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

[StGene]

Kekekekekeke. The Spanish got nothing on Skantarios's Reconquista!

[TaronQuinn]

Superb way of closing this chapter, Skantarios. I don't mean to be anti-Muslim or anti-Catholic here, but I almost wonder what the world would be like if Skantarios had really existed and achieved all this. We'd now have Megas Alexandros, Caivs Jvlivs Caesar, and Skantarios Laskaris as the greatest generals of history. And Skantarios would certainly claim the lion's share of that glory and prestige.

Ah, here's to great deeds and greater AARs!! Prosit!

[Concrete]

^Playing "what if..?" with history is a shortcut to a headache...

[Grouchio]

Not to me! I have a whole book of What Ifs in history that I bought in Seattle!

[Gromovnik]

I think that orthodox church (I mean in this AAR, lol) should canonize Teodoros and Skantarios, and proclaim Skantarios to be equal to apostles. That would be a fitting tribute. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-to-apostles

[Dan the Man]

Excellent! The first bonus update looks great!

[Karnage]

I just read your bonus update, I must say I liked it a lot, it is good to know more of Skantarios prior to his rise to power, it gives us an insight of the man prior to the legend. I'll keep following as usual, although my own AAR is keeping me busy, I will make the time to look this through.

Great work as always

[Exarch]

These questions have become something of a theme. So, what are the plans for the future?

Well, I have thought long and hard about whether to make a sequel to this AAR. I think I will do it at some point. However, that is some ways off. I intend to take an extended break from writing in order to deal with some things in my real life that I have neglected for a while. I have some ideas on what I want to do and would most likely be somewhat different than what I did here. I will probably break it up into the main theaters of engagement rather than a year-by-year/blow-by-blow retelling like I did with Skantarios. So, look for that sometime in the future but I wouldn't hold my breath. We are talking at least a month or two before I even start something like that. I do enjoy this but the time commitment is huge and I just don't have it right now.

As I said earlier, I will be doing at least two more bonus updates for this AAR. The next will be the timeline of the campaign with maps and probably a few battle pictures. Again, no new content but a more concise retelling of the story in a chronological, bullet format. Look for that soon as I have most of it written and now I am just working on the format.

The last bonus update will have some of my favorite moments from the campaign, stats, what I would do differently, and perhaps another few odds and ends. Not really sure how I will structure that but it shouldn't be too far in the future.

Again, I hope you enjoy the back story of Skantarios. Look for the campaign retelling soon.

oh thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!
i need my skantarios hit in the mornings

but rest up, friend it's good that you're commited to a good story and dont want it to go stale

[Argeus the Paladin]

Great news:

My TV Trope Article for this AAR got another sympathizer who has added quite a bit to it.

Seconded by Liquid Uranium: One of the most detailed and well-written works I've ever read. The author devotes an incredible amount of attention to detail, providing screenshots to document the story as it progresses. The amount of skill shown by the author is equally impressive, as he manages to achieve victory despite overwhelming odds. Be warned, though - at a full 35 pages of forum posts, it's not a quick read.

I call for brandy and celebration!

(He took out my Code Geass reference, though. Not that it's a big issue)

[Concrete]

Not to me! I have a whole book of What Ifs in history that I bought in Seattle!

But the complexities!
Even if an area changes hands into a faction following another faith, that might motivate a certain person to believer differently to what they would have otherwise. Which could have infinate possibilites to change the future differently then they did otherwise.
It's a complete Mind to even hypothesize about anything.

[Argeus the Paladin]

It's when anything is possible goes Beyond The Impossible, so yes.

[Beer Money]

I have been off the board for a while but I am catching up. Just freaking brilliant. Lulu this sucker. Print it somehow, Id buy it in 2 seconds as would probably several others here.

Just amazing amazing amazing stuff man.

This goes in the Pantheon of AARs for me.

[Thokran]

Just read your bonus post, and I have to say I loved reading it! It's always good to learn more back story on such an influential character as Skantarios. I can't wait to see the last few bonus posts, though I dread them as well because it'll mark a true end to this wonderful story for the next few months. But hell, you've definitely deserved that rest.

I've said it before, but Bravo!

[strategist.com]

Nice reading. Took me like 3 days to finish them.

Well, IMO in real life your empire would have been dead now. Only existing on history books and memories.

[Skantarios]

The Illustrated Timeline of the Laskaris Restoration
1450 - 1540 AD

1450

Spoiler for 1450: 

February
o Assassination of Emperor Constantine XI by his brother, Demetrios

March
o Assassination of Demetrios by Theodoros and Skantarios Laskaris
o Coronation of Emperor Theodoros Laskaris

Spoiler for Theodoros Laskaris: 

Spoiler for Skantarios Laskaris: 

Spoiler for Anna Laskaris: 

April
o Declaration of War between Romans and Venice and Romans and Seljuk Turks

1451-1455

Spoiler for 1451-1455: 

1451
o Skantarios fights the Battles of Athens and Crete and secures both provinces for the Empire

1454
o Thessalonica reclaimed by Skantarios

1455
o First Battle of Constantinople
o Nikodimos Komnenos (Laskaris) adopted by Emperor Theodoros

Spoiler for Nikodimos: 

o Cease Fire with Venice

1456-1460

Spoiler for 1456-1460: 

1458
o Skantarios lifts the siege of Thessalonica and conquers the fortress of Arta

1459
o Second Battle of Constantinople
o Skantarios weds Maria Arpadhazi and secures alliance with Hungary

Spoiler for Maria: 

o War with Venice resumes
o Skantarios seizes Scopia

1461-1469

Spoiler for 1461-1465: 

1460
o War with Egypt and Papal States (secret alliance)

1463
o Fourth Battle of Thessalonica marks the first defeat of a Janissary army by Roman Forces in an open field engagement

1465
o Doge Pietro of Venice killed by Skantarios

1466
o Doge Barbus of Venice killed by Skantarios

1467
o Skantarios fights the First and Second Battles of Durazzo and secures the city for the Empire

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

1468
o Skantarios conquers Ragusa

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Ragusa and Durazzo traded to Hungary in exchange for Sofia
o Skantarios receives the Sword of Constantine from Emperor Theodoros

Spoiler for Sword of Constantine: 

1469
o Papal Crusade to Granada

1470-1480

Spoiler for 1470-1479: 

1472
o Skantarios fights the Battle of Bucharest and secures the city
o Theodoros sallies from Constantinople and seizes Adrianople

1473
o Successful defense of Adrianople

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Vasileios Laskaris comes of age in Constantinople

Spoiler for Vasileios Laskaris: 

1474
o Third Defense of Constantinople (first use of the Siphonatores)

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Emperor Theodoros assassinated.

Spoiler for Death of Theodoros: 

o Skantarios becomes Emperor.

Spoiler for New Emperor: 

o Vasileios becomes Heir/Diadohos

1478
o First Jihad declared on Constantinople

Spoiler for Jihad!: 

1479
o Skantarios assaults Brasov and takes the citadel
o War declared on Roman Empire by Mongols and Khwarezm (Persia)

1480
o Genessios Ksiros adopted by Emperor Skantarios

Spoiler for Genessios: 

o Anna Laskaris weds Benedek Buzad of Hungary

Spoiler for Benedek: 

o War declared by Kievan Rus when they lay siege to Bucharest

1481-1484

Spoiler for 1481-1484: 

1481
o Fourth successful defense of Constantinople from the Turks
o Skantarios fights four battles in succession against Kievan Rus culminating with seizure of Iasi
o Sicilians invade Greece and lay siege to Arta (war declared with Sicily)

1482
o Successful defense of Arta

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

1484
o Skantarios fights the First, Second, and Third Battles of the Counter-Jihad defeating two armies of Egyptians and one of Mongols

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Genessios assaults and takes Canakkale (marks first return of Roman forces to Anatolia in over 100 years)
o War declared by Moors (now at war with all Muslim nations)

1485-1489

Spoiler for 1485-1489: 

1485
o Skantarios Fights the Fourth (Egyptians) and Fifth (Turks) Battles of the Counter-Jihad

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1486
o Skantarios Seizes Nicaea

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1487
o Skantarios fights the Sixth Battle of Counter-Jihad (Egyptians) and seizes Ankara

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

1488
o Skantarios fights the Seventh Battle of Counter-Jihad (Moors)

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Vasileios defends Constantinople for fourth time in the Eight Battle of Counter-Jihad (Persians)

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Genessios defeated in Battle of Smyrna (southern front collapses)

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

1489
o Skantarios fights the Ninth (Egyptians) and Tenth (Moors) Battles of the Counter-Jihad
o Likenia Laskaris (oldest daughter of Skantarios) comes of age

Spoiler for Likenia: 

1490-1494

Spoiler for 1490-1494: 

1490
o Skantarios fights the Eleventh (Turks), Twelfth (Mongols), and Thirteenth (Moors) Battle of the Counter-Jihad

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Skantarios fights and wins the Battle of the Bosporus against the Turks – Imperial Army is virtually destroyed

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1491
o Fourteenth (and last) Battle of the Counter-Jihad won by Vasileios in successful defense of Constantinople
o First Jihad Defeated

Spoiler for Failed Jihad: 

o Ankara lost to the Egyptians

1492
o Skantarios takes Smyrna

1494
o Skantarios assaults and takes Isparta
o Arta defends against Sicilians
o Vasileios weds Judit Arpadhazi of Hungary (sister of Empress Maria)

Spoiler for Judit: 

o Roman Empire agrees to aid Hungary in war against Holy Roman Empire (Germans)

1495-1499

Spoiler for 1495-1499: 

1495
o Skantarios fights three battles against Egyptians around Ankara

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Skantarios takes back Ankara

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

1496
o Skantarios takes Iconium
o Benedek dispatched against the Germans

1497
o Skantarios defeats a series of Egyptian armies around Iconium and Ankara

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

1498
o Successful defense of Iconium

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Benedek takes Kassa from the Germans and returns it to Hungarian control

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

1499
o Skantarios defeats another series of Egyptian armies around Iconium
o Skantarios decides on raid to Egypt

1500-1504

Spoiler for 1500-1504: 

1500
o Skantarios takes Nicosia

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Empress Maria (Skanarios’s mother) dies in Constantinople

1501
o Benedek takes Esztergom from Germans and returns it to Hungarians

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1502
o Skantarios takes and burns Alexandria and Damietta; detachment from Skantarios’s Imperial Army takes and burns Cairo.

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Egypt in flames.

Spoiler for Strategic Pictures: 

o Nicaea and Iconium successfully defended against Egyptians

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1503
o Seizure and burning of Gaza marks the end of the Great Egyptian Raid.
o War with Lithuania when they besiege Iasi

Spoiler for Lithuanian Siege: 

1504
o Skantarios returns to Anatolia and takes Caesarea

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Cairo reclaimed by Egyptians

1505-1509

Spoiler for 1504-1509: 

1505
o Skantarios takes Adana

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Benedek retakes Kassa for the second time; restored to Hungarian control

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

1506
o Arta successfully defended again from Sicilians

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Benedek continues to clear Hungarian territory of Germans

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Poland destroyed by Germans
o Alexandria, Damietta, and Gaza all reclaimed by Egyptians
o Second Jihad (aka New Jihad) Declared for Constantinople

Spoiler for Jihad: 

1507
o Skantarios takes Antioch, Aleppo, and Tripoli

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Vasilia Laskaris marries Junior King Simon of Hungary (Third Marriage Alliance with Hungary)

Spoiler for Marriage of Vasilia: 

1508
o Vitos takes Sinope

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1509
o First Battle of New Jihad: Moorish fleet sunk in Bosporus
o Siege of Nicaea lifted by Vasileios

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Arta again successfully defended against Sicilians

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Iasi successfully defended by Kalamodios against Germans

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Adrianople rechristened as Theodorium in honor of Emperor Theodoros

1510-1515

Spoiler for 1510-1515: 

1510
o Skantarios takes Damascus and Jerusalem

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Destruction of the Dome of the Rock
o Genessios takes Acre

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Vitos takes Trebizond – Anatolia restored to the Roman Empire

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Benedek defends Kassa against Germans in joint battle with Hungarians

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1511
o Skantarios takes Kerak and Al-Aqaba

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Genessios takes Gaza
o Alliance formed with Genoa

1512
o Skantarios takes Tayma and begins the drive for Mecca
o Second and Third Battle of New Jihad
o Sixth Battle of Arta

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Battle of the Euphrates

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1513
o Skantarios takes and burns Medina (Destruction of Muhammad’s Birthplace)

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Genessios takes Damietta
o Benedek takes Halych
o Fall of the Egyptian Sultanate – Egyptian and Turkish Empires combine to form the Ottoman Empire

Spoiler for Ottoman Empire: 

1514
o Skantarios takes and destroys Mecca (Destruction of Ka’aba)

Spoiler for Battle of Mecca: 

o Genessios takes Cairo and Alexandria
o Fourth Battle of New Jihad
o Benedek defends Halych against Germans

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Kalamodios defends Iasi against Kievan Rus

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Nikodimos takes Bari; Marks first return of Roman forces to Italy in 500 years

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

1515
o Ioannis takes Edessa
o Fifth (Turks), Sixth (Turks), Seventh (Mongols), and Eighth (Persians) Battles of New Jihad

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1516-1520

Spoiler for 1516-1520: 

1516
o Launching of Campaign Plan to Destroy Ottoman Empire and Finish War in the North

Spoiler for Campaign Plan: 

o Skantarios takes Qarisiya

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Benedek fights three battles at Zhyotomyr and takes the city from Lithuanians

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Successful Defense of Trebizond

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Ninth and Last Battle of New Jihad fought against Mongols

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Nikodimos takes Ancona
o Second Jihad is Over

Spoiler for Second Jihad: 

1518
o Skantarios takes Mosul

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

1519
o Skantarios clears bridgehead across Euphrates River

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Genessios takes Diyarbakir

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Vitos takes Caffa

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Aleksios takes Luxor (Ottomans expelled from Egypt)
o Benedek begins drive for Kiev

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

1520
o Skantarios takes Yerevan

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Vitos takes Tmutarakan

1521-1525

Spoiler for 1521-1525: 

1521
o Skantarios takes Tabriz

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Benedek takes Kiev

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o (Kievan) Rus become vassal state of Roman Empire
o Ancona retaken by Sicilians

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

1522
o Skantarios takes Baku

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Genessios takes Kutaisi

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Qarisiay defended from Persians
o Vitos takes Azaq – Ottoman Empire now reduced to only Tbilisi

1524
o Benedek takes Mensk from Lithuanians

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1525
o Skantarios takes Tbilisi

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Destruction of Ottoman Empire/Seljuk Sultanate

Spoiler for Turks Destroyed: 

o Nikodimos retakes Ancona

1526-1530

Spoiler for 1526-1530: 

1526
o Likenia and Vitos wed

Spoiler for Marriage: 

o Skantarios parts with Genessios and Vitos for the last time
o Skantarios retires to Constantinople
o Novgorod lays siege to Azaq – War with Novgorod
o Efthymios Laskaris (eldest son of Vasileios and future heir) comes of age

1527
o Ioannis fights furious campaign in East to defend border from Persians
o Vitos lifts siege of Azaq from Novgorod

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Benedek defeats two armies of Novgorod

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1528
o Ioannis fights three battles to take Baghdad

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1529
o Benedek takes Polotsk from Novgorod

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Benedek lifts German siege of Mensk

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Nikodimos takes Bologna

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Kalamodios takes Hrodna from Lithuania

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Vitos takes Sarkel

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Nikodimos killed and Army of the West destroyed outside Pisa by Papal forces

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Skantarios comes out of retirement and marches for Italy
o Romano-Hungarian Land Settlement of 1529

Spoiler for Map of Land Exchange: 

Eastern European Holdings Pre-Romano/Hungarian Land Settlement of 1529


Roman Eastern European Land Holdings after the Settlement.

1530
o Skantarios takes Naples; Sicilian King Bernardo Killed; Sicilians expelled from Italy

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Kalamodios takes Vilnius

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Vitos takes Serdobinskaya

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Genessios defeats large Persian army near Tabriz

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Genessios takes Kermanshah

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1531-1535

Spoiler for 1531-1535: 

1531
o Skantarios defeats last Norman army in Italy

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Skantarios lays siege to Rome
o Benedek takes Smolensk

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Venetians take Zagreb
o Spanish declare war on Roman Empire and come to the aid of the Pope

1532
o Skantarios destroys Papal armies outside Rome; Pope Nicolaus is killed by Skantarios in individual combat; Rome taken

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Ioannis takes Basra; Persian Empire split

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Aleksios takes Benghazi

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Kosmas retakes Zagreb

1533
o Skantarios destroys Spanish army moving north from Sicily

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Kosmas takes Vienna from Spanish
o Genessios lifts siege of Kermanshah
o Benedek takes Bryansk
o Ioannis assaults Ahvaz

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Princess Anna (sister of Skantarios) Dies

Spoiler for Anna: 

o Peace with Novgorod and Germany

1534
o Skantarios destroys Venetian armies outside Venice; Venice is taken; Republic of Venice is destroyed

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Isidoros invades Spanish Sicily and takes both Syracuse and Palermo

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Kalamodios takes Plock; Lithuanians Destroyed

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Ioannis takes Isfahan

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Land trade with Hungary: Give Vilnius and Plock for Varad

1535
o War with France; Genoa and Rus break alliances with Roman Empire
o Skantarios takes Genoa and Milan

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Genessios takes Ray

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1536-1540

Spoiler for 1536-1540: 

1536
o Skantarios defeats three French armies in northern Italy

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Rus declare war and put Caffa under siege

1537
o Skantarios defeats French Royal Army; Kills French King Godefroy

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Skantarios attacks Genoese at Innsbruck; Destroys Genoese army and kills remaining nobility

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Republic of Genoa destroyed

Spoiler for Genoa Destroyed: 

o Vitos takes Gorgan from Mongols

Spoiler for Battle Picture: 

o Invasion of North Africa: Isidoros takes Al-Mahdiya and Tunis, Aleksios takes Tripoli

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Moors destroyed
o Successful defense of Caffa

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1538
o Skantarios takes Innsbruck from Swiss rebels

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Skantarios defeats Spanish and French armies around Milan

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Skantarios marches on Pisa and the Pope
o Genessios takes Damghan from Mongols

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Ioannis takes Yazd

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1539
o Benedek takes Pereyslav from Rus; Benedek dies in battle

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Skantarios meets with Pope Victor; Treaty of Pisa is signed; Papacy now vassal state of Roman Empire

Spoiler for Pictures: 

o Peace of Skantarios Declared
o Cease Fire with France and Spain
o Alliance with France and Novgorod through royal marriages

Spoiler for Marriages: 

o Bern sold to Roman Empire from France
o Isidoros takes Cagliari

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

o Norman Sicilian Kingdom Destroyed

Spoiler for Sicily Destroyed: 

o Ioannis takes Shiraz

Spoiler for Battle Pictures: 

1540
o February 15 – Skantarios disappears after fall in Swiss Alps south of Bern; Presumed dead

Spoiler for Death of Skantarios: 

Consolidated Campaign Map of the Laskaris Restoration
(Animated in Five-Year Increments: 1450-1540)

Spoiler for Five Year Increments: 

[Karnage]

That pretty much covers it all. Great work Skantarios, as always. For those few who havent read this AAR. I strongly advise you to take the time and read it. It is a true masterpiece.

[Concrete]

Brilliant.
Awesome to see a timeline.

[Dan the Man]

Wow, a complete timeline! Must've taken you a lot of time!
Thanks for making the effort, this is going to be great!

[PringlesMan101]

I love the animated map Skantarios. Now I can see how the Byzantines came from 2 provinces to controlling the world in a kind of movie.

[TemplarX]

Everything looks so believable like it actually happened. Great job, Skantarios!
Also kudos to the game for giving you the possibility to do something like this.