The Bottomless Pit (Chap. 65 - Fin.)

**Alavaria** · January 25, 2014, 05:30 PM

Sparta is dead ! Long live Sparta !

(Yet another Sparta-Athens hoplite fight)

This thread has three parts, two are mine and one is yours

First, we have the story. Please enjoy the usual narrative hijinks that come along with trying to beat up an AI on steroids. The story, "Long Live Sparta!" is arranged as Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc.

Second are random bits (mostly out of character) about the battle mechanics, campaign mechanics and stuff about RSII in general. I'll label them as Discussion 1, Discussion 2, etc.

Third is whatever you want to discuss

Be it the story or the other parts I mention in the discussion sections. Because sometimes RSII is just too great.

As for the campaign settings, Sparta modfoldered, 0-turn, Campaign Difficulty: Hard, Battle Difficulty: Very Hard. Let's see what happens.

Posts in order by type follow. In standard and hybrid mode, it won't load in the right place (probably because all of the images) and can be annoying trying to load EVERYTHING. If you are having issues loading stuff, try switching display Threaded mode that loads only one post at a time. Use the links below, it should work for you.

Long Live Sparta! (Story):

Misc ones.

**Alavaria** · January 25, 2014, 05:31 PM

If Sparta is to avoid these humiliations, reforms must take place for her to survive!

New concepts, such as the value of commerce and trading, must be mastered!

Sparta once depleted its man power by disposing of children that were feared too weak or feeble to be worthy of the Spartan name;

this too will changed! Sparta will use all men for war!

The Moras shall spread though the Peloponnisos science, art, and technology, as well as the traditional virtues of discipline and honour!

The hoplite still survives, as the old men of war hand over their shields and spears to the young!

The Spartan hoplite is not that of Classical Greece, nor the legends that precede them!

Yet Sparta's warriors will undergo the same rigorous training from their youth onwards to rebuild the Spartan war machine!

Can Sparta throw off the yoke of the Achaean league, and reclaim its former glory?

Perhaps it can even exceed the deeds of old, and bring order and stability under Spartan rule to all of Greece, even beyond...

Only you can decide!

~Sparta Campaign Introduction

Chapter 1: Prologue: Son of Sparta

If it be from Sparta, ~~
even a pebble can fell a giant ! ~~
(A battlecry of helot slingers)

(Sparta's finest troops of occupation)

Agesipolis III of Sparta was looking forward to a hearty and rousing victory. His trusted scouts had not only tracked down a band of raiders that had been harassing the helots north of Spartae, but had returned with critical intelligence.

The Athenians were behind it all.

After a slaughter of yet another raiding band, a few weeks earlier, scouts followed the fleeing survivors, hoping to discover the location of their lair. Instead of a forested hideout, the enemy led them all the way to nearby Argos, and were observed receiving weapons and coin from Athens. Sure enough, Spartan suspicion of Athenian plots was once again vindicated. It was time for some vengeance!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Asopus, the leader of the raiders, did not know what had transpired, and was in the middle of arming new recruits, paid for with Athenian coin, with new weapons, paid for with Athenian coin, when his scouts reported a major force marching on the Argos.

He rushed out to see in the distance Spartans moving in massed battle formation towards the settlement. The gig was up! The sound of enemy soldiers chanting was soul-crushing.

Sparta is dead ! Sparta will rise again !
Long live Sparta ! Sparta will overcome !

"Take heart," said the leader of the Athenians present. "These are not the Spartans of legend, who conquered at their pleasure. These are no longer gods of war on the earth."

"No longer?" he replied. "Form your men up, we shall see together the truth of your assurances."

Together with the Athenian hoplites that had been training Asopus' men as "military advisers", the "Free" Greeks were about to prove that they were worth their price!

**SD_Man** · January 26, 2014, 01:17 AM

Very Hard Battles?
I call shenanigans!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Please continue.

**Alavaria** · January 26, 2014, 01:21 AM

Don't worry, the way units and their stats are set up will make this a lot easier than you imagine. I'll explain all the tricks that will ~hopefully~ allow me victory.

**Alavaria** · January 27, 2014, 12:16 AM

Chapter 2: The Price of Victory

The world was a Hard place, and the battlefield was Very Hard for Sparta. Agesipolis III watched with a tingle of sadness as his finest men, the pride of all Sparta, honorably took up position in the face of the enemy.

(Ooh and aah, it's the Spartan elite infantry!)

Advances in bow, javelin and sling technology had rendered so much of the old ways ... too old. Obsolete. It seemed that any man capable of throwing a rock or sharp stick at a Spartan formation was able to make his missile phase through thick bronze-covered wood shields and penetrate even bronze armor.

It was also becoming embarrassingly obvious that enemy hoplites were also able to inflict heavy casualties on Spartan formations, and no longer feared rushing into combat and trading spear thrusts and sword blows. The unstoppable advance of the Spartan hoplite phalanx was hardly more than a tale told to children in Sparte, in modern times. In Athenai, it was not told at all. Instead ...

"Sparta is the sick man of the south."

"Sparta may have had strong men, but had."

Foes abounded wherever Sparta's reach had pulled back. Or in some cases been shoved back. But it was time for change, and this change for Sparta would probably start in the battlefield, where it was much easier to implement new tactics without the over-sensitive questionings of everyone nearby. Of course, victory was necessary for the changes to actually take.

Agesipolis saw the dust as a group of enemy scout horse appeared on the scene, shooting their small bows, and blundered into the Spartan formation. The Spartan foot, for their part, responded perfectly, rushing forward with their spears at the ready, delivering deadly thrusts to the unarmored men on the horses.

(Charge of the light horse, charge of the heavy infantry)

Agesipolis sighed. After the battle, on that spot they would find several Spartans, downed before the fight had even begun. With crude arrows in them, shot by enemies who probably had no idea who it was they had killed or not killed. The only questions were how many, and how many would be wounded and able to recover.

All the missiles flying about a modern battlefield were so deadly, no wonder the Athenians and others relied on them so greatly.

An over-reliance on infantry forces and foot-based tactics also meant that replies to a mounted hit-and-run were limited to only archery. Though the Spartans did have some horse, trying to catch the fleeting enemy was a futile attempt, as they were faster than all of the Spartan horsemen, who were weighed down with armor and heavy spears. There was also the possibility the enemy had prepared a trap, so the Spartan horse kept to their positions.

(Spartans use Heavy Hoplites! It lacks effectiveness.)

Giving credit where it is due, the Athenians had made horrifyingly effective use of horse in previous wars. Had.

Perhaps the later generations never learned the basics of using mounted troops, Agesipolis wondered. Or were just working off the old play book. Well, Spartans had been as well. For far too long. The New Model infantry, armed with sarissas, simply devastated the horse who were stupid enough to try a charge with their much shorter cavalry lances.

(Guys, guys we'll just break through them, it'll be awesome!)

(This wasn't supposed to happen !!!)

The modern Spartan force had a sincere complement of ranged and mounted support, and also used different tiers of infantry in a tightly coordinated manner !

With minds born of Spartan training and life, the leaders of the diverse units made up greatly for the varying quality of the troops filling the ranks. At least, the men were eager to prove themselves, especially the newly freed helots that made up most of the skirmishers and some of the light infantry.

"General, those horse are regrouping."

Agesipolis nodded, thinking of his next planned reform on the helot taxes. Out of the corner he could see that, without needing any specific orders from him, a two hoplite units repositioned themselves to cover the flank he had earlier assigned them on.

Definitely, for such duties, lighter troops could be quite capable with some simple training, relatively cheap equipment and a Spartan captain. In future, his best infantry would preferably be in the reserves, for use at the most critical points, not just "in the front" as so frequently done in the past.

Who but Spartans would train to ensure their best men got to die? No wonder Athenians made jokes about the size of Sparta's empire in Hades.

(Really now...)

"Watch out, they're headed right for us!"

"Wha-"

*thunk*

**Kenny Works** · January 27, 2014, 02:04 PM

I love it. I'll read it. It'll be interesting to see how you pull this off.

**Alavaria** · February 01, 2014, 04:53 PM

Chapter 3: The Future Hangs in the Balance

Spoiler for Chapter 3:

**Pyres Δt Varanasi** · February 02, 2014, 09:17 PM

Really nice man love it

.

**Alavaria** · February 05, 2014, 10:41 PM

Chapter 4: In Which Revelation

Spoiler for Chapter 4:

Agesipolis III awakened, not on the battlefield spread out before Argos, but in darkness. He could tell that, while still armored, his Corinthian helmet had been lost somewhere. He peered about, but his normally excellent eyesight could not pick up anything. What had happened in the battle for Argos? And his men?

The battle was, for the moment, being won. Though the Free Greeks were very tenacious in defending their homes, it was not sufficient against the superior Spartan force attacking them. At the same time, Sparta's best were dying in a battle for some village they didn't know they had cared about.

(Let's compare phalanxes)

The helots were particularly helpful. Unencumbered by heavy armor, shield or spear, they were armed with only a small shield, knife and a primary weapon that consisted of some cloth and rocks. A few javelins held in the hand didn't match up to the potential of a pouch of pebbles.

On a strategic level, they hardly required training, and their equipment was not only light and simple, but also cheap. Such light ranged support units were very useful in many many ways !

(Another win for Sparta !)

Agesipolis (thinking): It couldn't be ... that like the others ... I just died because someone shot me?

His beautiful Corinthian helmet, in the end, didn't save him from some Athenian mercenary farmer-turned-soldier. How sad.

(Not more slingers !)

Many of the Athenian-aligned foes were also suffering similar deaths, though it would have hardly been a consolation even had he known about it. Certainly, he wouldn't have minded talking with some of famous Leonidus' 300, the last of whom were apparently shot to death by Persian bowmen.A sign of things to come.

Agesipolis: Is anyone there? I'm a bit of a newcomer to Hades !

(Take the Spartans head on !)

???: "Child of Sparta, I have use of you."

Agesipolis looked around, trying to locate the speaker, who sounded as though they were somewhere behind ... in the darkness as dark as the darkness in front of him.

Furthermore, unlike the stories he had heard, apparently Hades, or perhaps Ares, was not around to welcome a brave Spartan; the voice was definitely feminine. Perhaps one of those other goddesses of death that lived in shadows?

Agesipolis: "I think I was invited to dine in Hades, but I lost my way."

???: "You can eat afterwards. For now listen."

(Throw more men at them !)

Agesipolis: "I don't see many distractions, so don't let me hold you back."

**Alavaria** · February 08, 2014, 09:24 PM

Chapter 5: The Greeks Could Rule The World (click)

Spoiler for Chapter 5:

**Alavaria** · February 12, 2014, 05:25 PM

Chapter 6: Back Into The Fray

Spoiler for Chapter 6:

The battle for Argos is reaching its climax; the Spartan general recovers and rejoins his men.
Will Sparta be successful, or will another humiliating defeat at the hands of Athenians be their fate?

Agesipolis gathered his bodyguard and moved to the front. Seeing the Spartan officer of a unit of hoplites, he stopped to gather information.

And his thoughts.

Agesipolis: "Where are the enemy?"

Officer: "General, we drove them back many times. Besides the bodies you see, the rest have fled into the settlement."

Agesipolis: "Then why are you here?"

Officer: "We're keeping watch on the flanks. A unit of marines has gone into the settlement to finish off the opposition."

Agesipolis: "Good man, we will go on ahead. Keep up the guard."

What was taking place inside Argos would soon be legendary. Agesipolis and his elite Spartan unit arrived to find Asopus and his mounted guard beating back the Spartan marines.

Agesipolis: "But of course, with just a kopis, they have little chance against heavily armored horse. Attack!"

As Agesipolis' hoplites entered the fray, Asopus turned and saw Agesipolis' distinctive Corinthian helmet, still dented by the slinger shot, and immediately realized that he was the leader of the Spartan army. As his men beat back the attacking Spartan forces with increasing difficulty, he sensed the tide of the battle was turning against him.

The cavalry were already tired while the Spartan reinforcements were fresh. Defeat was almost a certainty.

Antipus: "Spartan!! Come here and let me send you to your god!"

Agesipolis: "Athenian dog! Arrrrrrrrhhhh!"

Separated by a good distance and many elite soldiers sent by Athens to protect their puppet ruler of Argos, Agesipolis took a step back and threw his heavy thrusting spear at his taunting foe.

The heavy weapon flew straight and true, striking Asopus in a decorated portion of his bronze cuirass and penetrating the metal defense. The general slowly slid out of his saddle and fell on the ground.

Sensing an opening, one of the marines stooped over Asopus and slit his throat with his sword.

**Kirila the Kitten** · February 14, 2014, 01:58 PM

"the Hellenic people will take full advantage of his passing"

**Euenus** · February 22, 2014, 05:49 PM

The title for this thread reminds me of a Stanley Kubrick film

**Alavaria** · February 22, 2014, 10:17 PM

Spoiler for Chapter 7:

Chapter 7: Last Night, They Dined In

After the death of Asopus, the remaining Athenians were unable to prevent their erstwhile allies from falling back to the town square in disarray. There then took place a desperate last stand, as the last of Asopus' soldiers tried to grasp a victory hopelessly beyond their grasp.

They knew what to expect of Spartan wrath.

A clear victory for the forces of Sparta.

Agesipolis may have been wounded, but his enthusiasm for campaign was unharmed. He appeared distracted while entering his tent, thinking perhaps of the battles, and sacrifices, to follow.

Spartans were not known for their numbers, and every loss weighed down on the chance of any future victories. Agesipolis knew full well that Spartan soldiers had been dying faster than they were being replaced, a sad contrast to the un-legendary Persian Immortals.

Somehow, Sparta had to find a way to obtain more men fit for war, otherwise Sparta's walls of men or stone would both be swept away in battle after battle. The loss of over a hundred of Sparta's best was a major concern.

In the days to come, informants betrayed Athenian sympathizers to the Spartan Krypeia, who dealt with them in the approved fashion.

It was just the next morning, however, that the Spartan army woke up and broke camp. But they were not headed back home, rather ...

Agesipolis: The Athenian gold did not just fall here, the other cities around us have formed a secret league to destroy Sparta. We will move immediately and take them out!

Pheidippides: What? Spartans are here! To arms!

Agesipolis: Fight well, and earn the favor of the gods!

Pheidippides: Send out the skirmishers to screen our hoplites. Send a runner to Athenai!

Agesipolis: Have the archers use fire and advance in order, keep an eye out for openings in the enemy line.

Agesipolis: Well I guess they don't plan on having a battle line. In that case ...

Agesipolis: Wait a moment, why are they charging right at me?

**Alavaria** · March 01, 2014, 08:20 PM

Spoiler for Chapter 8:

Chapter 8: Never Stop Advancing

Agesipolis was finally able to see the modern Spartan army in action, and he could only think one thing; how could the manuals be so wrong?

First of all, macedonian-style horse charges into the rear of enemy formations rarely accomplished much. Once stopped, the horse were seriously outnumbered by the foot and would be cut down. It was embarrassing, but to be expected as even Spartan hoplites would be killed by enemy light infantry.

(We don't mind the horses)

And the carefully crafted system of fire support that the Cretans were so sure could break an enemy's morale. Totally ineffectual! Even dense pike formations, supposedly the archers' ideal target, seemed unaffected by the attack.

He could see the flaming missiles bouncing off the enemy's armor. An impressive show, doubtless, but accomplishing nothing in the end. After all that expense, training and so on, the fire support doctrine was very disappointing.

(Fire is ok too)

The enemy's elite infantry, equipped in the peltast manner, were the ones that charged Agesipolis' men at the start of the battle. They were capable swordsmen, able to attack hoplites in a phalanx and break into the formation. Furthermore, they even carried javelins, which they used to devastating effect. It seemed that heavy shields and expensive cuirasses couldn't keep them at bay.

Still, they were not trained simply to throw javelins, charge and then fight in a close melee. Even worse, they would withdraw in good order, and then re-engage with javelins and another charge. Such capable and flexible units had caused Sparta's forces considerable discomfort and serious casualties in previous battles.

As a result, when the Spartans with Agesipolis saw the enemy pulling back, they recognized the maneuver and immediately rushed forward to prevent a regroup.

There was about to be surprise winner in the contest to "deal a decisive blow to the enemy"...

(Hey guys, those rocks are ...)

Agesipolis: "Men, hold! Our slingers are about to -"

Suddenly, about twenty or so of the elite peltasts dropped to the ground and didn't get back up. The Spartans hastily pulled back and reformed into a phalanx as the slingers shot again, downing more peltasts. There was little time to think about this, however, as a phalanx of enemy hoplites were approaching from the side. Agesipolis promised himself to not be caught out in the very front. Next time, anyway.

The Spartans flawlessly formed themselves into a chevron formation, presenting shields to both the peltasts, who were in disarray from the casualties, and the ordered Achaian hoplites.

Agesipolis: "Spartans! Stand strong against the enemy!"

**High Fist** · March 01, 2014, 08:40 PM

What cavalry manuals have you been reading?

Are those Basilikoi Pelstastoi (or something similar) that you're on about? They're pretty boss, can't remember if that's their shields or not.

**Alavaria** · March 02, 2014, 12:06 PM

The "manuals" are an in-story reference thing. Recall that Sparta doesn't have experts on horse tactics like the macedonian companion cavalry. (Spoiler: they never do)

Also, yeah Basilikoi Pelstastoi, they are elite skirmisher/swordsmen, equipped with a pelte shield.

**Alavaria** · March 06, 2014, 07:01 PM

Spoiler for Chapter 9:

**Alavaria** · March 09, 2014, 05:32 PM

Spoiler for Chapter 10:

Chapter 10: What About Flaming Rocks?

Agesipolis watched as the Corinthians' armor easily defeated any attempt by his archers to kill them. It was an almost hilarious sight, as a storm of brightly burning arrows was rendered of no account thanks to good Greek armor.

Perhaps it was time to fire the Cretans. They also had hoplites, perhaps those would be more useful in battle? Surprising to think that.

Agesipolis: "Captain, please remind of of something after today's events are over."
Captain: "I'm sure your memory will suffice, but I shall. What exactly?"
Agesipolis: "Remind me to check on the going rate for Rhodian slinger mercenaries."

The slingers were very effective against enemy hoplites. They weren't lethal, perhaps (thanks to advancements in helmet technology), however ...

Agesipolis: "Oh, and we may need to finish off any downed enemies. I don't think everyone on the ground is dead yet."
Captain: "Of course. I'm sure it will come up during the usual looting."
Agesipolis: "Right. Well come to think of it, trained hoplites could be useful, perhaps we could save those that aren't too badly wounded."
Captain: "I will make sure the men take note of that."

Compared to earlier battles, Agesipolis didn't appear too worried about his Promachoi hoplites. As usual, they wanted to be first into the combat, and he was perfectly willing to allow it.

The enemy hoplites were unable to make the Spartans budge, while themselves being cut down like so many practice dummies.

There was no lack of strength thrown into trying to break through the small group of Spartans, but it was all in vain - the enemy were shot to pieces while making almost no headway.

The core doctrine of Sparta's new tactics was being formed. Unfortunately for the Corinthians, their role as test subjects was not voluntary.

Agesipolis: "What are those enemy pikemen doing?"
Spartan pikes: !!!
Agesipolis: "Wait, they double as swordsmen too?"

Captain: "The slingers ran out of ammunition!"
Agesipolis: "There are rocks everywhere..."
Agesipolis: "Send archers in close. Make every arrow count!"

**Alavaria** · March 11, 2014, 10:50 PM

Spoiler for Chapter 11:

Chapter 11: Elite Greek General's Bodyguard

In the end, the hard fighting against enemy hoplites meant that the Corinthian pikemen, with their swords, killed the Spartan heavy pikemen down to the last.

The archers couldn't do anything at all. In the end, hoplites were used. Surrounding the Corinthian pikes, they attacked from all directions. It had to be noted that, unsurprisingly, pikemen were able to fight Spartan hoplites sword to sword and hold out.

With the remaining Spartan hoplites leading the way, Agesipolis' force forced their way through the streets, bashing their way through ragged resistance.

That is, until they encountered the enemy general and his bodyguard. All mounted.

Thus, Pheidippides and his horse held the street against all the hoplites of Sparta. They cut down elites from the vantage of their mount and the streets were soaked with the blood of many Spartan warriors.

Sparta, however, was well known as the best soldiers in all the world. Agesipolis responded with what would become a typical Spartan response.

He sent in a thousand more hoplites to fight what was by then twenty horsemen.

Heavy horse would become hated among Spartan armies to come. Despite advances in horse technology allowing Sparta to raise nearly identical mounted troops, they were never as effective as those of their enemies. However, every single mounted general or unit of heavy horse pitted against Sparta could repeat Pheidippides' feat.

After perhaps an hour of this battle, Agesipolis and his companion hoplites finally managed to deal a killing blow.

The swelled forces of Sparta overran any last defenses that were put up in the center of the settlement. Korinthos was now under Spartan rule!

Once again, many of the elites of Sparta had given their lives for victory. Especially against the enemy horse.

Perhaps there was a better method of warfare that could be adopted ...

Agesipolis retired to his tent after conferring with Machanidas. The army was to prepare to move again. The next stop: Thebes, the third and last settlement in the immediate vincinity of Athenai, as well as another conspirator in league against Sparta.

The men trained in new and more flexible tactics. This second round of improvements would be tested on the unwitting Thebans.

Thread: The Bottomless Pit (Chap. 65 - Fin.)

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The Bottomless Pit (Chap. 65 - Fin.)

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