I only know because when I was working on creating new territories for the plains, Herodotus was the only source I could find for anything there before the Roman Era.
Now back to the Valkyrja Channel.
My Diplomat meets the Dacians and makes the usual agreements.
As with the Thracians.
Terrible news. My Faction Leader Antimache has died (I need to think of what the Valkyrja would call their leaders, obviously Queen and Princess is right out, Strategos does not feel right either.)
Now Makanyane leads the Valkyrja.
Antimache could not pick a worse time to meet Kybele on her mountain. She leaves young Alkippe to lead the Eastern Army against a large army of Rebels, while an ominous-looking Sarmatian army has come north into our lands.
I missed the odds screen of Makanyane's assault upon Vicus Neuri, but did get the enemy troop composition. The Rebels are all seasoned veterans after defeating the Scythians twice.
I attack the city from two walls.
My Agema Archers soften up the defenders as my women bring up their ram.
The men have no opposition at the other wall, and enter freely.
Makanyane charged in once her wall was breached, and cut down the Neuri leader.
Then it was on the the town square, where the Agema Archers took over.
Makanyane's Bodyguard lent a few javelins to help.
I let the missile troops finish off the Rebels without entering the square. My preferred tactic. I hate those prolonged slug-fests in the square, where the enemy cannot rout. Note the difference in my losses compared to the bloodfests Polemusa has had in the west.
As it is small, I Occupy. As is probably obvious now, I always do so when a settlement is 1st tier or just over it.
They have a shrine to Bendis! Excellent, this will give my missile troops a bonus to their weapons.
In the East, Alkippe has caught up with that big Rebel army near the banks of the Volga.
There sure are a lot of them, including more Fanatics.
These guys are nothing to sneeze at in the early game.
The Rebel General gets the scent of Alkippe, and goes straight after her. She flees, and leads him to where she has her infantry hidden in the woods.
Then she turns and drops the hammer on him.
He fled. Alkippe let him go, having bigger fish to fry. Instead she let her Mercenary Virgin Horse Archers intercept him across the battlefield and run him to the ground. The caused a unit of nearby Peasants to rout just from proximity. Got to love when that happens.
Then it all fell apart. Two units of Barbarian Infantry got into the woods where my infantry was. My Warband evaporated in moments, and the Skirmishers chain routed a second later.
Worse, my Virgin Horse Archers were caught by a unit of Naked Fanatics while riding down the aforementioned Peasants. That was the end of them.
Okay, I still have a Horse Archer and my General. I did not realize it at the time of this pic, but the remnants of my Warband had reformed and were hiding in the woods somewhere. Things are not that bad though. I have the mobility, and I use it to pick apart the Rebel infantry one unit at a time. The trick is to let them chase the General and become exhausted, while shooting them in the back with the Horse Archer. Then charge them and finish them off. Often they will rout before you even make contact.
I stop and rest my women while more of the Rebels come charging up. It is important to give your cavalry breaks to rest during large battles. The more tired a unit is, the closer to routing they are.
I isolate another Naked Fanatic.
They rout without me going into melee.
I have to be careful while I run them down, lest my women blunder into these Barbarian Infantry. Thankfully the Barbarians routed themselves a moment later. Panic is infectious.
Then it was down to this last Barb Infantry unit. It did not last long.
Heroic Victory.
Young General Okypous intercepts some Rebels near the capital. I only mention it because the Rebels are two Generals, and I use some basic Horse Archer tactics to deal with them.
One of the Rebel Generals locks on to Okypous. She flees, leading them past her reinforcing Horse Archers.
Now Okypus will ride in a circle around her missile troops, who pelt the Rebel General with arrows as he rides by them. I call this the Scythian Circle. This trick will work with foot archers and slingers as well.
When the Rebels are whittled down, Okypous turns and slaughters him.
Then it was time for round two. But the second Rebel General was not so obliging. He catches one of my Horse Archers in melee and thrashes them before they can run far enough away to escape.
But then he was trapped. I call this the Triangle of Death. Basically you surround a unit (or units) with Horse Archers. That way you always have a back shot at them, and no matter which way they go, there is no escape.
He locks on to Okypous, and she takes him into another Scythian Circle.
Finally he routs.
Victory.
Another battle with Rebels. This time a lone Horse Archer takes on a Warband and a Peasant.
I concentrate all my fire on the Warband. I do not want to waste arrows against Peasants if I can help it. There are no fancy tactics needed here, just ride away and shoot them as they pursue.
I was able to finish off the Warband with arrows, but then I was out of ammo with plenty of Peasants left.
I ride in close, daring them to come after me. I want them to chase me to get them to Exhausted. But they will not budge.
I hate to leave the field to Peasants. My Horse Archers have axes, which gives them a so-so melee attack. Sometimes you have to roll the hard six. I throw the dice and charge.
The Peasants rout!
Another Heroic Victory.
After the losses she took assaulting Vicus Aesti, Polemusa wisely decided not to take Vicus Gepidae by storm. Instead she settled into a long blockade to starve them out. On their last turn the Gepids sallied.
I move my infantry behind the rams, so they would break up the enemy line, while my cavalry moved to get around behind the oncoming Gepids.
Their first unit is quickly routed.
They head back to the city, and Polemusa see the gates open before her.
She rushes into the defenseless city. I could have had her ride around to all of the gates and this point, and then take the square unapposed to win the city. But I hate to do that when I know I can beat the enemy.
So she came back out to finish off the Rebels.
Down they went.
Victory.
Again, I Occupy.
Uh oh. Over the computer's turn the Sarmatians attacked. One force laid siege to Gelonos, while two others bypassed it and are now marching upon Neo Themiskyra.
Yet another Sarmatian army marches upon Melanchlaeni, and the Scythians hover like flies around my southern settlements.
Now the real fun begins! Young Alkippe hires mercenaries to replenish her Eastern Army and marches to the relief of Gelonos. See how it turns out next post.