¡Ay Carmela!
Your worst defeat
Ok, enough with gloating, let's talk about humiliating disasters. This thread is basically about you describing how you were fooled by the AI, how you were outmanouevred by an electronic device. So, here's mine (Seleucids, Battles: Medium, Campaign: Very High):My confidence went way down.Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Primicerius
Re: Your worst defeat
Heh, I fell for that very same trap, only with less dramatic circumstances. I was winding down a war with the Seleukids as Pontos, and noticed that the large Seleukid army had left Cyprus on a fleet bound for Syria, leaving only a small garrison. So I sent one of my favorite generals, the governor of Tarsos, across with a light force of about 8 units. Apparently that large army had returned in the intervening turn because after I laid siege, there it was rallying to the defense of the city, along with another force of mostly light horse that had been hiding in ambush. I was outnumbered at least three-to-one.
Minor thing, really. Worse was the backstabbing I just received from Pahlava at my eastern border after generations of peace, trade and mutual distrust. I spent at least 10 turns gearing up for war with Pergamon, planning each stage of a three-pronged attack against Nikeia, Sardis, and Halikarnassos -- three armies with supply trains and logistics all worked out, when out of nowhere, Pahlava comes at my eastern border with a seemingly identical plan of their own -- THREE stacks coming at different targets across Armenia/Hayasdan.
Of course I left garrisons, with a strong one centrally located but it's not nearly enough to ward off all the attacks. I've only suffered minor defeats with small skirmishing parties sent to delay them, but a big defeat is coming. The Seleukids (whom I've been at truce with for 10 years) took the opportunity to launch an attack as well, with a stack more than 25 strong (why does the AI get to have these stacks??) coming at Gazaka. And half of that garrison just left to help repel the Parthian raiders in the mountains nearby.
I've recalled 2 of the 3 armies on my border with Pergamon, along with their veteran units and some new scythe chariots, but they have a long way to travel...
Semisalis
Re: Your worst defeat
As the Numidians I tried reclaiming my sacred tribal territory back from the Phoenician colonists. I raised a full stack, a half stack for reinforcement and about 3 small 2 unit scout stacks.
My armies swept across the deserts into the heart of Carthage. Taking the settlement south of Carthage took all my scout stacks through small field engagements and the siege itself reduced my full stack by a quarter. My half stack reinforced my full stack then what was left stayed as garrison.
On to Carthage, my main army engaged an Carthaginian army in the fields and won easily. The siege of Carthage looked to be easy but the Carthaginians defended it like nothing I have ever seen. Two failed sieges reduced my main army to a handful of diminished units. I abandoned the siege and fell back. I would bring reinforcements but the Carthaginians kept throwing small armies at me that just kept reducing my army.
All the while, in my Mauritainian lands Carthage had launched a small offensive that caught me off guard. In a battle that my men should have won, a few mistakes cost me the settlement.
Now fighting small Carthaginian armies on two fronts, I could not reinforce my armies fast enough. My spies then caught 2 Carthaginian 3/4 stack coming from the East.
I had 1/4 stack and about 3 2-4 unit armies spread over Mauritania and the Numidians Native territory, and the settlement south of Carthage. I would not have a chance. I has next to no income, in order to even stand a chance I would have had to merge all my units into one army. That would have taken 10 turns and with two armies on my doorstep it never would have worked.
My diplomat in Carthage was able to broker a peace treaty after much negotiations. As per the treaties terms we would have peace and trade only if I returned my conquered lands south of Carthage as well as given them half of my Mauritanian holdings. I kept the northern lands and gave them the town in the south. Carthage kept the lands they conquered from me, which cut my Kingdom in two.
I had sought war, envisioning a quick conquest of the Carthaginian Peninsula. In doing so the Numidians would have had a safe stronghold and become great traders an be a wealthy nation.
Instead I had gained no ground and lost two vast territories. I now rebuild my nation surrounded and vulnerable. I have few troops and Carthage now protects it's lands with two great armies. I can be crushed at anytime if they choose. I am at their mercy.
Last edited by Emperor Hantscher; January 24, 2015 at 04:57 PM.
Laetus
Re: Your worst defeat
"The enemy was Captain Sosibius (like the eunuch)"
LOL. Yeah. I suppose if his name was "Narses", instead, then it wouldn't have been nearly so humiliating.
¡Ay Carmela!
Re: Your worst defeat
B-b-but Narses as also a eunuch!Seriously, now, I have nothing against castrated people, but Philaeterus was quite the macho, so I guess he had.
Re: Your worst defeat
Has anyone ever played a losing campaign? Even deliberately...
I've been considering playing a campaign as AS and trying to mimic their slow descent and fall.
Slowly losing my outlying territory's over time then eventually being overrun by a new rising power... Perhaps falling to Baktria, Parthia, Hayasdan or Pontos...
Domesticus
Re: Your worst defeat
I have played this kind of campaign as WRE using florin80's Fall of Rome mod (the RTW one) and it was very interesting campaign, it would be nice to repeat the scenario as AS.Originally Posted by Hummer
Semisalis
Re: Your worst defeat
I've actually lost a campaign playing as Numidia in De Bello Mundi when it first came out. It's a really challenging faction in either mod but it's very slow. You have to really build your economy before trying to take on Carthage. They have you surrounded and there is just no way you can defend everything, then next thing you know a full stack shows up and their troops are juts so mush better.
In my current campaign I have since restored relations with Carthage and have decided to instead find wealth by establishing colonies abroad and using Carthage control of trade in the Western Mediterranean to benefit my own trade situation. I have taken the Colony of Kyrene in North Africa in order to boost trade with the Ptolemies, my allies.
We are in a losing war with Macedon and Seleucids for control of the Eastern Mediterranean. I can barely afford to keep 2 fleets, the Ptolemies have been kicked out of Anatolia and are losing influence in the region.
My next target is the Macedonians in Knossos. If I take that I can open up trade possibilities in Greece and Anatolia and perhaps gain the respect of Epeiros who may be a valuable friend in the fight with Macedon and maybe one day pave the way for an invasion of Greece.
¡Ay Carmela!
Re: Your worst defeat
No need to do it deliberately, I often lose my modded campaigns, almost always by getting bankrupt with no hope of recovering. However, once in DTW as Parthia I was conquered by the Seleucids in the first turns. In fact, I have even lost in a vanilla campaign, playing as Numidia in VH/VH is a real challenge, at least for me!
Laetus
Re: Your worst defeat
Just having wrestled control of Crete from the Koinon, I set out to 'blitzkrieg' the League by landing an old veteran army in the Pelleponesos and work my way up to the borders with Makedonian territories. Embarked a stack of gold experienced phalangites, light cav, peltasts and toxotai led by my most experienced commander on an experienced fleet. So basically, turn ends, and my invasion fleet sits in the middle between Knossos and Sparte. Then I remember that my fleet is experienced but actually only has about a ship per unit.
Oh hi there Koinon fleet of two units. Goodbye veterans of Pergamon.
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