XVII - Nominations

[Hesus de bodemloze]

Nominate AARs for January contest.


The nominated AAR must have at least 2 updates in January.

Give the following info:


Title (as link)

Author:

Game: RTW / M2TW / ETW / ...

Mod:

Faction:

Short Description / Teaser

[ReD_OcToBeR]

The Ishtar Gate to Alexandria

Author: Red October

Game: Rome Total War

Mod: Roma Surrectum 1.5c

Faction: Seleucid Empire

At this point in the story, the Empire is finally pushing back the invaders of all nations around them. The offensive may actually come into play, where land is taken, not retaken. Assandros, Argeos, and Kassandros lead their armies in battle after battle.

[Chirurgeon]

Osman's Vision

Author: Chirurgeon

Game: Empire Total War

Mod: Darth Mod Ultimate Commander

Faction: Ottoman

The Ottoman Empire has suffered many setbacks since the treaty of Karlowitz. Can they regain their glory in a time of great progress? Or will they be left behind as a relic of the past?

[Beer Money]

Látomásai Királyok! - Visions of the Kings (Hungary AAR)


Author: Beer Money

Game: M2TW

Mod: Sicilian Vespers II 3.3

Faction: Hungary

Kiraly Laszlo has expanded his empire, conquering Croats, Serbs and Bulgars alike but his army has been stretched thin and tragic events could bring the empire to its knees!

[Kallum]

Basileia ton Romaion book 3


Author: Kallum von Döbeln

Game: M2TW

Mod: Stainless Steel 6.2

Faction: Byzantine Empire & Seljuk Sultanate

Read the AAR to find out how the trilogy ends, who will be the victor in the final struggle for survival...........

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Of Destiny and Duty: the Fate of Nations

(Again )

Games: Rome: Total War (Europa Barbarorum), Medieval II: Total War

Faction: Pontus

Difficulty: M/M (Roleplay purposes; not a game-centric AAR)

Description:

This dual tale follows an English crusader, John, in the desparate defense of Constantinople against the Turks. In the ruins of the city, he discovers an extraordinary manuscript: a narrative detailing the history of Pontus, as experienced by two young Galatians caught up in the Kingdom's rise to power.

Follow John as he and his companion escape to England and safety, and watch Kyros and Artan as they struggle to retain their identity in the wake of Pontic conquest.

Teaser:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

We lay outside the wall until dark for fear of sentries on the walls, which would spot us easily if we made our escape during the day. But when the sun fell, we made for a stand of trees a good distance from the city.

My feelings upon departure of my home for the last few years were an indescribable mix of joy, confusion, hope, and a distinct feeling of being lost.

I had nearly forgotten that a real world existed outside Constantinople, having endured so long with no relation to anything but that old city. I felt as a man must feel when he steps onto a new uncharted land, or as one who makes a voyage to the moon.

Finally I reconciled to myself: I was going home!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Mithridates strode to the lectern on the platform and prepared to address the assembly.

...

“As I said, our rise to power in this region have made us a force to be reckoned with. This is a mixed blessing. True, it shows that we have achieved what was thought to be impossible; but the road does not end there.

Our power is such that it only attracts the jealousy of those under us, and the apprehension of those that are greater. If we stop to rest and congratulate ourselves, we will be overtaken by the mighty, and undone by confederations of the weak. This is no time to rest. I will not rest until even confederations of the mighty bow before me!”

[SonOfAlexander]

The Epic of Caelus Morsus Luminius

Games: RTW Vanilla, RTW BI and RS 1.5c
Factions: N/A, game used for custom battles to supplment storyline
Difficulty: N/A


Description:


3 chapters to go...

Caelus is propelled through Gaul on a whirlwind of conquest, meeting Tullio, his old legionary comrade from the Fourth...

Alexandra gives birth to Caelus' heir, and the Emperor himself experiences a strange prophecy on the night of the boy's birth...

Caelus pushes 20,000 men over the Alps in pursuit of Hannibal and Rome, and meets an old friend from the Senate on the march:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

TEASER:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ostia whinnied. He turned and looked at her, and a small bird sang as he smiled.

Blood sprayed from Ostia’s eye as an arrow punched it’s way into her flesh. She reared up and thrashed wildly, breaking her reins in their loose tether and stomping her hooves ferociously, the blood spreading in crimson pools on the icy stillness of the lake.

Caelus felt like the arrow had just taken his eye rather than hers, but his hand instinctively lunged sideways and made for the knife in his tunic as he stared at the stricken animal. She continued to wring her head side to side as he felt a boot close tightly on his hand. He looked and saw a hobnailed Roman boot clamped over his wet fingers.

“Not like you to go without a bodyguard Caelus.”

Gripping the foot with his muscular wrists, Caelus pulled and it flew in the air. But it was merely the soldier playing along. He raised his foot up, but as Caelus was released, he hacked his foot downwards and the blow scythed into Caelus’ fingers, sending the knife flying into the water and pushing him to the side. He managed to get up, but grunted as two Praetorians appeared at his sides, and held his arms tight. He struggled wildly for moments, his hair whipping his face maddeningly, but sense prevailed and he hung limp, breathing deeply as he looked up beneath the tattered brown veil. He caught a glimpse of scarlet.

A hand pushed his head away, and his hair flew away to let in the stars circling his vision. Caelus blinked and looked back as the blurred figure said “You bloody fool. Even now you betray your Roman instincts.” Caelus blinked heavily and the robed figure resolved itself.


“Ave, Decimus.”

[Lysimachus]

Ascension of the Sultanate

Game: Medieval 2: Total War
Faction: The Turks
Mods: Retrofit
Teaser:

...in all this chaos, a man named Jalal, emir of Iconium sought law amongst all this chaos. He quickly seized Cappadocia, adjacent to him and the castle of Caesarea and made expeditions in to Adana and Edessa...

...Now at the age of 40, after proclaiming himself Sultan Jalal I and securing himself a powerbase the only way can be upwards. The vision? An empire that stretches across forests, steppe, sands and seas. However, with new conquests comes new dangers...

[husker9.2]

I'll submit to see were i fall


Chronicles of the Byzantine-Sassanid wars

husker9.2

BI

Invasio Barbarorum

Eastern Roman Empire

Follows the lives of the Generals, Priest's, and Emperor's from 400 AD to just before the invasions of Islam In the 600's AD.

[Skantarios]

I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire

Author: Skantarios

Game: Medieval 2: Total War

Mod: Stainless Steel 6.2 with Campaign Patch

Faction: Byzantine Empire in the 1450 Campaign

Description: Follow the epic journey of Skantarios Laskaris as he leads the Roman armies in the struggle to turn back the Muslim tide and restore the Eastern Roman Empire to its former glory.

Spoiler for Teaser: 

We are terribly alone. Lost in a sea of Islam and swimming against an irresistible tide. The glory of our ancestors is just a faded memory now. If Constantine or Justinian could see us now, they would weep.

...the other Christian kings are now fighting against its rising tide but have given us up for dead. And, perhaps we are. But I swear by the holy Virgin that we will not go down without a fight. If these are to be our last hours, then let me die like the great Hector of old. As he said, “My doom has come upon me; let me not then die ingloriously and without a struggle, but let me first do some great thing that shall be told among men hereafter.”

I am Skantarios.

Spoiler for 2nd Teaser: 

War, love, assassination, Jihad, victory and defeat in the struggle to save the 1000 year old Eastern Roman Empire from the brink of extinction.

[Antiochos VII Sidetes]

The Game of the Fates

Author: Antiochos VII Sidetes

Game: Rome Total War, Alexander .exe

Mod: Europa Barbarorum 1.2, heavily modded

Faction: Seleucid Empire/Koinon Hellenon/Ptolemaioi

A generation has passed since Ptolemaios II stabbed himself, since Hannibal of Carthage, that teenage death-dealer, conquered the proud lands of Aigyptos.

The world shakes and crumbles; stability is nonexistent. The Greek leagues war with one another, Macedon throws off the yoke of Epeiros, and the Seleucid Empire buckles under the weight of its own territories.

And into this steps a man, descended from the Consuls of Rome and purportedly Ptolemaios and Alexandros himself...

Ptolemy Flavius Decurius.

Teaser:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

He turned to us and spoke three words: "Fight well, men."

And so we did.

The pikes were lowered, the blades drawn, the shields raised, and a Syrian dyke to the Baktrian flood was formed out of pure muscle, sinew, and metal.

They dashed upon us in waves of iron and death, their charge bowling over dozens upon dozens again and again.

And we held.

We thrust in the faces of the mounts with our spears, slashed at hanging feet with our blades, jumped upon isolated riders and brought them down. From across the river, flights of arrows conducted by the Aetolian archer commander Nikolaos landed again and again amongst the Baktrians; The levy archers of Persia and Babylonia had only just arrived and accurately assessed the situation.

Missiles bounced off unbelieveably heavy armor, off helmets, off greaves. The cataphracts of Baktria were unlike anything the world had ever seen, the martial prowess of Hellene, Makedonian, Scythian, and Indian combined into one. I myself possess only fragmented memories of that battle, of how my spear-thrust was stopped cold by the metal face-mask of a foe, of how my blade was broken against another's armor, of how I stabbed a horse through the torso and decapitated its rider...

And Antiochos was in his element. As before, he hacked left and right, forward and backward; no armor was proof against his wrath. The foe fell back from him...

And one surged foward, thrusting his spear; Antiochos turned to deflect the blow, but it was not enough.

The spear glanced off the side of his helmet and scored a huge bloody rent in his right cheekbone. He toppled and fell from his horse...

[warluster]

BAKER'S WAR

Author: Warluster

Game: Empire Total War, 1.5

Mod: A vaireity of mods I picked when browsing through the ETW section, all of them for the purpose of complete historical ccuracy, correct representation, and more realistic battles. A full list of mods used can be found in the original thread.

Faction: Great Britain

Captain Steven Baker has recently joined the King's Own Royal Infantry. nervous, young, inexperinced, he bears every trait of a failed command. As assumed he meets doubts and harsh critics by the time he reaches the marching army through Franconia. Baker himself has skirmished near Mainz, rescued two of his companies near Ladenburg, and battled through the inferno of Schellenberg. Yet, still, he faces his worst challenge; the battle of Blenheim. The armies of England, Holland, Prussia, Denmark and Austria march to battle with the French and Bavarians, and it is a climatic battle to the intense War of Spanish Succesion. Will Captain Baker collaspe under the pressure of army command? Will he live up to the doubts of his own commanding officer, and company, the light infantry?

Whatever the outcome, the story of Steven Baker will be a fascinating and educational trip back into the 18th Century. Personally written by Baker himself, this story will take the reader through battles and forts, accompanied by pictures worth a thousand words.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Baker's War - Chapter One - Malborough's March Through Europe
The Introduction to Baker's War. Baker joins Her Majesty's Army at the rank of Captain, in command of the King's Own Royal Infantry's Light Infantry company. He finds that most of them are hostile to his command, and not willing to accept his lack of experince...

Baker's War - Chapter Two - Peace Before the Storm
After a disastrous duel with two French companies at Mainz, Baker is now dragged into a second skirmish near Ladenburg. As he battles to save the King's Own grenadiers and line infantry, he finds that he must prove himself rather then expect to be respected.

Baker's War - Chapter Three - The Storming of Schellenberg
The Allies finally reach the Electorate of Bavaria, but before they can enter they are held up at the border town of Donauworth by 12 000 Bavarians and Frenchmen. Baker finds himself fighting for his life in two assaults upon the wooden walls of Schellenberg, and reaches a conclusion to his problems, and finally seizes his chance and oppurtunity to prove himself worthy of the Lions.

BAKER'S WAR

[Fixiwee]

History of Men

Game(s):

RTW:ROP & RTW:PI & RTW:EB

Faction(s):

1. Persia
2. Rome

Difficulty:

Varries from mod. I only used hard or v.hard settings so far.

Description:
History of men is a project unlike any other. It tries to write the whole spectrum of history in a single AAR. It goes back to the Rise of Persia around 550BC and will see the rise and fall of the roman empire (current status) and continue through medieval times to the discovery of america, modern times and world wars. It is written less in a narrative form, but rather as a compilation of fictional historical sources.

[Dave Strider]

Danish Domination: A Danish AAR
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...99#post6692599

Chapter 9(I think) is out!

Author: Me

Game: M2TW Vanilla(1.3)

Mod(s): None

Faction: The Mighty Danes

Teaser:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Summer, 1148 A.D.

Many of the Danes were ecstatic over the recent victory against the Polish forces at Thorn, and this, in fact, had caused so many Danes to, as Charles had, "Get equainted" with one another(Sex reference), this had led to a large population boom, or "The lickin' of sticks in '46".