Fleebhas all of the fleeb juiceRegistered Userregular
edited October 2013
I'm definitely enjoying this!
I believe Britain should be our next target. Let's let the dust settle between the Carnutes and Marcomani, and we can decide what to do with the survivors. Lets send a fleet and a spy to the island and scout out good landing spots and targets.
I believe we should make sure all armies have their full compliment of troops. At least two armies should be sent to Britain when the time comes for invasion.
We should gather as many trade agreements as we can, spending money for them if we have to, but not bowing to extortionate demands.
For research I believe shallow keel should be first, followed by underfloor drainage, then raised site.
For buildings we should split evenly between structures that will allow better troops and armor, and increasing the food supply.
Clearly, the legacy of the Light of Belenos should be in our Inexorable Hordes. Campo himself, naturally, would gravitate towards Covert Action (mostly because I've never done a night battle and I'd like to see what it's like).
If our neighbors are going to war, we should take advantage of the situation. Solidifying our hold on Gaul proper should be our priority, and bleeding the Carnutes white should entice them towards absorption. Once Belgica and Celtica are firmly under our administration, we can begin our procession into Cisalpina and Italia. I hear there's excellent wine to be had.
At least two armies must land on its shores, and I motion that we raise a fourth as well, to maintain order and as a defensive insurance.
As such, we'll need to focus on naval research for the foreseeable future. Stargazing would also be a great boon to our people at this time, the constellations have much to tell us.
Is there a way to see how much base money a region generates, or is all the money related to the buildings created?
Each choice has its own reward and risks.
Attacking Spain would give us quite a few lands there and the ability to lock the Mediterranian from the Northern Sea, but we would risk a war with the super power of Carthage if Carthago Nova pleads for assistance.
Attacking further east, while endearing the Carnutes to us, would expose us on all sides for striking deep into Alsace, Lorraine, and Germania. I would be content to let the Carnutes beat their heads against the Marcomanni and enjoy the buffer provided between these two factions.
We really don't know much about what has transpired on the British Isles since the last time we were there. I will volunteer myself to scout out the British Isles.
If it seems favorable for invasion, I suggest the raising of a 5th army and sending two or three armies to the British Islands for rapid conquest.
If we take Britain, we have an island fortress that is generating revenue for the rest of our conquest in Europe.
CapsaicinI asked my 2 y/o son to draw a pic of my German mom, and thats what we got.Registered Userregular
A couple things I'd like to know:
What are our values for number of scouts, dignitaries, champions, armies, and navies vs their max values.
Who is left in Britain
Who is hanging around Spain
What other Gallic tribes (of blood) remain
0
Options
FaranguI am a beardy manWith a beardy planRegistered Userregular
What are our values for number of scouts, dignitaries, champions, armies, and navies vs their max values.
Who is left in Britain
Who is hanging around Spain
What other Gallic tribes (of blood) remain
We have 1/2 dignitaries, 2/2 scouts, 2/2 champions, 3/6 armies, and 2/4 fleets.
So far all we know of Britain is that the Iceni control the area around London, and the Dumnonii control the Southwestern shore.
Spain - Cantabri controls the Northwestern entrance to the peninsula, while the Galleci control the Northeastern tip. Cantabri also controls a bit of the middle of Italy. The rest, as far as we know, is Carthage and Nova Carthago.
The only people left that share our blood are the Carnutes. We could easily get a non-aggression pact with them I believe, but it will probably take some doing to have them even consider an offer of confederation.
Also, I think this is a good time to stop and ask: Are you folks enjoying this? Is there anything you would like to see me change(more participation, more explanation about things, etc.)?
FaranguI am a beardy manWith a beardy planRegistered Userregular
edited October 2013
Update #9: Operation Sealion, pt. 1 - The saga of Vercassivellaunos
Being boxed in by warring factions to our East and Carthage and her allies to the South, it was decided that we cross the Channel and invade Britannia. To that end, Cambo and Vercassivellaunos(@Terrendos and @JusticeForPluto), both commanding full armies, begin marching to the coast, while Abonios(@NotoriousBEN) scouts ahead to determine how fortified the Brits are. Lugios(@Retaba) was off scouting the situation in central Europa, and moved to join the landings, but it took some time for him to get there.
As our forces consolidated, the world finally took notice of the Arverni. We received a flood of invites for trade, and the Carnutes wished to become a little more serious:
"That's right. If only the Pictones were as smart as you." "Who?" "THAT'S RIGHT"
We accepted, since it would be nice to have a buffer between us and the Germanics, and since this is only a defensive alliance, we were not automatically drawn into their war with the Marcomanni. Meanwhile, the flood of trade agreements broadened our list of known cultures; we now have contacts all the way through to Athens. In other news, the Gallaecians and the Cantabrians(our buffers between Carthage in Spain) began fighting, and the Ligurians ganged up on the Marcomanni. It seems they won't be long for this world. But this sudden and tremendous increase in activity from the outside world provides the realization that we will certainly be on the receiving end someday, and so a fourth army is raised in Bibracte. Commanded by 2nd. Lt. @schuss, a bloodthirsty new officer, he names his band "The Doom of Men" (I swear, that's what the computer provided):
As our armies march, the Carnutes demand that we assist them in their war with the Marcomanni. Since we cannot afford the diversion if we want all of Britannia for ourselves, we politely decline. They understand, like a good future subservient people would. Many other news comes, more of which will be covered in the Diplomatic brief later. More importantly, Abonios lands ahead of our forces, and reports a decent sized garrison:
Since the Iceni are expansionists, we probably have only a short while before they start spreading towards Iska and becoming a problem down the road. Our forces enter the Forced March Stance to try and make landfall before it is too late. (Armies have one of five different stances they can take while marching:
Normal
Forced March - doubles their movement but prevents them from attacking or recruiting and automatically has them be ambushed if they are attacked
Fortify - Costs half of their current movement points to enter and they cannot move while in the stance, but increases the range they can reinforce in other battles and if attacked, they have barricades, spike walls and other deterrents to work with
Ambush - Costs half movement points to enter, percentage of success based on terrain. If successful, they become hidden, and have a much higher chance to ambush enemy armies and discover hidden agents and armies
Raiding - Lowers movement by 50%, but reduces upkeep by 20% and gives 5% morale to all units. Region where they are raiding takes a public order and growth penalty, and that faction hates us a little bit more)
Abonios poisons the major army's troops to weaken them a bit, while the men arrange a pincer movement: The Light of Belenos lands to the West of Iska, and the Hand of the Council to the East, where they are in range to support each other. The garrison is slightly higher than expected, so they prepare to encircle and siege the settlement to whittle down the defenders. But before we can make landfall, a troubling agreement is forged:
The Welsh Demetae forge alliances with both the Dumonnii, whom we are about to invade, and the Irish Ebdani. The Scourges of the Sea, however, saw no major forces when they scouted the Demetae settlement due North, so we have little worries, and we begin to siege Iska.
This proves to be just the opportunity that the Demetae wanted, as a hidden army descends out of the mists and attacks Vercassivellaunos's men:
Outnumbered by at least 1000 men, he considers retreat briefly, but realizes that if he does, Campo and his soldiers will most likely perish in the face of these numbers. Easy Legion is too far away to get there anytime soon, and the newly formed army is nothing but a few lightly armed skirmishers, also too far away. And so the Hand of the Council settles in for battle. It is here that the intelligence provided by Abonios proves invaluable:
The majority of the reinforcing army is at sea, and will have to make landfall. If we can deal with the main land force - which we outnumber - before the navy makes landfall, we increase our chances exponentially. Therefore, the Hand makes camp as far North as they can. Unfortunately, it was not expected that the land would be so soggy and wet: A deep fog descends, limiting the effectiveness of our skirmishers:
And as the battle begins, we can see the enemy thought us to not be so bold: They are right in front of us!
Seeing the surprise in front of them, their navy rows as hard as they can, while Vercassivellaunos orders his men to get into the fight as fast as possible. To keep the enemy off balance (and since the opposition is about 85% spearmen) the horsemen are ordered to the right flank, to position for a fast advance. Meanwhile, the enemy general comprehends our plan, and begins to shift his line while moving back to the coast:
Fortunately, our cavalry manages to find a flank not protected by spearmen, and begin their charge, which forces the enemy to stop their march and engage us proper. As this happens, the lion's share of the reinforcements begin to hit the shore:
They begin to rush to aid their friends without a moment to lose, and the battle briefly hangs on the edge of a knife:
But before long, the more heavily armored land force begins to retreat, having suffered too much before their friends could assist. With them running, our men take heart, and begin to sweep towards the coast:
Some of the spearmen tried to ward Vercassivellaunos back, but he would not be deterred. The survivors ran to their boats, where they thought they would be safe. Instead the boats became their tombs, as wave upon wave of javelins fell upon them.
In the end, the day belonged to the Arverni. Due to his deft maneuvering, Vercassivellaunos stood over the corpses of thousands of Brittanic tribesmen, having only to pay the lives of his horsemen and a scant few others - maybe 450 total. (Of course, for some reason it didn't take a capture of the results screen where it has a more exact break down.) At the same time, however, his brother-in-arms Campo was going through his own struggles...
KadokenGiving Ends to my Friends and it Feels StupendousRegistered Userregular
edited October 2013
Are my men stuck in the homeland? I must command my troops to glory! My bastards better at least be training and roaring to fight. This is not Belenos legion. This is not Council legion. This, is EASY legion.
FaranguI am a beardy manWith a beardy planRegistered Userregular
edited October 2013
Update #9: Operation Sealion pt. 2 - The saga of Campo
With Vercassivellaunos distracted by the Demetae, the Dummonii took advantage, and sallied out of Iska to attack Campo(@Terrendos) and the Light of Belenos. They faced an even greater disparity in numbers than the Hand of the Council:
To compound matters, it soon became clear, even through the thick fog and rain that was everywhere on this cursed land, that they were surrounded on all sides:
Just as his compatriot was doing many miles away at that moment, Campo sought to surge forward, and defeat the enemy in front of him before he could be encircled. Unfortunately, half of the enemy contingent was hidden in the buildings and trees right in front of Campo, and they launched a surprise attack:
"OH SHI-"
With mercenary cavalry charging the left flank, our line engaged with their line unexpectedly, and the majority of their slingers content to pelt on our troops helplessly, there was no maneuvering available to Campo like there was to Vercassivellaunos. He had but one strategy: Be the toughest son of a bitch out there, and make a part of their line break:
Although casualties were sustained, the men along the eastern flank finally broke the backs of the mass of levied troops they were fighting. With the hole in their line discovered, Campo ordered his troops through the forest, to start hacking away at the mass of skirmishers inflicting considerable damage:
With their screen gone, the Dummonii skirmishing line showed their true colors, and began to flee en masse. Of course, Campo gave chase.
RUN PIGGIES, RUN
The small amount of enemy land reinforcements at our backside arrive just in time to get slaughtered.
As he sees the backsides of the cowardly Dummonii, he lets loose a hearty laugh, and his men cheer. Over 3000 Dummonii lay dead - more than 1 killed for each man he had available to him. His own casualties numbered about 500, mostly at the hands of the slingers. With all remaining obstacles out of the way, both generals advanced, finally, to Iska:
Upon being asked details of the assault on Iska, both Campo and Vercassivellaunos had nothing to say but this: "What do YOU think happened?"
And so Operation Sealion opened with resounding successes: A secure foothold into Britain, and morale-building triumphs at the hands of both veteran and rookie commanders. But there is still much in front of us, most notably the expansionist Iceni and the still-hostile Demetae...
Military:
The Hand of Belenos suffered relatively minor casualties in its action against the Dummonii, losing no units and men which will be replaced rapidly. The Hand of the Council lost their two heavy and one light horse units, and will be at full strength in 2 turns. @Kadoken and the Easy Legion are in our Northwestern lands as a rearguard, with the Scourge of the Seas reporting a Demetae fleet close to Namnetum. Adcoro(@schuss) has been recruiting with a passion, and will soon have an army group worth recognition. With the opening success of Operation Sealion, there are a number of promotions to hand out:
@rockrngr Anauni continues to be a trainer without peer (2 authority, 1 cunning, 11 zeal). She may choose one:
Paragon - +1 authority, -10% cost of all action, +5% critical success chance
Partisan - +1 cunning, +5% chance of avoiding enemy agents
Audacity - +1 zeal, +2 public order with certain actions
Upgrade Champion - +1 zeal, +6% movement range
Upgrade Strength - +1 zeal, +10% chance to assassinate/manipulate enemy generals/agents
Upgrade Warfare - +1 zeal, +15% casualties when sabotaging town patrols
Upgrade Militancy - +1 zeal, +30 xp when training troops, +2 to public order with certain actions
@NotoriousBEN Abonios proved invaluable in the landings on Britannia. (1 authority, 5 cunning, 3 zeal, sorry I got them wrong earlier) He may choose one:
Spy - +1 cunning, +5% chance of avoiding enemy agents
Antagonist - +1 zeal, +6% movement range
Disruption - +1 zeal, incite more public unrest and uncover more info when intercepting orders
Upgrade Poet - +1 cultural influence, +2 public order in local region from characters, +4% wealth from cultural buildings in local area
Upgrade Agent - +1 authority, +5% critical success chance
The Hand of the Council and its leader, Vercassivellaunos, have proven themselves in battle. @JusticeForPluto may choose a tradition for his army:
Accomplished Skirmishers - +3% damage from all missile units
Siege Experts - May construct medium siege engines
Formidable Swordsmen - +5% damage from all sword units
Stalwart Defenders - When fortified, gain a stake wall, sets of sharp stones, a barricade and a set of fire balls
He may also choose a trait for himself(3 authority, 3 cunning, 7 zeal):
In other news, the Marcomanni are being handled quite easily by the Carnutes . So the pressing questions in terms of military are how to continue the invasion of Britannica, and whether we should move over a third army to the invasion. Generals, if you wish a certain build-up of units, please let me know.
Finance:
With both the massive influx in trade agreements and a new territory under our grip, we have a stable income of ~3000 even with a fourth army being sustained. Most of our reserve was used to upgrade agricultural and industrial buildings throughout our central regions. In one turn, Namnetum will have the capability to produce Onagers. Namnetum also has a Port, which should lead to different types of ships being able to be built, although we won't know for sure until a fleet returns to add more ships.
Technology:
We finished both Shallow Keel and Crew Training, which makes our naval ships a bit more sturdy and more damaging. Our choices now are:
War Exercises: Chainmail(-15% mercenary recruitment costs, -4% recruitment and upkeep costs, enables Bronze Furnace and Ironworks, 10 turns) or Oak Construction(-3% fleet upkeep costs, -3% fleet recruitment costs, enables construction of Boatyard, 6 turns)
Warrior Code: War Horn(+5% damage for all missile non-siege units, +4% charge bonus for all land units, +6% shots per minute for all land non-siege units, enables construction of Chieftain's Hold, 6 turns) or Lode Stone(+10% battle speed for all ships, +15% missile damage for all ships, +20% health and ram damage for all ships, 6 turns)
Siege: Torsion Techniques(30% fewer losses when besieging, -1 to enemy siege holdout time, +15% damage for all siege units, enables construction of Great Builder's Hall, 8 turns) or Great Food Vault(-30% fewer attritional losses when under siege, all settlements can hold out an extra turn before losing a siege, 3 turns)
Tribal Economy: Animal Husbandry(+2% wealth from agriculture in all regions, can build further upgraded buildings in either military or agricultural, 3 turns) or Intensified Production(+7% wealth from all commerce buildings, +7% tariffs from trade agreements, enables building of Potter's Workshop, Great Fair and the Sanctuary of Rosmerta, 19 turns)
Tribal Council: Celtic Calendar(+3% tax rate and +2 public order everywhere, 10 turns) or Stargazing(+15% wealth from all culture buildings, -10% political action costs, -10% corruption in our provinces, +4 cultural conversion, enables construction of Bard's Grove, 8 turns)
Construction: Underfloor Drainage(+3 to growth in all provinces, -1 to provincial capital build times, 3 turns) or Raised Site(+2% wealth to all industrial buildings, can further upgrade town halls, 3 turns)
Politics:
A horde of peoples began trading with us, either with no provocation or with a small (<250 denarii) incentive. As such, our trade brings in almost 1500 denarii by itself! We decided not to accept the trade of peoples we would soon be conquering, so mostly the peoples by Athens and Greece and Eastern Europa are our partners now. Through this, we learned a bit more about the political landscape of the world:
The most concerning thing is that Nova Carthago, somehow, has control of almost all of Africa, and their parents, Carthage, have a healthy hold on Italia and the Mediterranean. Currently, they seem to be the world powers to beat. Liguria has tripled in size due to their conquests over the Marcomanni, and they will be the ones to keep an eye on right now.
Everything in the State of the Tribe except for Military is up to date. That will be updated later tonight/tomorrow.
I was hoping for a cavalry trait. I would pick Stalwart Defenders since I usually play defensively in any strategy game, but Siege Experts seems more helpful. So I leave it to you @Farangu to choose between the more helpful or more role-playing choice.
I have no idea how the traits work (Rome II won't run on my comp) so I'll leave the choice between Commander and Strategist to you as well.
Also, glad to see they realistically modeled British weather.
With the foothold in Britain secure, we will want to keep up the pace. We need as much of britain brought to heel asap before the current foreign wars are decided.
as much as people have been clamoring for chainmail, I think it would be prudent to invest in siege torsion techniques if it is much quicker to complete.
the third army can emphasize Calvary units that it can bring to the other two armies and then swap out some infantry to help belanos recover his horse units.
I will take antagonist for now. The campaign move percentage would be a boon to any army I am attached to, as well as open up intimidation skills for a younger general to use in battle. I would like to continue to scout further inland to provide our armies to knowledge to conquer.
hopefully, farangu kept going with the battles to truely annihilate the enemy armies, so that means that the iceni are the only worthy fighting force available for the time being
I think that the Light of Belenos should, after a turn or two to recover our meager losses, turn our eye towards the Demetae. They made a foolhardy attempt to stop us, and for that they must be punished.
0
Options
Fleebhas all of the fleeb juiceRegistered Userregular
Terrendos is correct, the Demetae must be ground to dust to daring to oppose us. Once they are disposed of and our armies are replenished, I assume the Icene would be the next target, but we should scout and see if a better option presents itself.
Research goals should be animal husbandry, then underfloor drainage, then raised site.
Keep taxes where they are, and make sure all armies are at full strength.
CapsaicinI asked my 2 y/o son to draw a pic of my German mom, and thats what we got.Registered Userregular
Let all generals/admirals/spys choose their own traits.
MILITARY - Good work! Continue the push! Consider sending a dignitary to Britain to convert their culture. Consider another army to defend the south.
FINANCE - Not much input here. Continue to gain trade. Though that income makes me think we might want to stand up another army?
TECH - I think we'll need more help with public order and culture conversion in the near future. I say we research Stargazing, Celtic Calendar, and War Horn in that order.
POLITICS - Try and play nice with our southern and eastern neighbors until we can finish up in the north. Maybe try to add the Carnutes to our confederation? To do that, we might need to give them military aid.
Sorry I've been absent from the thread. I've been a bit distracted lately.
Anyway.
I agree that we should research Stargazing and War Horn; however, I feel we've neglected Animal Husbandry for too long, so I suggest we take care of that first.
I agree with Stilts, we should start with Animal Husbandry; it will take a relatively small amount of time to finish and opens up useful things for us. After that, research War Horn.
Maintain peaceful relations with Iberia, we have the Pyrenees between them and us and it would take a madman to cross them with an army. A MADMAN I SAY. Also, keep up relations with Italy and Greece, the northern regions should be our targets for now.
Continue the conquest until at least the entire province of Brittania is brought to heel. We should also take steps to recover the rest of Celtica soon
I am pleased to see our initial forays into Britannia are proceeding well, but I can't help but notice that our losses were much larger than they should have been - which is not to detract from the bravery, skill, and dedication displayed by our great generals. Rather, the surprise appearance of the Demetae, arriving by sea, is due to this council's reticence to properly invest in our naval architecture and forces.
Accordingly, I move that we proceed to Oak Construction and Lodestone, and immediately upon their completion, upgrade the naval facilities in Burdigala and raise an additional fleet to further safeguard our brave warriors in Britannia. We should not let down those who have done so much for us. And, as to that ...
I also move that we create and bestow upon our brave generals, Campo @Terrendos of the Light of Belenos and @JusticeForPluto Vercassivellaunos of the Hand of the Council, the title of Stubborn Bastardix of the Gauls, along with a stipend of 6 cows annually for life, for their superior intellect, dedication, and sheer cussed determination in furthering the aims of our people. Let us hail them, and drink deeply to their eternal honor!
OOC: Sorry about not responding to your last update; I came back for this one and noticed that I had a draft I never submitted. Oops!
I also move that we create and bestow upon our brave generals, Campo @Terrendos of the Light of Belenos and @JusticeForPluto Vercassivellaunos of the Hand of the Council, the title of Stubborn Bastardix of the Gauls, along with a stipend of 6 cows annually for life, for their superior intellect, dedication, and sheer cussed determination in furthering the aims of our people. Let us hail them, and drink deeply to their eternal honor!
FaranguI am a beardy manWith a beardy planRegistered Userregular
Update #10 - Operation Sealion pt. 3: The Brits are such a pleasant people. Let's conquer them.
Last session of the Council finished with the congratulations of our commanders. Unfortunately, good news is often followed by bad:
Belenos fought in many battles, and though he died peacefully, his name will be remembered. Iatupocios has been selected as the new leader of Belenos' men. ((Since he died peacefully, and since we have no other generals waiting in the wings, @Kadoken shall retain command of the Easy Legion.))
In honor of Belenos, Campo and Vercassivellaunos move forward united towards the Demetae. It seems that they put most of their stock in the surprise assault, as the men approach Moridunon and find not much remaining:
Our generals decide to exact some small measure of vengeance for the craven, unmanly strike at Iska, and lead the men personally onto the field. Their aides, when asked later, described the look in their eyes when they left as "filled with murderous glee".
5300 professionally trained soldiers vs. 3000 farmers
The plan is simple: Campo's men camp outside the town, hurling insults and intimidation, while the Easy Legion marches in from the East to ensure our victory.
The skirmishers, however, get impatient, so they are moved into harassment range.
Before long, Vercassivellaunos and his men arrive, and the assault commences.
To call it a battle is a misnomer. It is nothing but a full on rout.
And with that, the Demetae are no more. The Iceni go down just as easily, although after we take their capital, they perform their own version of Scorched Earth on the way out:
All the buildings in their settlement of Camuloduon are either destroyed or heavily damaged. But here we must leave Britannia for a moment, and cover what was happening on the mainland at this time. Firstly, the Carnutes made one request:
Hey, so, can you come beat on the Marcomanni for us?
Ordinarily we would reject this request, but upon further inspection, Adcoro(@schuss) notices that the closest Marcomanni town of Vesontio is perilously under-manned. He takes his men, and moves forward to expand our lands, laughing maniacally all the way.
His campaign mirrors the overall progression of Operation Sealion.
He holds the town, but it is soon discovered that the Marcomanni had a few more armies off in the hillside. Adcoro chases off one or two of the smaller ones, and before long, the weight upon the Marcomanni is too much for them:
We decide to not overextend ourselves on two fronts, and take their money. All in all, a good few years' work.
Military:
SO MANY PROMOTIONS
Abonios(@NotoriousBEN) continues to perform valiantly as the advance scout in Operation Sealion. He may choose one of the following: (1 authority - 5 cunning - 3 zeal)
Upgrade Poet - +1 cultural Influence, +2 public order in local province, +4% wealth from cultural buildings in local province
Upgrade Agent - +1 authority, +5% critical chance of success
Upgrade Antagonist - +1 zeal, +6% movement range
Upgrade Collaboration - +1 authority, +10% chance to manipulate/assassinate certain targets
Spy - +1 cunning, 5% chance to evade enemy agents
Disruption - +1 authority, incite more unrest and uncover more information when performing those actions
Murder - +1 zeal, 10% higher chance to manipulate/assassinate certain targets
Sabotage - +1 zeal, +25% damage when committing arson, reduce enemy weapon levels by 1 when sabotaging
Lugios(@Retaba) has finally made it to Britannia, and personally dispatched a number of Iceni warlords and spies. He may choose one of the following: (3 authority - 3 cunning - 2 zeal)
Upgrade Agent - +1 authority, +5% critical chance
Upgrade Disruption - +1 authority, incite more unrest and uncover more information
Antagonist - +1 zeal, +6% movement range
Spy - +1 cunning, 5% chance to evade enemy agents
Collaboration - +1 authority, +10% chance to manipulate/assassinate certain targets
Campo(@Terrendos) continues to deserve the award of the Stubborn Bastardix, as many men fall to him each year. Campo may select one tradition for his army and one personal trait. (3 authority - 5 cunning - 4 zeal)
Traditions:
Accomplished Skirmishers - +3% missile damage
Formidable Swordsmen - +5% sword damage
Dread Forest Ambushers - +8% morale in forest ambushes and night battles
Stalwart Defenders - extra defenses when fortified
Unrelenting Force - +6% movement range, +4% charge bonus
Grand Camp Following - -4% upkeep, +8% morale to all units
Dread Marauders - +3% income from looting settlements, +5% income from raiding
Indomitable Infantry - +4% melee attack and defense for all infantry
Light cavalry Masters - +3% movement speed, +5% shots per minute for all light cavalry
Unfettered Infantry - +8% melee defense for all light and very light infantry
Traits:
Upgrade Justice - +1 authority, -10% resistance to occupation
Upgrade Strategist - +1 cunning
Upgrade Tactician - +1 cunning, +8% movement range, +4% melee defense skill for all units
Warrior - +1 zeal
Commander - +1 authority
Administration - +1 cunning, -4% upkeep for non-mercenaries
Logistics - +1 cunning, +4% replenishment rate
Siegecraft - +1 cunning, +1 siege hold out time, -1 enemy siege hold out time(double gains and losses for port cities)
Mercenary Contracts - +1 cunning, -4% mercenary hiring costs
Master Tactician - +2 cunning, -4% upkeep for all units, mercenary and non-mercenary
Vercassivellaunos(@JusticeForPluto) also earns his accolades, keeping step with Campo every step of the way. He may choose one trait. (4 authority - 3 cunning - 7 zeal)
Strategist - +1 cunning
Warrior - +1 zeal
General - +2 authority, -4% recruitment cost on land
Admiral - +2 authority, -4% recruitment cost on sea
Adcoro(@schuss) showed bold initiative in his first command, expanding our lands without overextending and risking his men. He may choose both an army tradition for The Doom of Men and a personal trait.(3 authority - 3 cunning - 4 zeal)
Traditions:
Accomplished Skirmishers - +3% missile damage
Formidable Swordsmen - +5% sword damage
Dread Forest Ambushers - +8% morale in forest ambushes and night battles
Light cavalry Masters - +3% movement speed, +5% shots per minute for all light cavalry
In other military news, the Cantabri(our Iberian neighbors) have signed a non-aggression pact with us. We can expect to be relatively safe from Spanish expansion, leaving us free to continue Operation Sealion. There are but two factions left to contend with: The Brigantes, which hold two settlements in the Highlands, and the Ebdani, who control the Irish Isle. Both seem to have more men at their disposal than any other British resistance we have seen thus far. The newly helmed Easy Legion are garrisoned at Bibracte, while the Doom of Men occupy their new spoils. It might be worth bringing the Easy Legion up to Britannia, to speed our conquering and also to make sure that any revolt is put down quickly.
Finance:
Our income is not terrible, even with the Doom of Men swelling to almost a full roster. The major setback to our finances has been rebuilding Britannia after our razings(6 more to go for that objective) and sabotage. Hopefully, the region will soon be pacified so we can begin taxing it to restore balance to our books.
Technology:
We have finished researching both Animal Husbandry and the War Horn, which slightly increase our agricultural wealth, and military efficiency. The following options are:
War Exercises: Chainmail(-15% mercenary recruitment costs, -4% recruitment and upkeep costs, enables Bronze Furnace and Ironworks, 10 turns) or Oak Construction(-3% fleet upkeep costs, -3% fleet recruitment costs, enables construction of Boatyard, 6 turns)
Warrior Code: Tribal Totem(+3% melee attack and defense for all units, enables construction of Tavern and recruitment of Naked Warriors, 10 turns) or Lode Stone(+10% battle speed for all ships, +15% missile damage for all ships, +20% health and ram damage for all ships, 6 turns)
Siege: Torsion Techniques(30% fewer losses when besieging, -1 to enemy siege holdout time, +15% damage for all siege units, enables construction of Great Builder's Hall, 8 turns) or Great Food Vault(-30% fewer attritional losses when under siege, all settlements can hold out an extra turn before losing a siege, 3 turns)
Tribal Economy: Celtic Plough(+3% to agricultural wealth, -3% to agricultural building costs, 5 turns) or Intensified Production(+7% wealth from all commerce buildings, +7% tariffs from trade agreements, enables building of Potter's Workshop, Great Fair and the Sanctuary of Rosmerta, 19 turns)
Tribal Council: Celtic Calendar(+3% tax rate and +2 public order everywhere, 10 turns) or Stargazing(+15% wealth from all culture buildings, -10% political action costs, -10% corruption in our provinces, +4 cultural conversion, enables construction of Bard's Grove, 8 turns)
Construction: Underfloor Drainage(+3 to growth in all provinces, -1 to provincial capital build times, 3 turns) or Raised Site(+2% wealth to all industrial buildings, can further upgrade town halls, 3 turns)
Politics:
With the signing of the Cantabri non-aggression pact, our Southern borders are a bit more safe from land invasion. Our fleets still leave something to be desired, and require further research into developing new types of boats before they can truly be built up. The Marcomanni are probably smarting from buying peace from us, but they still have the Carnutes and Ligurians to deal with, so we are relatively safe from them as well.
Fantastic. I will take Spy (+1 Cunning) so that I can open up more in my assassination tree even though there are some really good authority and zeal abilities. I need to be ready to exploit agents that have no cunning.
Now would be a good time to invest in Chainmail. With the current expenditure in the armies. A 4% reduction in upkeep costs would mean close to 290 dinari saved each turn, as well as opening up industrial options for recruiting 'arder troops, and getting more monies from those industries. It would be nice if the game would give us a breakdown of how much money is coming in from what source.
Our culture conversion agents should be sweeping through Britain and ramping up mass conversions now more than ever so that our armies are not tied down in the towns as long.
Stay the course, drive north through britain and the highlands until we reach the top of the world.
Military: As usual, I defer to the generals.
Finance: Looks fine to me, as our chieftain says, our income will increase dramatically once Britannia is pacified.
Technology: I think its about time we tried this fancy-schmancy chainmail I keep hearing about
Politics: Anyone want to trade?
Haven't paid attention to this thread for a week or so... did Carthage completely wipe out Rome already? That's kind of hilarious.
Posts
I believe Britain should be our next target. Let's let the dust settle between the Carnutes and Marcomani, and we can decide what to do with the survivors. Lets send a fleet and a spy to the island and scout out good landing spots and targets.
I believe we should make sure all armies have their full compliment of troops. At least two armies should be sent to Britain when the time comes for invasion.
We should gather as many trade agreements as we can, spending money for them if we have to, but not bowing to extortionate demands.
For research I believe shallow keel should be first, followed by underfloor drainage, then raised site.
For buildings we should split evenly between structures that will allow better troops and armor, and increasing the food supply.
Onward to Britain!
If our neighbors are going to war, we should take advantage of the situation. Solidifying our hold on Gaul proper should be our priority, and bleeding the Carnutes white should entice them towards absorption. Once Belgica and Celtica are firmly under our administration, we can begin our procession into Cisalpina and Italia. I hear there's excellent wine to be had.
At least two armies must land on its shores, and I motion that we raise a fourth as well, to maintain order and as a defensive insurance.
As such, we'll need to focus on naval research for the foreseeable future. Stargazing would also be a great boon to our people at this time, the constellations have much to tell us.
Each choice has its own reward and risks.
Attacking Spain would give us quite a few lands there and the ability to lock the Mediterranian from the Northern Sea, but we would risk a war with the super power of Carthage if Carthago Nova pleads for assistance.
Attacking further east, while endearing the Carnutes to us, would expose us on all sides for striking deep into Alsace, Lorraine, and Germania. I would be content to let the Carnutes beat their heads against the Marcomanni and enjoy the buffer provided between these two factions.
We really don't know much about what has transpired on the British Isles since the last time we were there.
I will volunteer myself to scout out the British Isles.
If it seems favorable for invasion, I suggest the raising of a 5th army and sending two or three armies to the British Islands for rapid conquest.
If we take Britain, we have an island fortress that is generating revenue for the rest of our conquest in Europe.
Steam - NotoriusBEN | Uplay - notoriusben | Xbox,Windows Live - ThatBEN
What are our values for number of scouts, dignitaries, champions, armies, and navies vs their max values.
Who is left in Britain
Who is hanging around Spain
What other Gallic tribes (of blood) remain
We have 1/2 dignitaries, 2/2 scouts, 2/2 champions, 3/6 armies, and 2/4 fleets.
So far all we know of Britain is that the Iceni control the area around London, and the Dumnonii control the Southwestern shore.
Spain - Cantabri controls the Northwestern entrance to the peninsula, while the Galleci control the Northeastern tip. Cantabri also controls a bit of the middle of Italy. The rest, as far as we know, is Carthage and Nova Carthago.
The only people left that share our blood are the Carnutes. We could easily get a non-aggression pact with them I believe, but it will probably take some doing to have them even consider an offer of confederation.
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!
I'm just lurking, but I'm enjoying it greatly
PSN: Vorpallion Twitch: Vorpallion
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!
"overmatched 3 to 1? I thought I brought warriors, not milkmaids"
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!
THANK GOD for all the morale boost abilities on my general...
Steam - NotoriusBEN | Uplay - notoriusben | Xbox,Windows Live - ThatBEN
@Terrendos and @JusticeForPluto...you men are god-damned heroes.
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!
As our forces consolidated, the world finally took notice of the Arverni. We received a flood of invites for trade, and the Carnutes wished to become a little more serious:
"That's right. If only the Pictones were as smart as you." "Who?" "THAT'S RIGHT"
We accepted, since it would be nice to have a buffer between us and the Germanics, and since this is only a defensive alliance, we were not automatically drawn into their war with the Marcomanni. Meanwhile, the flood of trade agreements broadened our list of known cultures; we now have contacts all the way through to Athens. In other news, the Gallaecians and the Cantabrians(our buffers between Carthage in Spain) began fighting, and the Ligurians ganged up on the Marcomanni. It seems they won't be long for this world. But this sudden and tremendous increase in activity from the outside world provides the realization that we will certainly be on the receiving end someday, and so a fourth army is raised in Bibracte. Commanded by 2nd. Lt. @schuss, a bloodthirsty new officer, he names his band "The Doom of Men" (I swear, that's what the computer provided):
As our armies march, the Carnutes demand that we assist them in their war with the Marcomanni. Since we cannot afford the diversion if we want all of Britannia for ourselves, we politely decline. They understand, like a good future subservient people would. Many other news comes, more of which will be covered in the Diplomatic brief later. More importantly, Abonios lands ahead of our forces, and reports a decent sized garrison:
Since the Iceni are expansionists, we probably have only a short while before they start spreading towards Iska and becoming a problem down the road. Our forces enter the Forced March Stance to try and make landfall before it is too late. (Armies have one of five different stances they can take while marching:
Normal
Forced March - doubles their movement but prevents them from attacking or recruiting and automatically has them be ambushed if they are attacked
Fortify - Costs half of their current movement points to enter and they cannot move while in the stance, but increases the range they can reinforce in other battles and if attacked, they have barricades, spike walls and other deterrents to work with
Ambush - Costs half movement points to enter, percentage of success based on terrain. If successful, they become hidden, and have a much higher chance to ambush enemy armies and discover hidden agents and armies
Raiding - Lowers movement by 50%, but reduces upkeep by 20% and gives 5% morale to all units. Region where they are raiding takes a public order and growth penalty, and that faction hates us a little bit more)
Abonios poisons the major army's troops to weaken them a bit, while the men arrange a pincer movement: The Light of Belenos lands to the West of Iska, and the Hand of the Council to the East, where they are in range to support each other. The garrison is slightly higher than expected, so they prepare to encircle and siege the settlement to whittle down the defenders. But before we can make landfall, a troubling agreement is forged:
The Welsh Demetae forge alliances with both the Dumonnii, whom we are about to invade, and the Irish Ebdani. The Scourges of the Sea, however, saw no major forces when they scouted the Demetae settlement due North, so we have little worries, and we begin to siege Iska.
This proves to be just the opportunity that the Demetae wanted, as a hidden army descends out of the mists and attacks Vercassivellaunos's men:
Outnumbered by at least 1000 men, he considers retreat briefly, but realizes that if he does, Campo and his soldiers will most likely perish in the face of these numbers. Easy Legion is too far away to get there anytime soon, and the newly formed army is nothing but a few lightly armed skirmishers, also too far away. And so the Hand of the Council settles in for battle. It is here that the intelligence provided by Abonios proves invaluable:
The majority of the reinforcing army is at sea, and will have to make landfall. If we can deal with the main land force - which we outnumber - before the navy makes landfall, we increase our chances exponentially. Therefore, the Hand makes camp as far North as they can. Unfortunately, it was not expected that the land would be so soggy and wet: A deep fog descends, limiting the effectiveness of our skirmishers:
And as the battle begins, we can see the enemy thought us to not be so bold: They are right in front of us!
Seeing the surprise in front of them, their navy rows as hard as they can, while Vercassivellaunos orders his men to get into the fight as fast as possible. To keep the enemy off balance (and since the opposition is about 85% spearmen) the horsemen are ordered to the right flank, to position for a fast advance. Meanwhile, the enemy general comprehends our plan, and begins to shift his line while moving back to the coast:
Fortunately, our cavalry manages to find a flank not protected by spearmen, and begin their charge, which forces the enemy to stop their march and engage us proper. As this happens, the lion's share of the reinforcements begin to hit the shore:
They begin to rush to aid their friends without a moment to lose, and the battle briefly hangs on the edge of a knife:
But before long, the more heavily armored land force begins to retreat, having suffered too much before their friends could assist. With them running, our men take heart, and begin to sweep towards the coast:
Some of the spearmen tried to ward Vercassivellaunos back, but he would not be deterred. The survivors ran to their boats, where they thought they would be safe. Instead the boats became their tombs, as wave upon wave of javelins fell upon them.
In the end, the day belonged to the Arverni. Due to his deft maneuvering, Vercassivellaunos stood over the corpses of thousands of Brittanic tribesmen, having only to pay the lives of his horsemen and a scant few others - maybe 450 total. (Of course, for some reason it didn't take a capture of the results screen where it has a more exact break down.) At the same time, however, his brother-in-arms Campo was going through his own struggles...
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!
To compound matters, it soon became clear, even through the thick fog and rain that was everywhere on this cursed land, that they were surrounded on all sides:
Just as his compatriot was doing many miles away at that moment, Campo sought to surge forward, and defeat the enemy in front of him before he could be encircled. Unfortunately, half of the enemy contingent was hidden in the buildings and trees right in front of Campo, and they launched a surprise attack:
"OH SHI-"
With mercenary cavalry charging the left flank, our line engaged with their line unexpectedly, and the majority of their slingers content to pelt on our troops helplessly, there was no maneuvering available to Campo like there was to Vercassivellaunos. He had but one strategy: Be the toughest son of a bitch out there, and make a part of their line break:
Although casualties were sustained, the men along the eastern flank finally broke the backs of the mass of levied troops they were fighting. With the hole in their line discovered, Campo ordered his troops through the forest, to start hacking away at the mass of skirmishers inflicting considerable damage:
With their screen gone, the Dummonii skirmishing line showed their true colors, and began to flee en masse. Of course, Campo gave chase.
RUN PIGGIES, RUN
The small amount of enemy land reinforcements at our backside arrive just in time to get slaughtered.
As he sees the backsides of the cowardly Dummonii, he lets loose a hearty laugh, and his men cheer. Over 3000 Dummonii lay dead - more than 1 killed for each man he had available to him. His own casualties numbered about 500, mostly at the hands of the slingers. With all remaining obstacles out of the way, both generals advanced, finally, to Iska:
Upon being asked details of the assault on Iska, both Campo and Vercassivellaunos had nothing to say but this: "What do YOU think happened?"
And so Operation Sealion opened with resounding successes: A secure foothold into Britain, and morale-building triumphs at the hands of both veteran and rookie commanders. But there is still much in front of us, most notably the expansionist Iceni and the still-hostile Demetae...
Military:
@rockrngr Anauni continues to be a trainer without peer (2 authority, 1 cunning, 11 zeal). She may choose one:
Paragon - +1 authority, -10% cost of all action, +5% critical success chance
Partisan - +1 cunning, +5% chance of avoiding enemy agents
Audacity - +1 zeal, +2 public order with certain actions
Upgrade Champion - +1 zeal, +6% movement range
Upgrade Strength - +1 zeal, +10% chance to assassinate/manipulate enemy generals/agents
Upgrade Warfare - +1 zeal, +15% casualties when sabotaging town patrols
Upgrade Militancy - +1 zeal, +30 xp when training troops, +2 to public order with certain actions
@NotoriousBEN Abonios proved invaluable in the landings on Britannia. (1 authority, 5 cunning, 3 zeal, sorry I got them wrong earlier) He may choose one:
Spy - +1 cunning, +5% chance of avoiding enemy agents
Antagonist - +1 zeal, +6% movement range
Disruption - +1 zeal, incite more public unrest and uncover more info when intercepting orders
Upgrade Poet - +1 cultural influence, +2 public order in local region from characters, +4% wealth from cultural buildings in local area
Upgrade Agent - +1 authority, +5% critical success chance
The Hand of the Council and its leader, Vercassivellaunos, have proven themselves in battle. @JusticeForPluto may choose a tradition for his army:
Accomplished Skirmishers - +3% damage from all missile units
Siege Experts - May construct medium siege engines
Formidable Swordsmen - +5% damage from all sword units
Stalwart Defenders - When fortified, gain a stake wall, sets of sharp stones, a barricade and a set of fire balls
He may also choose a trait for himself(3 authority, 3 cunning, 7 zeal):
Commander - +1 authority
Strategist - +1 cunning
Warrior - +1 zeal
In other news, the Marcomanni are being handled quite easily by the Carnutes . So the pressing questions in terms of military are how to continue the invasion of Britannica, and whether we should move over a third army to the invasion. Generals, if you wish a certain build-up of units, please let me know.
Finance:
With both the massive influx in trade agreements and a new territory under our grip, we have a stable income of ~3000 even with a fourth army being sustained. Most of our reserve was used to upgrade agricultural and industrial buildings throughout our central regions. In one turn, Namnetum will have the capability to produce Onagers. Namnetum also has a Port, which should lead to different types of ships being able to be built, although we won't know for sure until a fleet returns to add more ships.
Technology:
War Exercises: Chainmail(-15% mercenary recruitment costs, -4% recruitment and upkeep costs, enables Bronze Furnace and Ironworks, 10 turns) or Oak Construction(-3% fleet upkeep costs, -3% fleet recruitment costs, enables construction of Boatyard, 6 turns)
Warrior Code: War Horn(+5% damage for all missile non-siege units, +4% charge bonus for all land units, +6% shots per minute for all land non-siege units, enables construction of Chieftain's Hold, 6 turns) or Lode Stone(+10% battle speed for all ships, +15% missile damage for all ships, +20% health and ram damage for all ships, 6 turns)
Siege: Torsion Techniques(30% fewer losses when besieging, -1 to enemy siege holdout time, +15% damage for all siege units, enables construction of Great Builder's Hall, 8 turns) or Great Food Vault(-30% fewer attritional losses when under siege, all settlements can hold out an extra turn before losing a siege, 3 turns)
Tribal Economy: Animal Husbandry(+2% wealth from agriculture in all regions, can build further upgraded buildings in either military or agricultural, 3 turns) or Intensified Production(+7% wealth from all commerce buildings, +7% tariffs from trade agreements, enables building of Potter's Workshop, Great Fair and the Sanctuary of Rosmerta, 19 turns)
Tribal Council: Celtic Calendar(+3% tax rate and +2 public order everywhere, 10 turns) or Stargazing(+15% wealth from all culture buildings, -10% political action costs, -10% corruption in our provinces, +4 cultural conversion, enables construction of Bard's Grove, 8 turns)
Construction: Underfloor Drainage(+3 to growth in all provinces, -1 to provincial capital build times, 3 turns) or Raised Site(+2% wealth to all industrial buildings, can further upgrade town halls, 3 turns)
Politics:
The most concerning thing is that Nova Carthago, somehow, has control of almost all of Africa, and their parents, Carthage, have a healthy hold on Italia and the Mediterranean. Currently, they seem to be the world powers to beat. Liguria has tripled in size due to their conquests over the Marcomanni, and they will be the ones to keep an eye on right now.
Everything in the State of the Tribe except for Military is up to date. That will be updated later tonight/tomorrow.
@Phyphor @enlightenedbum @stilts @Mr Ray @Elvenshae @Capsaicin @firewaterword @Fleeb @Vic @NerfThatMan @Kadoken
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!
I have no idea how the traits work (Rome II won't run on my comp) so I'll leave the choice between Commander and Strategist to you as well.
Also, glad to see they realistically modeled British weather.
as much as people have been clamoring for chainmail, I think it would be prudent to invest in siege torsion techniques if it is much quicker to complete.
the third army can emphasize Calvary units that it can bring to the other two armies and then swap out some infantry to help belanos recover his horse units.
I will take antagonist for now. The campaign move percentage would be a boon to any army I am attached to, as well as open up intimidation skills for a younger general to use in battle. I would like to continue to scout further inland to provide our armies to knowledge to conquer.
hopefully, farangu kept going with the battles to truely annihilate the enemy armies, so that means that the iceni are the only worthy fighting force available for the time being
Steam - NotoriusBEN | Uplay - notoriusben | Xbox,Windows Live - ThatBEN
Research goals should be animal husbandry, then underfloor drainage, then raised site.
Keep taxes where they are, and make sure all armies are at full strength.
Let all generals/admirals/spys choose their own traits.
MILITARY - Good work! Continue the push! Consider sending a dignitary to Britain to convert their culture. Consider another army to defend the south.
FINANCE - Not much input here. Continue to gain trade. Though that income makes me think we might want to stand up another army?
TECH - I think we'll need more help with public order and culture conversion in the near future. I say we research Stargazing, Celtic Calendar, and War Horn in that order.
POLITICS - Try and play nice with our southern and eastern neighbors until we can finish up in the north. Maybe try to add the Carnutes to our confederation? To do that, we might need to give them military aid.
Anyway.
I agree that we should research Stargazing and War Horn; however, I feel we've neglected Animal Husbandry for too long, so I suggest we take care of that first.
Maintain peaceful relations with Iberia, we have the Pyrenees between them and us and it would take a madman to cross them with an army. A MADMAN I SAY. Also, keep up relations with Italy and Greece, the northern regions should be our targets for now.
Continue the conquest until at least the entire province of Brittania is brought to heel. We should also take steps to recover the rest of Celtica soon
Accordingly, I move that we proceed to Oak Construction and Lodestone, and immediately upon their completion, upgrade the naval facilities in Burdigala and raise an additional fleet to further safeguard our brave warriors in Britannia. We should not let down those who have done so much for us. And, as to that ...
I also move that we create and bestow upon our brave generals, Campo @Terrendos of the Light of Belenos and @JusticeForPluto Vercassivellaunos of the Hand of the Council, the title of Stubborn Bastardix of the Gauls, along with a stipend of 6 cows annually for life, for their superior intellect, dedication, and sheer cussed determination in furthering the aims of our people. Let us hail them, and drink deeply to their eternal honor!
OOC: Sorry about not responding to your last update; I came back for this one and noticed that I had a draft I never submitted. Oops!
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!
Seconded!
Belenos fought in many battles, and though he died peacefully, his name will be remembered. Iatupocios has been selected as the new leader of Belenos' men. ((Since he died peacefully, and since we have no other generals waiting in the wings, @Kadoken shall retain command of the Easy Legion.))
In honor of Belenos, Campo and Vercassivellaunos move forward united towards the Demetae. It seems that they put most of their stock in the surprise assault, as the men approach Moridunon and find not much remaining:
Our generals decide to exact some small measure of vengeance for the craven, unmanly strike at Iska, and lead the men personally onto the field. Their aides, when asked later, described the look in their eyes when they left as "filled with murderous glee".
5300 professionally trained soldiers vs. 3000 farmers
The plan is simple: Campo's men camp outside the town, hurling insults and intimidation, while the Easy Legion marches in from the East to ensure our victory.
The skirmishers, however, get impatient, so they are moved into harassment range.
Before long, Vercassivellaunos and his men arrive, and the assault commences.
To call it a battle is a misnomer. It is nothing but a full on rout.
And with that, the Demetae are no more. The Iceni go down just as easily, although after we take their capital, they perform their own version of Scorched Earth on the way out:
All the buildings in their settlement of Camuloduon are either destroyed or heavily damaged. But here we must leave Britannia for a moment, and cover what was happening on the mainland at this time. Firstly, the Carnutes made one request:
Hey, so, can you come beat on the Marcomanni for us?
Ordinarily we would reject this request, but upon further inspection, Adcoro(@schuss) notices that the closest Marcomanni town of Vesontio is perilously under-manned. He takes his men, and moves forward to expand our lands, laughing maniacally all the way.
His campaign mirrors the overall progression of Operation Sealion.
He holds the town, but it is soon discovered that the Marcomanni had a few more armies off in the hillside. Adcoro chases off one or two of the smaller ones, and before long, the weight upon the Marcomanni is too much for them:
We decide to not overextend ourselves on two fronts, and take their money. All in all, a good few years' work.
Military:
Abonios(@NotoriousBEN) continues to perform valiantly as the advance scout in Operation Sealion. He may choose one of the following: (1 authority - 5 cunning - 3 zeal)
Upgrade Poet - +1 cultural Influence, +2 public order in local province, +4% wealth from cultural buildings in local province
Upgrade Agent - +1 authority, +5% critical chance of success
Upgrade Antagonist - +1 zeal, +6% movement range
Upgrade Collaboration - +1 authority, +10% chance to manipulate/assassinate certain targets
Spy - +1 cunning, 5% chance to evade enemy agents
Disruption - +1 authority, incite more unrest and uncover more information when performing those actions
Murder - +1 zeal, 10% higher chance to manipulate/assassinate certain targets
Sabotage - +1 zeal, +25% damage when committing arson, reduce enemy weapon levels by 1 when sabotaging
Lugios(@Retaba) has finally made it to Britannia, and personally dispatched a number of Iceni warlords and spies. He may choose one of the following: (3 authority - 3 cunning - 2 zeal)
Upgrade Agent - +1 authority, +5% critical chance
Upgrade Disruption - +1 authority, incite more unrest and uncover more information
Antagonist - +1 zeal, +6% movement range
Spy - +1 cunning, 5% chance to evade enemy agents
Collaboration - +1 authority, +10% chance to manipulate/assassinate certain targets
Campo(@Terrendos) continues to deserve the award of the Stubborn Bastardix, as many men fall to him each year. Campo may select one tradition for his army and one personal trait. (3 authority - 5 cunning - 4 zeal)
Traditions:
Accomplished Skirmishers - +3% missile damage
Formidable Swordsmen - +5% sword damage
Dread Forest Ambushers - +8% morale in forest ambushes and night battles
Stalwart Defenders - extra defenses when fortified
Unrelenting Force - +6% movement range, +4% charge bonus
Grand Camp Following - -4% upkeep, +8% morale to all units
Dread Marauders - +3% income from looting settlements, +5% income from raiding
Indomitable Infantry - +4% melee attack and defense for all infantry
Light cavalry Masters - +3% movement speed, +5% shots per minute for all light cavalry
Unfettered Infantry - +8% melee defense for all light and very light infantry
Traits:
Upgrade Justice - +1 authority, -10% resistance to occupation
Upgrade Strategist - +1 cunning
Upgrade Tactician - +1 cunning, +8% movement range, +4% melee defense skill for all units
Warrior - +1 zeal
Commander - +1 authority
Administration - +1 cunning, -4% upkeep for non-mercenaries
Logistics - +1 cunning, +4% replenishment rate
Siegecraft - +1 cunning, +1 siege hold out time, -1 enemy siege hold out time(double gains and losses for port cities)
Mercenary Contracts - +1 cunning, -4% mercenary hiring costs
Master Tactician - +2 cunning, -4% upkeep for all units, mercenary and non-mercenary
Vercassivellaunos(@JusticeForPluto) also earns his accolades, keeping step with Campo every step of the way. He may choose one trait. (4 authority - 3 cunning - 7 zeal)
Strategist - +1 cunning
Warrior - +1 zeal
General - +2 authority, -4% recruitment cost on land
Admiral - +2 authority, -4% recruitment cost on sea
Adcoro(@schuss) showed bold initiative in his first command, expanding our lands without overextending and risking his men. He may choose both an army tradition for The Doom of Men and a personal trait.(3 authority - 3 cunning - 4 zeal)
Traditions:
Accomplished Skirmishers - +3% missile damage
Formidable Swordsmen - +5% sword damage
Dread Forest Ambushers - +8% morale in forest ambushes and night battles
Light cavalry Masters - +3% movement speed, +5% shots per minute for all light cavalry
Traits:
Warrior - +1 zeal
Commander - +1 authority
Strategist - +1 cunning
In other military news, the Cantabri(our Iberian neighbors) have signed a non-aggression pact with us. We can expect to be relatively safe from Spanish expansion, leaving us free to continue Operation Sealion. There are but two factions left to contend with: The Brigantes, which hold two settlements in the Highlands, and the Ebdani, who control the Irish Isle. Both seem to have more men at their disposal than any other British resistance we have seen thus far. The newly helmed Easy Legion are garrisoned at Bibracte, while the Doom of Men occupy their new spoils. It might be worth bringing the Easy Legion up to Britannia, to speed our conquering and also to make sure that any revolt is put down quickly.
Finance:
Our income is not terrible, even with the Doom of Men swelling to almost a full roster. The major setback to our finances has been rebuilding Britannia after our razings(6 more to go for that objective) and sabotage. Hopefully, the region will soon be pacified so we can begin taxing it to restore balance to our books.
Technology:
War Exercises: Chainmail(-15% mercenary recruitment costs, -4% recruitment and upkeep costs, enables Bronze Furnace and Ironworks, 10 turns) or Oak Construction(-3% fleet upkeep costs, -3% fleet recruitment costs, enables construction of Boatyard, 6 turns)
Warrior Code: Tribal Totem(+3% melee attack and defense for all units, enables construction of Tavern and recruitment of Naked Warriors, 10 turns) or Lode Stone(+10% battle speed for all ships, +15% missile damage for all ships, +20% health and ram damage for all ships, 6 turns)
Siege: Torsion Techniques(30% fewer losses when besieging, -1 to enemy siege holdout time, +15% damage for all siege units, enables construction of Great Builder's Hall, 8 turns) or Great Food Vault(-30% fewer attritional losses when under siege, all settlements can hold out an extra turn before losing a siege, 3 turns)
Tribal Economy: Celtic Plough(+3% to agricultural wealth, -3% to agricultural building costs, 5 turns) or Intensified Production(+7% wealth from all commerce buildings, +7% tariffs from trade agreements, enables building of Potter's Workshop, Great Fair and the Sanctuary of Rosmerta, 19 turns)
Tribal Council: Celtic Calendar(+3% tax rate and +2 public order everywhere, 10 turns) or Stargazing(+15% wealth from all culture buildings, -10% political action costs, -10% corruption in our provinces, +4 cultural conversion, enables construction of Bard's Grove, 8 turns)
Construction: Underfloor Drainage(+3 to growth in all provinces, -1 to provincial capital build times, 3 turns) or Raised Site(+2% wealth to all industrial buildings, can further upgrade town halls, 3 turns)
Politics:
With the signing of the Cantabri non-aggression pact, our Southern borders are a bit more safe from land invasion. Our fleets still leave something to be desired, and require further research into developing new types of boats before they can truly be built up. The Marcomanni are probably smarting from buying peace from us, but they still have the Carnutes and Ligurians to deal with, so we are relatively safe from them as well.
State of the Tribe is updated.
@phyphor @firewaterword @Vic @Stilts @Elvenshae @Capsaicin @Mr Ray @Fleeb @enlightenedbum @NerfThatMan
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!
I will take Spy (+1 Cunning) so that I can open up more in my assassination tree even though there are some really good authority and zeal abilities. I need to be ready to exploit agents that have no cunning.
Now would be a good time to invest in Chainmail. With the current expenditure in the armies. A 4% reduction in upkeep costs would mean close to 290 dinari saved each turn, as well as opening up industrial options for recruiting 'arder troops, and getting more monies from those industries. It would be nice if the game would give us a breakdown of how much money is coming in from what source.
Our culture conversion agents should be sweeping through Britain and ramping up mass conversions now more than ever so that our armies are not tied down in the towns as long.
Stay the course, drive north through britain and the highlands until we reach the top of the world.
Steam - NotoriusBEN | Uplay - notoriusben | Xbox,Windows Live - ThatBEN
Finance: Looks fine to me, as our chieftain says, our income will increase dramatically once Britannia is pacified.
Technology: I think its about time we tried this fancy-schmancy chainmail I keep hearing about
Politics: Anyone want to trade?
Haven't paid attention to this thread for a week or so... did Carthage completely wipe out Rome already? That's kind of hilarious.
Steam - NotoriusBEN | Uplay - notoriusben | Xbox,Windows Live - ThatBEN
For trait, I will take Commander, as the Doom of Men do not break.
That's because for some reason, the Cantabrians, who I believe are allied with Carthage, control some of central Italia. Rome is indeed no more.
I have the makeups of all the armies listed in the State of the Tribe, the second post.
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!