[SS AAR] I am Skantarios! - Rebirth of the Eastern Roman Empire - **Complete**

[Skantarios]

From the Diaries of Diadohos Skantarios.

January, 1465 AD
Location: Scopia, Northwest Macedonia.

I have taken my army north to the Fortress of Scopia in order to retrain the cavalry and begin the recruitment of additional soldiers for our continuing campaign against the Turk. This base of operations also gives me an excellent platform to either move east against Adrianople or west against the last Turkish stronghold on the Adriatic, Durazzo.

To the east, Constantinople remains under siege by a large Turkish army. My father sends word that the garrison is still strong and brims with confidence given their past success resisting Turkish sieges. However, new Turkish troops seem to arrive daily and several smaller field armies are in place around Adrianople or moving north to their territories around Bucharest and Brasov.


As tempting as it is to try and seize the fortress of Adrianople and thereby link the Roman provinces of Greece, Macedon, and Thessaly with our capital, the presence of so many Turkish forces in the area would make an attack by the reduced forces at my command a virtual suicide mission. Before making a move to the east, I must gather more soldiers to our banner and retrain my veterans at the provinces under my control. Also, I feel it is prudent to settle matters with the Turks and Venetians to the west before embarking on an offensive to the east.

In my immediate vicinity, there is a small Hungarian army immediately outside Scopia. I can only surmise that these soldiers are marching to another destination and that Hungary would not betray us so soon after formally concluding the alliance. They have had some success against the Turks and I understand that even now they are attempting further offensives around Brasov and Bucharest.

Another opportunity soon presents itself that demands my immediate attention. I have received the almost unbelievable report that the Venetian ruler, Doge Pietro, is also just a few days march away and he appears to be accompanied by only his personal bodyguard. Why the Doge would stray so far from his home territory and with only a paltry force to protect him seems like a trap. He is either conducting an extremely ill-advised hunting trip or he is attempting some type of diplomatic mission with the Hungarians and attempting to flip them to his side. I send out a spy to confirm that the Doge is, indeed, alone and then decide to turn this situation to our advantage.


I immediately sally out from Scopia and attack the Doge and his bodyguard. The Hungarian captain nearby, honoring the alliance, joins my attack. The Doge falls back but the effect is as I intended, the Venetians and the Hungarians are now at war! I am not sure how the King of Hungary will react when he realizes that we have forced their hand into war with another Catholic power but the die is cast. With luck, this will tie down the energies of the Venetians for years to come.

The Doge has withdrawn several days march to the north as he sees that he has been discovered and that his position is hopeless. Not wanting to miss this opportunity, I follow and attack him again. This time he has nowhere to run.

The Killing of a Doge - 1465AD.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Transcript of Battle Report Filed by Diadohos Skantarios to Basileus Theodorus 1465 AD.

The blind arrogance of the Venetian Doge has manifested itself in him stumbling into battle with us here. Accompanied only by his bodyguard, he is an easy target for the fast moving cavalry of my army.


I send out my horse archers to take advantage of the terrain and attack the Doge from the heights above him.
What should have been an easy mark for my horse archers is soon spoiled by the weather. The storm clouds open up and the composite bows of my archers are rendered almost useless by the rain. The glue and sinew of their bows come loose in the wet weather and their arrows are now fired with reduced velocity. Still they do have some effect.

The Doge charges through the hail of arrows at my cavalry on the heights. I send out my own horse to swamp his men in a sea of silver and purple.

The Doge soon turns tail and runs like the coward he is. Truly, the Doge is a true representative of his people. My own horse ride him down and he is captured as well as the surviving members of his bodyguard.

The victory, such as it is, is complete.

Following the capture of the Doge, I struggle as to what to do with the cur.

The fate of a sovereign should only be decided by another sovereign. However, my father is under siege in Constantinople and cannot be consulted. As much as I would love to send this man in chains to my father and have him paraded through the streets of our capital for the crowds to mock and jeer him, I will not risk having the Turks take away such a valuable prize by sending him through their territory. Also, I do not want to keep him too long where he might infect my own troops with his bile nor invite his people to come and attempt a rescue.

I therefore decide as the commander on the scene to send a ransom request to Venice. Our country needs the money and the scandal of the Doge being captured is enough of a blow to the prestige of that "country" for now.

The results of this embassy should not have been surprising but I admit I am taken aback somewhat when my emissaries bring the news. The Venetians have refused the ransom request! They claim they cannot afford the very reasonable price I demand. I know this is just another Venetian lie but one I cannot dispute. Apparently, they hold their gold closer to their hearts than their ruler.

I send for the now-former Doge and present the news. He blubbers like a child and promises all sorts of inducements if I will but spare his life. I allow him to go on for a minute or two but his pleas fall on deaf ears. Honor demands that he and his escort be executed. So, on a clear day at the fortress of Scopia, I have his head taken. This, at least, I will send back to his capital free of charge. Perhaps his people can find some comfort that his body provided a bit of nourishment for the dogs and crows outside the fortress walls.

I am Skantarios.

[Skantarios]

Short update today. I have more in the works but not much time these days. I will try to get up another longer post in the next couple of days.

I appreciate the posts, comments, and points brought out earlier.

Deadly Rabbit answered this pretty well earlier but I chose this mod and starting positions to make it a real challenge. The mod is a fairly accurate representation of the extremely poor state of the Byzantine Empire in 1450 that they only had control of Constantinople and the Peloponnese (Mystras). Trebizond was independent at the time but the mod shows it as controlled by the Turks at the start. The Seljuk Turks were the true power of the day and, historically speaking, advanced as far into Europe as Vienna before being turned back. Turning this situation around is what brought me to play this.

Again, I will have more posts here in the next day or two. Some interesting stuff coming up.

[Bernem]

Very well written AAR!

[Horatius Flaccus]

Amazing AAR, I will be following this!

[dezikeizer]

Great as always. Hopefully you'll soon be able to completely drive the Turks out of Europe. +rep

[Skantarios]

From the Diaries of Diadohos Skantarios, 1466-1467 AD.

January, 1466 AD
Location: Scopia, Northwest Macedonia.

Preparations are under way for the offensive to the west to take Durazzo when reports reach me that the Doge of Venice is just to the north with only a small escort and there is a small Hungarian army nearby. I immediately inquire of my scout if he has a bad sense of humor or just very slow reporting. This is what happened last year!

However, the poor scout insists that the Doge is, indeed, to the north with a small force of barely 300 men. This man's name is Doge Barbus. The same man who refused to pay the ransom for Pietro last year.

He also states that there is a Hungarian noble with his bodyguard in the area. Either this Hungarian nobleman is trying some form of diplomacy with Venice or he is about to be ambushed by them, I resolve that I cannot allow this to stand. I take the forces available in the fortress and march with all speed to intercept the new Doge.

The Killing of (Another) Doge - 1466 AD.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Battle Report Filed by Diadohos Skantarios, 1466 AD.

The scout's reports are true. Doge Barbus and his escort of barey 300 seem to be out for a leisurely stroll through the hills east of Epirus. His forces consist entirely of infantry, swords and spears, with the only cavalry being his own bodyguard.

I send my horse archers to his flanks and they pour fire down on Barbus and his escort.


There is no unseasonable rain storm this time to degrade the effectiveness of our bows and the Venetians begin to take terrible casualties.

Barbus loses more than 2/3 of his bodyguard before even coming within striking distance of the main army. My cavalry stays well away from the enemy infantry until the horse archers signal they are out of arrows.

My heavy horse then crash into their flanks while I lead a charge head on into the survivors. The Venetians break and run as soon as the first lance strikes. The Doge fights on for a few moments but he, too, is soon killed by a member of my bodyguard.


At least this Doge had the courage to stand and fight. Or, perhaps, he knew what would happen if I put him up for ransom. Life is strange that way; and fate is a fickle mistress.

So, for the second time in two years, I send the head of their former Doge to the court of Venice. I can't imagine my "gifts" are doing anything to soothe the tension with the rulers of Venice. Still, there will never be peace between our two peoples. We should just accept this and carry on accordingly.

Following this minor battle, I move back to Scopia and begin preparations for the Adriatic offensive. My army has swelled with new recruits and we are of sufficient strength to take on the remaining Turkish forces in the area. When the army is finally all brought together, I lead them out into winter camp in the mountains. I end the year in camp just inside of the Pindus Mountains.

Two pieces of news on the Black Sea front reach me not long after setting up camp. The first is that the Hungarians have laid siege to Bucharest.


I offer prayers for their success. Come what may, they will at least weaken Turkish forces in the area.

The second piece of news, possibly related, is that the Turkish army camped outside of Constantinople has broken the siege and moved north. For the first time in years, the capital city is free of invaders. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come.


March, 1467 AD
Location: Pindus Mountain Pass, West of Scopia

The coming of spring breathes new life into the army. They are all eager for battle and ready to renew the struggle against the Turks. My spies have spent the winter scouting the area and report that the garrison of Durazzo is strong and they have many spears and halberds. My army is weak in infantry and fighting them with cavalry in the city streets is a recipe for disaster. However, there are other options. My spies and scouts also report that there is a minor Turkish force guarding the approaches from the Pindus. They are directly in the path that I must cross should I try to move onto the Adriatic coastal roads. I can only surmise that they hope to block my advance or force me to take the long way around through the mountains. I resolve to use this strategic blunder by the Turks to my advantage.

I send a force of cavalry to block the road to Durazzo from the south. The troops I pick are hardy Greek warriors who are intimately familiar with the lay of the land and easily evade the Turks guarding the pass. Within a few short days, they have set up the blocking position I laid out.

I then take the rest of my army and descend on the Turks at the pass.


First Battle of Durazzo - 1467 AD.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Battle Report Filed by Diadohos Skantarios, 1467 AD.

The minor Turkish force takes up my challenge for battle.

This is rather unusual compared to my recent battles with the Turks in that I actually outnumber my foe by a significant margin.

The Turkish forces are relatively light.

They are veterans but led by a rank-and-file captain and have very little cavalry. They do have a troubling amount of archers and I don't wish to attrit my own horse archers, some finesse will be required to keep our casualties low.

My own forces are comprised mostly of cavalry with some archers and a mangonel.


I attack on an overcast and rainy day. This will limit the effectiveness of my archers but will also cause the enemy archers to be virtually useless.

I send out my horse archers to attack their flanks while my foot archers and mangonel take up a strong firing position.


The Turkish "Fari" cavalry cause some casualties to my troops as they attempt to get within range. However, this also exposes their captain and he is soon a victim of his brashness and the effect of my long range arrow fire.

He and his horse soon fall amid a hail of arrows.


The now leaderless Turkish infantry attack uphill into a rain of arrows and fire while my cavalry ready for a downhill charge.


When the Turks approach close enough, I order my archers and artillery to cease fire and attack in a hard charge down the hill. The fight is over quickly and with very light losses.

I order the few prisoners gathered up before me. They are fully aware of how we treat the Turks and expect no mercy. To their apparent astonishment, I order them released. They quickly retreat in an unorganized mob back in the direction of Durazzo. They have no idea that they are only pawns in a greater design. I order my army to shadow them during their flight back to Durazzo.

Whether the Turks were aware of our presence or not, they make a quick march back to the outskirts of the town where my cavalry detachment awaits. The cavalry prevent from entering the town and, while milling about in a mob and unsure of what to do, the detachment departs and leaves the road to Durazzo open. If the Turk thought this was some act of clemency on our part, they are soon disappointed. Just as they begin moving again to the town, my main army appears over the hilltop and descends for the attack.

The sight of their brothers coming under attack is too much for the garrison of Durazzo to watch and they immediately sally out to support. Perhaps the Turk has some honor after all...

Honor or blind stupidity, this is exactly what I wanted. The whole of the Turkish army in the Durazzo area is now out of the city and facing me for battle.



The Second Battle of Durazzo - 1467 AD.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Battle Report Filed by Diadohos Skantarios, 1467 AD.

The Turkish garrison is strong and veteran.


We are outnumbered but have the advantage of terrain and mobility.

My attack begins just as dusk is settling over the valley. I normally would not attack in what is, essentially, a night battle but I cannot risk the survivors making a link-up with the garrison and returning to the city.



The survivors of the first battle take up positions to resist my attack. They pose no real danger to me so I send out my horse archers to harass the garrison as they move to assist. As dusk descends over the battlefield, my horse archers begin the attack.


My horse archers take up a strong position on a hilltop but the enemy is also strong in missiles and their advantage begins to tell as my Cavalarii take heavy casualties.


My horse archers are forced to withdraw off the hill and fall back to my position.


Fortunately, by engaging my horse archers with their own foot archers, they have been lured away from the protection of their spears. My cavalry descend on them with a crushing charge that soon sweep them off the field and put them to flight.


My Mangonel rains fire down on their spears and halberds as my archers fire into their flanks from an elevated position.


I watch with no little satisfaction as the fire engulfs the Janissaries. Perhaps this type of death can prepare these heathens for the fires of Hell that await them.

The remaining Janissaries fight hard and unhorse many of my cavalry despite being charged from the rear and flanks. The few that flee are ridden down without mercy by my light cavalry. None escape.



Those few prisoners taken are executed without mercy. Men this tough should not have to be fought against twice.

The town of Durazzo, now without a garrison, opens up their gates to me. It is such a poor hamlet that there is no real benefit to sacking it. I order it occupied instead and content myself with what little gold can be found in the town hall and the proceeds from the demolition of their mosque.

I end the year with my soldiers in garrison for the town of Durazzo. I offer the city and what little gold we can muster to the Hungarians in exchange for Sofia. I have no wish to tie down troops defending this hamlet, much less a hamlet so close to Italy and the desires of the Papacy and their Catholic puppets. Also, the addition of Sofia back into the empire would greatly assist us in the larger campain agains the Turks. However, the Hungarians, not surprisingly, see this as an unequal trade and refuse my offer. I cannot blame them, perhaps I can find something more to their liking next year?

One troubling piece of news reaches me from my diplomats. We are now at war with the Kievan Rus. Again, the sad state of our fleet has induced a foreign power to blockade one of our ports. One day, our treasury will be full enough for us to afford to become the dominant sea power in the Mediterranean again.



Finally, I receive news that Maria's recent visit with me in our winter camp was fruitful. She is now with child again. I offer prayers and offerings that I can finally have a male heir to carry on my line.

I am Skantarios.

[Skantarios]

From the Diaries of Diadohos Skantarios, 1468 -1469 AD.

March, 1468 AD
Location: Durazzo, Western Greece.

During the winter in the small town of Durazzo, I turn my mind to the options for the new year. The Hungarians would not trade the fortress of Sofia to us because of the small value of Durazzo and the lack of training facilities that they would be giving up. We do not have enough gold to buy it off them directly. What could I offer them instead?

The solution is rather obvious. The Venetian stronghold of Ragusa lays to my immediate north. If I could somehow conquer this, then the Hungarians might be persuaded to accept this in exchange for Sofia.

I send my spies north and they are able to infiltrate the garrison and report back some very encouraging news. The garrison is rather strong but it is comprised of mostly new recruits grown fat and lazy by garrison duty. Even better, they are led by a 15-year old Venetian nobleman who contains more ambition than ability. Why the Venetians would leave such an important area under the command of one so young is questionable. Perhaps the recent swathe I have cut through the higher ranks of Venetian nobility (two Doges in two years) have left them with no choice?



I decide to gamble and set off to the north with only my cavalry. Perhaps the young noble will sally out to meet me and remove the necessity for either an assault or a long siege.

My forces make a quick march north and soon surround the citadel. I make sure the garrison can see how few we are and then make some show of constructing siege equipment. I also send a note to the garrison commander and demand his surrender. I further remind him of the fate of his previous two rulers as well as making some general disparaging comments about Venetians, their lack of courage, and the questionable state of his own lineage given that most Venetian women are whores.

My efforts are soon rewarded when the garrison sallies out to engage!


The Battle of Ragusa - 1468 AD.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Battle Report Filed by Diadohos Skantarios, 1468 AD.

The young whelp has taken the bait.

He has a substantial garrison at his disposal.

He has only a little cavalry but he does have many spears. I am outnumbered by a factor of more than two-to-one. However, I am counting on his lack of experience as well as the poor state of training and martial abilities of Venetians in general.


My own forces are very fast but we have only a few veteran units. However, our recent victories have caused morale to soar and they all know what a dishonor it would be to fall at the hands of these Catholic merchants and bankers. They will fight like true warriors today.


The Venetians pour through their gates in what I can best describe as the "Angry Mob Formation." My own forces await in orderly ranks and fully ready for combat.


There is some maneuvering as I redirect my horse archers to the flanks and detach several elements of the light horse to prepare to take out their archers should the opportunity arise.


The young general, Benasuto Ziani, displays more courage than intelligence and charges with his bodyguard for the nearest unit of cavalry. His charge soon outstrips all of his infantry and he is separated and alone. My own cavalry swamp him and soon bring down the 15-year old "noble."

If I feel any remorse for killing this teenager, I console myself with the fact that at least I saved him for living too many more years as part of such a disreputable people. Perhaps he can claim a different ancestry in Hell.

The only surviving company of enemy cavalry soon finds itself trying to come to grips with my horse archers as they lead them on a chase all over the battlefield.

From time to time, they do manage to bring down an archer or two but, for the most part, they are felled from a distance by arrows fired into their backs.

The now leaderless infantry soon move in every direction in a pathetic attempt to come to grips with my horsemen. Whenever an isolated company presents themselves, I order my heavy horse in to charge their flanks.

They do manage to bring down some of my horse but for every one they kill, they lose 15 in the process.


The remainder soon begin to flee back to the citadel. Their backs make excellent targets for our lances and we bring the rest down without mercy.

The victory is being hailed as "heroic" by my men. I quickly deflate their egos by reminding them that their opponents were only Venetians. Killing men such as these is more of a public service than a challenge for real soldiers.

The citadel is sacked. The rich Venetians soon add over 10,000 florins to our treasury; not to mention the gold "found" by my soldiers and quickly packed away in their personal baggage.

No sooner has the celebration of our victory concluded than I send a messenger speeding off to the Hungarians. This time, our proposal to trade provinces meets with a better reception.


The Hungarians accept the bargain. I think this may be influenced by their recent lack of success against the Turks. I receive word that both their siege of Brasov and Bucharest has come to naught. What happened as to specific casualties, I have no idea. The fact that those two provinces still belong to Turkey lead me to believe that the Hungarians may have good cause to put some distance between themselves and the Turks.

This trade may seem unfavorable to us as we are trading two provinces for one of theirs. However, with a strong ally to our north in control of all the provinces that separate us from the rest of Catholic Europe, they can act as a shield against whatever prince seeks to make his name and fortune at the expense of the Romans. If we can maintain this alliance, we can concentrate all of our efforts to the east and the larger fight against the Muslims. Our "window" to Europe will be the fortress of Arta. I will ensure they have a strong garrison should the Sicilians, Venetians, or the Papacy attempt a seaborne invasion.

In keeping with the bargain, my forces soon leave both Durazzo and Ragusa. I send cavalry at the gallop to take possession of Sofia. When they arrive, they find the gates wide open. Also, the local Magyars and Serbs in the area have taken up our cause and flocked to the garrison. Years of oppression by the Turks has led many of these tribesmen to have good cause to fight. Our success has given them an outlet and they come out in droves.


Fully eight companies of Magyar horse archers and a company of Serbian Hussars stand ready to swear allegiance to the Roman Empire and fight for us against the Turks. This unexpected windfall is most welcome and I make all speed through the mountains to link up with them at Sofia. I also send my Cavalarii and light horse to Scopia for retraining and to get new recruits to fill out their ranks.

My troops now hail me as a "Great Commander" in light of our most recent victories.

If such praise makes these men fight harder, then I am ready to accept their acclaim. Still, a commander is only as great as his last battle and there are many more to come.

Of much greater significance is a messenger that arrives one night. He comes as a party of ten noble cavalry from the bodyguard of my father, Emperor Theodorus. They are dressed all in black and arrive during a driving rainstorm. What could have brought these men through Turkish territory on such a hazardous mission is soon revealed when their leader comes into my tent. He bears a large parcel sealed by the Emperor's own signet ring. I break the crest and open the box. Inside, I can hardly believe my eyes.

This sword is a near-holy relic of our Roman past and is one of our most closely guarded treasures. Even in the darkest days of Constantinople, never was this considered to be something to be sold off for gold or favors. The blade still gleams, the edge still razor sharp, the hilt is still strong, and wielding it seems to infuse me with a strength I had never imagined possible. Included in the parcel is a simple note from my father.

Letter from Emperor Theodoros

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

"My son. How proud I am of you and all you have done! You have brought honor back to our people. Your victories infuse us with confidence and hope for our future. I have erected many monuments to your victories here in the capital but it all seems to ring hollow for what you have done. Please accept this as the only gift I can find worthy of you and your accomplishments. Guard it well and wield it strongly so that you may add to its legacy and that of Roman arms.

"Please know that your father loves you and I offer prayers for your safety and the hopes for victories to come. Press on with the campaign! Drive these heathens from our lands and restore the glory of Constantinople and the holy church.

"I eagerly await the day when we can be together again.

"Your loving father,
Theodoros."

My father does me too much honor! On the spot, I drop to my knees and pledge myself to be worthy of him and our Roman legacy. I further pledge that the sword will only leave my side when the last breath leaves my body. Only death will cause me to relinquish the sword.

As word of the gift spreads through camp, I am congratulated by my captains and common soldiers alike. As I pass by the soldiers during my daily inspections, their eyes seem drawn to the sword. Many ask to touch the hilt or gaze upon the blade. I indulge most until the requests almost seem routine. The giddiness I feel takes many days to subside.


On the diplomatic front, I find that the Pope is up to his usual tricks and has called a Crusade. It seems the Spanish must hold considerable sway at the Vatican these days as this can only benefit them.

At least this "Crusade" is against Muslims. However, it will be of no use to us as the Iberian peninsula is far away. Why the Pope makes no attempt to reclaim the Holy Land remains a mystery.

It would seem that the vigor for Catholics to take up a "holy" struggle remains strong as soon the great powers of Catholicism take up the call to arms.

One interesting bit of news from this round of diplomacy is that the Pope has decided to declare war against the Venetians. I guess now that the hard fighting has been done by us Romans, he has decided to pick up the scraps for himself. Either that, or the Venetians are truly the most despised people in Europe...

The best news comes from our spies to the east.

It seems the Turks' fight in Anatolia against the Egyptians goes poorly. Perhaps the Egyptians can siphon off even more Turks away from Europe for the fight in Asia. Whereas I am overjoyed at the prospect of Muslims killing each other, I can only wonder if Egypt will soon supplant the Turk as our greatest enemy. Still, that fight is far away and in the future.

On the home front, Maria has given birth to another girl.


Again, my desire for an heir is thwarted. What disappointment I feel is soon negated when I see the child. She is a beautiful girl and I name her Theodosia after my father. Again, I take comfort that Maria has many years of fertility remaining and we will try again as soon as possible.

Still, we need more male members of the family in order to ensure the continuity of the Laskaris family name. We are simply too few.


I end the year of 1469 on the road to the fortress of Sofia. I have ordered the construction of an Orthodox chapel there and even now our priests are bringing the true faith back to this land. It will provide the training ground and safe refuge for the campaign to drive the Turks out of Europe once and for all.

I am Skantarios.

The world as we know it - 1469 AD.


The world as it actually is - 1469 AD.

[Horatius Flaccus]

Nice updates, I really like the way you describe the events.

[dezikeizer]

Great updates as always. I liked the mob formation bit in particular. Though I'm starting to wonder if the Doges of Venice are suicidal here.

[Skantarios]

From the Diaries of Diadohos Skantarios, 1470-1471 AD.

December, 1471 AD
Location: Citadel of Sofia.

The year of 1470 passed rather uneventfully as we were forced to consolidate our grip on the newly conquered territories. The loss of so many cavalry during the Adriatic campaign forced us to send many units to Scopia and Mystras for retraining. Also, the new territories had spent years under the Turkish yoke and the spread of the Islamic heresy ran deep. We have recruited many new priests and built new churches to spread the faith and bring our people back to the light of the correct faith. I was loathe to slow the pace of the conquest and, perhaps, cede the momentum back to the Turk. However, the Turks have made no move to attack me here at Sofia nor have they attacked any of our other provinces, including Constantinople. I can only surmise that this lack of activity on the part of the Turks is caused by fresh conflicts with the Egyptians and the Kievan Rus. Whatever the cause, the respite is certainly welcome.

The garrison of Constantinople is now at what we would consider full strength. They have the confidence of past victories and feel they can stand up to whatever the Muslim can throw against them. The recruitment of the secret Siphonores goes so well that my father has authorized the movement of one company to the west in order to bolster the garrison of Arta as he feels that this will be where the next strike of the Papacy or the other Catholic powers will come. The small Roman navy accomplishes this move without incident by staying along the coast and moving from port to port under the very noses of the Turkish navies.

I have taken up residence in Sofia and taken charge of the Magyar and Serbian cavalry which have pledged their loyalty to the Roman Empire. These are excellent troops of high morale and courage. All are committed to the cause and share our deep hatred of the Turk. Added to these hardy new troops, my veterans from the Adriatic campaign have started to trickle in bringing with them new additions which bring them back up to full strength. They are all eager to resume hostilities with the Turks (the Magyars above all) and they continue their training with vigor.

The Turks still have enormous forces in Europe and, despite our recent levies of new troops, we are greatly outnumbered. They maintain strong garrisons around both Bucharest and Adrianople. The presence of so many troops around these areas makes the decision about where to strike next immensely difficult.



I resolve to coordinate with my father and determine how best to proceed. We now have somewhat regular communications with Constantinople but the journey is still difficult and we lose several messengers trading communications.

Our spies have infiltrated Adrianople and indicate that the main Turkish army around the fortress is away on maneuvers to the west (perhaps to block my advance). Further, he swears that he can open the gates for our forces if we can move soon.

The Turkish forces around Bucharest have become so large that they can no longer be contained within the city walls. It may be possible to draw out the garrison and defeat them in the open field, thereby either eliminating or greatly reducing the troops in the city.

It is finally agreed that we will conduct a dual campaign combining both the garrison of Constantinople and my cavalry forces here. I will begin the campaigning season with a lightning forced march to Bucharest. With luck I can defeat both forces around the city simultaneously and force a quick entry.

My father will lead out the garrison forces from Constantinople and, should our spy speak true, take the fortress before the main Turkish army can respond. If he can move quickly, he can take the fortress, install garrison troops inside, and withdraw with the main body before the Turks can move against the capitol.

The year ends with our forces ready for the clashes of the new year.

I am Skantarios.

[Skantarios]

From the Diaries of Diadohos Skantarios.

March, 1472 AD
Location: The Road to Bucharest.

Our spies and scouts have confirmed that the Turkish dispositions remain as we had been told. Both Bucharest and Adrianople have been thoroughly infiltrated by our dark warriors. With luck, they will both succeed in "preparing" the fortifications for our attacks.


My forces are on the march to Bucharest. I have sent out scouts to ensure that no forces wait to ambush us during the march. We make fast time traveling night and day pausing only to rest and change our mounts. We press hard to ensure that word of our movements cannot be brought to the garrison before our arrival.

We soon cross the the Danube unopposed make for Bucharest. As our lead elements cross the last hills south of Bucharest, we spot the Turkish Army.



The Battle of Bucharest - 1472 AD.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The forces outside of Bucharest are commanded by a captain and consist of roughly half new levies and half seasoned veterans, including a large number of the stout Janissary Heavy Infantry.


The forces inside the city are commanded by the Turkish noble Izzeddin el Rasit.

Perhaps the previous battles against the Hungarians have had some effect after all?

The forces I bring consist entirely of cavalry.

This will be the first fight for my Magyar cavalry. We will see if their reputation for fierceness and bravery is deserved. I would prefer to have more long-range archers but their absence cannot be helped as most are still retraining after the Adriatic campaign.

As dusk descends over the plains of Bucharest, our forces stare at each other. Even now, the garrison comes on quickly from the north.

The lack of long range archers is a factor as they are so few and I won't risk those that I have getting involved in a missile battle. I dare not send in my Magyars yet, they have only short-range bows and will be easy pickings for the enemy archers and spears. Therefore, I wait for the Turk to make the first move.

After several tense moments, the enemy archers move forward to engage my horse at range.

If they felt that my earlier hesitation was in any way a lack of courage, I make sure they are quickly dissuaded as my Serbs and light cavalry charge at full speed into the foolish Janissary Archers. I also send my Magyars in on the flanks to begin wearing down the enemy spears.

The archers soon turn tail and run from the butchery of my cavalry. The enemy spears rush in for the easy kill but are too slow as my horse retreats and then slips around their flanks.

The enemy archers are fast but not fast enough as my light horse and the Serbs pursue closely and soon clear the field of the Janissary and Ottoman archers. They take many casualties as they stray too close to the enemy spears and halberds. Headless of their own losses, they pursue with vigor and no small amount of ruthlessness.

At this moment, the light begins to fade and confusion reigns on the battlefield as the archers flee my light horse and the Magyars begin picking off the heavy infantry. My cavalry now has the first army encircled and the enemy archers and spears begin moving in every direction.

A macabre ballet begins to play out as the enemy spear struggle to come to grips with the Magyars and they retreat raining arrows on those close enough. The confusion is great and the Magyar lack of discipline begins to show as some of their own countrymen are brought down by the arrows of the adjacent companies.

The Turkish general el Rasit charges ahead of his own forces to try and establish control. His rashness brings him into range of our horse archers and his bodyguard begins to go down in droves. He takes several arrows himself and he and his horse are soon wounded and limping away.

This bit of weakness is soon exploited by the Magyars and they bring him and his mount down in a hail of arrows.

The enemy infantry now deprived of both missile troops and cavalry have no means to fighting back against the nimble Magyars and my own horse.

They put up a brave fight but have no hope. The hail of arrows is continuous and deadly.


With only a few elements left, I charge with my own bodyguard and the rest of my horse to bring down the exhausted and arrow-bitten enemy infantry.

The enemy tries to run but virtually none escape.

The victory is complete. We take a large number of prisoners but they receive no mercy. The prisoners are executed with gusto by the Magyar volunteers.

With the annihilation of the two enemy forces, the city is ours. Bucharest is sacked and our new allies now know both the cost and the reward of fighting for Romans. I order the mosque in the city torn down and the construction of an Orthodox church.

My father has not been idle. Under the cover of darkness, he leads out most of the garrison of Constantinople on a forced march for Adrianople. The spy sends word that the garrison is light and that the gates will be open for the attack.


The spies have done their work well and the gates are open as soon as his banners come over the last hill before the fortress.



He assaults the fortress without breaking out of march formation. The surprise is complete and the small Turkish garrison is overwhelmed.

The casualties are few and the fortress is sacked. All Muslims inside the fortress are expelled. He cannot take the risk of the enemy leaving spies or saboteurs behind and do to us what he did to the Turk.

My father does not tarry. He installs the infantry and artillery as the new garrison and makes a fast march back to the capital. He succeeds in "stealing" Adrianople out from under the nose of the large Turkish army to the west.

Two years of preparation pay off as we have taken both Adrianople and Bucharest in barely a month!

The Turkish response is swift. They mobilize their field armies in Europe and Asia Minor and move to lay siege to both Adrianople and Constantinople. We will now see if the gamble of weakening the capital's garrison will pay off or have disasterous consequences.

I am Skantarios.

[Bernem]

Really curious how this turns out!

[Deadly Rabbit]

razor's edge stuff, will you hang on, or have you overextended? Can't wait to find out!

[Skantarios]

From the Diaries of Diadohos Skantarios.

June, 1473 AD
Location: City of Bucharest

Our double blow to the Turks in Europe has fallen hard. From our scouts and spies, we have learned that they have mobilized the vast majority of their remaining armies in Europe to both take back Adrianople and Constantinople. The capital has split their garrison in order to fortify Adrianople. However, it remains to be seen whether this gamble will work. We are depending on both the strength of our forces, our technology (Siphonores and Mangonels), and our Roman courage to hold these gains and retain the capital.

I consider taking my army south to relieve the siege of Adrianople. They are held by a scratch force under the command of one of our rank-and-file captains. To do so, however, would open up Bucharest for recapture by either the Turkish forces around Brasov or by the hostile Kievan Rus to the north. The cold reality of it is that our garrison of Adrianople is ultimately expendable and we cannot risk the gamble. They must hold on their own or at least severly weaken the Turkish army that surrounds them in order for us to take it back in the future.

The answer to the question of Adrianople comes quickly as the Turkish siege forces attack after constructing the bare minimum of equipment.



The Second Battle of Adrianople - 1473 AD.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Narrative reconstructed by battle reports filed by Roman survivors of the assault.


The Turkish army is both veteran and strong in every aspect.

They are led by, yet another, experienced Turkish general with an unpronounceable name, Es ad Saruhanoglu.

Captain Matthaios leads our Roman forces.

He has some capable heavy infantry but almost no spears to fend off the cavalry. He does have a good number of archers which will prove their worth in both the use of stakes and the ability to fire at an elevated position. His trump cards are the Mangonel and the Siphonores. Our great expense at recruiting these forces will either be proven worthwhile or the height of folly.

The Turks attack in a driving rainstorm. This makes perfect sense as the rain will limit the effectiveness of our archers and protect their siege equipment from fire.

Captain Matthiaous decides that defense of the outer wall would only spread out his forces and open him up to multiple attacks along the wall. He therfore orders his forces to fall back to the inner walls and await the assault. Stakes are placed in front of the gate and heavy infantry guard the walls. The Siphonores are placed along the base of the walls to fire into the flanks of any enemy coming through the gate.


Soon the Turks have battered through the outer wall's gate and come flooding into the fortress.



The Mangonel fires on the enemy as they approach and begins to cause very serious casualties.


The sight of burning Turkish soldiers causes the soldiers inside to raise a mighty cheer.


Even the superb armor of the Turkish heavy horse and Janissaries are no match for the liquid fire raining down on them. Still, the Turks march on. Soon, they have placed ladders at the walls and the battering ram reaches the gates. The Mangonel uses that delay to continue the bombardment.


The Janissaries press on filled with the conviction of lifelong soldiers and the inspiration of their "holy" war.

The fight for the wall is fierce. Scores of men go down in the melee from both sides. Soon, the Turk has committed no less than three companies of Janissaries to the assault on the wall. Our soldiers cannot hold them back. The men fight like true Romans and sell their lives dearly.

Our javelins add what little support they can provide from below but the fight on the wall has turned in favor of the Turk.

Soon, the only forces left on the wall are archers and they fire point-blank into the Janissary Heavy Infantry.

The Turks take casualties but it is not enough.

The Janissaries come pouring off the wall and attack the gate defenses. The position of the Siphonores is now compromised before they have a chance to fire at the soldiers assaulting the gates. They fall back but not before losing a third of their number in a mismatched fight. Captain Matthaios commits his own company to hold them back just as the gate is opened and the Turks come pouring in.



The stakes at the gate play havoc with the Turkish cavalry but can do nothing against the infantry. The Mangonel tries to fire into the Turkish crowd but the crew cannot find the range.

At the height of the fighting, the Turkish general goes down. The Turks, now leaderless, still press on. The battle seesaws back and forth with infantry fighting shield to shield and sword to sword. Our archers fire into the mass of Turkish infantry but seemingly to no avail. Finally the combined attrition on the Turks takes its toll and the first companies of the enemy begin to break and run but most do not. Captain Matthaios gives his own life fighting the last of the Janissary Heavy Infantry. His sacrifice inspires the men and they fight with renewed courage. Our archers, their quivers spent, now fling themselves at the Turks in full knowledge that they will lose five for every one they bring down. This last bit of desperation finally tips the scales in our favor. Although the Turks fight to the last, the battle for the gate is won.

Finally, the only remaining Turkish forces still alive are some Janissary gunners on the wall. We have virtually no heavy infantry to send against them but now, at last, the Siphonores can play their part. The move up to the wall and open fire.


The carnage on the wall demonstrates the ferocity of the struggle.


Our forces win a heroic victory but at a terrible cost. As a testament to the stubborn resolve of the Turk, almost 1500 are killed and only two taken prisoner.

The fortress of Adrianople holds but only just. A monument to Captain Matthaios is to be erected in the capital as a memorial to the courage of the Roman soldier. Assuming, of course, that Constantinople's own reduced garrison can withstand the coming assault it faces and build memorials to anyone...

Our casualties at Adrianople are devastating. The fortress cannot withstand another assault by an army of any size nor can it aid the capital. I give orders for my own army to remain at Bucharest and prepare for movement south. Should another Turkish force appear, I will lead the relief in person and abandon Bucharest.

In the meantime, construction continues on houses of worship at both Bucharest and Adrianople. Our priests have moved into both regions and begun conversion of the people back to our faith. After so many years of darkness, the light of the Orthodox Christianity once more burns again in Southwest Europe.

The final piece of news reaches me that my biological younger brother, Vasileios has come of age.



My father holds the coming of age ceremony in the Hagia Sophia. Even with the city under siege, the ceremony brings out almost the entire populace of the city. Following the ceremony, my father brings him to the Golden Gate at the southwest corner of the city. There, with the Turkish army clearly in sight, he swears the oath of allegiance to the Empire and eternal enmity to the Turks.

I have not seen my brother for almost 12 years. He was literally a toddler when he left Mystras to accompany my father and mother during the palace coup in Constantinople. I can only wonder what these past twelve years of war, bloodshed, deprivation, and sacrifice have done to him and his mental state. He is already the survivor of two assaults and four sieges on the city and has seen more bloodshed and terror than anyone should be subjected to in a lifetime. I can only take at face value the reports my father and mother have sent to me. They say he is a quiet boy of great intelligence and determination. I pray that this is true and that he can serve as an able assistant to my father for the battles to come. For now, I can only await the day when we can all be together as a family again.

I am Skantarios.

[Skantarios]

I will post the second part to this cliffhanger tomorrow.

Thanks to all who have posted. I really appreciate the feedback (and rep) as this lets me know that my work is being read and, I hope, enjoyed. This interest is what motivates me to continue posting and keeping this journey on track. The time commitment to this project already far exceeds what I thought when I started but it has given me a better feel for the game and appreciation for those who have done quality AARs in the past.

I hope you will continue reading and, again, if there is anything more/less/different that you would like to see, I would be happy to oblige.

As something of a teaser, the title for the next post is "Victory and Disaster for the Roman Empire"

[cisse]

Very nice! A tough battle there, I'm curious as to how the siege of Constantinople ended... Victory may indicate that Constantinople is held, but at a cost (disaster = death of the emperor, or the new son?). Looking forward to it!

In the siege battle for Adrianople, I'd have left 2-3 units of archers on the outer walls, to fire at the enemy. They'll inflict some casualties, and slow them down. You can run as soon as the ladders get too close or the gate is breached. Not that I'm the right person to give you tips, you seem a very good player from this AAR.

[Horatius Flaccus]

Very good chapter!

[eregost]

Great chapter as always. My only gripe is the AI is so stupid and makes many tactical errors on both the campaign and battle map. Could you perhaps install an AI mod like XAI to improve its state? Or maybe try to play without pausing so that it is more of a challenge. It detracts from the realism when you consistently win battle after battle against overwhelming odds. Not your fault ofcourse

[dezikeizer]

Great update as always, and truly congratulations on winning that battle! I'll be waiting for the next one. +rep

[Skantarios]

Great chapter as always. My only gripe is the AI is so stupid and makes many tactical errors on both the campaign and battle map. Could you perhaps install an AI mod like XAI to improve its state? Or maybe try to play without pausing so that it is more of a challenge. It detracts from the realism when you consistently win battle after battle against overwhelming odds. Not your fault ofcourse

I have to agree with you there. I don't use pause except when I think I need to move the camera to get a better picture (I tried using FRAPS but I prefer the manual PrntScrn method).

I also considered not using some weapons such as the Siphonores or putting stakes in front of the gates. However, I just can't bring myself to do that. Byzantine units are so poor against enemy cavalry that I am almost forced to use them to counter their cavalry. Besides, you never hear of a historical account where cavalry is any good during street fighting or assaulting a fortification.

As for the Siphonores, they are almost cheating. They are very fun, though. If I don't have Siphonores, I use a Mangonel to fire on the enemy as they charge through the gate. That is a very hit or miss (pardon the pun) proposition, though. The Siphonores are also very limited (only one per every four turns and only if you hold Constantinople). So, using them on the battlefield is almost out of the question as they are just too few.

One thing against me is that, in this mod, the Turks seem to be able to generate new (and veteran) armies of Janissaries every few turns. Just when I have destroyed all their field armies in Europe, another one seems to materialize and move against one of my major cities. This is probably part of the VH part of the strategy setting but it is both interesting and frustrating at the same time.

As for the game play from the computer, I agree it can be predictable, especially during siege battles. I am using SS 6.2 with BGR and RR/RC (the stuff that comes with it). I must admit that I am not the smartest on mods, though. I don't have a good idea of which ones are out there for the AI but I would certainly agree to install one if they are compatible with SS and saved games (so I wouldn't have to restart the campaign). If there is one that you or anyone else would recommend and can provide a link, I would definitely install it to make it more interesting.