[XGM AAR] The Rise of the Kingdom of Pergamon

[dezikeizer]

Great updates and impressive victories. Hopefully you can keep it up.

[DualKatanas]

It's... been a while. Ten days, in fact, and this update isn't exactly substantial. However, I can blame exams, so I will. Now that they're over, hopefully I can be quicker.

Just to note: You've probably picked up that I'm really not good at chapter titles...

Chapter VIII: Retaking the South

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I predicted Keas of Soli would return after his semi-defeat two updates ago, and I was right; he's back, leading the defence of Halicarnassus. We're taking it back. We have numbers and experience on our side.


… but not the terrain. Are the gods conspiring against us? Why are they choosing to punish the nation of Pergamon by giving me bloody horrific battlefields? Bleh...


Never mind. Hopefully they'll all throw themselves onto our phalanx. Even a gradient wouldn't matter too much if they nicely allowed themselves to be flanked.


They don't, waiting for their reinforcements arrive first. The Rhodians and Cretans have a long-running competition to see if they can outscore each other.


Keas demonstrates why he is a six-star general; unlike the other motley collections of half-trained men we've dispatched in the past, his thorakitai actually line up to bombard our phalanx with their javelins before charging, inflicting heavy damage.



Most of his army, including Keas himself, charge into the centre of the Pergamene phalanx, overwhelming it.


The Pergamene hoplites normally on the right flank are busy shooing of Seleucid reinforcements, and the other lot are occupied with the left flank, so the centre has to be propped up with archers until Iobates can chew up some thorakitai. The Cretans, meanwhile, firing at point-blank range, have shot down most of the bodyguards of Keas.


...and, yet again, I fail you, my readers, with the lack of coverage for the rest of the battle, due to it being too bloody frantic for me to take screenshots. The phalanx got ruptured in the middle, but the militia held until flanking forces could envelop Keas's army. The Seleucid general escapes with his life. His two underlings, most of his men, and six hundred Pergamenes do not.


That said, the battle is a victory in that Halicarnassus is now as good as ours. Even Pyrrhus himself couldn't win with such odds stacked against him. And even if he could, many Pergamenes claim that Iobates is now even better than Alexander was...


The useless militia calmly pick their noses as ladders advance on the walls and arrows fall upon them.


After much boring wall-taking – in which large parts of the Seleucid army stand calmly at attention as they get killed by their own towers – Iobates and his hoplites reach the town square.


Right now, Keas's tactical nous is telling him that he might just be slightly screwed.


The Seleucid general dies a good death. A soldier's death. And now Halicarnassus is ours once more.


The Seleucids only have Side giving them a foothold in Anatolia. If we take that, it's next stop Tarsus, which is only a stone's throw away from Antioch. That said, we do have the Persians to deal with, and across the Aegean, the Macedonians are rampaging through Greece. Hopefully, the next update won't take as long as this one...

[Iniquitus The Third]

Wahey! Updates, and two of them!

The computer's certainly upping the stakes - some higher-grade infantry or a unit of real elephants (not just the 'five-guys-in-a-grey-suit' variant who clearly impersonated the actual elephant you fought before) and that last one could have gone wrong.

I'm playing with the Romans now, and the sheer number of Greeks and Carthaginians I've had to grind through is ridiculous. I think Decius Mus has run down about two thousand Libyan Spearmen himself. Also, maybe it's just the fact that I disabled fatigue (hurr durr), but even enveloping isn't enough to break heavy units - I end up grinding them down nine times out of ten instead of mopping up the remainders. That said, Roman legion troops are so hardcore that I can afford to do that .

Finally, is it just me or does shield wall formation do jackbleep? Sure, my Triarii don't break and can hold off a thousand angry Libyans, but they also die much quicker and seem to do less damage.

Anyawy, keep it up! Good luck against the Macedonians - they're assembling five full stacks (it's only 267 BC, for cryig out loud) and are looking like the juggernauts of Greece this time around. Although the Seleucids are surpisingly successful considering the opposition they're up against in my game, having taken control of Palestine and slapped the Ptolomies like they owed them money.

[DualKatanas]

Yeah, the Empire clearly has better buildings now and that's starting to show on the battlefield. We still have the slight numerical advantage in most fights, but if they start churging out agyraspids and cataphracts...

Ah, yes, the Romans. I always did find that you killed a LOT of anyone there. Decius Mus became Decius Graecus and then Decius Africanus (wish the Senate would make up their bloody mind, or will he become Decius Mus Graecus Africanus Germanicus?) after 5000 men died at Asculum alone. And then his army went on to kill about 6000 Carthaginians outside the walls of Lilybaeum in one battle... crazy. And I find that the enemy isn't THAT hard to break mostly, but I DO play with fatigue on.

As for shield wall, I dunno. I always assumed it was a very defensive formation, and as most of my triarii have always been anti-cavalry or flank holders, I don't use them much.

Bleh, the Macedonians are even worse if you take a provincial Greek faction like Pergamon because the normal GCS in Greece are replaced by rebels, so they can steamroll at their leisure. In the toggle_fow screenshot coming up in the next update (dunno when that is, but hopefully soon) you can see just how far they've come... and as land bridges are on, I HOPE that doesn't mean I share a border with them. My ragtag army wouldn't stand much chance. And despite everything, the Seleucids are successful in my game as well, taking the fight to the Nile and India. Normally they get carved up.

[dezikeizer]

Great updates as always, and I look forward to more difficult battles. +rep.

[TheJim]

Liking the light-heartedness and humour, makes for easy reading. You should play on a harder difficulty for battles, though. It means that just because they are the defenders, the enemy won't simply sit there and get minced by missiles.

Funny to see how much your use of Phalanx units varies from mine. Long, very thin lines

And very defensive, too.

+repped for a great AAR

[DualKatanas]

I tried VH for battles. It didn't work, at least not in my experience. In sieges, they did exactly the same thing: Stand around or run around no matter who owned the towers. If it offered actual better combat AI then I'd have VH in a flash, but as it is... I don't want pointless bonuses for enemy soldiers.

And yes, my phalanx is very long: I don't want outflanked. They're mainly there for the purpose of holding the enemy so the hoplites and cavalry can flank them, and I've never needed anything deeper then four deep for that. That said, the opposing armies haven't been of a really high quality... yet.

Anyhow, on with the next update... and one with some length, finally.

Chapter IX: Security

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Armenians have been besieging Nicomedia for some time now without assaulting. Now they sue for peace, clearly more preoccupied with Seleucid expansion than a war that doesn't really concern them. Captain Leodemion gladly accepts their offer of peace and gets some trade rights at the same time. We then sneak in two thousand armoured phalangites, just in case.


In the south, Iobates and his resupplied, experienced army march on Side. A handful of smaller armies stand in our way. They will be crushed beneath the Pergamene sandal.


The armies draw up their battle lines on two different hills and hurl abuse across the gap, neither willing to sacrifice their high ground.


Iobates has defeated larger armies on more unfavourable gradients, so he confidently orders an advance. As usual, the enemy tears of in many different directions, most of them incomprehensible.


As small parts of our line are committed to battle, Captain Iolaos and his cataphracts head for our own lighter cavalry. These heavy cavalry are more than a match for our prodromoi, but fortunately they choose to charge straight past our thureophoroi, who are among the most experienced men in this army. Well-aimed javelins take a huge toll on the flanks of the horsemen.


Several Seleucid units charge into the breach, either unaware or uncaring of their captain's demise, and probably unaware that all the Pergamene cavalry is free to charge their rear.


As half their army watches from the hill, hoplites rout Seleucid thorakitai while Iobates deals with some phalangites.


Unfortunately, the core of their army is a tough nut to crack, and chews up some of our militia. And as most of our new armoured phalangites were sent to Nicomedia, we'll have to make do with this rabble for a bit longer.


Despite the almost normal depletion of his bodyguard, Iobates continues to charge around like a madman, providing an effective hammer to his hoplites' anvil.


With most of their army gone, any remnants of Seleucid resistance is futile, and promptly mopped up.


We take casualties, but they're easily replaceable. No war is won without blood.


Next up is a small army led by one of the Empire's most able generals. He is, however, outshone by the extensively bloodied Iobates.


The armies face off with the Mediterranean forming a nice backdrop. We hope the Seleucids won't mind a little swim.


They advance, and our archers and slingers get to work. Unfortunately, the army of Krateros includes skirmisher cavalry. I HATE skirmisher cavalry.


For all his proclaimed battlefield ability, Krateros seems to have a death wish, charging after our slingers and head-first into our pikes. Unfortunately, he's also good at surviving, and withdraws from the melee with his body and horse intact.


The enemy general throws large parts of his army against our line without result. Is this really the best the Empire can come up with?


Our prodromoi's pursuit of the Seleucid skirmisher cavalry almost leads them to their end as they nearly get snagged by enemy infantry.


Krateros – now without his bodyguard – seems oddly willing to let his army stand and get whittled down by our fast-depleting stock of arrows as parts of his infantry are mangled by his battle line. Maybe that earlier encounter with our pikes lobotomised him?


As the enemy thorakitai are finished off, our slingers move back out in front to deal with another stray unit.


Iobates charges the remaining enemy cavalry with his usual gusto.


Krateros is cut down and his army runs for their lives.


An easy victory. Casualties are light. The road to Side is open.


After manoeuvring into a good position, Iobates unleashes his blitz.


...Bleh. Why? WHY do they ALWAYS get the high ground?


Our situation isn't helped by these bad boys. Despite seeing them fail against his thin battle line more than once, Iobates knows just how devastating elephants can be when used properly.


The gradient is far from ideal, but at least we out-archer the enemy; the only archers they have are atop the elephants. By now, the Cretans know that they could do more damage to the elephants by beating them with their hats than by shooting them.


Foolishly, the pachyderms head straight for the thureophoroi, probably the best anti-elephant unit we have.


This phalanx is deeper and of better quality than the last one they faced. The results are predictable. The captain of the reinforcements clearly thought the view would be nice if he was sitting on an elephant. Now he's sitting under one.


In the distance, an isolated battle rages between opposing hoplites. Meanwhile, most of the Seleucid army moves slowly forward in an attempt to rupture our battle line.


Large parts of the enemy army break under pressure.


Our Cretans, however, are put under threat by a Seleucid phalanx shattering our low-quality militia counterpart. We quickly rotate two phalanxes to flank it.


Captain Aischines dies to a hoplite's spear. The Seleucids collapse.


Mopping up doesn't take long. Both the army and the garrison have been obliterated. Side is ours. Maybe our Ptolemaic allies think we'll give it back... No chance.


Western Anatolia, 260 BC. Our grip on the west is firm, with the Seleucids only having one way in past Side, unless they want to annoy the Galatians, who are performing well as a buffer state so far. In the North, the Armenians are still hanging around and may well support their Persian allies, but with Nicomedia garrisoned with over two thousand men, it is impregnable. King Philetaerus will soon shoo off those Seleucids around Sardis.


And here you have it, The World in 260 BC. The Seleucid Empire is the dominant power, storming the Levant and invading Egypt and India. Rome and Macedon seem to be gearing up for a titanic struggle; Illyria may well become one massive battlefield. In the global scheme of things, the Kingdom is still a small fish, but time will tell...


And so ends the last of the pre-taken screenshots; any updates now will require me to actually go ingame and play, so they might take longer, but they'll probably be of higher quality.

[TheJim]

Yeah, the AI always fails in Sieges, which is why I try to avoid them by enticing them out into a field battle. (besiege with a small force, enemy sallies, retreat past your large force). But in set battles the AI will more readily attack, rather than picking their noses whilst being turned into human pincushions, and concentrate it's force more on VH. I too hate the ridiculous morale bonuses (makes no sense) but I prefer the better AI. I dunno if XC might work differently, since I play RSII and Vanilla mostly. I think I'll get XC too because of the size of the world map - truly epic.

[DualKatanas]

Hmm, I'll do a few custom battles, see what difference it makes in different scenarios. If the AI bonus really is noticeable, then I'll be up for it, though those bonuses ARE senseless. XGM is the only mod I've played, so I'm not sure what affect it'd have on other mods... that said, if ever wanted a true challenge, I'd immediately hop on multiplayer. Humans>AI.

[Iniquitus The Third]

I'm getting some nice tips for taking on the Seleucids by reading this, mate - keep it up! It's going damn well, man.

And now I've started another new game (as the Macedonians, now), this time with fatigue enabled. And... it's going okay, actually. Managed to grab enough land to finance my forces for now, and double-stacked phalanxes + fatigue is making mincemeat of anything the Seleucids can siege me with.

I don't think things have processed along far enough for me to be able to say whether the Seleucids are going to win or anything, but it's looking promising for them if they can spare 7000 men to hurl onto my spearpoints.

My Roman game is still proceeding, but now they've abandoned all pretense of variety and started just plonking massive swarms of Libyan Spearmen in my way. I'm going to stop now, hole up, and wait for my siege workshops to come online and start churning out onagers.

Anyway, yay! We're entering unknown territory!

[DualKatanas]

Happy to help. And yes, double-stack phalanxes WOULD be devastatingly effective against anything stupid enough to charge them. Like the AI.

Hmm, my Roman game never progressed far, and I don't really know why... I probably just prefer the Greeks. Still, from what I know of the Carthaginians, that sounds exactly like what they do. I still remember those 6000 men they sent to me outside Lilybaeum...

Unknown territory indeed. There might be an army of agyraspids and armoured elephants lurking in that fog of war... well, we'll soon find out. Either way, a mere four days after my last one, another update. Don't expect them this quickly all the time:

Chapter X: Attacking a Leviathan

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Predictably, it doesn't take long for that rather large Armenian army to besiege Nicomedia again. Captain Leodemion is unruffled; no assault force in the world can break through over two thousand phalangites, most of whom are high-quality.


King Philetaerus hires a few mercenaries, requisitions a few hoplites intended for the new army, and heads on over to Sardis to relieve the city. It won't be an easy battle; we have the numbers, but over seven hundred of them are militia phalangites, and Philetaerus doesn't entirely trust mercenaries.


Seeing that the enemy has the advantage of terrain, the king waits for his reinforcements to arrive. Fortunately, his massive bodyguard means that we out-cavalry the Seleucids.


As the battle lines close in on each other, the remnant of a Median mercenary unit, ravaged by past battles, unwisely decides to charge a force of 160 slingers.


The Seleucid right advances. Our thureophoroi stand ready to flank.


Did they ever really think it was a good idea to charge when they have skilled heavy peltasts ready to shove javelins into their rear? I'd be more than just concerned...


As their screening peltasts are decimated by our Rhodians, the Seleucid left commits itself. Our own hoplites get ready to flank.


The battles on the flanks rage. As militia rushes to support their hoplites, their centre phalanx moves in. We already know what those professional troops can do to our militia...


As our militia get on with heroically dying in service to the Kingdom, their king charges into action, his mere presence routing the enemy hoplites.


Along with our own hoplites, he then turns and charges into the rear of the enemy phalanx, who has almost finished chewing up our substandard opposites.


Their other phalanx is caught in a multi-flanking manoeuvre, but still persists in surviving.


Philetaerus leaves to mangle some militia, so Captain Aigisthes takes the opportunity to run for his miserable life.


Given that the Seleucids seem satisfied to stand around facing nothing in particular, the Rhodians step up and start shooting them as they get spears poked into their backs.


No men can take that kind of pressure for long, and they rout. By this point, over half our king's bodyguard is dead but he's still in the thick of it. He might be old, but you can tell he's loving this.


We take casualties, but they're easily replaceable. The Seleucid army in Western Anatolia will be a lot harder to replace.


Iobates sits on the Side-Tarsus road, knowing that this large Seleucid force will attempt to dislodge him.


A standard face-off, though with a varying gradient.


Our Rhodians and Cretans get busy. You can see why they have so much experience...


The Seleucid army moves right up to our battle line, but seems reluctant to wholeheartedly engage. Odd.


It eventually moves in, with their right committing themselves first. Iobates and his bodyguard do what they do best.


Captain Abreas is killed, and parts of his army begin to flee. We're perfectly poised to hammer into their rear.


The Seleucid flanks shatter. Their centre holds on, but it's a losing battle.


Some of their men who started to flee recover, only to find that their committed troops are turning to run as well.


The Seleucid army is crushed. Only one survivor survives to flee to Tarsus and warn of the incoming Pergamene menace. We'll have them quaking in their sandals.


The Armenians offer yet another ceasefire. Captain Leodemion politely points out that it would be good if they would make up their minds.


The last child of Philetaerus comes of age. Aristarchos is not a man of war like his brother Iobates, but he is good at managing things. He and his nanny will be sent to rule Nicomedia. It's not like she's going to let him go without her...


Desperately attempting to hold back Iobates, the Seleucids are throwing armies onto the Side-Tarsus road. Outnumbering the enemy significantly, Iobates takes the fight to them.


Oh, bollocks. That's a VERY inconvenient place for their reinforcements to arrive...


Their main army – led by Captain Koinos, who appears to like the view offered by sitting on an elephant – charges the Pergamene line as we reform our right to deal with the second army.


Or maybe he doesn't. A token assault is dispatched and Koinos hangs back, willing to let his force be battered with arrows. A delaying action, maybe?


Iobates grows bored and takes the fight to the enemy as his archers and slingers wreak havoc in their main body of troops.


Some more phalangites barely redeploy in time to meet the threat of the Seleucid reinforcements.


Having ravaged the army of Koinos with sword and arrow and stone/rock/brick/kitchen sink/whatever those slingers throw, Iobates is almost trampled by the rather irate Seleucid captain.


Koinos decides to retreat. Good thing, too, as our line was taking a mauling. A quick charge into the enemy's rear settles that debate.


It gets a lot simpler after that, though several hundred Seleucids escape, including the elephants. It matters not: Tarsus is ours for the taking. Finally, we are taking the fight to the Seleucid heartlands.


Well, at least it's our more permanent enemies this time, and not part-timers. Captain Leodemion – now appointed to Aristarchos's bodyguard – suggests scaring them off by sending his lord's nanny at the enemy armed with a rolling pin. This idea is vetoed by Aristarchos, who describes it as 'too cruel on the Persians'.


Tarsus only has wooden walls and a skeleton garrison. This will be easy.


It's a big place, but with wholly inadequate protection. We penetrate in three different places.


Pergamene hoplites trample Seleucids already killed by our Cretans as they charge the remnants of a unit of thorakitai.


A while later, we enter the town square in force.


One hoplite looks a little lost as thureophoroi pour javelins into the flanks of the Seleucid phalanx.


A five-man phalanx isn't the most effective thing in the world, it seems.


Tarsus is taken with minimal casualties.


This is good news. Tarsus has advanced military facilities, so we can rearm quickly. It also means that supply lines will not be as stretched; we can operate out of Tarsus easily enough. Now all we have to do is hold on. Easier said than done: the Seleucid Empire is the foremost military power in the known world. Stay tuned.

[Iniquitus The Third]

Captain Leodemion – now appointed to Aristarchos's bodyguard – suggests scaring them off by sending his lord's nanny at the enemy armed with a rolling pin. This idea is vetoed by Aristarchos, who describes it as 'too cruel on the Persians'.

And yes, double-stack phalanxes WOULD be devastatingly effective against anything stupid enough to charge them. Like the AI.

I know what you mean - the Macedonians roster in XGM is leagues beyond vanilla's. I'm afraid of going back to it now...

Weren't there Agyraspids in that army that loomed up around the time of the first shown protectorate offer? Anyway, with fatigue enabled, it shouldn't be too hard. Maybe try bringing an onager unit or two to the next battle - all the blingtastic gear in the world is of little use when you're being scraped off the bottom of a burning boulder.

[DualKatanas]

Yes, there were Agyraspids, I believe, but they were destroyed in some battle somewhere. There's been so many I lose track. In any case, there weren't many of them. As for more, my spy has detected a few isolated units. They can do to my standard phalangites what their standards can do to my militias... but they're AI.

As for onagers, I tried them a few times in other campaigns. There's no doubt they can be effective, but I binned them for two reasons: It slowed the army too much on the campaign map, and... well, there was a certain incident involving my seven-star general and a ball of flaming rock and pitch. Incidents like that tend to skew your bias somewhat. Besides, these Cretans of mine are shaping up to be nearly as good.

[Iniquitus The Third]

Yes, there were Agyraspids, I believe, but they were destroyed in some battle somewhere. There's been so many I lose track. In any case, there weren't many of them. As for more, my spy has detected a few isolated units. They can do to my standard phalangites what their standards can do to my militias... but they're AI.

As for onagers, I tried them a few times in other campaigns. There's no doubt they can be effective, but I binned them for two reasons: It slowed the army too much on the campaign map, and... well, there was a certain incident involving my seven-star general and a ball of flaming rock and pitch. Incidents like that tend to skew your bias somewhat. Besides, these Cretans of mine are shaping up to be nearly as good.

Stupid AI. Mind you, if you'd had to contend with those guys at the start of the campaign in force, you wouldn't have had the same rate of expansion, that's for sure.

I usually keep mine on the boats if I'm near a coast and if not, I grin and bear it. Sometimes I just need that extra bit of punch to smash units. In any case, going slower can be an advantage for doing assaults on thickly-populated areas such as Greece or Italy, where you get plenty of enemies swarming out to fight you and can lure them into fighting on the field. But I know how you feel - in vanilla, I used a sort of variation of the noob box with my phalanxes and hid my archers behind them, and the onagers behind them. Worked like a dream.

Lastly: is it worth it spending the time and money to build up Cyrene to recruit Cretan Archers there, or stick to the standard ones?

[DualKatanas]

Damn right; if they'd had Agyraspids back then, right now you'd just be reading about endless sieges of Pergamon. Right now, I just have to hope I can get a half-decent army together on the Eastern Front before they can. If Agyraspids tear through my militia phalangites, there's not much I can do to close a 720-man gap.

I get paranoid about leaving troops on boats despite enemy navies almost always being weaker than mine. And in any case, I'd rather have cavalry in place of those onagers; more troops to use as hammer to my phalanx's anvil. And it's not much, but building siege workshops DOES lower your income in that city, so it's not really in my interest. It could be an option later, though...

As for Cretan archers, I'm assuming you meant Kydonia there; if you can recruit them in Cyrene, I'm off to start a Cyrenacian provincial campaign...

Well, Cretan archers are VERY good, for sure; I WOULD go to considerable lengths to secure them in my armies rather than the normal archers. Longer range, and they can actually act as light infantry in a pinch. Great, great units. Probably the best archers in XGM.

[Iniquitus The Third]

Clearly I was referring to Cydonia in the first place. Because I'm not stupid enough to confuse the two admittedly similar names. *whistles*

Well, good luck against the Agyraspids, anyway. Pinning them into place and then plowing your Cretan Archers' shots into their flank might be the most effective way. If these guys come wth high-end cavalry on their side, however...

...Eh, you'll manage. Have you tried getting the Ptolemies to help out? What with all the high-grade troops they're not having to face, they owe you big-time.

I'll get some Cretan Achers, then. Not going to go against the word of someone who's done this before. At least they'll help if/when the Scythians start rolling into town...

[DualKatanas]

Yes, of course... *cannot help wondering if you CAN recruit Cretans in Cyrene* It IS close to Crete... sort of. Probably not. *plots to invade Crete*

Yeah, I remember using those Rhodians to great effect, sending stones into ribcages. It'd work just as well against Agyraspids. Particularly if it's Cretans AND Rhodians. If they come with cataphracts... well, Iobates's bodyguard is both suicidal and experienced. We'll manage. Also, my prodromoi can act like skirmisher cavalry against those cats.

The Ptolemites? I'm pretty sure they'd love to help, if they can retake Memphis. I haven't looked at Egypt with toggle_fow off, but I'm pretty sure their situation is dire. And that the cream of the Seleucid army is there. Or in India.

Urgh. Scythians *shudders* I don't plan to advance much past the Pontics as far as northward expansion is concerned. I HATE Scythians. The Macedonians can keep them off my back, and the Armenians can act as a buffer state. Means I can focus on grabbing the Levant and Mesopotamia. Or maybe I'm being too ambitious...

[Iniquitus The Third]

It'd be like using the phalanx + slingers combo earlier in the capaign. Only, you know, with more of your guys dying.

I kinda think there might be the slightest possibility that can recruit Cretan Archers on Crete. Just a little hint. A smidgen of confidence, even.

While they're busy pounding your loyal friends into a bloody mess they're not doing the same to you, eh? They'll manage.

I, o the other hand, am looking forward to fighting them, what with heavily-armed archers, hoplites, and fatigue turned on. I'm a masochist, what can I say?

Oh yeah, are there any significant rebel forces you may be able to defeat and get an adoption for? Another family member to lead the secondary army and clear up northern Anatolia seems like a good idea to me.

[dezikeizer]

Great updates as always, and good progress. Hopefully soon enough you'll be able to use the mountains at the edges of Anatolia to make defending your lands easier.

[DualKatanas]

Oh yeah, are there any significant rebel forces you may be able to defeat and get an adoption for? Another family member to lead the secondary army and clear up northern Anatolia seems like a good idea to me.

One of my house rules is that there would be no adoptions. I don't know why, but I've had an aversion to them for a while now... maybe I just prefer pure-bloods. Ah, well, in any case, as we see in the next update, generals won't be a problem.

Anyhow, generally, it's been too long since my last update. My impending week-long holiday forced me to kick myself in the arse to jump-start this new update, so here it is. Better late than never...?

Chapter XI: The New Generation

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In Tarsus, the oldest son of Iobates comes of age. Pidytes shows promise as a general, and a religious man might just appeal to the gods-fearing soldiers in the Pergamene army. At the very least, he'll be valuable for leading armies on the Eastern front.


Iobates gives his son an early test; while he stays in Tarsus to pacify rebellion, he gives command of the army to Pidytes and sends him out to win his spurs against a Seleucid force.


His father has won many an engagement like this. The experienced soldiers will no doubt be eyeing their new leader, wondering if he will foul his underwear.


The Seleucids field a company of hated Median cavalry. The Cretans aim for them, hoping to take them out early so we don't have to run around after them much later as they flee from one corner of the map to the other like headless chickens.


Most of the Seleucid army stays back as a small force tempts our right flank.


Upon seeing the dismal failure of this, the pragmatic Captain Damasos orders a full retreat. Enraged about being denied a total victory, Pidytes orders his cavalry to join him as he pursues.


He does know caution, however; he will be staying well away from these two Agyraspid phalangites. His untried bodyguard would be slaughtered if he sought to take on the best soldiers in the Seleucid army.


The young general, however, does combine well with his prodromoi in routing a straggling company of thorakitai.


His hot-headedness gets the better of him, however, and the cavalry take casualties in routing another enemy company.


Not the decisive victory this proud son was attempting to deliver to his father, but a victory nonetheless.


Apparently, Pidytes is untouched by fear. Well, I think we all guessed that already. The men in his bodyguard are already writing their wills, sure that the son is easily just as insanely brave as the father.


Ah. Hello. So it's 8400 men against barely 2700, then? Aristarchos readies himself for battle as our Macedonian allies fetch the popcorn. *Snorts* Some allies...


Aristarchos - who is most definitely not following the orders of his nanny, whom Leodemion has left tied up in one of the dungeons lest she break loose and scare the enemy off before decisive victory is obtained – orders his men to plug all entrances to the city square. This will be a tough one. Attacks will come from all sides.


I think they want to come in. And that's just half of ONE of the armies facing us.


Dionysiphes looks on dispassionately as his men invent the traffic jam.


First blood. Those short axes won't do you much good when you're impaled on the end of a fifteen-foot sarissa.


Second blood. Our phalangites can endure this; the Pontic cavalry will run out of javelins eventually.


Meanwhile, Armenian skirmishers have made a somewhat lacklustre attempt to break through an extremely solid phalanx.


What buffoon is in charge of these idiots? Horse sandwich, anyone?


At another plug, the Pontic cavalry actually manages to rout through the phalanx. Don't ask me how.


The Georgians get knuckled down to a battle of attrition. Their javelins have already inflicted heavy casualties.


Greek traitors loose their own javelins. There will be no mercy for these scum. Just the pointy end of a big pike.


It's all starting to get a bit crowded... weight of numbers CAN break a phalanx. Aristarchos advises his bodyguards to start writing their wills.


Persian Karkades spearmen fight their way to the front and start to drive a wedge into the phalanx. Hopefully, we can contain these exhausted troops.


One of the Armenian captains sends in his reserves, hoping that fresh troops can buckle the Pergamene phalanx.


It's like they're feeding cubes to their massive green blob... maybe it's hungry?


Aristarchos satisfies himself that his bodyguard has written all their wills, and then goes to make a few sandwiches. Wham.


In a different area, the entire Armenian front line shatters and routs.


Come back, you cowards! We haven't killed enough of you yet! *shakes fist*


Aristarchos charges into the rear of more attackers, instigating a mass rout.


He then gets around to the rear of the massive green blob, only to find that their spines have stiffened.


The ruler of Nicomedia is then pursued down a street by a depleted company of Karkades spearmen. War isn't his strong point, but his bravery can't be faulted as he turns and charges.


He has a level head, however, and turns tail when hundreds of spear-waving Armenians suddenly converge on his location.


It happens again. The exhausted Armenian blob has been utterly spent.


Now Aristarchos has a massive long line of routers all to himself...


Most enemy forces have been chased from the city. As his forces move to break out, Aristarchos mops up the stragglers.


That Armenian force has been standing there all battle. As our phalangites move out, they finally move in, at an awkward time. Bleh.


Bleh. They can't even form a phalanx quick enough... even when fighting traitors.


Fortunately, they do form one in time, which is good as the ailing thureophoroi receive reinforcements.


As they bugger off, the spearmen finally get their ladder moving.


Yes, keep climbing. Don't worry if we poke you up the arse...


Now that's dedication. The phalangites are even following them up...


Aristarchos attempts to snag the enemy skirmishers, but there are too many and the phalanx is too far away to help.


Unfortunately, after climbing the ladder, the phalangites find themselves heavily outnumbered and take severe casualties.


The Armenian captain, obviously driven mad by the slaughter of his men, orders his horse archers into the city.


The other Armenian captain finds his unit distracted by Aristarchos then impaled on a phalanx.


That's what you get for leading unarmoured horse archers into a load of pikemen...


Dionysiphes also appears to have grown tired of life... along with his fellow family member.


They do what they do best, and punch a massive hole in the phalanx, but take crippling losses in the process.


Dionysiphes manages to rout through the phalanx. He won't last long. The poor lonely sod be hunted down. His comrade doesn't last much longer.


After hours, the smoke clears and the corpses are counted. The garrison of Nicomedia has utterly crushed the invaders, killing 8000 of them. There are no Armenians left in the Kingdom. Our own losses are negligible. Aristarchos is in a triumphant mood.


Until...

Can't you even give us some time to rest, you bastards?!?

Well, either way, the second Pergamene army is slowly taking shape in Pergamon. Soon we might be able to take the fight to these Persians. But before that, I'm off for a week to Cornwall tomorrow. Any updates will be delayed... more than they are usually, that is.