Towards the Present We Go, Langobards AAR (The Steppe Wolf MOD)

[blklizard]

I would say ally and help Rome if you can, build them up so that eventually only you two are left as great players.

Also, I downloaded your save and it yielded some interesting things, especially about the Roman rulers.

I don't think I'll ally them and hope that they can avoid fighting me. Allying them would bring me into wars that I don't want to be in. You'll find out much later. I'm curious about what interesting things you found out from the save .

Chapter 50

The war against the Magyars had become simply too easy. The last few wars saw the Magyars severely weakened and at the mercy of the Langobards king. The king wanted to be remembered for the day the Magyars are defeated. However, he knew that annexation wouldn't showcase his accomplishment. Therefore, he made the Magyars his vassal so they can serve his nation.

Colonization continued to progress forward while the Langobards military began to improve further. Suevi spearmen became the new backbone of the Langobards army.

I know this is a very short update. I needed to get through these screenshots which are sort of important. However, I will give a teaser to the next chapter . It's what you've been waiting for.

 

[unmerged(521085)]

I am now on the edge of my seat.

 

[InvisibleSandwi]

You finally colonized Gothenburg! This should work wonders for the Langobards' musical tastes. That is the major development in chapter 50, right?

More seriously, I need to know what happens to Rome, considering that you've reached the updates where you start waging wars with them, but teasers you've given prior to this suggest they've survived in a menacing form for quite a while beyond the 4th century. I guess I'll have to wait for you to dole out the information.

 

[Maximus_96]

And so it begins. How do their troops hold up in comparison to yours?

 

[unmerged(271387)]

I suggest you completly destroy Rome by occupying them and forcing the to release states but do not take any provinces.That way when they fall we will see who among their successors will rise to challenge you.

 

[blklizard]

I am now on the edge of my seat.

I suggest you prepare some popcorn. The action won't start for quite a while.

More seriously, I need to know what happens to Rome, considering that you've reached the updates where you start waging wars with them, but teasers you've given prior to this suggest they've survived in a menacing form for quite a while beyond the 4th century. I guess I'll have to wait for you to dole out the information.

I will dedicate a few chapters to the progress of Rome from game start to the present. However, there will be gaps where I have no saves.

And so it begins. How do their troops hold up in comparison to yours?

You will find out when I begin posting battles.

I suggest you completly destroy Rome by occupying them and forcing the to release states but do not take any provinces.That way when they fall we will see who among their successors will rise to challenge you.

The problem is that I've played up to the year 800 now. So, everything technically happened already. The problem with your suggestion is that there isn't that many nation I can liberate at this time. Therefore, I won't be weakening Rome by much and they will merely take back their old territories by attacking and winning against those small nations.

I apologize to all my readers. I was out of town and had no internet access. I will be updating this in two days. Depending on my mood on that day, there could be a chance I have two updates.

 

[Rendap]

RL comes first. We'll be here when you update..

 

[blklizard]

The first update is here !

Chapter 51

The year is 11. My nation, Rome, has grown into a mighty empire. She has control over territories over three separate continents. Yet, her conquest has only just begun. She will one day conquer the entire world. Due to her size, Rome is faced with many enemies. We do not fear these enemies. However, we don't underestimate them either. They might be weak alone. If they work together, they may just prove to be a challenge for us. No matter what, there is one thing we are certain of. We will rule over the world one day and no nation will stand in our way.

Italy, Greece and France are our pride. They are rich regions that will be providing the bulk of our income and soldiers. Other nations have longed to take these regions from us but they will fail. They can dream but they will never set foot in these regions. In the Iberia Peninsula, we share the region with Cantabria and Vascones. While Vacones, like us, have the same belief, the Cantabria follow a heathen religion that we simply cannot tolerate. We will one day control all of Iberia Peninsula. These two minor nation prove to be no threat towards us. They will one day be part of our great empire. When that day comes, our western front will be secured. We can then focus nearly all our forces in conquering the rest of the world.

In our northeast border, we have many small neighbors. We call them barbarians. They are weak and we don't fear them one bit. They are always busy fighting amongst themselves. We are fine with that as it will weaken them as a whole. We will conquer them and teach them the ways of the civilized human beings. Directly to our north, we see the British Isles. Those nations cannot hope to challenge us on land. It would be wise if they remain on their isle. They shouldn't think that we cannot invade them though. If they remain in existence, it's simply because we allow them to exist. Our navy is unchallenged in the world and no one is safe from us.

In the Eastern Balkans, we have the Odrysians. They must be wiped out as they are an obstacle that severs the connection between our European holdings and Asian holdings. Cappadocia is another nation that stand in our way in connecting our lands. They, like the Odrysians, will be removed in due time. Oddly enough, Judea also stand in our way. Dealing with them shall be swift as their tiny nation could barely hold out against one of our regiments. Once these three nations are wiped out, we will have connected nearly all of our territories. This will aid us in lower our naval expenses and transfer more funds in our armies.

In Northern Africa, we meet some competition. The Mauritania and Moors are competing for this territory. We cannot allow them to force us back from Northern Africa. We will show them that only one nation shall control Northern Africa and that nation is Rome. We cannot conquer the east safely without wiping out these two nation. The Moors might prove to be a problem as they are more technologically advanced than us. We will one day show them that we are superior in every way. Until then, we will let them exist.

Our greatest threat is likely Parthia. They are large and consider themselves an empire. We find it insulting that they think they can rival us in power. We will one day prove to them our superiority. Parthia hold provinces filled with people of our faith. Those people have called on us for help and we won't turn away. We will liberate them from the Parthia control. Parthia shall learn the hard way of considering themselves an equal of us.

 

[Gukpa]

You will make an Roman AAR now?NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Webstantine]

Don't worry Gukpa, I think it's just an interesting thing about how Rome is doing.

 

[Maximus_96]

He's doing a mini Roman AAR to show how Rome developed to give context for their upcoming wars.

 

[Gukpa]

He's doing a mini Roman AAR to show how Rome developed to give context for their upcoming wars.

Ok

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 52

The year is 200. My nation, Rome, was destined to control the world. Yet, the incompetent Roman emperors have done nothing to make that dream a reality. We were supposed to be the most feared nation. Now, we are the laughing stock of the world. Even the barbarians see us as weak and vulnerable.

Barely two centuries passed and the territory we held grew smaller and smaller. We have nearly lost control of all of Northern Africa. The Moors, Aksum and Egypt all took a good chunk of our land there. Their rulers are celebrating their easy victories over the great Rome. We still have a few territories there but chances are that we will lose those too. It is only a matter of time before we no longer control any African holdings. Of course, our African holdings weren't the only territory threatened. Our Asian holdings have shrunk a bit as well. We not only didn't wipe out the Cappadocia but they have also expanded into our territory. They were supposed to be easy prey. What were our emperors doing that resulted in such embarrassment?

Meanwhile, our enemies were growing stronger. The Langobards were growing too quickly and we needed to attack them. What did our emperors do? They said the Barbarians aren't worth the trouble. Instead, they fought in Iberia region where they made little gains. If the Langobards aren't held in check for another century, they will be the ruin of our nation! The barbarians are fierce warriors. They can field large armies like us. They can, and will, destroy us if they get the chance. Letting them grow and thrive will be the greatest mistake we ever made. Did the emperors forget about our defeat with the Magyars? The Magyars were viewed as weak and incompetent. Once the war began, they cut through our regiments like butter. There was no holding them back. We were at their mercy. Our emperor begged for peace and gave away lots of land to get the peace. Have they forgotten about our defeat? Have they forgotten that we are not invincible?

Our nation has been growing so weak that rebels come and go as they pleased. They don't fear us. Why should they? Small nations take our land as they please. What's stopping the rebels from occupying our lands? What's stopping our nation from collapsing? Our nation need new leaders. Leaders that can guide it to its glory. Leaders that will bring changes that actually benefit our nation. Leaders that will make other nation fear us once again.

 

[Maximus_96]

Looks like Rome is having her usual problems in this mod, except they seemed to have fixed it in Phoenix II

 

[blklizard]

Looks like Rome is having her usual problems in this mod, except they seemed to have fixed it in Phoenix II

By usual problem, do you mean Rome losing territory bit by bit? Seems like Phoenix is getting good reviews. I may do an AAR with Phoenix if I get enough support now that my Bengal AAR is over.

Chapter 53

The year is 307. My nation, Rome, had a few worthy emperors who brought glory to the declining empire. While we still don't control all of Northern Africa yet, we have recovered some of our former territories. We have also made progress in the Asian minors and taken land that should've belonged to us a long time ago. We have also won small victories against Parthia and taken some of their territories. However, we were unable to stop the greatest threat.

The Langobards have expanded endlessly. While we are busy taking back what is ours, the Langobards have been busy conquering their neighbors either through diplomacy or war. The Magyars were once a feared enemy of ours. We should've been the ones that annihilated that enemy. Our emperor did try to block off the Langobards from expanding into their territory in hopes of ending their expansion. To our surprise, they attacked the Magyars with such ferocity that they quickly overwhelmed their enemy. Before long, the Magyars ruler bowed before the Langobards king and swore his allegiance as a vassal. That was a troubling day for our nation. The Langobards have proven themselves capable of winning against powerful enemies. Now, our nation is the only nation that challenges them for power. We know that and they know that.

Recently, we have received report that the Langobards are preparing for an attack. Our emperor laughed at what he considers rumors. The generals were sure that this report is reliable. A clash between the two mighty nations was bound to happen. It just seems like that fate decided that this was the day. The Langobards have defeated the Magyars. They have proven their strength. Will we be able to hold them off? We may vastly outnumber them in soldiers. However, their army's moral is high with the victory over the vile Magyars. To add to that, our soldiers have grown weak over the years fighting weak nations. This is a chance for them to prove themselves. I just hope that they are ready to fight against such a powerful foe.

We share a large border with the Langobards. We are unsure where they will strike. There are even sources that they will gather their men in the British Isles and launch an amphibious assault on the Iberian peninsula. The border we share in Europe will be a bloody one. Armies from both sides will be stretch thin but the bodies will pile up high. A bloody war is about to begin and our emperor is still busy making love with his new wife. He should be preparing his men at our borders with Langobards and end the war with Aksum. This war will be unlike any we have fought. Yes, we have fought and lost against the Magyars. However, the Langobards are different. Underestimating them will be a mistake we cannot afford. If our emperor doesn't get his act together, it will be the end of our great empire.

 

[Maximus_96]

Time for the clash. I hadn't predicted a naval landing in Spain, but that's really smart. One thing in Phoenix that bothers me a little is the super buff that Aksum gets. Most nations have techs in the 3-5 range and their techs are all 20

 

[Ashantai]

Love the alternate Rome report.

 

[blklizard]

Love the alternate Rome report.

Glad you liked it.

Chapter 54

(February 27, 307)

[Trier, Langobards]

The king speaks with his advisor.

King: The time has come, hasn't it?
Advisor: Yes, my king. We cannot allow Rome to continue their conquest of the weak. We have duties towards those that the Romans bully.
King: Can we win?
Advisor: I cannot answer that. The war will be difficult and bloody.
King: Why are we attacking them if we cannot ensure victory?
Advisor: The Gods have spoken.
King: The Gods have proven to be wrong in the past.
Advisor: Yes, that might be the case. However, we are destined to clash with Rome sooner or later.
King: Why now then? We can still grow stronger. Once we are even stronger, we will take down Rome once and for all.
Advisor: Time is ticking by. We cannot allow the Romans to conquer without resistance. The longer we wait, the stronger Rome will get.
King: Indeed. Is our fleet in position?
Advisor: They are at the British Isles. The crews are ready to sail.
King: I hope the Gods are right this time. This will be a war unlike any we had in the past.

[Rome, Roman Empire]

A diplomat speaks to the Roman emperor.

Diplomat: Emperor of Rome, I am here to demand that you release all the nations you annexed.
Emperor: Are you demanding something of me? I am the emperor of Rome!
Diplomat: Yes, you are a emperor. Yet, you are mortals like me. You do not scare us.
Emperor: I see the barbarians got more guts now. How about this? I will pardon your king for his insolence.
Diplomat: How about you agree to our demands? Otherwise, you will regret your decision.
Emperor: You can't threaten us! We are the strongest nation in the world!
Diplomat: I believe you were trying to say: We were the strongest nation in the world!
Emperor: Guards!
Diplomat: Execute this man! Right? You fear a diplomat like me. I laugh at your pitiful nation.
Emperor: You think you will live by insulting my nation?
Diplomat: I came here knowing I will die. I will be remembered by my people as a hero.
Emperor: A hero? I laugh at that. I will let you live. When I destroy your nation, you can return to see the destruction.
Diplomat: You won't win. Rome has survived long enough and her time has ended. It's time for the Langobards to take back Italy.
Emperor: I don't know what lies your king feed you barbarians. However, I will end these lies by personally executing your king.
Diplomat: The Roman emperor has guts after all. My king will eagerly await the day to cut off your head and parade it through the streets.
Emperor: Guards! Show this barbarian to way to hell!

Once the diplomat was escorted out, Roman generals entered.

Emperor: We have barbarians that decided that they can take us on in a war. We will show them that they have asked for destruction. Be sure to spill their blood across our borders before pushing into their territory. There are reports that a Langobards fleet is at the British Isles. We mustn't let them get any troops landed in Iberia. Take all the precautions and deal with these primitives. We will wrap this war up in a year.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 55

(March 30, 307)

The Langobards attacked Rome at a pretty good time. The Romans were busy with their war against Aksum in the south. With a good concentration of their troops there, the Langobards regiments expected to see less resistance. The Romans, with reports of the Langobards navy at the British Isles, had left a considerable force in Iberia hoping to eliminate any amphibious assaults. As a result, there were fewer Roman regiments that were able to reinforce the border of the two nations. For the Langobards, their main focus was on the provinces that border the Black Sea. The Langobards king hoped that eliminating Roman presence there would help his troops focus on one single front.

While nearly all Langobards regiments entered Roman territory without much resistance yet, one regiment did meet up with a Roman regiment in Resita and a battle ensued. The Langobards regiment was without a general while the enemy was led by a slightly competent general. After a week of engagement, the Langobards regiment, as a result of heavy casualties, routed. Luckily, a regiment nearby was able to secure their retreat by attacking that Roman regiment without giving it any rest. The Romans regiment still fought hard but they were still exhausted from their first battle. The Langobards regiment was able to rout this group before annihilating them when they tried to retreat into Roman territory.

The first encounter wasn't the start the king wanted. The Romans proved to be stronger than expected and the king ordered to use the same tactics as they did in the wars against Magyars. The tactic was rather easy. If facing the enemy with a slight numbers advantage wasn't enough, then overwhelm them by outnumbering them by a force that triple or even quadruple the enemy. The Magyars, a much tougher opponent at the time, was defeated by such a tactic. The king had no doubt that the same tactic would work against the Romans.

Not long after the king's messenger reached the leaders of each regiments, a battle took place in Simferopol. The Langobards general, Giuseppe, organized a regiment that doubled his enemy and engaged his enemy. While the Langobards did take some heavy casualties, the Roman regiment was completely wiped out with no survivors. Such a victory may appear costly but it will strike fear in the enemy. The morale of Roman regiments was expected be lower when they engage in battle with the Langobards if these types of victories continued. The king, knowing that his armies needed to be replenished continuously, had already began to preparing the recruitment of men from the back to reinforce the armies at the frontlines.

 

[Maximus_96]

Looking like a good tactic. What's the differential in troop numbers?