[EB AAR] Romani - It began on seven hills...

[QuintusSertorius]

This is the AAR thread for my EB 1.1 Romani game (H/M with rtw.exe). I had promised myself I'd wait a week or two for the bugs to show and fixes to come out, but when I got home the other day it had finished downloading. Thing is some of the fun went out of my 1.0 game when the Parthians died, meaning I could never have them a major power in the 1st century BC. And while I would like to get my mini-mod starting in 250BC going, that's not going to be a quick project.

Besides which, if I'm honest I have a soft spot for Camillian troops who are kind of cool in their own way. I've discovered my new favourite allied troop as well in the Bruttian infantry.

I'm playing to historical expansion and composition, as per my WIP guide

We open in 270BC:



The garrison of Taras sallied out to defeat, despite outnumbering the Roman forces at the tail end of 272BC, meaning it was taken in an appropriate year. That task done, 271 was spent making good two armies for the southern and northern pushes. Most important of all was to retake Rhegion and restore Roman honour by punishing the traitor.

In the above I'd just taken Rhegion and the following turn, at the end of the winter of 270 Bononia's garrison sallied out and was handed a decisive pasting.

Of note with the AI factions was Epeiros' brushing the Makedones aside to their capital and Demetrius. I wasn't too happy about that, especially as they seemed set to destroy Koinon Hellenon as well. Something I don't like are superpowers growing in my backyard.

Fortunately Force Diplomacy and some creativity with the console arrested their behaviour. I lumped them with a 50k penalty to stop them recruiting, then took settlements off them. By 266BC they'd gone very quiet indeed:



Then I turned my attentions to Pontos who rushed to an early lead in Asia Minor. Ideally I'd like their new settlements to go rebel again rather than go to any one faction. I've got my usual plan in store for Galatia - I'll gift it to the Arverni this time, though.

I've been gifting money via the console to the Hai and Baktria. I did initially to Pahlava, but they seem to be doing just fine. The Getai are similarly sweeping their region while the three Hellenic factions beat seven shades out of each other.

264BC:



The First Punic War has begun, although the opening was a bit of a damp squib. A show of force by the Karthadastim, then they high-tailed it back to Lilibeo. I may have to resort to scripting some reinforcements for them, so we have an actual battle or three (how would I do that?).

I'm also struggling financially a little, but that's because I have two full consular legions when I can only really support one. I only make a profit of around 1.5k a turn right now. Warring with my best trading partner hasn't helped matters, either.

[Gaias]

I may have to resort to scripting some reinforcements for them, so we have an actual battle or three (how would I do that?).

I cannot remember the FM of the Karthadastim in Lilibeo, but he will eventually will come out of the city when his son comes of age. This doesn't usually happen unit about 257BC, and will only come out by himself and usually tries to move to Rhegion via the land bridge. Block off his access to the land bridge and put your consular army on a high fertility tile near Lilibeo. The Karthadastim FM will eventually start hiring all the mercenaries on the island and will attack you, though usually the numbers are in your favour.

Good to see someone trying for historical accurate expansion, as I tend to become very bored waiting for things to happen. Looking forward to your progress into the game.

[QuintusSertorius]

So I should give them a bunch of money in about 260BC or so, to ensure they can hire all those mercs?

Do you mean the land bridge to the Italian mainland? Or is there a new one to north Africa now?

[Gaias]

So I should give them a bunch of money in about 260BC or so, to ensure they can hire all those mercs?

Do you mean the land bridge to the Italian mainland? Or is there a new one to north Africa now?

The FM will stop about where the Karthadastim stack is in your last screenshot.

I am not sure exactly when the FM will come out of Lilibeo, so it would be a good idea to save in winter season ever turn after 260BC. Don't give them money until the end of the spring season, as that should be when the FM starts recruiting next turn.

Then again this has happened to me in most of my Romani campaigns in EB 1.0, so not too sure about what they will be like in EB 1.1.

[QuintusSertorius]

What difficulty levels are you playing on, QS?

AI seems very aggressive.

Only on Hard campaign difficulty, what's strange are the factions who are most aggressive; Epeiros (before I hamstrung them), the Getai, the Sauromatae and Pontos.

Pahlava got going and now seem to have halted. Baktria are no longer the dreaded blue death and are struggling to take Kophen. Besieged it twice now and failed. I've been gifting them money every now and then.

The FM will stop about where the Karthadastim stack is in your last screenshot.

I am not sure exactly when the FM will come out of Lilibeo, so it would be a good idea to save in winter season ever turn after 260BC. Don't give them money until the end of the spring season, as that should be when the FM starts recruiting next turn.

Then again this has happened to me in most of my Romani campaigns in EB 1.0, so not too sure about what they will be like in EB 1.1.

So save and reload to encourage the coming of age? Or just be ready after 260BC?

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

What difficulty levels are you playing on, QS?

AI seems very aggressive.

[QuintusSertorius]

261BC:



Pontos is still expanding at an alarming rate, last turn they took Ankyra, which I gave to the Arverni via Force Dipliomacy. Nothing I have in the region can slow them down, my only spy just died trying to get into Nikaia. I've got two more on their way to try to foment some unrest and hopefully spark rebellions back to the Eleutheroi. If they take Tylis and I can't get it to revolt, I'll give it to Makedonia. What's most annoying is they're not even trying to take Sinope after failing the first time.

I took Messana a couple of turns ago, now things in Sicily have gone a bit cold. Apparently in 257BC or so there's a coming of age in Lilibeo which makes them more aggressive, so I'll wait for that to get the hot war moving. Then once we've had a battle or two, I'll send that stack to Africa.

I've been long-sieging Segesta, about to start again for the final time. Has had the side benefit of culling the Gaesatae who will make taking it hard.

The taking of Messana has helped my economy a lot, now clearing around 4k in profit a year, which I've been putting to good effect building some farms and markets.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

It's great that the rise of Bactria has been delayed. They only became independent in 255 BC, to my knowledge, so ideally shouldn't start expanding before then under the AI. Cutting them back to one starting city seems to have achieved this aim.

[QuintusSertorius]

It's great that the rise of Bactria has been delayed. They only became independent in 255 BC, to my knowledge, so ideally shouldn't start expanding before then under the AI. Cutting them back to one starting city seems to have achieved this aim.

It certainly has, I'm just keeping an eye out for them being wiped out, it's a fragile position to be in. I don't mind if Parthia doesn't expand much given they weren't supposed to have appeared until around 250BC or so as well.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

It certainly has, I'm just keeping an eye out for them being wiped out, it's a fragile position to be in. I don't mind if Parthia doesn't expand much given they weren't supposed to have appeared until around 250BC or so as well.

I think the Bactrians should be able to fight off the Saka, they rarely go south as far as Baktra early on. However if the Seleucids decide to punish their rebel satrapy while they are still limited to one city, then I think Bactria might disappear from the map as an independent kingdom.

However, historically speaking, the Bactrians were lucky this didn't happen to them during the Seleucid revival in 223-191 BC under Antiochus III 'The Great'. So it's a perfectly plausible alternative history for Bactria.

[QuintusSertorius]

259BC:



My conquest of Italy is now done for a generation having taken Segesta and now holding all Italy south of the Padus.

In the rest of the world, I had a brief scare thinking the Arverni would take Massilia, but it was an army led by a captain and they got mauled. Makedonia seem to have awoken, taking Serdike and now besieging a weakened Tylis. I can only hope they'll kick Pontos off the continent.

Pahlava and Baktria are both growing at the expense of the Seleukids. The Hai are doing alright, I think they're just about to start trouble with the Sauromatae.

[QuintusSertorius]

257BC:



Just as someone said, in 259BC a Karthadastim family member came of age, and suddenly they became a lot more aggressive. I've been giving them money in the hopes they'll hire a fair few of the huge numbers of mercs washing around Sicily. I've been avoiding hiring any of them myself.

There's a genuine stalemate in Libya between Seleukids and Ptolemies. Baktria are starting to get into their swing. Pahlava are giving the Seleukids a lot of trouble. Epeiros have fully gone to sleep, they're now a Makedonian protectorate and doing nothing. Koinon Hellenon keep attacking the Seleukids in Asia Minor after Halikarnassos rebelled to them.

254BC:



Waiting and gifting of money (via console) seem to have stirred Qarthadast into action! They've now besieged Messana three times, I've got another attack to fend off here. You can't see them because they've just boarded ship, but I've got the Army of Sicily ready to sail to north Africa, which means the client ruler of Messana is on his own. That said he's proven quite capable and though he only has local levies to call upon, they are well-drilled enough.

If anyone is wondering about how Saba ended up with a province in the north African desert, that's some capricious Force Diplomacy from me right there. Since the various kingdoms of Numidia, Mauretania and others don't exist, I figured something needed to prevent Karthadastim hegemony in Africa.

I think Pahlava have over-extended themselves taking Susa, they've run out of steam.

[QuintusSertorius]

Later in 254BC:



I landed an army in Africa and took Adrumento, which was defended only by a single family member. Next port of call, Atiqa, assuming they can't scrap an army together for a battle.

In Sicily they actually landed another family member and some proper reinforcements. Give them long enough and my army might have gotten back from it's raid (I don't plan to hold either settlement). Pirate sunk the transports, I'll have to raise some more; all the money from destroying their buildings helped lots.

[QuintusSertorius]

252BC:



The proconsul Lucius Cornelius Scipio and his army, safely returned from the punitive expedition in Africa. You can see the very tip is red where Atiqa was raided, I expect it to be retaken given I left nothing there.

Once more, the Karthadastim have besieged Messana, the client ruler there is turning into quite an adept general handling these sieges. He always sallies out immediately, and occasionally they stick around to fight. There's loads of mercenaries on the island, but even though I've been giving them 5k a turn they don't seem to be hiring many (do I need to be giving them more?). Hopefully now they can't recruit troops in Adrumento or Atiqa they might do something about that. Either way I have no intention of taking Lilibeo for ages yet. An unintended side-effect of my raid is that it seems to have stalled their westward expansion on the African coast, which is cool.

As for the rest of the world, some cheeky Force Diplomacy relieved Pontos of Byzantion and Ipsos, they're expanding too fast for my liking and just failed to take Sinope again.

There's a stalemate in Greece between Makedonia and Koinon Hellenon. Epeiros are still doing nothing at all, they now have two full stacks sitting doing nothing.

I may have to do something about the Getai eventually, they're not really hassling Makedonia enough and are haring off north.

The Sweboz are doing some serious expanding, fortunately the guard stack has appeared in Noricum in case they get any ideas about attacking my northern border.

[QuintusSertorius]

251BC:



I'm quite pleased with myself, because my plan has paid off. I've been gifting the Karthadastim 5-10k a turn in the hopes they'd buy up some of those mercenaries in Sicily, and they did! So we might finally have a proper decisive battle on the island, rather than all these pointless sieges where I sally out and drive them off in the first turn.

I may try to do a more detailed AAR on this battle since it's pretty significant.

[QuintusSertorius]

The Battle of Elymia 250BC:

The proconsul Lucius Cornelius Scipio had returned to Sicily after a successful campaign in Africa in 251BC. He had sent ahead for reinforcements and resupplies to join him on the island, for he intended to continue the war against Qarthadast on these shores. He spent the campaiging season of 251 marching for Messana and the desparately needed supplies. He heard through scouts and locals that there was a large Karthadastim force in the region, but he had to prepare rather than lead his weary troops into combat again.

On reaching Messana late in autumnus, the proconsul was struck with an ague, and ordered his troops to build camp and set his subordinates to preparing the men for next season's campaign, while he convalesced in the city of Messana. The client ruler of Messana hosted the ailing general, regaling him with accounts of the numerous attempts the Karthadastim had made on the city, and giving him the true story of the rumours that he had personally turned the tide of one of these battles.

By the spring of 250, Scipio and his army were ready to march, new maniples and a detachment of cavalry arriving from the mainland to bring his consular army back to full strength. Unfortunately he was still stuck with the drunkard Kaeso Claudius Nero, foremost among the tribunes and a thoroughly bad influence on all those young men. His uncle had ensured he was placed with Scipio's army for two reasons; in the vain hope military service might reform his wayward nephew, but failing that he might at least cause trouble for Scipio and slow the ascendancy of that man's star. For if this campaign went well, all might recognise that Scipio was becoming the First Man in Rome.

Yet in spite of his trepidations about vipers in his midst, the army left promptly with the melting of the snows on Etna's lower slopes. It was not until summer that contact was made with the Qarthadast army, on the southern coast several miles from the Karthadastim city of Lilibeo. Scipio halted and made his camp close to the shore.

The Qarthadast, led by the young Hamalcar were content to wait in their camp opposite the Romans, but his hand was forced by a rash captain Abdosir who was eager for some glory and frustrated by the progress of the campaign in Sicily. Hamalcar had only recently hired a large contingent of mercenaries, a mixture of Iberians, Ligurians, Gauls from several tribes and some Hellenic spearmen, and hadn't yet had time to properly integrate them into his army. But he was faced with losing Abdosir's men, which included elites recently transported from Kart-Hadast, and possibly risked another main stealing the glory. For Abdosir had a grandfather on the Council of Thirty, and an ancestor who had been a suffete. So reluctantly he joined battle in support of the hot-headed captain.



Hearing from his scouts that there were in fact two Karthadastim forces approaching his camp, Scipio had his army march out into battle order barely a mile from the tents. He anchored his left flank on the shoreline and deployed in the traditional triplex acies.

In the consilium the night before, he had stressed to his legates, tribunes and centurions the importance of strict discipline, for restraint, not battle-lust would win the day. They had to be wary of the superior enemy numbers and keep the men in hand. He said this not out of cowardice, for he had won the corona civica for gallantry outside the walls of Taras twenty years before, but because he knew what an over-enthusiastic soldier might do. As a general, he must look to the preservation of the whole and beyond the chance to win personal accolades. Nero had insisted that he be allowed the position of honour on the right wing, and given he was a pompous Claudii, none would dare gainsay him. So Scipio granted his request, hoping the man would at least be sober on the morrow. Thus Scipio personally commanded the centre, Nero the right wing and a praefectus sociorum with some allied cavalry the left. Scipio retained a body of Campanian cavalry in reserve where he could direct them to where they were most needed.



The smaller Karthadastim force marched in from the north, with the larger coming in from the east. Scipio ordered his officers to give the command to ground arms while they waited to see what the enemy would do. He was concerned in particular to see if this smaller force would wait for reinforcements, or simply attack.



The reckless Abdosir sent his scant force forwards, leading the light horse personally.



His Iberian light troops were harassed at range by the Roman archers, losing a number of men as they approached. They charged the ala on the right wing, clashing with the Bruttians who stood firm. Matching the Qarthadast captain in impetuousity, Nero charged his horse forwards, his friends following as they slammed into the Iberian's flank. It was too much for the tribesmen, who broke and ran. Heedless of discipline, Nero and his companions gave chase, ignoring a rider from Scipio ordering them back into line.



While this was going on, Abdosir and his cavalry made for the Roman lines and his infantry struggled to keep up and maintain their formation. Abdosir came under a prolonged shower of missiles from the Roman skirmishers, losing half his force. At the critical moment, Scipio sent his Campanian reserve forward, and they broke the will of the Karthadastim cavalry.



Abdosir made good his escape, leaving the rest of his detachment to their fate, and the well-drilled Campanians broke off pursuit. By now the elite African pikemen had engaged, but looked warily over their shoulder at the fleeing captain. The Campanians charged into their rear, and that was it. They ran in all directions, tossing away weapon and shield in their haste. And thus it was that the first Qarthadast force was disposed of. Scipio allowed the allied skirmishers to give chase, cutting down many of the pikemen in their headlong flight.



He gave the order for the rest of the army to wheel and face the threat of the larger army.



Hamalcar had drawn up his men in a single line, but dared not march towards the Romans. He was having language problems communicating with some of the new contingents, and decided to stay put. Feeling buoyed by their easy victory, the Romans advanced to meet their new foe.



Yet still they could not provoke the enemy to attack, so they marched still further, taking care to dress their lines and hold formation. Eventually Nero halted his pursuit and turned back for the Roman lines.



Some Ligurians and Iberians were provoked by Roman taunts, and charged without orders.





But the Iberians particularly suffered from several volleys of javelins, and the survivors turned and ran. Scipio sent his trusty Campanians forward once more to mop up the survivors.



Unlike Nero, the decurion in charge of the Campanians knew his business. When some formed up Greeks and pikemen charged, he turned his cavalry around and made for the safety of the infantry lines.



The pikemen attacked the left flank of Roman line unsupported, and thus some allied skirmishers were able to slip in behind them. For now the praefectus held the rest of his force in reserve, trusting the fighting skill of the Bruttians to keep them safe.

The skirmishers charged.



Then the centurion commanding the nearby principes decided to finish the matter.



Under this onslaught, not even the tough pikemen could prevail, and although some chose to fight to the bitter end, their gesture was futile. Once again the Campanians were ordered forward to finish them.



The principes were ordered back to their place in the line, and for a few minutes there was a lull in the fighting.



Then Hamalcar, despairing of controlling his armies, gave the command to attack. He engaged the Roman left and centre, but his own left wing refused to join the battle, and he haraunged the chieftains to little avail.



More troops were fed into the combat in the centre, and for a time it was a desparate fight.



Meanwhile on the Roman left Gallic warriors tried to turn the Roman flank, stopped only by the allied skirmishers who had already done so much this day. Their stand allowed the Greek and Campanian cavalry to slip around the fighting line.



In the centre the Ligurians broke and again the Campanians capitalised on their despair. The Bruttians wheeled around and hit the Iberians engaged with the prinicpes on their flank. They also gave up the fight.



The Greek cavalry charged the read of the phalanx to little avail, and so withdraw and re-addressed, trying the Gauls instead. At the same time the principes in the left legion, without any opponents marched to the rescue of the left wing.



It was their arrival that turned the tide, the Gauls losing heart.



Daylight was beginning to fail, and on the right wing Nero was growing bored. Plus his hangover was starting to set in, and he wanted to take that out on someone. He brought up the right ala to attack the Gauls who had refused to move when ordered.



His ill-advised maneuver turned the right wing into chaos as the Qarthadast cavalry attacked, and a body of Ligurians joined in support of the Gauls.



On the left flank, the Greek phalanx had had enough, they could see which way this battle was going with the piecemeal command and lack of support.



Seeing the exodus on the left and centre, the Gauls opposing Nero fled, the tribune giving chase eagerly.



Which was to be the last action of the battle as dusk prevented a concerted pursuit.



Scipio was hailed as imperator by his men, for they had soundly defeated a much larger for and their own casualties were relatively light. Even so, in the interests of preserving his force, Scipio withdraw and marched back to Messana to restock. It was approaching the end of the campaigning season, and there would be more to this war yet.

[Gaias]

Nice to see you get a worthy fight out of the carthagians in Sicily. Good battle overall with relative light losses evenly distrusted around your force.

[QuintusSertorius]

On TWO some people wanted a copy of my saved game (I guess it's an easy 250BC historical start). For anyone here who does, it's packaged in rar format here.

Nice to see you get a worthy fight out of the carthagians in Sicily. Good battle overall with relative light losses evenly distrusted around your force.

Indeed, and I tried hard not to kill any of the family members involved in the battle so that they could hire more mercs in a turn or two. That's another reason I didn't fight the half-stack they sent out from Lilibeo, I'd rather they built it up into a proper force before joining battle. Besides I had a bunch of leftovers marched down from Capua to restore my losses. My hastati, the Bruttians and those heavy skirmishers took a beating in the battle, as did my cavalry. Hardly surprising given they actually did most of the fighting and were in the front lines. Although I think a lot of the losses of the former were from Nero's last minute charge when both Carthaginian family members attacked.

[Gaias]

Just curious about one thing when you capture a city. Are you destroying the regional and native barracks within the settlements you capture? As from what I have experience it takes the AI factions a rather long time to reconstruct them for some reason. I ended up fighting low level troops most of the time with my war with Carthage in several games doing that.

[QuintusSertorius]

Just curious about one thing when you capture a city. Are you destroying the regional and native barracks within the settlements you capture? As from what I have experience it takes the AI factions a rather long time to reconstruct them for some reason. I ended up fighting low level troops most of the time with my war with Carthage in several games doing that.

Yes, both for cash and to slow the AI down. In this instance it also seemed to achieve the result I desired - making the AI hire mercs in Sicily rather than pointlessly adding to the garrisons in Africa. Plus it might stop them going to war with Egypt for a while.