The Antigonids : A Makedonian AAR

[Frodge]

Awesome AAR as per usual

[Admetos]

Great AAR Marcus, really enjoying it. Keep it up.

[Bootsiuv]

Too bad you won't be going too much further. I do hope you'll consider starting a new one.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Thanks for the comments.

I don't know how long I'll continue this. I think I'm going to install v1.0 on my laptop and make a new version of the city mod there, so I won't have to worry about making space on my computer, quite yet.

[LotW89]

How do you remove the ui on the campaign map?

[Respenus]

Great AAR! Enjoyed it very much.

Could you tell me your secret for such great graphics? I can't seem to get my troops looks so spectacular as yours? Or are you using editing tools?

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

I just crop out the UI. I play on the highest detail settings and have a good graphics card, so that is the main reason for the appearance. But it might also have to do with the fact that I reduce the screenshop from the original size. The screenshots start as 1280x[whathaveyou] and I reduce them to 60% the size, then crop out the UI and any icons. I think the act of reducing them in size makes the appear more detail since they are denser in pixel count. When I want something from the UI includined in the picture, I juct cut and paste the part of the UI from the uncropped picture and put in the corner.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Super cool MAA!

It looks all fantastic and enticing, the new campaign map is so beautiful... I have a really big Makedonian empire at the moment but your AAR makes me want to play a new one from scratch. I'm such a moron I didn't download 1.0 yet to save my old campaign, but I'll think I do it right now.

Although perhaps I should start with a Sweboz campaign just for fun? Uhhhh... Thanks for steeling my life you EBers.

Edit: Does Makedonia have the Satrap-titles yet? Does it take long until they will be included?

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Thanks!

I don't think the Maks are going to get Satrapis, unfortunately. Most of those complex things are made by a few select team members that have a personal drive to add something to their favorite faction.

I think I'm going to try and update this tonight. Though, I tried yesterday and my internet was too slow and couldn't upload any pictures so I gave up.

EDIT: Nevermind, I still lack the internet speed to upload images. (I managed to upload 5 of 41.)
UPDATE: 22 of 41

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

I don't think the Maks are going to get Satrapis, unfortunately. Most of those complex things are made by a few select team members that have a personal drive to add something to their favorite faction.

Hmm, that's a pity. You don't know if there are any non-savegame-compatible updates planned for EB in the near future, do you?

[abou]

Hmm, that's a pity. You don't know if there are any non-savegame-compatible updates planned for EB in the near future, do you?

Not that we've talked about. Still though, never can tell so you better hurry and play as much as you can now.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Chapter 3: Kilikia

By the time word reaches Demetrios and Alkyoneus in Pella that Side is beseiged, it is too late for either of them to do anything. It falls apon the garrison of Greeks and allies to defend the town. One morning, the Ptoleamaioi are seen outside the city and it is decided that the garrison will sally out and confront the Ptolemaic army.

At first, it seems the Ptolemaioi will wait for the garrison to form up after quickly exiting the city:


But as soon as the Ptolemaioi see the size of the garrison and flanking Hoplites, they decide to run for the hills:


The Ptolemaioi fall back from Pamphylia, but the incident proves that they are not willing to relinquish their claims on Asia. Demetrios sends a diplomatic envoy, but at the same time prepares his army to march eastward. By the time the diplomats report failure, Demetrios is already across the Aegean. In less than a year, Demetrios arrives in Ptolemaic Kilikia and besieges the city of Tarsos. The seige is hardly started before Ptolemaic reinforcements arrive from Syria and attack Demetrios outside of Tarsos:


For the first time, Demetrios is faced with a large well trained army as his opponent. With the conquest of Syria & Babylonia, the Ptolemaioi have managed to acquire a considerable amount of wealth, which they seem more then eager to spend on well trained elite phalanxes to counter their enemies.

Demetrios sets up and a gentle slope at the edge of a plain and awaits the enemy:



Out front are possitioned the local mercenaries acquired during the march to Kilikia:


[Right here, I pushed 'P' and could have sworn that the game was paused. However, when I came back five minutes later, the battle was still going. Since the only thing that had happened is one unit was wiped out and a bunch of enemies had impaled themselves on my Pezhetairoi, I decided to just keep playing.]

Though loses were taken amongst the mercenaries, it soon became apparent that the Ptolemaic army had no discipline as they had failed to form up in an proper battle line:


Demetrios had his cavalry and his auxilary units move onto the flanks and await the proper moment for a pincer attack against the enemy:


The levies and farmers were no match for the well trained Makedonian Pezhetairoi, some even breaking and fleeing early in the battle:


However, the elites proved to be more of a match to the Makedonian line:


When the time was right, Demetrios signaled the flanking Thracians and Thureophoroi to attack the flanks of the disorganized enemy army. On the Makedonian left flank, they charged Galatians who were attempting to reform:


...and on the right flank they charged a group of disoranized elite pikemen:


As Demetrios chased down those who had fled, the Ptolemaic line began to crack, but it was not yet enough for them to break. With both flanks secured, the Makedonian phalanx broke formation and charged the engadged Ptolemaic flanks, assisting the medium infantry:



It was then that the Ptolemaic general decided to charge into the battle. But it was too late the help the battle sway in favor of the Ptolemaioi. Seeing the Ptolemaic cavalry tied down, Demetrios and the Thessalians charged their rear, wiping out half of the general's guards:


Soon, even the Makedonian center broke formation and charged in to finish off their enemy with their swords:


Surrounded and panicked, the Ptolemaioi were quickly wiped out, including their general:


But the Ptolemaic elites on the Makedonian's right flank won the respect of their enemies that day, as they stood to the last man, fighting to the death:



The battle marked a low point in Ptolemaic success. One of their three major armies in Syria had been wiped out and their last holding in Asia had fallen. With all of the defeats in Asia, Pharaoh had been lax in his war with the Seleucids. Seeing the weakness, the Arche Seleukeia, allies of Makedonia, started a campaign to retake Babylonia from the Ptolemaioi. Now the Ptolemaioi were facing a loosing battle on two fronts.

To the west both Carthage and Roma were powers that deserved to have an watchful eye alway apon, the the only real powers were Arche Seleukeia, the Ptolemaic Egyptians, and Makedonia. Arche Seleukeia had been seriously weaken by the Ptolemaioi and were now surrounded by rising powers to the north and to the east. The Ptolemaioi had now begun to suffer great loses of men and territory. Makedonia was now the most advanced faction in all of the known world:



With no war to call his own and his years continuing to add up, Alkyoneus decided it was time he dedicate himself to something new. In Pella and Athenai diplomats, explorers, and envoys were trained to go into the west. After they were trained, several groups went out north, west and south.

To the immediate west stood the alliance of Italian cities under the city of Roma. They were a violent people who never followed the rules of war. They always sought out new lands, even attacking Makedonian territories at one point, but they quickly learned not to try that again. East of the Romans stood the Kingdom of Makedonia. North of the Romans were the Boii, who securely held the areas north of the mountains.

South of the Romans was the Empire of Kart-Hadast, who had delivered many defeats against the Romans in the war for the island. News of the fate of Sicily arrived in Makedonia as it had fallen to Kart-Hadast soldiers:


Alkyoneus had wished to assist the enslaved and suppressed fellow Greeks, but Alkyoneus lacked the army and resouces need to both secure his northern borders and engadge in a foreign war. Though, it was at this time that he began to train a grand army that would surpass even his brother's army that had been assembled by their father. He would have an army that was supported by well trained veterans:


As the envoys and explorers continued west, they came to the last people who had been barring the Roman's expansion. To the west of the Romans stood the unified Gallic confederation of the Aedui. The Aedui had assisted their brothers in northern Italia when the Romans had invaded. Years later, the Romans engadged in an invasion of Gaul, to continue the war that had been started then:


Though the Romans were not enemies of Makedonia, they were definately not friends. Alkyoneus decided that it was best to do all that was in his power to undermine any chances that the Romans had. It was at this time that an alliance was made between the Gallic Confederation and Makedonia:


In the east, Demetrios prepared his army for another march eastward. Before their eyes was the land of Syria, with good Makedonian colonists, now suppressed by Ptolemaic overlords. But first, Demetrios had to wait for the garrison from Side to move east in order to watch over Kilikia.

North of Kilikia was the Seleucid territory of Cappadocia. This area had become isolated from the center of Seleucid power and took more money and men to hold against not only the Ptolemaioi but the fear of the growing powers of Pontos and the Kingdom of Hayasdan. Seeing the state of these lands, Demetrios decided to send diplomats to the Seleucid court and request the domain of the Cappadocians be turned over the the Makedonian crown. With a little Makedonian silver, the Seleucids quickly agreed:


It was around this time that one of the two remaining strong armies of the Ptolemai in Syria attempted another counter attack against Makedonian conquest. As the army approached Tarsos, where the Makedonian army had been camped, they stopped on a plain between two rivers. Wishing to avoid a defensive battle, Demetrios marched out of Tarsos to meet the Ptolemaioi on that plain:


The Ptolemaic army consisted of many elite units of Egypt. Amongst the elites were a selection of the Pharoah's royal guard. These men were adaptions of the Thureophoroi, taken to the extreme, but equiped with short pikes:


Even though Demetrios initiated the battle, the Ptolemaic elite army was not afraid and quickly became the agressors. The Ptolemaic line marched slowly toward the Makedonian line:


The Ptolemaic line approached the Makedonian line slowly, but suddenly stopped. The line regrouped and reformed before the Ptolemaic right flank continued forward to attack the Makedonian left flank, while the Ptolemaic left flank stood their ground and waited:


As the two lines approached eachother, the Thracian Skirmisher Mercenaries working for the Makedones moved out of the way and the two lines clashed:


The two lines fought for a while, but soon Pharoah's guard began to break through the Makedonian line. Seeing the units in need, the Thracians rushed in to help fill the forming hole in the line:


On the edge of the battle, Demetrios had managed to lead the cavalry around the enemy's flank and charged them in the rear, in a fashion Alexandros himself would have been proud of:


The Ptolemaic flank broke and began to flee. Demetrios gave chase and cut down the cowards, but was soon engadged by Ptolemaic reserves and was bogged down. In the middle of the Makedonian line, the Elite Ptolemaic troops began to make a hole through the line and many good Makedones were loosing their lives:


Just as the battle began to look good for the Ptolemaioi and the line looked breached, the Ptolemaic general lost his life at the hands of a Thracian. Seeing their general fall, all engadged Ptolemaic units broke and fled. Demetrios greeted the fleeing units on his way back to the battle line, cutting many of them down.

Seeing their first assualt fleeing, the Ptolemaioi began their second assault. This time moving there remaining units against the Makedonian right flank:



Demetrios quickly finished off the remaining Ptolemaic reserves:


The Ptolemaic line, engadged against the Makedones, were left with no reserves and were easily surrounded by Makedonian reserves and cavalry. These farmers quickly gave up the battle to turn and run:


The battle had been won by Demetrios, but at a great cost. Nearly a third of Demetrios' army lay dead on the field. The Ptolemaioi were crippled in the region, but the invasion of Syria now lacked the manpower and would have to wait. As the sun moved ever lower in the sky, Demetrios reformed his men and and began to count the dead:


To the south, the Ptolemaioi marched another army north from Egypt. To the north, a Ptolemaic army marched on Mazaka. But the true problem was just north of even that...

The known world in 235BC:

Next: Chapter 4: Syria (aka "Yes, I fight bridge battles" )
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That sure took a long time to update...

If your internet connection is as bad as mine, sorry this post didn't load correctly/quickly.

[Detlef]

It's worth waiting for this, another great chapter...

[Hooahguy]

cant wait for next installment! meanwhile, with my AAR, cant find much time to play.....

[Pharnakes]

Brillliant, as good as ever MAA.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Very nice. How could you become the richest faction? Is the money-minimod included in 1.0?

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Thanks for the comments, everyone.

Very nice. How could you become the richest faction? Is the money-minimod included in 1.0?

Well, the money script was altered for v1.0 but is basically the same. The only factions large enough to get tons of money are Ptolemai and AS, and they are always at war, depleting their money.

I think the reason I have so much money is because of my mines. When I first built the army that I have been using for all these battles, I started loosing money every turn. So I upgraded all of the mines I had in Greece, Thrace, and Illyria. It took a long time, but once I got those L2 mines built, my per turn income just shot up. Even after building a fleet and a third army, I am still making a profit every turn.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Thank you for the explanation.

[Admetos]

Can't wait for the next installment MAA, brilliant AAR.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Well F***!

I just wrote up the next part and was almost done, but internet browser randomly changed pages (think I hit something on the keyboard) and when I pushed 'back' everything was missing. Now I'm pissed.

I might try again tomorrow, but I really don't want to rewrite that. I usually write it elsewhere and copy/paste it to the forum. That will teach me for writting it in the forum.

[Detlef]

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

That's as pissing as fighting four huge battles on AI's turn and then the game CTDs.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Chapter 4: Syria

In the winter of 235BC, the city of Mazaka lay beseiged by the forces of the Ptolemaioi. Due to the winter, Demetrios didn't risk marching his large army across the mountain passes from Kilikia. The next closest force that could assist was stationed in Ipsos, on the far side of Galatian territory and would never be able to arrive in time.

Seeing they were alone, Pantauchos Singios, son-in-law of Kalos, decided the garrison would fend off the Ptolemaioi with only the city garrison of Hellenic levies and local peasants:


The main army marched out one gate, while the peasants and Peltastai, led by Pantauchos went out the other. As the Hellenic levies tied down the Ptolemaic line, the peasants and skirmishers circled around their rear and pelted the enemy phalanx from behind with stone and javelin then charged. Completly surrounded and outnumbered, the Ptolemaic line lost their nerve and fled, with the townsfolk in pursuit:


As the day ended, the people of Mazaka rejoiced. The city had been saved, and with no small amount of help from the simple townsfolk.:


As the new year started, replacement troops from Pella arrived in Tarsos. Demetrios had sent for the reserves, stationed in Pella apon his last costly victory and they had hurried across Asia, along the way hiring some Thracians to replace Demetrios' lost Thracians.

With his newly replenished army assembled, Demetrios left his son-in-law, with some locals and reserves from Pamphylia, in charge of Kilikia. Demetrios then started his march eastward into Syria. In Syria were good Makedonian peoples who had followed Alexandros east, and who now were under the domination of a corrupted man who called himself "Pharoah".

Around this time, centered near the Island of Rhodos, an earthquake shook western Asia. Although relatively few were killed, the earthquake was certainly worth making note:


In Northern Asia, was the Kingdom of Pontos, a land created by oppertunists who were quick to steal parts of Alexander's empire apon his death. They had been allowed to live only because they had sworn loyalty to the Seleucid Basileus, but these betrayers couldn't even keep that promise. When the Ptolemaioi began defeating the Seleucids in Asia, Pontos quickly broke their alliance with the Seleucids and allied with the Ptolemaioi.

Over the years, the Kingdom of Pontos murdered and enslaved many good Greeks who live along the Pontic Sea. As time went by, the Kingdom of Pontos destroyed or occupied Greek colonies along the coast and began to expand into areas that were clearly not theirs. A couple years ealrier, the Pontics had invaded Galatia (ally of Makedonia) one mor time, this time taking the city and putting its citizens to the sword.

Soon, the Pontics made the ultimate betrayal. In the summer of 234BC, Pontic forces moved west and attacked the Makedonian city of Nikaia.


This was the last straw. Alkyoneus decided that it was time that the Kingdom of Pontos be wiped from the earth. Alkyoneus assembed his army, not yet fully trained, and marched east to wipe this nation of theives and murderers from the planet. But Alkyoneus couldn't reach Nikaia in time to save the city. Instead, Hephaistion Skionaios, governer of Ipsos marched his garrison north to confront the enemy. Hephaistion Skionaios was another son-in-law of Kalos and had as much experience as he had had when he failed to take Pergamon a decade earlier.

The Battle of Nikaia Bridge
As Hephaistion approached the Pontic forces, they fell back to their camp on the far side of a river. Though, as Hephaistion approached, the feared loosing control of the river crossing and charged back across. Hephaistion barely had enough time to reform his line in front of the bridge. The Pontic forces started pushing through, but the Makedonian line lacked the reinforcements of the medium infantry, which Hephaistion was forced to possition to the south to counter a crossing of Pontic forces just upstream:


With the seige lifted, the forces from Nikaia sallied forth and were not far behind Hephaistion. Seeing that the battle had already begun, the Nikaia pikemen ran to the battlefield and formed a line behind the exsisting one. Meanwhile the Nikaia slingers formed up and began firing at the Pontic horsemen still on the bridge:


Now reinforced, the flanks of the first line reformed and the center broke formation and fell back. As the Pontic horsemen gave chase, they quickly met a second wall of pikes:


To the south, the two Makedonia governors and a Pontic general spotted eachother. The Makedonian Hetairoi quickly lined up and changed the Pontic general:


After chasing off a group of archers, the Makedonian Petastai and Hoplitai charged the rear of the Pontic general, surrounding him:


The cowardice of the Pontic general soon became aparent, as he turn and fled, abandoning his army:


But it was of no use, the heavy Pontic cavalry were just too slow and were quickly caught by the Hetairoi, killing the cowardly general:


At the bridge, Pontic units began to panic and flee back across the bridge. As they flee, the received volleys of lead shot from the Makedonian slingers, stopping many where they stood:


Soon the Pontic general who had lead the forces across the bridge was alone with this guards. They were easily surrounded and perished:


The Makedonian forces quickly crossed the bridge and finished off the reforming Pontic forces. As they fled, the Makedonian forces gave chase. They gave no quarter and wiped out the remaining army:



That day, the Kingdom of Pontos suffered the first of many defeats, which would hopefully lead the end of their Kingdom:


In the years before he followed his father into war in Asia, Demetrios had a child, several children. When his first son was born, he named him Aristotelis. Aristotelis spent many years in Athenai, learning from the great teachers who lived there. When he reached the age of twenty, he gathered an army and wandered Makedonia, Illyria, and Thrace, killing brigands and putting down rebellions that had arisen in isolated regions of the Makedonian realm. One time, he even found himself far north, near the Greek colony and trading city of Olbia. During his travels, Aristotelis began assembling a mighty army of Thracian, Dacian, and Scythian soldiers.

When word reached Aristotelis that his father was invading Syria and would need assistance with the Ptolemaioi, Aristotelis started the long march south and into Asia. Along the way, Aristotelis separated from his army and hired local mercenaries to assist him in his ongoing attacks on brigands and rebels. During one of these battles, he noticed that he had begun to develop a grasp of greater tactical skills:


As winter approached, Aristotelis camped his army along the Pamphylia coast and awaited the Makedonian fleet. He was to sail to Kypros in spring and ensure it was in Makedonian hands:


As spring came, Demetrios found himself confronted with the last of the great Ptolemaioi armies stationed in Syria. The Ptolemaioi attacked Demetrios as he was about to cross a river north of Antiocheia:


Demetrios quickly formed up his men to defend the river crossing. Meanwhile Demetrios, the Thessalians, Thracians, and Thureophoroi made for a ford upstream to cross the river and attack the Ptolemaioi from the rear:


[Ok, this battle was basically frozen on my computer. Between the vast numbers on the field and the lag that accompanies a bridge crossing, my computer couldn't take it. Fraps said I was getting 1FPS, but it was much lower than that. I lowered all of the graphic details as low as they could go and tried to continue. Fraps still said 1FPS, but I believed it was actually near 1FPS now. Since all you would see is a jumble of sprites, I didn't take any pictures.]

The Ptolemaioi refused to cross the bridge completely and impale themselves on the Makedonian pikes. The Makedonians were unwilling to break formation and attack the enemy on the bridge. The battle was at a stalemate, but Demetrios managed in coming around the back of the Ptolemaioi and possitioned his men on the other landing. As the Thracians and Thureophoroi started throwing their javelin from one side and the slingers fired from the other, segments of the Ptolemaioi army began to break. The Pezhetairoi took advantage of this moment and moved in, resulting the the entire breaking of the Ptolemaic forces. As they fled across the bridge, they were greeted with the charging of Thessalian cavalry.

Demetrios mopped up the confused mass of paniced soldiers and moved his army completely across the river:


Demetrios quickly moved on and besieged the city of Antiocheia, a city which had once been the seat of government for his ally. Though, built in the eastern style, the city had a large population of Makedonian colonists who were tired of strict Ptolemaic rule.

The seige had barely begun, when a small army of Ptolemaic reinforcements arrived. They were a small force, but Sogenes Euphrantas Pyrgas decided that it would be enough for him and refused to wait for reinforcements:


Sogenes Euphrantas Pyrgas was a Ptolemaic hero of the Syrian wars, who had won many battles and gain much experience. It was said that his personal bodyguard were some of the best in the entire world. Today, his pride would be his undoing.

Demetrios lined up his men along the top of a gentle slope and awaited the enemy:


The Ptolemaic phalanxes rammed the Makedonian line and the battle began. The levies from Judaea were hesitant, though. At first, it seemed they would charge headlong into the Makedonian pikes, but instead pulled back and began to move and flank the Makedonian right:


The Thracians quickly moved ot the right flank to counter the Jewish levies, while Demetrios and the cavalry moved to the left flank.

Once again, Makedonian Pezhetairoi found themselves up against Egyptian elites:


Building apon his previous experiences, Demetrios managed to move around his own left flank and possition himself behind the Ptolemaic line. Once again, he managed to crash his heavy cavalry into the rear of the Ptolemaioi and make the run in terror:


As Demetrios possitioned himself for another charge into the rear of the Ptolemaic line, Sogenes Euphrantas Pyrgas suddenly appeared and charged into the Thessalian cavalry. Demetrios make a quick decision and decided to leave a segment of the Thessalian Cavalry in possition while the other half and his personal guard charged Sogenes Euphrantas Pyrgas as he was bogged down fighting:


Sogenes Euphrantas Pyrgas was quickly surrounded, but more than half of the men left to tie him down lost their lives. Their sacrifice was worth it, as the great Ptolemaic general fell dead on the field:


Seeing their general dead, both phalanx and levy broke order and ran. Demetrios quickly chased them down, killing and capturing them to ensure they did not return to Antiocheia to secure the city:



Demetrios immediately marched to Antiocheia, whose remaining garrison surrendered. Demetrios ordered no looting or killing was to be done by his army and they peacefully entered the city. Demetrios was greeted as a great liberator and a savior to the people of the city. Though the city had not been returned to the hands of the Seleucid Basileus, they were much happier to be out of the hands of the Ptolemaioi. The city was now added to the newly reformed Makedonian Empire, reborn from the ashes of Alexandros' Empire.

As celebrations began to slow down and after several months passed, Demtrios received word from his son:


To the north, Alkyoneus' quickly suplimented army approached the Pontic border. Alkyoneus finally had his own war and he as intent of wiping out the Kingdom of Pontos:


The known world in 233BC:

Next: Chapter 5: 233BC - 230BC (aka That name describes about how exciting it is.)

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Ahh, the good cavalry! I'm missing it in my current Sweboz campaign. Very nice again MAA.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Yeah, I'm winning all of my battles with the hammer and anvil tactic. It works well, but the same type of battle over and over doesn't make a very good story.

I managed to play tonight (hadn't had any free time near my computer that can run EB for nearly a week). I had a huge war with Pontos and it ended, basically with both of us losing...

[Subedei]

Very good AAR! One observation: Pavla has a freaky territory East of AS & South of Baktria....like an isle. Let us see how long that one will last?!?!

[CaesarAugustus]

Nice AAR, those I love those Uazali from the third chapter!

This is interesting MAA, keep updating. I always wished that you had made that ridiculously huge Roman Empire you had in 0.8 into an AAR, but the Maks are a good choice too.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Thanks!

Yeah, the Seleucids attacked India early on and managed to take one town. However, when the Ptolemaioi started kicking their butt, they lost that town and it defaulted to Pahlav (because that is the founder/creator faction for Indian provinces). I thought they would loose it or AS would take it right back, but they haven't. In fact, Baktria recently reached the point of critical mass (they get to a certain point of power and just steamroll the entire east) and swept westward against the Parthians. The Pahlav capital then went to Opiana, India. I think there may be an Indian faction and now Parthian faction in my campaign, soon.

I am trying to use more new units, but it is hard since most battles worth taking pictures of have old elite units. I got some nice pictures of some new Pontic units though, for the chapter after next.

I had a short AAR about my Roman campaign, but I got bogged down in my Gallic Wars and realized that my writting style wasn't good enough without any pictures to back it up.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Chapter 5: 233BC - 230BC

In 233BC, Mazaka was once again besieged by the forces of the Ptolemaioi. This time the heir to the Pharoah, Alexandros Thraikikos lead the army himself. Alexandros was a great politician and ruler, but his military skill was lacking. Even at his age, it seemed he had seen very little battle:


With superior numbers of archers and long range units, the Ptolemaioi are chased off and the seige lifted. Alexandros Thraikikos fell back to Sophene and readies another attack:


In Syria, Demetrios establishes Makedonian power and secures Antiocheia against future attacks. Although he is known as a great general, Demetrios becomes known as a good man who is just in rule. Even though it may be harmful to his reputation amongst his equals, Demetrios becomes known as an intellegent ruler who refuses to oppress the people he rules:


To his enemies, Demetrios is seen as less just. To the south of Antiocheia, the first wave of a counter attack begins to assemble. Rather than wait for reinforcements to arrive and assemble a large army, Demetrios attacks the Ptolemaic forces south of Antiocheia:


Though a failed flanking manuever costs the lives of many Thracians, the battle comes to a quick end. Lacking anything to counter the Makedonian Pezhetairoi, the Ptolemaioi recieve a crushing defeat.


In Pella, Perseus, son of Alkyoneus is left in charge of local administration. Perseus lacks the skill and charisma that his father, uncle, and grandfather had, but Perseus manages to govern Makedonia and Thrace well enough. Alkyoneus' other son, governor of Kallatis, is definately the one who follows in the footsteps of the great men in his family, but Perseus is heir to Alkyoneus.

Perseus takes over his father's job of monitoring distant areas and covertly assisting distant colonies of the Hellens. As the time went by, a messanger arrived in Pella. He gave the simple message, "Rejoice, Syrakousai is rebelling." Alkyoneuis had once considered using his army to liberate the Hellens of Sicilia, but was now forced into a war with Pontos. Now the need was no longer there. On the distant island of Siclia, the great Hellenic colony of Syrakousai had managed to once more repulse the forces of Carthage from the south of the island:


During this time, Perseus also managed to build the proper infrastructure and convince the Thracians to support the Makedonian Empire more than they had before. Now, Thracian nobles were willing to fight for the Makedonians. Perseus quickly recruited some of these elite soldiers for the wars in the east:


In Asia, the city of Mazaka was again besieged by the Ptolemaioi. With every attack, more and more locals were conscripted into the garrison force of the city to replace and augment the original Hellenic/Makedonian garrison. Now, another Thraikikos besieged the town with a small army centered around elite phalanx units:


As the battle began, Pantauchos Singios, governor of Mazaka, had his pikemen assualt from one side while he and the more mobile men attacked from the other. With several battle pulses by the Peltastai and Mazakan townsfolk, elements of the Ptolemaic army began to flee. As the bulk of the Jewish spearmen and levies attacked the peasant lines, Theokles Thraikikos saw his oppertunity and took his guard around the Makedonian flank. Though successful in flanking and crashing into the rear of the Makedonian line, Theokles soon found himself surrounded and began to panic. As Theokles Thraikikos fled, much of his army broke and followed him. Pantauchos Singios gave pursuit and cut down many of the fleeing Ptolemaioi.

Meanwhile, the Makedonian pikemen held the superior Ptolemaic phalanxes in place. As the phalanxes were held in place, the Armenian bowmen circled around behind the enemy line. Regrouping after their battle, the Mazakan peasants formed up with the archers. Now in possition, the bowmen opened fire at close range apon the rear of the Ptolemaioi line. As scores of men fell, the line broke and tried to flee. With the enemies in disorder, the surrounding Makedonians broke formation and all charged in at the remaining Ptolemaioi. Soon, none remained and the day had been won:



The next spring, Alexandros Thraikikos made this move. With his supplies replenished, the Ptolemaic heir, marched his depleted army to Antiocheia, where it was reinforced with Galatians from Egypt:


Even greatly outnumbered, the inept tactician, Alexandros Thraikikos, didn't retreat. Eventually, Alexandros made the mistake of engadging the Thessalian cavalry under Demetrios. Quickly surrounded, Alexandros soon lost all of his bodyguard and was alone:


Fighting to the end, Alexandros was killed and the would-be next Pharoah died on the plains of Syria, just outside the city of Antiocheia.

Seeing their general killed and the forces they came to reinforce wiped out, the Galatians turned and fled the field before they even fought. Once again, Demetrios had won the day and won the support of the Makedonians living in Syria:


In Kilikia, a Ptolemaic army had managed to move in from Sophene and march over the mountains during the winter to attack the garrison at Tarsos, the same spring. The garrison of Tarsos was weak. Demetrios had expected any attack on Kilikia to be made through Syria where he and his army could counter it. Now, with Tarsos besieged, Demetrios couldn't risk leaving Syria without a garrison while he marched to Kilikia. Instead, Demetrios ordered his son, already enroute to Syria from Kypros, to engadge the Ptolemaioi in Kilikia. Landing south of the city, Aristotelis marched around the city and confronted the enemy at their camp near a river crossing:


Aristotelis lined up his Dacio-Thracian army near a bridge, but both sides refused to move at first:


Aristotelis ordered his steppe horsemen to move downstream and find a crossing to flank the enemy. Meanwhile, the Thracians slowly marched across the bridge, completely unappossed by the Ptolemaioi:


With the cavalry successfully flanking the Ptolemaioi, and the Thracians safely across the bridge, both lines opened fire. The Thracians threw their spears and the cavalry fired their arrows:


The Ptolemaioi remained in formation and didn't counter the Thracians. Though, as soon as the Dacian spearmen moved to cross the bridge, the Ptolemaioi decided to engadge their enemy before they would have to face the entire army of Aristotelis:


As the fighting went on, the Galatians serving the Ptolemaioi quickly learned that their army was no match for the Thracian weapons. As the Thracians continued to cut through the Galatians, the Dacians rushed across the bridge and joined the fight:


The decreasing number of Galatians tried to hold off their falx weilding enemy, but were soon forced to flee the battle:


As the day ended, Aristotelis had won his first important battle and gained the respect of those in the Makedonian Empire:


After the battle ended, Aristotelis reorganized his men gained supplies and marched north. Aristotelis moved to gain control of the mountains that the Ptolemaioi had been using to attack Kilikia and Kappadocia for years. As winter came, Aristotelis set up winter camp in a valley, but soon was confronted by another Ptolemaic army. Fearing their escape route had been cut off, a army heading for Mazaka doubled back and attacked Aristotelis:


The weak Ptolemaic forces lacked a compitent leader and didn't stand long before they broke and fled. With nowhere to flee safely to, most of them were chased down and killed in the Kappadocian hills:


In Galatia, Alkyoneus had managed to take the city of Ankyra and gain control of the rest of the region. The Pontic garrison gave in without a fight, even though there were large Pontic armies near by, they did not risk a battle over the Galatian, even though a relative of the Pontic king lead the Ankyra garrison:


As Alkyoneus took the city, he quickly ensured the people that he was their to help as an ally and not a conqueror. To show his support to the Galatians and shared hatred of Pontos, the Pontic general was executed. Alkyoneus quickly repaired the Galatian infrastructure and set up a temperary government. After a while, Alkyoneus found one of the few surviving Galatian nobles, after the Pontic slaughter, and set him up as ruler of the region. Alkyoneus then took his army and left, leaving the Galatians to rule themselves as they had before:



In Syria, the Ptolemaioi once again attempted a futile attempt to capture the the city of Antiocheia:


Thanks to the Creten archers and their flanking, the Ptolemaioi attempted to retreat. As they retreated, Demetrios managed to seperate small groups from the main group and run them down with his cavalry. In the end, the Ptolemaioi lost two thirds of their army:


Word soon reached Syria and the Makedonian Empire that the Satrapy of Baktria had separated itself from the Seleucids. Though they had not openly challenged Seleucid power, they no longer followed orders coming from Seluekeia. They had begun to independantly expand and had even attacked the Pahlav, allies of Seleukia. Soon the Pahlav core was conquered and the northern territories of Arche Seleukia were threated by these rebels:


As the winter of 230BC came, the Makedonian Empire faced a new set up problems and challenges. In Assyria, the Seleucids continued their counterattack against the Ptolemaioi by attacking the city of Edessa. North of there, Aristotelis had decided to attack Sophene, the staging point of countless invasions into Makedonian territory:


In northern Asia, Pontos once again beseiged the city of Nikaia. Along the northern coastline, Alkyoneus besieged the city of Sinope where Artaxerxes, king of Pontos ruled his kingdom from:


And in Syria, Demetrios was once again besieged. This time the Ptolemaic forces were vast in number and yet not too threatening:


The known world in the winter of 230BC:


Next: Chapter 6: The Pontic War

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Again very enticing to start a new Makedonian campaign on my own. I like how you roleplay the characters. Can the Maks now recruit the Skytho-Hellenic Bowmen, Toxotai Thureophoroi I think they are called?