Commanders Lawcius and Amul remain at Roma, now under the watchful eye of Praetor Arvina. Age 19 and 18 now respectively, roughly halfway through the waiting period for tribune responsibility. One notable development is that, over the course of the past year, Amul has become known as a man of 'rational concerns'. Practically speaking, this translates to a minor boost in morale to his men on the field of battle, as they serve a leader who is always on the lookout for potential dangers.

Briefing: Consul Mus
Location: Kroton -- pop. 19.05k, 115% order
Army: 320 personal cavalry, 100 Etruscan Equites, 2420 Campanian hoplites, 2420 Etruscan hoplites, 900 Oscan infantry, 500 Hastati, 3700 Principes, 780 Triarii, 3640 Oscan javelinmen, 1210 Velites. Total force of 15,990 men.

Mus takes his first consular command at age 43, with at least a dozen years of service likely left in him. The situation at Kroton is stable and secure, but will require the presence of his army to make it remain so. The completion of the Civitas Sociorum and the provincial stability which results is still a year away, so leaving the city would result in serious unrest and probably more riots. No aggressive course of action suggests itself until then.

Worthy of particular notice is the 'toe' map section which shows the location of Aiakid forces. There are presently three maniples at Lokris Epizefirioi, another five with the armies demonstrating near Rhegion. They've been moving between the two provinces for the last few seasons, generating a lot of speculation but not actually doing anything, probably because they don't have enough men to credibly threaten a successful assault on either Kroton or Rhegion. Still, they do constitute the bulk of the Aiakid army present in Italy, and will need to be dealt with once the army is free to move again.

Briefing: Consul Laevinus Coffeium
Location: Tarentum -- pop. 30.49k, 105% order
Army: 920 personal cavalry, 680 Equites(multiple types), 5320 Campanian hoplites, 1720 Oscan infantry, 1040 Samnite infantry, 3960 Hastati, 120 Principes, 80 Triarii, 1760 Oscan javelinmen, 1040 Velites. Total force of 16,640 men.

Now the 'senior consul' if you will at age 46, Coffeium still has much ahead of him. Like his counterpart at Kroton, he will have to wait a year. Much of this is due to the limitations of young tribune Secundus Cornelius Dolabella, set to take command of the city once he leaves. Of him it has been said, 'he is not fit to take command of a shrimp stall, much less anything important'. However, there are few qualified tribunes and he's the one who is available at the moment. Dolabella cannot keep the city under control until the transition is complete.

Only three maniples are in place at Brentesion, the final target in the southwest Italy, and that situation has remained unchanged for some time. It is expected that victory there will follow swiftly once Tarentum is pacified.

As for Laevinus Coffeium himself, he has the interesting distinction of being well respected for his many victories, yet still disgraced to a degree for his defeats early in the war -- espescially the loss of the legionary eagle in 279. He is simultaneously a flawed and esteemed leader, but right now as good as anyone Rome has.

The first half of 276 was pretty uneventful. Summer brought some noteworthy developments but things in the Republic pretty much went on as planned. Carthage retook Messana, and just south of there Aiakid troops were loaded onto one of their fleets at Tauromenion(preparations for a counterattack in southern Italy, perhaps?). The beginnings of a fleet officially now exist as well with the first ships completed at Capua.

Autumn brought the beginning of the Urbs project at Roma, first of the provinces to get the needed city developments for further growth. Muli's recent marriage to Hostia(16) produced a daughter, Honoria.

And then this, rendering all such considerations nigh-irrelevant:










Rhegion is under siege by an army under Ithobaal, a young, competent Carthaginian general. The Senate hastily assembled to discuss options for the defense of the Republic ....

Bastards!

We need someone to scout the enemy, presto!

Dear Senate:

Send more troops.

As we now have a new enemy and an apparently huge war in the making against what are now the two most powerful rivals in the region, it's worth taking a look at what we know of their holdings(there's nobody around that can do any scouting in the near future). It should also be noted that another, small slave rebellion has sprung up near Arretium in the north, but Praetor Arvina is expected to deal with this without any problem.

REPUBLIC OF CATHARGO

** Sicily -- They hold the north of the island, at least in the east(Messana) and the western tip(Lilybaion), both major provinces
** Iberia -- Cathargo Nova in the southeast gives them a foothold although we know very little about lands this distant
** Northwest Africa -- Same as Iberia, they have Utica and the village of Zama and probably other provinces that we are not yet aware of.
** Med. Islands -- At least three major provinces that we know of, Caralis, Alalia, and Ebusos, are held on the islands west of Sicily.

Intelligence currently views Carthago as being somewhat of a paper tiger. They have a widespread empire demanding a large military, and as such their army is probably twice the size of ours. However, they are only slightly larger than the Republic in terms of total territory held, economic strength, etc, and their wide-ranging holdings lead to a certain level of inefficiency.

AIAKID DYNASTY

** Italy -- The towns of Brentesion and Lokris Epizefiroi in the south are the only remaining bastions of their influence.
** Sicily -- Tauromenion, Syrakousai, and Akragas. The Aiakids control the east and south of Siciliy, effectively dividing the known provinces between themselves and Cathargo.
** Greece -- Only two provinces are known to us that they hold -- Apollonia and the smaller town of Korkyra. There may be more, but at this point we believe Sicily has actually become their greatest power centre.

OVERVIEW

Militarily we are outnumbered approximately 4:1, about 2:1 economically. The odds are definitely against us however you slice it, but the Roma also has a far more efficient economic and transportation situation, being centered on one landmass, and the recent string of victories has strengthened our confidence in the legions.

The immediate situation at Rhegion looks hopeless. The garrison there is outnumbered at least two to one, and there are enough Aiakid armies between Kroton(the closest city) and Rhegion to make any attempt at reinforcement practically impossible. More likely we will need to accept the temporary loss of the city and make an effective counterattack. The question for the consuls to consider between now and the end of the year(when they will begin to be able to leave Kroton/Tarentum) is when and where to strike ...

The Senate has approved two emergency changes. First, a reduction in the praetorian armies from ten maniples to six, in order to send more men to the front. Second, all further domestic spending has been suspended despite the needs of various cities. The conflicts in the south must take precedence over all else.

Things change all the time -- we need only look at how much we've grown and the Aiakid Dynasty has shrunk in just a few years time since Pyrrhos' initial invasion to see that. Having said that, this war has the potential to be a defining moment in history. With such enemies arrayed against us, any defeat, any opportunity not fully siezed, could be disastrous, and it is not assured that victory is even possible. If it is, it will come with great sacrifice if it comes at all.

Since the Gauls left, the future of the Republic has never been more uncertain ...

I believe we must first lay siege to the remaining bastions of Greek influence in Italy. We cannot wage war with Carthage until our own penninsula is secure.

This is great! Do you play any multiplayer?

Thanks! No I don't do multiplayer, in this game it isn't a particularly good experience but I'm not a MP guy in basically any games(just because IMO it becomes an exercise in abusing the game engine which isn't fun for me).

Late autumn brought a bit of a shocking development as the siege of Rhegion was broken off for unknown and certainly unannounced regions. Within days the local Aiakid armies surrounded the city, so there was no relief for Rhegion but there is a much better chance(I'd put it at 50-50 right now) that this assault can be fended off.

STATE OF ROME, 275 B.C.

Provinces: 23(10 major, 13 minor, no change)
Navy: 600(first 20 ships!)
Army: 117k(+14%)
Citizenry: 289.7k(+4.9%)
Annual Income: 233.8k(-2.4%)
Annual Profit: 14.3k(6.1%)
Treasury: 10.79k(-65.2%)

The arrival of spring brought a number of developments. Transition is now complete at both Tarentum and Kroton, allowing most of the consular armies to leave those cities and proceed with campaigning elsewhere. It also gives the Republic additional and perhaps just as importantly, local sources of allied troops to allow faster levies to be recruited.

The Aiakid armies -- four of them, all quite small but a singnificant obstance combined -- remain around Rhegion. The bulk of their known forces are either at Tauromenion or on the ships near it, waiting for ... who knows what. They're not accomplishing much at the moment. Meanwhile, Ithobaal's army is attempting to retake Messana which has once again managed to shake loose from its captors. Their fight is doing us a huge favor by distracting him.

In the nearly-forgotten north, the spy Numerius reports that the Genuans have divided their forces. About 40% have moved north for unknown purpose under a mere local captain. This would be an ideal time to strike, divide and conquer -- if it weren't for the fact that both consuls are otherwhise engaged and it's a 3-year journey about on foot from the southern end of Italy, much less by sea but the waterways are not in our control yet.

Quaestors Herius Antonius and Caius Fabricius Luscinus are now eligible for the rank of Aedile, the highest 'civilian' rank the Senate bestows. This will leave the Republic with no quaestors(four openings) and most of the tribune spots unused as well. It's a top-heavy leadership, and a situation to which there is no quick fix. As the youngsters coming in move into the higher positions over the next decade or two, the leadership issue will eventually fix itself -- but a great deal of difficulty might be encountered before that happens.

The current estimated balance of power is shown below:



White = Carthago
Red = Roma
Teal = Aiakid Dynasty
Navy Blue = Antigonid Dynasty
Green = Aedu(Gauls)
Maroon(new) = Arverni(Gauls)

The second primary Gallic faction is beginning to flex its muscles in the north. Though we still know nothing of these lands, the tales of their growing strength indicate that the time will come when they pose a threat to the Republic again. We have other concerns at present of course, but it never hurts to peer into the future and see what other threats might await there.

The recent steep decline in apparent Roman influence should not be taken too seriously. We have regressed financially(i.e., spent most of the treasury), but in terms of territory, military/economic strength, etc. there has been no decline. It's a mirage really, or perhaps you could say the prior rating was an inflated mirage when there was more in the bank, depending on your point of view. Either way we remain clearly a major power, well ahead of all comers except the ever-growing mercantile strength of Carthago. The Arverni and Aedui combined are now roughly equal to our strength ...

Commanders Lawcius and Amul are still at Roma awaiting their turns. That wait is nearing its end. In the past year both had some changes to their situation though.

Lawcius has been reading widely the written works and history of famous generals, and from this has gained a significantly improved 'Understanding of Tactics'. Practically speaking, this means he has improved deployment of troops on the battlefield to avoid surprises(slightly increased line of sight) and gains a significant boost when ambushing the enemy(+2 command). This would most likely manifest itself most in a potential role as Praetor, though it would be useful for a Consul as well. For the short and medium-range future, it's not a particularly important trait for a provincial governor.

Amul got himself married to Hostia(17) and they already have a daughter Honoria(1).

Quaestor Caius Fabricius Luscinus, just recently promoted to that office, is the governor at Roma and likely to remain so for the forseeable future. For now, he is your superior.

Briefing: Consul Mus
Location: Just west of Kroton

Army:

** Cavalry -- 360 personal, 100 Etruscan equites
** Line Infantry -- 2420 Etruscan hoplites, 500 Hastati, 3700 Principes, 780 Triarii
** Missile/Skirmishers -- 2820 Velites, 1040 Oscan javelinmen
** Total: 11,720 men

As of now, you are the tip of the spear. Your fellow consul has already indicated his intention to take care of business in the east by wiping out Brentesion. That leaves you to see to matters in southwest Italy. You will eventually receive more reinforcements but for now a few thousand men are taken from your army to remain in Kroton as a garrison to ensure continued order and stability.

All indications from Rhegion are that the Aiakids are not merely grandstanding: they have built a battering ram and intend to attack, probably soon. It is unlikely you can reach the city in time to make a difference, but you don't need to make that decision yet if you don't want to. Assuming you choose to move your army at all, you can only reach the 'fork' in the road that splits north to the rest of Italy or west to Lokris Epizefiroi before summer. At that point a choice will need to be made.

At or around Rhegion are the four Aiakid armies with Idaeus(competent) in overall command, Pyris is also there. It's a total of ten maniples, roughly equivalent in number to your army if they were combined. It is expected that there are enough men there now to take the city. Lokris Epizefiroi has a stone wall but only two maniples under another competent general, Dionysios. One thing the Aiakid's don't seem to have a lack of is capable battlefield commanders. It is also worth noting that this is the new administrative capital for the Aiakid Dynasty, and attacking it would likely provoke a response from somewhere -- if they lose it, they will not have anything resembling a central location to govern from. It is even possible that the faction could splinter.

On a personal note, your wife Marcella, at the age of 40, gave birth to a daughter this past year(Leontia).

Consul Mus, at this moment you have an important decision, probably the most important of any Roman right now and the most critical of your career. You are on the clock. Do you choose to:

** Ignore all of your adviser's suggestions and take a completely different path.
** Stay at Kroton and await further reinforcements
** Attack Lokris Epizefiroi regardless of what happens at Rhegion
** Attack the Aiakid armies at Rhegion whether they take the city or not
** Try to relieve Rhegion, but divert to Lokris Epizeiroi if you can't get there in time to prevent it's capture

What say you, consul?

Briefing: Consul Laevinus Coffeium
Location: Just east of Tarentum
Army:
** Cavalry -- 680 personal, 40 Campanian equites, 640 Oscan equites
** Line Infantry -- 2900 Campanian hoplites, 100 Oscan infantry, 1040 Samnite infantry, 3960 Hastati, 120 Principes, 80 Triarii
** Skirmishers/Missile -- 1760 Oscan javelinmen, 760 Funditores
** Total: 12,090 men

Similarly, a few thousand remain at Tarentum to keep the city secure. Brentesion has only two maniples defending it and is expected to fall quickly. It is assumed based on your previous orders that you wish to take that town first, and then head west to where heavier fighting appears to be imminent. Your legion awaits any potential changes in these instructions.

Indeed, let's secure the strongholds first. The Legion shall march on Brentesion.

And get me more men!

Consul, the Senate respectfully directs your attention to the fact that almost 94% of current revenue is being eaten up to pay for the current agents, leaders, ships, and men at arms. In other words, other than the ones currently on their way in some form or another, there ain't a whole lot of cash to fund new troops :).

How big is the garrison in Rhegion? And can I take on the armies one at a time, or are they close enough to each other that they would all appear on the battlefield if I attacked? March to the fork in the road and let's assess the situation. Maybe I can tempt some of the enemy to give battle.

Senators, perhaps you all can go without quite so many pleasure slaves for the time being while I go win this war for Rome. :)

Five maniples plus the tribune and his cavalry, so six of them. The armies are all right next to each other so you'd have to fight most of them at least at the same time.

Summer Update: the Aiakid capital has been moved to Korkyra(east coast of Greece proper). I don't know when this happened, might have been a while ago, but in any case that's no longer an issue.

The armies at Rhegion are down to eight maniples now, much of it quality phalanx infantry though if inexperienced. They have two rams now completed. The other two maniples have moved to near Lokris Epizefiroi.

Time to make a decision, Consul Mus.

Am I at the fork in the road between Rhegion and Lokris Epizefiroi? If we wave our private parts at the Greeks, will some come to give battle?

I've got 12,000 men + the garrison; how many Greeks are we looking at? Any way to get a read on their relative experience?

Yes. No way to know.

You don't have the garrison with you, they had to stay in Kroton.

I meant the garrison in Rhegion. I presumed that they would sally forth if a battle was close enough.

If they have split off two maniples, now is as good a time as any to strike. Move toward the main force. If the 2 maniples that left try and return to the main force, let's pivot and squash them first. If not, destroy the main Greek army and we can mop up the units in Lokris Epzefiroi later.

That village needs a proper Roman name.

Unfortunately I can't rename the provinces.

Yeah, the garrison in Rhegion will join if it's close(one 'movement square' in any direction). They are mostly skirmishers and Samnite light infantry, garrisons tend to be lower-quality troops as they are cheaper which leaves more money for the field armies.

It's turning into a pretty ridiculous week work-wise, but we'll have a report at least by weekend's end on a pretty battle-heavy year.

Ok we're back -- as I mentioned lots of fighting this year.

Summer 275 BC
Battle of Rhegion

Consul Mus arrived at Rhegion and received a bit of a nasty surprise. He had to attack the 'support' army which meant that the garrison couldn't actually come out and help him, but the sieging Greek army could. As a result, odds were considerably less in our favor than initially hoped with the enemy army slightly outnumbering him. Additionally, his men were forced to do a long march up a fairly steep hill to reach them, negating any chance to crush the first army before reinforcements arrived behind them.







A long chaotic battle ensued on the hillside. The Aiakids had significant numbers of skilled if inexperienced spearmen, but their missile troops were quickly chased off by Mus and his cavalry. Most of the Roman men were core Republican troops, as the somewhat weaker allied types had been left in Kroton, a fact that might have saved the day here.







The superior quality and numbers of the heavier infantry types proved to be a decisive factor, and while the Aiakid hoplites fought nearly till dawn, they eventually crumbled under the assault.







Mus lost about 2500 men, which considered that almost nothing about this battle went as planned was a very acceptable number. Meanwhile in the north, Praetor Arvina reached the brigand army and brought them to a quick end. Another thousand were lost there, but that was to be expected as Arvina is skilled in some areas, not so much in combat where he is little better than a local captain might fare. With the slaves outnumbered by higher quality men, the ultimate outcome was never a concern.

Autumn, 275 BC

Another twenty quadriremes were completed at Capua, and under Admiral Publio new fleet moved its way south to make life miserable for the Aiakids. It was time for Roma to contest control of the waterways around Italy, and with the new war against Carthago no new funds are expected to be available to expand the navy in the forseeable future. Meanwhile, Herius Antonius has been officially commissioned as Quaestor, and heads back to Arretium.

In the southeast, Consul Laevinus Coffeium was ready for his final push ...

Battle of Brentesion

Auxiliaries took the walls quickly, thanks to their abandonment by the defenders who waited further in the town. The gates were opened and the mass of hastati entered to push inside, and that's when things got interesting for a bit ...







The battle plan of the local garrison was well planned and executed similarly. The hastati had to march through a hail of arrows from archers down the narrow streets, then into a wall of spears. One was forced to applaud the intelligence and valor of the defense, even if it was ultimately doomed due to the sheer numbers that Coffeium could bring to bear.

The spearmen fought on until only a few hundred remained, eventually falling back to the plaza. At this point the fight became comical. The auxiliaries took over for the now-tired and bloodied hastati, pushing forward to the centre where they were met by the most desperate of sights -- the toxotai were out of arrows, so they fought hand-to-hand with knives in an utterly hopeless gesture.







The absurdity of the situation was soon apparent to all, and most surrendered rather than face certain death upon Campanian spears. Despite outnumbered about five-to-one, Brentesion was to be the end for more than 1400 Roman soldiers. Victory was still achieved as expected, and the army left immediately to make the march across southern Italy to the west ...

Autumn/Winter 274 BC

The battle that almost was, but refused to be fought ...



Thus is the situation in late Autumn at Lokris Epizefiroi. Mus has arrived with a detachment of cavalry to assist him in sieging the city, the first of the latest wave of reinforcements from the north. However, the much-discussed Aiakid army landed as well to support the town, and the garrison sallied forth in a night-time attack(keeping the cavalry where they are and not allowing them to join the battle). Opposed by pretty overwhelming force(more than 22 thousand), Praetor Mus's only choice was to withdraw**.

** I tried to fight this battle three times with the idea of Mus attempting to crush the garrison, perhaps even sneak inside the walls before the larger new army got into the fight. He did have one siege tower built already. There were two maniples of solid hoplites that prevented such a quick defeat however, and more importantly the game crashed at about the same point all three times, just as the relief force was about to overwhelm his position. It was an unwinnable affair: I could have auto-resolved but that would have a high likelihood of killing Mus. I don't object to having family members die in certain situations but I'm definitely going to want the battle to play out and have it happen in a way that I can report the details! So withdrawal seemed the only reasonable option. This is the first battle I've ever had that problem with, my best guess is that it isn't a systemic game/mod problem but an issue with the terrain around Lokris Epizefiroi.**

The Aiakids chose not to pursue him, and meanwhile resistance at Messana has been broken again and the constant sieging of Rhegion resumed, this time by the Carthaginians once again. Unable to reach either province in the harsh weather, Mus found some high ground between them and was joined there by two units of equites, one of which had been at the previous siege and one new one. His men bunkered down there and awaited the coming of spring ....

** Next up, there is a lot of news in the Spring of 274 to deal with. I'll just say for now that matters appear to finally really be coming to a head ...

Are you still accepting sign-ups? If so I'll take a new character.

So Claudia and Lepidus had their fist kid when she was 24 and he was 12? Yikes.

Another victory for Rome! I am interested to see what the next update will bring.

It occurs to me that we haven't seen Mus's character sheet. When you have a moment, I'd love to see a post of that.

Yep, you'll be in the next update. Good catch on the ages, I hadn't seen that and funny you should notice that as you are a relative now :P ...

274 BC

Once again a new year has arrived. 275 brought mixed results for the Republic of Roma. Brentesion has fallen, but the siege at Lokris Epizefiroi was broken in rather embarassing fashion, and Rhegion has been under near-constant threat throughout.

The navy was improved and is now at a credible size, at least for the moment, of 40 quadriremes comprising 1200 sailors. Meanwhile, attrition and the air-tight financial situation saw the army actually contract slightly, even as income and the citizenry continued to show modest gains.

STATE OF ROME

Provinces: 24(10 major, 14 minor, no change/+1)
Navy: 1.2k(+100%)
Army: 115.1k(-1.6%)
Citizenry: 305.9k(+7.1%)
Annual Income: 243k(+3.9%)
Annual Profit: 13.4k(-6.3%)
Treasury: 6419(-40.5%)

Recent days have brought probably even more momentous events in the death of praetor and former consul Tiberius Coruncanius from natural causes. He was 61. Coruncanius(335-274 BC) was the greatest Roman hero of both the Samnite and Pyrrhic[/b] wars, bridging the gap between those conflicts with steady leadership in peacetime, playing a major role in training up a new generation of leaders, and leaving the Republic in a far better position than it was prior to his ascendance. His greatest moment was probably crushing the remains of the Pyrrhic army at Grumentum in 279, a battle that swung the tide of the war decisively in Roman favor. It was not until this past year at Lokris Epizefiroi that Aiakid armies would deal us another defeat. Before that day, we had not beaten them once. The demonstration that our legions could stand up against Hellenistic phalanx formations, considered the standard by which armies are judged in our time, cannot be overestimated. He is survived by his wife Poppaea(64) and all four of his daughters.









This loss leaves a hole in the ranks as there are none ready to take the second Praetor post. Cornelius Arvina will return to the vicinity of Roma, and the lowly-regarded general will be forced to handle defense of the entire Republic, a task no one man could adequately fill. The army that Coruncanius will mostly head south to reinforce the consuls for offensive operations. It is worth noting that two new leaders join the ranks at this time. Quaestor Antonius put forward the name of Tertius Appuleius Pansa(27), who is not a man of great influence but possesses good defensive command skill, well-suited for tribune duty. Additionally, Manius Lepidus, son of Tribune Quintus Aemilius Lepidus, has come of age. Manius's timing is not great, as the odds of him surviving the current conflict at Rhegion are at best uncertain. If he does manage to do so, he is considered a confident leader of attacking command style, with a enough connections through his family to overcome the fact that he's somewhat disinterested intellectually. Irrelevantly, he considers chariot races to be a complete bore. Welcome to your place in the story, mrtourette. You may choose a moniker of your liking at this time.











Domestically, the already inadequate infrastructure situation continues to worsen, but for the moment the Senate sees no choice but to continue spending every available denarii to throw men at the war in the southwest. For the last couple of years both the Republic of Cathargo and the Aiakid dynasty have shown a significant degree of indecision and incompetence, but that seems to be coming to an end now with their recent aggressive moves. The latest intelligence reports are not encouraging ...











These require a bit of explanation. I was using the 'overall' graph but it vacillates too much based on what was built recently. So I'm going with two here, military and population which together should paint a pretty good picture. I'm also going to present the Top 5 factions each time to make things relatively simple. The usual suspects are Carthago(white), Roma(red), and Aiakid(teal), with the previously mentioned Dynasty of Antigonos in the navy blue. The newcomer in the tan or whatever is the Norici, a tribe rumored to be of the northeastern steppes. We know nothing of them at this time. Carthago has reached a position of absurd domination the past few years, and the Aiakids are recovering as well. The others are of no real concern.

On the second graph, population, we can see that we are doing better, essentially keeping pace a bit behind Carthago. The Aiakids are no longer third with one of the Gallic factions(Aedui, green) having narrowly eclipsed them and the other(Arverni, maroon) not that far behind. Many of the minor factions are seeing their populations explode right now, which would trouble us if we didn't have a lot more pressing matters to concern ourselves with.

As always, the Senate awaits input on any potential policy changes. The general feeling is that we need to stay the course right now: the war situation avails itself of no other real option.

I am happy to be called by the name Manius.

Commander Briefings

Manius(16) -- As you were just commissioned, there is nothing to report as of yet.

Amul(20) -- Nearing the end of the long wait, one more year to tribune eligibility. You have 'earned' the 'Talkative' trait, as it seems you are unable to keep confidences and are little-trusted as a result. Practically speaking, this means a -2 to Influence, which will severely limit the effect of your words on the Senate and also make you unlikely to receive their favor in achieving the best postings ...

Lawcius(21) -- So much for your wife's infertility, as a second daughter(Domitia) recently was born. However, you still have no heir ... you are mere months away from your expected tribune appointment.

Can we get the bio cards of our respective characters? I don't think we've ever seen them.

+1

Yeah, me too, and when will we see anything about Amul?

Yours was already put up when you got your commission(post #46, first page). I'm a little confused by your question, as I just posted your yearly update -- are you looking for something else?

I now see that my character is Muli, I was confused because my nickname was changed without any notice of it because I started with the nickname of Amul.

Yeah um so for some reason I was certain you wanted to be called Muli. Probably because I'm deranged. Fixed :P.

Ignore the 'Faction Heir' bit, as it has no effect or purpose of any kind in this mod and is a holdover from the vanilla game.

Briefing: Consul Mus
Location: SE Italy -- Specifically, atop the highest ground available between the two hotspots of Lokris Epizefiroi and Rhegion
Army:
** Cavalry -- 380 personal cavalry, 60 Etruscan equites, 800 Campanian equites, 840 Republican equites
** Heavy Infantry -- 2060 Campanian hoplites, 300 Hastati, 2280 Principes, 460 Triarii
** Skirmishers -- 2780 Velites, 960 Oscan javelinmen
** Total -- 10,920 men

You have a lot of cavalry with the recent reinforcements, infantry is coming as well but at a slower pace of course. The situation is complex, probably more so than last year. Consul Laevinus is not expected to be able to lend aid until the fall, he is currently just west of Herakleia on the road headed towards what is now the only active front. There are a few unusual things going on. It is recommended that you peruse the updated 'Toe' map in concert with this evaluation.

The Aiakids have split the army which drove you from Lokris Epizefiroi. 7 maniples remain at the town, one of cavalry, one of archers, and five more of unknown composition though it was a balanced force initially with a sizable amount of phalanx infantry. The other part is on the south road to Rhegion and has nine, one of phalanx infantry, one of cavalry, and two skirmishers, with the other five unknown. Your force should be at least the equal if not a bit stronger than either one of these armies individually.

Returning to Lokris Epizefiroi is an option, but would likely result in the Aiakids unifying their forces again. You could attack the army on the south road, which is enticingly commanded only by a local captain.

Meanwhile at Rhegion, the Carthaginian army attacking the city is also led only by a captain. There are 13 maniples there of various types both known and unknown, some depleted and some full strength. It is known that they do have war chariots. Strangely, they have not yet built any siege equipment, suggesting but not guaranteeing that an assault is probably not imminent. If they mean to starve out Rhegion, it has enough supplies to last more than a year. Moving closer to the city would allow you to assist in the case of an attack. Because of it's position, you can't actually attack the army around Rhegion directly. The only ways to it are through Rhegion(not allowed because of the siege) or through Messana.

Another option would be to counterattack in Sicily itself. This would require using Admiral Publio's fleet as transport, but you would have to land to the west of Messana, and while this might prompt the siege to be broken you could also find yourself greatly outnumbered(the garrison there is almost as large as the other army). Additionally, Publio would not be able to both land you in Sicily and attack the Aiakid fleet which the remains of five maniples that you recently defeated near Rhegion, giving them another chance to land and join the land battles.

I'm sure all of that is now as clear as pea soup in a mud puddle on a foggy, overcast day. So Consul Mus, your instructions?

Briefing: Consul Laevinus Coffeium
Location -- Just north and west of Herakleia, on the road southwest to the front.

You haven't received any reinforcements yet as they are all headed to where the action is. Your usual briefing is going to be delayed a bit until you get there yourself with your army, probably in late summer or early fall. It is likely the situation will have changed significantly as it has been very fluid for some time now, so any decisions made now would be quite premature other than the obvious need to march on and get into the action as soon as possible.

With Coruncanius gone, you are now the 'wise old man' of the Republic, the most senior and experienced of its leaders -- though you've certainly had your share of defeats along with noteworthy victories. Not too old, of course, it is expected that you will have several more years of active service. You may similarly ignore the 'Faction Leader' title in your character review.

I think we have the opportunity to give one of our enemies the boot from the boot. Let's pounce on the Greeks while their forces are divided.

Attack the Aiakid army on the South road. Admiral Publio should go and sink the Aiakid fleet. After my victory, we can assess our next step.

dola,

Is there an assassin nearby? That diplomat near Rhegion needs to meet with an accident, if you know what I mean. I don't want him bribing our reinforcements.

No assassin nearby, but that actually isn't an Aiakid diplomat. Similar color so I've frequently made the same assumption. That's actually the envoy from the independent barbarians, with whom we currently have peace.

Spring, 274

There were two significant events this season, the first being Mus's battle against the Aiakids. He actually went into the fight at a bit of a disadvantadge numerically, with over 12,200 opposing him. He did manage to catch them in a valley, and was able to approach from much higher ground.








His far more numerous cavalry chased off or butchered the enemy counterparts, and eventually their missile troops as well. This left the phalanxes to fight an uphill battle -- in more ways than one -- against his infantry. They didn't hold out long.







In an astonishingly one-sided battle, his men captured or killed more than ten thousand while losing just over four hundred. The few that remained retreated to the ships near Rhegion ... and were soon under attack by Publio's fleet. Outnumbered about two-to-one and with lighter ships, the Aiakids quickly retreated south but most did manage to escape. Another Aiakid town on the east coast of Sicily was also discovered, and for now we have taken a step towards naval supremacy in the region, but who knows when those men could attempt to return. A few of Mus's maniples saw a noted increase in their abilities following this battle, and the consul himself earned another command star ...

Consul Mus, there is still yet enough time this season for you to choose one of three options: move west to support Rhegion, east to siege Lokris Epizefiroi, or remain central and essentially punt that decision until the summer when you will have Campanian and Oscan infantry support to strengthen your army, somewhere in the vicinity of 3000 additional men in total. They should be able to join you anyway, even if you move now, unless you were to be attacked immediately.

** Note: Events are changing swiftly now. I expect this will continue for a bit, resulting in slow-moving time as it may be necessary to pause each season, rather than each year, for orders in some cases. I will proceed as quickly as possible, but I think keeping the 2-day time period is only fair as we all have real lives to deal with as well.

In the absence of specific instructions, Mus's army moves in the consul's previously stated goal to knock the Aiakid's out of the boot of Italy, resuming the siege at Lokris Epizefiroi. Later in the spring, fresh reinforcements add about 3000 allied infantry to his army. The assault there is expected in the fall.

Summer, 274 BC
Briefing: Consul Laevinus Coffeium
Location: Southwest Italy
Army
** Cavalry: 720 personal, 40 Campanian equites, 640 Oscan equites
** Heavy Infantry: 2900 Campanian hoplites, 460 Samnite milites, 100 Oscan infantry, 3120 Hastati, 120 Principes, 80 Triarii
** Skirmishers: 1760 Oscan javelinmen, 760 Funditores
** Total: 10,700 men

A pair of infantry units are just behind you and will likely join soon if time permits to wait for them.

It is time now for you to decide where to commit your troops. You could reach Lokris Epizefiroi and support Mus there by season's end. This would make an easy victory all but certain: right now it is expected that the town will be taken but not without significant losses.

Another option would be to continue west on the north road towards Rhegion. You cannot reach the city there until early autumn. There are yet enough supplies to last another year, and still no siege equipment has been built by the Carthaginian captain attacking the city. It is either a bluff, or he means to starve them out.

The third option remains to board Publio's fleet and attempt to relive the pressure by attacking Messana in Sicily itself. You would not be able to land until the fall anyway in this choice, so it is possible to simply move towards Rhegion and punt on this decision for another season.

Your orders are requested, Consul Laevinus. You are on the clock.

We cannot afford high casualties right now. If we can turn a victory at cost into an utter rout at lower cost, it is an easy choice.

The legion marches on Lokris Epizefiroi.

So, due to some quirk of the game, we cannot directly lift the siege of Rhegion after we conquer Lokris?

Correct, there's no place from which we can directly attack the sieging army.

Following up on that, since we cannot attack the besiegers to relieve the siege, will the city eventually have to capitulate due to starvation or will the defenders try to sally forth at some point?

Those two are the choices. They will leave the city and attack at the last season, but if the situation remains unchanged there is essentially no chance of success. At least in that way they will meet their end with honor, and perhaps inflict some damage on our enemies.

Thanks. I get it now. Carry on.

Summer

Publio's fleet defeats two more Aiakid navies, including one headed by Aeson, their top admiral. In that battle Aeson had slightly heavier vessels(quinquiremes against Publio's quadquiremes), but the advantadge of numbers could not be overcome. However, attrition has now reduced Publio's flotilla to 18 ships from the original 40. Another 20 will be built at Capua eventually, but it will take some time to save up the funds for them and another year after that for construction.

Meanwhile, Roma's upgrade to the Urbs was completed.

Autumn

Carthaginian and Aiakid armies continue to grow in northeast Sicily -- another large army for Carthago gives them probably around 35,000 men in the vicinity of Messana. Not a good situation for us, but there are more pressing matters.

Battle of Lokris Epizefiroi

Finally. Having been chased off before, it's time to kick the Aiakid Dynasty out of Italy completely. With both consuls present, the sizeable garrison is outnumbered roughly 4:1. Still, there are three enemy generals here, including overall commander Dionysios who is a worthy adversary. Initially all went according to plan. Only about 1600 toxotai were committed to defending the walls, and Mus had no problem getting his siege towers in position.







And then the unexpected happen. Apparently challenging their inner stupid far too well, some of Laevinus Coffeium's men, hastate specifically, decided not to wait and charged around the corner to take their place by the siege towers -- making themselves sitting ducks for the archers inside the wall towers. A suicidal and impetuous move, and one the Aiakids were all too happy to oblige were their rapid deaths.

** Note: I screwed up here, abetting this foolishness. Namely, I accidentally left the reinforcement armies under AI control(as is the default), and if there's one thing the AI sucks at it's co-ordinating multiple armies in a siege. But few battle plans survive contact with the enemy. The report here is an attempt at RP-ing this out. This proved costly, but not catastrophic thankfully.







The disease of undisciplined initiative spread, and soon cavalry mounted an idiotic charge straight up the city streets, the walls having been captured by this time, straight into the waiting spears of the agema(skilled phalanx formations).







Mus made the most of the fact that much of the enemy was otherwhise occupied, marching his men around to the thoroughfares east and west of the centre plaza, while the north street was blocked, as with the hoplites seen here. Once they penetrated the city further, there was nowhere for the Aiakids to hide, surrounded and outnumbered despite the poor execution of the assault.








With that, resistance was officially ended -- at least for now -- in southern Italy. Except the very northern reaches, the entirety of the peninsula now lies under Roman control -- albeit with Rhegion under constant threat. The casualty bill was high, with over 9,500 lost here. Most of those were from Laevinus command which is now down to under 5,000 for the moment, though reinforcements will be imminent.

In the aftermath, there was little the consuls could do but move to support Rhegion in case of an attack. Publio's fleet was too far away to provide immediate transport, even had they wished it. True to its word, the Senate held games at their own expense in Capua shortly thereafter to honor the victory.

Winter

Lawcius recieves his tribune commission, heading south on a long journey to Kroton, his first appointment. First stop: Antium. Meanwhile, a rebellion arises under Oppius just outside the capital, and the siege at Rhegion has been 'reset' by the Carthaginians. A new general has arrived to take command of it with a larger army, but we have at least been given more time: another year and a half. Meanwhile, Manius gets married to Octavia(age 12). Apparently the orphanages were empty ...

Oppius gave way to Praetor Arvina's army, moving just southeast of the city. He was there pursued and, unable to run any further and facing not only the praetorian force but the garrison from the capital, including four contingents of royal cavalry with one under the command of Amul, the rebels were doomed before the battle began.

They did manage to make a stand at the edge of a forest on a hillside, giving Arvina few ways to approach them as shown below in a rendering of a rare winter battle. In the somewhat harsh conditions, he lost over a thousand men but easily crushed the resistance.







Once again, the spring would provide momentous news ...

More victories for Rome!

I hope my dear senior consul doesn't have the bloody flux or some other serious ailment that prevented him from coming to the field. But there must be some explanation for the lack of discipline shown by his troops at Lokris.

Do you remember the lost standard of Legio II? Our spies reported it was, in fact, stored in Lokris Epizefiroi. At the time of the ill fated battle, no punishment was ever given to the legion who ran. To reclaim their honor, and to prove the discipline of Roman legions, they willingly marched directly at the army, knowing most would never return.

But the survivors have reclaimed their honor.

STATE OF ROME, 273 B.C.

Provinces: 25(10 major, 15 minor, no change/+1)
Navy: 540(-55%)
Army: 110.4k(-4.1%)
Citizenry: 323.9k(+5.9%)
Annual Income: 252k(+3.7%)
Annual Profit: 39.5k(15.7%)
Treasury: 11.4k(+78%)

The primary strategic goal for several years has been to oust the Dynasty of Aiakides from southern Italy: with the capture of Lokris Epizefiroi this past year, that has now been achieved. The losses incurred there resulted in the army declining in size for the second straight year, but small increases in population and income have continued.

Spring brought two pieces of news. Amul was given his tribune commission and sent to Arretium in the northeast, an important posting moreso for being the fourth-most populous province than any known military threats in the area. More significantly, the Republic's two major enemies, the Dynasty of Aiakides and the Republic of Cathargo have decided they cannot co-exist and a state of war has been declared, leaving the 'Big Three' factions all now in conflict. Whether because of this event, indecision, or the support of the consuls, Rhegion is now free of enemy attack for the first time in years. All of the Carthaginian armies have withdrawn into Sicily itself, and Manius will soon be leaving the once-doomed town to journey north for his studies at Roma ...

Population Report





The Gauls continue to flourish despite only a handful of provinces in the hand of each faction: apparently they are breeding like crazy in a few highly concentrated areas. Their growth has the Aiakids down to fifth here.


Military Report





There may be no stopping Cathargo. They now field a larger army than any two other factions combined. Were they ever to form a cohesive strategy, they might well be capable of defeating both Roma and the Aiakids at once. There does not seem to be any danger of that happening in the near future however. Elsewhere, the mysterious Norici continue to strengthen their position ...


Senate Matters

There is a great deal of debate on how to best proceed at this juncture. One point unifies most senators: the Aiakid-Cathargo conflict and the subsequent withdrawal from Rhegion provides an opportunity. But the natural follow-up has sparked great division: opportunity for what? Some favor overdue investment in infrastructure, with a majority of the largest provinces now in serious need of funds. Others maintain that maximum recruitment must continue so that our consuls can take advantadge of this, probably with a push into Sicily itself, and establish Roman control of the strategic situation while our enemies are divided.

Consuls Laevinus Coffeium and Mus, what say you(if anything)? Tribunes Lawcius and Amul may also weigh in, having earned the right to be heard -- however as recently appointed youngsters, that's all you've earned. The political connections required for the Senate to actually listen to anything you have to say will take more time.

Can we see much of Sicily? Does it appear at all that the armies of Carthago and the Aiakids will meet at some point soon? An ideal strategy would be to let the two weaken themselves against the other and then sweep in to clean house.

Some scouting into Sicily would be good. If we can strike when they've stripped the island bare of defenses, we most certainly should.

What you can see of Sicily is pretty much the NE corner which is in the updated maps(third one as usual). In order to scout we would need spies. The only one in service, Numerius, is still where previously assigned(Genua, past the NW border).

My opinion is as such.

We have 2 legions within striking distance of Messana right now. I say we cross and strike while we're in position. We have a chance to establish a foothold in Sicily. If we discover we're badly outnumbered there, we can always withdraw into Rhegion and defend.

We're here, our men are here, sound the advance.

I would, however, also recommend we start seriously looking at least a partial investment in infrastructure. Clearly we still need troops, but we must also start looking long term.

I agree with the senior Consul on all points.

And, I urge the Rome Praetor to move the spy. We need him on the front line.

FORWARD THE LEGION!

The starting to move into Sicily with some infrastructure sounds great to me as well.

On the spy, it will be much faster to just recruit another one locally.

Commander Manius, whether by good fortune or fate you have escaped Rhegion with your adolescent wife Octavia, and are now headed north to Roma to further your education.

Tribune Lawcius, your journey south to Kroton, having just started, will occupy you for the duration of the coming year. It has been noted that you seem to have some minor skills in provincial management.

Tribune Amul, you travel in the opposite direction to Ariminum. It seems my clerk(a blatant, shameful attempt to distract from my forgetfulness) gets the two largest northern provinces confused and wrongly stated Arretium before, which is where Aedile Antonius is stationed. If you review the first map of northern Italy, you'll see you are to be posted at the northeast extreme of the Republic. You are expected to arrive in the fall, with the first leg taking you to Volsinii Novi, then to Arretium, then on to your destination.

Understanding The Legions

We're far enough in now that there's beginning to be a greater range of experience and equipment among the ranks, including our own soldiers. Because of this I'm going to start adding a little more detail to the army part of the briefings for those who might be interested in it -- it has been asked about from time to time already.

Each of these elements adds to fighting effectiveness, experience gives a small boost across the board and has a ten-point scale(I'll just use 1-10 to keep it simple), weapons and armor add to the effectiveness of attack or defense and have four levels, which I'll interpret as Basic, Fair, Good, or Excellent as the case may be.

The first battle at Herakleia for example featured Roman units at the lowest level across the board, green with no equipment upgrades, while most of Pyrrhos' army had 5-6 experience and were a mix between Fair and Good quality equipment. By comparison, most of the units we can recruit are between 0-2 experience with Fair weapons/shields. A few unit types, like the Funditores, will eventually be phased out since as slingers their weapon is rocks -- these cannot be upgraded. The quality of new units is determined by the facilities in the province they come from, which can be upgraded(at a significant cost).

Experienced line infantry is particularly difficult to achieve, since they tend to die and need replacing before they have enough combat success to significantly improve. It tends to happen more often with cavalry/missile troops which in favorable engagements don't lose nearly as many men.

I'll add this blurb to the OP and try to clarify any questions there might be. The basics of it are pretty straightforward, but as with all things the consequences can be more complex.

Joint Consular Briefing

The Consuls and other leaders are in the first place hereby informed that funding for a spy to be recruited at Rhegion has been released, and additionally that the Senate has adopted a compromise position that will see funding split again between military and domestic concerns. For now, all domestic funds will go to upgrading core settlement facilities to accomodate better housing and sanitation and allow growth to hopefully increase in the larger provinces. No additional military facilities, industries, temples, roads, etc. will be contemplated until this matter is addressed, which is expected to take many years.

Location: Just east of Rhegion.

Army(Consul Mus
** Cavalry -- 640 personal(5, Basic/Basic), 40 Etruscan equites(5, Fair/Basic), 760 Republican equites(2, Fair/Fair), 740 Campanian equites(2, Fair/Fair)
** Line Infantry -- 3760 Etruscan hoplites(1-2, Fair/Fair), 840 Oscan infantry(2, Basic/Basic), 280 Hastati(4, Basic/Basic), 2040 Principes(4, Mostly Basic/Mostly Basic), 460 Triarii(4, Fair/Basic)
** Skirmishers -- 2120 Velites(2, Basic/Basic), 860 Oscan javelinmen(2, Basic/Basic)
** Total -- 9,560 men

** Note that the new information takes the form of Unit Type(Experience, Weapons/Armor)

Army(Consul Laevinus Coffeium
** Cavalry -- 760 personal(4, Basic/Basic), 580 Oscan equites(2, Basic/Basic), 40 Campanian equites(3, Fair/Fair)
** Line Infantry -- 2420 Etruscan light spearmen(1, Basic/Basic), 2420 Etruscan hoplites(2, Basic/Basic), 1180 Campanian hoplites(1, Basic/Basic), 100 Oscan infantry(2, Basic/Basic), 2520 Hastati(1-3, Basic to Fair/Basic to Fair), 60 Principes(2, Basic/Basic)
** Skirmishers -- 160 Funditores(1, Basic/Basic), 100 Oscan javelinmen(2, Basic/Basic)
** Total -- 10,340 men

The new full-strength Etruscans have bolstered your numbers to a respectable level again, and more men will be incoming for both consuls for the next few season espescially -- the reassigned praetorian force will join before the end of the year.
It is also worth nothing that your eldest son Cassius is now next in line to be commissioned -- two years from now.

INTELLIGENCE REPORT

The 'Italy Toe' map shows what's going on but there's a lot of stuff in a fairly small space. Both consular armies are just east of Rhegion, and other reinforcements can be seen incoming there. If we wish to wait for further intel, this can be revisited in the summer(next season) after a new spy that will be recruited is ready. In Sicily, there are three known enemy forces within range of our local assets:

** Messana. Historically the third-largest city in Sicily at this time, it is a major province with the capability to survive a siege for a full two years. One of Cathargo's most capable leaders is in charge there, Ithobaal(age 31). He is a capable general, serviceable governor, and holds a high degree of influence in their government. The garrison is considerable, about 50% larger than the one defeated last year at Lokris Epizefiroi, 10 maniples of unknown composition. Overall, slightly smaller than either of the consular armies, most likely in the 8k range. Every known settlement in Sicily has stone walls -- war is simply a way of life of them, whether it's major powers or local tyrants. An attack would require a siege and allow for the possibility that reinforcements would be brought from elsewhere, as we've seen happen in the past.

** To the south of Messana, a field army under Shipitbaal of Carales(27, capable general). He is the man who took over the siege of Rhegion, then withdrew. His army is larger, 13 maniples, and most interestingly it involves at least one maniple each of sacred band infantry and cavalry. Historically, the Sacred Band never left Africa. They were the elite aristocracy of Cathargo, pledged to defend the homeland itself and the most skilled warriors of a nation that relied mostly on mercenaries to do their conquering. It was said that the only time you would see their back is if they were dead -- they had a reputation of fighting to the death and should be considered at least the equal of the Roman triarii, our elite republican spearmen. Once again though, we don't know the composition of most of the army. It's probably in the 11-12k range total. The one unit of sacred band cavalry is known to be only 80 strong, nearly depleted. The rest could be full-strength or a hodgepodge of weakened units for all we know at this point.

It is worth noting here that Shipitbaal is just far enough south that we could attack his army without involving the men from Messana -- divide and conquer is a possibility.

** Tauromenion. The closest Aiakid town to us on the island, this is a minor province with a 4-maniple garrison. It appears the armies that were in the vicinity have either disappeared(possibly defeated by Shipitbaal) or moved off. We just don't know right now.

If we want to cross into Sicily, there are two options. First is the 'land' option -- not really land, but using small craft to cross near Messana. There is only room for one army there though, and we cannot circumvent Messana this way, we'd have to take it before moving further into Sicily. The second involves transport on Publio's fleet, which can be seen in position just south of Rhegion ready to be called upon if needed.

Consuls Mus and Laevinus, how and where(if at all) shall the legions proceed?

I will not be involving myself in the discussions for now and will listen to what is being said.

Unusually wise for a Roman, Lawcius :).

Consul Mus has a vastly more veteran army than my own legion at this point. I would recommend he board his legions and strike Shipitbaal's army with a naval landing.

My own legion is short on experienced men - we have a scant few Principes, and zero Triarii. We can start the siege of Messana while my co-Consul is driving off the enemy army. If things get out of hand in the field, we've still got the fleet to either get my legion past Messana, or withdraw Mus's legion back to Italy.

It is with a heavy heart that I leave my beloved Rhegion with the future of the city clouded in so much uncertainty, however I vow that when I return it shall be as a much stronger man.

Oh and less of the 'adolescent' please.

Is there a reason we cannot both attack Spitball's army? If Coffeium's army is close enough when I attack, will his troops not come to the field as well? My more experienced troops can serve as the anvil for his hammer.

I was under the impression we couldn't attack Spitball unless we took boats. If we have enough ships to land both legions in one move, I'd be all for it.

I'm cool with that. Even in the unlikely event that the Carthaginians are able to stave off total defeat, I am sure I will be able to deal them a blow sufficient that even your less experienced legions will be able to finish them off.

There's no reason the fleet can't take one of you across and then the other, so you should both be able to. I'll see if it can be done.

Spring, 273 BC
Battle of Messana

Both legions made the crossing, cornering Shipitbaal on the eastern coast. Mus arrived first from inland heights to the west, while Laevinus was late coming from the south.







Nearly two thousand sacred band infantry led the resistance, and they lived up to their name, occupying most of Mus's best troops.







Most of the remaining Carthaginians were skirmishers, but even so they repeatedly charged into hand-to-hand combat and the sheer numbers prevented the more numerous Roman cavalry from driving all of them off. Eventually some of the infantry had to be split off to deal with them. A disorganized and uneven battle was not decided until Laevinus arrived, but eventually even the few remnants of the sacred band were driven away.







Losses were heavy on both sides, over six thousand Romans and ten thousand Carthaginians. Shipitbaal retreated to Messana with less than a third of his original command, while Mus's infantry ranks were largely decimated by the day's bloody business. Judging by this battle, it appears that Carthage will be quite a difficult adversary to overcome.

Despite the weakened state, there was little choice but to move northwest and cut off another large army, this one with no general to command it and apparently consisting largely of barbarian mercenaries from southern and western Europe. Some of them are the very same type of fighters that Numerius has spotted in Genua. It seems they may have formed an alliance of convenience ...

In the updated report shown below, we can also see a new Aiakid town further west into the Sicilian heartland, known as Agyrion. No large force concentrations have been seen there or anywhere else among the Greek holdings here.

Another victory for Rome!

So we're at approximately 14,000 troops between us? I see at least 3 groups of reinforcements on the map -- how many troops can we expect to reach us over the next couple of seasons?

It seems the most logical plan would be to take out the leaderless masses to the west so they cannot reach Messina and then to take stock of our numbers and those of our enemies to determine if we have enough troops to successfully besiege the city.

Concurred. Let's see if we can thin the herds some more, particularly when they are without a general. Perhaps we should detach a minimal force, if we have the men to spare, to start sieging Messana.

Unless the main army is guaranteed to come to their aid -- which they may be given the look of the map -- a token force of besiegers would probably be easy work for the garrison. I believe there were already several thousand troops in there even before they were supplemented by the 5k or so survivors of the Battle of Messana. Do we have a good read on their numbers, Brian?

After we soak the battlefield in the blood of this group of leaderless rabble, we can assess whether we can safely split off a force -- or even if we need to. We should have some movement left after the battle.

I'm okay with this.

Situation is a bit more complicated than that, but getting to the current battle used up the rest of move allotment for the spring(some was involved just to get across into Sicily). I'll have the next battle report tonight which will clarify what's going on.

Unless it involves dead Carthaginians or dead Greeks, I don't wanna hear it. :)

b]Spring, 273 BC[/b]
Second Battle of Messana

What looked like a straightforward battle took a major twist before it even began. Scouts reported that hiding in the woods to the west was another army under Matho, a huge force numbering fully 30,000 men. Withdrawing was no longer an option: the consuls were committed, but taking on both at once would likely be suicidal -- they would be grossly outnumbered more than 2:1. It was decided to attack at night, hoping to avoid Matho for the time being. Having the fresher if smaller army, Mus began the attack and both consuls approached the Carthaginians from the southwest ...







Partly due to good execution and partly due to unusually good fortune, the attack was timed almost perfectly, both armies engaging in concert. With the outcome of the battle very much in doubt, Mus's cavalry made a determined massed charge against the right flank, and the enemy did not hold up long under the pressure, fleeing the field.






It was a massacre -- about 1800 Romans dead, 9000 for Carthage.

Another victory for Rome!

But if there are another 30,000 Africans waiting right around the bend, we may need to consider a strategic withdrawal to a battleground or our choosing. What's the word on reinforcements?

Matho is not nearly so great a fool as to wait for such a thing to happen.

Late Spring, 273 BC
Third Battle of Messana

The most important part(second half) of the official battle reports have been lost. (In other words, something screwed up with FRAPS). None of the surviving renderings are really worth your time.

Matho attacked Mus, and his army of more than 31,000 well outnumbered the approximately 20,000 combined that the Romans put on the field. It is the largest field army the Republic has yet faced. Mus positioned his legion on a wooded hill to the southwest, getting him closer to Laevinus and his reinforcements. They still arrived about 45 minutes too late, but fortunately there were no elite troops in the Carthaginian army: it's strength lay almost soley in it's size as Matho is not among the more skilled of their generals.

Once Laevinus arrived, the Romans ceased to give way before Matho's attackers, and for a couple hours it was decidedly unclear who would be the victors. It seemed most likely the force of sheer numbers would carry the day for the Carthaginians until Matho himself grew impatient and was personally cut down by a spearman attempting to press his advantadge. His men, disheartened, did not give up the fight immediately, but it didn't take long for them to decide it was better to run than die here.

After three major battles in a season's time, both consuls remain with the relatively smashed remnants of their armies. It is not entirely fair, but Mus has been given the lion's share of the credit and is now clearly considered to be the better of the two generals. At the second battle he had the fresher troops as Laevinus had to march a longer distance and thus attacked first, and it was his men who took the brunt of Matho's assault first without breaking. History is, after all, not entirely impartial in the way it remembers significant events ...

The survivors of all three battles on the side of Cathargo are in Messana or it's immediate vicinity.

Summer, 273 BC

Mus has 7240 men remaining, Laevinus 8880. There are somewhere around 25k(rough estimate) Carthaginianis in and around Messana.

Reinforcements-wise, there are about 2500 that could be in Sicily by the end of the summer(mostly Oscan javelinmen but also some cavalry) and oscan infantry about 1500 more in the fall. The main force(the praetorian army that was sent south some while back) will not get here until about the end of the year, probably winter or maybe even next spring. That one is several thousand men strong. At this point the 'front' is about a year and a half from Roma, but it may be possible soon to use Publio's fleet to shorten the travel time, but it will still take several months, probably three seasons under optimal conditions.

15,000 veterans under elite leadership vs an army twice their size...Are there any quality Generals in and around the area that we know of?

If they're leaderless rabble, I'm less concerned. If they are well led, that changes things.

Some of them have no generals, there are two general in the city, one of which is Shipitbaal who is the best in the area and nearly match for either one of you. It is also worth nothing that there is only a modest amount of line infantry left(in the consular armies): they are disproportionately missile troops at this point as much of the heavy infantry has been beaten down by attrition(though not all).

I forgot about Shitball.

And bah. It pains me to say this, but with the lack of front line infantry, I believe we must withdraw to Italy for the time being. At the very least, we've bloodied them badly.

Agree with the strategic withdrawal. We don't want to learn about the Fabian strategy from the wrong side.

I'm leaving town for a few days and won't have much internet time. Feel free to move on without me.

I sure your fellow consul won't get you killed ... much.

Summer, 273 BC

The consuls escape via a narrow corridor of safe transport between Messana and Tauromenion, and then back to Publio's fleet across to Italy. Arretium begins construction of an Oppidum, the next vital infrastructure project.


Autumn

Aiakid forces mass at Tauromenion, further complicating matters. Meanwhile, newly recruited spy Aulus infiltrates Messana, reporting four Carthaginian generals in the vicinity, and also that the previous estimates were inaccurate in terms of their strength there. Just under 40,000, some of them apparently newly recruited mercenaries but some previously undetected, are present near the city.

Meanwhile, Muli has arrived at Ariminum, his new posting, and construction of the Oppidum upgrades begins there as well.

As the season comes to an end, a surprise Carthaginian attack at Rhegion demonstrates that the 'strategic withdrawal' was a most fortuitous choice ...

I want to get to moving this along but RL is intervening. Specifically, I've been dealing with an onslaught of highly annoying insomnia among other issues. Sorry about the delays.

Sorry to see you are having sleep troubles.

40k vs. our 15k? I don't like those numbers. And, once again, there is nothing we can do to directly engage the besiegers at Rhegion other than to stay close-by and join the battle when the garrison sallies forth?

I think I'm starting to come out of it now. If tonight goes well, I might have another report up tomorrow.

The question is actually moot, as they didn't wait around but quickly built basic siege equipment and attacked. That battle will be the next thing that goes up(I'll just tease it for now by saying it's the wildest battle I've ever had in this game).