[BI AAR] Imperium Orientalis- A Dual BI ERE AAR by Kallum and Legio Caesar

[Legio]

Kallum will start the game tonight.

Rules:
MOD: BI 1.6 (vanilla)
DIFFICULTY: Medium/Medium

Kallum controls the Asian domains of the ERE and I control the European ones.

[Xavier Dragnesi]

This should turn out to be pretty interesting.

[RVFVS]

That pic makes me wanna go to Greece.

[Kallum]

Imperium Orientalis part 1
The new governor

It's October fifth of the year 363 AD when on a dark and depressing day a trireme enters the docks of Antioch. On this ship a man of resides. Not just any man, no he is the Caesar of the Eastern Roman empire and thus destinend to rule the empire. His name is Theodosius Flavius.



He was send here by this father, the noble emperor Valens, to rule in his place. The noble emperor knew that with the many threats at the moment, the empire can't be defended by only one man no it's to big for that. There fore the wise emperor sends his most trusted man to the other part of his realm to defend it from the dangers that lurk there. The first thing that the Caesar did when he was in town was to go to the local governor's palace where a number of delegates were waiting for him to arrive. These delegates were asked to come here, for the Caesar wanted to know everything he could to make his father's objective a succes: Making sure that the eastern part of the empire was save and in the best case scenario could expand. The capitals of this newly found system of ruling were Constantinople for the western part and Antioch for the eastern part




Theodosius: "All right, now that we are all introduced to one another I would ask you to help me. What's at the moment the position of this part of the empire at diplomacy, military and economical grounds?"

Delegates: "On military grounds all we can say is that we don't have the number of soldiers that Octavian and Mark Anthony had when they stood against each other. Due to the huge numbers of men that are needed to make sure no riots occur, the only army that is present here is the garrison of Antioch and two small lingering armies of horse archers and a small infantry army fresh from the Judean provence."







Theodosius: "That aren't armies, that are men I use to keep my garden beautifull and growing . What causes these riots?

Delegates: "There is constant struggle between the christians and those who believe in the old gods."

Theodosius: "What do Roman soldiers have to do with those fights. They are not a police force."

Delegates: "Our noble soldiers aren't acting as a policeforce my lord, they are fighting with the people."

Theodosius: "And who is winning?"

Delegates: "The Pagans are greater in numbers but the soldiers are descendants of those who fought under Constantine and they have not forgotten his "dream".



Theodosius: "What a nonsense. Let us put an end to this once and for all. Send a messenger to every governor of every provence, let him destroy every Pagan temple and replace it with true Christian shrines and churches."

Delegates: "Yes my liege, we also have 480 ships who serve as our fleet."

Theodosius: "We don't need this many, that cost to many money. burn a portion of those ships or use their materials for the new shrines and churches and use their occupants as Roman foot soldiers.

Delegates: "On diplomatic grounds we are at war with the Sassanids. We have already send out an assassin to kill their diplomat and to try to put an obstacle in front of their plans to build up alliances





unfortunatly he failed



Theodosius: "What about our diplomats?"

Delegates: "We have one sire, but he isn't so good, he would be propably better if you WANT an diplomatical meeting to go wrong, but he's all we have



Theodosius: "All right, this is what I want you to tell your master: destroy every Pagan building and replace them with christian buildings, get the soldiers disciplined again for we are in war and to get the economy up and running for I understand we are practically bankrupt. Go to your masters now."

With that said the meeting was closed.

[Legio]

Imperium Orientalis Part Two
Securing the Borders

It is October, 363 years after our Lord Jesus Christ was born.
However, not all is well like our lord promised.

Our kingdom is vulnerable. Our allies are vulnerable.
We must be strong, stronger than the old gods were and still are in the forests of Germania and across the Danube!
We must be true Romans. We must prepare to fight, and die if need be. But first, we must defend our borders and secure them against the hordes of barbarians asound us!
First, mercenaries must be hired, specialists who know how the barbarians fight and how they die. We will train royal troops. Constantinople, the pride of cities, the queen of the world, the second Rome, must not fall.
One of my nephews Manius Flavius has moved his troops from the Danube to the fields near it to garrison the city.

His army consists of comitatenses and mercenaries. The limitanei will be disbanded amongst the city's population. They are useless.


Sirmium. A walled city right at the Danubian border. It must be held. Even Limitanei will be useful there, so I gave orders for them to be given good quality weapons.


Finally, Thessalonica. It is the gateway into Greece and commands a major trade route to Constantinople. It must be held. To watch the pass, the governor has erected watchtowers all around the city, and every man of age has been pressed into service as a cavalryman.

This is how Europe fares, Caesar!
Valete, brave men of Asia!

[Aldgarkalaughskel]

These two names seem enough reason for me to subscribe.

[Legio]

These two names seem enough reason for me to subscribe.

It will be a serious AAR though- no silly concubines wandering around camp during battle!

[Aldgarkalaughskel]

It will be a serious AAR though- no silly concubines wandering around camp during battle!

???

Wish you good luck on the campaign!

[Legio]

???

Wish you good luck on the campaign!

Oh, that was just a mini preview of the XGM AAR.
Kallum will post here soon.

[Kallum]

These two names seem enough reason for me to subscribe.

ty nice compliment

[Kallum]

Imperium Orientalis part Three
The Broken Border

The end of the year 363 AD came in sight, and it was then when I heard that everywhere in the empire soldiers were being trained. These men were needed as rumors from a mounted menace kept coming and reaching our borders. These rumors came more often and refugees from the north kept coming at our borders. The cities of Constantinople and the rest of Greece never had such a large population.



My father had married of my sister to a local noble men. His name was Ioannes Varus, and as the name suggested he was a member of Greek nobility, Macedonian or Spartan. I don't remember it anymore. Anyway my father send him to me to help me in the west as he didn't trust him and that he could better be used here to reinforce the coming war with the Sassanids. Along with Varus reinforcements from all around the empire came to Antioch ready to obey my orders





A small rebellion occured in Judea but with the help of new diplomat called Valerius, who actually knew how to do diplomatical meetings, the rebels were bribed for a small amount of money. Much more money would be needed if I would send in an army to the rebels. The rebels were bribed and when they returned to their homes they were arrested, murdered and their bodies were dumped in the red sea



Everything was going well, and I was pleased with the news that the sassanids were keeping themselves quiet. They propably didn't know that our border watches were very bad defended. However on the 17th of December, a messenger arrived saying that a Caucausian mountain pass, was overrun and that a medium sized Sassanid army, was pillaging our lands. This news struck me as campaigning season was over. The mountain passes were full with snow, so crossing it would be very hard. But a enemy army was now in our empire and laid their lurking eyes on the Roman provence. I knew that if I didn't act quicly the undefended lands of our empire would quickly fall to the Sassanid horde. I send word to my nephew Numerius who was in the area to stop the threat, I send reinforcements from Tarsus, hoping for the best



The sassanid army wasn't a strong army, but sure not bad either, A heavy cavalry battalion was in the army under command of the captain himselve. Clibinarii are always soldiers we Romans don't like to face



My nephew had prior to the battle hired some horse archers from the local alani tribes. He sended thim forward to to pepper the foe. The enemy was forced to hold their ground, for if they would break ranks the cavalry commanded by Numerius himselve would mop them up and kill them all



At the backs of the enemy Sassanid army the reinforcements from Tarsus arrived. The commander called the Clibinarii with him and so he charged Numerius' reinforcements. Only to be faced by heavy pila fire from the infantry lines.



The pila penetrated the heavy armour of many of the Clibinarii units. And so many perished or others tried to pull the pila out of their armour. Unable ofcourse due to the shaft of the pila. The clibinarii were to busy with the pila stucking in their armour to focus on the infantry who began charging them



The sudden charge of the limantei forced the Sassanid captain to flee. His men seeing him flee got demoralised and with the charge of Numerius heavy cavalry on the left flank caused them to rout. Many got away for Numerius didn't thought that they would return to fight another day. Nevertheless the Sassanid invaders were pushed back to their own lands



So I could lay my focus again on ruling the eastern part of the empire

[Kallum]

Imperium Orientalis part four
Breaking the Ice

Since the battle of Caucausian pass on the 22th of December the Sassanids were quiet in their own lands. The tension was enormous everyone knew that something big was about to happen. This tension lasted the entire winter. Not even a fly crossed the border between our two empires. However as the winter slowly faded away, the Sassanid Empire began showing signs of life again. Places that during the winter were deserted, were now occupied by Sassanid subjects. I received at a increasing frequency reports from the mountain passes that Sassanid raiding parties invaded our empire, and when I send in the imperial army, they couldn't find any Sassanid soldier as they left as quickly as they appeared leaving a trace of murder, raping and pillaging. The streets of Antioch were filled with farmers and other country men angry for that I let the foul Sassanid play their game. I send a spy towards the largest Sassanid city near the Roman border. The reports of him were most alarming. According to his reports the Sassanid ruler had began mustering a large force at Hatra.



Although I suspected something like this, I stil was worried about this scale of operations the Sassanids had begun. I finally understood how it came that mountain passes faced so much pressure. I send a letter to my assassin who I ordered to kill the commander to those armies.



Unfortunatly just as with the Sassanid diplomat the assassin failed in his job and because of him the Sassanids found out that Roman eyes were watching causing the Sassanid to hasten their efforts in building up their army at Hatra.



That night I had a very strange dream.

Three messengers walked towards me. A German messenger, A Iberian messenger, so probably a messenger from our Western cousins and a Sassanid messenger. These three messengers walked towards a table with on it something I can only describe as a map of the world. And here they tried to decide what would be done with it and how they would divide the world. They would respect the new boundaries of each other. As I looked at the three messengers I realised that there didn't was a messenger who represented us, the Eastern Roman Empire. Then I realised that we weren't represented because we didn't existed anymore.

I woke up, realising what had to be done. The next day, the first day of March, the first day of the new Campaignin season I ordered the men to make ready to march, and so on the first of march in the year of 364 AD the Roman army marched out towards the Sassanid empire. Eager for war and thirsty to revenge the death of emperor Julian the Apostate a year earlier.



I also send orders to the Judean and Egypt provences to send a combined force south towards the Sinai mountain. To make that province Roman again.



And so after years of military defeats and being on the defensive. The Roman army again marched onwards in to the offensive, hoping to follow the successes of Trajan, who almost destroyed the great empire of the East.

[Legio]

Imperium Orientalis, Part Five
Cleanup

There is too much trash around the empire. Wandering vagabonds spring up everywhere, wreaking havoc on poor villagers and travellers. Today begins the end of that. A particularly headstrong group has had the nerve to march up to the city walls!
They are disbanded foederati from the West who want more money. The West. We can deal with that later!
For now, we kill this scum!
I marched out with a unit of archers, two units of comitatenses, some odd Legio Lancearii, and my trusty bodyguard. Heavens, it has been a long time since I have fought a battle.
I marched to the rear of the rebels, trapping them between us and the city walls, with my nephew commanding the garrison.
They had their backs to the sea. Barbarians cannot swim so far as I know.

As we marched we could hear the horns of the garrison behind us. Our reinforcements were here!

The barbarians charged in the fashion they always do. Headlong and in disorder.
They were greeted by a hail of missiles from my archers, and the pilae of my heavy infantry! They never knew what hit them!


The fools. Soon my infantry charged their retreating backs and began to slaughter them.
Captain Amulius, as the rebel was called, charged my main body of infantry head-on as barbarians are prone to do.
Captain Amulius. Clear Roman influence. The West must be really naive to take these scum into their army and then set them loose without pay! I shall ask them about it later.

This left the barbarian archers exposed. I could not resist. I led the charge and killed them to the last man!

It was then that the garrison of Constantinople finally arrived. They did not have much to do, just kill off the last barbarian survivors.
However, the main infantry battle still raged. The Bosphoran Spearmen were well armored, and it took a lot of charges and counter-charges before they broke and began to flee.

Their captain, Amulius, was slain by an infantryman named Cassius.

My troops enclosed them like a sheep in a pen. I myself dispatched them, one by one.

The day was clearly ours! We celebrated back in the city, and I feel like a young man again! Oh, for the march and the campaigns! Oh, for even the army gruel!
But I forget myself.
Vale, Caesar, this is how the Danube frontier is faring.
I will be expecting you to besiege and take Hatra soon.
Vale!

[Yuko]

cool great cant wait for the next chapter

[Kallum]

Imperium Orientalis
The Troubles at the Asian Frontier

The same problem that our great emperor faced in Europe spreaded towards us. In the unresty provences of Judea and Egypt. Two minor rebel armies were formed there. I was already going through Mesopotamia so I couldn't return to command the armies that were supposed to rat the rebel armies out. Especially the one in Egypt as it was our greatest supplier of grain and other vegetables.





The rebels there needed to be vanquished or we will face a famine. I send orders to the Egyptian and Judean governors to destroy the rebels. They didn't rode to war themselves but putted the responsibility with two captains. The captain Lentulus was ordered back from Sinaï to attack the rebels in Judea and captain Cnaeus was ordered to quell the riot in Egypt.



Captain Cnaeus ordered his heavy infantry forward. The governor had send Cnaeus away with only classical Roman heavy infantry



The enemy came close and the Comitatenses reached out for their pila, they armed and throwed their pila towards the enemy



Once the Comitatenses had thrown al their pila they drawed swords. The rebels thought that this was the time to charge and they began running and on the last moment Cnaeus ordered his men to counter charge, causing a huge confusion among the enemies



The two lines clashed and a huge battle occured amongst the two armies, well one army and a band of unorganized farmes unhappy about their lives.



The left flank was commanded by Cnaeus himselve and his appearance and actions made his soldiers fight harder and soon the left flank of the enemy was totally overwhelmed. The left flank of us was the right flank of the enemy and thus the position were the strongest men were. Unfortunatly for them. Our left and right flanks were composed of the cream of the current Roman army witch resulted in a route of the enemies' right flank



The rebelleader sat on his horse waiting for the perfect time to strike. As Cnaeus attacked the flanks of the centre of the army the back of his cohort was turned towards the enemy captain who saw his chance of victory and he immediatly charged



However at the moment of his charge all of his infantry lines broke. Even though Cnaeus cohort was hurted badly by the sudden charge, the reinforcements of the other cohorts ment that the rebelleader stood alone in his fight. And soon even he fled causing the rebellion of Egypt to be vanquished, witch openend the gates towards Constantinope for the shipping of grain and other vegetables.



While the Roman governors had their hands filled with destroying rebellions, I had invaded the Sassanid Empire. Due to the fact that I was nervous about these rebellions I waited three months before my invasion. As a result my campaign began right in the middle of the campaigning season. Nevertheless my men and I were in good heart and our progress was fast. After two weeks of marching we arrived at Hatra and laid siege to it



I send diplomat Leontius to one of the Sassanid armies to bribe it



Witch was a succes and made Leontius' diplomatic skills increase



Even though the lands around Hatra were still swarming with Sassanid soldiers knowing that there was one army less made our hearts warm. I ordered my men to build rams and other siege equipment. Unfortunately no good trees were in the neighborhood witch made our earleir fast progress slow down. Once we were almost done, the Sassanid army decided it was time to test Roman skill and bravery



I sended my horse archers forward to slow the enemy down so that the infantry had time to deploy



The enemy who were hurt hard by the arrows of our horse archers rushed up the hill were we had taken our position only to meet the arrows of the Roman archers



While the enemy infantry struggled to get up the hill, I ordered my horse archers to make a flanking move and to attack the enemy in the rear, this attack coupled with intensive fire from my archers caused the enemy to rout



The first of two armies were defeated and now it was time to focus our attention on the largest of the two armies. I rushed my infantry down the hill to attack and charge the enemy



The Sassanids who had seen what we had done to their friends were demoralised by this charge. Seeing the sun reflecting down on the helmets of the Roman soldiers causing them to go blind. God had send us his rays to make the enemy blind I yelled and my army fought even harder to impress Him who had aided them. The infantry of the enemy routed and were eventually cut down by my light cavalry. There were still some enemy horsemen but they were charged by my cavalry and routed as well, only to be cut down by arrow fires from my archers and mounted archers



At the end of the day the hill we had fought on was filled with Sassanid bodies and wounded. I ordered my men to kill every wounded soldier and to bury them. I found the enemy general Buran and I had him crucified and ordered him to put on top of the hill, to remember the Sassanids that Roman steel was still sharp



Though some survived, they were reinforced by some lingering Sassanid battalions who hadn't fought with the main army, these soldiers escaped our attention during the battle and made their way inside the city



As you see noble emperor, the great disease that is known as rebellions also occurs here but just as you we are succesfull in defeating them. My spies reported that with the destruction of the great Sassanid army of Hatra no army stands in our way. But the Roman Empire shall succeed in every task it is given

May god bless you with your further affairs

Ave Augustus

Caesar Theodosius

[FreshDunks101]

Cool aar.

[Commander Ruunu]

Very good AAR, looking forward tp next update

[Legio]

Imperium Orientalis
More Brigands

The Greeks have always been known for their belligerency and rebellious tendency. They rebelled fromt he old empire enough, and we all heard of their heroic stand against the Persians. Well, the Persians are still in the east and the Greeks are under my rule. They still keep revolting though.
A whole cohort of mercenaries camped just outside my walls, blocking trade caravans and the dirt path leading from our ancient city to the Via Egnatia.
I sallied with my whole force, including the mercenary Hippo-toxotai, who proved themselves in the battle.
The rebel ringleader was named Procopius, and he had better infantry than we did!

I had faith in my hippo-toxotai, and ordered them to pepper the enemy with missiles, and to keep their distance. Their melee troops were stronger than ours, and the wily Procopius had a bodyguard of heavy cavalry.

I rode with all my cavalry in one group. I had a plan, and so did my bodyguards, encircling me.

I rode to the right flank of the rebels, knowing that his infantry were bogged down by my hippo-toxotai. However, his cavalry wa snot,a nd Procopius charged my horde of cavalry alone with his bodyguard!

There could be no doubt about the outcome.

Soon my cavalry found themselves staring at the pitchforks of rebellious villagers who had joined Procopius. They were ridden down too easily.

The remnants of Procopius' cavalry returned to the field. They were similarly slaughtered.

This left the comitatenses of the rebels. I ordered my foot archers to also attack the infantry with arrows. The enemy became confused without their leader and ran aorund in circles, exhausting themselves and being shot down in the process. Finally I ordered the final cavalry cahrge, and slaughtered the enemy to a man. No more rebels in Attica! The hippo-toxotai killed over a third of the enemy's forces!


I also received interesting news from a spy I sent north a few years ago. There are new barbarians ont eh Danube. Goths, they are called. Arian Christians. They came armed to the teeth, apparently fleeing from the steppe peoples behind them.

In Greece, more advanced barracks have been built and we can now train more troops with better armor. They will be useful for the Danube assault, Emperor!

-This is the communication I received from Greece, Caesar. I am confident in our situationa and am sending you reinforcements against the Sassanids!
One unit of my household cavalry and a cohort of comitatenses. They should be near Ephesus by now. Vale, Caesar!

[Jingles]

Nice work, fellas. Makes me want to start a dual AAR myself...

[Kallum]

hello readers of this AAR

I'm sorry to pronounce that this AAR is death Due to a recently installed mod I can't play BI anymore and that goes the same for it's saves. Legio Caesar is to busy with his school to make another dual AAR, but if somebody wants to I'm still in the mood for a dual AAR, if you would like to play a dual AAR with me please pm or leave me a visitor message. If you want to know some of my work please look at my RTW AAR called lord of the rings AAR or for a mtw AAR Basileia ton Romaion, I'm happy to play any mod(except bi and vanilla medieval) if you want to play hotseat you have to explain me how

Kallum