Rise of the Ancient Empire (Imperial Rivalries Mod)

[Michaelangelo]

Looks like it will soon be Rome and Carthage as major rivals as it should be.

That sounds like foreshadowing for more war. The Etruscans will most likely regret tangling with Rome if they do.

 

[blklizard]

Looks like it will soon be Rome and Carthage as major rivals as it should be.

That sounds like foreshadowing for more war. The Etruscans will most likely regret tangling with Rome if they do.

I can reassure you that Carthage isn't the final boss of this AAR.

Chapter 103

The Illyrians suffered horrendous defeats at the hands of the Carthaginians so its government could no longer continue the war with Rome. Shortly after the war concluded between Illyria and Carthage, Rome also got the territory her emperor desired which saw Rome controlling a much larger portion of the Italian Peninsula. There were only a few enemies standing in the way of her unifying the entire peninsula.

In response to the Etruscan armies reported to be mobilizing, Emperor Galba ordered General Vestranio to gather his troops and station them near the border. Sadly, the general never completed this mission as an illness struck him down on his way home. The general had commanded admirably for his nation and his body was brought back to the capital for a proper funeral.

 

[sebas379]

Look at all thatred, wonderful! Soon it will engulf all of Italy i am sure.

 

[blklizard]

Look at all thatred, wonderful! Soon it will engulf all of Italy i am sure.

Rome will expand beyond Italy!

Chapter 104

A diplomat was sent to meet the Etruscan ruler to discuss the Etruscan soldiers spotted along the border. They were clearly readying for war and the diplomat had been sent knowing he wouldn't return alive. The man was picked for his loyalty to Rome and he was promised a grand funeral once his head was returned. This man's sacrifice was a necessary one given what was at stake at the time.

Roman soldiers were still returning from the newly conquered Illyrian provinces so additional time was needed for them to return. Emperor Galba learned that his Etruscan counterpart was an arrogant man who liked to torture his enemies slowly and painfully as his entertainment. The diplomat would give the impression he belittled the Etruscan ruler which would see his gruesome death but, knowing how long these tortures could last and the Etruscan ruler was going to lead troops himself, the Etruscan advances would be temporarily halted.

 

[sebas379]

Sacrificing one diplomat for the good of the nation. Its for the greater good.

 

[blklizard]

Sacrificing one diplomat for the good of the nation. Its for the greater good.

Yup, it's just one man.

Chapter 105

The diplomat's head was sent to the Roman capital a week later and, as promised, it was given a grand funeral fit for a general. However, the Roman emperor wasn't present at the funeral because he had matters to deal with regarding the Etruscan. War was certainly inevitable as he suspected as soon as he learned about the Etruscan armies gathering near the border.

The Roman armies were closing in on Etruscan provinces due to the extra time bought by a man's sacrifice but the emperor couldn't risk an attack on his capital without proper preparations. He learned that his counterpart was a crafty one so a sneak attack wasn't impossible. The emperor gathered all the recruits in the capital along with the formerly retired soldiers to help fight a battle he hoped to avoid.

 

[Michaelangelo]

These Etruscans sound like they need to be civilized, butchering a diplomat like that. Rome totally didn't send him out there knowing that would happen to provoke a war.

 

[blklizard]

These Etruscans sound like they need to be civilized, butchering a diplomat like that. Rome totally didn't send him out there knowing that would happen to provoke a war.

War was inevitable. He was just a delaying tactic.

Chapter 106

A messenger soon arrived with news of Etruscan forces marching into Roman territory. Emperor Galba wasn't surprised one bit by this news but the deployment of the enemy forces had him baffled. Clearly, the Etruscan ruler had thought ahead a few steps was utilizing his forces the best he could. The war wasn't about to happen the way Emperor Galba hoped it would and the forces he gathered for the garrison was desperately needed.

The Etruscan ruler had split his forces into three groups with two groups marching towards the Roman soldiers returning from the Illyrian campaign. The remaining group, led by him personally, was marching straight for Rome which was the heart of the rising empire. Both he and Emperor Galba were aware of the importance of the capital. If the Roman capital fell, then the war would be lost and the Italian Peninsula would become much more chaotic following the peace treaty the Etruscan ruler had in mind.

 

[sebas379]

Finally an enemy who understands how to wage war, it seems.

 

[blklizard]

Finally an enemy who understands how to wage war, it seems.

The Etruscan got a crafty ruler now so we better be ready.

Chapter 107

Upon learning about the invading Etruscan army, the Roman citizens were terrified and many considered the idea of fleeing. They didn't want to be caught in the conflict itself and no one expected the war to last long once the Roman capital fell. Emperor Galba wasn't about to leave the capital without a fight while the officers and soldiers under him were willing to fight till the last man.

Some final preparations were made to the fortification but these did little to calm the fear of the people. The Roman garrison was quite undermanned and the enemy was fierce. From reliable intelligence gathered, the Etruscan were deploying their most elite forces to Rome so they could end the war swiftly with minimal losses. Emperor Galba also had some of Rome's finest but they were considerably fewer in numbers.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 108

The Etruscan army led by the Etruscan ruler soon arrived outside the Roman walls. The civilians who wished to evacuate had already done so. The remaining either stayed in their homes or joined in the defense as leves. They might lack training but they could do an acceptable job throwing spears into the midst of the enemy. Emperor Galba remained on the walls where he would either rise or fall with the capital.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 109

Large contingents of Etruscan hoplites were outside the city walls which was a terrifying sight for the defenders inside. Their numbers alone already outnumbered what the garrison had and that didn't include the leves slingers and Italian noble infantry the enemy boasted. Overall, this seemed like a very likely defeat for the Roman defenders and the outcome of the war could be decided very quickly.

Luckily, the presence of Emperor Galba on the walls did lend some support to the defenders. Their morale would have been wavering if he wasn't present so that was a bit of good news. In addition, reinforcements were rumored to be arriving from the vassal of Samnite. No one, including the emperor himself, could confirm if the rumors were true or not. However, the rumors still gave the garrison hope.

 

[sebas379]

A decisive battle in the history of Rome for sure.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Vassal are always handy to have. Make excellent fodder.

 

[blklizard]

A decisive battle in the history of Rome for sure.

The odds don't look so great.

Vassal are always handy to have. Make excellent fodder.

It's a shame they're behind me and not between Rome and Etruscan.

Chapter 110

The defenders watched as the first few lines of Etruscan hoplites marching towards them along with a group of leves slingers supporting them. The leves on the walls were nervous but they were also ready to throw their spears at the enemy who got within their throwing range. The heavy armor of the Etruscan hoplites might make it tougher for the leves to kill them but some might just get lucky on the first try.

Many of the Etruscan hoplites worked together to carry ladders which they intended on using to scale the walls. The leves on the walls must focus on these hoplites who were more vulnerable since they must carry the ladders. Targeting down these hoplites was a priority but the enemy leves slingers would make the lives of the Roman leves tougher. With numerical disadvantage, the Romans needed every men they could get.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 111

The Etruscan hoplites marched forward with their shields up so they weren't affected by the hail of spears thrown at them. There were the occasional ones that managed to hurt a hoplite but the ranks of Etruscan hoplites remained strong. The enemy leves slingers were soon in range to throw their stones but the tall walls of the capital saw many of their stones falling short.

The Etruscan hoplites with ladders were still making their way to the wall but the spears were cutting their numbers more rapidly so more enemy hoplites had to assist. However, their advances weren't slowed much and the Romans were expecting tough fights atop the walls. Emperor Galba watched from his location as the enemy advanced closer to the capital threatening the existence of Rome herself.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 112

The Roman hastati rushed into position where the enemies were setting up their ladders. They were going to repel the enemy hoplites while the leves continued to throw spears at those brave enough to climb the ladders. They weren't about to let the enemy gain any ground with ease since the Romans felt desperate in holding off this attack until the rumored reinforcements arrived to assist them.

The hastati all had family in the city so they had obligations to halt the enemy advances. They had heard about the stories of the Etruscan barbarity like what happened to the diplomat. Emperor Galba emphasized that terrible fates awaited their loved ones if the enemy managed to breach through their defenses. This alone motivated the Roman hastati to fight at their best but no one knew if motivation was enough against overwhelming numbers.

 

[sebas379]

Lets hope the garrison can hold out untilreinforcements show

 

[Michaelangelo]

Well at least the Romans have their walls. Much easier to be on the defensive in this case. Here's hoping the city holds out.

 

[blklizard]

Lets hope the garrison can hold out untilreinforcements show

That's what the defenders are hoping for as well.

Well at least the Romans have their walls. Much easier to be on the defensive in this case. Here's hoping the city holds out.

Walls are only effective if you have enough men to garrison it which the Romans don't at the moment.

Chapter 113

Getting to the walls had been relatively easy but scaling the walls was much more difficult for the attackers. The Etruscan hoplites had to climb with spears raining down on them. The spears didn't even have to harm them since a well placed spear could easily affect their balance seeing them fall to their doom. Yet, one dead Etruscan hoplite was replaced by another so the attackers weren't giving in at all.

The leves slingers for the Estrucans weren't too effective as they either overshot or undershot their sling stones. The walls were tall so hitting those atop it at the arcs they were aiming for required a lot of skills. Sadly for the attackers, the Etruscan ruler was too focused on his mainline infantry so the training for his skirmishers were average at best which didn't exactly cut it in this situation.