[Epeiros/Pergamon AAR] Heirs to Lysimachos

[QuintusSertorius]

The Seleukid War

It was in 245 that a cowardly Seleukid surprise attack on our glorious capital resulted in war.



Wasting no time, Kallistratos Horreonios gathered what troops he could and marched to relief of the government. The Seleukid raiders slipped away on hearing a Pergamene army was coming, and so Horreonios followed them to Ipsos.

One of their nobles was foolishly outside the city travelling along when the Pergamene army arrived. He sent a runner back to the city, and hoped to evade capture.



Horreonios and Seleukos Syriakos fought in personal combat, the latter hoping to kill the Pergamene general and cause his army to lose heart.



The garrison from Ipsos, led by Vahuberz Alloudas Lydikes, were only able to watch the fight. As the advance cavalry came, one Pergamene officer charged out to stop them interfering with the fight.



Syriakos was slain before their eyes.



Lydikes sent his cavalry to attack. Meanwhile as the lines closed, the slingers and Kretan archers took a horrendous toll on the Seleukid light troops.



Lydikes charged the Pergamene left, it was down to the Greek officer commanding the left wing to stop him.



The Galatians held of hundreds of Anatolian hillmen while the Greek officer struggled against Lydikes' bodyguard.



They ignored the arrival of a Seleukid phalanx, madded with battle lust.



The entire Pergamene cavalry, led by Horreonios, charged Lydikes.



He was cut down as he tried to flee.





His men in the centre quailed in fear.



Soon the whole army was in flight.



Pergamon was victorious!



245BC:



Winning that battle killed the garrison of Ipsos, so now the old Persian capital is mine. Which leaves the Seleukids with a very narrow front on which to attack, via Mazaka. Which is likely to be under threat from Pontos and possibly the Hai in short order.

I took Kyrene recently as well. I'm starting to think building up a Pan-Hellenic Empire of all the scattered Greek colonies might be a goal for this game. Syrakousai and Emporion are other possible targets. They'd also give me touch-points in a number of areas and new potential enemies.

Disappointed with the pathetic attack by the Seleukids really, a half-stack army when I've got garrisons the equivalent of about three stacks hanging around? I wonder if peace with them for a time would encourage them to build up some proper armies to attack me? Same goes the Ptolemies, they've done nothing to respond. Now this might partly be because I'm on Medium campaign difficulty, but even so. May have to start creating armies for them to fight me.

I've discovered a rather powerful recruiting combination in some of my settlements. Blacksmith for upgraded kit, type II goverment gives a bonus level of experience, and so does the Gymnasium. So now a lot of my troops can start with two experience as well as upgraded gear!