Woo, finally!

Okay, time to get the show on the road.

Here are my starting three territories. Great empires were carved from less.


On the first turn my spy can just reach Ancyra. It is filled with scary people (Naked Fanatics and Woad Warriours are much more deadly in ATW).


The Seleucids offer us trade rights.


As do the Armenians.


I forgot to mention. Amazonia starts the game allied to Scythia, while my hated New Amazonian rivals begin allied to the Sarmatians. This should make for interesting game play in the north-east corner of the map.


My Generals have been moving around building watchtowers. Here you see my Faction Leader Hippolyta has built one near the Armenian border. I do not like leaving lone Generals near my borders, as they seem to entice to AI to attack like nothing else. So I had brought up a boat on the previous turn, and she has just enough movement points left to board it.


Note how little the boat can move with Hippolyta now on board.


Here is a neat trick. If you move your mouse down to the unit cards and select the one for the boat, you will see you now have your full movement points for it. This allows me to sail back to Themiskyra's harbour this turn.


Penthesilea and her army has reached Heraclea. Half a millennia ago Amazonia suffered a terrible defeat by the cursed Greeks in this place (read the campaign description for New Amazonia). The time for vengeance has finally come.


My Agema Archers are in range of the Rebel Peasants from their starting position.


Here come some Peltasts, I switch my fire to these more dangerous targets.


My own Peltasts join in.


Then we were in the city and proceeding down three roads to the square. Penthesilea draws out this one unit of Hoplites.


The other Rebel Hoplites meet my own head on in the central road.


My Militia Cavalry has charged down the other side street however, and they take them from the unshielded left flank.


I made a mistake however. I pulled Penthesilea away from the Hoplites pursuing her to send her to the square. In the meantime they turned and savaged one of my Militia Hoplites.


I had to bring Penthesilea back to make a Hoplite sandwich.


Heraclea was mine. But the butcher's bill much higher than it should have been due to my blunder.


Here is a telling screen. Just over 500 kills for my Agema Archers. This is the secret to winning as the Amazons. Let your archers do all the heavy lifting.


As I always do with first tier cities, I Occupy.


Then I lower taxes. Not to keep order, but to promote the settlement's growth to the next tier. I will not retrain or build any units here for the same reason.


My spy has moved on to Nicomedia, and finds it lightly defended.


This is a good prospect. I want her! (Little did I know at the time, but Toxaris would prove to be one of my greatest Generals, and would in fact one day be Queen of Amazonia).


One of my sons also brings home a good catch.


I am about six turns in now. I have yet to recruit anything more than a single Peasant in my three starting cities. Instead I have been concentrating on building up my economic infrastructure. Roads, farms, mines, and ports. I am now turning a decent profit, but I really do not want to deplete the population of my core cities if I can help it (I want to get them up large enough to start recruiting archers). So instead I spend some of my cash on these stellar mercenaries.


Penthesilea has bolstered her own army with some Mercenary Thracians, and assaults Nicomedia.


Once again the defenders are baited out of the square.


Penthesilea and the Militia Cavalry hit them from behind. Insta-rout.


Amazonian arrows do not need to blot out the sun to kill everything beneath it.


The city was mine with moderate losses. This is what good use of missiles and maneuver will get you.


Wine is an integral part of Amazonian watchtowers...


My Faction Leader is getting up in years. It is time to pass her retinue on to the younger generation. I love those Pet Lions. Every Queen needs one.


My spy has moved on to Pergamum, and found a quite a few of the hated Greeks there.


Worse, there is a traitor to our people! Kybele curse her!


Penthesilea joins up with young Myrine and the mercenaries. Now it is time to attack the Keltoi in Ancyra. I have a massive army by early game standards.


You can guess how this worked out for the Rebels... The city was mine with little trouble. Once more I Occupied it.


I hire some more mercenaries, only to immediately disband them, along with several of the others who helped take Ancyra. If it is going to be any use to me at all, I need to get this settlement's population up from the meager 400 souls it starts the game with. Now that I have the money, mercenaries = colonists.


Speaking of mercenaries, Toxaris has found these beauties for hire back in the Motherland.


These are not your father's Sarmatian Mercenaries. These guys are scary in ATW. The non-mercenary version is even more scary.

[This message has been edited by SubRosa (edited 08-10-2008 @ 05:06 PM).]

Jolly good. For the first ever ATW AAR, you should definitely do the Amazons. Agme Archers are deadly all right.

BTW do you know that ATW not only stands for Amazon TW, but also Alexander and Arthurian TW?

Quoted from xingjianma:

Jolly good. For the first ever ATW AAR, you should definitely do the Amazons.

Actually this is the second. Ischenous started one months ago but never finished it. In the end I did decide that Amazonia would be the proper faction to do it on too (obviously). They really are the showcase of the mod, even with all the other changes and new factions.

Quoted from xingjianma:

BTW do you know that ATW not only stands for Amazon TW, but also Alexander and Arthurian TW?

Then they are in good company right?

Here is an update before bedtime.

Penthesilea is now moving on the Greeks in Pergamum.


But what is this foul treachery? The Seleucid Greeks have attacked Ancyra!


They have also made an alliance with the hated Greek Cities.


Toxaris turns her horses around and rides back to deal with the impudent invaders. I could have sallied, but then Toxaris would only be a Captain, not the General. I want her Command rating and ability to rally. So I have her lead and take the open field battle.


She moves around the Seleucid flank to disrupt their pretty lines.


After looping around them she comes back to the one in the center, while my Sarmatian Mercenaries keep them preoccupied from the front.


The Seleucids turn to go after Toxaris, and the Sarmatians charge them from behind!


Militia Hoplite sandwich.


Round two. My reinforcements are coming up and you can see my target.


This time I occupy them with my own Militia Hoplites while Toxaris charges from behind. Scratch another Seleucid unit.


Then a third.


The last one heads for the exit.


They turned and lowered their spears at the last moment, which got ugly fast. Then they ran. Game over. The siege of Ancyra was raised.


Penthesilea has turned back from Pergamum, and now marches east, toward Sardis.


While further east one of my Diplomats finds this monster Seleucid army near Tarsus.


There are no monsters here though.


Easily dealt with.


The foul Greeks offer trade rights. I accept, for now.


Thanks to my policy of low taxes, no recruitment, and disbanding of mercenaries Heraclea has already expanded to the next tier.


I have recruited a second Diplomat to send north and then west. He has found the Sarmatians in Thatis. This picture gives you a good look at their Strat Map captain model.


I strike an alliance with them. I wonder if this will keep them off the Scythian's backs?


Speaking of whom, I can see they are struggling with taking the Crimea. The devastation in the Kerch peninsula suggests that they tried to take Panticapaeum and failed.


A large Seleucid army has come up south of Myrina. My Faction Leader meets them at the river.


I was hoping they would attack me at the bridge. No luck. They are sitting on that big hill.


So across the river I went. Their Militia Cavalry came out to attack the General on my left, I responded by hitting it with all my cavalry.


They evaporated, along with the Militia Hoplites on their far right.


No more Seleucid right flank.


Now I have them surrounded on the hilltop.


I take my hoplites out of phalanx and charge them forward as Hippolyta comes in from behind.


Insta-Rout!


The Seleucids are destroyed.

[This message has been edited by SubRosa (edited 06-09-2008 @ 12:19 PM).]

Yow what an AAR keep them coming.

Oooh a Amazon AAR how exotic! Those Amazons are sure feisty and their husbands would not want to cheat on them or face their wrath. Those Agema archers are devastating and can easily pick off your foes.

Kerch....I remember in 1942 or was it '43 there was a battle where three Soviet armies were destroyed and 650,000 Soviets were taken prisoner.....hopefully you can do that against your enemies.

Keep it up!

[This message has been edited by Legion Of Hell (edited 06-09-2008 @ 04:00 AM).]

11 friggin' charge? Bloody hell.

Go Go Amazons!

I Love that shot of the dead thracians and the arrows, really shows the personality of the Amazons :P
Nice AAR keep it up!

Big update for tonight.

In the west, Penthesilea begins the assault upon Sardis.


The archers begin the affair.


Then the Hoplites were into the city, drawing the Seleucid General into the fray.


He was cut down by one of Penthesilea's bodyguards, just moments before she could dispatch the greek dog herself.


There was not much to it after that. The city was mine.


Once again, the archers account for a hugely disproportionate amount of the casualties.


The city is Occupied.


The famed Temple of Artemis at Ephesus is now ours! Finally this sacred treasure is where it rightfully belongs, in Amazon hands.


I quickly destroy the temple of Dionysus. The last thing I need are drunken lechers for Generals. Also note the tiny size of the city.


The same turn Penthesilea steps out of the city and hires all the mercenaries available. Then she disbands them.


That doubles the population of Sardis.


That monster Seleucid army is roaming aimlessly around Tarsus. Good.


My allies have failed in their attempt to take Chersonesos.


Themiskyra has grown to tier 3. Excellent! This means I will soon be able to recruit Amazon Archers.


Penthesilea marches on a large Seleucid army in central Anatolia. However, she cannot quite reach them this turn.


Maybe some extra denarii will help my Scythian allies with their rebel troubles. I would like them to take those cities so I can start trading with them across the Black Sea.


A black day. The beloved Hippolyta has gone to meet her ancestors. Now Penthesilea will rule as Queen of Amazonia.


Alkippe, A young General recently come of age, marches out from Myrina to deal with these rebels in the mountains to the east. I am very conscious of that big Seleucid army nearby. My hope is to defeat the rebels, then retreat to the nearby fort Alkippe made last turn.


I want that high ground straight ahead. So I send my army forward at a run.


My horseborne keep the Rebels occupied while the infantry move into position on the heights.


The Rebel General is drawn into the fray.


He flees! Moments later he was cut down like the cur he was.


Then my Hoplites had come down off the hill and were at the Rebels.


They are shattered.


Heroic Victory.


Oops. I misjudged the distance to that Seleucid army. Winning the battle sent my army forward a step and into its zone of control. Now I cannot retreat to my fort, nor build a new one. Doh!


However, Penthesilea has finally brought that large Seleucid army in Anatolia to bay.


It was a target-rich environment for my archers.


These Militia Hoplites routed from the combined javelin fire of two Generals and my Militia Cavalry.


The clash of spears began.


Then the hammer fell.


Victory.


During the next turn a Seleucid Diplomat bribed one of my units. Thankfully they were only Peasants sent to disband in Ancyra to bring it up in population. Ironically by bribing them to disband the Seleucids accomplished my goal.


I have been waiting for the Armenians to attack for a while now.


What luck, I have a brand new General in Themiskyra to meet them. Well, maybe I was not so lucky with this one...


Hmmm, that big Seleucid army must have been scared off by the big bad Amazons.


To the west a large Greek army has marched from Pergamum. But they are still a few turns away, and to the south Iconium is vulnerable. So Toxaris led most of the army west to counter the Greeks, while Penthesilea hired a few Barbarian Mercenaries in Galatia and headed south to finish off the last remaining Seleucid foothold in Asia Minor.


Next turn Ancyra grows to the second tier.


Aete - my new "Hooter" - has picked up some Sarmatians and come to the relief of Trebizond. I figure she will either get killed here or pick up some good traits. I am happy either way.


Here is a pic for mikecz's port thread.


Aete and her cavalry wait while the infantrymen from Trebizond march up.


You can see the opening moves I plan from here. My idea is to use my infantry to bring out the left half of the Armenian army, while my cavalry sweep around their right and pull those troops away, splitting their army in two. Then my horse will bypass their right and charge into their left from behind.


It starts out well enough.


But the Armenian General spoils my plans with a headlong charge into my Militia Hoplites.


They are shattered, and sent fleeing!


My Sarmatian Mercenaries hit the Armenian General, and they too are sent running in terror!


As you can see, most of my army has melted away.


I do not have much left, but Aete is able to catch these Eastern Infantrymen with a charge from behind. The rest of the Armenians coming up prevented her from running them down. However, it gave my Peasants the chance to withdraw from the field in good order.


Well, the rest of my army is lost. Now only Aete and her closest companions remain to face the Armenian General and about 900 infantrymen. A lot of you people have been wanting to see me lose. This looks like your chance.


Aete gallops to the far end of the map, then stops to rest while the Armenians race to catch up. Because of this she will be completely rested by the time they reach her, exhausted.


That Armenian General cannot escape me this time. He is Winded and Aete fresh.


He is cut down just as he receives his last experience power up.


Then I waited for the infantry to come up, all strung out from the chase. I swept around them to find an straggler and charged it head on. They broke and ran.


Another one of their units breaks just at the sight of the others fleeing.


After a brief rest, Aete charges two of the Armenians and routs them both!


There go the rest of them. Naturally I run down every one I can.


Only a clear victory, thanks to my horrific losses in the first half of the battle.


Aete killed 840 Armenians. Impressive for a lunatic. She also gained 2 experience, a command star, and a good ancillary.

[This message has been edited by SubRosa (edited 06-09-2008 @ 10:58 PM).]

Now Aete can be a blood-stained lunatic.

A lot of you people have been wanting to see me lose. This looks like your chance.

You just keep disappointing us.

I was wondering, do you type the update while playing, or after?

Quoted from Caesar Vincens:

You just keep disappointing us.

Well, you are not the only ones.

Quoted from Caesar Vincens:

I was wondering, do you type the update while playing, or after?

Afterward. It is easier to go convert all the pics to .jpgs (I have the free version of Fraps), upload them, and get the forum code all at once then do it several times.

[This message has been edited by SubRosa (edited 06-09-2008 @ 11:02 PM).]

Another subrosa AAR!

Very interesting so far. I'm doing a julii campeign, and I have too many heroic victories!(Ironic, eh?) I don't know if it's glitched, but I had like 10 in a row and now the reforms came in 237 B.C.! Maybe a glitch?

Great! Looking forward to seeing more.

That was a tough battle you had at Trebizond. I suspect Aete was just hiding her military genius by hooting.

You nearly lost a battle but you pulled it out of the bag snatching victory from the jaws out of deafeat! I bet one of the reasons why you won was that Aete was holding the Seleucids at bay by showing them her deadly assests that made her a Hooter.

It also looks like Armenia are trying to defeat the fearless Amazons. After you finish off the Selecuids and counter Armenia will you go across to Greece or go south to the lucrative Middle East and Levant?

[This message has been edited by Legion Of Hell (edited 06-10-2008 @ 10:16 AM).]

Quoted from SubRosa:

It is easier to go convert all the pics to .jpgs (I have the free version of Fraps), upload them, and get the forum code all at once then do it several times.

Definitely, but I was more talking about using a laptop or some such. That was what I have done for most of my Gallic AAR. I'd have the laptop set up next to my desktop; I'd pause and type some stuff through out my playing.

Quoted from Legion of Hell:

After you finish off the Selecuids and counter Armenia will you go across to Greece or go south to the lucrative Middle East and Levant?

Most likely both. For too long have those dastardly Greeks drawn breath upon this world. While the Egyptians will never leave us be until we likewise wipe them from the planet.

Quoted from Caesar Vincens:

Definitely, but I was more talking about using a laptop or some such. That was what I have done for most of my Gallic AAR. I'd have the laptop set up next to my desktop; I'd pause and type some stuff through out my playing.

Oh, interesting idea. I did that when I played Kotor and Kotor II way back, with the unofficial strategy guide up on the laptop. There were so many things in that game, I did not want to miss out on anything!

Alas, my laptop died, and now all I have are my work laptops, and I have to reset their proxy settings to use the internet, and set it back to work again. More trouble than it is worth really.

[This message has been edited by SubRosa (edited 06-10-2008 @ 11:57 AM).]

I find it funny that the amazonian symbol is the hun symbol with a red backround. *suprised*

Yay, fighting women other than screaming witches! Well, this makes my fingers itch to try your mod myself.
Couple of questions:
- What type of generals are the Amazons? And what are there stats in comparison to the vanilla type of their general type, and what in comparison to other generals in ATW?
- What are your expansion plans right now?
- Could you show some of the elite troops? I don't have time to download or play it myself right now, so if you could show some pics it would be great.

Cheers and keep it coming!

Quoted from monkcrazy:

I find it funny that the amazonian symbol is the hun symbol with a red backround. *suprised*

I had two faction logos in mind for Amazonia. A double-headed axe (labrys) or a bow and arrow. Well as you probably noticed another faction in RTW already has the axe. So I was going to make the bow and arrow (well try to at least), then I noticed that the Hun symbol was exactly what I wanted. So I just recoloured it and I was good to go.

You should not be surprised though. Many RTW mods use faction logos from BI and/or Alexander. XGM is the first place I saw that, but not the last to be sure.

Quoted from Selifator:

- What type of generals are the Amazons? And what are there stats in comparison to the vanilla type of their general type, and what in comparison to other generals in ATW?

The early Amazon General's Bodyguards (and indeed many of the other early Amazon units as well) are a carbon copy stat-wise of the early Eastern Generals, including the javelins they throw. The late Bodyguards are unique in that they are armoured horse archers. I was going to go with heavy cavalry like other Generals usually have, but the horse archers felt by far more appropriate. This will also make them very powerful of course, as they can sit behind their infantry and boost morale, while shooting the entire time.

Quoted from Selifator:

- What are your expansion plans right now?

For the mod or for the campaign? For the mod there are more territories in the future. Enabling the BI executable to use things like Night Battles and emergent factions, at that point New Amazonia will become a rebel faction shadowing Amazonia. Plus new audio, and just more new stuff.

You can find out more about it here in the Game Modification forum.

For the campaign, well, taking all of Asia Minor is the main goal now. After that I am not entirely sure. Most likely going into Greece and east against the Armenians and Seleucids.

Quoted from Selifator:

Could you show some of the elite troops? I don't have time to download or play it myself right now, so if you could show some pics it would be great.

I just put some of the new units in the Game Modification topic.

[This message has been edited by SubRosa (edited 06-10-2008 @ 11:07 PM).]

A small update for tonight.

Penthesilea begins the assault upon Iconium.


There was not much to it. The garrison is drawn out from the square by Penthesilea and the Militia Hoplites.


Then the Amazon Hoplites and Barbarian Mercs charged in from behind and trapped them in the street. Here you can see the General being cut down at the edge of the town square.


The city was mine.


I Occupy, as this is another one of those tiny, 500 person settlements.


That big Greek army has marched into Amazon territory. I consider this act of aggression to be a sufficient pretext to attack them.


They retreat, and I cannot reach them this turn.


Meanwhile, that Seleucid Diplomat has bribed another of my units. This time a good Amazon Archer Mercenary! I wish I had assassins.


This is good news however. My Sarmatian allies are at war with Armenia.


Now Penthesilea brings that Greek army to bay. The AI sure loves those Militia Hoplites. That is also why all these cities are so tiny. The computer just keeps churning out the infantry ever turn.


I want this hill in front of me.


I send my army forward at a run, hoping to get to the crest before the Greeks do.


My cavalry goes out ahead to keep the Greeks occupied.


Then my archers get into range.


One of the Greek Militia Hoplites has routed from the missile fire.


Now the Greek right has made its way to the Thracian Mercenaries on my left flank. But note that Toxaris is maneuvering around behind them.


Here is the same flank from the opposite direction. Bam! Toxaris the hammer has broken their right with a charge to their rear.


While Penthesilea has smashed her way from the Greek left all the way to the center, shattering their army completely.


The Greeks are beaten.


Afterward Penthesilea took most of the cavalry with her and rode north to intercept the Greek General threatening Nicomedia. In the meantime Toxaris has taken the rest of the army and is marching on Pergamum.


How did this Sarmatian General get down here?

[This message has been edited by SubRosa (edited 06-11-2008 @ 08:06 PM).]

Cool AAR, I'm looking forward to the rest of it. You seem to be doing quite well, the Amazons appear to be tailor made to fit your playing style... I wonder why that is?

Quoted from General Zavier:

the Amazons appear to be tailor made to fit your playing style... I wonder why that is?

Pure chance I am sure...

With your liking for foot archers, I would think they would be a perfect fit for your own tastes as well.


Now, a small update for tonight.


As I had hoped, that Greek General menacing Nicomedia turned to engage Penthesilea. However, he has hired mercenaries...


The General was drawn out after my Sarmatians, and Penthesilea charged him from behind. I turned my Sarmatians back to charge him, but some of his infantrymen came up at hit Penthesilea in the back first. Could she hold out, beset by Greeks on all sides?


Bam! The Sarmatians hammered the Greek General.


Then my Gallic Mercenary Horse hit their infantry. Just like that, half their army was gone.


Infantry vs. cavalry. The rest was simple after that. Heroic Victory.


It seems the east is one big happy family. Except for me of course.


That monster Seleucid army I saw earlier has come up onto the Anatolian plateau from Tarsus. I really do not have much to move against it. So I bring Penthesilea east, along with the Agema Archers, and begin concentrating other troops in Ancyra and Myrina.


I have been amassing a fleet to eventually take control of the Aegean with. It brings back some interesting news. Athens is still a Rebel city.


Toxaris is now my only General in the west. She begins the assault upon Pergamum.


It started well, but ended in a heavy grind of phalanx vs phalanx in the town square, with my archer's arrows seeming to be blocked by some trees between them and the square.


In any case, the city was mine, and I enslaved it.


One of my slovenly spies has investigated that big Seleucid army. It seems its General is a bit scared of Amazons.


Maybe that explains why he retreated when Penthesilea attacked him.


It looks like Armenia is going to attack Trapezus again. Too bad that Sarmatian General wandered off. He would have come in handy in the sally.


Praise Artemis! I can now recruit Amazon Archers in Themiskyra!

[This message has been edited by SubRosa (edited 06-11-2008 @ 10:15 PM).]

Excellent work with the Amazons SubRosa! Glad to see you doing an AAR with them.

Cheers

A very small update for tonight.

Aete sallies from Trapezus. She is accompanied by a newly come of age General.


The Armenians came from the corner on the strat map, so they head for that corner as soon as the battle starts.


I have my Merc Amazon Archers deployed in the corner of the city so I can shoot them as they go by.


My Generals rout the Armenian infantry at the tail end of their column.


Now my depleted Sarmatian Mercenaries charge.


The Armenians rout!


One of my Militia Cavalry units chases an Armenian Horse Archer.


They rout from the javelin fire!


The same thing happens on the other side of the army with their Scythian Mercenaries.


My phalanx has now come up, and my Peltasts have used up all their javelins.


The Armenian General picks this moment to charge my new General. I pull her back to the shelter of the Militia Hoplites.


The Armenian, slippery as snake, turns from my General and threads his way through my units to attack my archers.


A few moments later we are upon him.


He flees!


He is able to run to safety behind his infantry however, and finds his courage once more.


Not for long though. He heads for the map edge, and the rest of his army follows suit.


Now my cavalry charges for what they are worth. There goes half their infantry.


There go the other half.


See Amazonia and die.

[This message has been edited by SubRosa (edited 06-12-2008 @ 11:06 PM).]