Slitherine

And in those days Heraclius saw a dream in which it was said to him: 'Verily there shall come against you a circumcised nation, and they shall vanquish you and take possession of the land.'...

... the prince of the Muslims sent an army to Egypt, under one of his trusty companions, named Amr ibn Al-Asi, in the year 357 of Diocletian, the slayer of the martyrs. And this army of Islam came down into Egypt in great force, on the twelfth day of Baunah, which is the sixth of June, according to the months of the Romans...

... after fighting three battles with the Romans, the Muslims conquered them. So when the chief men of the city saw these things, they went to Amr, and received a certificate of security for the city, that it might not be plundered. This kind of treaty which Muhammad, the chief of the Arabs, taught them, they called the Law; and he says with regard to it: 'As for the province of Egypt and any city that agrees with its inhabitants to pay the land-tax to you and to submit to your authority, make a treaty with them, and do them no injury. But plunder and take as prisoners those that will not consent to this and resist you.'...

... And in the year 360 of Diocletian, in the month of December, three years after Amr had taken possession of Memphis, the Muslims captured the city of Alexandria, and destroyed its walls, and burnt many churches with fire.

(Extracts from The History of The Patriarchs of Alexandria)

The Caliphates! campaign aims at being laid-back and for fun with just a few players participating, focusing on the early Islamic expansion and the various Caliphates that emerged and collapsed thereafter. It starts in the early seventh century AD and lasts up to the early twelfth century AD, over a maximum of ten rounds (each with their corresponding time periods), depending on when the player has exhausted his Caliphate's expansional 'Initiative'. Each player represents his own Caliphate on his own map, attacking adjacent regions in attempts to expand. The attacks are resolved in Field of Glory 2: Ancients, with the opponents being the other players in the campaign (in this case, representing the regional defenders), based on a pre-specified rotating schedule, and the specific army lists depending on the actual time period of the attack and (with respect to the defenders) on the region being attacked. The winner of the campaign is the player with the highest number of controlled regions, and, if a tie, the player who controls the region farthest away from Arabia.


Round 2 (635-660 AD)

Initiative levels

• kronenblatt: 7

• Nathangun: 5

• Aetius39: 7

Attack declarations

• Aetius39 attacks 17 Egypt using Arab Conquest 629-637 AD. Nathangun defends using Byzantine 600-649 AD. => Aetius39 wins 45-0.

• kronenblatt attacks 17 Egypt using Arab Conquest 629-637 AD. Aetius39 defends using Byzantine 600-649 AD.

• Nathangun attacks 17 Egypt using Arab Conquest 629-637 AD. kronenblatt defends using Byzantine 650-739 AD. => kronenblatt wins 61-53.

Overview

The Caliphates! campaign focuses on the early Islamic expansion and the various Caliphates that emerged and collapsed thereafter.

It starts in the early seventh century AD and lasts up to the early twelfth century AD, over a maximum of ten rounds (each with their corresponding time periods), depending on when the player has exhausted his Caliphate's expansional 'Initiative'.

Each player represents his own Caliphate on his own map, attacking adjacent regions in attempts to expand. The attacks are resolved in Field of Glory 2: Ancients, with the opponents being the other players in the campaign (in this case, representing the regional defenders), based on a pre-specified rotating schedule, and the specific army lists depending on the actual time period of the attack and (with respect to the defenders) on the region being attacked.


End of campaign and victory conditions

The end of the campaign occurs at the earlier of:

• completion of round 10, and

• when the Initiative levels of all players at the end of a round is zero or lower.

The winner of the campaign is then the player with the highest number of controlled regions, and, if a tie, the player who controls the region farthest away from Arabia (calculated as the shortest route of number of connected regions in between).


Map

The map consists of 29 regions, connected to each other by land or across sea (as shown by dark grey lines).





Each player has his own map, showing his expansion and controlled regions as highlighted by color. Control over regions can only be gained, never lost.

Every region uses the (Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, or North European) Agricultural or Plain, Desert, or Steppe map terrain (as appropriate for the region and as agreed between the players fighting the battle there), applied in the battles in Field of Glory: Ancients.


Starting point

At outset, round 1 (630 - 645 AD), every player controls only the region of 22 Arabia on his own map and has an Initiative level of 7.



Rounds

• Every round corresponds to a certain time period, which will determine which army lists that are available.

• Time periods are deliberately somewhat overlapping in order to allow for longer availability and wider selection of army lists.
  

1. Attack declarations: All players with (Initiative of 1 or higher announce at the same time one attack that their Caliphates are making.

2. Battle resolutions: All battles will be simultaneously played and completed in FoG2:Ancients during a period of four weeks.

3. Administration: changes of region control and adjustment of Initiative levels.


Attacks

• The player (the "attacker") makes one attack per round (provided his (Initiative is 1 or higher), from one of his controlled regions upon a connected uncontrolled region (the "attacked region").

• A player's attack declaration is posted in the tournament thread and includes information about which region being attacked and which Caliphate army list (and allies, if any) used.

• Example: kronenblatt attacks 24 Mesopotamia using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD.

Players as defenders

• The players acting as opponents in the attacks (the "defenders") are selected using a pre-specified rotating schedule as follows:
  

• Example: kronenblatt defends using Sassanid Persian 629-651 AD.

Army lists and units

Main army

• The attacker selects an Arab army whose time period overlaps the current round's (at least partially, with one year at least).

• Typical Arab army lists:
  • Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD
  • Arab (Conquest) 638-684 AD
  • Arab (Umayyad) 685-750 AD
  • Arab (Abbasid) 747-793 AD
  • Arab (North Africa) 789-999 AD
  • Arab (Abbasid) 794-814 AD
  • Arab (Abbasid) 815-835 AD
  • Arab (Abbasid) 836-873 AD
  • Arab (Abbasid) 874-946 AD
  • Arab (Syria/Iraq) 890-1008 AD
  • Arab (North Africa) 1000-1160 AD
  • Arab (Syria/Iraq) 1009-1150 AD

• The defender selects an army whose time period overlaps or (if no such overlapping time period exists) succeeds the current round's and whose geographic location fits the attacked region. If no such army is available, he will use the same Arab army list as the attacker as part of a civil war battle.

• This is for fun, so please use a generous, friendly and constructive approach, both when it comes to selecting army lists (especially as defender) and when it comes to approving or disapproving such army lists (especially as attacker).

Allies

• The attacker is allowed to choose any allies, whose time period overlaps the current round's and whose geographic location fits a region he has already conquered.

• The defender doesn't use any allies.

Units

• Heavy Artillery is not allowed.

Battles

• The defender creates the challenge (with himself as Side B) in the FoG2:Ancients Multiplayer Lobby.

• The attack will take the form of a Custom Battle:
  • Scenario: Open Battle.
  • Turn limit: 24 turns.
  • Map size: Wide (40x32).
  • Force size: Large (1600 FP) force size for both attacker and defender.
  • Map type: the map terrain as agreed between the attacker and the defender.
  • No map re-rolls will be made.

Outcomes and effects of battles

General

• The player routing the enemy is considered the victor.

• A victory with at least 25% casualty difference is considered 'decisive'.

• If neither player routs the enemy, it is considered a draw.

• Battle outcome, once resolved, is posted by the victor or the player inflicting the highest casualties, in a post in the campaign thread.

• Once a player's Initiative is zero or lower, he is not allowed to make any more attacks for the remainder of the campaign, but will still play as defender attempting to halt the other still attacking players' expansions.

• Regions can only be gained, never lost, so once gained, they stay controlled throughout the remainder of the campaign.

Attacker

• A won battle results in the attacker gaining control over the attacked region.
  • In addition, if the victory is decisive, the attacker gains an additional region (i.e., two regions in total) connected to the attacked region and/or the region from where the attack was made.

• A lost battle reduces the attacker's Initiative by 1.
  • In addition, if the defender's Initiative was zero or lower at the start of the round, the attacker's Initiative is reduced by an additional 1 (i.e., -2 in total).

• A drawn battle (if the defender's Initiative was 1 or higher at the start of the round) reduces the attacker's Initiative by 1.
  • In addition, if the attacker's Initiative was higher than the defender's (still 1 or higher) at the start of the round, the attacker's Initiative is reduced by an additional 1 (i.e., 2 in total).

Defender (only if the defender's Initiative was 1 or higher at the start of the round)

• A won battle results in the defender gaining control over a region on his own map, of his choice as long as it is is connected (by land or sea) to a region already controlled by him.

• A lost battle reduces the defender's Initiative by 1.

• A drawn battle reduces the defender's Initiative by 1.
  • In addition, if the defender's Initiative was higher than the attacker's at the start of the round, the defender's Initiative is reduced by an additional 1 (i.e., -2 in total).

Please declare one attack each from one of your controlled regions (again, only 22 Arabia) upon a connected uncontrolled region by February 28 at the latest.

A player's attack declaration is posted in the tournament thread and includes information about which Caliphate army list (and allies, if any) used and which region being attacked:
For example (for round 3, 650 - 685 AD): kronenblatt attacks 21 Syria using Arab (Umayyad) 685-750 AD.

Round 1 (630-645 AD)

Badger73 attacks 17 Egypt using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD.

kronenblatt attacks 24 Mesopotamia using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD.

Badger73 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 8:47 pm Badger73 attacks 17 Egypt using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD.

Egypt was for at least part of that time period (630-645 AD) controlled from Constantinople, so:

kronenblatt defends using Byzantine 600-649 AD.

kronenblatt wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 9:42 am

Badger73 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 8:47 pm Badger73 attacks 17 Egypt using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD.

Egypt was for at least part of that time period (630-645 AD) controlled from Constantinople, so:
kronenblatt defends using Byzantine 600-649 AD.

Sounds good. Let's meet in Gaza using Desert terrain if that's all right with you.

Badger73 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 8:09 pm

kronenblatt wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 9:42 am

Badger73 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 8:47 pm Badger73 attacks 17 Egypt using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD.

Egypt was for at least part of that time period (630-645 AD) controlled from Constantinople, so:
kronenblatt defends using Byzantine 600-649 AD.

Sounds good. Let's meet in Gaza using Desert terrain if that's all right with you.

Excellent! I'll set it up now, with GAZA as password. Enjoy!

Round 1 (630-645 AD)

Aetius attacks Levant (21) using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD.

Natangun attacks Levant (21) using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD.

kronenblatt wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 9:15 am kronenblatt attacks 24 Mesopotamia using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD.

I'll defend with Byzantine 600-649

• Badger73: attacks 17 Egypt using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD. kronenblatt defends using Byzantine 600-649 AD.

• kronenblatt: attacks 24 Mesopotamia using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD. Nathangun defends using Sassanid Persian 629-651 AD.

• Nathangun: attacks 21 Levant using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD. Aetius39 defends using Byzantine 600-649 AD.

• Aetius39: attacks 21 Levant using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD.

kronenblatt wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 1:33 pm

I will jump on the Byzantine bandwagon, and defend with them also!^^

Defending against Nathangun with Byzantine 600-649 AD

Aetius

Nathangun wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 12:26 pm

Yes, maybe you'd like to defend with Sassanid Persian 629-651 AD instead for more variety and because they held (more of) the region of Mesopotamia (much of the reason for me selecting to attack it, to see something different than Byzantines)? Or do you really prefer Byzantine 600-649 AD?

@kronenblatt how about Mediterranean Agricultural map?
I have never fought with Sassanid Persian 629-651 AD so I'll give them ago.

Nathangun wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 12:07 pm @kronenblatt how about Mediterranean Agricultural map?
I have never fought with Sassanid Persian 629-651 AD so I'll give them ago.

Sounds great with Mediterranean (or Middle-Eastern) Agricultural: let's do that. And I'll then change to Sassanid Persian 629-651 AD for you in the posts above.

Do you set up the game for us?

kronenblatt wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 1:39 pm
Do you set up the game for us?

I'll set it up.

Aetius39 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 10:21 am Round 1 (630-645 AD)

Aetius attacks Levant (21) using Arab (Conquest) 629-637 AD.

Badger73 defends using Sassanid Persian 629-651 AD in Mideast Agricultural terrain.
Challenge created. PM sent. PW in PM.