Fineally.
Strangly, there was something odd about TWFs last words, about the defeat bit, anyway.
Can't see it.
Ah! The continuation of the Italian campain, as documented by EoJ.
The date-241 BC, winter
The factions- Greece V SPQR and Julii
The armies- Thaulos of Ilium (1387) V Cassius Maxentius (1352) and the sallying garrison of Arretium (Decius Julius, 1154)
The location- Fields south of Arretium
The background- Phase 3 of the Italian campain was given the go ahead, and Thaulos of Ilium, capturer of Arimmiun, marched west to take Arretium, the Julii capital. Phase 3 was the final stage of the long Italian campain, and the 3 armies that had landed in Italy, led by 3 of the greatest generals Greece had to offer. Thaulos seiged Arretium, while the Northen army prepared to go northwards to capture the Julii town and springboard into Gaul, the sothern army planned to engage the Senate army and take Rome.
However, the Senate took matters into their own hands, and sent Cassius Maxentius northwards to releive Arretium. Thaulos knew he was beaten, faced with two armies supirior in numbers and in experiance, and gave a speech to his men, saying all that wish to may leave. However, much to his suprise, none left.
The day dawned, and when Thaulos hoped to be a glorius end began.
The battle
The pre-battle screen.
As you can see, I'm heavily outnumberd.
This was my first time with the phalanx circle, and I figured I might as well in the face of such odds. It was either that or in the corner. Notice that I only have one reserve of armoured hoplites and the rest cavalry and the General. This is to prove my downfall.
The Senate in the foreground, me in the middle ground and the Julii in the far background.
They are coming!
The first of many action shots I took- this one is the first charge of the Senate.
The Senate general breaks through. I put my armoured hoplite reserve behind the split hoplites.
The Julii charge. This stretches me even more. Notice they mass on the edges of the square/circle.
The thin line- The Julii general leads the attack on the desperatly thin line of Hoplites. The Armoured hoplite reserve is now spread to a very brittle 2 deep line formation to cover the whole of the buckleing line. It's only a matter of time.
At this point I would have retreated had I not been surrounded. But there you go.
'Out of Doubt, out of Dark to the day's rising
I came singing in the Sun, sword unsheathing.
To hope's end I rode and to heart's breaking:
Now for wrath, now for ruin and a red nightfall!'- Thaulos of Ilium, as chargeing into the breach.
The line, brused and buckleing, finally went. A unit of Holites ran, leaving a gapeing hole for the romans to pounce on. Thaulos, however, made a defient geusture, and charged into the breach. My thoughts here were 'I can't win, so I'll take the brunt of the attack here, and try to sneak my hoplites away.' Unfortunatly, I couldn't.
Decideing on a last, defient charge, I took the hoplites from the back, who had not done much, and put them on the front line, which was nearly swept away. Thaulos was lost in a battle rage, straying too far from his army into the mass of enemies. Two seconds after i took this, he died, after takeing down yet another Julii family member.
Without any leadership, the rest of the previusly stalewart hoplites turned and ran. Many were slaughterd in the chase afterwards.
A defeat- my first of the greek campain. However, we went out in glory, even if we inflicted half the casulties they did.Post Mortem-
My downfall was trusting too much in a single, brittle line. It would have worked, however, if I had instead of Normal hoplites, armoured hoplites, as they held well until the death of the general. Next time I would make the circle smaller, and put in more reserves- as the fronline buckled I had nothing to answer with. At least here I learn from my mistakes.Aftermath-
But where does this leave phase 3 of the Italian campain? Not too wounded as you might expect, my friends. Yes, a whole army was wiped out, but there are two more there. The army that was previusly going North instead has taken on the task of secureing Northen Italy. The southern army will invade Rome or defend southen Italian provences depending on the movement of the Senate's army.
Even in the light of my defeat I still planned quickly- 'Operation Pheonix fire' is approved by the greek council. It involves shipping an army (That incleuds 5 sparten units) that was previusly going to Pontus to Italia and doing a lightning strike on the Senate and it's army. This would leave the other armies to conquer Roman lands to their leasure.
However, intelligence has reached greek ears that the Julii have expanded into Gaul, our lifelon allies. Allready preperations have begun, and plans for 'Operation: Boar hunt' is beggining to take shape. It's aims?
1) To wipe out the Julii completly
2) To neutralise any threat of Gaul
3) To expand the greek empire into Britain
4) To establish a springboard into Germania and Iberia.Another great post by EoJ EDIT: Damm- Image shack isn't working. What shall I do to fix it?
And I shall go Softly into the Night Taking my Dreams As will You
[This message has been edited by EnemyofJupitor (edited 05-06-2006 @ 01:10 PM).]