Today's installment of the Collaborative Campaign (Turn 29, Year of the Cheetah) is hosted once again by Martin Smith (text and pictures are Martin's intellectual property). Following Ziguria's capture of the City State of Heralion, the Army of Cyraeus marched bravely to defend their ally and free the people of Heralion from the tyranny of the Ziguran despot.
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Heroydus, Tyrant of Cyraeus, ambitious type that he was, had plans. Preempting any Ziguran move to snap up further cities of the former Pentapolitan states he gathered his forces, headed south and attacked, hoping to reclaim Heralion from the barbarians. Approaching Zigura-controlled Heralion, intending to reclaim it in the name of the Pentapolis, his massed infantry-heavy force soon arrived before the outlying Heralionic coastal town of Baham, its freshly installed Ziguran garrison slamming the gates shut as he approached, and refusing to negotiate.
Intent upon assaulting the town in the morning, Heroydus ordered his citizen soldiers to make camp for the night, and sent his skirmishers to the south as a picquet screen. Confident that no enemy threatened, at the first hint of dawn the tyrant, restless as ever, led his mounted bodyguard on a little early morning exercise to the east of Baham, from where he might reconnoitre the walls of his intended target. One bonus of this foray was an encounter with some remnant troops from Sentis and Heralion, hiding out in the local hills. These were easily persuaded to march coastwards to join up with the Cyraean forces there, and aid the liberation of recently captured Heralion.
But no sooner had Helios’ rays cut across the rugged inland hill range than a despatch rider came galloping towards the tyrant’s party from the direction of the Cyraean camp: a large mass of Zigurans, he reported, had been sighted, formed up and heading with all speed to aid their beleaguered garrison. The enemy’s numbers easily matched his own. The Cyraean army, he was informed, was now standing to, and awaited his orders.
Instructions to advance and block the Ziguran intervention were swiftly dictated, and as the despatch rider retraced his steps to camp, the tyrant’s escort, with the Sentis and Heralion exiles in tow, set off towards the main body. Heroydus, cursing his decision to venture inland, set an unforgiving march pace, but still hadn’t arrived by the time the armies clashed.
General Qobad, commander of the Ziguran invasion forces, had timed his advance well: sighting Baham at sunrise, the Ziguran banner still proudly waving above its citadel, he pressed forward with great haste, spearmen, archers and militia in a solid and continuous line, Mazyakaata cataphracts guarding one flank, Ziguran cavalry the other.
Caught by surprise, and fearing entrapment between their own phalanx and the oncoming Zigurans, the sleepy and far from vigilant Cyraean skirmish line fled towards the coast, only to be intercepted and roughly handled by a body of Ziguran horsemen. Many of the light troops were cut down before the remainder turned their backs to race headlong through their own spear wall.
Another unwelcome surprise inflicted by Qobad upon the Cyraeans was the seaborne arrival on their right of a mass of Ziguran archers. These, riding in recently captured Heralionic ships, now disembarked, formed up on the beach and steadily advanced, shooting as they came. Cyraean cavalry, covering the flank, were the first to be scattered, followed later by a unit of hoplite spearmen, unable to withstand the relentless arrowstorm.
But while the Cyraean spearmen, backbone of the army, held firm there was yet hope.
Well ordered and using the deep formation recently developed by Heroydus, the Pentapolitan phalanx stormed forward into the oncoming Zigurans. Barbarian archers soon fell to the vengeful bronze-clad spear wielders, though Zigura’s own spearmen proved a decent match and there was slaughter on both sides.
Eventually a hole appeared in the Ziguran centre and charging through this came a fresh body of Cyraean hoplites. These, seeing before them the chariot escort of the enemy commander Qobad, immediately attacked.
Whether it was because of a disordered formation, rough ground or the superior fighting skills of their noble opponents was never recorded, but when the dust cleared it was Qobad’s charioteers who emerged triumphant. Overrun by the enemy, these Cyraeans fell back, and as they did so the army’s resolve failed, a general fighting retreat ensuing.
Though only mildly harassed by the fortunately minimal Ziguran mounted contingent, the Cyraean army now fell back to the border; Heroydus’ invasion of Heralion was over, Baham relieved and Qobad’s reputation as an astute commander strengthened.
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| The Two Generals in a fictious meeting on the battlefield **** |
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