To The End

[XSlingerX]

Ok here's the story. I am playing as Venice and the time has come to take the Italian Peninsula and destroy those annoying Sicilians, whom had launched previous naval attacks, and even took Ragusa once. After a successful campaign in the Balkans and Turkey, I brought back Antonius Selvo (the famous conqueror of Constantinope, now called Antonius, bearing his name) to unite with Doge Benosuato. Both were high ranking commanders, and in their elder years (50+). This would be the last great campaign of Antonio and the Elderly Doge. The two commanders gathered near Ragusa and landed on the opposite shore of Naples. Naples was taken without too much difficulty, and with their royal line destroyed, Sicily was in the past. Antonius died soon after, leaving the Doge to govern Naples. A considerable force was left in Naples, mostly light militia troops, yet well equipped and battle hardened, while my heavy infantry (spearmen, feudal knights, and Venetian Heavy Infantry) sailed to Ragusa to reform their ranks so I could invade now rebel Palermo. The Pope however, had other plans and waged war on me. An full stack of 2600 men marched on Naples. The Doge did not have enough troops in garrison to hold a proper defense. Luckily, the heavy troops from Ragusa, and one unit of peasant crossbowmen sailed back to Italy, with Naples currently under seige. The combined forces would easily annihilate the Papal Army. The commander of the heavy force was eager for battle, and so attacked the besieging force. They could hold off and stall the Papacy until the reinforcements from Naple arrived.

The battle begins. The heavy army is on a nice steep hill facing downwards towards the huge Papal army. One problem though, the reinforcements were delayed! The commander was unsure if they would even come, but he knew that if he did not deal with this army, the Doge's life would be threatened. Severly outnumbered, there was not much hope, the soldiers would have to fight to their death, for the sake of the Doge. The heavy forced moved to the eastern side of the hill. They would charge down on the side of the hill and engage the enemy on the flank so they would not be surrounded. My one unit of crossbowmen remained in the original position, facing the papal army. The heavy infantry charged down, with many falling to the hundreds of crossbow arrows. They engaged the light infantry and papal guard and fought dilligently, without mercy. They continued to cut through the enemy, regardless of the losses from the enemy crossbowmen, and would not give up. My crossbowmen perched on the hill were firing into the sides and the backs of the infantry and crossbowmen engaging my heavy infantry. Though they were vastly outnumbered, they managed to hack and slash 44% of the enemy until they were just too tired and too few in numbers. They were happy to die knowing that their loss may have caused to Doge's victory. Soon, all of the heavy infantry was routing, except for my crossbowmen who were still raining arrows on the foe. The Papacy was chasing my routing troops up the hill when suddenly the Doge's army appears. A glorious site it was, and the papal army immediately turned around to prepare a defense. Battered up and tired, the Pope's army would meet their doom. The doge and his men charged the lines of the weak army, and my crossbowmen still on the hill fired into their backs. The battle was over and Naples and the Doge were saved. However, two more stacks of Papal armies lie between us and Rome. It is uncertain what will happen next, but bloodshed is inevitable.