Swan Song: A Seleucid last stand AAR

[Zarax]

In the year 215BC little was left of the once mighty Seleucid Empire.

Introduction: Dire Straits



Years of reckless rule by corrupt emperors brought ruin and defeat, leaving the last successors of Seleukos with Antioch and Salamis, the last memory of now ancient conquests.



Basileus Parmeion sat at his court in Antioch, looking at the last parcels of land remaining and pondering about the destiny of the kingdom he just inherited.



Unlike his father, he decided that there was no point in sitting on a more and more uncertain throne leaving the fights to unreliable generals.
While he was no Alexandros himself, he knew that the only way to bolster morale was to lead the royal army against the Ptolemaic Empire.

His finances were also in a dire position and that settled any doubts.
As he couldn't pay his men in coin, they would instead be paid in loot if they were victorious or stop burdening the royal coffers if they weren't.

[Athenogoras]

Excellent set-up. I admire you turtle-people who are able to play to 215BC.

[Zarax]

Bltizing out of this mess would be a challenge.
I'll keep at least the start of the AAR mostly numerical until I'll get some breathing space.

[Athenogoras]

Bltizing out of this mess would be a challenge

The situation seems hopeless. I would focus on Tarsus and the ptolemaic city west of it to create some nice seatrade at first. I would probably require some heroic defences of antioch though.

Audacity, again audacity, and always audacity! Commander Zarax

[Zarax]

That's pontic land now, the choice was to either take on Egypt or Armenia so I chose the most friendly land culture wise.

[Athenogoras]

Then your only way is south. To Alexandria!

[AugustusCaeser]

could u possibly upload the save file so that we could play as well

[Zarax]

Chapter 1: Tragedy in Phoenicia

And so Parmeion's Phoenician Expedition started.

The first obstacle was the Ptolemaic border garrison, a well equipped force but led by a lower officer and made of green troops.
What Parmeion's troops lacked in equipment they more than made up in experience.



The battle proved to be a rather one sided affair, won with moderate losses.



As the army moved towards the walls of Sidon, ptolemaic reinforcements joined and prepared a further challenge.
Equipped in a similar way, this new force was composed by the survivors of the previous battle and the garrison force in Sidon, let by the ptolemaic heir.





The occasion was too good and Parmeion rushed in anticipation of bringing a stinging humiliation to his traditional rival.



Once again, the experienced troops prevailed, but this time at a very high price: Parmeion's bodyguard managed to route the ptolemaic faction heir in a fight worthy of Megas Alexandros, but while he was pursuing his enemy a traitorous enemy arrow struck him in the back!

The battle was won, but the army instead of cheering would now be mourning.

[Zarax]

could u possibly upload the save file so that we could play as well

Sure, here it is.
Use today's build with the following options:

- BI exe
- Carthaginian Senate
- Reduced AI Bonuses

Have fun with the last of the seleucids!

[Zarax]

Chapter 2: The last of the Seleucids

The situation was now desperate.
With Parmeion's death the whole empire now rested on Bisaltes' shoulders.



He knew very well his predecessor's fate, and unlike the propaganda stories told to make his death heroic he also was not going to foolishly charge into prepared enemy ballistas only to be the first one to be impaled.

His place was behind the battle line, not in front of it, as he knew all too well that if Parmeion's bodyguard didn't go on avenging frenzy in the previous battle there would be no army to speak of now.

Having shipped from Salamis in a hurry, he now had to break through another small ptolemaic army.
Luckily, the enemy levies were easily crushed but now army losses were also mounting



The last of the Seleucid dinasty will now have to be a new Oudysseus rather than Alexander reborn if he wanted to survive.

[Silver Legionary]

Oooh... I predict massive movement, on a one-way trip...

[Zarax]

Chapter 3: Regrouping

3 years passed by, spent by Bisaltes in replenishing army losses and the royal coffers.

Instead of embarking on another hopeless campaign, he very well knew that before facing a stronger force he needed to improve his finances enough to support prolonged campaigns.
Antioch may not be an imperial capital anymore but it still was a trade hub, so he decided on improving that side by supporting merchants trading on luxury items.



It will take time, but the money will surely help in recruiting more soldiers both for home defense and future campaigns.

[Kara Kolyo]

Great dtory, will have to wait for the rep, but it's verry interesting

[Stilgar CG]

Zarax, your way to survival and victory lie through Ptolemies lands, I guess. A succesusful blitz in Syria would give you a chance, even with the risk of loosing Antioch.

[TM Is Back]

Good Lord.... that's a hell of a task your up to

[Zarax]

And you have no idea how hard it is when all your rulers gets exactly one son, thus the change of policy in the last chapter.

[Athenogoras]

Indeed a hard task. I took your save. I took Sidon the first turn(they sallied). Then smashed the Armenians besieging Antioch the next turn. Then having moved the ship to the antioch port I took the fleet to the city west of Tarsus and defeatet them in a sally. Then I got a CTD.
Also: the garrisson-script triggered for Antioch once I left it - creating experienced levy phalangites and 3 heavy peltasts.

[Zarax]

Feel free to post your alternate timeline here, mine is now a turtle one so not as exciting.

[TM Is Back]

A question: Hoe did you made all those cities being captured by Armenia?

[Zarax]

I held Nisa and Bactra as long as humanly possible, that left me with little money to garrison the north and Armenia did the rest.