Egypt The Great (AAR)

[Balor]

Egypt (H/H, 1 Turn Campaign)

Introduction

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

First Royal


General: Prince Euthydemus (Successor)
Type: Defense


Second Guard (Ierosolyma)


General: Deinokratis
Type: Garrison


Third Guard (Cyrene)


General: Ceas
Type: Garrison


Fourth Imperial


General: Attalus of Seleuceia
Type: Attack


Fifth Guard (Bostra)


General: Areithous
Type: Garrison


Sixth Marines


General: Prince Tigranes
Type: Attack


For over a decade our legions have repulsed constant Seleucid attacks on Ierosolyma (Second Guard) and Bostra (Fifth Guard) while our colonies abroad have been conquered one by one. Now it is the time to strike back and take our well earned reward.

The First Seleucid Campaign

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Our offensive began in 575AUC. Prince Euthydemus made his way up the coast road with the First Royal while the Fourth Imperial, commanded by Attalus of Seleuceia, made for Damaskus. The Fifth, under Areithous, formed the rear guard.

Prince Tigranes, commanding the Sixth Marines, moved ahead of his brother to soften up the Seleucid defenses around Laodikeia.





By 577AUC, Euthydemus was at Antiocheia with Deinokratis and the Second Guard defending his back. Great battles ensued.









After annihilating the strong Seleucid resistance and killing their leader Seleucus, Euthydemus could lay claim to the great city of Antiocheia. The First Royal was now severely depleted with no hope of reinforcements. It was up to Deinokratis and the Second Guard to defend against the Seleucid counteroffensive.









Deinokratis and the Second fought bravely but could not, in the end, keep the armies of Seleucia from taking the crossing. After a valiant last effort, the legendary general escaped to Anthiocheia to lead the city's defense against the elite force commanded by Neoptolemus, the Seleucid Emperor.



As the siege towers, ladders and battering rams approached the city, Deinokratis and Euthydemus sprang from the gates and destroyed the slow moving rams. The battle would now be fought on the city's walls. The fight wore on and on until Deinokratis commanded our catapult to take down a section of the walls, the section where the main Seleucid attack was concentrated. Our soldiers had them pinned on both sides and the battle was as good as over once the walls crumbled, crushing the enemy.



Finally, Attalus of Seleuceia and the Fourth Imperial relieved the city, destroying the last of the Seleucid counteroffensive.





Euthydemus now joined the remnants of the First and Second with the Fourth Imperial to create the new First Imperial and set about wiping out the remaining Seleucid forces to the east, taking Dura Europus and Palmyra. Finally, he destroyed an elite Seleucid legion by hammering them against the rock of the Fifth Guard under Areithous.















By 587AUC we had fortified our eastern front with elite troops, some moved from as far away as Cyrene, and were awaiting the next wave of Seleucid attacks. We were not to wait long. The enemy had lost two emperors and been humiliated at Antiocheia but they were about to throw everything they had at Dura Europus and Palmyra.



However, in our capital Alexandria, Ptolemy IV had not been idle. Our wise Pharaoh was planning a surprise for the enemy and there was only one man to lead this daring adventure: Attalus of Seleuceia.

[Alwyn]

This looks like an exciting campaign! I hope that you will continue this. Looking at the Battle Deployment screens made me wonder how you used your units in those battles and what your overall strategy was. I wonder if you would like to say more about battle tactics, campaign strategy or both. Alternatively (or additionally) you could say more about characters - I'm intrigued by the character of Attalus of Seleuceia, for example.

[Balor]

Looking at the Battle Deployment screens made me wonder how you used your units in those battles and what your overall strategy was. I wonder if you would like to say more about battle tactics, campaign strategy or both.

I didn't really know how to compose my Egyptian armies so this first campaign was an education. With the Sixth Marines I full on attacked with the infantry and then flanked with the cavalry until the enemy routed. The Second Guard took a defensive position until all the enemy was engaged and then I moved archers to the back of the enemy and decimated them (when possible)... The First Royal and Fourth Imperial (and subsequently the First Imperial) fought more individual battles depending on the enemy and territory... In general cavalry superiority was the key. I will add more battle details in future. The defense of Anthiocheia was one of the best battles I've ever played, I should have taken some screens of it.

As for Attalus of Seleuceia, I too find him an interesting character! Hard to ignore him with that name... destiny. I won't be playing this again for a little while but Attalus will be the main focus of the next update.

Thanks for commenting

EDIT: Do you have any tips for Ptolemaic army composition/ battle tactics?