Swap 2013

[Son of the King]

Just how bad is the situation? xD

[Clockwork]

Dannii Minogues music career kind of bad.

[Paramythion]

I am penning this communication from my headquarters in Memphis. I received several invitations to reside in the palace, from the generals Dizazelmis and Satres, but I have no desire to get involved in their squabbling, so I set my base of operations in house adjacent to the barracks, where I could get a better feel for the mood of the troops. The owner seemed likely to object, until I took him aside and politely explained that Thracians like to use dissenters and malcontents as ammunition for their artillery. I have been reviewing the military situation, and it seems grim indeed. I shall give a brief summary, which will hopefully give you all a decent understanding of the less then delightful mess we find ourselves in.
The city of Memphis finds herself besieged. Outside of her walls is a significant force, consisting of (according to our patchy intelligence) at least 1100 legionnaires, around 300 auxilia of various sorts, roughly 200 cavalry, and a 300 strong force of elite Praetorians. As far as I know, all these troops are well trained, and supplied with fine weapons. In contrast, within Memphis, we have a newly levied, untrained, and poorly equipped force of roughly 400 pikemen and 500 archers.
To the south, outside of Thebes, we have besieged Thebes, with an army of approximately 600 pikemen, 300 peltasts, and a smallish rabble of barbarians with falxes. Nasty, uncivilized weapons, falxes. Within Thebes is no more then a skeleton force. Outside, and to our rear, is a mercenary band of around 800 Libyan skirmishers, some hoplites, and a few worrying elephants, led by Aulus Varus, a Roman general, of whom we know little. Behind him, is a force equal to his own, although we know nothing of the composition, as of yet. Victory is a very real possibility there, if the Thracian commander in the area can defeat them individually.
Alexandria has a decent force of roughly 700 pikemen, 300 peltasts and archers, and another rabble of unlettered barbarians, with uncouth weapons, and it seems to be safe from the Romans, for the time being at least.
My knowledge of the situation to the east of Egypt is rather less exact, as it has been sometime since any of our couriers made it past the Roman lines.
From what we know, it seems that there is a ceasefire with Pontus, although they refuse to move the considerable armies they have gathered on our border. The Egyptian Pharaoh is marching across the desert outside of Bostra, waiting for an opening, with a large army. However, all those cities have large, well-trained armies, and there seems to be no weak spot for him to exploit as of now.
So the question is, what strategy should I attempt?
Egypt proper is beleaguered, and unlikely to last long without assistance.
The eastern provinces can supply that assistance, but at the risk of losing them to the waiting forces of Pontus and Egypt.
I am open to suggestions as to what my priorities should be. No matter what I choose to protect, there will be some losses. It is merely a matter of damage control for now.

Sincerely,
               Lord Blaiddmor, Temporary Marshall of the Imperial Thracian Army, Peer of the Exilian Council For The Strategic Interference In
                                                                                                                         The Affairs Of Random Nations In Alternate Universes

P.S. I do hope my message arrives in a reasonable amount of time. The trip here really was horrendous. One of our men attempted to explain to me how it works, but he was a native, and there were linguistic issues. He kept repeating the word 'wormhole', and pointing at the tunnel we came through. If one of you could pop down to the Citizen's Library, and look it up in a Thracian dictionary, I would be much obliged.

[Jubal]

For Memphis, the question is not their forces so much as their siege weapons. I'd just sit tight there, get the archers lined up on the walls, sit at least one if not two pike blocks behind the main gate or behind any walls that have sap points pointing at them, and cross a lot of fingers.

For Thebes, push forward and attack. If you face the elephants, loose formation peltasts & pikemen should be a workable combination. Except when trying to scale the walls of Thebes itself, let the enemy come to you, get your pikemen formed up in the corner/on a hill/preferably both.

My strong advice is to keep your eastern forces in the east, your pikes should be reliable enough to, if not hold Memphis, at least bloody the Romans enough that you have time to churn out more troops in Alexandria. Oh, and any money you have, use it to buy troops in Alexandria.

That would be my strategy I think, anyhow. Feel free to ignore or not as you wish, dear sir. 

[Will]

Let's just hope the enemy forces try and all bundle their way through the main gate and get burnt to death by the oil. Archers should do terrible damage to given enough time.

[Clockwork]

Imo it's best to take out the saps with fire arrows, they're easy to destroy and archers can hit them from atop battlements.

Rams usually get destroyed by the gate towers. This just leaves siege towers. For iron clad ones, archers are useless but ballistae towers can usually kill one just as the first unit is coming over the walls. For wooden ones, 4 units of archers focus firing it with fire arrows burns the tower before it hits the wall. Archers must be positioned correctly along the wall with as many getting direct shots at the target (i.e as many as close to the enemy side of the wall as humanly possible).

Attacking units that are fighting enemies squashed together such as in a gateway or along a street get a +4 attack bonus. This can be the difference between being able to kill Legionaries and being killed by them.

Hope that helps.

Source: Me (So don't rely on it completely. And note the words usually and can be)

[comrade_general]

I agree with the above comments.

How's it going, Lord?

[Will]

It's quiet... too quiet.

[Paramythion]

It is with deep regret that we must announce, due to unforeseeable circumstances that have arisen in Lord Blaiddmor's home city of
-name redacted-, in the glorious land of -name redacted-, he must withdraw indefinitely.
Orders are being drafted as I write, copies of his original instructions, to be dispatched immediately to whatever individual the esteemed Council deems suitable to take command.
At this time, it is unknown when he will be able to return, but he hopes his other obligations will not prove too lengthy, and that he will be back before too long, and ready to once again do the council's bidding in whatever foreign land they may then find themselves embroiled in. Once again, Lord Blaiddmor would like to express his very real regret at his sudden disappearance, and hopes it has not inconvenienced any of you too terribly.

Sincerely,
               Bob, Clerk of the Noble And Ancient House Of Blaiddmor

(Here there is a separate piece of parchment tacked on to the letter, considerably more ragged, blotched with ink and bloodstains, and written in a fine and elegant, but somewhat rushed, handwriting.)

Greetings, esteemed council members. Really not much time to write. Assault on the walls soon. Sitting outside the walls of -name smudged and illegible- waiting for my cousin -name smudged and illegible- to give up and admit I am the legitimate heir. Just have 10-20 more castles and several more cities to -several words scratched out- to convince peacefully of my ability to rule justly and fairly over all. Shouldn't take me too long, and I'll be back to your lovely city of Exilian. If any of you..

(Here the parchments is charred and illegible)

Sincerely,
               Lord Blaiddmor, One And Only True Heir Of The Ancient And Magnificent House Of Bladdmor

[Jubal]

That makes it SOTK's go I believe. 

[comrade_general]

Sorry to hear that, Lord.

Rob can you forward the save file to Saw?

[Clockwork]

Will try but I'm having problems sending atm. cg I sent it to you before Lord Blaiddmor, you still got it?

[comrade_general]

No I don't see it anywhere.

[Clockwork]

M'kay no worries.

[comrade_general]

Did it get sent on then?