[SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire - **Complete**

[Dan the Man]

Oooh!
Wow, FAIL on my part.

[Zavid the Brave]

This is my first time posting on this forum. I mostly just got Mods off of that forum. But then I found AARs, and thought "Hell, I've never been the Byzantines before, I'll check out this AAR"


After 4 virtually sleepless nights, I must say I love you. All of you. You're writing skills, your beautiful face, your wonderful screenshotting skills, your hard 6 pack abs, and finally your amazing gameplay.


So yeah.

You rock, Skantarios.

[Dan the Man]

Woah! That's quite an entry! Welcome to the forum!

[Concrete]

Welcome.
+rep for posting for the first time here.

[Nanny de Bodemloze]

OK, I've now just lost a whole day. I've been writing AARs for a bit, but somehow I hadn't managed to make my way here...till today. Now, after loosing a day and lying to my wife telling her I been cleaning all day, I have to say this is one hell of an AAR. I love the personal touches (e.g. the gardening)...I'm not really a fan of AARs that only talk about this country attacking this country and wasn't the battle epic yada...these are very common. Now this...this AAR is what I'm looking for.

Great job, great entertainment...can someone clean my house?

Nanny

[Gadfly]

Sadly I dont have time to read it in just one day, but I'm on page eleven now. The fact that I keep coming back is the evidence that you wrote a great AAR. I even registered here to write a comment.

It's kinda hard to entertain me, most of the time I just get bored. It's the same with another game Simcity 4, where you have a forum to post City Journals. Most of the time I look at the pictures and think "Great, now lets see another one" There are only a few who can keep me interested.

It even inspired me to write my own AAR someday. I'm currently working on one, and it is time consuming already

Good luck with your AAR.

[Concrete]

Ah, Skantarios, attracting people to registering like a lantern attracting moths.

[LukeMurgatroyd]

Yet another reader signing up to follow this and say keep up the good work!

[Dan the Man]

Wow! Three sign ups in two days! You should be very proud of yourself Skantarios!

[StGene]

Skantarios, this AAR surpasses every other AAR I am currently reading, and I'm reading heavy hitters like Thokran's "The Glory of Ostermark" and JerichoOnlyFan's "The Proud Blood of Germania". Your epic tale of the life of the true Emperor of Rome has blown these two out of the water and into outer space. Furthermore, you have inspired me to start and finish a long Roman campaign for EB (and possibly write an AAR about it). Roma Victor!

And +rep.

[Skantarios]

Sorry for the absence over the last few days. I had to do some traveling and a lot of work got in the way. I am happy to say, though, that I am hard at work on the next installment and should have it complete sometime tomorrow night. Probably late.

I would like to get to all the comments soon but for now just know that I am humbled that so many have taken to this AAR and are enjoying it up to this point. I hope that the future installments will be received just as well. I greatly appreciate all the comments and input I receive. It goes a long ways towards keeping up my motivation to get the next update done and posted.

I would like to take the time to say that I am particulary happy that some "lurkers" have been motivated to create their own accounts and join the forums. Welcome to Zavid the Brave, Gadfly, and LukeMurgatroyd! Also, a welcome to StGene, The Nanny, and RVFVS for their first posts to this thread! I appreciate your comments and viewership.

Again, I will get to the specific comments and questions after this next post so look for that in the next day or so.

I have the next update about 50% of the way there. It is shaping up to be a big one as the year of 1530 is almost as big for the Empire as 1529. A lot of fighting on a lot of fronts. The most significant thing, though, is that you will finally see Skantarios get back in the fight!

Spoiler for Next Update: 

Skantarios in Italy, Venice Strikes Back, Vilnius, Kermanshah

I made some changes to the link in my signature which I hope will make it clearer to read. I am not a graphics designer by any stretch of the imagination but I do what I can. Just thought it could use a little "spicing up."

Finally, for those who asked about pictures of the Army (looking at you Exarch and SNE). Know you were probably only half serious but here are some from an upcoming battle which should fit the bill and whet the appetite for the next update.

Spoiler for Pics of Imperial Army: 

The Army


Opposite View


Emperor Skantarios

Okay, now I need to get back to work!

[StGene]

The Emperor look extremely young for a man in his sixties. Truly, God guards his path! And your cavalry! That's some serious business right there.

Edit: Speaking of screenshots, how do you take one?

[Karnage]

Just for the sake of this great AAR, in my next campaign, around the time of death of Skantarios, I will rename a city after him, as a symbol of strenght for my empire and as a sign of respect for the Great Roman emperor. "Unless I play Sicily, now that would be awkward, but if it brings you personal satisfaction, I'll do it "

[Fenrisulfrinn]

The Emperor look extremely young for a man in his sixties. Truly, God guards his path! And your cavalry! That's some serious business right there.

Edit: Speaking of screenshots, how do you take one?

You can download the free version of FRAPS if you want to take screenshots. It's very lightweight and does more than just pictures, like showing you frame rates, and you just tell it where you want your screens to be saved. Handy.

And yeah, I hope I look that good when I'm sixty

[Grouchio]

The Emperor look extremely young for a man in his sixties. Truly, God guards his path! And your cavalry! That's some serious business right there.

Edit: Speaking of screenshots, how do you take one?

Well... to put it this way, the Byzantine unit roster makes sure that the emperor's design stays the same, despite the emperor's age. So he'd look just as old as he should if somebody drew a picture of him.

[Soulstrider]

Just for the sake of this great AAR, in my next campaign, around the time of death of Skantarios, I will rename a city after him, as a symbol of strenght for my empire and as a sign of respect for the Great Roman emperor. "Unless I play Sicily, now that would be awkward, but if it brings you personal satisfaction, I'll do it "

Too late, I already did that in my current campaign

[Exarch]

Emperor Skantarios

The Emperor is certainly looking ready for battle! he looks like he's about to kill somebody lol
epic army btw; i can just imagine them marching through the provinces, undoubtedly cheered on by the commons.

[Dan the Man]

Anybody else find it odd that he has the Byzantine flag on his shoes?

[Skantarios]

From the Diaries of Emperor Skantarios

February, 1530 AD.
Location: Constantinople

The decision to go back to war is somehow very liberating. It is as though a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders and blinders removed from my eyes. I can see my destiny clearly now and my hands and feet move once more with purpose. The preparations at the capitol only take a short time and soon I have set the soldiers there to marching west. I depart soon after following my good-byes with Vasileios and Maria.

To Vasileios, I embrace him warmly and bid him to take good care of the administration and to keep a careful watch on the Council. He is the Heir and his word is law in my absence. He must continue to improve the infrastructure and expand the economy of the Empire and ensure that we have a strong foundation for the future. On a personal note, I also warn him of growing too soft in the luxury of the capitol and emphasize my point with a soft blow to his expanding stomach. It is the banter of brothers and something that I will sorely miss.

To Maria, our parting is short but sweet for we have already said our good-byes the night before. She was kind and gentle, as always; forever the soft contrast to my hardened body and soul. In another time, we could have had a great love and lived a simple life full of happiness. Unfortunately, we live in this time and place and it is one of hard choices and brutal decisions that leaves no room for simple joys. For what could have been between us, I have only regret.

I apologize to her for being a poor husband. To my surprise, she agrees. She says I was, indeed, a poor husband because my first love was always for the country, next for the army, and last for the family. Still, given the greatness of the first two, being in third place wasn't so bad. I was a poor husband but an outstanding Emperor. To her credit, she was raised as royalty and understands best of all that our lives are not our own. Our duty demands sacrifice for the betterment of our people. It is the burden of leadership that good rulers understand and poor ones reject. She is a good empress and has embraced the concept to her eternal loneliness.

She is a great woman and does not receive the appreciation she deserves.

Before departing the city, I stop and offer prayers at the high alter of Hagia Sofia. I ask God for just a little more time before He claims my soul for whatever fate He determines. Just please grant me a few more years to see my enemies of old vanquished. Time to take back the city of Rome from the false Latins and reclaimed for His true servants. I can only hope He has heard my request and will look upon it favorably.

Following my visit to the Hagia Sofia, I depart the city for what I am sure will be the last time. The populace turns out and lines the route out of the city. Many cheers are shouted and many prayers are offered for the success of the campaign. The children run alongside our columns, women throw flowers in front of us, and the men look upon us with envy. It is gratifying to see so many turn out to wish us well but we march with grim determination and cannot be distracted by such soft emotions.

I pause only once more as we exit the city to see the Golden Gates closed behind me. The sound of the bolts being slid home is one of the most mournful sounds I have ever heard in my life. I bid farewell to Constantinople, the beating heart of our Empire, the center of culture and learning, and the source of our strength.

The march across Thrace, Thessaly, and Greece is quick and I arrive at Durazzo ahead of all but the fleetest of my troops. A good portion of the Imperial Army had returned with me for retraining at their homelands and they have rallied here for the trip across the Adriatic. Due to the haste in mobilization, I bring only cavalry as we cannot wait for our slower infantry to join us. We are not as strong as we could be as many more troops are moving by ship and land to join up with me but I will have to make do with what I have for now. An old man cannot wait so long for everything to be perfect - for nothing ever is. Still, I will make my way to Italy with some of the best troops the Empire can produce. I have no less than three companies of Scholarii heavy cavalry, four companies of Cavalarii horse archers, one of the Archontopoulai, and (most welcome) the mercenary company of War Elephants. My insistence of bringing these great beasts for my Triumph a few years ago has now borne unexpected fruit. We will see how the noble heavy cavalry of Europe will deal with my Scholarii and Elephants. It should be truly a struggle of titans.

Before the crossing of the Adriatic, I have time to receive the strategic reports from the other sectors of the Empire. We are active on many fronts and it takes some time to parse through all the accounts.

To my immediate north, the Venetians have put our new city of Zagreb under siege.

I should have known that the Venetians would try to take advantage of our weakened position to strike. Ours is an old hatred and it runs very deep. Their timing, as usual, has been impeccable. The garrison in the city consists solely of some artillery crews that were left behind by the Hungarians when they abandoned the city after the Land Settlement of 1529. I am too far away to ride there myself. So, I have given orders for one of our new generals, Kosmos, to assemble an army and make for their relief. Still, I have little hope he will arrive in time.

The Papacy also seems ready to exploit the defeat of Nikodimos and have moved a large army to Bologna.

They have not put the city to siege, yet, but I have little doubt they will do so soon.

In southern Italy, Isidoros has taken heart from my message and resumed the planned offensives against Naples.

I hope to join him before the campaigning season comes to a close.

To the north, Kalamodios is prepared to take Vilnius from the Germans.

This holding of Germany marks the extreme northern part of that "empire" and they have only a small garrison. If Kalamodios is successful, then we will have removed the Germans from the north for good.

The two fronts of the Novgorodian Front should also see action this year. Benedek reports that he is ready to make his final march to Smolensk.


On the eastern side of the Novgorodian Front, Vitos has left Sarkel and is marching north to Serdobinskaya.


Of course, our wars with the Muslim nations continues unabated. I have given Aleksios permission to leave Alexandria and take ship for the west in order to seize the fortress city of Benghazi on the north African coast.

By all reports, the Moors' war with Spain goes poorly. If we can take this fortress, then we will not only have removed one more Muslim holding but also secured a stout bulwark against the Spanish progression east; not to mention making a big stride in removing another Muslim power.

In the far east, Ioannis has paused in Baghdad and is consolidating his position there before moving on to Basra. The other side of the Persian front is held by Genessios and he provides my first report of battle for the year. It seems that over the winter, he was attacked by two large armies of Persians who were attempting to blunt his advance south.

Third Battle of Tabriz - January, 1530 AD.

Spoiler for Third Battle of Tabriz: 

From Battle Report Filed by Genessios Ksiros to Emperor Skantarios 1530 AD.

Father, while I was making my preparations for the assault to Kermanshah last year, I was obliged to pull back towards Tabriz due to the large forces of Persians in my path. I moved to favorable terrain while I awaited additional troops. The Persians were not content to await my assault but instead followed me here and brought me to battle.

The first force was obviously meant to be the supporting attack. However, they were led by a mere captain who was too eager to win the glory for himself and stumbled into our lines before their main army was in position. Once they did that, their brothers were then obliged to support the attack.

The first army consisted of one company of noble Khawerzm heavy cavalry, two companies of heavy spearmen, and one of heavy archers. They were balanced but small.

The main army was packed with cavalry.

They fielded no less than five companies of heavy cavalry, five companies of Ghulams, two companies of gunners, two of militia spearmen, and one each of halberds, heavy spearmen, and heavy archers.

The main force was led by a young general named Cuneyd Salgurlu.

He was yet another in a long string of low-born captains raised up as a general to replace the many nobles killed in battle against us. He was unremarkable in most ways but did have a respectable military education.

The Second Army was not up to the strength I would have liked as we were still too heavily weighted in infantry.

We did have five companies of horse archers but they were of the inferior Turkish variety and had only short range bows. To compensate for their limited range, we augmented them with two companies of Turkish foot archers, one of Mouratai, one Mangonel, and two Grand Bombards. For infantry, we had seven companies of heavy infantry but, of those, only two were armed with spears. The rest were vulnerable to cavalry being armed only with swords. I should note that the irony was not lost on me that, after battling the Turks for so many years, my own army was now composed of almost half ethnically Turkish soldiers only recently converted to Christianity.

Our greatest advantage was the terrain. I chose the highest hill in the area and set up a defensive position. This gave us the advantage of height and increased range with our missiles. Also, the enemy infantry would be tired climbing to meet us and their horse would not be able to mount an effective charge.


I ordered the Turkish horse archers to move down the hill and put the first army under fire as they attempted to climb the hill.

The arrows of the horse archers added to the misery of armored troops trying to climb a tall hill in the blazing sun.

As soon as they were in range of the artillery, I ordered the bombards to open fire. Most of their shots missed but the effect of blazing cannon balls descending on them had a powerful effect on the morale of the Persians.


To the Persians' credit, they pressed on with their attack. However, to the Persians' shame, they broke after offering only a token fight to our rested and disciplined infantry.


The Persian captain dithered far too long waiting on his infantry to climb the hill. He succumbed rather easily to concentrated arrow fire from our Turks.


With the loss of their captain, the first Persian army broke as a group. Our men had an easy time chasing them down the hills and capturing scores of them.

I did not allow the infantry to get out of hand and tire themselves running up and down the hills. After a short pursuit, I ordered them back into lines and to resume their defensive formation. The horse archers chased down these who had outrun the infantry.

We had little time to savor our victory, though, as the main Persian army had now formed up and made their own long climb up the hill.

Our horse archers hoped to repeat their earlier success and took up position on either flank and harassed them with arrows as they climbed. To my delight, I noted that the Ghulams were particularly vulnerable to the arrow fire and they dropped by the dozens.

When the second Persian army was in range, I again ordered the cannons and Mangonels to open fire. The cannons had now found the range and they scored some impressive hits.


One of the most impressive hits came against the bodyguard of Cuneyd. In one devastating double hit from the cannons, he lost over half his bodyguard.


Our archers poured fire from their position at the top of the hill and brought down many of the Persians before they could even get in range with their guns or archers. However, no amount of arrow or shot could stop so many and soon the enemy cavalry reached our lines. Again, the terrain favored us and we faced not a devastating charge but, instead, fatigued armored cavalry that walked into our lines.

Our swordsmen were at a disadvantage but we still slew the enemy cavalry in impressive numbers.

I ordered our foot archers behind the lines to concentrate on Cuneyd. I was rewarded when he fell in full view of his lines as he was hit by over a score of arrows in short succession.


The impressive Persian army was now nothing more than a disorganized mob more interested in saving their skins than fighting a battle. What few continued to our lines were met by a powerful downhill charge of the infantry that completely broke their ranks and sent them scurrying down the hill.


We pursued them with great vigor and only a pathetic few were swift enough to escape.

The battle turned out to be much easier than I had anticipated. Perhaps the reports from Ioannis on the martial ability of the Persians were true after all.

I offered up the over six hundred prisoners for ransom.

Spoiler for Prisoners: 

Unsurprisingly, the Persians refused.

It took us the entire afternoon to "dispose" of them properly.

Now that the entire Persian army on their northern border has been destroyed, the path to Kermanshah is now relatively clear.

I will make my way there with best speed and assault at the first opportunity.

With luck, my next report will come from inside the walls of Kermanshah!

- Genessios.

I had worried that Genessios's long absence from battle might have dulled his abilities. Based on his report, I see now that I needn't have been concerned. He is still one of the best generals in the Empire and is more than capable of winning battles. I have no doubt he will be successful in taking the city.

Now that I am fully apprised of the military situation in the Empire, I can commence getting my own army into the fight. I make the crossing of the Adriatic without difficulty and put in just north of Bari. My men are tired from the long crossing but I force them to press on. We shall march off the extra pounds that my men have accumulated during their long absence from battle. Also, I want my presence in Italy to come like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky for the Sicilians and the Pope. They must have no time to prepare. Surprise is our ally and I intend to use it.

Being in Italy fills me with a variety of emotions. Although I have never been here before, I feel I know these lands. The country is the stuff of legends and fills our histories and story books. It is the ancient birthplace of the Roman Empire. These lands saw so much greatness in the past but have now been reduced to a caricature of their former glory. These lands gave birth to men like Scipio, Marius, Caesar, and Augustus. They produced the armies of the ancient empire that conquered the world. Now, they breed nothing but treachery and intrigue. They are split between no less than six of the great powers of the world. We own the east coast from Bari to Bologna. On the west coast, the Sicilians (or more accurately, the Normans) own Naples. The Pope controls Rome and Pisa. To the northeast, Venice still rules their greatest and last city and the surrounding territory. In the northwest, France controls Milan and Spain controls Genoa. Truly, this land is like a nest of vipers resolute against us. I come now to unite these lands and bring them back into the fold of the Roman Empire once more.

I make full speed to join up with Isidoros for the assault on Naples. We send no messengers ahead of us and stop for nothing as we make our way west across the boot of Italy. We make it to Naples just as Isidoros is putting the finishing touches on his siege equipment.

The speed of our advance catches even Isidoros's men by surprise. There are some tense moments as we cross the last rise before the city. The remnants of the Army of the West had thought themselves abandoned in Italy and on their own. They simply can't believe their eyes when a large force under the banner of Rome approaches. Perhaps they believed it a trick of the Sicilians or the Papacy (men who are easily capable of such duplicity). They even form up lines as if to offer battle!

I call a halt to the army and ride out before our vanguard. I parade slowly past the lines of Isidoros's men and stop only a few feet before his most forward company of spearmen. Pausing for a moment, all is dead silence. Removing my helmet, I call out to his men, "Is this how you greet your Emperor!?" At that, a tremendous cheer erupts from Isidoros's ranks and our two armies rush forward and embrace each other as brothers. I make my way to Isidoros and grasp him by his shoulders. He is my nephew by adoption and, now that his father is dead, I consider him now one of my own sons. His relief at seeing me is palpable and I even detect a tear(?) of joy or relief welling up in his eyes. I assure him that everything is alright now. We will slay these Sicilian bastards together.

The next morning, we do just that.

Battle of Naples - August, 1530 AD.

Spoiler for Battle of Naples: 

From Battle Report Filed by Emperor Skantarios to Imperial Archives - 1530 AD.

The Sicilian garrison for their capitol is capable but small and led by their young king.

They have two companies of militia spear, one of halberd militia, two of crossbows, and one of the professional Sergeant spearmen.

King Bernardo is here and is the commander of the city.

He is a young man of great renown as a tactician. I reflect for a moment that our war with the Sicilians/Normans has drug on for so long that the first blows were struck before this man was even born. What a terrible world we live in.

Our army is a mixture of my tired veterans brought over from Greece and Thrace and Isidoros's men.

We have only a few companies of heavy infantry backed up by one company of mercenary spearmen and one company of archers. We do have a large number of heavy cavalry, both Roman and mercenary, as well as horse archers. Not the ideal arrangement for a city assault but we have little choice.

Isidoros has been able to construct the bare minimum of siege equipment.

It will be enough.

To take advantage of the small garrison, I send the infantry I have to man the siege equipment and disperse them along the entire length of the eastern walls. The Normans will have to match our deployment with their infantry and thereby, I hope, weaken their defense at the gates.

I arrange the army with the heavy cavalry facing the main gate in three divisions.

I command the lead division with the Scholarii and elephants.


Isidoros commands the second wave of cavalry with his bodyguard, the Pronarii, and the mercenary Condottieri. The third wing is made up of the horse archers. They will only be called upon should the enemy attempt to take up positions in the city square.

My pulse quickens at being in command of an army again before battle. It has been so long that I had begun to forget the sense of excitement and anticipation before the signal for battle is given.

The frustrating life at court seems so far away now. I have regained my sense of purpose. I am home.

I send the mercenary spearmen forward with the battering ram to force an entrance into the city. They will take the heaviest casualties as befitting their station and their ability.

The enemy shoot some fire arrows in a rather pathetic attempt to set our ram on fire. It is hopeless and serves only to show their impotence.

As expected, King Bernardo has thinned his lines and now holds the gates with only two companies of militia spearmen and his own bodyguard.


I send my spearmen forward with the siege tower to keep the rest of the enemy infantry pinned down as our mercenaries batter their way through the gates.

I don't need them to do much more than to occupy the Normans and keep them away from the coming fight at the gates.

After a few minutes of battering away, the ram breaks through the gates and the mercenary spearmen move forward where they are met by Bernardo and his bodyguard. It is an uneven fight and our mercenaries go down by the dozen while taking only a few of the armored horse with them.


I turn to Isidoros and send him forward with his cavalry division to reinforce our mercenaries and force a path through. He charges forward with gusto and a desire to avenge his father.


The fight at the gates is prolonged as the enemy spearmen prove unexpectedly tough fighting against our heavy horse and mercenaries.


When I am sure that Isidoros will be unable to break the stalemate on his own, I spur my own horse forward and plunge into battle with my bodyguard and the elephants.


This last surge proves too much for the Normans. The elephants literally push away the enemy horsemen and spears and create a breach for our cavalry. The Normans have never seen these beasts before and I delight in seeing the terror they strike into their hearts.

In the resulting crush of elephants and heavy horse, Bernardo goes down and is trampled by dozens of hooves.

Spoiler for King is Dead: 

Seeing their king fall, the militia at the gate panic and attempt to find safety inside the city. Our men pursue and run them down in the narrow streets of the city.


Some enemy crossbowmen attempt to find a firing position against us and I decide to deal with them personally.

The Sword of Constantine seems to sing out as I swing it down again and again into the weak helmets of these light troops. It has been bloodied once more.

The fight on the walls has reached a stalemate as I knew it would. To break this up and complete the conquest of the city, I send the elephants around and have their gunners fire into the packed ranks of the defenders.

Seeing their brothers shot in the back combined with the continuing pressure of the spearmen is at last too much and the defenders break.

We allow none of them to reach safety.

Our casualties were somewhat high but over half of them came from the mercenary spearmen and Condottieri. Acceptable losses for such a rich prize.

With the capture of the Norman capitol, they have only the island of Sardinia left to them. I send a small force of ships to blockade their port and ensure that we are not troubled by them anymore as I deal with the rest of Italy.

My men are utterly exhausted by the long march in Greece, a sea journey, another march through Italy, and fighting a battle at the end. They can continue no farther and so I am content to let them recover in the welcoming confines of Naples. I will need them rested and ready for next season when I intend to march on Rome itself!

I am concerned about how the Spanish will react now that I am in Italy. I send a very small force south to the "toe" of the peninsula. They will not be able to stop the Spanish but will make them commit to war early should they decide to invade.

Also, I receive reports that there is still a sizeable Norman army to the south.

They are now stranded in Italy as we have blasted every Norman fleet in the area. Even so, if they move north, they will stand in the way of the reinforcements I have flowing in from Greece and could cause trouble for us. I will set my spies to keep an eye on them. Perhaps I shall have to deal with them myself before moving on Rome...

While I rest in the city, I am able to receive more reports from the other battles that took place this year. The first I receive comes from Kalamodios. He has completed his march to Vilnius and moved straight to the assault!

Battle of Vilnius - August, 1530 AD.

Spoiler for Battle of Vilnius: 

From Battle Report Filed by Kalamodios Kymineianos to Emperor Skantarios, 1530 AD.

The march to the fortress went without event. The Germans had sent over half of their garrison east to guard against the Hungarians. Apparently, it never entered their minds that we would still pursue battle with them now that we had traded away our northern provinces. Their error was most costly.

I did not bother to lay in siege lines and move straight to the assault as soon as we came upon the fortress. I have dragged our trebuchets through mile after mile and did not wish to waste the effort put forth by simply waiting a season building towers and rams. Also, I did not wish to allow the rest of the garrison to return before the assault.

The garrison was, as noted earlier, depleted.

They had but three companies of troops. They consisted of one experienced company of foot knights, one of crossbows, and one company of mercenary Prussian spearmen.

Our army was truly a polyglot formation consisting of various local troops, mercenaries, and professionals.

Of Roman troops, we had only two companies of depleted Pronarii, one of Cavalarii, one understrength company of Scoutarii spearmen, and one of mounted Acritae. We also had one company of Serbian heavy cavalry, one company of Bulgarian archers, two companies of Lithuanian archers, and one company each of depleted spearmen, woodsmen, and macemen. We knew we were the dregs of the Roman Army - and were proud of it!

I sent the trebuchets in as soon as they were unpacked and ready. We caught the garrison unprepared and, while they were still forming up, rolled the artillery right up to the walls and started to smash a hole through the outer defenses.


As soon as a breach was formed, I sent the infantry and cavalry streaming through.


The Germans attempted to pull back to the inner defensive ring but my fast moving cavalry were able to catch them before they could close the gates!

The Serbs fought very well but could not force their way through the Prussians and began to take unacceptable losses.

I pulled the Serbs back and set our horse archers and mounted Acritae to firing point blank into the Prussians as they attempted to maintain their "plug" on the gates.

The German heavy infantry had not been as swift as the Prussians and my bodyguard battled them just outside the gates. It was a tough fight but as soon as the Pronarii joined my men, we were able to bring them all down - including their captain.


The loss of their captain and the concentrated fire of the archers proved too much and the enemy broke and ran.


We pursued closely and caught them before they could find shelter. The fortress is ours!

I will remain here for the remainder of the year to establish order and forestall any attempt by the Germans to reclaim the fortress for themselves.

We are now cut off from the rest of the Empire. The Hungarians are to the east and we now border the Teutonic Order to the west and Novgorod to the north. Please advise where next you wish me to attack.

- Kalamodios.

Now that the Germans are driven out of northeast Europe, I need to decide where to send Kalamodios. Also, I need to decide what to do with territory we have gained. I could give it to the Hungarians to improve our relations but that seems too simple a use. I could trade it to Novgorod for peace but it seems we now have them on their heels and I want to make sure that we break their power for good. I shall consider it for a while longer. For now, though, I send word for the garrison troops released from duty in the north due to the Land Settlement of 1529 to make their way to Kalamodios and help secure his position. When they arrive, I order him to make ready to move south. It is time we finished the pagan Lithuanians once and for all.

I have no sooner sent this message when I receive the next report of battle. It comes from Vitos on the eastern Novgorodian Front. He has taken the Third Army and attacked the Novgorodians near Serdobinskaya!

Battle of Serdobinskaya - September, 1530 AD.

Spoiler for Battle of Serdobinskaya: 

From Battle Report Filed by Vitos Vasilidas to Emperor Skantarios - 1530 AD.

The Novgorodians commander, Vselovod, made the mistake of leaving a small force outside the walls of the fortress. I decided to see if his foolishness would go so far as to support that company should I attack them. To my great joy, he was indeed such a fool.

The small force outside the fortress consisted of only once company of cavalry militia.

I can only surmise that they were outside the city on some kind of scouting mission as there seemed to be no other good reason why they would not shelter inside the fortress's walls.

The garrison of the city consisted mostly of professional cavalry.

They had three companies of Druzina and one company of noble heavy cavalry (Heavy Boyars). Rounding out the garrison was one company of heavy swordsmen.

They were "led" by Vselovod Novgorodskii.

He was a noble son of the royal house who had, as his kinsmen, named himself after his country. For someone of such a young age and limited experience to be in charge of such an important province shows that the nobility of the country must be decimated.

The Third Army was still not up to strength as I had been obliged to leave many of my men in along the coast for garrison duty.

We had two very experienced companies of Cavalarii horse archers and one each of Turkish, Cuman, and Kazak horse archers. For infantry, we had only two companies of depleted Scoutarii with some mercenary and Cuman axemen for support.

Our horse archers leapt forward as soon as the militia cavalry came into view.

These men offered almost no resistance and were shot to pieces in only a few minutes.

In short order, the entire company had been wiped out - including their captain.


Vselovod must have been unaware of the fate of the militia or he was just too stubborn to retreat when given the chance. Either way, he continued his advance against us and our horse archers took up the challenge.

They attempted to use the hills to shield them from our horse archers. However, it only served to slow their advance and prolong their exposure to our swift steppe soldiers.

The weak armor of the Druzina cavalry offered little protection against our composite bows and the horses and men seemed to melt away under the onslaught.


With their flanking cavalry annihilated, our horse archers were free to concentrate their fire on Vselovod and his bodyguard.

His armor offered only slightly better protection and, in short order, he was felled by a dozen direct hits; a pointless end to such a short life.

Spoiler for Vselovold Killed: 

The garrison was now denied their general and most of their cavalry. I decided to end this battle myself and sent my bodyguard charging against their heavy infantry.


In the last moments of their lives, I wonder what went through their heads as they saw my men descending upon them. Whatever it was, it was cut short as my heavy horse smashed into them with a devastating impact.


For those who have lived so close and fought so long against warriors of the steppes, it seems they have learned nothing. How they have survived this long against the Mongols is truly a mystery. The battle was over quickly and we lost almost no one.


With the garrison slaughtered and the governor dead, the fortress offered no resistance. I have merely occupied the fortress and have already begun the process of recruiting new troops. I should be able to continue north early in the new year.

- Vitos.

Vitos is having an unexpectedly easy time against the Novgorodians in the east. He should just be careful that he doesn't get too cocky. Not every battle will be fought against a teenager with more courage than wisdom.

The next report comes from my other son, Genessios. He has now moved south and made his assault on Kermanshah!

Battle of Kermanshah - October, 1530 AD.

Spoiler for Battle of Kermanshah: 

From Battle Report Filed by Genessios Ksioros to Emperor Skantarios - 1530 AD.

Following my victory earlier this year, the entire northern defenses of the Persians were destroyed. Therefore, I had a very easy time on my march south and made my way to Kermanshah without difficulty.

The garrison of the city consisted entirely of new levies.

They had three companies of militia halberds, three of gunners, and one company of Ghulam heavy cavalry.

They were led by a general who went only by the name Mahmud.

He was an experienced general of noble birth - a rare commodity in the Shahdom these days.

There was another small force outside the city that was composed entirely of militia.

They had three companies of halberds and two of spears.

The Second Army was finally up to strength.

We had seven companies of heavy infantry of various types, three companies of archers, and five companies of horse archers. We were weak in shock cavalry but it made little difference in this battle. For artillery, we had two units of Grand Bombards and one of Mangonels.

I started the battle by sending my cannons forward to pound a breach in the walls. When the bombardment commenced, the enemy reinforcements outside the city began moving to support the garrison. Unfortunately for them, they had a long climb to get there.

My horse archers simply had to take up a favorable position at the top of the hill and pour volley after volley into their packed ranks as they ever-so-slowly made their way to the city.

The slaughter was terrible as the enemy fell by the score and left a bloody trail of bodies in their wake.

The Persians began to panic as they saw that their path was blocked and they were merely moving targets for our horse archers. However, even when they began to run, our men easily kept pace and continued to fire.

Soon enough, all that remained of the reinforcements was their captain and a couple of his men. They too fell to the arrow onslaught.

Not a single one of them managed to reach the gates of the city.

Now that the reinforcements were dealt with, I could concentrate on the garrison. The cannons made short work of the walls and opened up one breach and then another.


Since the garrison had no archers, I sent the Mangonels forward to shoot fire over the walls.

Bodies burned by the dozen as the barrels of oil exploded over their packed ranks. The gouts of fire landed in random patterns and fell on those unlucky enough to be selected in this deadly lottery.

Occasionally, a barrel came down intact and landed in a concentrated explosion. When one them fell amongst the enemy, the effects were horrifying.

This was actually a bad shot by the Mangonels as they were aiming at the general's bodyguard.

When the Mangonels had expended their ammunition, I sent in our heavy infantry into the breaches to take on the Persians in close combat.

We swept aside the infantry and were threatening a complete breakout when the Persians sent in their horsemen to stem the tide of our advance.

Fortunately, our spearmen were adept at dealing with these mounted soldiers and they fell quickly. Soon, only Mahmud stood alone against scores of our spearmen.


We hacked away at his heavy armor again and again. He fought bravely but the fight was never in doubt. After only a few moments, Mahmud was killed and joined the rest of his men in death.


With the death of their general, all the fight went out the garrison.

We captured almost 200 of the enemy. However, as there was no governor to offer up a ransom to, they were all executed. I hope the sight of so many executions will show the remaining populace of the city that defiance is futile.

I will remain in the city for the remainder of the year to make sure that the bloody lesson we have just shown them sinks in. I have priests coming in behind us to help show the light to the Muslims. To aid their work, I have demolished the mosque in the city and laid the foundations for a proper Orthodox church.

I will rest and refit the men and should be ready to march north to Alamut in the coming spring.

I understand that you have decided to go to Italy. Please be of great care, we cannot lose you! I will offer prayers for your safety and success.

- Genessios.

So, the campaign against the Persians continues to go well. These easterners are living up to the stereotype of old. They have numbers but no strength. If Ioannis and Genessios keep up this pace, I may yet be rid of this old enemy before I die. I hope that it is so.

The only setback of this year comes close to home. The Venetians have attacked our new city of Zagreb!

Battle of Zagreb - November, 1530 AD.

Spoiler for Battle of Zagreb: 

From Battle Report Filed by Kosmas ek Epidavrou to Emperor Skantarios based on secondhand accounts compiled in 1530 AD.

Sire, I made the best possible speed to relieve the small garrison left in place by the Hungarians last year. However, just as I was making the last few miles to the city, the Venetians attacked!


The Venetian army was composed almost entirely of militia.

They were packed with spearmen but did have two units of crossbows, three of militia cavalry, and one small company of gunners.

Of special note, my spies report that the Pope had sent one of his "priests" as part of the Venetian army.

I can only surmise that the Venetians are now under the control of the Pope and his minions.

The Venetians had constructed some siege equipment.

However, they did not even need to use them as the city was betrayed from within! Some enemy spies must have infiltrated into the city and bribed the gate guards for they were thrown open upon the enemy's advance!

The garrison, if such it could be called, was composed only of artillery crews left behind by the Hungarians and recently enrolled on our pay lists.

These men could never have been expected to hold the city against any type of assault.

From what I can gather, the Venetians sent in their cavalry right away. They blew through the gates and were on our men before they could even form up for a defense.

The only success our men had was setting the Venetian siege tower on fire; though that was a dubious achievement given that our defenses were already compromised.

Within the first few minutes of the attack, Captain Dimitrios was killed by the onrushing cavalry and all semblance of order was shattered.


The Venetian cavalry slaughtered our artillerymen with savage glee. Our men could offer only skant resistance.


Apparently, they were able to get a few rounds off before the cavalry reached all of the crews.


Still, this only delayed the inevitable. The Venetians simply sent in more men and soon all the crews were engaged. It was a short battle and soon our men were put to flight.


The only thing we can take pride in is that the garrison gave as good as it got even with all the odds stacked against them.


The Venetians, as is their way, seemed only interested in plunder and have sacked the city.


I am now in winter camp only a few days march to the city. Rest assured, I will regain the city for us as soon as possible and make the Venetians pay for their treachery and greed.

- Kosmas.

The Venetians...Even saying the name makes me feel dirty. As soon as I have dealt with the Pope, I shall bring a terrible wrath down upon their heads. I once contemplated making those bankers and merchants mere vassals. No more. I will now only be satisfied with making them a minor footnote of history. That floating city in the lagoon will become part of the Empire and their nobility killed to the last man. This I swear.

I authorize Kosmas to hire whatever manpower is necessary to gather a powerful army to beat back the Venetians and retake Zagreb. There are ample mercenaries in the area who will be more than happy to hire themselves out for steady payments of gold. The price will be high but no expense will be spared to regain our honor and wipe out the Venetians!

As I spend the remaining months of the year in Naples, am apprised of the great developments in technology that have been made this year.

Spoiler for Technology of 1530: 

New techniques for forging metal have been discovered.


This has now allowed other developments such as an improved firing mechanism for guns.


These new technologies have caused the tacticians to rethink how troops are employed and armed.

I wonder if the day will soon come when the arrow and the power of armored cavalry will one day be banished from the battlefield. For an old man like me, the thought is abhorrent. I am glad I will not live to see the day when skill and courage are replaced by technology and manufacturing capacity. That is not warfare - that is simply butchery by the richest.

That so many of these technologies are coming from the west is troubling. Perhaps there is something to be said for the learning being done in the universities here. I resolve that I will put instructions out to our major cities to begin the construction of schools and universities to ensure that the true cutting edge of learning will remain in Roman hands.

I do receive some welcome news from Constantinople. The second son of Vasileios has now come of age and is ready to take to the field.

Spoiler for Zinonas: 

I now have two nephews of age who will ensure the Laskaris name for the next generation. Vasileios is a lucky man. I send word for Zinonas to make his way west. He will start out helping us establish control of our new provinces. When he has a little seasoning, then perhaps I will call him to Italy to assist me here.

On the diplomatic front, peace seems to be in the offering for several kingdoms.

Spoiler for Diplomacy 1530: 

It seems that our enemies have decided to stop fighting amongst themselves and concentrate against us. A prudent move done much too late.

The opening phase of our campaign in Italy has gone well. Still, we are surrounded by enemies and the fight will be long and hard. The Pope awaits us to the north and I know that he will soon call upon his minions to move against us. So much the better. It is high time to reclaim our ancient capitol.

In the new year, I shall march on Rome!

- I am Skantarios.

The world as we know it - 1530 AD.


The world as it really is - 1530 AD.

[Skantarios]

Sorry for the long absence. I think you can see from the length of the last post that it took some time to put together. 1531 won't be quite as long so I should be able to have that posted quicker.

Nice... hope that Skantarios will be able to take either Venice or Rome ( much better but it seems like you should also try to avenge against the Venetian... so long since I saw any actions against them ). Try to gain back what Justinian gained in the last campaign perhaps ?

As this shapes up, Justinian is looking like a good analog for what Skantarios is trying to achieve. Still have some ways to go but I think he will be able to match Justinian's empire (with possible exception of foothold in Spain).

Awesome update, but, no map?

Picky, picky. If I find some time, I will go back and edit for a map after 1529. [edit: Done. End of 1529 post now includes maps.]

Burn rome to the ground, even if its the last thing Skantarios do, although Rome is important to the roman empire, it is rome that spawned the evil that hated the New Roman Empire for decades, it is Rome that sat by while Constantinople felt the wrath of Islam twice, it is Rome that spawned the evil that slayed your brother. They deserve no less.

Burn Rome BURN IT TO THE GROUND.

Lots of hostility there. When, and if, Skantarios can take Rome, I will have to think about what he will do. I think there will be little in the way of mercy for the Papacy.

Wow! Three sign ups in two days! You should be very proud of yourself Skantarios!

I am. It is great whenever anyone posts a positive comment (or a constructive criticism). It is even better when this AAR motivates someone to sign in and post their first comment. So, welcome again to Zavid the Brave, Gadfly, and LukeMurgatroyd. Great to have you with us!

The Emperor look extremely young for a man in his sixties. Truly, God guards his path! And your cavalry! That's some serious business right there.

Edit: Speaking of screenshots, how do you take one?

The easiest way is simply to hit the "Prnt Scrn" key during gameplay. That takes a .pgn photo that is saved to the "tgas" folder under the Medieval II Total War folder. I tried Fraps before and it is a great program. I just have just found it easier to use the built-in capability that came with the program. After I have that file, I edit it and convert it to a jpeg, post it to photobucket and then link it to the post. Hope that helps.

Just for the sake of this great AAR, in my next campaign, around the time of death of Skantarios, I will rename a city after him, as a symbol of strenght for my empire and as a sign of respect for the Great Roman emperor. "Unless I play Sicily, now that would be awkward, but if it brings you personal satisfaction, I'll do it "

That would be great. If you do, please feel free to post the photo to this thread. I am sure the Emperor would appreciate it.

Too late, I already did that in my current campaign

Same for you Soulstrider. Please feel free to post the pic if you want. Thanks for the thought.

Anybody else find it odd that he has the Byzantine flag on his shoes?

Funny. Well, the man has pride in his country that goes all the way down to his boots.

Again, I will probably get the next update done late tomorrow or Monday. Not as much action but still some important developments that will be covered.

Spoiler for Next Update: 

Skantarios attacks Rome, Battles of Zagreb and Bari, Another Foe Enters the War

As always, thanks for reading!