Ad Imperii Turn 3

Ad Imperii

An L’Art de la Guerre Campaign

Turn III - FALL

Turn 3 turned out to be a tumultuous fall, with several battles and some profound shakes ups. 

In Macedonia, Paul aka Pyrrhus raised an army from his supporters, rebelling against the Spartan allied government and Sparta's proconsul. Against the odds, Pyrrhus won a bloody victory, freeing Macedonia and stepping into the contest as another rival for empire. The nascent Pyrrhic Empire ended the turn with King Pyrrhus, 2 banked talents, and a field army in its one province, Macedonia.

Jake and Chuck contemplate the fortunes of their empires.

James aka Azariôn, King of the Sarmatians (#77) left a proconsul to defend Saxony then marched with his field army to Scythia. Meanwhile, his proconsul Rassgos raised a new field army in Sarmae and invaded the Caucus. Proconsul, Achaxe and his field army and invaded Moesia, and planned to invade Byzantium but retreated when his scouts reported a Seleucid field army there. He started the turn with 5 talents, and collected 6. He spent 2 talents raising a field army and 3 talents reorganizing & paying upkeep for the 2 field armies he already had. At the end of the turn his empire controlled 8 provinces, three field armies, and held 6 talents.

Jake and Chris prepare to fight for Calabria, the key to Italy!

Jake aka Caesar of Triumvirate Rome (#82) was again extremely busy. Crassus and his field army invaded Germania from Belgica. Caesar marched his field army from Dneister into Germania Interior. In both provinces, the German tribes contested the invading armies with guerrilla warfare rather then open battle, in neither province were the Romans successful in ending revolt. Pompey invaded Hispania from Iberia through Lusitania - the Spanish contested through guerrilla warfare rather then give battle, Pompey was unable to take the city of Saguntum by assault and unable to pacify the Spanish tribes. A new proconsul, Brutus, invaded Calabria and met a Syracusan army under King Eritus invading from the south. Brutus was victorious, and Rome conquered Calabria but filed to take the city of Taras by assault. Rome began with 1 talent, and collected 8 more, while it's Gallic allies started with 1 and collected 3. Rome built a field army, and paid to maintain 3 field armies and a fleet for 6 talents total cost. Caesar's Republic ended the turn controlling 9 provinces and the city of Rome, while hoarding 3 talents and they were allied with the Gauls who controlled 2 provinces and 1 city, while hoarding 4 talents. Rome struggled to pacify Hispania, Germania, and Germania Interior while besiege Deguntum and Taras.

Romans advance on the Syracusan line.

Chris aka Eritus (competent) of Syracuse (#50) invaded Calabria from Sicily, but was defeated by Brutus in open battle there and retreated back to Sicily, with a disorganized army that needed to rest or reorganize before it could act again. Meanwhile, while his proconsul, Septuris (now competent), finally took the city of Carthage. Syracuse collected 4 talents at the start of the turn, adding to its bank of 3. It paid maintenance for two field armies for a total of 2 talents spent. At the end of the turn Syracuse still controlled 3 provinces and the cities of Syracuse and Carthage and held 5 talents in its treasury.

The Romans grind to victory against the Syracusan pikemen.

The Chuck aka King Leonidas of the Hellenistic Spartans (#61) abdicated control of the Spartan foreign policy to Ren aka the Gerousia or Sparta council of elders, so Leonidas could focus on being a general. He led his field army from Cyrenaica into Egypt where he defeated Xericxes II of the Achaemenid Persians (#64) in battle. He was left contesting for Egypt with the field army of Testicules of the Seleucids who was besieging Alexandria. His proconsul Lycurgus was defeated by Pyrrhus in Macedon and retreated into Thrace. Sparta collected 5 talents at the start of the turn and had 2 banked. Sparta spent 3 talents maintaining 2 field armies and a fleet. At the end of the turn Sparta controlled 4 provinces and the city of Athens, and its treasury held 2 talents.

Pyyrhus and his Macedonians face down the heirs of Leonidas.

Doofacus remains the figurehead of the Seleuco-Persian Empire, a Profane Alliance led in truth by a cabal of generals.

Ken aka Syphiliticus I (competent) of the Seleucids (#42) and his field army invaded Byzantium from Ionia. He left a new proconsul, Taintus the Musky, and a newly raised field army in Ionia which took the long besieged city of Pergamum. Proconsul Dildonius raised a Seleucid fleet in Judea (#103) with their funds. Proconsul Testicules continued besieging Alexandria, but ended the turn with Spartan army under Leonidas contesting Egypt with him. The Seleucids collected 4 talents and had 3 banked at the start of the turn. They spent 4 talents raising and maintaining field armies. Their ally Judea collected 2 talents and had 2 banked. They spent 2 building a fleet for the Seleucids.

Eric aka Xericxes II of the Achaemenid Persians (#64) marched from Arabia Patria into Egypt to face the invading Spartan army but Leonidas defeated him and drove him back into Arabia Patria. Brodangelas and his field army left Galatia, and marched through Pontus to conquer Parthia. The Persians collected 6 talents and held 3 talents banked. They spent 2 talents maintaining armies.

The Cabal (Ken & Eric) ended the turn controlling the Seleucids with 4 provinces, the cities of Tyre and Pergamum, and 3 talents in its treasury and ally Judea, controlling one province & Jerusalem and banked 2 talents. The Cabal equally controls Achaemenid Persia, which holds 6 provinces, the city of Babylon, and has 7 talents in its treasury.

In this campaign, Commanders in Chief gain in ability as they win battles. Six generals are now competent: King Eritus of Syracuse (#50), King Syphiliticus I of the Seleucids (#42), and proconsuls Brutus and Crassus of Triumvirate Rome (#82), King Leonidas of the Spartans (#61), and King Pyrrhus of Macedon (#44).

Ad Imperii Turn 2

Ad Imperii

An L’Art de la Guerre Campaign

Turn II - Summer

James and Jake prepare to determined the fate of Saxony!

James aka Azariôn, King of the Sarmatians (#77) left Dneister and invaded Saxony. Unfortunately, he encountered a Roman army there which defeated him, while a second Roman army invaded Dneister. despite the defeat, the wily Azariôn negotiated terms with the Romans, conceding Dneister unfought while occupying Saxony. Meanwhile,  he appointed a new proconsul, Achaxe, who raised a field army and invaded Dacia. He started the turn with 3 talents, and collected 5.  He spent 2 talents raising a field army and 1 talent paying upkeep for the field army he already had.  At the end of the turn his empire controlled 6 provinces, two field armies (the field army in Saxony id disorganized, and must spend a turn resting & regroup, or spend a talent to reorganize quickly), and held 5 talents. His proconsul Rassgos still kept the nascent empire humming in Sarmatia, while his new proconsul Achaxe led a field army in Dacia.

The Romans deploy before their camp.

Beginning of the end for the Sarmatians

Jake aka Caesar of Triumvirate Rome (#82) was extremely busy as the Roman Empire began its destined march to greatness. Crassus, fresh off his diplomatic triumph in Gaul convinced the Gauls to pay for a new Roman field army to invade Belgica and Saxony.  Crassus then defeated the Sarmatians in long, hard fought battle in Saxony.  Meanwhile, Caesar marched the field army from Pannonia into Dneister.  The Sarmatians sued for talks, and granted the Romans Dnesiter, while it pleased Caesar to allow them Saxony, Crassus returned with his victorious but disorganized field army to Belgica.  A new proconsul, meanwhile, raised a field army in Narbo, then marched through Aquitania and into Iberia - the Spanish retreated rather then give battle. On Italy's northern Adriatic coast the senate funded a Roman fleet in the Central Mediterranean at Caesar's command. Rome began with 2 talents, and collected 4 more, while it's Gallic allies collected 3. Rome built a field army and a fleet, and paid to maintain a field army for 5 talents total cost.  The Gauls paid for the Roman field army costing 2 talents. Caesar's Republic ended the turn controlling 7 provinces and the city of Rome, while hoarding 1 talent and they were allied with the Gauls who controlled 2 provinces and 1 city, while also hoarding 1 talent. Crassus (now competent) commanded a disorganized field army in Belgica (1 turn rest or 1 talent to reorganize), Pompey commanded a field army in Iberia, and Caesar commanded a field army Dneister. 

Chris aka Eritus (competent) of Syracuse (#50) remained in Sicily, but raised a second field army there.  Meanwhile, while his proconsul, Septuris (now competent), continued to besiege the city of Carthage. Septuris army reorganized during the siege. Syracuse collected 4 talents at the start of the turn, adding to its bank of 3.  It paid maintaince for a field army and raised a field army for a total of 3 talents spent. At the end of the turn Syracuse still controlled 3 provinces and the city of Syracuse, held 4 talents in its treasury, its field army was besieging Carthage and a second field army was in Sicily.

Chuck aka King of the Hellenistic Spartans (#61) led his field army across the sea from Crete and invaded Cyrenaica. His new, Proconsul II raised a new field army in Sparta. He collected 4 talents at the start of the turn but had no banked. he spent all four raising the new field army and maintaining his previous field army and fleet. At the end of the turn Sparta controlled 4 provinces and the city of Athens, but its treasury was again empty. His allies the Macedonians controlled 1 province and had 2 talents banked.

Doofacus remains the figurehead of the Seleuco-Persian Empire, a Profane Alliance led in truth by a cabal of generals.

Ken aka Syphiliticus I (competent) of the Seleucids (#42) and his field army continued to besiege Pergamum. Proconsul Testicules raised a Seleucid field army in Judea (#103) and invaded Egypt, besieging Alexandria. The Seleucids collected 4 talents and had 2 banked at the start of the turn. They spent 3 talents raising and maintaining field armies. Their ally Judea collected 2 talents.  

Eric aka Xericxes II of the Achaemenid Persians (#64) marched from Syria through Arabia and into Arabia Patria. Brodangelas raised a field army and invaded Galatia. The Persians collected 3 talents and held 3 talents banked. They also spent 3 talents raising and maintaining armies.

The Cabal (Ken & Eric) ended the turn controlling the Seleucids with 4 provinces, the city of Tyre, and 3 talents in its treasury and ally Judea, controlling one province and banked 2 talents.  The Cabal equally controls Persia, which holds 5 province, the city of Babylon, and has 3 talents in its treasury.

In this campaign, Commanders in Chief gain in ability as they win battles.  Three generals are now competent:  King Eritus of Syracuse (#50), King Syphiliticus I of the Seleucids (#42), and proconsul Crassus of Triumvirate Rome (#82).

The empires are beginning to close, next turn should see more battles...

Ad Imperii Turn I

Ad Imperii

An L’Art de la Guerre Campaign

Turn I - Spring 

           The last half of the 1st millennium B.C. was a time of unrest and turmoil in Western civilization.  It saw the transformation of the earliest of the Abrahamic religions from tribal henotheism into monotheism, as well as the development of Greek philosophy from its pre-Socratic to the great schools of thought spread throughout the Mediterranean world. Knowledge of the physical world and mathematics expanded as well, and technology increased dramatically – this period saw an expansion of human knowledge that would not be equaled until the Renaissance over 1,000 years later. 

All of the intellectual and spiritual change occurred while the political and economic world was in constant foment, with massive empires rising and falling with great speed.  When the period began, the center of the western world lay, it might be fairly stated, in present day Iraq, within the languid arms of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, where civilization had begun.  When the period ended, the center had shifted over 4,500 kilometers to the west, around a city that had been merely the center of a minor, rural Latin kingdom in 500 B.C. 

The ‘Ad Imperii’ L’Art de la Guerre campaign tries in a rather abstract way to explore the possibilities of warfare during this period – and generate some very fun battles. The focus is on military conquest, with some very minor and abstract diplomacy, very little worry on logistics, and no worry about economics or culture at all. The campaign is set in Europe, on the shores of the Mediterranean, and Near East from 500 B.C. to 1 B.C.

Each player controls a King, proconsuls, fleets, and field armies as they strive to expand their empire and control the fate of Western civilization. Essentially, everyone is striving to become the historical Rome of 1 A.D. Armies, fleets and diplomacy require wealth, which is measured in talents in this game. 

The players and their kingdoms will be introduced below, along with their first turn moves. 

James is playing the Sarmatians (#77).  The Sarmatians conserved their talents for later emergencies, while King Azariôn led the army conquering through the province of Gepidae into Dneister, so that at the end of the turn his empire controlled 5 provinces, a field army, and held 3 talents. His proconsul Rassgos kept the nascent empire humming in Sarmatia.

Jake is playing Triumvirate Rome (#82).  His king, Caesar, marched the field army from Cisalpine Gaul through Dalmatia and into Pannonia. His proconsul, meanwhile, went to Massilia and spent a talent to convince the Gauls (#88) to ally with Rome. Caesar's Republic ended the turn controlling 4 provinces and the city of Rome, while hoarding 2 talents and they were allied with the Gauls who controlled 2 provinces and 1 city. 

Chris is playing Syracuse (#50).  His King, Eritus, remained in Syracuse proper while his proconsul, Septuris, led the field army from Libya in an invasion of Africa, holding the city of Carthage (#55). Septuris defeated the Carthaginian army in a hard fought, pitched battle but the city of Carthage proper remains besieged. Before it marches again, the Syracusan army will need to be reorganized. At the end of the turn Syracuse controlled 3 provinces and the city of Syracuse, held 3 talents in its treasury, and its field army was besieging Carthage. 

Chuck is playing Hellenistic Spartans (#61). His King led the field army across to Crete from Sparta, conquering it. He constructed a fleet in the Eastern Mediterranean for 2 talents, and he sent his proconsul with the rest of his treasure to Macedonia (#44), securing an alliance.  At the end of the turn Sparta controlled 3 provinces and the city of Athens, but its treasury was empty. They were allied with the Macedonians, who controlled 1 province.

The final two players threw me a curve ball. 

Ken is playing the Seleucids (#42). King: Seleucus I sent Proconsul Dildonius into Judea (#103) to conduct diplomacy with a talent, gaining their allegiance.    

Eric is playing the Achaemenid Persians (#64).  Xericses, king of kings, had no need of secrecy marched his field army from Mesopotamia into the heart of Syria. As the Persian forces entered Syria Xericxes demanded a meeting with Seleucus I it was discovered that Seleucus had secretly died three months ago of a fever from cavorting around with lose women. Seeing his chance Banducot, Xericxes top general smothered the old man King with a pillow in true Persian fashion and immediately met with the Seleucid General for a truce.  “The cabal of Generals” was formed and the generals installed the puppet king Doofacus to lead the new Seleuco-Persian Empire. The Persian general responsible for this treachery renamed himself Xericxes II. The Seleucid general renamed himself Syphiliticus I, Defiler of Women and Spreader of Disease! 

Syphiliticus I invades and easily defeated the army of Pergamun (#73) and besieges the city, which resists his initial assault.

The Cabal (Ken & Eric) now controlled the Seleucids with 3 provinces, the city of Tyre, and 2 talents in its treasury and it is in alliance with Judea, controlling one province.  The Cabal equally controls Persia, which holds two province, the city of Babylon, and has 3 talents in its treasury.

During the first turn two generals won battles, Septuris of Syracuse and the Seleucid Syphiliticus I. both advanced from ordinary to competent in ADLG general levels. In this campaign, Commanders in Chief gain in ability as they win battles.

Turn 2, Summer approaches!