Great Historical battles

[spanish_emperor]

Has anybody ever accomplished coping a great historical battle? Whether it be Issus, Guagamela, Cannae, Lake Trasimene, Zama, etc .

I've tried many times to replicate a battle but it never seems to work for some reason or another.

have you? i don't care if it is in Custom or Campaign. if you have i would like to see screen shots. who knows i might even give +rep

Of course im also interested in how you did it

Edit: they have to be victories of course although i might accept ones that are funny

[snuggans]

i think every roman player, at one point or another, has re-enacted the Battle of Asculum in southern Italy, against Pyrrhus. although im quite sure there are only a few players that have actually held true to history by losing to him.

[Caesar_1991]

i think every roman player, at one point or another, has re-enacted the Battle of Asculum in southern Italy, against Pyrrhus. although im quite sure there are only a few players that have actually held true to history and lost against him.

Lots and lots of times

[rory o'kane]

i remember actually lost to Pyrrhus, when i started playing RS. i was gobsmacked. first time i'd ever lost a battle in RTW!

[MarcusTullius]

i remember actually lost to Pyrrhus, when i started playing RS. i was gobsmacked. first time i'd ever lost a battle in RTW!

I considered it, trying to use similar tactics and setting myself up for a defeat to see how it could affect the rest of the campaign but then thought, eh what the heck?, i'll whoop him the way it should have been done

[pseudocaesar]

I played out Ipsos for an old AAR lol.

Chapter 1 – The Plains of Ipsus

“This is it Demetrius, we win this battle, and we have Alexanders Empire at last” said Antigonus.
“We are sure to win father, we outnumber them soundly”
“Numbers alone confer no advantage my son, remember that. Never walk into battle relying on sheer numbers to win the day. One must plan and study the battleground, his enemy, his own army, and come up with a sound strategy,” said Antigonus.
“Yes father, I understand,” stated Demetrius, watching his father astride his magnificent charger.
Antigonus was an ancient man, 80 years old, yet as strong as any of the Pezhetairoi on the front line. Antigonus’ kingdom extended over much of Asia Minor, down into the Palestine, and had effectively neutralised all threats to his control over Alexander’s incredible territories. However after not being able to chase down Lysimachus and Cassander and bring them to battle, Seleucus along with his son Antiochus arrived from behind and forced Antigonus into battle. It was the battle to decide the fate of the Diadochi, who would inherit Alexanders Empire?
“Deepen the phalanx, we have superior numbers, I want them to know that” Ordered Antigonus.
“Sire, would it not be wiser to lengthen the line, and force the enemy to thin his own line?” asked Demetrius.
“No, do you not see over there on the far left flank, he has hundreds of Elephants, and I know for a fact he will send them charging at my front”
“I see that, but we have superior advantage in light infantry, they are capable of handling the elephants” stated Demetrius


“I see where you’re coming from son, we cannot commit our light infantry to his elephants, they are needed to hold the front and combat the enemies skirmishers. I am placing you along with the majority of the companion cavalry on the right flank. There you will face Antiochus, Seleucus’ own son, and drive him off the battle field”


“I am honoured father. Are there any further orders?” asked Demetrius.
“No, take up your position on the flank, good luck my son”
“May the gods keep you” said Demetrius as he rode off to his position.
The vast plains of Phrygia rolled on to the horizon, the only disturbance, the standards of the army in the distance. The thunder of hundreds of thousands of feet stamping the earth, the pounding of elephant feet, the slamming of hooves into the ground created a thunder so loud and so intense it was as if Zeus himself was raining his lightning bolts onto the battleground himself.
Antigonus placed his phalanx in an oblique fashion, stacking his right flank with men for local numerical superiority. Together with the massive numbers of cavalry on the flank, his strategy was to turn the enemies left flank and roll up on the centre.
Antigonus placed the skirmishers and light infantry in a frontal line, ahead of his phalanx, to break up the enemies’ own phalanx, and placed the Hetairoi cavalry under his sons command. Together with his son was the deposed Epeirote Pyrrhus, a young, confident and talented commander.
“For Alexander”, Antigonus murmured to himself, as his army started marching forward. He knew in his heart that this was his last battle, victory or not. He could feel it in his soul that this was his day, and resolved to go down in all his glory.
His army marched on, closing the Stadia between them at a slow pace, no need to waste energy. He looked at the many different men fighting for him, and willing to die for him and he swelled with pride as he surveyed the army. On the left flank of his phalanx were the Pantodapoi, easterners armed and trained in the great Macedonian way. He then surveyed his very own Macedonian troops, the core of his phalanx, the Pezhetairoi, his foot companions. The glory of Alexander was one on the backs of these men, together with their brothers, the Hetairoi cavalry. The companion cavalry were the best of the best, and were undefeated. Together with his companion cavalry he also had under his command, allied Greek cavalry, Tarantine light cavalry and Median light cavalry.


The sun was blazing, the sky perfectly clear, and no breeze, which meant things, would get dusty. The two armies came into contact in an inglorious fashion, the skirmishers exchanging javelins from a distance and closing into hand-to-hand combat. Antigonus sheer numerical advantage forced the opposing skirmishers to retreat before being overwhelmed, Antigonus retreating his own in place of his phalanx.


The two Phalanxes crashed together with a tremendous explosion, in the first seconds hundreds of men on both sides were crushed and ran through with each other’s sarrisae. The Macedonian Pezhetairoi pitted against the Seleucid silver shields men, neither giving nor taking any ground as the battle intensified.







Demetrius knew it was his time to enter the battle,
“Macedonians! Fight! Fight for the Antigonids! Fight for the memory of Alexander!” Shouted Demetrius as he launched his charger into a sprint.
The Hetairoi shouted their war cry and took off after their prince, raising a cloud of dust that blocked out the view of their surroundings. The horses thundered along the plain, the enemy forces drawing closer at an incredible pace. The noise of the horses and the shouts of the riders struck fear into the asian cavalry, they already started to turn before the Hetairoi even made contact.


“Follow these fleeing scum! These men without honour, chase them down and slaughter them!” shouted Demetrius, driven into an unrecognisable fury by the battle.
“Sire, we should hold our position, we are vulnerable here” shouted Pyrrhus over the noise of the battle
“NO! Push on! We have them! We have them!” replied Demetrius
“Yes sire!” said Pyrrhus as he launched his horse after the fleeing enemy.
With the entire left flank laid bare the Seleucid Phalanx was in severe danger, when out of no where came the elephant reserve, smashing into the Hetairoi with a tremendous explosion of mangled body and crushed horse.
“We are cut off! Retreat, retreat! We are lost!” Screamed Demetrius, stunned from the sudden turnaround.
The elephants were wreaking havoc on his cavalry and if he didn’t retreat soon there would be no cavalry left.


“We cannot make it to the king! The entire battle is lost! We must retreat and regroup in Ephesus. Men, with me! We can still win this war, this day is not ours” Shouted Pyrrhus as he and Demetrius took flight, with a last glance over their shoulders to see the entire army being destroyed.



The Pezhetairoi were routed, and old Antigonus still fighting like a bull, trying to regroup his men. Demetrius was staring at his father with agony on his face, knowing to try and re-enter the battle would be suicide. He could only sit and watch his father die, pierced by a cloud of arrows and javelins. He watched his fathers body being destroyed, and with it the hopes of regaining the empire of Alexander.
“Not today father, but soon, I swear on my life that I will avenge this death. The world will hear the name Antigonus, from my lips it will.

[snuggans]

been a while since i've seen a macedon v seleucid fight. very nice!

[Caius Antonius]

hehe, not so much to plan on that flat desert

Nice AAR bit though.