Scourge of the Sand (Himyar AAR) - [Update 16/11 - The Ephemeral Peace]

[Paladin94610]

AAR Information
Faction: Himyar
Campaign: Grand Campaign
Mods: Various Unit Mods, Smarter AI Recruitment Mod, Major Factions Auto Resolve Bonus Mod, Desert Culture/Temple Mod, Sea Sickness Mod, Camera Mod, Two Turns Per Year
Difficulty: Very Hard (Campaign)/Hard (Battle)

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Chapters
Chapter 1 - Vengeance (18/6/2016)
Chapter 2 - Into the Mouse's Burrow (20/6/2016)
Chapter 3 - Vultures from the East (24/6/2016)
Chapter 4 - A Hundred Leagues Across the Sand (28/6/2016)
Chapter 5 - On the Far Side of the Desert (5/7/2016)
Chapter 6 - A Game for a King (97//2016)
Chapter 7 - A Happy Arabia (15/7/2016)
Chapter 8 - Across the Sea of Blood (23/7/2016)
Chapter 9 - The City of Gold (11/8/2016)
Chapter 10 - Not Too Headless, But Stubborn (27/8/2016)
Chapter 10 - (Part 2) Not Too Headless, But Stubborn (17/9/2016)
Chapter 11 - Eudaemon Retaliates (16/10/2016)
Chapter 12 - An Unexpected Host (22/10/2016)
Chapter 13 - Courting a War (27/10/16)
Chapter 14 - The Usurpers (31/10/16)
Chapter 15 - Those Who Write History (5/11/16)
Chapter 16 - A Troubling Fleet (14/11/16)
Chapter 17 - The Ephemeral Peace (16/11/16)
Chapter 18 - Pressing on the Wound (20/11/16)

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Chapter 1 - Vengeance


I am sure every living thing will end up to become dust. But this countryside is special. It is exceptionally dusty; too dusty that all creatures live and die literally in the dust. And it is hot & you will find water so scarce here. My friend, this place as you guessed is unmistakably the vast deserts of Arabia. The mountainous highlands which outline the sea in the west takes up most of the rain clouds. And highlands in the east takes its own toll. What is left for us, the Bedouins, is numerous waterholes which peppered across the region. Likewise the tough climate, the lives of these people are tough. We used to fight for water, and sometimes also for wealth. Yes, although we were poor in basic necessities of life, our merchants make huge profit from incense trade with the Persians in the north. And this accumulated wealth became another reason for our evil violence.
I had to taste this desert scourge bitterly since my childhood. It was fifteen years ago, when a fateful sandstorm swept across our waterhole camp. It was no gods- forsaken sandstorm. It was the numerous troops that Sabaean king brought into our Himyarite lands. Across the desert plain, they marched from waterhole to waterhole. They drunk like thirsty hippopotamus but certainly they were more evil than any hippo could be for they were also pillaging every village on their path. (Hippos are not evil anyway.) Our village needless to say, was one of these villages. Only a few people managed to escape murder and loot. But it was more like leaping out of frying pan and falling onto fire, too many of us risked their lives for many days in the desert. Pillagers did not kill too many inhabitants, but it was in fact most death occurring in the desert than in the pillage. Hundreds of Bedouins died in the war. After a fruitless raid in the outskirts of Eudaemon, Sabaean army turned back.

After the war, we moved to Eudaemon with what was left of our possessions. Under the protection of the city, our lives became relatively stable once again for a decade. When I came of age, I joined the ranks of Himyar’s warriors. Our king Syphax has become an experienced leader over the years. And he invested more wealth than ever to vastly expand the Himyarite army. As a distinguished Bedouin warrior, I rose among the ranks of my fellow sergeants. I was assigned to conduct numerous raids during my service over the past four years. I kind of feel & act like a vengeance over the Sabaeans. Yet I realize this will not be going on forever. Sooner or later this protracted conflict will eventual settle into a pitched fight in the field.

And I believe it was this day. King Syphax summoned his senior generals & several captains of raiding parties like me.

“Comrades we have been raiding the Sabaeans for nearly a decade & encountered many skirmishes with them. My dignitaries in Mascat informed me of a large host of troops both infantry & camelry were mustered in the north of Marib (the capital of Sabaean Kingdom). Sabaeans are going to respond our attacks with an all-out war. It will be no more a minor skirmish. We fight with all of what we have got. And there is no turning back. Do you understand? Prepare your companies. We sally forth tonight!”

The king looked distressed. And we knew he was right to be so. Sabaeans had over three thousands of footmen & camelry. The last time when Sabaeans terrorized our lands, they brought a mere one thousand men. I returned to the barracks near the habour, where I briefed my lieutenants of the coming battle. We prepared supplies & weapons for the march overnight. In the morning we set out to meet the enemy. Over five days, we trespassed the desert hastily covering as much Bedouin villages as we can, while evacuating the villagers back to Eudaemon. We set up camp at the northernmost Bedouin village. The king sent scout parties ahead into Sabaean territory. It was revealed that the Sabaeans swarmed around their capital but did not come out to meet us on the field. Over the two weeks, we waged a war of attrition. Only minor skirmishes occurred between our supply caravans & their raiding parties; playing cat & mouse across the desert. Enemy sit behide their walls comfortably while we weathered ourselves in the desert. But we were strong spirited, especially Himyar’s Bedouin recruits for we don’t want our villages overrun again like ten years before. After a month of standoff, our efforts paid off. Sabaeans invaded our territory once again determined to crush the opposing host of Himyarites.

---

Battle of Eudaemon 264BC
Belligerents -



The two hosts met in the middle of the desert each presenting a battleline that stretched nearly a mile wide.


Sabaean camelry on their right wing galloped to flank us. And I led our Himyar’s corresponding left wing cavalrymen to meet them before they reach the battleline. This wing is composed of Arab ‘state’ cavalrymen; well equipped regular cavalry financed by the city’s richest merchants & their retainer light horsemen.


The two battlelines started to exchange missiles at each other.

Our men were outmatched by their camelry. Camels scare our horses. And in the ensuing close combat, the enemy on camel back , held a stronger position. If we fail, we knew they would outflank us and destroy us. So we fought hard to keep them at bay.



At that time, Sabaean left wing smashed into our right flank group of spearmen. But we kept sending more men to pin down the camels.


Soon after mounted troops engaged, our main battlelines of levies with wicker shield & spears crashed into each other & began the horrible blood bath. Sabaean commander spared none of his troops. He seemed to believe that the brute force & sheer numbers would quickly overwhelm Himyarites. The king rallied every company that falter & managed to hold the center.


The king dispatched our right wing cavalry to attack.


Most of its light cavalry went on to run down enemy archers.


Then he formed a taskforce of four battalions including his bodyguards and ordered to punch a hole in enemy line. Sabaean archers took out as many of our men as they can. Many Himyarites sacrificed to enemy arrows to protect the valuable; the king and his men.





And their sacrifice was not in vain, for the remaining three battalions and heavy lancers dispatched from the right wing, together smashed into the rear of enemy battleline. Soon the whole Sabaean center fell apart. Victory was almost at hand.





On our left flank, tribal warriors despite under heavy missile fire, made a desparate attempt to outflank the enemy. Soon they were relieved by advancing Himyarite camlry who drove off the enemy skirmishers.



Sabaeans sent all of their reserves; fresh recruits from Mascatite borders into the fray. And their elite swordsmen also joined the fight.



Their counter attack was an initial success that wither away too quickly. They were finished off by our lancers.





Two of the enemy commanders were slain in battle & and another one was captured & executed. The enemy army was on flight & scattered. Casualties were not light for us too. We lost nearly a thousand men in the battle; many of them, my Bedouin comrades.

---

After the battle, the king ordered recruitment for the lost battalions immediately.
“This is our chance my lads, we shall bring an end to this war, for once and for all!! We march to Marib!”
“ Yes!!”
“For Himyar!! For Himyar!!” we shouted in cheer. It was a roar that reflects our thirst for vengeance that crawled between the sand dunes.

[Johnadiw26]

A great opening chapter my friend,and finally Himyar people got their revenge over Sabean, ah Sabean my lovely playable faction in EB 1 mod, nice to know they come back again. What made me hooked is your screenshot pic presentation, the angle of screenshot pic you takes is very fit with your story, my favorite of your screenshot pic is viewpoint from eagle eyes at the beginning battle and the charge of two armored horsemen. Keep a good work lad, because your story have potential!

Sent from my Smartfren Andromax AD688G using Tapatalk

[Alwyn]

I agree with Johnadiw26, this is a great start and your screenshots are impressive. Your words and images communicate the action very effectively. It sounds like pinning down the enemy camel riders was essential - and that their camel riders, elite swordsmen and also their archers were challenging opponents. I am looking forward to more!

[Lugotorix]

Yes. The glory of Rome II on max settings. Good way of telling the battle's story.

[Zeion]

Very nice start - thumbs up!
Impressive images and a unique idea for an AAR as well. I, too, really like the Saba in EB 1 so it's interesting to see them as opponents in your story.

Also, I'm wondering where future conquest will take you. Conquere the arabian peninsula first? Or move over to Aethiopia as soon as possible? At least that was my go-to strategy in a Himyar Attila campaign.

Good luck with your campaign and I'm looking forward to your next update!

[Caillagh de Bodemloze]

Hi, Paladin 94610!

You've given us a very engaging beginning there. The story of the early life of your narrator was a particularly nice touch. And my favourite picture is the same as Johnadiw26's. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.

[Paladin94610]

Chapter 2 – Into the mouse's burrow

We recovered much of our casualties over three moons. In the meantime we continuously sent scouts and raiding parties into Sabaean territory, harassing what was left of their field army, to prevent them from recruiting fresh troops. Sabaean garrisons at each village & town to the west of Marib were weakened eventually from our attacks. Four months later, we found ourselves surrounding the capital after turning much of their countryside into a wasteland. There we made camp & began to lay siege to the city. The king brought siege experts from Egypt. From their instructions we began building the siege gear. But in the middle of the desert, we had a hard time salvaging timber for building ladder towers; since the enemy had already cleared trees from their countryside. Our men had to drag wood painstakingly from as far as fifty miles east of the city. Another one month went on. Then we had built eight mighty siege ladders and were ready for the assault.

---

Battle of Marib, 263BC

Belligerents -


Garrison of Marib was commanded by the king himself, Capussa & his commander-in-chief Zelalsen with a strength of one thousand men. Our host was slightly weaker than when we set out from Eudaemon, but we are still a formidable force, very fit for a city assault. I have proven myself a worthy captain in the previous battle. So the king entrusted me with the command of his swordsmen battalion.


I was given the command of the main assault force consisting of six battalions of tribal warriors & levy spearmen, backed by my own sword battalion. The walls of Marib were massive & high. I have seen how great the extensive street networks & brickworks of Eudaemon, but not anything like this. In between the parapets we could see enemy heads & projecting javelins & bows, ready to be loosed upon once we apporach. I ordered my battalions to make a tight formation of ladder towers.


Even using ladders as cover from missile fire, many enemy missiles made their way through gaps & took a toll on our approaching comrades. And countless of missiles were wasted on the ladders.






We advanced yard by yard, ever approaching the walls. Then we began to scale the walls. I led my sword battalion personally in the assault. It was admittedly a great honor to fight alongside king’s men.


After a relentless scaling, I was finally on top of the ladder. A spear greeted my face. Only my quick reflex saved me from being a pierced dead head. I picked up the middle of his spear’s shaft & pulled him towards me. More combatants approached to gang up the struggle. Using my first enemy as a human shield, I deterred many spear thrusts & leaped over my human shield, onto the wall. There I was alone surrounded by enemies. But I did not have to hold for so long. King’s men quickly followed & joined in the wall fight. A few minutes later, the top of the wall was filled with fierce close combat.






The secondary assault force on the north sector of the wall was doomed though. They were of a much smaller force & the enemy overwhelmed them easily. And this is where Sabaean king Capussa held his position.


Seeing that, I drew my battalion away from combat, went downstairs and marched towards the right sect of wall to relieve our fellow troops. I stationed archers & light infantry on the ground to loose their missiles at the enemy on the walls, while we took upstairs to fight them in close quarter.




The valiant enemies were completely surrounded & slain. Taking another five minutes of a deadly fight, enemy king & his men were trapped at the rear edge of the wall. We kicked most of them off the wall. Sparing only the king, we took him outside the city to our siege camp, to be presented before our king. It was said that King Syphax made the enemy king watch awfully at his burning city then, after the battle he was exiled never to come back to the Sabaean court.


Once the gates were under our control, commander Naqyrinsan entered the city with his company of lancers & against the advice & support from fellow captains, he rode head-on into the city, eager to take the king’s palace for his glory. He had had enough glory in the last battle when he charged alongside the king into the rear of Sabaean battleline. I did not understand why he had been too impulsive!!
“Let’s take the fight to the city, boys!!” he shouted as he rode through the gate.


In the city, as one of his riders retold, they were met by tough resistance of general Zelalsen’s forces.


“My commander is really mad” he grunted. “We were completely detached from the rest of our forces. I told him, but he did not listen to me!”


“After the initial charge, we had lost the momentum. Zelalsen’s camel warriors & light infantry joined in the fight. Many of our riders were slain in the chaos. Only a few of us narrow escaped the total massacre.”


The rest of our cavalry companies hastily followed him & managed to saved the day.


Two hours after the assault, we had full control over the city streets & the palace. Once the mighty court of Marib, now fell in an mere instance of a year of conflict. We had had more than enough of our vengeance. The king entered the city with the rest of his army; welcomed by well fought troops all over the streets. We celebrated our victory in Marib’s palace. The king was unsatisfactory of Naqyrinsan’s actions though, and the next day we overheard that Naqyrinsan was summoned & warned personally by the king.

---

For the nation of Himyar, she had effectively subdued another tribal confederation for the first time in her history. I thought this was it. We had our revenge & everything was over. But it might be turning out differently. The world is complicated & demanding. Just as we had stepped onto the world’s political landscape, there seemed to be no turning back. Back then, I could not believe it was only the beginning of a long story to come.

[Paladin94610]

Thank you guys for your support & the compliments for the pictures!!
I took screenshots during the replay, sometimes playing with 'Zoom' feature (press 'N') & the cinematic camera mode.

[Paladin94610]

Chapter 3 – Vultures from the East

One moon after the conquest of Marib, the celebrations for the victory were over. Everything went back to normal life. But the Sabaeans needless to say, were resentful of our occupation. The king organized the men into fifty-men strong forces, to patrol the walls & streets all day to enforce law & order. But since I had been promoted into king’s swordsmen, I was honored to stand guard at the palace courtyard. King’s men seemed to be proud & over-confident from a glance. Among their ranks, it seems not to so bad. Yet I was a captain of raiding parties. At present, I was only a lieutenant in the battalion. But I was proud of my former rank. I knew the mountains & the desert, knew how to manage the rations in an endless raid & how to survive it. Most king’s men were raised from nobility. They knew how to fight well, wielded better steel but they were always at the heart of the host and they were only deployed when glory awaits or death instead (apparently not yet, this is why I was with them).

The king had been very fond of me since I proved myself on Marib’s walls. And this alone kept my reputation high enough to hold off any insult or humiliation in my ranks. But among the hostilities, I managed to find some trusting friendship, with a band of lieutanents, ‘Abel’, ‘Teritnide’ &‘Gideon’. All four of us were in good company. We practiced swordplay & horsemanship together. We cooked & ate around the same hearth. Two of them were followers of new god & the rest two of us, being of Nabataean & Bedouin descends. Basically none of us were pure Himyarite tribesmen. And needless to say, we held different perspectives on the purpose of fighting this war. I fought as a vengeance. Abel & Teritnide fought for honor of their migrant families & Gideon for a professional ambition. At the end of the year, the king put us on leave so that we may return to homes for a while. Hundreds of warriors returned to Eudaemon. When we arrived, we were greeted as heroes & saviors of the people.



“Your home lad? where is it.” said Gideon.

He & Teritnide accompanied me to the city while Abel took a boat to his home on the west coast.

“Down there, along the street to the habour, you see the marketplace? We are taking a small avenue to the left. Four houses in the row & on the left.” I replied as we walked down towards the harbor.

“Welcome back son. We had been worried of you since your last letter fourteen months ago. Why didn’t you write anymore?” my mother greeted me. “Big brother!! Mom told me you’ll be back soon. But you are as usual, late.”, that was my little sister. “Well, yes I’m. I’m late because I brought some present for you little one!” I handed her a handful of clay toys & beautiful mussel shells.

“Those are from the shores of the Persians. Haven’t seen anything beautiful like them before? Aren’t you. Keep them well. Mom can make you a necklace if you ask her.”

“Your uncle would be proud of you, son” my dad told me.

“He was a great Bedouin warrior who defended his village to his death.” “To death, Sabaeans!” I felt sad, my arrival only gnawed more of his long lost pain to be resurfaced. “What have you done with those terrible animals? I answered, “We crushed their armies one by one, get closer to their capital by each moon. And we took out their lair, Marib. There is no more a hound to be of a threat.” “The people?”, father asked.

“Of course, we did not kill the citizens. King Syphax was determined to prove his Hebrew compassion. We virtually rule over the Sabaeans, father.”

“I might not be staying long, may be for a few weeks, but I’ve works to do in Marib. I knew I enlisted because of our vengeance. But I realized the cause we pursue should be greater than that. And for the love of gods, I’m enjoying my job”.

The days in Eudaemon were comfortable & we had plenty of food & joy. But it was somewhat boring too, compared with the life at the frontier where we bet life & death while rewards of glory & honor awaits. I lived with the family for one month & we set out again to return to our posts in Marib. As we took our posts again, several other battalions took their own leave. The city became more of a different place than I left. Every district of the town, was ruled by Himyarite administrators & their town-watch troops. It had become quite a part of our kingdom.

But to the east of Marib, there was still resistance. Obodas was the name of the Sabaean lord in the east, who rallied his men to fight back Himyarite occupation. He set up camp at the northern edge of the outback, retreating into the central desert whenever required, where our riders would not follow. He managed to stay alive and keep the trouble brewing for two years. While retreating into the desert cowardly was the least of our concerns, he was reported to be seeing the king of Mascat at the court of Maas-gat by our spies. Then we had to worry about how Obodas would convince the Mascatites to go to war with Himyar. Royal advisors though reassured the king that Mascat is unlikely to attack us, since both of us had been trading with the Persians to the other side of the Persian Sea. Hurting us would make trade relations between the Mascatites & the Persians tense. It will only harm their economy or so the advisors pointed out. Only time will tell how their anticipations come out true or not.

The Mascatites surprised us with their initiation (and perhaps outright foolishness) by taking well beyond six moons after we heard of Obadas’ presence in the court. The hill tribe scouts in the western mountains reported to Marib of a large mobile host marching along the southern coast, raiding & pillaging the countryside at the border. The more worrisome fact is that they were advance deeper into our territory. Apparently it was most likely the Mascatite king who sent the raiders.

King Syphax made Naqyrinsan a commander & split the forces to take a quarter of the army to Eudaemon with Naqyrinsan & reinforce its garrison. while he mustered more heavy cavalry battalions. As many captains were demanded in the city to man the garrison, the king promoted more of his fellow king’s men to new posts. He entrusted Teritnide the command of one cavalry battalion while he took the command of another battalion himself. I was to take the command of the swordsmen. We headed to the southern coast with three quarters of the army & lancers battalions.

Although we took the fastest route with most resupplying posts on the way, the raiders narrowly escaped our interception. It was only a two days march between us and them. They went further west along the coast. They were trapped with mountains in the north, sea in the south, and be worse, enemy at their backs. They had no choice but forward, to more pillaging and ravaging, heading closer to Eudaemon.

They were slowed down by pillaging, us by their counter-attacks. Yet we were just on their tail, but we managed to keep it close. It was only a half-day’s march between us when their vanguard reached Eudaemon. The enemy seemed to lack necessary infantry to assault the strong garrison manned by Naqyrinsan. Eventually we caught up with them. The Mascatite army secured a field & built fortified camp, waiting out for their reinforcements which are nowhere to be found.

The king sent a messenger to talk the terms with Mascatite commander.
“So did he surrender?” the king asked as the messenger returned.
“I’m afraid, he would not, my king.”
“We clearly outnumber him. How come he dare resist us?”
“It turned out that the commander is in fact Obadas of Marib””
“The Sabaean rebel?”
“Yes, my king.”
“Then so be it. He will have his honor & death!”

---

Battle of Eudaemon 259BC
Belligerents -


“Pakheme, you will take half of the infantry to assault from south. Amanitenmemmide & Gideon, you will command another half. When Pakheme sound the attack, you join the fight from western side. Teritnide & I will strike from the north gate with cavalry as you have fully engage with the enemy.” the king briefed the battle plans to us. Then we departed to our respective battalions to begin our assault.


I was glad to be given the honor of commencement of the battle. As we approached, arrows & stones hailed from beyond the palisade walls & wooden towers. We sent in skirmishers to do the same.


A bloody fight went on at west & south gates of Mascatite fort. The Mascatites fought fiercely for the gates. Their initial cavalry charges decimated the first unfortunate battalions of our assault force. Then as they were engaged in the prolonged fight, we found our swords infantry superior to them. The tide of battle turned in favor of us quickly.


We burned & breached many holes in their palisade to attack the defenders at their flanks. Abel led the attack by himself. Just as always it had been, the fight behind the walls was messy, killing each other without formations & order.


The enemy even tried to sally out & escape. But we did not let it happen. We surrounded their sallying battalion & pushed them back into the bloody arena.


Just as most of their reserves engaged with our breaching infantry, The king & Teritnide rode into the fort from north gate & began to cut down their skirmishers & reserves. Soon our cavalry flooded the fort, making devastating charges against the defenders.


Teritnide led the assault into the thick of enemy & penetrated into the center of the fort where Obadas was captured & later executed. At least it was the least he could pay for his pillage.


May the gods be with us now for the vultures were coming for the carcass as the mighty city of Marib falls. We would be right to worry about the Ma'in to the north & Ethiopians to the west as well.
"The Mascatites will return if we do not retaliate promptly. And what must be done, let us be done with it as soon as possible.", the king said. "We will take their fight to the Persian sea."

---

[Lugotorix]

This is the type of AAR I'm always on the lookout for. Very well written. Welcome. About King Syphax's Hebrew compassion. I thought Himyar converted officially much later? Like just before the fifth century.

[Alwyn]

Well-written with great use of images, I like the way that you show the movements on the campaign map and the tactical map as well as the warriors on the battlefield. I am intrigued by the story of these four friends and hope to read more about what happens to them.

[Paladin94610]

This is the type of AAR I'm always on the lookout for. Very well written. Welcome. About King Syphax's Hebrew compassion. I thought Himyar converted officially much later? Like just before the fifth century.

Yes. I researched the topic later on. My bad. Anyway I feel like I can make some plot out of this. A power rivalry or a civil war later on??

Well-written with great use of images, I like the way that you show the movements on the campaign map and the tactical map as well as the warriors on the battlefield. I am intrigued by the story of these four friends and hope to read more about what happens to them.

Thank you for support dude. About the character development, I'd say there is more to come.

[Paladin94610]

Chapter 4 - A Hundred Leagues Across the Sands

The citizens of Eudaemon were terrified by the approach of enemy army. Now they rejoiced for victory. We camped outside the city for a few days. Eudaemon soldiers temporarily returned to home and I had a chance to reunite with my family once more. But it was not very long that a few days later the king ordered to regroup the army. His captains in Qatabat & Hadhramaut were ordered to mustered troops & rendezvous with us on the way. The king left Lord Naqyrinsan in Eudaemon, reasoning that his impetuous behavior was intolerable for a campaign. Naqyrinsan did not complain but I guess he might be very resentful at the king’s decision. Afterall, the garrison was in his firm hands at that time when the Mascatite army approached the city. Naqyrinsan was of noble birth, his father was the late king’s close friend who helped him gain the highly prestigious position in heavy cavalry battalion. Shortly thereafter, King Syphax ascended to the throne. He did not have as much royal support as before. Unfortunately for him, he could not secure his feudal rights to some wealthy town before late king died. Although he did not have king’s support, he had those of many regional nobles; Himyarite & Qatabans alike.




The king appointed, another important nobleman, Lord Amanitenmemmide, to have second in command for the Mascatite campaign. Amanitenmemmide was of Nubian descend. The king seemed to safely assume that he would not confront him in the long run, and be a good retainer. He was known for his confident & courtly character as he had served in the Egyptian diadochi palace when he was a boy. He was also familiar with how Hellenic & Persian armies fight while the king often enjoy discussing about military tactics & politics of the Mediterranean world with him.


As we left the city again, I looked back at it, the city by the sea, of marble & brick with the tower of townhall stood tall above our homes. I will miss this place along with my family & friends. One more campaign will bring me further away from home than before.


From this day on, if the scourge of the sands do not kill us on the way, we will march east till we see the sea from the other side of the desert. It would be a long, tiresome and dangerous journey. But I remembered how our villages burned as we followed the Mascatite raids & more so in the years before by Sabaeans. I felt it is not for vengeance but a duty to protect our lands from intruders. With this clear mind in place, I made up myself for most needed strength for the tough battles ahead.

We marched east though our Qataban vassals then into Sabaean lands in the south along the coast, which we had not yet directly subjugated. The king sent emissaries to each & every village or town to have them pledge their allegiance on Himyar kingdom. We kept our supply lines secured then took the route inland. The war council decided to make camp near the town of Samharm. The town is only twenty leagues from the nearest Mascatite settlements. We cautiously made our move along the caravan trails across the desert, linking the watering holes now & then.

Every day was like walking in the hell, we had strict rations on food & water. Yet we dare not let ourselves enjoying the much needed rest. We must both survive & move fast. The king always marched in the vanguard, receiving news from scouts & raiding parties we sent time to time. Abel & I was with the king in his battalion of noble swordsmen. Teritnide & the cavalry rode closely behind the king. Gideon & Lord Amanitenmemmide was with the infantry column behind. Gideon became a trusted retainer of Lord Amanitenmemmide during the campaign. He told us that he believed the lord’s patronage would help him in promotions.
A week had passed while we were deep in Mascatite territory. There was still over one hundred leagues of strenuous journey to the Persian Sea. I believed we would be punished at least once all through this intrusion. But we did not expect it would be that day. On that fateful day, yelling voices suddenly arose not very far from us. Men appear over the sand dunes on our left, rushing towards us, on both camel back & horse back. They yelled again “For the king!!”, charging downhill upon us. Abel & me were terrified by this sudden attack. But the king knew what to do.

---

Battle of Samharam 258BC
“Mascatite ambush! Let us take position over that sand dune. Com’on. Come quick!” the king rallied us towards the high ground behind us.

Belligerents –


“You! Tell Teritnide, not to charge at the enemy. Tell him to hold position & stay close to my battalion. Go tell him quick!”, he told to a messenger.

But on the way to Teritnide’s lancers, the messenger was slain by an enemy arrow. Meanwhile Teritnide prepared a line to counter-charge the incoming enemy. He looked at king’s battalion rushing over the sand dune behind. And we all knew we would not make it. Teritnide made a difficult decision, not to charge but to send a light cavalry battalion near king’s men to make a counter charge the enemy who might approached us. He drew all of his cavalry behind the sand dune & disappeared from our view. “Where the hell is he going?!?!” Now we were on our own.

“We have no choice but to brace against this doom my lads!”

King’s men knew what to do. They formed a tight formation with shields overlapping each other facing on all sides. The king was repositioned by his bodyguards at the center of the formation. Abel took the front rank & I was right behind him. The mounted warriors were only a few yards from us. My heart was bouncing heavily then. But tell me which death would be more honorable in a battle than to die protecting the king. I was ready to face death.

“Remember! Hold your lines. And you may live!” I reminded the men.


Mascatite camels charged head-on against our shieldwall. Camels could not breach our wall of wicker shields. But they felled many stout men to the ground. I saw Abel struck by the charge. “Hold them!” the men from the second rank braced their best. Soon the third & fourth lines were pushing us forward. Camels could not break the wicker wall we presented. Abel got up himself beside me. “You alright?!” I asked. “I’m quite fine!”. “Tell them to hold the line at the flanks!”, I told him as I pushed him towards the right flank where our rightmost men were exposed since there is no more men on their right to overlap their shields & therefore the weakest part of our battalion.

Like a sand avalanche, the enemy descended, but we withstood as a heavy stone in a stream. Enemy infantry quickly followed their mounted companions. But their element of surprise was over. We were finally fighting back as we were expected to.

Things were more messy however in our infantry column behind. The enemy delivered a number of flaming balls downhill towards us. Many soldiers got burned. Only thanks to Lord Amanitenmemmide’s strong leadership that the infantry line did not fall apart.


Even so, the enemy cavalry managed to penetrate our defenses & charged at our valuable light infantry. Light swordsmen would be much needed if we were to fight an urban battle. Many good men were slain in the incident.


The fireballs temporarily cut off the vanguard from the rest of the army. The vanguard held just long enough so that Gideon & his state’s cavalrymen could stage a fierce counter-attack on the ambushers.


By that time, Teritnide re-emerged from the left flank of enemy cavalry & took them by surprise. Teritnide & his heavy cavalry attacked the camelry who were already engaging the king’s battalion. Meanwhile the rest of light cavalry & camelry ran down the skirmishers & archers behind enemy lines.




Enemy commander joined the fight against king’s battalion at a later time. But his army was already in disarray & was defeated.


The enemy lost the battle, but nevertheless they held our advance. The king pulled back all but a few outposts in border villages, the Himyarite forces off the Mascatite lands. We returned to Samharam where we would spend our summer quarters.

---

[Caillagh de Bodemloze]

This continues to be full of action, Paladin94610. And some of your phrases are lovely. I especially liked:

Like a sand avalanche, the enemy descended, but we withstood as a heavy stone in a stream.

[Zeion]

Wow, very impressive!

Awesome screenshots and I really like the custom drawn maps and the custom character profiles. Well done!

I highly suggest you enter the current AAR competition: MAARC LXV

[theSilentKiller]

Impressive chapters and epic, cinematic screenshots. And the implementation of maps and character screens, especially the ones with the ladders on the walls. Your Rome 2 looks so nice and sharp, my PC can't handle the highest settings

[Paladin94610]

Chapter 5 – On the Far Side of the Desert



More enthusiastic recruits were fed into our host at Samharam. Many moons had passed and by the mid-autumn, we were ready to resume the campaign again. This time we marched across the desert unopposed & unchallenged all the way aside from the sun from above & the desert itself withering us down gradually. Soon the sand dunes themselves were becoming more scattered. The ground became less sandy, and more like soil. On the third day of a second week walk, the blue sea welcomed us again from the north.
As we approached the beach & made camp, the swooshing sound of the waves was like a congratulating applause, and the salty smell of the sea, a hard earned reward. It was as if the sea told us, “You’ve made it!” And yes, we made it alive & lucky enough to camp by the sea for a moment, and allowed us to gather strength for the battles ahead. Another five days took as we marched northwest along the coast, arriving at the city of Mascat. Mascat was also a trading port like Eudaemon but it was bigger & wealthier, thanks to their proximity to the Persian subjects of the Seleucid rulers in Antioch.

Our scouts reported that Mascatite king was not in his capital. He was far in the north, probably to each and every village and town of his subjects, gathering warriors to his troubled cause.

“It is time. It’s the best time to attack” the king said, at the military council.

“What do you suggest more Lord Amanitenmemmide?”

“I suppose we should send more scouts all around the city to make sure this was not a stage to defeat us.”

“Let it be done then”

---

Battle of Maas-gat 257BC

Even after two days of scouting, no sign of the enemy was found. Lord Amanitenmemmide was given a better part of the army to take the city. We surrounded the city and camped around it for the night. In the next day, we assaulted Maas-gat with brute force. The Himyarite army was led by Lord Amanitenmemmide and numbered around two thousands & four hundred men, of which three hundreds were cavalry & camelry. The Mascatite army was not in the capital however. The city is not well guarded but we heard the garrison had riders & full access of the town arsenal for a missile barrage.

Belligerents -




Lord Amanitenmemmide sent the cavalry to the beach for confronting a small reinforcement landing outside the town. Poor Mascatite sailors didn’t even have a chance to stand or run against our famous light cavalrymen.


Amanitenmemmide divided the main army equally between him & me. He led the attack along the beach, while I took a deeper turns into the streets. Both of our attacks were headed towards the town plaza near the harbor.


The Mascatite garrison offered the best possible retaliation with their garrison cavalry. The horsemen charged along the streets. We had one batttalion of spearmen each formed a square formation while bringing the rest of the men behind. The Mascatite cavalry did most of their damage to the front line of spearmen. But they squared badly as they try to surround the formation. Horsemen were pulled down from saddles & killed on the ground.




As soon as their charge settled into a dull close combat, we sent the rest of the infantry held as reserves, to attack the Mascatite cavalrymen. Their counter-attack had failed.




After repelling the enemy charge, our men were showered by a number of javelin & spear volleys.
“Forward men!! To the town plaza!! Do not let all your sweat & blood spilled arcoss the desert, wasted!!” Lord Amanitenmemmide shouted.




We lost hundreds of men but we had the numbers & of course missiles of our own to respond.


Under our archers’ coverfire, we swept across the paved streets, soon clashing shield to shield against enemy javelinmen.


Soon the town plaza was filled with clashing swords & spears with screams & yells. Mascatite infantry charged three times & three times they failed to break our attack. I made a way through the chaos slowly, arriving at the harbor. There their garrison commander, stood with his picked warriors. They were lighter armored but were more skilled than we did. One enemy broke my wicker shield & another almost stabbed me in the nape of neck, only saved by my friend, Abel. Finally Lord Amanitenmemmide came into the fray. He dismounted his heavy cavalrymen and attacked the Mascatite commander from behind. Being surrounded their skills saved less of them. After a bloody fight that took a good number of lives, the garrison commander was captured alive.

---

Our commander was an honorable man & he very well recognized my deeds on the battlefield that day. When the king arrived with the rearguard of the army, he asked the king to promote me to become a legitimate fellow captain with several battalions of my own.
“I have known you since the day we assaulted the city of Ma’rib. You fought well & brave. Additionally you were able to make your own decisions for your men, keeping them out of unnecessary danger. It is no more a time for you to take charge of a battalion. In the future, you will be serving me as a battle group commander.”
“It is a great honor, my king. I will serve you well til my last breath. I will protect with my life from the enemies of our king & our people” I promised, as the king appointed me his new captain to be served under Lord Amanitenmemmide.

[Paladin94610]

Now that Arabia Felix is fully under control, I can set an edict (gameplaywise )

@Zeion, I have entered the MAARC already. Thank you for suggesting me!!

@Caillagh & theSilentKiller, welcome your compliments & support. I'll keep Captain Pakheme going for some cool adventures.

[Paladin94610]

Chapter 6 – A Game for a King

The king’s palace at Maas-gat is a magnificent residence in terms of the Arabians, though I doubt if it were for the Persians. The building has four small towers at its corners. The outside walls are covered with lustering Persian tiles and a mosaic that run at the top of the wall depicts Persian and Arabian mythical creatures. The roof is protected by an array of small decorative parapets. The looks inside the building were just as impressive. It has a considerably large hall for the king & his court to hold its counsels & events. There are living quarters in the left wing of the palace, and in the right wing are kitchens & workplace of the palace attendants.


As one of the commanding captains, I was given a room in the palace while the king took residence for a few months. King Syphax put his temper & gave more time to listen to the subjects than he had been with the Sabaeans. The Persians ceased trading with the Mascatites just as we lay siege to the city. After we had it, the Persians were willing to trade again, this time with us. They used to say, “Whatever the lords of Maas-gat they are, Persian gold is yours & your frankincense is ours”. The merchants of Mascatites seemed to be as content as ever as long as we do not intervene their terms of lucrative frankincense trade. But the vassal lords of Mascatite seemed to. For this matter, We installed Himyarite lords in the towns to rule over the Mascatite lands.

“Although I sit on the Mascatite throne in his halls, I’m not their king while their true king breathes far up north, gathering warriors under his banner to rally against this city again. So here, I give command of the army & march north and take down the Mascatite king for me.” The king told Lord Amanitenmemmide to destroy the rebels. Leaving behind several battalions to guard and patrol the streets of Maas-gat, we set out north. As we departed from the city, Abel & Teritnide stayed with the king and gave farewells to Gideon and me.

The strips of fertile land were fewer on this part of the coast and it did not take long to keep track of & finally cornered the rebels off their logistics. We deployed our forces in land about four leagues from Mleiha, a Mascatite trading post, which happened to be the base of operations of the rebels.

---

Battle of Mleiha 256BC

Belligerents -


The Mascatite king had several battalions of Bedouin warriors at hand. I felt reluctant to kill these men on the battlefield. But anyway they were on the other side of the desert serving a different (and a hostile) lord. I could only pray for them being on the wrong side. I had been fighting for king Syphax for many years. I realized I had never served my own people, our Bedouin tribesmen.

My thoughts extended further and further as I looked & rather stared at them. Wearing coarse linen and wrapped up over the face to cover the dusty wind, sitting on the camel humps across a four furlongs noman’s land. But I gathered up my lost mind and concentrate myself on the men I had in command. By the orders of Lord Amanitenmemmide, I was given the command of left wing, while he took the right wing with Gideon holding the infantry line at the center.

Lord Amanitenmemmide, seeing a stronger cavalry opponent, ordered Gideon to form the battleline to be stretched thin to cover the strong Mascat wings. Then each battalion was ordered to form an infantry square. The square formations were supported by light infantry battalions as reserves and archers behind them.

“Pardon me, sir. Let me loose a bait for the Mascat from my wing. They are outmaneuvered and short on supplies. They may take it.” I asked lord Amanitenmemmide. With his permission, the bait was sent in front of the opposing enemy.


The Mascatites took the bait as I expected, many Bedouin & Mascatite riders charged forth to chase our light cavalry. Just as our bait returned safely behind our batteline, our archers nocked, drew strings and let loose their missiles. The Mascatites and fellow Bedouins were shovered with arrows to death as they charged down our spearmen in formation.




The Mascatite cavalry who did not take the bait, took a way round our left flank. I sent my left wing cavalrymen to engage them en route, but rather hesitantly. I could not watch my fellow tribesmen dying as my enemies. On the second thought however, it could be very possible that they would have killed me if they had the chance.


Meanwhile on our right wing, Lord Amanitenmemmide’s cavalrymen charged at advancing Mascatite cavalry and a close quarter combat on horseback ensued.


The center was assaulted and flooded by Mascatite cavalry intertwined with light infantry with the attempt to break our infantry square formations.


They charged repeatedly at our formations but majority of the attacks ended up in vain and in high casaulties from arrows by our archers and at a closer range, from javelins by our light infantrymen.


Yet, some of them did manage to break through the light infantry formation and even inflicted casualties to the archers.


But Mascatite success was short-lived for Gideon himself led a counter attack right at where the Mascatites punched out a hole. He had our men put more volleys of javelins into their ranks as they began to withdraw from light infantry line.
“Hold the line and support the square formations!!”


Then there he was. Clad in full armor, the king of Mascat rode into the fray with his fellow heavy cavalrymen and ground through one of our square formation. I dispatched a camel battalion quickly to charge him from behind.


Even with the advantage of surprise, many of my own Bedouin warriors were killed by the Mascatite noble horsemen. But eventually Mascatite numbers thinned out and eroded. Many were felled from their saddles, including their king, as we discovered in the aftermath.

---

“Let us bring the head before the king, my lord”, Gideon suggested the head to be brought before the king which Lord Amanitenmemmide agreed.
On this matter, I had to refuse. “May I speak, my lord”
“Yes?”
“I think it would make the situation worse. We have seen how our Mascatite vassals were resentful both in Maas-gat and outside. We are far from home with apparently no reinforcements to back up. We would be vulnerable in case a rebellion ignited possibly by bringing their leader’s head on a spike. May I suggest you an alternative, my lord?”
“What alternative, captain?”
“We can bring the body unscathed, and give him proper burial.”
“Well, a head on the spike would be better. This could instill more fear into the hearts of our subjects.”
“Wars are born out of fear my lord. You may reconsider this.”
“Are you lecturing me, young man?”
“I mean no offense my lord. But when we have the body in Maas-gat, you can have it on the spike too if the king is pleased to have it the same.”
“Huh. You argued well but only for this time. I warn you. Do not intervene my decisions in the future. Do you know who is the commander here?”
“You are, my lord”
“Of course, always remember it. Come Gideon, we have some cleaning work to do.”

As they left, unintentionally I saw in Gideon’s eyes, some troubling looks at me. I knew he was keen and ambitious. And certainly I do not want to confront my friends. But I had to be more careful from now when doing the talk. And yet flashbacks from screaming and suffering Bedouin tribesmen kept appearing in my head. At that time, I didn't know it would go on for many months to come. For now, I had duty and honor to serve, however, I must deal with this in the future, a future of my tribesmen. Was my wars meant for my tribesmen? or the Himyarites? or the dead Mascatites and Sabaeans?

[Lugotorix]

Great shot of the king of Maas-gat being knocked from his horse. It looks like the camel chomped on his foot and tore him off. I liked the choice to bury the king to ease tensions. It will be interesting to see if Pakheme's moral compass gets him into trouble with the command further.