Grand Campaign - War in the South

Season: Summer-Fall 942 YP (Turns 5-6)

Weather: The regions continues to enjoy good conditions for campaigning, with pleasant temperatures and average rainfall. No bonuses or penalties.

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Victory on one front, defeat on another.

In Navaren, the Ruination! Leoten was not only lost, but grievously damaged from the sheer weight of New Byrnian cannonry directed against it. The Army of the North, led by Emperor Aeron Sefti himself with the assistance of Marshal Silveon De'Forn, had not arrived in time to relieve the city. Yet they continued their Southward march.

After receiving reports of enemy activity in the hills between the army and Leoten, Emperor Aeron ordered the deployment of the Navarenese Royal Rifles along with the 1st and 2nd Gwent Light Foot. They would encounter the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Foot Hunters of the Crowned Republic. The two forces would clash in a series of skirmishes dubbed the Battle of the Central Hills. Here, nature of an empire as vast as Emperor Aeron's would show, as his Gwentian troops displayed even less familiarity with the terrain than the invading New Byrnians. Rather than take full advantage of their own skills and local knowledge, the rifles were forced to compensate for the shortcomings of the light foot, covering painfully slow advances and holding the line on numerous occasions when the regulars broke and ran. Furthermore, their advantage in range was often denied by the humans' astute positioning in the rough terrain. Although the Sefti troops demonstrated no small skill in their firing drills, their enemies' generally superior positioning, greater professionalism, and the support of infantry guns ensured the New Byrnian Foot Hunters beat back every advance by the Sefti light troops and inflicted greater casualties than they received. Indeed, they were not dislodged until Emperor Aeron finally ordered a general advance by his whole army; the Foot Hunters left on a final note of superiority by withdrawing in good order, even preserving their light cannons. In the end the Battle of the Central Hills was technically a tactical Sefti victory that drove their enemies from the area, but it cost Emperor Aeron far more in blood and time than it did his opponents. It was a loss in prestige as well as the New Byrnian Foot Hunters repeatedly bested the Gwent Light Foot and the Navarenese Royal Rifles, decisively winning the only equal engagements of the “battle.”

From there, the Army of the North continued to Navaren, intending to besiege the former besiegers. Instead, however, the Grand Army of the Republic chose to confront the Sefti in the field near the city outskirts. With ample advance warning and time for preparation, the Grand Army would have the privilege of choosing their preferred ground in the Second Battle of Leoten.

In Berranda, Marshal Rowan Blackmore's Army of the South had broken the Ejercito del Rey Augusto under Santiago Alejandro Matias Rodrigo de Berranda. After a chase led by the Sefti army's dragoons, much of the Berrandans' surviving infantry and all of their remaining artillery crews were captured, though their King had reformed the scattered cavalry enough to repulse the pursuers and escape to the capital. Yet, he returned to his seat of government with a mere shadow of his former force.

When the Army of the South arrived at the city outskirts two weeks later, although the King had bolstered his forces with fresh conscripts, Marshal Blackmore would face a less imposing army than he had on the field. But the Berrandans had glimmers of hope yet. The Republic's New Byrnian allies had finally arrived, not yet with an army but with their fleet! The marines who had fought at Leoten would join the defense, and more importantly the navy's immense firepower could be directed towards any enemy forces in range. Furthermore, of course, the navy's mere presence would prevent a full encirclement, ensuring supplies and food could reach the city by sea – and, if necessary, that the King and some of his troops could evacuate the city in case of defeat. Such was enough that, when the city received a demand of surrender from the enemy, the garrison refused.

In Hakin, goblin troops pushed forward with full force, but they encountered much greater resistance from Duke Galway than from the Duke of Cerbon. The Ar-mee of da Proud Loo-Cann-Tee-ans' advance was rushed, costing time and casualties, but the Ducal Army of Hakin's defense lost cohesion as well when initial fighting retreats devolved into a mix of routs and pell-mell shootouts. Due to the goblins' sheer numbers and their use of cavalry, the Sefti suffered the worst of the fighting, often losing masses of troops to encirclement and surrender. Yet, the Loo-Can-Tee-ans were liable to lose heart in battle as well: On many occasions their cavalry and skirmishers would fall back or merely take pot shots from great distances rather than insist on attacking a town that was costing them too many lives, delaying its capture until the “Ree-pub-likken Gardz” arrived.

The bloody fighting ultimately culminated in a stalemate along the Jetma River. Sefti regulars burned bridges and held position, though only after losing two of the river's three main delta outlets to goblin breakthroughs. From there, for the time being, the Dog's army contented itself with sending sharp-shooters forward to continually harass the enemy on the other side. Meanwhile, thousands of goblin cavalry opted to simply ride West into Cambria. While many locals feared raiding or an attempt to take towns by storm, after capturing a few villages as forward bases they pursued their true target: the long and unguarded Sefti supply line feeding the Army of the North and the Army of the South. Caravans were captured in droves, while surviving sections were forced to stay put in towns where the province's meager garrison could defend them. The effects of this blow to Sefti logistics would not be felt immediately, but would certainly cause trouble in the near future.

SUMMARY:
-- Army of the North dislodges New Byrnian light infantry from the Navarenese hills in the protracted Battle of the Central Hills, but at disporportionate cost to the Sefti. Navaren is still CONTESTED until/unless the enemy army is ejected from the province.
-- Army of the North meets Grand Army of the Crowned Republic of New Byrnis in battle! See upcoming thread Second Battle of Leoten.
-- Sefti victory in the Battle of the Berrandan Plains! Pursuit increases damage to enemy forces, but does not destroy the Ejercito del Rey Augusto de Berranda. Province of Berranda is CAPTURED by Sefti-Eshara.
-- Remaining Berrandan forces, led by their King, retreat to the capital. Sefti Army of the South eventually follows, beginning the Siege of Berranda. Berrandans, bolstered by new conscripts, are supported by New Byrnian navy and marines.  They refuse the Sefti demand of surrender.
-- Ar-mee of da Proud Loo-Cann-Tee-ans makes a bloody advance into Hakin! Seftian resistance is disorganized, but eventually consolidates along the Northern edge of the Jetma river and destroys the bridges there. Jetma River in Hakin now considerably more difficult to cross for all combatants. Province of Hakin is now CONTESTED – provides 1/2 income and production
-- Cavalry from the Loo-Can-Tee invasion enters the province of Cambria! Although they do not capture any major settlements, they CUT OFF the Sefti supply line feeding the Army of the North and the Army of the South!
Each of these armies can only expend twice its number of brigades in Supply TOTAL until the line is restored or an alternate source of Supply is secured (non-contested Supply province).
-- See campaign form for casualties and Supply expenditure