now the fray was becoming bloody, hundreds had fallen on both sides and now the battle hung in the balance, the Mercians were hardened warriors and their mail shirts turned out Saxon spears, the horsemen fought hard but they were too few and after a hard fight they were forced to flee.

All this time the Mercian archers had been raining a hail of arrows into the Saxon shieldwall and now the wall begun to buckle, warband after warband fled the from the Fyrd, our archers were over run and turned heel, this was when the horsemen fled, having fought hard to see other escape.

All this time the King's warriors had been fighting together, harrying the Mercian dogs but now only fifteen of them remained and just over a hundred from one warband of the Fyrd. These men faced nearly four times their number, including almost two hundred archers.

Now the King turned to his one remaining warband and bayed them stand firm, to charge enemy spears and hails on arrows even as he and his horsmen would strike at the enemy's rear. These were brave men and at the final tally only 71 men of the Fyrd and their king remained on the field, the rest on both sides being either slain or fled.

I don't remember the final tally but the casualties on both sides were in the thousands. Over the next few years the great Saxon warlord Wigferth led a fresh army of armoured men and Huscarles in a bloddy campaign which layed waste the Mercian Kingdom, not once did his shieldwall break and his battle cry became "The Shiledwall will hold." For this he was named Ironwall.

[elbasto]

Two unmounted lancers (chivalric footknights) with +3 weapon and +4 armor defended Rome's Citadel+Barbician+Demi Culevin Towers against the invasion forces of the re emergering Pope (beeing the Late era, the four stacks were made of fairly modern units).

From the initial 80 knights only 54 survived and even though the Papist forces withrew to the outskirts of Rome, the casualties he sustained during the assault were so high that this allowed the Spainyard army to lift the siege.

Afterwards a puppet pope sat on the pappist throne.




I don't have the total number of enemy casualties as the kills from the castle defenses weren't counted at the end screen. My men alone killed 600 men (I was playing with medium units size mind you) but from the four full stacks the Pope had before the battle, he was left with less than one and a half.

This conviced me on changing the approach I had with the Pope (isolating him in the Papal States or Rome). If one of the usually two provinces attacked could be defended, leaving 2 chivalric footknights with upgrades in a stronghold would force the Pope to attack and the worst case scenario would be a Papist Phyrric victory that should allow the player to retake Rome rather fast.
I've started building a Fortess, I'd lilke to see siege cannons in action.