Makedonia dreamin' AAR

[TM Is Back]

Nice battle. A lot of screenies

[Unknown Soldier]

I notice you only use 4 pike units in your armies ME and it seems to work for you. I usually use 6 if I have them but then I have 2 less Theurophori in mine.

[Stilgar CG]

Unknown, I tend to use a smaller number of phalanx units in mid-game, particularly when I am on offensive. I think an extra unit or two of thorakitai or hoplites on flanks give you more flexibility both in attack or defense. But, I feel uncomfortable if I do not have a wall of sarissas forming my center

[Stilgar CG]

New update. Hope you'll enjoy, guys.

Chapter 7. Anatolia – Total War. (Part 2)

Second battle of Ancyra.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Long story short. The Macedon had just enough time to burry their dead and receive new recruits, when a new TSE army was at the door. The enemy did not attack however. Agis – the Macedon general – was a young but thoughtful general; his had a good position, therefore he decided to wait for the enemy to make the first move. That turned to be an unfortunate decision …


cause another TSE force appeared from nowhere and now they all were upon the Macedon …


Phalanx in the center, to hold the line; archers behind; the rest is more or less evenly spread on flanks. Agis took the command of the cavalry. Heavier cavalry was hidden on a hill to eventually hit the enemy in the rear. Eastern heavy cavalry on the right flank.



Enemy approaches in a wide spread formation.



The enemy spearmen spotted the hidden Macedon cavalry … there was no point in hiding any further. They charge downhill the marching spearmen … and wipe them out in a matter of seconds.


They charge again another enemy unit.



The latter gave a fight, but not for long



Watching the cavalry success, Agis ordered the left-flank unit to attack the enemy and support the cavalry .



The Macedon Thorakitai engage the enemy light infantry …



Whereas the Macedon heavy cavalry gallops behind them to flank the enemy units in the center.



They charge into a mass of enemy infantry, which proved to be mostly skirmisher and light infantry.



Only hillmen made an attempt to stop the Macedon advance. For many of them that was the last decision they ever took …



The Macedon cavalry and mercenary lancers drove the remainder of the skirmishers from the field, whereas Macedon infantry was finishing off or routing their opponents on flanks and in the center. The Macedon won the first round. But, the second TSE army was approaching.



The Eastern mercenary cavalry unit bumped into the TSE general and his bodyguards, who advanced quite far from the main body of the second TSE army. The mercenaries decided to proof there worth, and having no missiles left charged the general’s unit right away.



They gave quite a fight …



… but were outclassed and ran. At least they kept the enemy general busy for a while.



Agis pulled his units back and regrouped. It was important to keep the Macedon force together.



Then, came an unpleasant surprise: two units of skirmish cavalry came to the Macedon rear and start firing at Macedon cavalry, standing just behind the phalanx line. Agis turned his archers around and order them to fire at the enemy light cavalry. He himself charged into the closest enemy unit, and routed them.



In the meantime, the enemy general approach too closely the Macedon right flank. A group of Macedon Thureothoroi took it as an insult and charged the general’s unit with no delay.



After a fierce melee, the general and his remaining men ran from the battlefield.



The main body of the enemy second army approached the Macedon line. Agis ordered Macedon to group and attack the approacing enemy.



It was time for the Macedon pahlangists to prove their worth.



They attacked the enemy phalangists. The tactics of keeping the Macedon units close together was paying off: enemy phalangist were supported by other units, which could flank the enemy phalangists.




The Macedon claimed the battle ground and the victory.



Agis gave the order to pursue the remainder of TSE army …



… and drive them from the battle field.


That was another day of triumph of the Macedon arms.




In winter 258BC, Damasos besieged the Ptolemaic city of Side. The Macedon decided to strike Side and Salamis to leave no potential thread for the Macedon cities in Anatolia.



Side was garrisoned by a numerous Ptolemaic force, but it consisted mostly of skirmishers and light infantry.



The Macedon had little troubles in assaulting the city. Cilician pirates hired by Damasos near Side proved their worth as mercenaries: they were killing as fast as they were dying. “They kill and disappear, and there are few to claim their pay after the battle” – thought Damasos pleased with this order of events.




Pontus was still a threat. In 257BC they besieged the troubled city of Ancyra. The Macedon were running short of patience …



Damasus the admiral brings Damasos the general and his army to Salamis. The Macedon capture and sack the city. War must go on !

[TM Is Back]

Nice update+a good fight.

[Unknown Soldier]

Your cavalry took a hammering in the night fight.

[Stilgar CG]

Your cavalry took a hammering in the night fight.

Yeah, it did. And, note, anvil-free hummering

[Unknown Soldier]

Yeah, it did. And, note, anvil-free hummering

Though I would spell it 'hammering'

[Stilgar CG]

Though I would spell it 'hammering'

Glad, I made five of you laugh and one of you whisle

[Scutarii]

Great job ME, that first battle was intense: victory against all odds.

[atraps]

Yes, another great update

[Stilgar CG]

Thanks, all. Stick around, guys. Best is yet to come That's a promise

P.S. Atraps, I see you got yourself one nice "skin" for your avatar. Waited all those 30 turns or did some moddig ?

[atraps]

P.S. Atraps, I see you got yourself one nice "skin" for your avatar. Waited all those 30 turns or did some moddig ?

Well I actually got it from the XGM readme


p.s. not sure if you guys noticed but my name is actually sparta spelled backwards

[Stilgar CG]

Well I actually got it from the XGM readme


p.s. not sure if you guys noticed but my name is actually sparta spelled backwards

I see now, Atraps. It is funny though, cause to me Atraps sounded a bit like Satrap (Persian governor, you know). Well, with "s" moved to the end . Pretty anti-spartan association, right?

[Stilgar CG]

Here is a new update. It's kinda peaceful, but packed with events. Sort of multum-in-parvo update, just to link the events. Next update is just one intense and very bloody action .
Sorry for doubleposting: did not want to spoil with my update a "very profound" remark given above .



Chapter 8. Italian Job.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Time has come to unleash the Macedon war machine at Rome. Rome has grown too strong. It was clear, the road to the glory and might of Makedonia goes through Rome.

Two armies disembark in Italy near Tarentum in summer 257BC. The army lead by Agathokles was ordered to besiege and assault cities of Tarentum and Croton. The second army, commanded by Antipatros had the task to march ahead of Agathocles force and meet Roman armies in the field.



That was an appropriate moment to strike: the Roman military presence was quite limited in central and northern Italy.



Attack ally? Yes, please! There is time to make alliances and time break alliances …


Agathokles besieges Tarentum as planned. Antipatros met no resistance and decided to besiege the lightly-defended city of Cannae.



Agathokles has at his disposition some siege equipment. He orders assault of Tarentum with no delay.



Nice sunny day … beautiful view … white stone walls … Macedon army standing in silence … This is it.


“Onagers, fire! Tear those nice walls and towers down and kill them all.”



The Macedon engineers knew their job well. Soon the main gate towers and an adjacent tower were destroyed. A breach was made in right-side wall.



It was time for archers to soften the ranks of Romans defending the breach. A unit of “innocent” samnite warriors was used as bait. Many of them died, but Roman cavalry and infantry suffered significant losses of the hand of archers as well.



Hoplites were ordered to take their position in front of the breach. Heavy peltasts were given enough time to throw all their missiles at the enemy.


Then, the hoplites enter the city and engage the remainder of enemy cavalry and infantry. A unit of hastati that were positioned at the main gate rushed into attacking hoplites in the rear. There was a little “surprise” waiting for them: Thorakitai positioned just at the breach throws their spears at hastati and …



… then charge and kill the remainder of the enemy. The enemy facing hoplites soon will be routing.


Enemy skirmishers leave their initial positions on the wall to join the battle, but arrive too late and are dealt with swiftly by Macedon peltasts.



Macedon hoplites and Thorakitai reach the main square and engage the hastati unit – last defenders of the city.



It’s lunch time, everybody is hungry, it’s hot. Therefore, the Macedon cavalry is ordered to charge the enemy in the back immediately and not wait till the infantry does all the job. Cavalry charges …


… and all hastati go to heaven.




Looting and some preventive killing of population are in order.



International news. Eastern Kingdoms is gone; long live Eastern Kingdoms!
(I hate those CTD-causing guys ; Seleudzilla is next)



Agathokles takes part of his force and marches to Croton and assaults the city.


The Macedon prevail again. Agathokles had no problems at all with throwing his mercenaries in the sacrificial fire of the battle.


Looting sweet looting …



Clouds began to gather on the horizon: Roman legions were spotted in Northern Italy.

Interlude. News from the Eastern Front.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Agis, the hero of second battle of Ancyra, was supposed to march on into the TSE territory. However, the Seleucid forces were spotted east of Side and had to be intercepted in order to secure the Anatolia.



Agis took an elevated position. Phalanx in center, archers just in front, all peltasts and Thorakitai on the right; slingers in the gap between pahalanx and right flank. Hoplites and galatian swordsmen on the left flank. It seemed to be another easy "ride" for the Macedon.



Ranged units – slingers and archers – began the battle.



The enemy skirmish cavalry approached, but lost the missile duel to numerically superior enemy.



The enemy elephants were Agis main worry, but their masters were hesitating to enter the battle. Elephants turned back and enemy phalangists were left to their fate.



Taking this as of sign of retreat Agis order his right flank to advance and pursuit the enemy infantry.



And then … elephants went their left and charged into the mass of Macedon peltasts and Thorakitai.



The elephant attack brought havoc into Macedon ranks ...



Finally, slingers got a clean shot and finish the animals and their masters.



That was a victory with a bitter taste.



Worrying news: Armenia had fallen. Pontus alone stood now between Macedon cities in Anatolia and Scythia.



But, war must go on. Damasos, the conqueror of Salamis, disembarks south of Antioch, marches to the TSE capital an besieges it. His engineers build siege towers in a hurry – the Seleucid reinforcements could arrive any time – …


…and all was finally ready for the assault



To the great jubilation of the Macedon the city is defended just by a unit of war elephants. This time the animals and their master did not manage to surprise the Macedon …



The Macedon stroke the enemy in its very heart. The Seleucid Empire is hurt. Is it dead? Is this the beginning of an end for mighty TSE? Only future will tell.

Italian job (continued)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In Italy, the Macedon continued their advance to the heart of Italy, taking city after city and aiming at Rome as the goal of the first phase of the campaign.



Agathokles besieged and …


on a warm summer night …



… captured Capua.


Money was pouring into the Macedon pockets.



In the mean time, Antipatros and his men besiege and capture Cannae.



More money pours into the Macedon pockets. War must and can go on.



But the season of “good intentions” from Roman side seems to be over. A large Roman force is marching towards Cannae.



Antipatros spotted that the Roman vanguard advanced too far and plan an attack.



Although numerically superior, the Macedon were facing a solid Roman force consisting of well-trained and equipped Roman infantry. The Romans took a very advantageous position on a hill. It turned out that Romans had some onagers. Antipatros sends mercenary light cavalry to keep the enemy busy till the main body of his force was taking a better position for attack.



The mercenary cavalry attack a triarii unit, but keep their distance, and then moves further in the enemy rear.



After exhausting their ammo and some maneuvering, the eastern cavalry finally had a “clean shot” and could charge and kill the onagers crew.



The Thracians charges (without order ) into Roman skirmishers, but got punished for their foolishness: Romans did not hesitate to throw their pila. The mercenary cavalry finally retreats in disarray. But they rally and participate in battle later on.



While mercenary cavalry was keeping Romans busy, Antipatros was trying to find a better position for attack. Phalangists, supported by archers and some thorakitai were marching straight at the enemy, whereas a force of Thracian peltasts and Macedon thorakitai were marching to the right, to flank the enemy.



Finally, the enemy was cornered.



The Romans engage the Macedon phalanx.



But main body of the Roman force turns left to face the Thracians and thorakitai.



Thracians and Macedon Thorakitai attack the enemy.



The Macedon cavalry gallops behind the enemy line and hit Romans in the rear.



It took another charge to end the resistance of a pocket of stubborn triariai and principes.


Another battle won, but so many challenges are yet to come.

---

[Webba]

@ Atraps: So you're an ancient greek vampire then? The rigid eugenics, the stories of deadly warriors, the docile Helots - now Spartan society all starts to make sense...

@Magister Equitum: Awesome Update! Your invasion seems to be going quite well. If it's anything like my excursion to Italy you'll have Germany declaring war on you as soon as you get to the Alps. Something to look forward to...

[Stilgar CG]

Webba, I might dissappoint you: I am also considering leaving Italy to its fate. I could pillage a bit Italy, but also Sicily, give a city or two to Germania, another to Carthage, and leave Rome to its fate. perhaps I might still keep Tarentum (and even Croton) for myself and leave a decent garrison there for a while. I might also make peace with Rome at the end and help them in weakening Germania and Carthage . My main interest is still in the east, in recreating the Alexander's Empire.

[Unknown Soldier]

THIS IS ATRAPS! lol

[Scutarii]

Great job ME, those Romans are tough aren't they? It looks like you may need to replenish Antipatros' army, he doesn't have enough men to face a Roman full stack and win.... Only 1100 men. Can you retrain in Tarentum?
Then just weather the Roman storm... I've done this as the Maks before, but it looks like Rome has more armies than I've faced... I usually go West to Italy before Anatolia. Good luck

[atraps]

Great update

Yea good luck with the romans they can be pretty tough but you invaded where they didnt expect it so you will cause them great damage before they can launch a counter against your armies.

Poor Romans