New Town (Carthage AAR) [updated April 3, 2021]

[Caesar16]

Passaris now faces a dilemma. Interesting..let's see whether he will survive in hostile Greece or not. If he does his fame will attract jealousy however this surprisingly bold move may also just be enough to turn the tide of war. Afterall as the saying goes "Fortes fortuna iuvat".
Glad that I haven't missed much while I was busy with exams. Eagerly waiting to know the conclusion of this battle.

[Alwyn]

Interesting. I'm not sure if the number and size of boxes accurately represents unit strengths (or if you've mapped all the units in this fashion; some might be hidden to you for now), but judging by that alone you seem to have a clear numerical advantage even given the Athenian reinforcements. Moreover, if you can keep the enemy army close enough to the shore your ships might be able to get in some shots of their own. I'll be interested to see how this turns out (and to see the assuredly great screenshots that are to come with ).

Thanks! I hope the screenshots will be okay, my computer's graphics are (I imagine) no better than average. You're right on both points - the map doesn't show enemy units which are hidden and Carthage does have a numerical advantage. This is a test of character for Passaris, rather than a battle which he's likely to lose (although a costly victory would be a big problem). He could justify sacrificing his marines (by ordering them to land even though they'd be badly outnumbered by the Athenian infantry and cavalry) to minimise casualties in his own army to achieve his strategic goal (taking his army behind enemy lines to disrupt them). As well as a test of character, this is a test of his skill as a commander: will he make this costly sacrifice or can he think of a better plan?

A bold strategy but I agree with Passaris. Something needs to change if Carthage is to survive the onslaught. If he succeeds, let's hope he is remembered as a hero, if he doesn't, well may he and his men rest in peace.

Again you deliver us great content Alwyn!

Thanks, yes, Carthage is under attack from a growing alliance of enemies. The plan of Passaris is a desperate gamble but it might work.

Passaris now faces a dilemma. Interesting..let's see whether he will survive in hostile Greece or not. If he does his fame will attract jealousy however this surprisingly bold move may also just be enough to turn the tide of war. Afterall as the saying goes "Fortes fortuna iuvat".
Glad that I haven't missed much while I was busy with exams. Eagerly waiting to know the conclusion of this battle.

Thanks, yes, he faces a tough choice and a hostile Greece is ahead if he survives. I hope that you're enjoying freedom after your exams. The conclusion of this battle is approaching...

[Alwyn]

Chapter 23: The Initiative

Passaris thought about the threat of the catapults in the Athenian army which was marching to help the Spartans defend Apollonia. I could send our marines to die fighting the Athenians, thought Passaris, or tell them to break off the attack. If our warships retreat, they’ll still lose marines to the catapults. If my army fights the enemy without the marines, we’ll take heavy casualties which would doom my mission. Those can’t be the only options!

Passaris remembered a late-night conversation about tactics with Mascarada and other Carthaginian officers, during the campaign to take Italy.

“You’re thinking of ballistae as a way to kill the enemy’s infantry,” Mascarada had said. “You’re not wrong, but you’re missing something. The general who has the initiative usually wins. With artillery, you can force the enemy to react. A good general anticipates how the enemy will respond.”

This reminded Passaris of the strategic importance of his mission. If his army retained its strength, then it could keep moving behind enemy lines and Carthage could seize the initiative from the Triple Alliance. He realised that he’d been thinking about this battle the wrong way. I’ve been considering how to respond to the catapults. I should have been thinking about how to make them respond to my actions.

Passaris thought about the ships of Hanno’s Navigators, the Carthaginian fleet. They carried hoplites, javelin-men and ballista crews. Could he follow Mascarada’s advice?

“Hanno’s Navigators have naval artillery, what are your ballistae firing at?” asked Passaris.

“The catapults,” replied the messenger from Hanno’s Navigators.

“The Athenians have heavy infantry?” asked Passaris.

“I’ve seen hoplites, pikemen and swordsmen,” said the messenger.

“Tell Admiral Garama to re-direct his ballistae to fire on their infantry,” said Passaris. “They will run for cover in the streets of Apollonia. Send marines to deal with the catapults. After the catapults have been silenced, the marines will march on the city. My army will march from the western side and we’ll trap the Spartans and Athenians in between.”

As Passaris predicted, the naval artillery forced the Athenian infantry to run for the shelter of the city streets, allowing the marines to land.



The Athenian catapults continued to fire on the Carthaginian warships as they landed the marines. Lifeless marines lay on the eastern beach, looking almost peaceful as the sea washed gently over the sand. The marines gave the catapult crews no mercy.



When Carthage’s diversionary ships with javelin-men approached the southern beach, the Athenians sent soldiers to guard that shore, dividing their forces. The approaching marines forced the Athenians to defend the eastern side of the city. This left about a third of the Athenians to reinforce the Spartans – not enough. Most of the army of Passaris had landed and was advancing on the western beach, while some remained on transports so that they could land close to the city and attack the Spartans in the flank. The defenders of Apollonia were divided and the Carthaginian plan was working.

Author's Note

The reflection by Passaris on the strategic importance of his mission was inspired by a comment by NorseThing on chapter 12, about the need for generals to achieve their strategic objectives, even if this happens at great cost. Thank you, NorseThing!

[Caesar16]

Another great update but still no conclusion to the battle... Passaris seems like a much better general to me than Mascarada. The strategy was well thought out. Looking forward to another update which may just conclude this battle.

[Turkafinwë]

Such an important battle this is. Victory means survival, defeat means annihilation. It seems Passaris is a shrewd commander that could possibly lead Carthage to greatness, if they survive of course .

[Kilo11]

Another great update, as expected. Also, as always, the screenshots and maps help bring it all to life and keep us right there with the generals' thoughts as the battle unfolds.

I was wondering if you might be so kind as to give us some insight as to how you got such classy battle maps together for the AAR? I want to include some for my own, but am not sure how best to go about that. Are these maps something that come ready-made with Rome 2 (that would be sad, as I don't have Rome 2), or did you make them using some program?

[Caillagh de Bodemloze]

I like the discussion about which general usually wins - and the implementation of the wisdom from that discussion.

[theSilentKiller]

Passaris does good in adjusting his strategy according to what he once learned, and this might just be the decisive factor of the battle. But the fight is not over and a lot can happen - let's hope it concludes good for Carthage!

[Darkan]

Well done, sir, great updates. It's good to see Carthage acting boldly, yet even so, Passaris cannot do it all alone. Where is Mascarada? This battle is surely won, unless other armies show up. Defending Apollonia might be easier said than done, as Passaris will be in the exact situation his enemies find themselves in now. We'll see!

[Alwyn]

Another great update but still no conclusion to the battle... Passaris seems like a much better general to me than Mascarada. The strategy was well thought out. Looking forward to another update which may just conclude this battle.

Thanks, we'll see the conclusion of this battle in the next chapter. Mascarada was lucky during his campaigns in Gaul and Italy that his enemies were fighting on other fronts, Passaris now commands an army during a more difficult time for Carthage, he fights enemies who are united rather than fighting each other.

Such an important battle this is. Victory means survival, defeat means annihilation. It seems Passaris is a shrewd commander that could possibly lead Carthage to greatness, if they survive of course .

Thanks, yes, a lot depends on this battle, because Carthage's armies in Italy are outnumbered and in retreat.

Another great update, as expected. Also, as always, the screenshots and maps help bring it all to life and keep us right there with the generals' thoughts as the battle unfolds.

I was wondering if you might be so kind as to give us some insight as to how you got such classy battle maps together for the AAR? I want to include some for my own, but am not sure how best to go about that. Are these maps something that come ready-made with Rome 2 (that would be sad, as I don't have Rome 2), or did you make them using some program?

Thanks! Yes, the battle maps come from Rome 2, I simply add labels and arrows using Paint.net.

I like the discussion about which general usually wins - and the implementation of the wisdom from that discussion.

Thanks, I like Passaris as a general who can learn from Mascarada and who does more than react to the situation in front of him.

Passaris does good in adjusting his strategy according to what he once learned, and this might just be the decisive factor of the battle. But the fight is not over and a lot can happen - let's hope it concludes good for Carthage!

Thank you, yes, this choice of strategy could be decisive.

Well done, sir, great updates. It's good to see Carthage acting boldly, yet even so, Passaris cannot do it all alone. Where is Mascarada? This battle is surely won, unless other armies show up. Defending Apollonia might be easier said than done, as Passaris will be in the exact situation his enemies find themselves in now. We'll see!

Thanks, we'll see Mascarada in the next chapter. Yes, Passaris was heading for victory at Apollonia in the previous chapter. You're right, Passaris would struggle to defend Apollonia.

[Alwyn]

Chapter 24: From Apollonia

When a messenger arrived from Apollonia, Mascarada’s heart raced. Had Passaris succeeded?

“My lord, Apollonia is ours,” said the messenger. “The marines from Hanno’s Navigators took heavy losses before the army of Passaris could break through the enemy line and support them.”

“We will mourn for them and we will celebrate this victory,” replied Mascarada.

“Passaris sent Hanno’s Navigators back to Brundisium,” said the messenger quietly. “Without the fleet, how can Passaris defend Apollonia, or retreat to Italy?”

This mood has infected Carthage’s armies, thought Mascarada. Even when we win, we expect defeat to follow.

“Passaris won't remain in Apollonia, nor will he retreat,” said Mascarada. “His mission is to lead his army behind enemy lines.”

“Where can he go?” asked the messenger.

This reminded Mascarada of a conversation with Passaris before he left for Apollonia. They had discussed the same question.

“You won’t be able to stay in Apollonia,” Mascarada had said. “Our enemies would surround you, as they did to the Friends of the Hundred and Four at Segestica. Your plan to go inland is the right one. Where will you go from Apollonia?”

“I could go south to the cities of Athens and Sparta,” Passaris had suggested. “Their armies would have to follow me, to defend their capitals.”

“That would be brave, but you would be caught in between their southern and northern armies,” Mascarada had said. “The Greeks have defended their homelands against larger armies than yours.”

“If I went east into Macedonia, my army would walk into the pikes of Macedonian armies marching to the front line,” Passaris had said. “I could go north, to Illyria?”

“Illyria is too close to the front line. Their armies would turn and destroy yours. You can’t go south, east or north from Apollonia. You don’t want to retreat west, back to Italy. Where can you go?” Mascarada had asked.

“What if I went north-east to Navissos in Thracia?” Passaris has suggested. “I’d be close enough to the front line to make them worry, but not near enough to be surrounded. I’d need to keep moving. I’ll stay away from their walled cities, I couldn’t afford the casualties in an assault and couldn’t wait for a siege.”

“If their armies pursue you to Navissos, what will you do?” Mascarada had asked.

“I could continue north into Dacia or go further east to the Thracian coast,” said Passaris. “There was once an Odrysian Kingdom there, I’ve heard merchants tell of warlike plunderers who grew rich from seizing trade ships on the route between the Greek city-states and their Black Sea colonies.”

“That’s it!” said Mascarada. “It’s good to draw away their armies and disrupt their supplies and trade. But you can do more than this. The Greeks founded colonies on the Black Sea. Our ancestors created colonies too. Your army could be the seed of a Black Sea colony for Carthage. You could force the Triple Alliance to fight us on two fronts.”

[Tigellinus]

I know I haven't commented again before today, but I have caught up! Aside from the last Chapter, which I'm about to read right now.

I'm loving the desperation of Carthage's situation. Passaris' plan is working and the Spartans and Athenians will be defeated! At least, I hope so. Carthage needs this win, I feel!

Will edit after I've read the latest Chapter!

Kind regards,

Tigellinus

Edit: So Passaris won! That is good news! And heading into Thracia and beyond, to draw out the enemies. I wonder, how will Mascarada take advantage of this? Can he do so in a way that doesn't endanger Carthage or lose him his armies?

Loving the story so far!

[Kilo11]

Nice update! Glad to see how this strategy is unfolding. Also, if a Black Sea colony can be founded, it might be that much easier to find some potential allies on the back side of the Triple Alliance. At any rate, you at least will be able to prod them from front and back. It's a bold move that could fail, but I see much promise in it!

[Turkafinwë]

Another well executed update Alwyn! Like Kilo11 I think it's a bold move with much promise but then again bold moves can either lead to greatness or great disasters. +rep

[Darkan]

It is a risky endeavour! Even should Passaris manage to "found" a Black Sea colony, what would make this exclave more easily defendable than say... Apollonia? Sorry to say but it doesn't bode well for Passaris! Now, an island, perhaps that would be a different matter!

[Beckitz]

Wish I had discovered this earlier! I just read through it all in one go - the bite-sized chapters make the effort fly by, and I think they add some good focus to each installment as well. You really show mastery of the art, in my opinion, as you present flavorful bits like the contemplations of the commanders or excerpts from the primary source records, without ever breaking the pace of your overarching gameplay narrative. I think AAR's are often best when they are light-hearted and relatable, like this one is!!

It seems like you might be just keeping a realistic set of expectations, as to the production value you want out of the tale. So you doubtless know already, but as my two cents, you could add a little bit more to the experience if you documented more of your gameplay, especially as it relates to your finances and your purchases. The do-or-die circumstances come through in your maps and in your prose, constituting a great hook for the reader, but I for one wish that I could be more involved in the strategic efforts you're making to keep the ship of state afloat, especially as you hint at an exciting backstory to this AAR when you went "from rags to riches" and back again, so to speak.

[Welsh Dragon]

I'd fallen a bit behind so just been catching up. Excellent as always Alwyn. Passaris' plan is certainly a bold one, but seems to be paying off... for now. And wow, certainly wasn't expecting the Iceni to make an appearance so far from home. Looking forward to seeing how this develops. Good luck!

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon

[theSilentKiller]

Opening a second front - daring but it might pay off if successful. And a Black Sea colony can be the base for naval operations in the region, disrupting trade and maybe harrass coastal cities. If Passaris doesn't get outmaneuvered, that is.
The small pieces of dialogue giving us insight in the strategies of the characters are great - and building anticipation for what to come!

[Alwyn]

Edit: So Passaris won! That is good news! And heading into Thracia and beyond, to draw out the enemies. I wonder, how will Mascarada take advantage of this? Can he do so in a way that doesn't endanger Carthage or lose him his armies?

Loving the story so far!

Thanks! We'll find out whether Mascarada will be able to take advantage of this in an upcoming chapter. The last time that we focused on the front line in northern Italy, Carthage's armies were badly outnumbered and falling back. If the mission of Passaris allows Mascarada to stop losing ground, that would be an improvement (but, of course, not enough to win the war).

Nice update! Glad to see how this strategy is unfolding. Also, if a Black Sea colony can be founded, it might be that much easier to find some potential allies on the back side of the Triple Alliance. At any rate, you at least will be able to prod them from front and back. It's a bold move that could fail, but I see much promise in it!

Thanks, as you'll see in the next chapter, Passaris hopes to find allies on the far side of the Triple Alliance if he can.

Another well executed update Alwyn! Like Kilo11 I think it's a bold move with much promise but then again bold moves can either lead to greatness or great disasters. +rep

Thank you, you're right that this is a risky move, the army of Passaris could be caught and destroyed, or it could fail to draw the armies of Athens, Macedon and Sparta away from the front line in north Italy.

It is a risky endeavour! Even should Passaris manage to "found" a Black Sea colony, what would make this exclave more easily defendable than say... Apollonia? Sorry to say but it doesn't bode well for Passaris! Now, an island, perhaps that would be a different matter!

Thanks! Passaris didn't remain in Apollonia because he believed that he could draw away more enemy armies if he kept moving. Also, he he felt that Apollonia is too close to the capitals of two of the original Triple Alliance nations, Athens and Macedon and the capital of their Spartan allies. At this point, the Triple Alliance is an eight-nation alliance, not just a triple alliance. It includes Persia, Media Atropatene, Sparta, Sardes and the Iceni as well as the three original nations (Athens, Macedon and the Seleucids) but the original name seems to have stuck.

It seems like you might be just keeping a realistic set of expectations, as to the production value you want out of the tale. So you doubtless know already, but as my two cents, you could add a little bit more to the experience if you documented more of your gameplay, especially as it relates to your finances and your purchases. The do-or-die circumstances come through in your maps and in your prose, constituting a great hook for the reader, but I for one wish that I could be more involved in the strategic efforts you're making to keep the ship of state afloat, especially as you hint at an exciting backstory to this AAR when you went "from rags to riches" and back again, so to speak.

I appreciate your kind comments and helpful suggestion. Yes, there are interesting tensions developing in Carthage's expanding empire. The treasury is stretched by keeping so many armies in fleets supplied at the same time, the ruling Barcid family have to maintain the support of rival parties within Carthage and Carthage's client states, Libya and Rome, can cause additional tensions (particularly when they try to involve Carthage in wars with their enemies.) In future chapters, I'll hope to tell readers more about the strategic situation.

Passaris' plan is certainly a bold one, but seems to be paying off... for now. And wow, certainly wasn't expecting the Iceni to make an appearance so far from home. Looking forward to seeing how this develops. Good luck!

Thanks, yes, I wasn't expecting the Iceni to be in this AAR, yet they have expanded a long way and are vigorously attacking Carthage's lands in northern Italy. As Carthage expands, it faces greater threats on different borders and more internal tension. Carthage's situation feels increasingly like the position of Rome in the Empire Divided campaign, which I'm happy to see.

Opening a second front - daring but it might pay off if successful. And a Black Sea colony can be the base for naval operations in the region, disrupting trade and maybe harrass coastal cities. If Passaris doesn't get outmaneuvered, that is.
The small pieces of dialogue giving us insight in the strategies of the characters are great - and building anticipation for what to come!

Thanks, that's right, if a Black Sea colony for Carthage could become a base of naval operations, then Passaris could do significant damage to the Triple Alliance, who have a lot of ports and trade in this area. It's good to hear that you're enjoying the insight into the characters' strategies.

[Alwyn]

Chapter 25: Hunted

Passaris couldn’t remain at Navissos in Thracia. Two Athenian armies pursued him, approaching from the south. If Passaris had been alone, he might have evaded them. But he was leading a Carthaginian army in foreign lands. Tracking his army would be easy, especially when travellers on the roads were loyal to his enemies. Passaris had hunted animals before, like any nobleman. Now, he knew was it felt like to be a hunted animal, unsure of which way to run – or when the hunters would appear.

If Passaris had found a good defensive position, he might have beaten his pursuers. When the general of the Friends of the Hundred and Four had stood his ground in Pannonia, he had defeated the first and second armies which attacked. But the third and fourth armies which attacked had destroyed the Friends. Passaris couldn’t allow his army to be trapped. His mission wasn’t to stand and fight, it was to draw enemy armies away from the front line, to give Carthage’s generals in north Italy a fighting chance.

From Navissos, Passaris led his army across a great river, the Istros, and captured the city of Malva in Dacia. The garrison fought bravely, but they were soon overwhelmed by the greater numbers and training of the army of Passaris. Two Macedonian armies marched towards Malva, one from the north and one from the west. From the east, a Spartan army approached. Passaris realised that he would have to abandon Malva, as he had abandoned Navissos. He led his army back across the great river and turned east to seize Odessos, a port on the Thracian coast.



When scouts reported that the Macedonians and Spartans were continuing to pursue him, Passaris realised that his options were limited. He could seize merchant ships for transports and head east across the sea, but if his transports were caught by Triple Alliance warships they would have no chance. The rams of Carthage’s warships had sent many Seleucid and Persian transports to the bottom of the Mediterranean. Passaris could take ships south and cross the narrow strait into Anatolia, but the walled city of Nicomedia would stand across his path. He needed to avoid walled cities. His mission relied on swift movement, so his army had no artillery. Here, in the heartland of the Triple Alliance with no chance of reinforcements, climbing siege ladders to attack a well-defended city would be too risky.

Passaris decided to lead his army north along the Black Sea coast, into lands traditionally owned by expert riders and archers, the Catiaroi and the Scythians. Perhaps there he could find a city which would be the start of a Black Sea colony for Carthage, far from the heartland of the Triple Alliance. In Odessos, merchants were saying that the Bosporan Kingdom was under attack from Sparta; the traders were getting rich by shipping food and weapons to the Bosporan capital. This might be an opportunity for Passaris to find an ally.

Author's Note

Thanks to Kilo11 for the tip about seeking allies on the far side of Triple Alliance lands - and thank you to everyone who is commenting for your kind encouragement and your helpful ideas and reactions.