Shem invades Argos, CC:A Hyboria.

 The great trading nation of Argos has the busiest port of the Hyborian Age, Messantia as it's capital. King of Kings Kumbaniash, ruler of Shem has long envied Argos' wealth and seeks to bring it under his control. He would then have a network of trade from Cathay to Kush which would bring wealth and power beyond compare.

As Aquilonia is engaged in Zingara he unleashes his host upon Argos.

As the Shemites assail the eastern provinces with fire and sword King Milo V prepares to confront an army that has defeated half the world. His professional army is small but augmented with barbarian mercenaries and war elephants from Kush.

The Argosseans are in red at the top of the picture.

King Milo advances as his slingers damage the Kothian chariots.

Then his warriors attack the Shemite archers who evade to avoid harm.

The infantry battle ebbs and flows.

But the Shemite Asshuri infantry come out on top until the Argossean cavalry destroy the nearest unit.

Kumbaniash charges in to protect his infantry flank but is eventually defeated and is forced to take refuge amidst his bowmen.

And the Argossean barbarian warriors defeat the remaining Asshuri.

The Shemites respond by darkening the sky and the barbarian warriors are destroyed.

With the Shemites in disarray King Milo attacks the Kothian war chariots with his Guard cavalry and elephants.

The Kothians are routed and Kumbaniash is defeated!.

After the retreat to Asgalun the Shemites sue for peace. Koth, Ophir and Turan declare independence and King of Kings Kumbaniash is murdered by his generals.

As a Nemedian philosopher once said "The Road of Kings is a bit of a bugger".

Aquilonia strikes!, CC:A Hyboria.

 The Aquilonians waste little time in taking the war to Zingara, King Namedides and Valenso the Count of Poitain cross the Thunder River. They meet King Galbarro of Zingara with his outnumbered host by the Black River.

Galbarro has his left flank protected by the river and his right protected by some forest and high ground in an attempt to make up for his lack of numbers.

The Zingarans are at the top of the picture resplendent in their deep brown blocks.

The battle begins with some skirmishing on the flanks as the Zingaran right advances.

The Poitainians charge to see off the Zingaran light horse who have been harassing them with javelins.

Then the Zingaran left flank cavalry get sucked into a great sweeping cavalry battle.

Now the Aquilonian cavalry join in the fearsome card play of charge and countercharge.

When the dust settles the Aquilonians find the Zingaran left flank has dissolved.

Seeing the Zingaran foot soldiers have an open flank the Aquilonian and Poitainian cavalry attack!.

And as his line is rolled up King Galbarro is forced to surrender.

King Namedides of Aquilonia now has Nemedia and Zingara paying tribute to him and he enters Tarantia in triumph with people scattering gold dust before his horses feet.

Zingara invades Poitain, CC:A Hyboria.

 As the fighting begins in the Nemedian invasion of Aquilonia a Zingaran army crosses the Thunder river to neutralise Aquilonia's staunch ally Poitain.

The Poitainians are vigilant though and the Zingarans find themselves fighting with their back to a river.

The Poitainians have 2 units of Heavy Cavalry, 2 medium Cavalry, 2 units of Light Cavalry, 4 Heavy Infantry and 2 units of Light Bowmen.

The Zingarans have 4 units of Heavy Cavalry, 2 Medium Cavalry, 2 Light Cavalry, 3 Heavy Infantry and 1 Light Bowmen.

The Zingarans unsuccessfully try to batter their way through the Poitain infantry.

They do better on their left flank with a brisk cavalry charge.

But the Poitain infantry surge forward and the battle is won 5 banners to 3.

The Zingaran invasion is repulsed and they fall back and await the response from the mighty Aquilonia.

Nemedia invades Aquilonia, CC:A Hyboria.

 Tensions between the two great rivals of the Hyborian Age Aquilonia and Nemedia result in the Nemedian host crossing the frontier. The Aquilonians fall back in a fighting retreat and await their Poitainian allies to tip the scales in their favour. But in a co-ordinated move with the Nemedians the Zingarans attack Poitain, there will be no aid from Poitain.

The Aquilonians led by King Namedides make their stand before their capital Tarantia, their army consists of 2 units of Knights, 2 Heavy Cavalry, 4 Medium Infantry, 2 Heavy Pikemen (Gundermen) and 2 Bowmen (Bossonians).

The Nemedians led by King Numa have 2 units of Heavy Cavalry, 4 Medium Cavalry, 3 Medium Infantry and 3 Light Bowmen.

The Aquilonians deploy before their capital Tarantia at the top of the picture.

The Nemedian archers open the battle, the left hand Gunderman pikes have taken some casualties.

The Nemedians launch a cavalry attack on their left with some initial success but their cavalry are ultimately defeated.

The Nemedians are getting pushed further and further back.

They launch a desperate cavalry attack. Spartacus?, who's he?, must be a Shemite or something.

Then the Aquilonians counter attack.

And King Numa is captured and the Nemedians are defeated.

The invasion has failed and Nemedia must pay tribute to Aquilonia.

The Shemites turn east, CC:A Hyboria.

 Alarmed at the Turanian success at subduing Zamora and monopolising Zamboula, King of Kings Kumbaniash marches his Shemite host east to deal with the threat to his trade and his eastern dominions.

The Turanians resist and war breaks out amidst the arid lands south of Zamboula.

The final showdown comes on the parched plain outside of the great trading city of Zamboula.

The Shemite host consists of 2 units of Royal Chariots, 2 Medium Cavalry, 4 Asshuri Heavy Infantry and 4 Shemite Archers. An allied contingent comprises the Kothian Prince Moranthes, 2 units of War Chariots and a unit of Medium Cavalry.

Opposite this mighty host is the Turanian army led by Mazdah Khan and consisting of 5 units of Cataphract Lancers, 1 of Camelry, 3 Light Bow armed Cavalry and 3 Light Cavalry armed with javelins. Supporting this host is an allied contingent of 3 units of Zamoran cavalry led by General Arachnios.

Shemites in blue at top of photo, Zamboula on the right and the Turanians at the bottom.

The Kothians and Zamorans clash.

And the Zamorans come off second best.

Then the Heavy Shemite Chariots clash with the Turanian Heavy Cavalry. The Turanians are defeated and the cavalry commander slain.

In a desperate attempt to turn the tide Mazdah Khan charges in and smashes the chariots. Kumbaniash escapes by the skin of his teeth and is forced to take refuge with his infantry.

It is too little too late though and with the rest of his Heavy Cavalry broken the battle is lost. 

The Turanians are forced to pay tribute and Zamora regain their independence.

 King of Kings Kumbaniash is still undefeated and all roads lead to Asgalun.

Turan versus Zamora CC:A Hyboria.

 War breaks out between the Hyrkanian kingdom of Turan and the eastern kingdom of Zamora over control of the independent trading city of Zamboula.

Skirmishes and raids go on for months across the dry steppe before the field armies clash under the azure eastern sky. 

The Zamorans have 2 Heavy Cav, 4 Medium Cav, 4 Light Cav and 2 Light bow Cavalry.

The Turanians have 5 Cataphracts, 1 Camels, 3 Light bow Cavalry and 3 Light Cavalry. 

The Zamorans are at the top of the picture in splendid royal purple.

The battle starts with a clash between the light cavalry on both flanks, honours are even on the Zamoran left but the Turanians get the upper hand on their left. 

The Zamorans attack with some vigour in the centre but the heavily armoured Turanians are hard to kill.

And eventually the King of Zamora is left vulnerable.

The Turanian Cataphract horses are blown and it falls to a lowly unit of light cavalry to rush in, rout the Zamoran heavy cavalry and capture the king!.

Turan is victorious and they now have control over the great trading city of Zamboula while the Zamorans must pay tribute to their new overlords.

A punitive raid on the Picts CC:A Hyboria.

While the Shemites are invading Ophir a light Zingaran force are attempting to destroy a Pictish village in response to the Picts raiding over the frontier.

The Zingarans (in orange) have to take the village at the top of the picture to win the battle. The Picts can win by preventing this or taking five banners.

The village is marked with a big red arrow.

The Zingarans have 3 Medium Cavalry, 2 Light Cavalry, 1 Band of Warriors(Vanir mercenaries!), 4 Auxiliaries, 1 Light Bowmen and 1 Light Infantry unit led by two officers.

The Picts have 5 Warriors (Auxiliaries), 5 Light Infantry and 2 Light Bowmen. To reflect their lack of organisation I gave them no leaders.

Pictish archers have an early success by killing the Zingaran commander.

Emboldened by this success the Picts surge forward.

And the Zingarans struggle to hold them.

Until the tawny haired Vanir(underlined red) join the fray and knock the Picts back.

The Zingaran horse push up the left flank.

The Vanir attack the village but are repulsed, they fall back and rally.

The cavalry attack but are hurled back by the Picts.

But the Vanir finally take the village.

Victory to goes Zingara at no small cost but the southern Pict tribes will be reluctant to raid Zingara again for some time.

Before they burn the village the Zingarans also find(plant?) some evidence that points to the Aquilonians instigating the Pictish raids.

Good old Hyborian geopolitics!.