Wolves on the Border; A Getae AAR

[Justiciar]

Keep it up.

[Aranor]

Thanks for the compliments guys! Im really enjoying writing this AAR and playing this campaign!

Aut Nihil:"I have one question though: If i see correctly you use a combination of skirmishers and archers. However trying the same tactic in my Pontos campaign i was unsuccesful with my archers due to the maks heavy armor so i had to switch to skirmishers/sphendonetai combination. Are those archers of yours better then any other type of archers or do you use them in a special tactic?"

The answer is yes I do use a combination of archers and Komotai skirmishers. Not knowing anything about the Pontos TO&E I cannot comment on their strength of their skirmish troops. However from my expeirience with the Getai i have found the Komatai Agrganai have by far the best range of any archer along with greater damage the the greek toxoktai and Gallic Archers with better mellee ability.

As for the last part of your question the only tactic I use is to place the units behind my main battle line and use them to wipe out the enemy skirmish troops and cavalry ( for some reason the Mak cavalry is really weak against archers, i have killed many mak generals with this tactic.) Hope that helps!

[Aut Nihil]

Thanks for the answer mate, in my pontos campaign i use basic akontistai, they're good, but quite ineffective against armour units, unless i swing them arround so they come up behind the enemy and hit them in the back.

But your answers in combination with the story of your getai campaign really makes me wanna start playing with the Getai too .

Keep it up

[Aranor]

The Battle of Lakonike 208 BC

During the second siege of Sparta word was sent to the remaining Makedonian cities in southern Greece that the Wolves had returned. A young general named Agis Mendaios was sent from Chalkis to deal with these wolves once and for all, and relieve their beleaguered garrison and king.

In the meantime Zalmoxis spies brought word that a large army was heading towards his position. Immediately he scrapped his plans for assaulting the city in favor of wheeling his troops around to face this new threat.

In the summer of 208 BC the two armies met on the plains below Sparta. Zalmoxis new that victory here would cripple the Makedoni war effort in Southern Greece permanently. The two armies stared across the wind swept plains. Zalmoxis knew that the only way he could break this army was to kill their general, easier said than done.

The Makedoni army began their march toward the Daos lines. As their skirmish troops entered into range of his archers Zalmoxis ordered them to fire. Volley after volley of arrows rained down on the enemy army. But still they would not break. The lines closed and the Makedoni phanagites engaged the heroic Getikoi Stratiotai in the main lines. For hours they fought neither side giving any ground. The Makedoni general began a final charge with his reserves. Immediately Zalmoxis ordered his archers to open fire. Arrows again rained down on the enemy lines. Their deadly fire cut the generals body guard in half. The Makedoni general not wishing to die withdrew his cavalry out of range of the Daos archers. Quickly taking stock of his situation the Makedoni general ordered an orderly withdrawal to their encampment. Seeing this Zalmoxis and his men let up a huge cheer.

The Makedoni general Agis set up camp some 10 km away and in the next season attacked again. This time he had a plan to try to break the impenetrable Daos lines. Again his Phalangites closed in on the Getai lines. Quickly the Makedoni skirmishers closed up with the Getai main body and opened fire. Zalmoxis ordered his archers to fire. Again volley after volley rained down on their heads, quickly they were decimated. Following close behind the Makedoni phalanx engaged the Getai main body. The Makedoni General Agis ordered his reserve pealtists to open fire on the Getai Archers. The archers just stood in place as the Peltasti rained a deadly barrage of javelins down on their heads. Agis marveled at the discipline of these barbarian warriors. They must have been out of arrows he assumed, and he charged his cavalry. Zalmoxis smiled a wolfs smile. He ordered his archers to open fire on the Generals bodyguards. The enemy general Agis faltered at the sight of hundreds of arrows flying through the air. This was all Daos archers needed as they loosed two more volleys. The arrows rained down on them killing almost all of their number. As Agis tried to withdraw to a safe distance he was hit by a stray arrow in the eye. The Makedoni general was dead! Zalmoxis let up a cheer and all the Getai warriors took a heart in their triumph.

Upon seeing their general fall the Makedoni began to falter. At first only a few men broke and ran, upon seeing this Zalmoxis ordered his fresh reserves into the main battle. This caused a general rout among the Makedoni and Zalmoxis ordered his cavalry into action and chased down every single man on that field and slaughtered them to the man.











With confidence at an all time high Zalmoxis ordered his men back to their positions around the city of Sparta……

[Aranor]

Thanks for the answer mate, in my pontos campaign i use basic akontistai, they're good, but quite ineffective against armour units, unless i swing them arround so they come up behind the enemy and hit them in the back.

But your answers in combination with the story of your getai campaign really makes me wanna start playing with the Getai too .

Keep it up

Akontistai are ok if you are not facing heavy armor, cavalry or archers/ slingers. Basically any army that is not a greek successor state army. In my Getai campaign the Maks were depolying large quantities of Akontistai to my great delight as their lack of any armor ment that I had them wiped out before a single javalin hit one of my troops.

I do recomend you give the Getai a go though. their starting possition and cash flow are not the best, but they can become a real powerhouse if used correctly. Their units are the best in the game in my opinion. A great combination of powerful barbarian infantry and greek style spearmen make for a tough opponent. Their only weakness is their lack of heavy Cavalry and a reasonable melee unit to breach the gap between the Drapinai and the Komotai Thorakitai Stratiotai, (their heaviest unit by far!) most of these short coming will be adressed in 0.8 i believe.

[Aranor]

The Second Siege of Sparta and the Battle of Lakonike cont.

If Zalmoxis thought that the Makedoni were finished he was sadly mistaken. Makedoni royal family members from all over the south of Greece now used their vast personal fortunes to raise mercenary armies to try to force Zalmoxis and his rampaging wolves away from the failing city of Sparta. Season after season Makedoni family members tried, and died fighting Zalmoxis forces. The plains of Lakonike were littered with burial mounds of both Getai and Makedoni warriors. But still Zalmoxis prevailed. By now he was an experienced general in his own right, and living up to the reputation of both Partatua and Idanthyrus!

Then in the spring of 207 BC the cowardly king of the Makedoni finally sallied forth to meet Zalmoxis at the walls of his ravaged city. The battle was a forgone conclusion as Zalmoxis and his forces outnumbered the Makedoni 10-1. Zalmoxis positioned his forces on the crest of a hill and waited for the pitiful Makedoni. The Makedoni Akontistai sallied forth from the main gate. Zalmoxis ordered his archers to open fire. Hundreds of arrows cut the poorly armored Makedoni skirmishers down to a handful of men. The Akontistai broke and ran back into the city. “Pitiful” Zalmoxis thought. Right at that moment the Makedoni king rounded the walls from a rear gate. Zalmoxis immediately ordered his archers to open fire of the king’s bodyguard. The Makedoni king paused for a moment, this was all that Zalmoxis needed, and he ordered his phalanx to reposition to face the kings Hetairoi. Faced with no other option and men falling all around him the Makedoni king charged straight into the Komotai Thorakitai Stratiotai. Seeing that they could not hope to hold against such a powerful charge Zalmoxis ordered his forces to charge the rear of the king’s position and encircle his position. A fierce battle ensued during which the enemy king Demetrios was slain by the proud warriors of the Getai. Seeing this and the broken enemy run Zalmoxis allowed them to run as he had won the day and he had taken the city! Victory was his.



Remembering what happened to previous commanders upon entering Makedonian cities he stayed only long enough to retrain his archers before he left the city defended by a small band of mercenaries until new units could be recruited to defend his prize. Now he would continue his righteous crusade against the Makedoni by laying siege to the city of Korinthos and again trapped inside was the new Makedoni king! This was too much good luck, two cities and two of the Makedoni devils kings slain by his brave troops. It seemed that nothing could stop him and his men

[Aenos]

Any chance we'll see another update? I like this AAR, hope it'll continue. Otherwise, I know what it's like to have to little time to update..

[Aranor]

Yes you will see another update. Currently work is very busy for me, and I am finally finishing a couple of mods for Civ4 warlords that I have had going for a while. When they are done ( soon I hope) I will be returning to EB with a vengence.

Currently there have been some developments in this campaign. The wolves after being battered while taking Korinthos and laying seige to Athens decided to return to Sarmezgethusa for retraining. During this time the war with the Romans took a turn for the worse and they were called to the Roman front in the west for a deep strike on Pavatum. When I let the game the Wolves were just laying seige to Pavatum and the Romans were about to taste the fury of the Wolves!