XVI MAARC - Nominations

Nominate AARs for December contest.


The nominated AAR must have at least 2 updates in December.

Give the following info:


Title (as link)

Author:

Game: RTW / M2TW / ETW / ...

Mod:

Faction:

Short Description / Teaser

Sons of the Steppe


Author: Legio

Game: Medieval II: Total War

Mod: Broken Crescent 2.0

Faction: Kypchaks

Short Description / Teaser

Sons of the Steppe

Follow the journey of Tegin Savalat and his Kypchak hordes as they travel and conquer from the Bulgars in the west to the shores of the Caspian Sea in the east. (completed AAR)

Teaser:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Frontier

The citizens of Constantinople, having just taken the city for themselves, were completely unprepared for the Kypchak onslaught. They had no choice but to surrender unconditionally to Tegin. Not Konchak. Tegin had been the one to encircle the walls and Tegin had been the one to slaughter their emissaries. The victory was completely his.



But no sooner had the celebrations began than reports came from the east. The treacherous Georgians had besieged Tmurtarakan! The fort had ample supplies, but it was outnumbered by the enemy by more than two to one. To make matters worse, the garrison was not even fully Kypchak, but mostly comprised of Slavic auxiliaries.



The Georgians had not counted on any other Kypchaks in the region. A certain Kubilai hastily made a call to arms, assembling hundreds of mounted natives to raise the siege. The Georgians, having no cavalry at all, not even for scouting purposes, were trapped. However, they showed an almost inhuman display of courage when they began to advance under a hail of arrows.



Kubilai, knowing the lay of the land, had maneuvered his troops on top of a hill facing the fort. In the center of the line of horses he placed mounted archers, who had a clear shot on the enemy.



On his left flank were javelin armed skirmishers, who galloped towards the Georgian right, unseen by the enemy. As the Georgian swordsmen advanced, they would eventually leave their archers exposed. This would leave them open to attack by the well-aimed missiles of Kubilai's troops.



As predicted, the Tazdreuli struggled to get up the hill, and pursued the Kypchaks in vain. Many died in the ascent. However, there was still a considerable number of them left and their armor was tough.



No matter how tough their armor and how thick their shields, they could not withstand the charge of the armored horsemen. The numerous Georgian banners, representing the noblemen present on the field that day, fell almost at once.



They were killed to the last man. Now only the archers remained, stalwart men from the forts along the border. With a fell cry they set upon the Kypchaks with their long swords, but to no avail.



The Kypchaks, having left none alive, were now in complete and undisputed possession of the field. Kubilai built a watchtower and set camp while he decided where to go next.



Georgia.

Rhi Inse Ghall - Lord of the Islanders

Author: SonOfAlexander
Game/Mods: RTW Vanilla 1.5, RTW BI 1.6 and RS 1.5c

Description:
Caelus may have conquered Britannia, but now he stalks the boar of Europe. He aims his first stab at the soft underbelly of Gaul...

Teaser:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ah yes, she was my favourite… You think so? The pie was better, Esusson… I wanted a light thing… My ship for a loaf… Oi!…

Esusson muttered in the darkness, frowning and shifting his folded arms.

“Just a loaf of br-br…” He mumbled himself back to sleep, and after a silent second, a slap whiplashed across his stubbled cheeks. He glanced up from his position on the floor, clutching his reddened face and staring at the older man above him. The man was small, but muscled and twisted, a gnarly figure of steely resolve. Esusson knew of Ivul’s reputation as a fighter in the tribal wars of Brittany and feared the battle scarred bastard.

“Stop dreaming of your mummy, boy.”
“It was just…”
“Dick, that’s what it was.” He sighed. “Look at the bloody ocean, fool!”

Esusson cast his gaze from his reclining position on the floor, and stared at the faint, but nonetheless obvious haze on the horizon. The terrifying masts on the horizon had to be the Heraclean fleet. There were too many of them to count. Esusson tried to speak but his lips stumbled, unable to pronounce the words. He looked at Ivul, who nodded in his haste. The younger man raised his hands in a flurry, and fell backwards with a crash as he tried to get up too quickly. Ivul rolled his eyes like a breaking wave and grabbed a burning bracket from the wall, scattering embers all over the hut.

He reached up and put to flaming straw to a large pile of dry wood on the edge of the cliff. Within seconds, he saw the beacon’s counterpart on the horizon illuminate and smiled. His job here was done. Satisfied, he reached up and grabbed his armour. For one last time, he looked over at the young boy, watching as he nursed a bruise on his temple and frowned, before looking up at the fighter.
Ivul’s nose twitched upwards as he drew one corner of his mouth into a cynical half smile. The clasp of his gauntlet snapped closed.

[SV AAR] Látomásai Királyok! - Visions of the Kings (Hungary AAR)

Author: Beer Money

Game: M2TW

Mod: Sicilian Vespers 3.3

Faction: Hungary.

Short Description / Teaser:

The kingdom of Hungary is the Easternmost bastion of Christandom after the Great Schism of 1054, splitting the Catholic and Orthodox churches forever.

Kiraly Laszlo is the king annointed to guide his kingdom through trials both from beyond the borders of his empire and from within. He is a firm but feared leader eager to expand his empire, jealous of his forefathers' infamous raids of Europe.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=315808

Danish Domination: an AAR of Denmark

Author:
Frederick II

Game: M2TW 1.3

Mod:
None

Faction:
Denmark
Sample:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Early in the year 1080, King Knud of newly formed Denmark sat down with his Military, Economic, Population, and Diplomacy advisors to plan the New age of Conquest invisioned for the Danes. He lay out a map of Europe and planned carefully. However, there wasn't much to plan; Denmark had almost no knowledge of what lay around them. This, coupled with th fact that Denmark had less than 1,000 soldiers altogether meant that Denmark was in for one hell of a fight with whoever they attacked first.

Knud had a plan. The Danes would invade to the south, and attack Hamburg. Although German, it wasn't controlled by the Holy Roman Empire, making it an Ideal first target. So it had been planned, so it happened. 2 Years later, The Danish Prince, 450 Infantry and 240 Archers departed to Hamburg. Their opposition? 300 Infantry and 120 Archers defending a Castle. The Danes played it safe though; when they began the seige, they waited it out instead of attacking when they got the Ram and Towers. The Danes wanted to conserve Manpower as much as possible.

While this was happening, A Danish Princess, Ingrid, was traveling south with a Guard detail of 60 Archers. She was to be the Emissary of Denmark to the Holy Roman Empire. She was told to offer Trade and Map information in return for an Alliance and Map Information from the Germans. She knew what was expected of her and she obeyed.

Now it was 1090. King Knud read the current National reports, and they were pleasing; Denmark was richer by 500 Florins than 10 years ago. Although not much, It was a sign of improvement on the King's and the Country's part. Hamburg would either surrender or sally out soon, and Ingrid had been successful in her mission(although the General she negotiated with was later decapitated for foolishness). King Knud was pleased. He took a sip of his wine and leaned back in his chair.

A Rome Total Realism AAR following the rise of Pontus in the Middle East. Herakles, King of Pontus, sits in his capital and dictates strategy while the father and son duo of Akas and Asander seek to conquer west Anatolia. The powerful Seleucid Empire is their main adversary, their large armies been a continual threat to the new Kingdom.

Rise of the Temple Knights
Author: sbroadbent
Game: M2TW
Mod: Stainless Steel 6.2
Faction: Order of the Knights Templar

Short Description: Follow the Templars as they seek to protect the holy land from the heathen invaders. Read the stories of fallen heroes, crusading champions, and Pilgrims??? 60 turns in and I'm still using Pilgrims

Spoiler for Samples of what you will find: 

Pilgrims FTW! Yes I do use Pilgrims and Religious Fanatics throughout:


Midnight Assaults:


Battles over Turf!


Massive Multi-army battles:


Picturesque scenery


Deadly from a distance:


Devastating Cavalry Charges!


Glorious Crusades:


Devastating Victories:


Independent Kingdoms who refuse to yield:

History of Men

Game(s):

RTW:ROP & RTW:PI & RTW:EB

Faction(s):

1. Persia
2. Rome

Difficulty:

Varries from mod. I only used hard or v.hard settings so far.

Description:

History of men is a project unlike any other. It tries to write the whole spectrum of history in a single AAR. It goes back to the Rise of Persia around 550BC and will see the rise and fall of the roman empire (current status) and continue through medieval times to the discovery of america, modern times and world wars. It is written less in a narrative form, but rather as a compilation of fictional historical sources.

Teaser:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Rome in 100 BC


Roman Hastati moving up the hill.


The Numidians immidiatley started engaging the Romans, trying to stop them before they could enter the city.

Of Destiny and Duty: the Fate of Nations

Games: Rome: Total War (Europa Barbarorum), Medieval II: Total War

Faction: Pontus

Difficulty: M/M (Roleplay purposes; not a game-centric AAR)

Description:

This dual tale follows an English crusader, John, in the desparate defense of Constantinople against the Turks. In the ruins of the city, he discovers an extraordinary manuscript: a narrative detailing the history of Pontus, as experienced by two young Galatians caught up in the Kingdom's rise to power.

Follow John as he and his companion escape to England and safety, and watch Kyros and Artan as they struggle to retain their identity in the wake of Pontic conquest.

Teaser:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

We lay outside the wall until dark for fear of sentries on the walls, which would spot us easily if we made our escape during the day. But when the sun fell, we made for a stand of trees a good distance from the city.

My feelings upon departure of my home for the last few years were an indescribable mix of joy, confusion, hope, and a distinct feeling of being lost.

I had nearly forgotten that a real world existed outside Constantinople, having endured so long with no relation to anything but that old city. I felt as a man must feel when he steps onto a new uncharted land, or as one who makes a voyage to the moon.

Finally I reconciled to myself: I was going home!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Mithridates strode to the lectern on the platform and prepared to address the assembly.

...

“As I said, our rise to power in this region have made us a force to be reckoned with. This is a mixed blessing. True, it shows that we have achieved what was thought to be impossible; but the road does not end there.

Our power is such that it only attracts the jealousy of those under us, and the apprehension of those that are greater. If we stop to rest and congratulate ourselves, we will be overtaken by the mighty, and undone by confederations of the weak. This is no time to rest. I will not rest until even confederations of the mighty bow before me!”

The Proud Blood of Germania

Author: JerichoOnlyFan
Game: Vanilla RTW
Faction: Germania
Settings: VH/H

Description: Many things have ocurred since that fateful meeting at Damme, lands have been conquered, enemies have been slain, the land has been stained with blood... Swords have been forged and shields have been tested. New enemies lurk in the darkness of future, but the Germanics are determined to fight them till the very end. Will they succeed? Take a plunge into this history. This is not the world of the Romans, not anymore....

Teaser

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The King had marched to, leaving after his son had he was now hell bent on taking the great Gallic port of Condate Redonum according to his original plan. Screw the Romans he thought, Germania paid no allegiance to no one, Germania was a nation of it´s own, and if the Romans, the Gauls, or the Britons didn’t acknowledge that, well, the Germanics would beat it into them with their unforgiving steel.
Looking directly at the new sun in the east, it reminded him of the battle to come, the blood to be shed, of the ravaging war the sun spoke of.
“Let it be war then.” The King muttered.

Link to the newest update

Harder than Krupp Steel: One man’s Journal on the Ostfront

Author : Santini
Game : Close Combat III
Mod : Cross of Iron w/Grossdeutschland mod
Faction : Germans

Teaser :

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Harder than Krupp Steel:
One Man’s Journal on the Ostfront

Played with: Close Combat: Cross of Iron w/ Grossdeutschland Mod
Difficulty: Hero/Grognard

On June 22nd, an event occurred, which changed the fate of the very world itself, the start of a conflict so colossal it might likely never be topped… Operation: Barbarossa

Harder than Krupp Steel is one man’s tale, a Major, Maximillian Santini, a Commissioned Officer of the Wehrmacht’s most elite regiment: the Grossdeutschland. Coming soon, a tale of heroism and bravery, cowardice and ineptitude, victory and utter defeat…

Coming soon, Harder than Krupp Steel...