From League to Empire (An Etruscan League AAR)

[OathswornOfGaul]

Along the foothills of the Apennine Mountains and on the plains of Etruria, the armies of the Etruscan League gathered outside of Velathri. Publius Traianus Aurelius stood on the roof of a large vineyard, watching his Italian Spears train with a champion. Word had reached the League of a mighty Roman legion being mustered north of Roma called the Legio I Italica. The very name of the Legion struck fear in the hearts of the Theocratic Court. The Legion had marched on a fortified League army east of Roma, and massacred it. It was rumored it's general was no man but rather a half-man from the far north. "Tiberius, how many men have we mustered?" Publicius asked. The massive bodyguard of Publicius stood nearby. "We have four units of Italian Spearmen, two levy Slingers, and a mercenary warband is supposed to join us soon. Word is that the Court has mustered a second army in Areminum to support us if we marched on Roma." he said, looking at a map. With a grim look, Publicius nodded and said, "Prepare the men to march, we have a few weeks to meet th-". He was suddenly stopped by the sound of a shrill horn, a Roman horn. From the south east, over a hill, came the banners of the Legio I Italica. A line of Hastai, supported by Principes and Leves, stood at the top of the hill. On the flanks, feared Campanian horsemen and fierce Samnite warriors prepared to march to the fields surrounding the city. "Tiberius, get the militia ready! Call in all troops to the city! We must hold them here!" Publicius ordered. The sound of Etruscan horns rang in the city, and the sounds of men running frantically to the local armories soon echoed through out the city.

An hour later, the Roman legion had formed up on the plains directly south of the city. Meeting them was a greatly outnumbered force of Italian Spears, Levy Slingers, and peasantry. In a unit of heavily armored and well disiplined Italian Nobles was Publicius and Tiberius, with a Hellenic style of spear and a round bronze shield in hand. This was what Publicius was preparing the entire month for. This single battle would decide the entire fate of the League's control of central Italy. This battle would begin Total War.

[Alwyn]

Welcome, Aragrath! Playing as the Etruscan League, starting at war with Rome, sounds like a very challenging start for your campaign. Good luck with your campaign and this AAR, I look forward to more!

[Caillagh de Bodemloze]

This is a great start, Aragrath! It really makes me want to know what happened next.

[OathswornOfGaul]

The Bloody Street

With the battle about to begin, the Etruscan forces hastily formed a defensive position in the main street. Italian Spearmen formed multiple lines behind each other, with slingers and javilens in front to soften up the charging enemy. "They will probably send the Samnites in first to weaken our lines, with the Hastati soon following behind. The Principes will act as a reserve, with the Leves supporting them. Their cavalry will try to outflank us, and hit our skirmishers from behind." Tiberius says. With a nod, Publicius orders a unit of Spearmen ran to the northern end of the Street. With all of their troops ready, it was simply a matter of waiting for the Romans to assault them. After a few minutes, the Romans began to stir from their idleness. As if Tiberius was some sort of seer, waves of Samnite charged forth. Wearing bronze armor and wielding short sword, the Samnites received a volley of rocks and javelins before crashing upon the Italian Spearmen like water upon a stone. Fierce fighting soon broke out after the charge, with the disciplined Italians making relatively quick work out of the Samnites. However, for every 3 Samnites that fell, 1 Italian joined them. With a fierce warcry, the last Samnite warriors were driven back and broken by a few volleys of rocks.

Soon, the Hastai began to charge forward. When they were around 10 ft away from the Italian lines, they threw a volley of pilum that shredded the front ranks and drew short stabbing swords once they closed into melee. This is when the real fight began. The Street was already slippery from all the Samnite and Italian blood, but now the entire Street would be flooded because of the sheer number of Romans and Italians forced into one point. Soon, cracks in the Italian lines began to show as the sheer number of Romans pouring into the Italian position. "Come now, comrades, into the breach!" Publicius shouted. With a roar, the Italian Nobles charged into the blob of fighting and reinforced the badly damaged Spears. With the arrival of the elite Nobles, the battle for the Bloody Street slowly tipped in the favor of the Italians. The Campainian Cavalry were driven back with a combination of slinger and javilien fire, and a unit of Spears that bravely held off the superior troops.

Sensing that now was the critical time to push back, Publicius rallied his men and pushed forward, cutting down the now wavering Hastati and pushing out of the city. The Principes and the General's Bodyguard were the last significant Roman forces remaining. With their last remaining stones, the slingers pelted the leves in front of the Principes. With his exhausted men now standing in front of the city, Publicius marched to the front of the line, turned, and shouted, "Sons of Italia, of Corsica, of Eturia! Hear me! Here, on our very doorstep, the Romans dare wage war against the first sons of Italia. They spilled OUR blood, they defiled OUR land, they make war upon OUR people! Well, now we will wage war upon THEM. We will spill THEIR blood, we will defile THEIR land, we will make war upon THEIR people! I swear this to you, my brothers, I will not rest till the Romans are driven into the sea and their memory wiped for the Earth! Now for wrath, now for ruin, now for the League! Charge!" With a great roar, the Italian troops ran forth, ignoring the wave of javilens the Leves threw. Into the Roman ranks they crashed, slowly cutting a hole through the Principes. The Noble Infantry slipped through the evergrowing gap, and charged the General's Bodyguard which was making a stand with a few Hastati and Samnites that had survived. "Break their lines and bring their general to me!" Tiberius howled. The sight of the Italians breaking through and relentlessly slaughtering experienced, disciplined, and well armored Principes broke the will of the enemy. In an all out retreat, the Legio I Italica fled the field of battle, it's general caught and brutally beheaded by Tiberius. Victory had been achieved, but it was Pyrrhic at best. Hundreds of dead Italians lay in the Street and on the fields, with dozens of wounded filling the Temple to Vulcan. "What's the plan now, Publicius?" Tiberius asked. "We regroup, and march south. We take the fight to the Romans. Their blood, their land, their people."

[Alwyn]

I'm enjoying this - I like Tiberius' prediction of how the Romans will attack and Publicus' speech to rally the men.