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

  1. #101

    Default Fighting the Jihad and First Foray Into Anatolia

    From the Diaries of Emperor Skantarios.

    April, 1484 AD
    Location: West of Constantinople

    The grueling march back to the capitol is finally complete. We can tell we are close to the enemy not by what our spies and scouts report but by the devastation the Islamic armies have left around the capitol. Farms burnt, livestock killed, and refuse is strewn in every direction. The forces of the Jihad have clearly left their mark on the land even though they have not yet entered the city.

    My spies report that we have, indeed, beat the clock and that the two Egyptian armies are still camped outside the city. Of particular note is that the two Egyptian armies are camped on opposite sides of the city and will not be able to support each other in a battle. There is also a Mongol army hugging the narrow strip of land between the city and the northern shore. However, my diplomats assure me that no alliance exists between Egypt and Mongolia and they will most likely not offer assistance to each other in battle.

    At last we meet the Egyptian in battle! It is time to exact revenge for the murder of my father, Emperor Thoedosos, and begin to fulfill the blood oath I swore against Egypt and all her godless armies.

    After careful consideration, I decide to first attack the Egyptian supporting army.

    First Battle of the Counter-Jihad, May 1484.
    Spoiler for First Battle of the Counter-Jihad

    From Battle Report Filed by Emperor Skantarios to the Imperial Archives.

    The Egyptian forces are strong in infantry but they are critically weak in cavalry and have only a few archers. There lack of balance leaves an opportunity for us to exploit.


    They do have another of these monster cannons - the same as the Rus had in one of the previous battles. The wisdom of my advisors on returning to defend the capitol is now clear as one of these monsters could be more than a match for any wall, even Constantinople's. If this supporting army also breached the walls at the same time as another force assaulted the opposite side, it could very well have been too much for the garrison to defend. However, these cannons in a field battle are nearly useless. Far better to destroy them in the field than feel their power while defending the city.



    Our forces again consist entirely of cavalry. We have some infantry and archer reinforcements at hand from Adrianople but I decide that the forces at hand will be more than sufficient given the enemy's lack of balance and poor strategic positioning.

    Prior to the battle, I draw up the troops below a hill within site of the Egyptians.


    Spoiler for Speech by Emperor Skantarios

    "Men, today we march forth to battle against the heathen armies of Egypt. You have fought many times with me in the past but this is the most important battle of our lives. We fight to preserve not only our capitol but our religion and our very way of life.

    "The men who wish to take this from us are the foul Egyptians. They are an ancient race but one grown own weak and tired and corrupt and enslaved by the wild tribes of the Mamaluks.

    "You all know of the blood oath I have sworn against the Egyptians for the assassination of my father and your emperor. Many of you have joined me in this oath. Today, we strike the first blow. We will show them the price of treachery!

    "We fight not only a war of states, but also of religion. These slaves claim to be fired by the holy wrath of their god. But theirs is a false god! Their false prophets and priest spread nothing but lies and have deceived these men. Now, these masters of falsehood wish to impose their false god on your families, friends, and loved ones. Would you consign all you know to the rape and plunder of these heathen?! Would you betray your own god?! I say NO!

    "Ours is the true God and the true Faith! We are the holy warriors, not them! We will show them the truth of this today in our deeds as we act as the right hand of God. He has sent us. He has brought us together to turn back this plague of falseness. Kill these men and cleanse your souls. Send these demons of the false god to the righteous fires of hell!"



    I open the battle by sending our horse archers to the flanks. The enemy archers lose their nerve and advance too far in front of their spears. My light horse move quickly and charge them before they have a chance to loose one volley or retreat to the safety of their infantry.

    Although we kill many, some do manage to make it back to their spearmen before the cavalry are ordered to disengage. The discipline of our soldiers is fantastic as they are able to disengage mid-charge and dance away from the enemy spears.

    The enemy commander also loses discipline and gets engaged with the noble Pronarii. His rashness has left him terribly alone and the enemy infantry have no hope of supporting him.

    Although the Pronarii lose more than half their number, they succeed in killing the general. The general who was so recently fired with the zeal for Jihad is now just another dead body on the field.

    The infantry, now leaderless and without ranged troops, try desperately to come to grips with our horse archers. The infantry run back and forth but their heavy armor and the fleetness of our horse make their attempts futile.


    My cavalry fire at a distance and then move away before taking casualties.

    This dance of death proceeds for some time as our arrows find the weak points in the enemy's armor.

    In the end, the few survivors huddle together for mutual support. It is to no avail as the Magyars surround them and pour fire into their ranks with impunity.


    The battle is over quickly. We take less than 100 casualties. The enemy is completely destroyed.


    Following our first victory, we move against the Mongol army to the east.

    Second Battle of the Counter-Jihad, June 1484.

    Spoiler for Second Battle of the Counter-Jihad

    From Battle Report Filed by Emperor Skantarios to the Imperial Archives.

    When my scouts report the make up of the Mongol army, I can hardly believe it.

    Where are the horse archers? Where are the fierce Mongol spearmen and foot archers? This sham of an army bears no resemblance to what we have been told of the Mongols. Their only archers are mercenaries recruited from the...Balkans? It seems that this Mongol general, Egishan "the Merciless", has little or no support from his people and has come alone; picking up what few Jihadis and mercenaries he could recruit along the way. Still, he has come all this way for a battle and I am only too happy to oblige.

    My forces are somewhat depleted from the first engagement against the Egyptians but still full of fight and ready for battle.


    I resolve to show these "Mongols" what we have learned from fighting the peoples of the Steppes.

    I open the engagement by having my horse archers circle around to the enemies rear and concentrate their fire on the hapless general and the backs of his infantry.


    The general's bodyguard soon succumbs to the fire of the Cavalarii and only the general's fine armor saves him to this point.


    However, even the best armor has a weak point and the sheer volume of arrows soon finds it.

    He dies a fool's death amid a shower of arrows.

    The leaderless enemy infantry soon lose their cohesion and make easy marks for our cavalry. I lead my own bodyguard against one of these companies. The "Mongol" bodies fly in all directions and melt away under the powerful hooves of our chargers.


    The Magyars then do what they do best, kill large numbers of infantry at range.




    This was no battle, it was a slaughter. The few casualties we suffer come more from our own careless aim than the work of their army. What has become of the Mongol horde? If Genghis or Timur could see this, they would roll over in their graves...


    The ease of this battle fills our men with confidence and we move on to the third Jihad army. Perhaps this one will pose more of a challenge.

    Third Battle of the Counter-Jihad, July 1484.


    Spoiler for Third Battle of the Counter-Jihad

    From Battle Report Filed by Emperor Skantarios to the Imperial Archives.

    This second Egyptian army is clearly more balanced. They have many horse archers and some decent cavalry. Still, they are overweighted in infantry.


    The number of enemy horse archers gives me some pause. I therefore call upon some of the garrison of Adrianople to augment my forces.

    I bring up a Mangonel, some archers, and one company of Javelinmen while leaving behind some of my Magyars. The extra foot archers should counter the enemy's horse archers.

    I also tell Vasileios to remain on the sidelines for this engagement. Better he conserve his garrison's strength for future battles. He does lead his men out, though, to watch from the hills. Should things go poorly for us, he is ready to assist.


    The battle begins with my foot archers and Mangonel engaging in a ranged fight against the Mamaluk horse archers. I advance the mercenary javelinmen forward to act as targets for the enemy arrow fire. The mercenaries earn their pay on this day as the majority of them go down under a hail of enemy arrows. Their sacrifice allows my own missile troops time to bury the enemy horse archers.

    While the ranged fight is going on to the front, my own horse archers sweep around to the flanks and take down the enemy general.


    He dies a quick and early death.


    The rest of the enemy horse range too far in front of their infantry and are swamped by our stout Roman cavalry.

    Their light armor is no match for us and we dispatch them quickly.

    The enemy now focus their attention on my own infantry. The piles of burning bodies show the damage a well-crewed Mangonel can have on slow moving infantry. As soon as the infantry are engaged, my horse charge them from the rear.

    Crushed between the two forces and leaderless, they break as a group.


    Apparently, the zeal of Jihad is only so strong. Though they try to flee, my light horse rides them down.


    The bulk of our losses come from my infantry, especially the javelinmen. The garrison of Constantinople plays no part in the battle but does offer up their congratulations on the victory.

    We have many prisoners and I decide to offer them up for ransom.


    The enemy's response is predictable.

    I decide to let the populace of Constantinople vent their fury at the Muslims and offer up the prisoners for execution to anyone who would care to do the deed. There are no shortage of volunteers.


    The battles are a resounding success and the approach to Constantinople is cleared!


    However, the Jihad is a long way from over and I receive reports that many more armies are on the march here even as we speak. Still, for now, we can revel in the victories and build up our strength for the battles to come.

    My troops enjoy the brief respite and many take their leave to visit the capitol in order to visit friends or family or just to enjoy the adulation of the victors. I also visit the palace for a brief time in order to spend some time with mother and Diadohos Vasileios.

    It is good to be home.

    In light of our success defending the capitol, I turn to the greater strategic situation. I send some units back to Adrianople to replenish their numbers and recruit new troops. Of greater importance though, I authorize Genessios to launch an attack across the straits and seize the fortress of Canakkale. We will need a stable base in order for us to reconquer Anatolia. This offensive has been in the works for some time and we have built up significant forces in Adrianople for just this occassion. The brief respite from Jihad allows us the perfect opportunity to exploit the Turks' weakness and seize a fortress from them before they can respond.

    So, for the first time in over a hundred years, Roman forces are on the march in old Asia Minor!

    Battle of Canakkale - September 1484 AD.

    Spoiler for Battle of Canakkale

    From Battle Report Filed by General Genessios Ksiros to Emperor Skantarios.

    The garrison of the fortress is obviously unprepared for our attack. Their forces are comprised entirely of horsemen.


    The Roman forces consisted of a mix of troops but the only cavalry is provided by my own bodyguard.

    This will be our first use of cannons in an assault. We hope that this new technology will give us an advantage and negate the need to construct siege equipment.

    We begin the engagement by picking out a soft spot in the enemy's walls where the cannon can blast an entrance for us.

    We keep our spearmen close to the cannons to fight against any charge from the enemy horse. Our archers are also prepared should the enemy horse archers attempt to fight us at range.

    After some concentrated fire by our cannons, the walls come tumbling down.


    The enemy retreats into the inner walls and our troops move through the breach.

    The nearest point in the inner walls is next to the enemy's gate. However, their towers cannot fire on us from this position.

    We wheel two cannons right up to the walls and commence firing. The enemy horse archers sally out at one point but are quickly driven back by our archers and spearmen.

    Soon enough, the second set of walls has a complete breach. We are braced for the enemy to charge out against us but, instead, he cowers behind the walls.

    Our cannons are already in perfect position, so I have the gunners switch to "grape shot" and blast away at the enemy cavalry.

    I also have the Mangonel start lobbing Greek Fire over the walls. The combined effect is devastating.

    The enemy loses two thirds of their number at the gate. The remainder are slain by the spearmen.

    It is a surprisingly easy victory. A testament to the value of combined arms attacks.



    With the seizure of Canakkale, we now have a toehold in Anatolia. Roman arms have returned at long last! Our primary mission at this point is to defend the capital from the Jihad. However, we will look out for more opportunities to exploit success in Anatolia. Already, I have ordered my spies to attempt to infiltrate Nicea and Smyrna as well as scouting out the approaches to Ankara. At the very least, this should give us a better idea of the situation in Anatolia as well as notify us of approaching Jihad, Turk, or Egyptian armies.

    I now turn my attention to domestic concerns. I have not written much about the great building projects our new revenue has allowed us to pursue as that was the responsibility and authority of my father. However, with his death, this task now falls to me.

    My father's building priorities (and now mine) follow along several broad principles. First, all of our provinces now have proper Orthodox churches to spread the faith and allow recruitment of our priests. Since we are surrounded by lands that do not follow the true faith, we have need of a great many priests to bring the people back to the true path. Second, we have greatly improved the road network in our lands. All roads are now at least paved and many have been improved to highway status. Romans have always been known for our roads and I intend that they shall return to their former glory. Third, we have greatly expanded our ports to allow trade and allow us (hopefully soon although funds continue to be short) to build up a capable navy. Fourth, we expand the cities and fortresses whenever the population of the province allows and requires it. Fifth, we are expanding the marketplaces of all of our cities to encourage trade (and our tax revenue).

    The first true sign of our growing prosperity is that the city of Athens has recently requested and been granted the funds to expand their city's walls to accommodate their growing population. I am hopeful that Thessalonica will soon follow their example.

    As the year closes, all Romans take pride in the expulsion of Jihad armies from Europe and our success in Anatolia. We are on guard for the next wave of Jihad and will keep a keen eye out for the next opportunity to expand our lands.

    I am Skantarios.

    The world as we know it - 1484 AD.


    The world as it actually is - 1484 AD.
    Last edited by Skantarios; January 21, 2010 at 02:38 AM.
    Read the review of I am Skantarios! in the Critic's Quill here.

  2. #102

    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    Quote Originally Posted by dezikeizer View Post
    Great update. The very reason I suggested you go to the capitol was that there are two Egyptian armies, and if they both have siege equipment then it will be a very difficult fight. Better to make sure that you win.
    Thanks for the advice. When I attacked the supporting Egyptian army, it was shown to be on target. Two breaches in the wall could have spelled disaster. Look for the subtle reference to you in the write up for the first battle.

    @Hobbes and @Supreme Turkey Lord - World maps added. It had been too long since I'd done that.

    @AnthoniusII - Thanks for the link to the Byzantine Roster Project. Made for some interesting reading. Thinking about going back to some of the earlier posts and fleshing those out a little bit with the new information.

    @cisse - I much prefer Siphonores to Mangonels for gate defense. The effects are very similiar but Siphonores are less wild and less prone to inflicting lots of friendly casualties. I still like to use Mangonels for that purpose but only out of necessity. As compared to catapults, both the Mangonel and the Siphonore are far better.

    To everyone in general, it is great to see so many reading this now. My interest was starting to flag a little but now that I know so many have taken an interest, I will press on.

    Thanks for reading!
    Read the review of I am Skantarios! in the Critic's Quill here.

  3. #103
    Concrete's Avatar Semisalis
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    Great update.
    Looking forward to seeing your path of conquest now that the lands west of the Bosphorus are safe(ish), leaving Constantinople with only one front.
    And, it seems that the Turks aren't the devil any more.(Although depending on the strength of the Mongols, hopefully infighing between the Muslims will bring down Egypt.


  4. #104
    cisse's Avatar Civis
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    Very nice battles! Shows again how horse archers are really superior in this game when commanded properly. They do have their disadvantages though, but I still like them as a unit type. Regarding the world map: wow the Turks seem to be doing badly, you could be fighting Egypt for Anatolia instead! Or -especially with Skantarios' wish for revenge- perhaps you could raid the big Eyptian cities of Cairo and Alexandria? Now that cannons are available, raiding gets that much easier. But you'd need a navy for that, to transport an army to Egypt...

    Quote Originally Posted by Skantarios View Post
    @cisse - I much prefer Siphonores to Mangonels for gate defense. The effects are very similiar but Siphonores are less wild and less prone to inflicting lots of friendly casualties. I still like to use Mangonels for that purpose but only out of necessity. As compared to catapults, both the Mangonel and the Siphonore are far better.
    Siphonores are slightly exposed though, catapults can be put right behind your infantry and fire just over their heads into the enemy. Quite effective too, and I prefer this method to using mangonels (too random and can't fire this close). But as I said, I never used Siphonores so... Right now I'm playing a SS 6.2 campaign as the Turks, after that I might play the Byzantines for a change. I'm downloading RR/RC so...
    Last edited by cisse; January 21, 2010 at 01:15 AM.

  5. #105
    Horatius Flaccus's Avatar Biarchus
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    Nice update.

    I support the plan of Cisse to raid the Egyptian coast, maybe by weakening their core provinces they will stop exapanding.

  6. #106
    SirNat's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    nice aar but it just seems to easy, u seem to be just rolling over the enemy everytime with very few loses and that skantarios is just a immortal killing machine, maybe u could give some plot with a couple of 'losses' to show skantarios isn't just a machine and that he is human and he does get beaten, but keep it up though it's very well writen

  7. #107
    Concrete's Avatar Semisalis
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    While greek fire is somewhat overpowered, his streaks of wins are fine, the AI just isn't throwing everything at him yet.
    This is still a game, to be played to the best of one's ability to not lose(barring suicidal family members to purify the bloodline- err, I mean; who said that?)
    Sure, this is a roleplaying AAR, with the goal of reclaiming the old ERE, not look dramatic while doing so.
    Perhaps it would make it more exciting; were he to forcefully lose, but then that would reduce this entire AAR to pure fiction, a lump of text with visual images, the creator having complete control.
    Remember that the Turks would be punishing him twice as hard if they didn't have the Egyptians to contend with at the same time, just wait until he meets them full on.
    However, a suggestion that I may make, a happy medium; is to have you take more risks, and play a lot less conservatively. (Push risky to an extreme.) (Of course keep your conservation skills alive enough to not lose Skantarios.)
    That's my suggestion, I personally don't care, it's fine as it is, it would be fine if you were having more difficulty. Just offering up an idea, consider it or don't, I'll be happy either way.
    It's your story, make no changes and we'll still enjoy it as we have so far.
    (And remember to wait for the Egyptians everyone.)
    Keep up the good work mate.


  8. #108
    dezikeizer's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    Great update. Hopefully you'll be able to reclaim the rest of Anatolia soon. Your tactics with your horse archers in those battles reminds me of why it always was so much fun to play as the Scythians in Rome Total War. As them you can simply shoot the enemy to death!

  9. #109

    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    Working on the next update now. I've played out the next few turns (probably have gotten ahead of myself a little but I'll catch up).

    @SirNat - I hear the criticism. I've played this game quite a bit (even though this is my first AAR) and I have gotten pretty proficient at it. I prefer to play to my abilities and see how things develop. If I lose a battle, then so be it. Not replaying anything so far.

    @Supreme Turkey Lord - Well said. I agree with your position on this.

    Now, for those who are waiting to see some Roman reverses, those are coming. I didn't "throw" any battles but I got surprised on a couple and I may have overreached some.
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    Skantarios makes it out alive but just barely.
    So, be patient. I may not get to it in this next update but definitely in the one thereafter.

    @Horatius Flaccus and cisse - I've been thinking of a raid down to the Egyptian heartland. They are defeinitely my major enemy now and they have tremendous resources. I don't think I will get to the raid (if I do it) for a while but it is definitely something I am looking at. I will probably wait to get a better foothold on Anatolia and build up a fleet before I do that.
    Read the review of I am Skantarios! in the Critic's Quill here.

  10. #110
    Concrete's Avatar Semisalis
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    He likes my opinion? *blushes*
    Looking forward to the next update.


  11. #111
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    fair enough it's ur aar and ur allowed to play it how u like but what i am saying is that having a loss could give it that little bit of spice or maybe Skantarios could become distraught if he lost him heir in battle or something, that is what i mean. I never said u were a bad player because u r in fact a very good one. But keep this aar rolling

  12. #112
    Civis
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    He really hasent had a real challenge until the Jihad. His main army is a cavalry heavy wrecking ball, his garrisons make use of Greek fire...However, those jihad armies might have been able to kill his cap. And remember, the Mongols sent what appears to be a single family member along with some mercs-if anything can defeat him, it would be the superior Mongolian cavalry.

    His tactics seem to be "use archers to kill everything, use cavalry to kill enemy archers so that they cant counter my archers". If the Mongols come into play with their own horse archers things will get a bit more difficult. And Greek fire wouldn't work as well if the entire wall was blown away. That grand bombard might have caused major problems.

    So dont count the AI out yet, it could still crush Skantarios

  13. #113
    cisse's Avatar Civis
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    Hey, give the guy a break.

    Seriously, it looks like a really hard starting position, and yes, horse archers and cavalry armies are somewhat easier to win with. But that doesn't diminish the fact that he has expanded quite a bit, and won some nice battles.

  14. #114
    AnthoniusII's Avatar Μέγαc Δομέστικοc
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    I am happy that the units that WE made give players a pleasure to play and learn.
    You can take some ideas by reading these:
    Relative historical info
    Espesialy the "quide of tactics"
    Times of Hard Choices II [early campaign AAR]
    The last hope [late campaign AAR]
    Those AARs were published in an attempt to show how medieval Romans though about peace and war plus in an attempt to give a minimal quide of tactics and units usage...
    Unfortunatly the last AAR remained incomplete 'cause of tecnical reasons.
    I hope that they will help you...
    Remember that this is your story and not mine....
    Each time you start a new campaign new chalenges apear and you are the one that has to take care of them...
    The only think that I can provide is the background (units and historical info)for the faction you have chosen to play with...
    Just remember...i have told you before but allow me to repeat it...
    The real value of TW games is that give us the oportunity to think and plan.
    That is why defeats are so important in this game..We come across in scimilar situations that the real people of that era also came across...

    I like your story...
    TGC in order to continue its development seak one or more desicated scripters to put our campaign scripts mess to an order plus to create new events and create the finall missing factions recruitment system. In return TGC will give permision to those that will help to use its material stepe by step. The result will be a fully released TGC plus many mods that will benefit TGC's material.
    Despite the mod is dead does not mean that anyone can use its material
    read this to avoid misunderstandings.

    IWTE tool master and world txt one like this, needed inorder to release TGC 1.0 official to help TWC to survive.
    Adding MARKA HORSES in your mod and create new varietions of them. Tutorial RESTORED.


  15. #115

    Default The Counter-Jihad Continues and Nicea

    From the Diaries of Emperor Skantarios.

    March, 1485 AD
    Location: South of Constantinople

    The year begins with my tired army having defeated the Jihad armies currently in Europe. The celebrations have now died down and the populace (and garrison) realizes that the Jihad is far from over. A stark reminder of this waits for us just across the Bosporus as a Turkish general and his army have taken up Jihad and are looking for a suitable crossing point. There is also an Egyptian army that has crossed the straits to the west and has moved into position just a few days march away from the capitol.

    I decide to first move against the Egyptian army. They are the more serious threat and they will surely move against the capitol soon.

    Fourth Battle of the Counter-Jihad, March 1485 AD.

    Spoiler for Fourth Battle of the Counter-Jihad

    From Battle Report Filed by Emperor Skantarios to the Imperial Archives 1485 AD

    This Egyptian army is very well balanced. They have both long-range archers, horse archers, some cavalry, and quite a few spears.


    My forces have recuperated well from our previous battles thanks to the fertile recruiting grounds around Adrianople and their magnificent training facilities.


    The enemy horse archers are the primary threat as their range is a match for ours. My horse archers fly to the flanks to find some elevation and hopefully gain an advantage in a missile duel.


    The height advantage and our number are decisive in the initial missile duel. Also, the Mamalukes form into a shooting circle which makes it difficult for us to hit them but also spoils their aim.



    Dusk is settling quickly but our archers stay on the mark.

    The enemy horse melts under a hail of arrows. Soon, there are only a few survivors.

    The enemy general loses his nerve and attempts to charge at our archers. His men are weighted down by their armor and they move slowly up the hill under a constant barrage.


    He doesn't make it.

    Hundreds of arrows fall all around him and finally one finds the mark.

    The leaderless enemy must now face the powerful charge of the Scholarii. Bodies fly as lances find their mark and the enemy archers are crushed under their powerful hooves.


    The infantry are now without ranged troops and my Magyars swoop down on them.

    It is a completely unfair fight as they cannot reach our Magyars and must endure a constant stream of arrows.

    It takes some time to bring down the enemy infantry but, in the end, none survive.

    The wild Magyars bring down more of their own number by errant shooting than do the enemy. However, we will endure their wild ways as long as they continue to fight so well.


    Following the defeat of the Egyptian army, I decide to use the positioning of the Turkish Jihad army to our advantage and attack them while they still wait in Anatolia. Before setting out, I detach a picked unit of cavalry to block the approaches to Nicea and isolate the city's garrison.

    We offer battle to the Turkish General Semseddin but he initially declines and leaves the field. Apparently, his zeal for Jihad is not as strong as he would let on.

    We pursue and trap his forces and force battle upon him.

    Fifth Battle of the Counter-Jihad, April 1485 AD

    Spoiler for Fifth Battle of the Counter-Jihad

    From Battle Report Filed by Emperor Skantarios to the Imperial Archives 1485 AD

    An inspection of his forces reveals that he also must not have the backing of the Egyptian throne as his forces consist mostly of mercenaries and poorly trained militias.


    Our forces have been able to recover fairly well from last year's battles thanks to the closeness of the training facilities at Adrianople and some reinforcement from the garrison of Constantinople.


    Their horse archers are the primary threat and my Cavalarii concentrate on them. Our archers hold a range advantage over their Turks and Ajinks and we exploit that.

    They struggle to close the range but lose most of their number in the process. We take few losses.

    Once their archers are removed, we concentrate fire on the infantry. The enemy general attempts a desperate charge with his bodyguard and mercenary horse.

    Our heavy cavalry bury them in a sea of Roman armored horse. At the last minute, the Turkish general throws down his arms and surrenders.

    The remainder of the enemy is then shot to pieces.



    Following the victory, I order the release of the Semseddin and his remaining troops. I count on them fleeing to the nearest Turkish city, Nicaea. He obliges nicely and our army follows them. Once they are in sight of the city, my blocking force releases their cordon around the city and we attack. The garrison sallies out to support.

    Battle of Nicaea - May 1485 AD.

    Spoiler for Battle of Nicaea

    From Battle Report Filed by Emperor Skantarios to the Imperial Archives 1485 AD

    Semseddin and his remaining forces turn to meet our attack. He has few men left from the previous battle.


    The garrison has many soldiers but mostly new recruits and very little cavalry.


    Our forces suffered few losses in the first battle and stand ready.


    We have chosen the site of the battle perfectly. We are on a high hilltop overlooking the city and the Turkish survivors have not yet made their descent. My heavy horse charge down the hill and wipe out the first force.

    Semseddin finds that my mercy was only temporary as he is crushed under the hooves of our horses.

    The garrison, possibly unaware of what has happened to the first force, begins the long climb to meet us.

    It is a long, difficult, and tiring climb. We wait for them at the top of the hill.

    My horse archers take up position and rain arrows down on them. We pay special attention to the Turkish horse and their general.

    He and his bodyguard do not make it to the top.

    The enemy show tremendous fortitude to make the climb under fire. When they reach the top, my chargers are ready for them.

    We let out a deafening cry and charge down the hill.

    At the first real clash of lance and sword, the leaderless and exhausted enemy break.

    The infantry attempt to flee but already they are tired beyond measure and, though they run with the desperation of hunted men, they are no match for rested horses.


    We pursue them down the hill. The carnage that litters the slope is a testament to our marksmen.


    Again, we lose more from our own careless aim than we do from the enemy.

    The many prisoners we take are executed within sight of the walls. It is long and bloody work.


    At the sight of the executed prisoners, the gate guards flee and the city is opened to us.

    We sack it and put close to 11,000 florins into the Imperial treasury. I order the destruction of the mosque and begin building an Orthodox church on its foundations to restore the true faith to these lands.

    With the defeat of the Egyptian and Turkish Jihad armies, I feel comfortable remaining in Nicea for the remainder of the year. I send some forces back across the Bosporus for retraining but the bulk of the army remains here enjoying the hospitality of the Niceans.

    At long last, the double eagle of Roman arms flies across both sides of the straits and the Sea of Marmara! My brother sends me a note that he can observe our banners from the Imperial Palace. I only wish father had lived to see the day...

    We have also finally been able to build up a fleet strong enough to keep the straits clear of Muslims. Now, not only is the land on either side of the straits clear but also the waters. With luck, one day soon, we will have a fleet that can impose their will in both the Mediterranean and Black Seas.


    March, 1486 AD
    Location: Nicaea

    I spend the winter of 1485-86 in Nicea quelling the unrest in the city and emplacing Roman governance. I am pleasantly surprised by the number of merchants and common folk who have flocked to the city now that it is back under Christian control. Turkish governance was never popular and the proximity of our capitol have ensured that unrest is kept to a minimum.

    My scouts have reported that two fresh Jihad armies (one Khwarezm and one Egyptian) have encamped to the west of Constantinople.

    Neither of these armies has yet made the move to besiege the capitol and the garrison has already made preparations to withstand another siege. Though they are choking off land trade with the capitol, they can do nothing to the city for the time being. There are also two Egyptian armies marching from the east toward Nicaea and I deem these to be the most immediate threat. Therefore, I set out to the east to deal with them and thereby clear the approaches to Ankara and secure our position here.

    Second Battle of Nicaea - April, 1486 AD.

    Spoiler for Second Battle of Nicea

    From Battle Report Filed by Emperor Skantarios to the Imperial Archives 1486 AD

    The first Egyptian army consists entirely of infantry called Tabardariyya. These elite infantry are normally used as palace guards. They swing large axes (reminiscent of the old Varangian Guard) and are deadly against cavalry. However, without archers, they will be easy targets for our horse archers.


    The second Egyptian army is well balanced and has plenty of ranged troops. Perhaps our previous battles have shown the Egyptians the need to have better missile troops?

    I do note with some satisfaction that both armies are led by rank-and-file captains. Perhaps the call to Jihad has robbed the Egyptians of proper noble generals to lead their armies...

    Our forces are rested and have replenished some of the losses from last year's battles.

    I have recruited some mercenary archers and some mercenary horse archers (Turkomans) to help deal with the ranged threat. At the very least, they should relieve some pressure from my invaluable Cavalarii and stop some arrows meant for them.

    The battle begins with a horse archer duel. The Mamalukes are deadly at range and are a match for our own horse archers. I order the mercenaries to close the distance and keep the attention of the Mamalukes while my Cavalarii do the real killing.


    The losses among the mercenaries are appalling. Never let it be said that being a mercenary in my army is an easy job. Still, they serve their purpose and the losses amongst the Cavalarii are light.

    I am please to note that the captain leading the larger Egyptian army is part of the Mamalukes and is soon killed by our arrows.


    The enemy's foot archers rush to support the horse archers and are soon clear of their spears. My light cavalry charge them and crush them under hoof.

    I support them with my own bodyguard and we slay the majority of the archers in the first rush.


    With my Cavalarii are spent and the Turkomans mostly killed, my Magyars rush in to kill the remainder of the infantry from the first army.


    The second army has been reduced by arrows and now they have finally joined the battle. My light horse take them head-on. I ride to their support and we break the first two companies.

    The last company is killed by the Magyars to close the battle.


    The error of having captains in charge of their armies is evident from the body count. We take almost 600 prisoners. They are offered up for ransom which, true to form, the Egyptians refuse.


    The year closes with my return to Nicea as I await reinforcements from Adrianople. The battles against the Jihad have weakened my companies of light horse and horse archers and I will need their capabilities before starting out on the next stage of the campaign. I consider briefly attacking one of the two Jihad armies west of the capitol but both are reported to be very well balanced (the Khwarezm army reportedly has elephants) and I do not need to take even more casualties at this point. Even if I kill 10 Jihadis for every one lose, they would still win the war of attrition. Therefore, I will trust in the walls of the capitol to hold the armies of Islam at bay for now.

    In diplomatic news, there have been recent developments that are noteworthy.

    First, the good news is that Shahdom of Khwarezm and the Kievan Rus (to Hell with them both) are at war with each other. They do not share a border that we know of so the conflict is either strictly naval (which would be strange for a desert power like Khwarezm) of our maps are in serious need of updating.

    The second and more important piece of news is that the Germans and the Hungarians are now at war with each other. Germany is the dominant power in Western Europe and I am concerned that they will roll over Hungary and leave our northern border open to attack by either the Germans themselves or another opportunistic power working for the Pope. I shall send out spies to assess the situation. We may be forced to commit troops to Hungary's defense although I am loathe to get into another conflict while we are fighting for our lives against the Jihad.

    I am Skantarios.
    Last edited by Skantarios; May 23, 2010 at 02:22 AM.
    Read the review of I am Skantarios! in the Critic's Quill here.

  16. #116

    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    Quote Originally Posted by EmberFlame View Post
    His tactics seem to be "use archers to kill everything, use cavalry to kill enemy archers so that they cant counter my archers". If the Mongols come into play with their own horse archers things will get a bit more difficult. And Greek fire wouldn't work as well if the entire wall was blown away. That grand bombard might have caused major problems.

    So dont count the AI out yet, it could still crush Skantarios
    As to tactics, you are correct. Horse archers are truly deadly against enemy spears but are especially vulnerable against foot and horse archers and are virtually worthless in close engagements. I also believe in the unfair fight. To paraphrase Patton, winning a war isn't about dying for your country, it's about making the other poor SOB die for his.

    The starting position for this era and mod is extremely bad. I have to use the tactics that can have a realistic shot at winning. I think the true mark of a good general (here of in real life) is winning the unfair battle (making it unfair for your opponent, that is) and using the advantages you have. Plus, I just really like using Greek fire. The Byzantines have crap for spearmen so I have to use what I can to hold the gates and defeat their heavy cavalry.

    Now, as a teaser for the next update, you will be seeing some very difficult battles and some serious Roman losses.

    It's title is: Continuing the Counter-Jihad and the Myth of Roman Arms is Shattered
    Read the review of I am Skantarios! in the Critic's Quill here.

  17. #117
    Bernem's Avatar Senator
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    looking forward to that

  18. #118
    hereagain's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    That was sweet man

  19. #119
    Civis
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    Im not saying your tactics should change-Hell, watching infantry run around in circles trying to catch horse archers never gets old-but rather that the AI is capable of countering them, and may end up becoming more of a problem. Besides, if HRE is a powerful as it seems you may be screwed. So it isnt as easy as it seems.

    Btw, are you fielding any significant garrisons besides at Constantinople?

    And if you look at your last map, it appears the HRE lost a few of its southern castles and vienna to what appears to be the genoese. Hungary could actually be attacking them.

  20. #120
    eregost's Avatar Primicerius
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

    Looking forward to the next update Just want to correct you on the term Jihadis. They are called Mujahideen
    Rep me and leave your name and I promise on pain of death to rep you back!

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