Today I have further action to report from the Collaborative Campaign:
Game Year 12 (The Year of the Horse) was relatively peaceful, however the following year, the Year of the Hippopotamus, witnessed further expansionist move from the Picenian Empire.
Mark Cordone once again takes up the story... (words and images are Mark's intellectual property).
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Following the disaster at Uliarus, Picenia was forced to make peace, with terms very favorable to the Therissians. However, in something of a diplomatic coup, the terms were not extended to the rest of the city states of the Pentapolis. The following year saw relative peace, and the gods smiled upon Picenia with an abundant harvest. All was not completely peaceful however, as border raids and skirmishes between the province of Luss and the city state of Sentis continued.
The following year, the year of the Hippopotamus, saw things come to a head. The governor of Luss, Auteus Callosus, was involved along with the younger brother of the tyrant of Sentis (Antonatus) in an assassination plot. The attempt was unsuccessful, but the initial reports were favorable. Accordingly Callosus quickly marched his army across the border planning on taking advantage of the situation and surprising and conquering Sentis. Antonatus sent for aid to oppose the invasion and then gathered his army to block the road to Sentis.
On the 12th day of the 7th month of the year of the Hippopotamus the armies met at the village of Aphidna. It was a hot, sunny day as the armies deployed for battle.
Callosus deployed the VII legion on his left in the village, the VI legion in the center and his limitari archers on his right. In reserve he had the VIII legion, and a body of Kigali cataphracts recruited from the Inannu tribes (elite and armored, all other troops were regular). All in all he had some 20,000 foot and 2,000 horse at his disposal.
Antonatus deployed two of his three phalanx on his left on a hiss, and his right. His third phalanx was in reserve along with some 2000 cavalry. In the center he had some 100 ferocious armored elphas ( war elephants) supported by around 2000 peltasts. All of his troops were regular as well totaling about 19000.
The battle opened with sustained archery by the limitari against the phalanx on the hill. This eventually goaded them into attacking, but as they made their way down the hill they became disordered and were shot down in great numbers and routed. Antonatus committed his reserve phalanx to fill the vacancy on his left flank. They marched forward and routed the Picenian archers, but were in turn routed by the VIII legion coming up from the Picenian reserve.
Antonatus sent his cavalry to stabilize the situation on the left, and rallied his shaken reserve phalanx. He then launched his fearsome elphas at the center of the Picenian line. The veterans of the VI legion were unfazed however, and calmly opened lanes for the great beasts to charge through before closing ranks behind them and the cutting down the now surrounded elphas.
The VI legion then turned and outflanked the phalanx in front of the village, putting them to flight. Antonatus then sent his rallied phalanx forward, but the superbly disciplined legionaries calmly turned and routed them as well.
Antonatus was killed trying to rally his shattered army and Callosus's victorious legions quickly marched to Sentis. Once there they found the city under the control of Demetrius, Antonatus's brother, who had been freed from prison by his supporters after news of the battle reached the city. He promptly asked Callosus for protection, and this was quickly granted.
To be continued....
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Thanks once again to Mark for the battle report and pictures, and for continuing the storyline. I was sad to see the Elephants being so easily dispatched; perhaps they'll do better next time!
