CivRulesAll
The Void Beyond
- Joined
- May 1, 2007
- Messages
- 590
I love the historical style of this story, you're doing great. Kill off those Aztecs 
Surrounded by Insanity
- Thread starter Mumpulus
- Start date
Mumpulus
King
The battle of Acheval was a major event in French history, because a negative outcome could have easily resulted in a collapse of the northern front. But there were other things going on at the same time. In 150AD, the Gardiens du Despote, now equipped with better armor, defeated some Persian archers, demonstrating once more the magnificent leadership of Armand de Richelieu.
There was a lot of action in the Tlaxcala-Charleville-Hangchow area. Chinese, Aztec, Persian and Sumerian forces were pouring in. With the creation of the 5th army, the 2nd army could move forward towards Tenochtitlan. The Aztec capital was defended by pikemen now. At the same time, the number and strength of arriving Sumerian forces increased, so the attack on Tenochtitlan would be postponed for a little while longer. The army kept its position to disrupt the advance of the enemy. Especially the Sumerians were hit with swift excursions by the army, and about 5,000 Sumerians died before any actual battle ever began for them.
At the central front, the Mayans were making a strong push towards Bailli. 15,000 swordsmen, 9,000 javelin throwers, 3,000 spearmen, and 8,000 medieval infantry were approaching fast.
Way up north, the Koreans founded a town near the French iron and fur colonies. They would have to be dealt with sooner or later, but they were of little concern at the time.
Near Épices, workers were slowly being assembled to start a road through the jungle. That was the moment the French military council was waiting for, to start the offensive on the central front.
The Byzantines and the Inca were at the time still unknown to the French, but the French were still at war with the other nine civilizations.
There was a lot of action in the Tlaxcala-Charleville-Hangchow area. Chinese, Aztec, Persian and Sumerian forces were pouring in. With the creation of the 5th army, the 2nd army could move forward towards Tenochtitlan. The Aztec capital was defended by pikemen now. At the same time, the number and strength of arriving Sumerian forces increased, so the attack on Tenochtitlan would be postponed for a little while longer. The army kept its position to disrupt the advance of the enemy. Especially the Sumerians were hit with swift excursions by the army, and about 5,000 Sumerians died before any actual battle ever began for them.
At the central front, the Mayans were making a strong push towards Bailli. 15,000 swordsmen, 9,000 javelin throwers, 3,000 spearmen, and 8,000 medieval infantry were approaching fast.
Way up north, the Koreans founded a town near the French iron and fur colonies. They would have to be dealt with sooner or later, but they were of little concern at the time.
Near Épices, workers were slowly being assembled to start a road through the jungle. That was the moment the French military council was waiting for, to start the offensive on the central front.
The Byzantines and the Inca were at the time still unknown to the French, but the French were still at war with the other nine civilizations.
Northen Wolf
Young Hunter
You still rule 
Mumpulus
King
Thanks guys. This game is becoming more interesting every turn, with all the troops streaming in. No doubt knights are just around the corner.
Unfortunately, the gameplay distracts from the writing now. Battles really run over several turns, which I play in (slow) succession before writing the story to go with it. For example, I let the Mayan stacks walk right up to Bailli, then pinged them once to make them retreat, used an army to make them do a detour and get some ZoC hits, and so 4 to 5 turns later I'm about ready to take out that stack. (In fact, most of that stack has been running around since 30AD.) I've got some vague ideas in my head on how to present that, especially now that MM is in, but it's easier said then done. And after a session, I mostly don't feel like writing anymore.
So it may be that I leave out some parts. For example, I would have liked to write a separate chapter on how I got that leader in 150AD, because that one battle was part of an important series (you can tell from the used swords in Hangchow that there were actions before that). During the turns I haven't written about, the Sumerian initial rush of swords and MDI attacked Hangchow, defended by two wounded armies (the ZoC hits mentioned in chapter 24 proved essential, otherwise that stack would have been bigger). That was a nailbiting IT, but also less appealing story-wise. There's the occasional landing near Bovin that I have to handle (which always requires a lot of emergency shuffling). The Egyptians and the Greeks regularly bring units in from the north. There's constant fighting near Soies with assorted Greek, Roman, Persian, and Mayan forces, to keep our silks (town) safe. And I'm doing some wild micromanagement shuffling all the time, with Paris on a cycle of [spearman in 3 (4 > 5), spearman in 2 (5 > 6), worker in 1 (6 > 7), worker in 1 (6 > 5), worker in 1 (5 > 6), settler in 3 (5 > 6), settlers in 4 (4 > 6)], all the while sharing tiles with Bailli, Épices, Bovin, and Quentin (vmxa, I'm still glad I've irrigated all cows, gives a lot of flexibility).
I'm just hoping that you'll be able to follow with some pieces missing. I will of course continue to recount the most important parts, sometimes briefly like in chapter 24, sometimes with an out-of-story update like this one, but mostly with full-blown illustrated accounts of epic battles and great achievements.
I'd like to reiterate that anyone who posts in this thread will get a character or geographical feature or town named after him/her (Own and CivRulesAll will appear soon). Overview of all "actors", as well as the overall kill tally are in the first post of this thread (so people don't think I'm overly lucky with leaders).
Thanks again for following and for your kind words of support.
Unfortunately, the gameplay distracts from the writing now. Battles really run over several turns, which I play in (slow) succession before writing the story to go with it. For example, I let the Mayan stacks walk right up to Bailli, then pinged them once to make them retreat, used an army to make them do a detour and get some ZoC hits, and so 4 to 5 turns later I'm about ready to take out that stack. (In fact, most of that stack has been running around since 30AD.) I've got some vague ideas in my head on how to present that, especially now that MM is in, but it's easier said then done. And after a session, I mostly don't feel like writing anymore.
So it may be that I leave out some parts. For example, I would have liked to write a separate chapter on how I got that leader in 150AD, because that one battle was part of an important series (you can tell from the used swords in Hangchow that there were actions before that). During the turns I haven't written about, the Sumerian initial rush of swords and MDI attacked Hangchow, defended by two wounded armies (the ZoC hits mentioned in chapter 24 proved essential, otherwise that stack would have been bigger). That was a nailbiting IT, but also less appealing story-wise. There's the occasional landing near Bovin that I have to handle (which always requires a lot of emergency shuffling). The Egyptians and the Greeks regularly bring units in from the north. There's constant fighting near Soies with assorted Greek, Roman, Persian, and Mayan forces, to keep our silks (town) safe. And I'm doing some wild micromanagement shuffling all the time, with Paris on a cycle of [spearman in 3 (4 > 5), spearman in 2 (5 > 6), worker in 1 (6 > 7), worker in 1 (6 > 5), worker in 1 (5 > 6), settler in 3 (5 > 6), settlers in 4 (4 > 6)], all the while sharing tiles with Bailli, Épices, Bovin, and Quentin (vmxa, I'm still glad I've irrigated all cows, gives a lot of flexibility).
I'm just hoping that you'll be able to follow with some pieces missing. I will of course continue to recount the most important parts, sometimes briefly like in chapter 24, sometimes with an out-of-story update like this one, but mostly with full-blown illustrated accounts of epic battles and great achievements.
I'd like to reiterate that anyone who posts in this thread will get a character or geographical feature or town named after him/her (Own and CivRulesAll will appear soon). Overview of all "actors", as well as the overall kill tally are in the first post of this thread (so people don't think I'm overly lucky with leaders).
Thanks again for following and for your kind words of support.
Glad to see you came back to the game. I finished my run with those rules so long ago, that I cannot even remember what civ I played. I think it was Smoke. I just recall that it was very harsh for a long time.
Anyone that has played in these types of games will understand that you will probably get leaders by the truck load. They tend to be feast or famine. I once got 31 in a single 10 turn set. Would have had more, if I had more elites. I think we had around 88 armies with 24 empty at that point.
Anyone that has played in these types of games will understand that you will probably get leaders by the truck load. They tend to be feast or famine. I once got 31 in a single 10 turn set. Would have had more, if I had more elites. I think we had around 88 armies with 24 empty at that point.
Northern Pike
Deity
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2003
- Messages
- 6,673
A tremendous read, as was your previous solo game. 
Mumpulus
King
The 170 year period starting in 190AD was the first where the French came under significant military pressure. The line between victory and defeat was extremely narrow, as the Mayans made a continued push towards Bailli, and the Sumerians made their first attacks, leading to the loss of the Armée Épéistes V during the battle of Hangchow in 290AD.
At the end of the year 190AD, there were 12 enemy divisions inside French territory. At the high point of enemy incursions in 310AD, there were no less than 27 enemy units inside French territory, and 37 just outside the French borders. At the end of 360AD, only 10 enemy divisions remained inside French territory. A total of 156 enemy divisions were decimated during this period, more than half of them during the latter 60 years. The French lost only one tenth of that number. Military records show that the French had 87 military units in the field at the end of 360AD, 17 of them in the 5 active armies.
Discoveries and technological advancement
Around this time, the French knew about 7% of the world. They continued to explore the lands surrounding them, mostly to determine where their enemies' vulnerabilities lay. The Lanciers de Gaulle were sent on an expedition towards the Egyptians, and discovered gems in the northern mountains. The brave spearman division was ultimately killed in 290AD when they ventured too close to the Egyptian town of Pi-Ramesses.
The French scientists continued their research, and discovered the secrets of Map Making, Polytheism and Currency.
With the development op Map Making, the French started maintaining detailed maps of their territory and of their military campaigns. The Bailli Encirclement is a prime example of a campaign for which a set of such maps was created.
The other civilizations were technologically more advanced at that time. Only the Greeks and the Koreans weren't much ahead in knowledge, compared to the French. Most civilizations were bent on constructing Wonders of the World to demonstrate their knowledge and power. In 260AD, Rome built Sun Tzu's Art of War, and the Incan city of Tiwaniku finished the Great Lighthouse. In 360AD, the Mayans built Leonardo's Workshop in Tikal.
Territorial expansion
During this period, four new French towns were settled. Deux Chevaux was founded in 210AD to gain control of a second source of horses. Little agricultural activity could be developed there, so it became a home for scientists.
[size=-2]View of the north of France in 210AD. Deux Chevaux was founded deep in the Chaîne des Loups.[/size]
In 300AD, Bananes was founded to complete the Bailli encirclement.
[size=-2]View of the northwest of France in 300AD. Enemy incursions were at its height at this time, with an
especially large contingent of Mayan troops. All those troops would soon meet their demise.[/size]
On the Aztec border, Cité Interdite was founded in 310AD, and would become home of the Forbidden Palace.
[size=-2]View of the south of France in 310AD. La Cité Interdite would become the staging area for the attack on the Aztec heartland.[/size]
Clermont-Ferrand was founded in 340AD, sealing off the northern border.
[size=-2]View of the north of France in 340AD. At the left of the map, you can see that
irrigation had been brought to Défaite (and Calé-en-Desert) by this time.[/size]
The Koreans founded Manp'o in the northern tundra, finally prompting a reaction from the French. The Armée Épéistes VI was dispatched to take the two Korean towns in the north.
[size=-2]View of the north of France in 360AD. At the top left of the map, the location of
gems deposits has been marked. The army was approaching via the iron and furs road.[/size]
Economy
Slavery was introduced in French society in 340AD, when the first foreign settler was captured, trying to move through French lands. By 360AD, 6000 slaves of Aztec, Persian and Sumerian descent were laboring in the mines of Charleville. Many more slaves would be captured by the French, which would help to further develop the economy. As the French empire grew, the need for laborers would only increase.
The construction of the Forbidden Palace in 350AD resulted in a further increase of commerce and production, especially in nearby towns. Historical records show that the French carefully planned the founding of additional towns, to increase the productive and commercial capacity of the empire, as well as the ability to support the ever growing military.
Even though the French had been under constant attack for thousands of years, they had succeeded in building a relatively sound economy. In the table to the right, you can see that the French empire ranked reasonably well compared to the other civilizations. Commercial output would soon grow, as several harbors would be built, as well as marketplaces. The French population was growing rapidly, and was already at a respectable level.
Military
Military action continued in four more or less separate arenas. From south to north, there were
[size=-2]View of the French front at the beginning of 310AD, at the high point of enemy incursions. Around that time,
35 enemy divisions were within French territory, and about the same number just outside French borders.
The four main battle arenas during this period have been highlighted.[/size]
The Tlaxcala arena
The region from Tlaxcala to Charleville was invaded mostly by Persian longbowmen and Chinese horsemen. The Aztecs either moved towards Charleville, or towards Hangchow. The French had set up defense in Tlaxcala, which served as the base of operations for close to a hundred catapults, a few spearman divisions, a few swordsmen, and of course the renowned Cavaliers de Tlaxcala, led by Propre De Gaulle.
[size=-2]View of the south of France and Tenochtitlan around 210AD. A French
army had been sent out to pillage infrastructure around the Aztec capital.[/size]
The complex logistics of fielding bigger armies on four fronts required a centralized command for the ever growing French military. Propre De Gaulle was instrumental in getting the Pentagon built in Quentin to that end.
At the same time, the French moved outside of their borders to disrupt the commercial and agricultural activity in the Aztec capital. By 250AD, Tenochtitlan was completely disconnected from the rest of the world. Even though the French had to pull back after that, the Aztecs had been dealt a serious economic blow. Tenochtitlan's population dropped from almost 400,000 to around 70,000 over the course of a hundred years.
As the focus of the enemy shifted, the Tlaxcalan soldiers would occasionally help out near Hangchow. In 260AD, the Lanciers de Tlaxcala fought a heroic battle to safeguard the road between Hangchow and Charleville, killing an entire division of Aztec archers and defending against Sumerian medieval infantry, but finally succumbing to a second wave of Sumerian attackers. Charlemagne managed to escape the Sumerians, and remained in exile until 290AD, when he took command of the Armée Épéistes VI to replace the army that was lost in the battle of Hangchow.
[size=-2]View of the Tlaxcala-Hangchow region in 260AD.[/size]
The Tlaxcala region proved the most easy to defend by the French, because the enemy units attacking there were weakest. That situation started to change in 360AD, when the first Persian immortals started to appear.
The Hangchow arena - Battle of Hangchow
The Sumerians first arrived in force around 170AD. They used Aztec roads south of Tenochtitlan to quickly move towards Hangchow, traveling through the southern Louvetaux, making it hard for the French to attack them before they arrived at the gates of Hangchow.
In 250AD, the third and fifth swordsman armies succeeded in killing 3 Sumerian swordsman divisions and 1 division of medieval infantry, but they were ultimately unable to avoid a direct attack on Hangchow. In 260AD, 5 more Sumerian divisions were slaughtered by the armies, aided by the Lanciers de Tlaxcala. The Aztecs joined in with medieval infantry as well, and the tide started to turn in favor of the attackers.
Still, by the year 280AD, the Hangchow area was clear of Sumerians and Aztecs. Only a few divisions had managed to escape. The French command decided to take advantage of this pause. The Armée Épéistes was moved north to provide protection for the settlers that were to found Bananes. All 80 catapults were moved towards Tlaxcala, to help provide cover for the settlers that were to found Cité Interdite. The Armée Épéistes V stayed behind in Hangchow, along with the elite Lanciers de Charleville and another corps of veteran spearmen.
But the continuous fighting had clearly taken its toll, and the army was caught completely by surprise by a Sumerian swordsman attack. The Sumerian attack was finally repelled, but a lone division of Aztec medieval infantry noticed that the army was depleted. They attacked the French from behind and slaughtered the 6,000 remaining swordsmen in the army.
Hangchow held, with the two spearmen divisions remaining. Those two divisions would continue to defend Hangchow against many attacks, mostly by superior units, until 360AD, when Hangchow's garrison was complemented with two divisions of swordsmen. Hangchow's walls had been completed in 290AD, right after the big battle, and catapults had been moved back into the town. Between 60,000 and 70,000 Aztec, Sumerian and Persian soldiers died as they attacked Hangchow during these 170 years. Many more died as the French continuously bombarded and attacked them while they were laying siege on the town.
The Soies-Bailli arena - The Bailli encirclement - Battles of Laloi
The heaviest fighting occurred in the triangle between Soies, Bailli and Laloi, where the Mayans pushed straight north towards Bailli. The French had inferior numbers, so they decided to fight a war of attrition. The Mayans were allowed to approach Bailli, where they were met with a barrage of catapult bombardment. As the Mayan divisions were depleted, they decided against attacking Bailli, which was a real stronghold with its high walls and its elevated position on the Collines de Bailli.
Instead, the Mayans retreated to treat their wounded, to just outside French territory, southeast of Soies. At first the French could not strike at the Mayans there, because there weren't any roads. But between 260AD and 300AD, French workers known as the "Travailleurs Routiers", under cover of several armies, constructed a road through the jungle connecting Laloi with Soies. In 300AD, the town of Bananes was founded and the Mayans were trapped behind enemy lines. A total of 23 Mayan divisions were suddenly cut off from their supply lines.
In a desperate move, they twice attacked Laloi, in 300AD and in 310AD, but the French suffered only minimal losses while completely destroying the Mayan forces. The remaining Mayans were killed off as they tried to make their way out of French territory. Between 120,000 and 130,000 Mayan soldiers died in the thick French jungle.
There were also minor skirmishes near Soies, as various enemy nations tried to disrupt the French silks operations. At one occasion in 340AD, another great leader emerged, who would help build the Forbidden Palace in Cité Interdite.
[size=-2]View of the northwest of France in 340AD. The effect of the Bailli Encirclement
can already be seen: practically no Mayan troops are left in French territory.[/size]
In 310AD and 350AD, two more leaders were appointed by the French command, after demonstrating their capabilities in combat near Laloi. Napoléon de Laloi took command of the Armée Épéistes VII, the fifth active swordsman army at the time. Propre De Gaulle helped constructing France's oldest marketplace, in Épices.
The Gaulle arena
The combat area in the north was by far the largest one. Especially the Egyptians appeared in unpredictable patterns. The French were able to keep Gaulle undefended for the most part, thus luring the Egyptian, Greek and Roman attackers towards that town. From the surrounding hills, the French could bombard and attack at their leisure.
The logistics for that area were far from trivial. Troops trained in Ancêtres and Défaite were moved in from the east, while catapults were dispatched from the west as needed and if the situation in the Soies-Bailli region allowed it.
See also
At the end of the year 190AD, there were 12 enemy divisions inside French territory. At the high point of enemy incursions in 310AD, there were no less than 27 enemy units inside French territory, and 37 just outside the French borders. At the end of 360AD, only 10 enemy divisions remained inside French territory. A total of 156 enemy divisions were decimated during this period, more than half of them during the latter 60 years. The French lost only one tenth of that number. Military records show that the French had 87 military units in the field at the end of 360AD, 17 of them in the 5 active armies.
Discoveries and technological advancement
Around this time, the French knew about 7% of the world. They continued to explore the lands surrounding them, mostly to determine where their enemies' vulnerabilities lay. The Lanciers de Gaulle were sent on an expedition towards the Egyptians, and discovered gems in the northern mountains. The brave spearman division was ultimately killed in 290AD when they ventured too close to the Egyptian town of Pi-Ramesses.
The French scientists continued their research, and discovered the secrets of Map Making, Polytheism and Currency.
With the development op Map Making, the French started maintaining detailed maps of their territory and of their military campaigns. The Bailli Encirclement is a prime example of a campaign for which a set of such maps was created.
The other civilizations were technologically more advanced at that time. Only the Greeks and the Koreans weren't much ahead in knowledge, compared to the French. Most civilizations were bent on constructing Wonders of the World to demonstrate their knowledge and power. In 260AD, Rome built Sun Tzu's Art of War, and the Incan city of Tiwaniku finished the Great Lighthouse. In 360AD, the Mayans built Leonardo's Workshop in Tikal.
Territorial expansion
During this period, four new French towns were settled. Deux Chevaux was founded in 210AD to gain control of a second source of horses. Little agricultural activity could be developed there, so it became a home for scientists.
[size=-2]View of the north of France in 210AD. Deux Chevaux was founded deep in the Chaîne des Loups.[/size]
In 300AD, Bananes was founded to complete the Bailli encirclement.
[size=-2]View of the northwest of France in 300AD. Enemy incursions were at its height at this time, with an
especially large contingent of Mayan troops. All those troops would soon meet their demise.[/size]
On the Aztec border, Cité Interdite was founded in 310AD, and would become home of the Forbidden Palace.
[size=-2]View of the south of France in 310AD. La Cité Interdite would become the staging area for the attack on the Aztec heartland.[/size]
Clermont-Ferrand was founded in 340AD, sealing off the northern border.
[size=-2]View of the north of France in 340AD. At the left of the map, you can see that
irrigation had been brought to Défaite (and Calé-en-Desert) by this time.[/size]
The Koreans founded Manp'o in the northern tundra, finally prompting a reaction from the French. The Armée Épéistes VI was dispatched to take the two Korean towns in the north.
[size=-2]View of the north of France in 360AD. At the top left of the map, the location of
gems deposits has been marked. The army was approaching via the iron and furs road.[/size]
Slavery was introduced in French society in 340AD, when the first foreign settler was captured, trying to move through French lands. By 360AD, 6000 slaves of Aztec, Persian and Sumerian descent were laboring in the mines of Charleville. Many more slaves would be captured by the French, which would help to further develop the economy. As the French empire grew, the need for laborers would only increase.
The construction of the Forbidden Palace in 350AD resulted in a further increase of commerce and production, especially in nearby towns. Historical records show that the French carefully planned the founding of additional towns, to increase the productive and commercial capacity of the empire, as well as the ability to support the ever growing military.
Even though the French had been under constant attack for thousands of years, they had succeeded in building a relatively sound economy. In the table to the right, you can see that the French empire ranked reasonably well compared to the other civilizations. Commercial output would soon grow, as several harbors would be built, as well as marketplaces. The French population was growing rapidly, and was already at a respectable level.
Military
Military action continued in four more or less separate arenas. From south to north, there were
- The Tlaxcala arena
- The Hangchow arena
- The Soies-Bailli arena
- The Gaulle arena
[size=-2]View of the French front at the beginning of 310AD, at the high point of enemy incursions. Around that time,
35 enemy divisions were within French territory, and about the same number just outside French borders.
The four main battle arenas during this period have been highlighted.[/size]
The Tlaxcala arena
The region from Tlaxcala to Charleville was invaded mostly by Persian longbowmen and Chinese horsemen. The Aztecs either moved towards Charleville, or towards Hangchow. The French had set up defense in Tlaxcala, which served as the base of operations for close to a hundred catapults, a few spearman divisions, a few swordsmen, and of course the renowned Cavaliers de Tlaxcala, led by Propre De Gaulle.
[size=-2]View of the south of France and Tenochtitlan around 210AD. A French
army had been sent out to pillage infrastructure around the Aztec capital.[/size]
The complex logistics of fielding bigger armies on four fronts required a centralized command for the ever growing French military. Propre De Gaulle was instrumental in getting the Pentagon built in Quentin to that end.
At the same time, the French moved outside of their borders to disrupt the commercial and agricultural activity in the Aztec capital. By 250AD, Tenochtitlan was completely disconnected from the rest of the world. Even though the French had to pull back after that, the Aztecs had been dealt a serious economic blow. Tenochtitlan's population dropped from almost 400,000 to around 70,000 over the course of a hundred years.
As the focus of the enemy shifted, the Tlaxcalan soldiers would occasionally help out near Hangchow. In 260AD, the Lanciers de Tlaxcala fought a heroic battle to safeguard the road between Hangchow and Charleville, killing an entire division of Aztec archers and defending against Sumerian medieval infantry, but finally succumbing to a second wave of Sumerian attackers. Charlemagne managed to escape the Sumerians, and remained in exile until 290AD, when he took command of the Armée Épéistes VI to replace the army that was lost in the battle of Hangchow.
[size=-2]View of the Tlaxcala-Hangchow region in 260AD.[/size]
The Tlaxcala region proved the most easy to defend by the French, because the enemy units attacking there were weakest. That situation started to change in 360AD, when the first Persian immortals started to appear.
The Hangchow arena - Battle of Hangchow
[size=-2]Main article: Battle of Hangchow[/size]
The Sumerians first arrived in force around 170AD. They used Aztec roads south of Tenochtitlan to quickly move towards Hangchow, traveling through the southern Louvetaux, making it hard for the French to attack them before they arrived at the gates of Hangchow.
In 250AD, the third and fifth swordsman armies succeeded in killing 3 Sumerian swordsman divisions and 1 division of medieval infantry, but they were ultimately unable to avoid a direct attack on Hangchow. In 260AD, 5 more Sumerian divisions were slaughtered by the armies, aided by the Lanciers de Tlaxcala. The Aztecs joined in with medieval infantry as well, and the tide started to turn in favor of the attackers.
Still, by the year 280AD, the Hangchow area was clear of Sumerians and Aztecs. Only a few divisions had managed to escape. The French command decided to take advantage of this pause. The Armée Épéistes was moved north to provide protection for the settlers that were to found Bananes. All 80 catapults were moved towards Tlaxcala, to help provide cover for the settlers that were to found Cité Interdite. The Armée Épéistes V stayed behind in Hangchow, along with the elite Lanciers de Charleville and another corps of veteran spearmen.
But the continuous fighting had clearly taken its toll, and the army was caught completely by surprise by a Sumerian swordsman attack. The Sumerian attack was finally repelled, but a lone division of Aztec medieval infantry noticed that the army was depleted. They attacked the French from behind and slaughtered the 6,000 remaining swordsmen in the army.
Hangchow held, with the two spearmen divisions remaining. Those two divisions would continue to defend Hangchow against many attacks, mostly by superior units, until 360AD, when Hangchow's garrison was complemented with two divisions of swordsmen. Hangchow's walls had been completed in 290AD, right after the big battle, and catapults had been moved back into the town. Between 60,000 and 70,000 Aztec, Sumerian and Persian soldiers died as they attacked Hangchow during these 170 years. Many more died as the French continuously bombarded and attacked them while they were laying siege on the town.
The Soies-Bailli arena - The Bailli encirclement - Battles of Laloi
[size=-2]Main articles: The Bailli encirclement and Battles of Laloi[/size]
The heaviest fighting occurred in the triangle between Soies, Bailli and Laloi, where the Mayans pushed straight north towards Bailli. The French had inferior numbers, so they decided to fight a war of attrition. The Mayans were allowed to approach Bailli, where they were met with a barrage of catapult bombardment. As the Mayan divisions were depleted, they decided against attacking Bailli, which was a real stronghold with its high walls and its elevated position on the Collines de Bailli.
Instead, the Mayans retreated to treat their wounded, to just outside French territory, southeast of Soies. At first the French could not strike at the Mayans there, because there weren't any roads. But between 260AD and 300AD, French workers known as the "Travailleurs Routiers", under cover of several armies, constructed a road through the jungle connecting Laloi with Soies. In 300AD, the town of Bananes was founded and the Mayans were trapped behind enemy lines. A total of 23 Mayan divisions were suddenly cut off from their supply lines.
In a desperate move, they twice attacked Laloi, in 300AD and in 310AD, but the French suffered only minimal losses while completely destroying the Mayan forces. The remaining Mayans were killed off as they tried to make their way out of French territory. Between 120,000 and 130,000 Mayan soldiers died in the thick French jungle.
There were also minor skirmishes near Soies, as various enemy nations tried to disrupt the French silks operations. At one occasion in 340AD, another great leader emerged, who would help build the Forbidden Palace in Cité Interdite.
[size=-2]View of the northwest of France in 340AD. The effect of the Bailli Encirclement
can already be seen: practically no Mayan troops are left in French territory.[/size]
In 310AD and 350AD, two more leaders were appointed by the French command, after demonstrating their capabilities in combat near Laloi. Napoléon de Laloi took command of the Armée Épéistes VII, the fifth active swordsman army at the time. Propre De Gaulle helped constructing France's oldest marketplace, in Épices.
The Gaulle arena
The combat area in the north was by far the largest one. Especially the Egyptians appeared in unpredictable patterns. The French were able to keep Gaulle undefended for the most part, thus luring the Egyptian, Greek and Roman attackers towards that town. From the surrounding hills, the French could bombard and attack at their leisure.
The logistics for that area were far from trivial. Troops trained in Ancêtres and Défaite were moved in from the east, while catapults were dispatched from the west as needed and if the situation in the Soies-Bailli region allowed it.
See also
Very impressive and entertaining read.
Those were a ton of hostile troops, which probably gives the one advantage of having all those mountains and jungle. The enemy cavalry can't rush past your line of defense as easily. Now, where's D'Artagnan!?!
Those were a ton of hostile troops, which probably gives the one advantage of having all those mountains and jungle. The enemy cavalry can't rush past your line of defense as easily. Now, where's D'Artagnan!?!
Mumpulus
King
Background
The Hangchow area had been relatively quiet until 250AD. The Aztecs sent most of their troops towards Charleville and Tlaxcala. The Persians and the Chinese were only a minor nuisance. But in 170AD, the Armée Épéistes II sent back word to the French military council that hordes of Sumerians were approaching. The initial attack of the Sumerians was imminent.
At first, the Sumerian approach was hindered by the presence of the French army, but once they got to the safety of the Louveteaux, the Sumerians could move on without much difficulty. They appeared at the gates of Hangchow in 250AD, and made a first attack in 260AD. Two French armies were required to hold the town, when it also came under attack from the Aztecs.
By 280AD however, the first wave had been repelled, and the French felt they were victorious. At the same time, two settler parties were approaching their designated sites, to found Bananes in the west, and Cité Interdite in the south. Troops out of Hangchow would support those operations.
One of the armies that had been defending Hangchow, l'Armée Épéistes III, was sent north to help in the Soies-Bailli region. The Mayans had just added 20,000 longbowmen and 12,000 medieval infantry to their forces there. The French had incurred some losses there already, so an additional army was certainly needed. On the other hand, the Hangchow area was clear of enemy units. The French council had no doubt that the Armée Épéistes V, down to a mere 4,000 soldiers from the constant fighting, would recover sufficiently and in a timely manner to repel any further attacks.
The catapults in Hangchow were moved to the east, to assist the Tlaxcala regiment that had been moved to protect the workers building a road towards the Cité Interdite site. They were left in a position where they could react to any move the enemy would make. Especially the Aztecs had a choice of either approaching Hangchow, Charleville or Tlaxcala.
[size=-2]View of the Hangchow area at the end of 280AD, with troop dispositions shown on the map.[/size]
Prelude
As shown in the map above, the Aztecs made a very poor choice, and returned south to attack the workers. This left Charleville and Tlaxcala completely safe. The French could concentrate all they had on the attack. The Aztecs were bombarded from the Colline de la Cité. Even though only half of the catapults hit their target, the Aztecs still lost about 4,000 men.
The Sumerians had replenished their troops, and moved towards Hangchow. They had 12,000 soldiers at the gates, half of them swordsmen and half of them medieval infantry. The Aztecs had a single division of medieval infantry.
The Armée Épéistes V had refilled its ranks with reinforcements of about 8,000 swordsmen, and the army once again counted 12,000 soldiers. Together with the elite corps of Lanciers de Charleville and a second, veteran corps of spearmen, there was no doubt Hangchow would easily be held.
[size=-2]View of the Hangchow area at the end of 290AD.[/size]
Battle
There are French, Aztec and Sumerian records of the battle, so we have a fairly reliable account of it.
The Battle of Hangchow is a prime example of the double envelopment tactic, even though the actions of the Sumerians and the Aztecs weren't coordinated. It is especially the masterful tactics of Mirukur that led to the French defeat. He used the terrain and circumstances to full effect and turned the French superiority against them.
The battle was fought with comparatively few troops. The Sumerians had made camp near Mont au Coin, and Sumerian commander Mirukur decided to hold back half of his medieval infantry to wait for reinforcements. So only about 9,000 Sumerian soldiers were engaged in the fight. The Aztecs engaged their full force of 3,000 medieval infantry. The French spearmen made a small contribution to the battle as the Aztecs passed near the city walls, but it was mainly the Armée Épéistes V that did the fighting for the French.
The Sumerians had formed a standard phalanx formation with three columns. The first column was formed by the medieval infantry, the strongest soldiers the Sumerians had on the field. Positioned behind them were the two divisions of swordsmen.
Mirukur used the jungle to full effect. He ordered his troops forward at the break of dawn. The French were facing the rising sun. The evening before the battle there had been especially heavy rainfall, and as the sun came up and the temperature rose, a fog formed over the jungle floor, further reducing visibility for the French.
The Sumerian medieval infantry advanced straight towards the French army for a frontal assault. The French were well prepared for this attack. They had positioned the 8,000 reinforcements that had just arrived at the front, and they easily stood their ground. Even though the Sumerians had much better armor and weapons, they were hindered in their movements by the thick flora as they came to the edge of the jungle. Especially using their flails proved very difficult. The French only lost about 2,000 swordsmen during this initial wave. The Sumerian medieval infantry division was completely routed as they kept on pressing their attack. They had been so ordered by Mirukur, so that they could better conceal the movement of the first swordsmen column around the flank of the French.
As the French were pressing forward to kill the last of the Sumerian medieval infantry, the first Sumerian swordsmen column had moved to its right, under cover of the jungle and the fog. Just as the French were cheering their victory in the first engagement of the day, the Sumerians attacked the rear of the army, where the 4,000 swordsmen that had fought earlier battles were positioned. This attack came as a complete surprise, and the 4,000 French swordsmen were killed before the front line had time to turn around and join them. The Sumerians were eventually killed, with the walls of Hangchow to their rear. But the damage to the French had been done. Out of the 12,000 swordsmen that had seen the sun rise hours before, 6,000 wouldn't see it set.
The final attack by the Sumerians was countered relatively easy. The French incurred little further losses, but the long duration of the fight was beginning to take its toll. The French soldiers were tired.
The Aztecs were commanded by Vilas Kalpan, nicknamed Vilas le Cruel by the French. They had taken up position to attack Hangchow from the south, taking advantage of the fact that the city walls hadn't been completed. As the Sumerians started their attack, they planned to move against the city itself. But when they saw that the French army was in trouble, they turned around to attack the army from the other flank. Troops in Hangchow succeeded in killing about one third of the Aztec force, but didn't want to pursue too far outside the city. The 2,000 remaining Aztecs reached the French army as the sun was setting. Again the French were facing the sun. Combined with fatigue, the French ranks were in complete disarray. They were overwhelmed by the Aztecs, who hadn't fought until then. The Aztecs killed all 6,000 remaining French swordsmen, while not suffering any significant losses themselves.
Aftermath
The loss of another army was a serious blow to French morale. At the same time, the outcome of the Bailli encirclement was still uncertain, so a collapse of the western front was widely feared.
Hangchow was also at risk now, and was attacked again by Vilas Kalpan in 300AD. The spearmen were able to defend, and hold on until 330AD. During the final attack on Hangchow, they defeated three attacking divisions of Sumerian medieval infantry. Other forces in the vicinity retreated after that defeat. 50 catapults were permanently stationed in Hangchow, and starting in 360AD, there also arrived some swordsmen divisions.
As 60 more years had passed, it was clear that the Mayans to the north had been contained. With the planned attack on the Aztec cities of Tzintzuntzen and Xochicalco, and the founding of Cité Interdite, Hangchow would soon no longer be a front line city.
CivRulesAll
The Void Beyond
- Joined
- May 1, 2007
- Messages
- 590
Lost another army? Ouch. You really have to hurry to knights. Knight armies=WORLD DOMINATION! 
Certainly one of the better written stories, well done.
Mumpulus
King
So far the AI have only fielded some horsemen, and I wish they would attack because that's the most efficient way of killing them. The Roman Ancient Cavalry have been appearing mostly near Acheval, where there is a clear approach path without jungle or mountains. Other than that, the jungle and mountains have really been a nuisance; no advantage at all.Those were a ton of hostile troops, which probably gives the one advantage of having all those mountains and jungle. The enemy cavalry can't rush past your line of defense as easily. Now, where's D'Artagnan!?!
In 370AD, I have 9 turns to go on construction. I'm guessing about 12 turns for feudalism, and 10 turns each for monotheism and chivalry. I'm hoping to have an additional ring of cities in the west by then, and to have made some progress against the Aztecs. But this is a large map, so world domination will come much later. This one may well get to tanks.Lost another army? Ouch. You really have to hurry to knights. Knight armies=WORLD DOMINATION!
Very impressive and entertaining read.
A tremendous read, as was your previous solo game.
Thanks
7ronin
海軍少佐
Excellent, excellent story in all respects!! I look forward to reading further episodes.
ChaosArbiter
King
Not to sound defeatist, but this popped into my head when I read the title ... if the French get wiped out, does that mean that they were the insane ones? I really like what's happened and you storytelling (also, the pain of no iron, having played a Huge Pangaea with no Oil in one *half* of the world, and no Iron or Horses in the rather large area I had).
boardinfailboat
Chieftain
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2009
- Messages
- 55
can we see the unit screen?
Mumpulus
King
Mumpulus
King
The Sumerians may have been the first to execute a pincer movement in battle, during the Battle of Hangchow, the French had thought of the principle before, and had been implementing it on a much grander scale.
In 170AD, the Mayans had widened their approach path towards Bailli, threatening both Soies and Laloi along the way. The French had to split their resources just to defend the three towns. With the mountainous terrain, the risk of attacking the Mayans was too great, especially since there were so many units that could never be sufficiently bombarded.
The French decided to bombard all Mayan divisions just enough to dissuade them from attacking. That approach would be continued until a sufficient number of French attackers was available to kill off the Mayans. The two armies in the area would be used to hinder Mayan movement as much as possible.
Detailed maps were created by the French during this campaign, which is why we can now give a complete account of how the encirclement was achieved.
In 190AD, there were no French or Mayan attacks. The Mayans that had arrived near Bailli were heavily bombarded, until no division remained at their full strength. The Mayan swordsman division that remained near Soies was expected to attack, but defenses in Soies were sufficient to handle any outcome of that battle.
Armée Épéistes IV was positioned to the south of Soies, to be in striking distance of retreating Mayan troops.
The strategy worked even better than expected: the Mayans who were in position to attack didn't dare to take on the defenders of Bailli, a walled town at the top of the Collines de Bailli. Yet the medieval infantry that was closely following the vanguard of the Mayan offensive, still continued towards Bailli, even though it was now defended.
In 210AD, there were 2 French army attacks, and no Mayan attacks.
The swordsmen near Soies had proceeded towards Bailli, and were killed by l'Armée Épéistes III.
The attack of Armée Épéistes IV on a lone division of medieval infantry allowed to position that army close to the return path of the Mayans, so that their retreat could be disrupted.
Now that Bailli was guarded by an army, it wasn't unlikely the Mayans would change targets. On the other hand, the presence of the southern army almost forced the Mayans to move in a predictable pattern. There was only one Mayan division left within the French realm that hadn't suffered significant losses.
As the Mayans retreated further, one of their swordsman divisions was hit by the army. The full strength medieval infantry division continued towards Bailli. After the retreat of the their compatriots, there were almost completely isolated though.
In 230AD, there were 2 French attacks, and no Mayan attacks.
Near Bailli, a division of veteran swordsmen proved its valor and killed a division of medieval infantry with minimal losses. The French military council acknowledged their feat, and ordered the division reinforced with an additional 1000 men.
The attack of Armée Épéistes IV on a worn-out Mayan spearman division repositioned it to block the fastest Mayan escape route, and to disrupt the Mayan retreat even more. Only one Mayan division was hit as it retreated.
Armée Épéistes III moved from Bailli to Hangchow to deal with the Aztec and Sumerian troops arriving there.
The citizens of Bailli had been constructing barracks in their town, but as Mayan pressure diminished for a moment, it was decided they would first assemble a settling party. At the same time, the situation in the far south was also improving, so the settlers being prepared in Paris would be diverted towards that area.
In 250AD, there were no French or Mayan attacks. The Mayans had all converged to the same area, where they were no threat at all. The French took this opportunity to move the catapults near Bailli towards Laloi, so they could be deployed again in 260AD.
L'Armée Épéistes IV moved east to protect a crew of 6,000 French workers that would start building the Laloi-Soies road in 260AD.
At this moment, only 16,000 of the 28,000 Mayan soldiers that had moved into French territory were still alive. A thousand more would die as they retreated to outside the French borders.
There were reinforcements on the way, but they arrived in smaller groups, which would allow the French to pick them off as they advanced. It would be a while until the main force had regained its full strength.
The settler party in Bailli was almost ready to go and found Bananes.
In 260AD, there were no French or Mayan attacks. Both the French and Mayan troops rested. Movement of the Mayans was also hindered by the Greeks and the Persians.
As the first stretch of road west of Laloi was finished, the French could once again bring destruction to the Mayans with their incessant catapult bombardment. Even though the Mayans were trying to rest their troops, they found no safety.
The French could have dealt a devastating blow to the Mayans right then. But many French troops had to be diverted to the north, to deal with the Romans and Egyptians, and to the south, to deal with the Aztecs and Sumerians. The army on the other hand, couldn't take too many risks, as it was still serving as sole protection for the many workers constructing the road.
Even a severely depleted division of javelin throwers was left untouched, as it turned back north with no way out in the south.
In 270AD, there were 2 French army attacks, and no Mayan attacks.
The attack of Armée Épéistes IV on a Mayan division of medieval infantry repositioned it to protect the roading crew and the Bananes settler.
The Armée Épéistes III came back from Hangchow, and protected several catapult divisions.
This time, many more enemy troops were allowed to move around in French territory, even though the French could easily have defeated them. The French had the situation well under control, and wanted to lure the enemy back in before dealing one final, devastating blow.
The Persians and Greeks would move west, the Mayans would move north. The lone division of javelin throwers would continue north, only to be intercepted by the French forces near Gaulle.
In 280AD, there were no French or Mayan attacks.
The road towards Soies was almost completed. The Greek warriors saw no way out and frantically move northeast again, in the path of the worker crew and its protecting army.
The northern javelin thrower division proceeded towards Gaulle as anticipated. A fresh Mayan contingent started moving towards Bailli again, and would be allowed to continue until reaching the town's gates.
A lot of new troops were approaching. They would arrive at the same time when most of the healing Mayan troops would be ready to move again. There was a certain risk associated with letting all those enemy troops freely enter French territory again, especially since those troops were much stronger than the ones that had been sent before.
The French military command was certain their troops could handle the situation...
But then, in 290AD, disaster struck.
There were no French or Mayan attacks in the main battle area; only the javelin throwers that had made it to Gaulle were brutally massacred by French swordsmen. The other Mayan troops would be allowed to commit themselves even further.
The settler party moved to their founding site, and the travailleurs routiers moved next to Soies to build the last segment of the road connecting Laloi and Soies. Both armies in the region were tasked with protecting those parties. The catapults in Laloi and Soies couldn't be deployed this time, but nothing would be able to stop them after Bananes was founded.
And just when the French were ready to strike, the Sumerians and Aztecs made their surprise attack at Hangchow. All of a sudden, it became very uncertain Bananes could be founded. And although some Mayan troops continued towards Bailli like they had done before, a lot of them moved towards Laloi now. The tables had been turned on the French.
In the eventuality that the Mayans would move on Laloi, the French military council had planned on moving Armée Épéistes V from Hangchow to Laloi. The unexpected defeat at Hanghow rendered that plan obsolete.
Four complete divisions of Mayan longbowmen, and three complete divisions of medieval infantry were threatening to attack Laloi. The road towards Laloi was blocked, and there was no way an army could make it back in time. The Mayans also had two divisions of javelin throwers, who would absorb most attacks, leaving the Mayan attackers well rested for their own offensive.
The French settlers had nowhere to go, and the Armée Épéistes III wouldn't be able to make it back towards Laloi in time anyway. So, in 300AD, Bananes was founded after all, and the Mayans were finally trapped.
The French killed 5 Mayan divisions for the loss of one swordsman division of their own. Most of those attacks were made out of Laloi, to reduce the attack force as much as possible. Still, 12,000 longbowmen remained, as well as some auxilary forces. Laloi was defended by one division of spearmen, and three partially depleted divisions of swordsmen. If only the longbowmen would attack, the French stood a chance, even though Laloi wasn't walled at the time. If more Mayan troops would attack, disaster was just around the corner.
One of the famous quotes taken from Sun Tzu's Art of War goes: "When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard." After the French had surrounded them, the desperate Mayans finally struck back, marking the beginning of the series of battles at Laloi...
In 170AD, the Mayans had widened their approach path towards Bailli, threatening both Soies and Laloi along the way. The French had to split their resources just to defend the three towns. With the mountainous terrain, the risk of attacking the Mayans was too great, especially since there were so many units that could never be sufficiently bombarded.
The French decided to bombard all Mayan divisions just enough to dissuade them from attacking. That approach would be continued until a sufficient number of French attackers was available to kill off the Mayans. The two armies in the area would be used to hinder Mayan movement as much as possible.
In 190AD, there were no French or Mayan attacks. The Mayans that had arrived near Bailli were heavily bombarded, until no division remained at their full strength. The Mayan swordsman division that remained near Soies was expected to attack, but defenses in Soies were sufficient to handle any outcome of that battle.
Armée Épéistes IV was positioned to the south of Soies, to be in striking distance of retreating Mayan troops.
The strategy worked even better than expected: the Mayans who were in position to attack didn't dare to take on the defenders of Bailli, a walled town at the top of the Collines de Bailli. Yet the medieval infantry that was closely following the vanguard of the Mayan offensive, still continued towards Bailli, even though it was now defended.
The swordsmen near Soies had proceeded towards Bailli, and were killed by l'Armée Épéistes III.
The attack of Armée Épéistes IV on a lone division of medieval infantry allowed to position that army close to the return path of the Mayans, so that their retreat could be disrupted.
Now that Bailli was guarded by an army, it wasn't unlikely the Mayans would change targets. On the other hand, the presence of the southern army almost forced the Mayans to move in a predictable pattern. There was only one Mayan division left within the French realm that hadn't suffered significant losses.
As the Mayans retreated further, one of their swordsman divisions was hit by the army. The full strength medieval infantry division continued towards Bailli. After the retreat of the their compatriots, there were almost completely isolated though.
Near Bailli, a division of veteran swordsmen proved its valor and killed a division of medieval infantry with minimal losses. The French military council acknowledged their feat, and ordered the division reinforced with an additional 1000 men.
The attack of Armée Épéistes IV on a worn-out Mayan spearman division repositioned it to block the fastest Mayan escape route, and to disrupt the Mayan retreat even more. Only one Mayan division was hit as it retreated.
Armée Épéistes III moved from Bailli to Hangchow to deal with the Aztec and Sumerian troops arriving there.
The citizens of Bailli had been constructing barracks in their town, but as Mayan pressure diminished for a moment, it was decided they would first assemble a settling party. At the same time, the situation in the far south was also improving, so the settlers being prepared in Paris would be diverted towards that area.
L'Armée Épéistes IV moved east to protect a crew of 6,000 French workers that would start building the Laloi-Soies road in 260AD.
At this moment, only 16,000 of the 28,000 Mayan soldiers that had moved into French territory were still alive. A thousand more would die as they retreated to outside the French borders.
There were reinforcements on the way, but they arrived in smaller groups, which would allow the French to pick them off as they advanced. It would be a while until the main force had regained its full strength.
The settler party in Bailli was almost ready to go and found Bananes.
As the first stretch of road west of Laloi was finished, the French could once again bring destruction to the Mayans with their incessant catapult bombardment. Even though the Mayans were trying to rest their troops, they found no safety.
The French could have dealt a devastating blow to the Mayans right then. But many French troops had to be diverted to the north, to deal with the Romans and Egyptians, and to the south, to deal with the Aztecs and Sumerians. The army on the other hand, couldn't take too many risks, as it was still serving as sole protection for the many workers constructing the road.
Even a severely depleted division of javelin throwers was left untouched, as it turned back north with no way out in the south.
The attack of Armée Épéistes IV on a Mayan division of medieval infantry repositioned it to protect the roading crew and the Bananes settler.
The Armée Épéistes III came back from Hangchow, and protected several catapult divisions.
This time, many more enemy troops were allowed to move around in French territory, even though the French could easily have defeated them. The French had the situation well under control, and wanted to lure the enemy back in before dealing one final, devastating blow.
The Persians and Greeks would move west, the Mayans would move north. The lone division of javelin throwers would continue north, only to be intercepted by the French forces near Gaulle.
The road towards Soies was almost completed. The Greek warriors saw no way out and frantically move northeast again, in the path of the worker crew and its protecting army.
The northern javelin thrower division proceeded towards Gaulle as anticipated. A fresh Mayan contingent started moving towards Bailli again, and would be allowed to continue until reaching the town's gates.
A lot of new troops were approaching. They would arrive at the same time when most of the healing Mayan troops would be ready to move again. There was a certain risk associated with letting all those enemy troops freely enter French territory again, especially since those troops were much stronger than the ones that had been sent before.
The French military command was certain their troops could handle the situation...
There were no French or Mayan attacks in the main battle area; only the javelin throwers that had made it to Gaulle were brutally massacred by French swordsmen. The other Mayan troops would be allowed to commit themselves even further.
The settler party moved to their founding site, and the travailleurs routiers moved next to Soies to build the last segment of the road connecting Laloi and Soies. Both armies in the region were tasked with protecting those parties. The catapults in Laloi and Soies couldn't be deployed this time, but nothing would be able to stop them after Bananes was founded.
And just when the French were ready to strike, the Sumerians and Aztecs made their surprise attack at Hangchow. All of a sudden, it became very uncertain Bananes could be founded. And although some Mayan troops continued towards Bailli like they had done before, a lot of them moved towards Laloi now. The tables had been turned on the French.
Four complete divisions of Mayan longbowmen, and three complete divisions of medieval infantry were threatening to attack Laloi. The road towards Laloi was blocked, and there was no way an army could make it back in time. The Mayans also had two divisions of javelin throwers, who would absorb most attacks, leaving the Mayan attackers well rested for their own offensive.
The French settlers had nowhere to go, and the Armée Épéistes III wouldn't be able to make it back towards Laloi in time anyway. So, in 300AD, Bananes was founded after all, and the Mayans were finally trapped.
The French killed 5 Mayan divisions for the loss of one swordsman division of their own. Most of those attacks were made out of Laloi, to reduce the attack force as much as possible. Still, 12,000 longbowmen remained, as well as some auxilary forces. Laloi was defended by one division of spearmen, and three partially depleted divisions of swordsmen. If only the longbowmen would attack, the French stood a chance, even though Laloi wasn't walled at the time. If more Mayan troops would attack, disaster was just around the corner.
One of the famous quotes taken from Sun Tzu's Art of War goes: "When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard." After the French had surrounded them, the desperate Mayans finally struck back, marking the beginning of the series of battles at Laloi...
Mumpulus
King
I've completed chapter 27 above. I had to use a little trick to get each part of the story next to the corresponding picture. If you make your browser window about 1024 pixels wide, that should give an optimal reading experience. Let me know if it's hard to read, then I'll center the pictures and put the text under each picture.
7ronin
海軍少佐
This is starting to turn into a cliff hanger. How far away are you from having Medieval Infantry?
