ricky
Condottiere
Posts: 25
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Post by ricky on Jul 17, 2016 14:08:54 GMT
Ooc: happy with that
The hunnic forces fall into a steady retreat back across the river. With the Huns and Alans protecting the rear while the infantry make good their escape.
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Post by Admin on Jul 18, 2016 22:19:54 GMT
OoC: With the distances between the river and the deployment of the Romano-Gothic army, it is fair to assume that the crossing happens before the Huns can learn of the true size of the enemy force. Making a swift decision, they turn to cross the river. ricky has opted to speed across the river with his highly mobile Huns, who will then form the rearguard once the infantry pass them. I also tried to look up arrow-quantities for this post. Apparently the Mongols carried 60 arrows on their persons. English Longbowmen carried arrows in sheaves of 24, and had two of these in their quivers, with the ability to carry more on their persons, and have even more in supply wagons. The army of Henry V in the Agincourt campaign were probably supplied with over one million arrows. I couldn't find anything on how many arrows actually hit or injure their targets. But if 26,500 Huns had 60 arrows each, that would be 1,590,000 arrows. Even a 5-10% hit rate would be terrifying. [NB: What am I doing with my life? ] IC: The Battle of the Five ArmiesHunnic Forces:26,500 Huns 2,000 gothic nobles 2,000 Germanic nobles 35,000 Slavic warriors 10,000 Germanic warriors 10,000 gothic warriors 5,000 Alans Roman Army:1,000 Scholae 2,000 Germanic Cavalry 2,000 Alans 1,000 Huns 3,000 Palatini 20,000 Legionaries 30,000 Foederati Army of Pannonia:20,000 Lombard Peasants 5,000 Lombard Foederati 500 Roman Nobles 2,000 Lombard Nobles Army of Illyria:5,000 Rugi 5,000 Rugi Foederati 2,000 Roman Nobles 2,000 Lombard Nobles 1,000 Rugi Noble Army of Athaulf:8,000 Gothic Nobles 50,000 Gothic Warriors 23,000 Gothic Foederati 10,000 Freed Slaves In total the Roman alliance has 18,500 medium cavalry, including the elite Scholae, and 3,000 Horse Archers. They have 23,000 Roman legionaries, 63,000 Foederati, 50,000 Warriors, 25,000 peasants, and 10,000 Freed Slaves (light skirmishers at best). The total army is a staggering 192,500 men strong. The majority of the army is fresh and eager, though the Lombard levies are unhappy at their long period of duty and are desperate to return to their lands. Fortunately, the Huns stand between them and their lands, and so they will continue to fight ferociously.The Huns have 4,000 medium cavalry, 31,500 horse archers, 20,000 Germanic warriors, and 35,000 Slavic spear-warriors. The army is weary to be retreating, and partially weighed down with plunder.The BattleAs the Huns take a well-earned break on the east-side of the river, the Slavs and Goths are hit from the rear by a devastating cavalry charge. What little rearguards could hold their nerve were short work for the Roman army, and the cavalry reserves and skirmishers alike rushed to slaughter as many as they could while the enemy army were in disarray. The panicked infantry abandon much of their baggage train, and the majority of their recent loot. 1,000 Aurei worth of loot is lost, and will go to whoever controls the land that it lies scattered in. Some of the Hunnic army drowns trying to cross the river, and many more are slaughtered or trampled trying to push their way across the bottlenecks - bridges, fords, convenient corpse-piles, etc. - causing a great deal of carnage. Many Slavs and Goths try to surrender, but are cut down by desperate Lombards and Goths eager not to waste time in taking slaves while the Huns remained at large. The Goths of Athaulf's army seem to have little problem with slaughtering their eastern cousins. The Roman allies are unable to pursue over the river, as they are faced with devastating hails of arrows by Hunnic archers on the far side. Once the infantry are all dead or crossed, the Romans turn to finishing the wounded and forming a defensive line of spears. They have been well-drilled by their general for this campaign, and know the protocol for facing the Huns, which is rather defensive. Judging from the gory state of the river and battlefield, around ten thousand of the enemy had already been slain, but the Roman officers in particular were keen to prevent too much excitement, and held back their men from running into a slaughter. Unfortunately, this means that the infantry pass through the Hunnic screen and the withdrawal continues. The armies cross and pursue the enemy as they retreat. Out in the open, the Hun rearguard are able to inflict devastating harassment on the enemy. The hit and run attacks of the Huns devastate the infantry ranks of the Goths, and thousands of Gothic warriors lose their lives. Losing their nerve, a band of 2,000 Gothic cavalry charge towards the enemy, hoping to chase them off. Instead, they find themselves in a circling whirlpool of horse and men, and most collapse into the dirt before they can even whet their blades. The movement of the Roman army is slowed as smaller bands of Alans and Huns appear at their flanks and rear as they advance, harrying them as they go and ambushing supply wagons. With the Huns fighting aggressively only when it suits them, and fleeing when they can, the bulk of the infantry force are free to advance at a rapid march. Marcellinus finds it hard to establish the sort of set-piece battle where he can exploit the drilling and discipline of his men in order to gain the advantage. As an open pursuit, combat with the Huns proves futile and he eventually slows in his pursuit and instead leaves a cautious distance between him and his enemy. This new laid-back approach allows for a more stern resistance to the Alans that menaced their pursuit. The Alan force is defeated in a battle, in which the lives of many Goths are lost. The surviving Alans, having surrendered, enter Roman service in Marcellinus' army. At the end of the Hunnic Invasion, the Huns have lost: 5,000 Germanic warriors 5,000 Gothic warriors 10,000 Slavic Warriors 1,000 Huns 5,000 Alans And the Romans have lost: 2,000 Gothic Nobles 10,000 Gothic warriors 1,000 Alans 2,000 Germanic cavalry 3,000 Alans join the Romans. The campaign seems to end in a Roman victory, though Marcellinus knows that he can call it little more than a glorified stalemate. The Huns have lost little of their military capacity, having lost only the inexpensive lives of their subject peoples and a small group of their own kind. The Huns are able to escape Italy without being forced into a decisive battle. Marcellinus must think long and hard now before his next move; does he continue the pursuit and move into Pannonia? Surely the Huns would fight if defending occupied territory? Or does he remain in Italia, to protect the western front? Perhaps his Augustus will order him home, and Italy will no longer be his problem. The Huns reach Pannonia, the Romans reclaim Aquileia and Tridentum, which have been settled by Lombards after the Slavic war, but are now once again in Roman hands.
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ricky
Condottiere
Posts: 25
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Post by ricky on Jul 18, 2016 23:03:42 GMT
Volskivt sits on his horse spattered in blood and panting. All around him his men look worn out but there is a fire in their eyes. It is plain on all their faces, there is rage within them at having to retreat from the cowardly romans. The conquering force they had entered Lombardy with had been repelled though roman cunning and deception. They longed for the romans to follow. To have room to attack the scum that had taken the lives of so many of the Hun forces.
Victor Khan of the Antae rode up to Volskivt. "My Khan after a quick head count it seems we have lost nearly 20,000 men and a further 3,000 of our Alans have betrayed us and joined the romans." Volskivt spat on the floor "Vicrup that traitor, the alans wish to be brother of the Hun and adopt our tactics and yet they lack the honour of a piece of pig shit. I say lets us see what this roman metal is made of, Vicrup form up the infantry 1 mile away from roman lines. I will have the cavalry force to the left flank." With that they parted.
About ten minuets later the infantry were formed up again and they were out for blood as many of their brothers, sons and fathers were killed. The whole front rank chanted the roman insult "Cum pueri fingunt magnus es". The point was clear. If the romans did not attack the Huns would stay and as soon as the roman forces left the field of battle the huns would claim lombardy. There was no escaping the battle and the romans would not surprise them again.
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ricky
Condottiere
Posts: 25
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Post by ricky on Jul 19, 2016 16:37:48 GMT
Wary of Roman deception Volskivt send scouts to range off towards the hunnic rear and flanks. Tired of waiting he utilises the Huns speed and bows darting in and loosing arrows then dart back to the relative safety of their own troop lines. Having time to regroup as they wait upon the Roman advance or retreat, Volskivt sends out a small number of his forces to forage for food and wood to replace the supplies and arrows the Huns lost in the battle.
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Post by Imperium Romanum (Orientalis) on Jul 19, 2016 22:06:52 GMT
OoC: apologies, haven't had a chance to respond yet, may not have time tomorrow, but will certainly have something come Thursday.
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Post by Admin on Jul 29, 2016 19:37:02 GMT
If Imperium Romanum (Orientalis) doesn't reply to object or state otherwise, I'll assume that the Roman army gives up on its pursuit, and that the Huns make it out of Italia, but the Romans don't follow.
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Post by Svetovida Sviatislav on Aug 2, 2016 11:33:02 GMT
OOC: I think Imperium Romanum is actually on holiday in Spain.
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Post by Admin on Aug 2, 2016 16:44:52 GMT
OOC: What a horrible corruption of Hispania. Sounds ghastly. I hope him a speedy escape, if he isn't already the victim of Alan horse archery.
For lack of information, and assuming that Imperium Romanum is the sort of chap not to run headlong into a wild goose chase if the wild goose has composite bows, I'll say that we should work on the assumption that the Huns are successfully forced out of Italy, but are not pursued any further at this point. They are free to regroup and travel as they wish. Either to return to Italy, or strike at Constantinople. Marcellinus' army stays in Italy for the time being.
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