Kronicka Polska - A Series of Polish AAR's - Part 1 - Kiedy Storice Bylo Bogiem

[Brucha]

I am sure it will go according to plan. Worst case scenario, you could always write some sort of cover story of vassaldom and then freedom, to lead into next era so to speak

I believe that I will be able to survive to the end of the game, though with the house rules I am playing with, there is certainly no chance of a regular victory. There is a chance that I might have to mod the next game of the series should I lose my settlements - this could happen if I am forced out of Campus Borusci and Campus Venedae and form a Horde. If I am forced out of my original settlements, I might be able to re-take them before the end of the game, or I might have to re-settle elsewhere and then mod the start positions for the next game. We will see!

Great Read. +rep!

You should cover some more major historical events of the 440s and 450s as well in you AARs, probably as news being sent to the king or something

I never thought of adding that - good idea!

I was playing a few turns today, and had just fought two battles in a row. I got out of the second battle and back to the strategic map, and had an unexpected CtD! Basically I lost the entire turn (with the results of both battles) - unfortunately, the newest auto save was at the start of the turn. Not too bad, but I fought both battles quite well with great results, so it sucked.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

ouch...

The huns had slavic contingients at chalons, I read that somewhere but i'm not sure where. So maybe you could include your side of the battle of chalons or something. The slavs fought in the middle against the alans, franks, and gallo-romans if i might add. The gepids fought the left against Aetius, the Huns were also in the middle, and the Ostrogoths and Thuringii on the right against the Visigoths

[Brucha]

My Lord, I shall now proceed to set forth all that transpired in the war against the Langobardi and their King, Rando, when the host of the Langobardi descended upon the lands of the Venedii. Scarcely had winter broken in the year four forty-three when the Langobardi invaded from the west at the opening of spring with a mighty army, and openly broke the endless peace that had prospered between the two barbarous peoples. But this host did not march upon the Venedii lands directly, but advanced on the allied city of Campus Abotrites, or so it appeared.

In the opening of summer, when news arrived at the halls of the starosta of the Venedii , Radzim acted swiftly to this dire threat. He divided his forces into two parts, leaving the portion east from Campus Vendae entrusted to his adopted son, Zbylut. And with the larger portion of his men, Radzim quickly marched south with all haste to garrison the single river crossing of the Viaudua River south of Campus Venedae in hopes of holding the bridge from enemy attack. And once more the starosta called for me to march to war with him and I did. Riders were also dispatched with great speed to bring word to his fellow starosta of the Boruscii with calls for aid and support to throw back the invaders.

Campaign Map of the War With the Langobardi

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Northern Campaign
1. Spring 443 AD – Captain Badeloga crosses frontier near Campus Abotrites
2. Summer 443 AD – Captain Badeloga turns south to march on Campus Venedae
3. Fall 443 AD – Captain Badeloga marches north with arrival of Gorzyslav’s army from the east
1. Spring 443 AD – Gorzyslav crosses Vistula from Campus Borusci
2. Fall 443 AD – Gozyslav turns south to confront Captain Badeloga’s army
Southern Campaign
1. Summer 443 AD – Captain Wacho marches north from Campus Sorabs to force a crossing of the Viadua River. Battle of Południe Bridge
2. Fall 443 AD – Captain Hariulfus retakes Campus Horvati and marches north in pursuit of Zbylut’s army
1. Spring 443 AD – Radzim garrisons river crossing
2. Summer 443 AD - Zbylut crosses Langobardi frontier north of Campus Horvati ahead of a small force
3. Fall/Winter 443 AD – Zbylut sack Campus Horvati, death of King Rando. Zbylut retreats north and then retires back to Campus Venedae
4. Fall /Winter 443 AD - Radzim retreats back to Campus Venedae to gather reinforcements and then marches east to meet Hariulfas’ army marches from the south.

In the summer, the situation worsened and the true goal of the assault became clear, for the Langobardi host under the command of Captain Badeloga now turned south from Campus Abotrites to march directly for Campus Venedae, which now laid defenseless and unguarded for Radzim had summoned all available warriors to march south and east with great speed. Most dire was the arrival of another host from the south, led by Captain Wacho, who marched upon the Południe Bridge along the Viadua in hopes of winning the crossings and it was there that the first blow of the war would be struck.

Battle of Południe Bridge
Now, for weeks, Radzim’s men had encamped along the river crossing awaiting the inevitable assault which was surely to come and thus none were surprised when scouts returned with news of Wacho’s advance from the south. It was hardly noon therefore that on a misty and foggy day that scouts on the southern banks of the river reported a cloud of dust from the south. Straining their eyes, the scouts could glimpse the sparkle of mail coats and shield boss of the advancing host.



Now the river at that point, My Lord, was far too deep to ford and was crossed then, by a single bridge and along it carried the main road from Campus Venedae to the north into the Langobardi lands on the far banks. As the Langobardi host approached, Radzim sent forth one of his ambassadors with twenty armed men with a message for the Langobardi. And to the Langobardi captain, the words of the Venedii starosta were delivered: ‘If the Langobardi king would make peace with the Vendii then as brothers we shall be again. But should the king persist in persecuting the Venedii with war that he ought to remember both the valor of the Venedii people and that we shall defend our lands with our last breath and blood’.

To this, the Langobardi scoffed and replied: ‘Tell your starosta, should he have the courage to face us on the field that we are not here to make peace or be brothers but to do battle. That is our answer.’ The starosta’s men mounted again and rode back to the crossing and from the Langobardi host there went up a jeering shout and as one the great host marched forward. Little time was there for the ordering of the battle and the foe came on straight and swift, hoping to force the crossing through test of arms and swiftness.

Now, the Venedii quickly formed a single shield wall in the shape of a crescent on the northern side of the crossing to present the narrowest of fronts and awaited the attack, for there was little else to have done. With all haste the Langobardi charged across the bridge and after a brief exchange of arrows and javelins, bloody hand to hand fighting commenced as the host crashed into the Venedii shield wall. With naught but open road to their rear, the Venedii fought hard against the invaders, knowing retreat or defeat would be impossible and that should the crossing be lost, the war could be as well.



The Langobardi battered at the shield wall in fierce hand to hand fighting that lasted all day. The air was filled with arrow and javelin that filled the skies overhead until each and every missile was spent. At first, the Venedii pushed back the attackers and held firm the northern bank against the Langobardi onslaught. But as the battle raged into the afternoon, fatigue began to set in on both sides and men all grew weary.



And yet, the invaders came on relentlessly. By the fourth hours of fighting, many of the Venedii were exhausted and Radzim called up his most prized warriors, the Druzina, and sent them forward into the fray. Despite the exhaustion of their opponents, the Langobardi could not win the far bank and soon the enemy host began to fragment and fracture. First one group of men then another fell back before the Venedii shield wall until Captain Wacho himself led his personal guard into the battle for one last assault for the far bank.



With men fleeing across the bridge to the south, Wacho tried vainly to rally his demoralized men but the Langobardi determination crumbled and even his own bodyguards began to flee back across the bridge.



With the sight of Wacho’s men fleeing the battle, the withdrawal became a rout. In vain, Radzim called forward his men to pursue the fleeing hosts, all the way back to Campus Sorabs if need be, but his men were exhausted and he could do little but watch the remnants of the Langobardi host melt back to the south unimpeded.

[Brucha]

I must apologize before hand that I will be posting several seperate update posts to the AAR - the reason for this is that there are several battles to describe and I am unsure as to the maximum limit for pic posting per reply. I will be posting at least one more reply today and two more either this evening of tomorrow. After I make my next post, I will await for comments and then reply as to what had transpired as far as out of game explanations. Enjoy!

[Brucha]

Now, the battle at the river crossing of the Viadua River was but an opening move for the expanding war between the Langobardi king and the Venedii starostas. Great hosts were on the move everywhere and more blood would be shed before all would be told forthright.

Now, in the north, Gorzyslav had received Radzim’s call for aid and with all haste gathered his army and marched swiftly to cross the Vistula River in the spring of four forty-three. In defense of his home, Gozyslav left his adopted son Biezdziad to guard the city with but a small token force for the starosta of the Boruscii had little men to spare to leave behind.

In response, Captain Badeloga turns aside from his march on Campus Venedae (the city now having been garrisoned by Radzim’s battered and bloodied troops fresh from the Battle of Południe Bridge) to march north instead. Eager to bring the enemy to battle, Gorzyslav too turned aside from his march on Campus Abotrites and marches south to meet Captain Badeloga.

In the south, following the narrow victory over the Langobardi, Radzim now retired his battered army to Campus Venedae, leaving the crossing that was sorely defended that summer now unguarded. For though the crossings had been held, it was at a high cost in men and now the bridge was to be abandoned while Radzim retreated north to gather more fighting men. To the east, Zbylut marched his small force southwards now towards the city of Campus Horvati on a sweeping raid deep into the enemy lands, burning and pillaging as he went.

The Sack of Campus Horvati and the Death of King Rando

And so that fall, Zbylut drew near to the Langobardi city of Campus Horvati. And the Vendii were almost dumb with astonishment when they approached the city from afar. At first there was much debate as to the course of action for Zbylut’s force was more a raiding party than an army and they were doubtful of their ability to take the city by storm. Yet, as they approached the city, no enemy host came out to meet them. Zbylut’s cavalry who had ridden on in front soon returned to report that the city was indeed occupied and the gate shut, but there were neither pickets on guard nor troops on the walls.

This second surprise held Zbylut back even more so and he feared a Langobardi trap and so they halted outside the city for the evening and reconnoitering parties were sent out to spy on the city and gather what news they could. Scouts were sent to the west to watch for approaching Langobardi armies as well. The Venedii sat before the walls for two days when a message was brought to Zbylut with the greatest of news. For it seemed that Radzim had agents within the city to act as spies and one of them, a Venedii named Biezdar, who spoke fluent Teuton and could pass as such, delivered a method for access to the city gates.



Biezdar promised the Venedii commander that, on the morrow, he and his men could overpower the pitifully tiny gate garrison and open the gates to allow Zbylut’s army in. Overwhelmed by this news, Zbylut now prepared his men for the coming dawn attack.



True to his word, Biezdar and his small band of men overpowered the gate garrison and the gate was swung open just as the sun broke over the horizon. And with that, the Venedii army, waiting in the early darkness of dawn, swarmed into the city unopposed.





The tiny city garrison, having woken to the terrible truth that the gates had been breached through subterfuge tried in vain to repel the Venedii in bloody street fighting but they were far too outnumbered and though the gates were retaken for some time, the counter-attack did not succeed.



The tyranny of the Langobardi invasion on their homeland was unleashed in the slaughter of the citizens of the city. Seized by a frenzy of vengeful blood lust, the Venedii cut their way through the streets, breaking open houses, shops and butchering every man, woman and child they could find.

As the Venedii swarmed over the city, King Rando now called forth his last remaining men and prepared for a final stand within the city.





But the fight had been taken out of the Langobardi and though their king raised his sword in defiance to the invaders, he was cut down by Zbylut’s cavalry in the streets.



As the news of their king’s death spread, so did panic and fear and the Langobardi dropped their weapons to turn to flee. The killing went on for several hours as the Venedii went street by street seeking out any remaining defenders and out them to the sword until none could be found.

[Brucha]

I noticed that in my last two posts I made a minor mistake in dates. The last two posts should have covered the time period of Spring, Summer and Fall of 443 AD. I fixed it so that there is no confusion, as well as made changes to the Chapter List. I still need to complete the AAR posts for the Winter of 443 AD - it seems that the write-ups take me longer than playing the game!

I also experienced a series of Ctd's - each time they occurred after completing a certain battle that I have to write-up. I tried to fight the battle four times, and had a CtD afterwards each time. The only thing that seemed to prevent it from happening was to fight another battle first that turn and then the battle that was causing the CtD. Very strange...but I was able to complete the two battles and move on through the turn.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Edit: Good job! Nice Strategy!

[Merula]

Hi Brucha, i have started reading this ambitious project yesterday, and i really like the idea!!

So that got me thinking about the different mods you could use for your "series", RIO being an excellent choice to start off with.

But i did notice that you had said you might use the Sicilian Vespers dark age mod for your second section, and i just thought i'd ask whether you would like to use my mod (that i work for ) for the late dark age section?
It looks like you will be doing this part of the AAR for a while yet, and my mod will be finished most likely towards the end of this year

Our mod, Heiðinn Veðr, starts in 968AD and is focused on the struggles between christianity and paganism in europe (there is barely any middle east on the map)

We feature Poland starting off as a dukedom then (through certain scripts) it can progress into kingdom-hood. Then you could start the middle ages section with SV!!

So i just thought id let you know and good luck with this awesome looking project!!! +rep

Blip

Click my sig if you want a link to our mod

[Brucha]

Hi Brucha, i have started reading this ambitious project yesterday, and i really like the idea!!

So that got me thinking about the different mods you could use for your "series", RIO being an excellent choice to start off with.

But i did notice that you had said you might use the Sicilian Vespers dark age mod for your second section, and i just thought i'd ask whether you would like to use my mod (that i work for ) for the late dark age section?

It looks like you will be doing this part of the AAR for a while yet, and my mod will be finished most likely towards the end of this year

Our mod, Heiðinn Veðr, starts in 968AD and is focused on the struggles between christianity and paganism in europe (there is barely any middle east on the map)

We feature Poland starting off as a dukedom then (through certain scripts) it can progress into kingdom-hood. Then you could start the middle ages section with SV!!

So i just thought id let you know and good luck with this awesome looking project!!! +rep

Blip

Click my sig if you want a link to our mod

Thank you Blip99 for the interest and praise of the AAR! I originally had planned to include five AAR's for the entire time period, but was forced to reduce it to four after discovering a problem with the mod I planned on using to cover the time frame between Kiedy Storice Bylo Bogiem - When the Sun was a God and Gesta Principum Polonorum - Deeds of the Princes of Poland 888-1222 AD.

I am currently awaiting the release of AoD III to evaluate whether of not including it as the fifth AAR (to be played between this AAR and Gesta Principum Polonorum). I did take a look at your mod and it looks interesting. I will compare it with AoD III and decide after that whether or not to include a fifth AAR in the series.

I finally broke down and purchased Empire Total War and I am considering expanding the AAR series to include the 17th to 19th centuries as well. However, I am not fully decided on that decision as of yet.

[Merula]

Thank you Blip99 for the interest and praise of the AAR! I originally had planned to include five AAR's for the entire time period, but was forced to reduce it to four after discovering a problem with the mod I planned on using to cover the time frame between Kiedy Storice Bylo Bogiem - When the Sun was a God and Gesta Principum Polonorum - Deeds of the Princes of Poland 888-1222 AD.

I am currently awaiting the release of AoD III to evaluate whether of not including it as the fifth AAR (to be played between this AAR and Gesta Principum Polonorum). I did take a look at your mod and it looks interesting. I will compare it with AoD III and decide after that whether or not to include a fifth AAR in the series.

I finally broke down and purchased Empire Total War and I am considering expanding the AAR series to include the 17th to 19th centuries as well. However, I am not fully decided on that decision as of yet.

Yeah thats what i thought I would have to say though that Empire does not have much room for Role Playing, as its kinda limited (family tree is static, generals die regularly and you cant connect with any characters in the game) basically everyone in Empire feels like cannon fodder
It would still be nice though, and who knows Poland might find its way to invading Japan hahaha

[Brucha]

And so, My Lord, the War with the Langobardi had closed on its first winter of four forty-three, and the advancing Venedii had invaded Langobardi territory and sacked the city of Campus Horvati and brought death to their king, Rando. While the frightened citizens of the city fled into the surrounding countryside, the Venedii underwent an orgy of pillaging and looting and burning of everything in the city.

Many of the city’s buildings were ransacked as the Venedii poured over the city in a frenzy of bloodlust for three days. But Zbylut, even as his men brought ruin to the Langobardi city, was beginning to be vexed. For though he had won a great victory, there were great numbers of enemy on the move to the west and he was coming to think that he could not hold Campus Horvati against a determined assault. And instead of holding out against an attack, Zbylut had begun to give orders to his army to pack up and depart as quickly as possible. To what in the city could not be taken or removed, Zbylut ordered destroyed as to leave nothing for the Langobardi to use. Even so, the Venedii were laden heavily in their march northwards from Campus Horvati and with them his men brought upwards of fourteen thousand denarii worth of gold and loot.

Meanwhile, it happened that Gorzyslav had marched west from Campus Borusci answering the call from the starosta of Campus Venedae for aid. And he was greatly amazed in the inactivity of the Langobardi who had invaded from the west and crossed the Viadua River that spring. First east then south, Captain Badeloga marched, seemingly unwilling to engage neither in battle nor with any sort of objective. For though the starosta halls of Radzim lay unguarded and defenseless to the south (for he had marched south to Południe Bridge that spring), Badeloga was thus seized with indecisiveness. And only with the arrival of Gorzyslav’s army from the east did he act with determination and Badeloga once more turned aside to march north to meet the oncoming Boruscii army.

To this, Gorzyslav was glad, for he was eager to bring the Langobardi army to battle in a decisive clash of arms. It was Gorzyslav that had distinguished himself by the defeat of the Veltae and of the Abotritii, and when word reached him in his halls of Campus Borusci of the crossing of the Viadua by the Langobardi, he wasted no time in his pursuit. And so, it was that winter of four forty-three that the two armies met on the field of battle.

Battle of Inowrocławska Plain
Now the location which the two armies clashed was along a road north of Campus Venedae that crossed a great open plain flanked to both the west and east by light forests. By winter of that year, Gorzyslav had turned from his march towards Campus Abotritii to march south to engage the Langobardi. Yet as winter came, he ordered his men bivouacked and camped for the rush of the deep winter was upon them. Badeloga, meanwhile, did not encamp and rigorously continued his march northwards, striving to gain the road from the west and south.

When scouts brought word of the arrival of the Langobardi army from the south, Gorzyslav was ecstatic and he broke up his encampment and carefully positioned his men squarely across the northern end of the plain and awaited Badeloga’s arrival.



As the Langobardi drew from their marching columns, Gorzyslav calmly positioned his men along a front atop a low slope overlooking the enemy advance. To the left and right he positioned his trusted voje with his spear-armed borcje holding the center. In the rear to his right he placed his elite druzina warriors and to the left his konnica horsemen. Screening his front, Gorzyslav sent forth his skirmisher lekki voje.

Meanwhile, Badeloga drew his men up into a single battle line, with warbands holding the opposite flanks. To hold his center, he placed his peasant levies, and Lemovii and Heruli allies.



Outnumbered, Badeloga seemed reluctant to give battle (as the Boruscii held the high ground) and thus after a time of both armies facing one another in silent inactivity, Gorzyslav choose to act. He first sent forward his skirmishers to harass and pepper the enemy center with volleys of javelins. Many of the Lemovii allies fell as they stood under the barrage and yet Badeloga did not order the attack, nor did he attempt to drive the enemy skirmishers away.

As he called back his skirmishers, Gorzyslav now ordered a general attack down the slope towards the enemy, having little but contempt for Badeloga's cowardliness. With a rolling drum beat and the harsh cries of the Boruscii warriors rending the air, Gorzyslav’s line moved forward and down the slope towards the enemy line with a relentless march. With a crash the Boruscii line broke onto the enemy front with the heaviest blow landing on the Langobardi left flank, for it was here that Gorzyslav ordered forth his strongest attack with his borcje and voje, and supported by the druzina. And with great swiftness, he ordered his horsemen to ride round the enemy flanks in unison with the forward attack.



Under the heavy assault on the right flank, the Langobardi war band soon gave way and began to give ground and as Gorzyslav’s horsemen rode round their rear, the Langobardic cried out and turned to flee. Yet they were now trapped, with the Boruscii infantry pressing from the front even as Gorzyslav now slammed into their rear with his horsemen. It was too much and the Langobardi soon began to rout, dropping their weapons to turn to run from the battle.

Elsewhere, the Langobardi initially held their ground despite the heavy assault all along the rest of the line. But it was the peasant levies, poorly trained and equipped, were next to begin to crumble. With the press of the borcje down the slopes onto the enemy center, Gorzyslav’s konnica now appeared round the flank and fell upon the enemy’s rear in a devastating charge. Within moments, the levies had lost the fight and tried vainly to flee, only to be overwhelmed by the swift konnica. The rout spread as a wild fire along the line and the Lemovii too began to waver from the assault and soon turned to flee to the rear, with the Boruscii in fast pursuit.

Now, with his right flank turned and his center crumbling, Badeloga tried vainly to bolster the remaining pockets of resistance by charging into the fray with his personal guard. But even as he gave the order, the remainder of his line began to buckle and give ground. First the left flank gave way, the warband therein turning to flee to the south and then the Herulii, now overwhelmed to the fronk and rear and flank, too gave way and were swept away in an uncontrollable retreat.



With utter cowardliness, Badeloga held his charge forward and rather turned to flee from the battlefield, leaving his men to their fate.

[Brucha]

Thus with Gorzyslav’s victory over Badeloga, the north was relieved from the Langobardi invasion, and it was now time that the starosta of the Venedii, Radzim, to act, for the Langobardi now pressed the invasion from the south once more. Now Hariulfas had retaken the burned remnants of Campus Horvati and gave pursuit to Zbylut’s retreating forces towards Campus Venedae. In a swift advance, Hariulfas marched north with little difficulty and soon drew near to the frontier of the Venedii lands. And here he halted, despite that Zbylut was making no attempt to guard the approaches from the south and instead fell back to Campus Venedae. Seemingly not fully acquainted with the country and afraid of ambush or having is flank turned, Hariulfas now opted not to advance further but posted his army along the frontier along a wide plain with the road towards Campus Horvati to his rear and he made camp for the winter.

Now, following the Battle of Południe Bridge in the fall of four forty-three, Radzim had retired back to Campus Venedae with his battered army to rebuild his forces even as Zbylut retreated north from Campus Horvati, with Hariulfas in pursuit. In all earnest, Radzim gathered fresh troops and marched with all haste to meet the Langobardi to the east.

And Hariulfas’ refusal to advance further north gained Radzim much needed time to encounter them with his rebuilt army. It was no season to resume fighting, with the heavy snows having already covering the ground, yet march he did from Campus Venedae with all haste eastwards.

Now the road north from Campus Horvati followed a narrow plain that stretched north and was bordered by forest and hills. And Radzim desired battle above all else, for he sensed Hariulfas’ hesitation and he now held numerical superiority over the Langobardi. Radzim met the Langobardi camped at the north end of the wide level plain and he hoped that his swift march would catch the enemy unawares, as they seemed not expect a winter attack.

Battle of Psie Pole
Now, Hariulfas’ complacency continued to mount even as Radzim approached the Langobardi camp along the road, for he made no move to disrupt the Venedii advance and thus Radzim was allowed to reach the battlefield unhindered by the enemy. With little sense of haste, the enemy disgorged from their encampment and positioned their lines squarely across the road as Radzim drew up his battle lines just north of the enemy positions.



Here Radzim was struck with inspiration, for he now saw Hariulfas’ hesitation in neither disrupting his advance nor his deployment and he now knew that he could provoke some of the Langobardi into an unorganized attack.

The morning that broke across the cloudy sky was cold and snowy and grey. Hariulfas was still languishing from the fever of indecision and inactivity yet this was not so for many of his men. Despite the seemingly indecision of their leader, the Langobardi men were much caught with impetuousness and being quite headstrong in their desire to come to blows with the enemy. The expanse of land between the two armies was flat and treeless and so Radzim threw his men into a wide front line, with his flanks held by his Voje on the left and borcje on the right. But his center was held by the great numbers of his heavy infantry, the togi voje. Behind them he placed his skirmisher lekki voje and on the flanks stood his konnica and allied Alan cavalry.

When all was ready, Radzim sent forward his konnica to harass the enemy line from a distance, discharging their javelins from a safe distance. Now the day was quite raw and snow was falling and the Langobardi had stood under arms for some time awaiting the deployment of the enemy. And despite the general orders from Hariulfas, the provocative advance of the enemy cavalry was soon too much to bear for some of his men. Eager to come to grips with their foes and unwilling to stand under the harrowing barrage of missiles, one group of Langobardi axe men cried aloud and charged forth from the main line. Here is what Radzim had anticipated and he quickly signaled for his konnica to retire with the Langobardi axe men in pursuit.



Headlong the Langobardi axe men crashed into the right flank of the Venedii line and straight into the bristling shield wall of the borcje. Now finding themselves outnumbered and with no friendly support, panic began to spread among the axe men as the borcje, far outnumbering the attacking Langobardi, soon wrapped around the enemy flanks to both sides in a death grip.



Sensing the initiative slipping away, Hariulfas now ordered the rest of his line forward, throwing the majority of his weight in support of the unordered attack on the Venedii right flank. With the order finally given, the Langobardi pushed forward in dense masses towards the Venedii line with a great rumble. Yet not all his strength was thrown onto the enemy right flank, and Hariulfas sent forth a single group of swordsmen against the enemy left flank and a slightly larger assault on Radzim’s center.



Straight into the voje and togi voje on the Venedii left flank did the Langobardi swordsmen charge, only to finds themselves soon outnumbered and quickly overwhelmed. As the main Langobardi assault shook the Venedii center and extreme right flank, the Langobardi swordsmen quickly gave ground and a panic seized them and the men began to turn to run off towards the encampment.



Sensing an opening, Radzim now recalled his left flank to turn it towards the main fighting and now ordered his Alan allied cavalry forward to pursue and run down the retreating enemy. In the center, they fell upon the flank of the assaulting enemy and took them by surprise and fierce hand-to-hand fighting broke out all along the line. And with the weight of superior numbers, the Venedii soon began to throw back the enemy assault step by bloody step. A complete victory seemed to be close and now Radzim’s Alan allied cavalry had succeeded in completely destroying the enemy left flank. He quickly gave the order for his konnica to now sweep round the enemy flanks as well and the konnica and Alan allied cavalry fell upon the enemy from the rear.





Dismayed, the Langobardi began to retreat almost immediately and soon the withdrawal turned into a rout as the surviving Langobardi sought desperately and cowardly to flee the field en mass. Now knowing victory was at hand, radzim unleashed his men forward to trample and cut down the fleeing enemy all over the field. And the killing did not stop for many hours, until dusk approached, as Radzim’s men sought out the remaining fleeing groups across the snow-swept plain.

[Brucha]

I must apologize for the lack of posts, but I have had a difficult time deciding on my next course of action in the current game. The war with the Langobardi has been dragging on far more than I had anticipated. This is due the the terrible AI diplomacy in the game - despite the fact that I have beaten them in battle every time (as well sacking two of their largest cities), they refuse to accept peace. After some delay, I decided to simply continue with the game as the present situation exists so that I do not fall behind. I should be able to post a new write-up over the week end.

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

Diplomacy is broken in RTW alas - looking forward to the update though!

[Merula]

I must apologize for the lack of posts, but I have had a difficult time deciding on my next course of action in the current game. The war with the Langobardi has been dragging on far more than I had anticipated. This is due the the terrible AI diplomacy in the game - despite the fact that I have beaten them in battle every time (as well sacking two of their largest cities), they refuse to accept peace. After some delay, I decided to simply continue with the game as the present situation exists so that I do not fall behind. I should be able to post a new write-up over the week end.

See if you can get someone to make you a force diplomacy mod for it, i think you are playing IB are you not? and just use it sparingly for major decisions like ceasefires or when you believe the AI SHOULD have actually accepted your vassalage of them

[Brucha]

Diplomacy is broken in RTW alas - looking forward to the update though!

See if you can get someone to make you a force diplomacy mod for it, i think you are playing IB are you not? and just use it sparingly for major decisions like ceasefires or when you believe the AI SHOULD have actually accepted your vassalage of them

Actually, the delay on updates is partially due to my failed attempts at tracking down a Forced Diplomacy mod but could not find one. If someone knows of one that is compatable with INVASIO BARBARORVM certainly let me know.

Indecision is also a reason for my delay of updating. I was literally unable to decide of my course of action with the Langobardi. I am facing no danger from them since I have severaly damaged their infrastructure and economy. However, the war nonetheless drags on.

In the end, I decided to just continue with the war no matter how long it endures, but decided to pull my troops back from enemy territory and only fight battles when the Langobardi crosses the frontier. If need be, I can always sack a couple more cities if need be.

[Merula]

Hang on i will try and find one for you

As for the Langobardi, i would recommend hoarding them into the roman empire, that is if you have the upper hand on them, you can do this by placing forts around their last settlement, though leaving one gap for them to come out of, then its basically about 'herding' them south. Hoarding armies generally dont come back to thier homelands not in any of my games in any case!

EDIT: It appears the only IB mod that has working Force Diplomacy is SAI which is not your timeframe...although you may want to go over there and ask how they did it?
EDITx2: Give this a try, maybe you can make sense of it, apparently it has worked in other mods http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=85442

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Good job on your latest battles

[Brucha]

Hang on i will try and find one for you

As for the Langobardi, i would recommend hoarding them into the roman empire, that is if you have the upper hand on them, you can do this by placing forts around their last settlement, though leaving one gap for them to come out of, then its basically about 'herding' them south. Hoarding armies generally dont come back to thier homelands not in any of my games in any case!

EDIT: It appears the only IB mod that has working Force Diplomacy is SAI which is not your timeframe...although you may want to go over there and ask how they did it?
EDITx2: Give this a try, maybe you can make sense of it, apparently it has worked in other mods http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=85442

The problem with the forced diplomacy mod (as far as adopting it to a mod) is to make sure you have made all pertinent corrections in the script for the factions in the particular mod. It can be done, but is simply time consuming. I might just continue to play without it and see what happens.

Good job on your latest battles

I have had alot of (dumb) luck and typical stupid AI tactics in battle so far. I have managed to soundly beat the Langobardi in every battle so far, unfortunately I must be able to continue to do this to the end of the game without too many drastic defeats in order to survive to the end.

The game thus far is shaping up rather strangely. In trying to play historically, I have limited my knowledge of the wider world to a minimum and have restricted to knowing only those lands just along my borders. Thus I have scant knowledge of whats going on in much of the world.

For instance, only last turn I spotted a pair of rebel army stacks (one a full stack in command of a general and another half stack) that were listed as "Ostrogoths". It seems that the Ostrogoth faction has had some deal of difficulty with these rebels (whether they were rebel-spawned or an AI general rebelled?), and this has restricted the faction from pushing north into Langobardi lands. The two rebels stacks were sitting on the Ostrogoth frontier for several turns and then withdrew without attacking.

The Huns, meanwhile, seem not to be expanding very much, although here too my knowledge is scant as best. I finally decided to march a diplomat down to Constantinople to speak with the Emperor and perhaps make an alliance with them. Maybe then I can get an idea of how the rest of the world is shaping up.

[Brucha]

And so, My Lord, the war against the Langobardi, to which I had become a chronicler of, had now drawn nigh upon its first year as the snows of winter began to melt and fade away. Terrible damage had been wrought upon the Langobardi in that time; Campus Horvati was sacked and burned and their king, Rando, had been killed and the city lay in ruin. The Langobardi invasion of the north was thwarted at the Battle of Inowrocławska Plain and the Teutons had been pushed out of all the Venedae lands and the cream of the Langobardi manhood lay dead and dying upon the fields of a half a dozen battlefields.

And yet the Langobardi did not yield and calls from the Venedii starostas for peace to once settle and the two peoples to forego further bloodshed fell upon deaf ears, for the lust of conquest was strong in the Langobardi.

Thus, even as Radzim celebrated his victory at the Battle of Psie Pole, now Gorzyslav was on the move. Marching relentlessly from the north, he now crossed the Viadua River in the Spring of four hundred and forty-four to march on Campus Sorabs to bring the fight to the enemy’s lands fully and without mercy.

As Gorzyslav crossed the Viadua, the Langobradi made a goodly show of resistance and the Południe Bridge. But when his men had crossed the river in force, the Langobardi turned their backs and went away south flying back to Campus Sorabs and abandoned the crossing.

Cautious of a counter-attack, Gorzyslav rode slowly south until his army stood before the walls of the city as the summer drew forth. There he sojourned thus for three days and took council with his men to settle what things they should do. Most of his men were firmly minded that scaling ladders b ought to be built and the attack made with all haste, lest reinforcements from the west arrive to lift the siege. Others called for a long siege and to starve the Langobardi out. All this while, no one came out of the city against them, as for every man.

But Gorzyslav wished to take the city but to also crush the last of the Langobardi resistance in one stroke. And thus he called the building of rams and of ladders and threw a ring round the city to prevent anyone from escaping or from approaching from without. And he ordered his men to begin to build huts for quarters as the thought was that the siege would keep up through the coming winter.

Siege of Campus Sorabs

As the siege ended its first month, relief arrived from the west as Captain Gunderic came upon the field ahead of a small force bent upon forcing his way through to the beleaguered city. And yet, Gunderic was hopelessly outnumbered and even with the aid of the city garrison, he could not hope to field more than half of that of the Venedii.



On the morning of June 18, Gunderic launched his doomed attack, having sent word to the city garrison and imploring them to launch an attack from without to aid him. Though terribly outnumbered, Gunderic’s attack was stiff and fierce and good, though doomed from the start for his peas for aid from the city garrison was unanswered and no attack from the city was forthcoming.[

In desperation, Gunderic and his men charged the great host surrounding the city and fought there, hand-to-hand, with axes and swords. The initial assault was readily repulsed and yet Gunderic redoubled his efforts and attacked once more, but the outcome was the same. He had far too few men and the enemy was far too many for his small army to force a victory against. And by the afternoon, Gunderic and his men lay wounded and dying upon the fields in view of the city walls.



Thus the siege continued unabated and through the summer Gorzyslav remained encamped round the city, holding it in a death grip. And yet the city garrison did nothing but stand before the high walls. But when the season for the new harvest approached, there came again a relief force from the west. It was Horsa, third son of the fallen king, Rando, who had marched on the city with the sole purpose to force the Venedii to give him battle and fight his way to the doomed city.

Before him, he sent word to the garrison of his approach and pleaded with them to come to the attack and sent forth sorties to break the siege. But even as he approached the city, he heard no response and feared the worst.

[/B]

Then Horsa, sensing the gravity of the situation, called for an immediate assault as soon as his men were in position. Terribly outnumbered, Horsa hoped for an decisive blow to the enemy flank and thus opted to throw the bulk of his weight upon the Venedii left flank. To draw from the main assault, he sent forth a smaller force against the enemy’s right flank, but this was but a diversion.



The battle was begun by a hopeless charge of Horsa’s Heruli spearmen allies upon the Vendii right flank. Meanwhile, the main blow fell upon the opposite flank as Horsa’s men charged and got to close quarters with the Venedii, grappling man to man in a desperate plea for victory.

But the Venedii, far outnumbering the hopeless Langobardi, soon got the upper hand. The Heruli attack on the right flank was repulsed and even driven back with much loss among the Heruli. For a short time, the attack on the Venedii left flank made some advance and the Langobardi fought gallantly, but they were soon overwhelmed by the sheer weight of a strong Venedii counter-attack and they began to give way and retire to the rear.



The attack on the left flank had now been forced back and even now threatened to be surrounded on all sides as the Heruli on the opposite flank gave more and more ground. And here Gorzyslav saw his opportunity, for the two sections of the Langobardi army had become wholly separated and a gap appeared in the line of fighting. Through this hole Gorzlsav sent charging front his cavalry to engage the enemy cavalry still held in reserve. The lighter Langobardi cavalry was soon routed as it fled far to the rear and now Horsa found himself surrounded by the numerical Vendii cavalry. It was at this point that Horsa fell in the thick of the fighting.

[/B]

As word of Horsa’s death swept across the field, the Langobardi, sorely pressed to stop the relentless Venedii counter-attack, now gave up all hope and began to flee the field in earnest.

It was at this time that the garrison of the city choose to arrive on the field, even as the remnants of Horsa’s men flew from the battle. Unorganized and haphazardly, the garrison drew up in a long battle line and prepared for the inevitable charge.

Without plan or strategy, the Langobardi charged the strongly-held Venedii line. Indeed, the initial attack upon the enemy right flank failed to reach the Venedii line before being disrupted by missile fire and a counter-charge of the Venedii Konnica cavalry.

Meanwhile, the Langobardi attack upon the left flank was coldly stopped and even repulsed with little loss to the Venedii. With both attacks stalled, Gorzyslav now launched a bloodly counter-attack and soon the Langobardi resolve was broken and the tattered remains of the garrison was fleeing the field.



It was at this point that, a snight set in the fighting came to a halt. But in the minds of the Venedii, the city was far from taken. They expected fighting still to last for weeks to come, perhaps even months. In their minds things were far from decided. And yet, the Venedii awoke the next day, expecting the siege to continue, only to find that the city lay open and the garrison gone. There was no opposition. The city surrendered.