Yea I went right after Rome with Epirus. The AI has no problem crossing from Ager Brutus to Syracusae. I just stacked my army in Syracusae and watched the Romans march to their doom, then cut off their escape with my fleet.
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Yea I went right after Rome with Epirus. The AI has no problem crossing from Ager Brutus to Syracusae. I just stacked my army in Syracusae and watched the Romans march to their doom, then cut off their escape with my fleet.
Hehe same thing i do. :rofl:
I didn't continue playing that time i played Epyrus but you quickly take out Italy that way.
Bosporan Kingdom: 488 to 496 AVC
As the year 488 began, Pairisades Spartocid had much to be thankful for.
Foremost, he was still alive, and King. Now 50, fit, and immensely rich, he barely resembled the cautious, middle-age man who had
assumed the throne eight years before. At that time, the Bosporan Kingdom
was under attack from both its immediate neighbors: the wild and unruly
dog-faced Roxolanis to the north, and the bull-headed fish-eating
Colchi to the south. Pairisdades immediately realized that he was not
sufficiently popular among his own people to lead them through a difficult
two-front war, so he began a whispering campaign to convince them that
death for him would be but a mere promotion, elevating him from earthly King to heavenly God.
Although he sometimes believed this himself, he also knew that the people's
faith in his ever lasting glory had to be bolstered by success in the here and now. Accordingly, he decided to let the Roxolani advance unopposed, calculating that their lightly armed troops would get bogged down in sieges. Meanwhile, he sent his most capable generals into Colchis for a lop-sided victory and a favorable peace settlement. With Colchis out of the war, he turned on the Roxolani, who, their morale sapped by the drudgery of siege warfare, quickly fled the battlefield. In short course, all of Roxolani was
liberated and offered the chance to join the Bosporan Kingdom.
The only cloud on the horizon was the fickleness of his advisors. His son, Keitos Spartocid, the one true heir to the throne, was only twelve years old, and Pairisades worried that should he himself make an unexpected ascension into heaven, his boy would quickly follow. Although his advisors unanimously favored the boy in early 488, their enthusiasm periodically waxed and waned over the next decade. Twice they shifted their support to Spartacus Spartocid, an energetic cousin blessed with martial ability and a burning desire to wear the crown. Pairisades used what tools he could to sway the court: titles to those who could be charmed by them, dismissal for
those who could not, and prison for those too dangerous to be left free. He purged the Zosimid brothers without stirring their family into rebellion and removed Spartacus from command before he could lead his troops into rebellion. But still Pairisades's sleep was troubled. He toyed with the idea of sending Spartacus on a mission to explore beyond the pillars of Hercules. Perhaps he would return laden with treasures and tall tales, and perhaps
he would not return at all.
But Pairisades could not spend all his energies on court intrigues. Other events competed for his attention. There were constant rebellions in the newly liberated provinces, and worse, there were civil wars raging in Pontus, his ally, and within the Seleucid Empire, his most dangerous foe.
Pairisades and Sharpur Arkhid, King of Armenia, kept a constant eye on both. They debated endlessly where and when to intervene. But before they could decide, both rebellions were suppressed. As the fifth century approached, they could only hope that an even more distant and more powerful nation, Egypt, would soon begin its march on Antioch. And then they would strike.
With all these events swirling about, Pairisades had little time to follow the news from more distant realms. But what little he heard was encouraging. His fellow Greeks were doing well, with Epirus spreading the benefits of Greek civilization up and down the Italian peninsula, and Massilia bringing the light of Greek rationality into the dismal woods of Gaul. There were
some disturbing reports of a Celtic people, the Aedui, resisting the march of modernity and clinging to the dark ways of their Druidic priests. But Pairisades was confident that they too could be brought into the golden age: the Greek World was on the rise.
As the year 488 began, Pairisades Spartocid had much to be thankful for.
Foremost, he was still alive, and King. Now 50, fit, and immensely rich, he barely resembled the cautious, middle-age man who had
assumed the throne eight years before. At that time, the Bosporan Kingdom
was under attack from both its immediate neighbors: the wild and unruly
dog-faced Roxolanis to the north, and the bull-headed fish-eating
Colchi to the south. Pairisdades immediately realized that he was not
sufficiently popular among his own people to lead them through a difficult
two-front war, so he began a whispering campaign to convince them that
death for him would be but a mere promotion, elevating him from earthly King to heavenly God.
Although he sometimes believed this himself, he also knew that the people's
faith in his ever lasting glory had to be bolstered by success in the here and now. Accordingly, he decided to let the Roxolani advance unopposed, calculating that their lightly armed troops would get bogged down in sieges. Meanwhile, he sent his most capable generals into Colchis for a lop-sided victory and a favorable peace settlement. With Colchis out of the war, he turned on the Roxolani, who, their morale sapped by the drudgery of siege warfare, quickly fled the battlefield. In short course, all of Roxolani was
liberated and offered the chance to join the Bosporan Kingdom.
The only cloud on the horizon was the fickleness of his advisors. His son, Keitos Spartocid, the one true heir to the throne, was only twelve years old, and Pairisades worried that should he himself make an unexpected ascension into heaven, his boy would quickly follow. Although his advisors unanimously favored the boy in early 488, their enthusiasm periodically waxed and waned over the next decade. Twice they shifted their support to Spartacus Spartocid, an energetic cousin blessed with martial ability and a burning desire to wear the crown. Pairisades used what tools he could to sway the court: titles to those who could be charmed by them, dismissal for
those who could not, and prison for those too dangerous to be left free. He purged the Zosimid brothers without stirring their family into rebellion and removed Spartacus from command before he could lead his troops into rebellion. But still Pairisades's sleep was troubled. He toyed with the idea of sending Spartacus on a mission to explore beyond the pillars of Hercules. Perhaps he would return laden with treasures and tall tales, and perhaps
he would not return at all.
But Pairisades could not spend all his energies on court intrigues. Other events competed for his attention. There were constant rebellions in the newly liberated provinces, and worse, there were civil wars raging in Pontus, his ally, and within the Seleucid Empire, his most dangerous foe.
Pairisades and Sharpur Arkhid, King of Armenia, kept a constant eye on both. They debated endlessly where and when to intervene. But before they could decide, both rebellions were suppressed. As the fifth century approached, they could only hope that an even more distant and more powerful nation, Egypt, would soon begin its march on Antioch. And then they would strike.
With all these events swirling about, Pairisades had little time to follow the news from more distant realms. But what little he heard was encouraging. His fellow Greeks were doing well, with Epirus spreading the benefits of Greek civilization up and down the Italian peninsula, and Massilia bringing the light of Greek rationality into the dismal woods of Gaul. There were
some disturbing reports of a Celtic people, the Aedui, resisting the march of modernity and clinging to the dark ways of their Druidic priests. But Pairisades was confident that they too could be brought into the golden age: the Greek World was on the rise.
Armenia: 474 to 496 AVC
During the first 12 years of his reign, Shapur Arkhid was content with the borders of his land(couldn’t make it to the first session). He saw that the Seleucid Empire was under heavy attack by the Egyptians, and that the Bosporus Kingdom was expanding along his northern border.
With the coming of year 486, he began to get an itch to become a general and expand the kingdom of Armenia. He had always been a good strategist, but the civil war in the Seleucid Empire allowed him to dream of extending his power. If he was going to challenge the Seleucid Empire, he would need a larger base to draw his power, so he began to build up his army from its current 10,000 men, to 15,000, all of which were heavy infantry as iron and wheat were the only two resources in Armenia. He split the newly increased army into two groups, one of 10,000 and the second of 5,000. He stationed the 1st Army, which contained 10,000 men, near the border of Corduene and the 2nd Army near the border of Iberia, as these two countries were allied. The Armenian King, Shapur Arkhid, commanded the 1st Army, while the 2nd Army was commanded by his less able general and Royal Treasurer Cyrus Arid.
Armenia successfully gained a casus belli on Corduene by attempting an assassination and having their inept man get caught and imprisoned. Then, moving with purpose, King Arkhid declared war on Corduene and Iberia. The king immediately led his forces into Corduene, while the smaller force under Cyrus Arid screened Armerian lands from the 3,000 men of Iberia’s army. Corduene fell within 3 months, when the walls the breached and King Arkhid led his 10,000 infantry in a successful assault.
Once Corduene fell, it was annexed into the empire of Armenia, and the 1st Army under the king set off for Iberia. About this same time, King Arkhid began talking to Basileus Pairisades of the Bosporus Kingdom about Iberia. Since Iberia had two provinces and Iberia’s capital was the only one that Armenia wanted, Armenia agreed to give Bosporus the province of Meskheti if they would intervene in the war. Basileus Pairisades happily agreed and entered the war several months later. Finally, the 1st Army arrived in Iberia and met with the now 5,000 men of the Iberian Army. The Iberian Army was entirely overmatched by the Armenia army which had double the men and King Arkhid was the far superior commander. After taking 4,000 casualties, the Iberian Army retreated to Meskheti, where the Bosporan Army eventually finished them off. The war ended with Meskheti given to Bosporus, and Iberia annexed by Armenia.
The next several years were quiet except for a single war against Cappadocia, where a small tribute per month was demanded. It was not annexed because its culture was not one of the several that contribute men to the army of Armenia, and King Arkhid wanted to avoid having a negative reputation. The year of 492 began the expansion of the Armenian empire into the three provinces of Alans, Legae, and Uti. All three of these provinces were settled within a single year. During the next three years, King Arkhid and Basileus Pairisades tried to find a good time to intervene in the Seleucid Empire’s rebellion to gain some territory, but the timing was never right.
Hopefully, the next several years will result in an alliance with Pontus, so that the three states of Pontus, Bosporus, and Armenia could stand against the Seleucid Empire as one, and begin taking down the yellow leviathan. In the far west, King Arkhid could see the growing power of Epirus, wondered about a possible alliance in the future against Carthage or Egypt, or possibly a showdown between an eastern alliance of Pontus, Armenia, and Bosporus and western alliance of Massila, Epirus, and the barbarian kingdom of Aedui.
During the first 12 years of his reign, Shapur Arkhid was content with the borders of his land(couldn’t make it to the first session). He saw that the Seleucid Empire was under heavy attack by the Egyptians, and that the Bosporus Kingdom was expanding along his northern border.
With the coming of year 486, he began to get an itch to become a general and expand the kingdom of Armenia. He had always been a good strategist, but the civil war in the Seleucid Empire allowed him to dream of extending his power. If he was going to challenge the Seleucid Empire, he would need a larger base to draw his power, so he began to build up his army from its current 10,000 men, to 15,000, all of which were heavy infantry as iron and wheat were the only two resources in Armenia. He split the newly increased army into two groups, one of 10,000 and the second of 5,000. He stationed the 1st Army, which contained 10,000 men, near the border of Corduene and the 2nd Army near the border of Iberia, as these two countries were allied. The Armenian King, Shapur Arkhid, commanded the 1st Army, while the 2nd Army was commanded by his less able general and Royal Treasurer Cyrus Arid.
Armenia successfully gained a casus belli on Corduene by attempting an assassination and having their inept man get caught and imprisoned. Then, moving with purpose, King Arkhid declared war on Corduene and Iberia. The king immediately led his forces into Corduene, while the smaller force under Cyrus Arid screened Armerian lands from the 3,000 men of Iberia’s army. Corduene fell within 3 months, when the walls the breached and King Arkhid led his 10,000 infantry in a successful assault.
Once Corduene fell, it was annexed into the empire of Armenia, and the 1st Army under the king set off for Iberia. About this same time, King Arkhid began talking to Basileus Pairisades of the Bosporus Kingdom about Iberia. Since Iberia had two provinces and Iberia’s capital was the only one that Armenia wanted, Armenia agreed to give Bosporus the province of Meskheti if they would intervene in the war. Basileus Pairisades happily agreed and entered the war several months later. Finally, the 1st Army arrived in Iberia and met with the now 5,000 men of the Iberian Army. The Iberian Army was entirely overmatched by the Armenia army which had double the men and King Arkhid was the far superior commander. After taking 4,000 casualties, the Iberian Army retreated to Meskheti, where the Bosporan Army eventually finished them off. The war ended with Meskheti given to Bosporus, and Iberia annexed by Armenia.
The next several years were quiet except for a single war against Cappadocia, where a small tribute per month was demanded. It was not annexed because its culture was not one of the several that contribute men to the army of Armenia, and King Arkhid wanted to avoid having a negative reputation. The year of 492 began the expansion of the Armenian empire into the three provinces of Alans, Legae, and Uti. All three of these provinces were settled within a single year. During the next three years, King Arkhid and Basileus Pairisades tried to find a good time to intervene in the Seleucid Empire’s rebellion to gain some territory, but the timing was never right.
Hopefully, the next several years will result in an alliance with Pontus, so that the three states of Pontus, Bosporus, and Armenia could stand against the Seleucid Empire as one, and begin taking down the yellow leviathan. In the far west, King Arkhid could see the growing power of Epirus, wondered about a possible alliance in the future against Carthage or Egypt, or possibly a showdown between an eastern alliance of Pontus, Armenia, and Bosporus and western alliance of Massila, Epirus, and the barbarian kingdom of Aedui.
News Update
Dan of Kentucky said he was going to be dropping out of the Campaign due to scheduling problems. Pontus is once again up for grabs.
Dan of Kentucky said he was going to be dropping out of the Campaign due to scheduling problems. Pontus is once again up for grabs.
Epirus 488-496 Part 1
"The Great Betrayal"
At the beginning of the year 488 AUC Rome was a battered nation. The war with Epirus had left them with only their southern provinces. The Roman army was rebuilding but nowhere near what it once was. With no access to iron they could not train heavy infantry. And whatever forces they could muster would be no match for Pyrrhus's battle hardened army. The roman senate concluded they alone could not defeat the greek menace. They would need help. And help would come in the form of disgruntled greek aristocracy.
Even with the occupation of vast tracks of rich italian land, King Pyrrhus was extremely unpopular. The bold King had defied the gods in his quest for personal glory. Ignoring old traditions and customs in favor of conquest. Warring during sacred holidays, claiming glory for himself and not acknowledging that the gods had shown him favor. All these transgressions had made his support wane throughout his kingdom. The roman senate took advantage of this and summoned in secret the conspirators and their would be successor to the throne.
Every noble Pyrrhus had placed in leadership positions, from treasurer to closest advisor, was secretly plotting against him....in league with the treacherous Romans. The Romans planned on tempting Pyrrhus to declare war on them by attacking his ally of Magna Greece. The greek conspirators had assured the roman senate that the war weary greek people would not support another long drawn out campaign and join the usurpers in open revolt. The trap was set.
"The Great Betrayal"
At the beginning of the year 488 AUC Rome was a battered nation. The war with Epirus had left them with only their southern provinces. The Roman army was rebuilding but nowhere near what it once was. With no access to iron they could not train heavy infantry. And whatever forces they could muster would be no match for Pyrrhus's battle hardened army. The roman senate concluded they alone could not defeat the greek menace. They would need help. And help would come in the form of disgruntled greek aristocracy.
Even with the occupation of vast tracks of rich italian land, King Pyrrhus was extremely unpopular. The bold King had defied the gods in his quest for personal glory. Ignoring old traditions and customs in favor of conquest. Warring during sacred holidays, claiming glory for himself and not acknowledging that the gods had shown him favor. All these transgressions had made his support wane throughout his kingdom. The roman senate took advantage of this and summoned in secret the conspirators and their would be successor to the throne.
Every noble Pyrrhus had placed in leadership positions, from treasurer to closest advisor, was secretly plotting against him....in league with the treacherous Romans. The Romans planned on tempting Pyrrhus to declare war on them by attacking his ally of Magna Greece. The greek conspirators had assured the roman senate that the war weary greek people would not support another long drawn out campaign and join the usurpers in open revolt. The trap was set.
Epirus 488-496 Part 2
"The Price of Treachery"
Rome once again declared war on Magna Greece. This time the greek nation had only one province, their capital of Tarentum. The romans quickly defeated Magna Greece's army and laid seige to their capital. They sent word to their ally Epirus and King Pyrrhus waisted no time in heeding his allies call.
He assembled his army of finaticly loyal soldiers who had been with him during his first campaign against the romans. But he quickly noticed that all his advisors and governing officials were no where to be found. While he was investigating this mystery he received word that the provinces of Umbria, Picenum and Samnium were in open revolt of his rule.
Then a loyal messenger informed the King that all of his former aristocracy had started a rebellion and were in league with the Romans. Pyrrhus could not believe that his fellow greeks would conspire against him. And after all he had accomplished. And before he could even finish briefing his troops on the situation, reports were coming in that a massive horde of Barbarians were pouring across their northern borders pillaging every town they came across.
The gods had truly forsaken the great King. But all was not lost. The usurpers had hoped all Epirus's territories would join the rebellion but this did not happen. only 3 provinces joined, and the conscripts these occupied territories provided were no match for the professional soldiers of the true King.
The King made dispatching the traitors his top priority. And the battles that ensued were so one sided that they need not even be mentioned. And as for the barbarians, by the time they had pushed far enough south to reach Rome they had lost significant numbers and the mighty King defeated the unwashed savages on the battlefield thus ending the barbarian threat. One thing the rebellion did accomplish was it gave the Romans enough time to capture Tarentum and annex Magna Greece.
But this would be Rome's final victory. Once the traitors were captured and imprisoned and their provinces once again occupied Pyrrhus turned south towards the Romans. The romans met him in battle but they suffered the same fate as their fellow conspirators.
After the remaining roman provinces were taken, King Pyrrhus traveled to the occupied capital of Rome and met with the Roman Senate. They had already accepted his demands for Lucania, Ager Brutus, and Tarentum but he merely made an appearance to deliver the senate a final message:
"The suffering you have unleashed on the greek people will not be forgotten, and even though we are now at peace I want you all to know that i will not rest until every Roman province, city, village is under greek control. There will be a reckoning, and before it is all done each and every one of you here today will know the price of Treachery!"
"The Price of Treachery"
Rome once again declared war on Magna Greece. This time the greek nation had only one province, their capital of Tarentum. The romans quickly defeated Magna Greece's army and laid seige to their capital. They sent word to their ally Epirus and King Pyrrhus waisted no time in heeding his allies call.
He assembled his army of finaticly loyal soldiers who had been with him during his first campaign against the romans. But he quickly noticed that all his advisors and governing officials were no where to be found. While he was investigating this mystery he received word that the provinces of Umbria, Picenum and Samnium were in open revolt of his rule.
Then a loyal messenger informed the King that all of his former aristocracy had started a rebellion and were in league with the Romans. Pyrrhus could not believe that his fellow greeks would conspire against him. And after all he had accomplished. And before he could even finish briefing his troops on the situation, reports were coming in that a massive horde of Barbarians were pouring across their northern borders pillaging every town they came across.
The gods had truly forsaken the great King. But all was not lost. The usurpers had hoped all Epirus's territories would join the rebellion but this did not happen. only 3 provinces joined, and the conscripts these occupied territories provided were no match for the professional soldiers of the true King.
The King made dispatching the traitors his top priority. And the battles that ensued were so one sided that they need not even be mentioned. And as for the barbarians, by the time they had pushed far enough south to reach Rome they had lost significant numbers and the mighty King defeated the unwashed savages on the battlefield thus ending the barbarian threat. One thing the rebellion did accomplish was it gave the Romans enough time to capture Tarentum and annex Magna Greece.
But this would be Rome's final victory. Once the traitors were captured and imprisoned and their provinces once again occupied Pyrrhus turned south towards the Romans. The romans met him in battle but they suffered the same fate as their fellow conspirators.
After the remaining roman provinces were taken, King Pyrrhus traveled to the occupied capital of Rome and met with the Roman Senate. They had already accepted his demands for Lucania, Ager Brutus, and Tarentum but he merely made an appearance to deliver the senate a final message:
"The suffering you have unleashed on the greek people will not be forgotten, and even though we are now at peace I want you all to know that i will not rest until every Roman province, city, village is under greek control. There will be a reckoning, and before it is all done each and every one of you here today will know the price of Treachery!"
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Session 3 Complete
I would like to thank everyone who participated in the 3rd session of the Rise of the Minors Campaign. Tonight's session was full of surprises. There are still plenty of coutries up for grabs if anyone wants to join. Pontus would be a good choice at this point. I have updated the campaign map as usual. I look forward to your AAR's guys. Strength and Honor to you all!!!!
I would like to thank everyone who participated in the 3rd session of the Rise of the Minors Campaign. Tonight's session was full of surprises. There are still plenty of coutries up for grabs if anyone wants to join. Pontus would be a good choice at this point. I have updated the campaign map as usual. I look forward to your AAR's guys. Strength and Honor to you all!!!!
Hosting
I finally got my router to allow hosting. At least it works for eu3, so as long as Rome uses the same ports, I'm good.
Basically, the trick was to tell the router to allow port forwarding for the udp protocol for ports 1630 to 1638. I'll attach a doc that shows the steps I used with my router and ip provider (Verizon).
I finally got my router to allow hosting. At least it works for eu3, so as long as Rome uses the same ports, I'm good.
Basically, the trick was to tell the router to allow port forwarding for the udp protocol for ports 1630 to 1638. I'll attach a doc that shows the steps I used with my router and ip provider (Verizon).
Campaign Progress
So how are you guys liking the campaign so far? Obviously I am having a good time with Epirus. It looks like the Gauls have prospered under Pax's leadership, and with a little bit of gold sent from Italy he he. Masilla didnt grow during our last session. Armenia and BK launched an ill fated attack on the Seleucids. Hopefully you guys do some planning before you attack the yellow monster again.
So how are you guys liking the campaign so far? Obviously I am having a good time with Epirus. It looks like the Gauls have prospered under Pax's leadership, and with a little bit of gold sent from Italy he he. Masilla didnt grow during our last session. Armenia and BK launched an ill fated attack on the Seleucids. Hopefully you guys do some planning before you attack the yellow monster again.
I like it. Currently I'm just waiting for my civ and population to grow so I can continue colonizing, since that's my only way to expand.
You can expand through conquest as well. You could start annexing the tribes in Iberia (Spain).
Yeah, didn't want to try that till I was a bit closer to them. I suppose I might as well though, no point in waiting.
Bosporan Kingdom: 496 to 512 AVC
The final years of King Pairisades reign were peaceful. The country expanded along the northern shores of the Black Sea by colonizing Navari and Obliea. The people there quickly adapted to the Greek culture and became among the most civilized in the world. A civil war, however,
broke out shortly after Pairisades ascended into heaven, leaving his son Kleitos Spartocid as the one true earthly ruler.
The Armenian kingdom aided Kleitos in suppressing the rebels, and once the civil war was over Kleitos immediately began conspiring with King Shapur to strike the Seleucid Empire. But alas, the combination of the young King, eager to make his mark, and the old King, eager to shine before his glory faded, was not conducive to careful planning for battle. They quickly forgot (or in the case of Kleitos, never learned) Sun Tzu's dictum:
The victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won,
whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
One half of their plan, to allow the Seleucid army to enter Armenia and then defeat it in a defensive battle in the mountains of Gelae, worked as they had hoped. But the other half, invade Antioch and Syria, take them with ease and wait till Seleucia offered peace on favorable terms, did not.
Instead, the Seleucids and their rose-crested allies from Rhodes invaded the heart of the Bosporan Kingdom and reduced one province after another. Kleitos might have seen the invasion coming if he had not lost track of his navy during the civil war. But as it was, the fleet either attrited
away as it stood guard in the Mare Icarium or, as some reports have it, set sail for the Misty Isles.
Still, the two Kings fought on with determination and growing ability. Shapur, an astounding level 11 field commander, defeated much larger Seleucid armies with seeming ease. Kleitos listened to his cunning Armenian advisors and freed his most competent civil war opponents from jail and placed them at the head of his armies. They rewarded Kleitos with
their loyalty and soon drove the Seleucid and Rodesian armies from the Kingdom and were about to join the Armenians on the southern front
when Shapur fell in battle. Demoralized by this, and with their manpower pools exhausted, the Armenians made the best peace they could. Kleitos soon followed with a White Peace, and thus ended the great War of
Ambition and Daring.
Together the Bosporan Kingdom and Armenia had pushed the largest empire in the East to the brink of defeat. When the war ended, the Seleucid army numbered only 15K, and their manpower pools were as dry as their desert provinces.
What next? Chastised by his defeat, and awed by how fast the Seleucid Empire has re-generated its depleted forces, King Kleitos will wait patiently for relations among the great powers of the East to deteriorate before making another bid to liberate the Greek provinces of the eastern Mediterranean.
The final years of King Pairisades reign were peaceful. The country expanded along the northern shores of the Black Sea by colonizing Navari and Obliea. The people there quickly adapted to the Greek culture and became among the most civilized in the world. A civil war, however,
broke out shortly after Pairisades ascended into heaven, leaving his son Kleitos Spartocid as the one true earthly ruler.
The Armenian kingdom aided Kleitos in suppressing the rebels, and once the civil war was over Kleitos immediately began conspiring with King Shapur to strike the Seleucid Empire. But alas, the combination of the young King, eager to make his mark, and the old King, eager to shine before his glory faded, was not conducive to careful planning for battle. They quickly forgot (or in the case of Kleitos, never learned) Sun Tzu's dictum:
The victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won,
whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
One half of their plan, to allow the Seleucid army to enter Armenia and then defeat it in a defensive battle in the mountains of Gelae, worked as they had hoped. But the other half, invade Antioch and Syria, take them with ease and wait till Seleucia offered peace on favorable terms, did not.
Instead, the Seleucids and their rose-crested allies from Rhodes invaded the heart of the Bosporan Kingdom and reduced one province after another. Kleitos might have seen the invasion coming if he had not lost track of his navy during the civil war. But as it was, the fleet either attrited
away as it stood guard in the Mare Icarium or, as some reports have it, set sail for the Misty Isles.
Still, the two Kings fought on with determination and growing ability. Shapur, an astounding level 11 field commander, defeated much larger Seleucid armies with seeming ease. Kleitos listened to his cunning Armenian advisors and freed his most competent civil war opponents from jail and placed them at the head of his armies. They rewarded Kleitos with
their loyalty and soon drove the Seleucid and Rodesian armies from the Kingdom and were about to join the Armenians on the southern front
when Shapur fell in battle. Demoralized by this, and with their manpower pools exhausted, the Armenians made the best peace they could. Kleitos soon followed with a White Peace, and thus ended the great War of
Ambition and Daring.
Together the Bosporan Kingdom and Armenia had pushed the largest empire in the East to the brink of defeat. When the war ended, the Seleucid army numbered only 15K, and their manpower pools were as dry as their desert provinces.
What next? Chastised by his defeat, and awed by how fast the Seleucid Empire has re-generated its depleted forces, King Kleitos will wait patiently for relations among the great powers of the East to deteriorate before making another bid to liberate the Greek provinces of the eastern Mediterranean.
Session 4 Complete
The historic 4th session of the "Rise of the Minors" campaign is complete. Erthain and Auron were absent but we pushed on. Tonight's session saw many twists and turns, including a restart after crashing 1 hour 20 minutes into the evening's campaign. Due to the fact that EVERYONE crashed noone was able to save, so we started over from the end of last weeks game.
But with this new start came a new beginning for the Aedui, who were plagued with internal strife the first time around. But their luck was much improved after the restart and saw the formation of GAUL. And Epirus got unknowingly drawn into a war with the mighty Seleucid Empire, but came to find out that after years of civil war there was not much left to fear. Naturally Epirus called in their allies BK to join in on the fun.
Thanks to everyone who participated and I look forward to your AAR's. Strength and Honor to you all!!
The historic 4th session of the "Rise of the Minors" campaign is complete. Erthain and Auron were absent but we pushed on. Tonight's session saw many twists and turns, including a restart after crashing 1 hour 20 minutes into the evening's campaign. Due to the fact that EVERYONE crashed noone was able to save, so we started over from the end of last weeks game.
But with this new start came a new beginning for the Aedui, who were plagued with internal strife the first time around. But their luck was much improved after the restart and saw the formation of GAUL. And Epirus got unknowingly drawn into a war with the mighty Seleucid Empire, but came to find out that after years of civil war there was not much left to fear. Naturally Epirus called in their allies BK to join in on the fun.
Thanks to everyone who participated and I look forward to your AAR's. Strength and Honor to you all!!
Well, whenever the current game ends and you guys have a chance to read this, since no one responded to my Yahoo messages, Rome crashed on me, and then an unexpected visitor came by and decided to go eat out tonight, so that would be why I didn't rejoin the game. Terribly sorry, I'm not doing very good on my first Rome multiplayer game.
Session 5 Complete
I would like to thank pax25 and KenG for showing up tonight, hopefully we can get more participation in the future. There are plenty of countries open if you want to join our campaign.
I would like to thank pax25 and KenG for showing up tonight, hopefully we can get more participation in the future. There are plenty of countries open if you want to join our campaign.
KenG: Out on the 14th
I will not be able to make tomorrow evening's session (Tuesday, April 14th). Sorry for the late notice but it just dawned on me that those tickets to the Dead that I bought back in January are for tomorrow night. Please play on without me. I think the BK can survive my absence, particularly now that the Seleucids have been taken down a notch.
I'll be back next week.
I will not be able to make tomorrow evening's session (Tuesday, April 14th). Sorry for the late notice but it just dawned on me that those tickets to the Dead that I bought back in January are for tomorrow night. Please play on without me. I think the BK can survive my absence, particularly now that the Seleucids have been taken down a notch.
I'll be back next week.
