/voms/ perspective on the Phase War and Timeline
Naval Timeline:
1096
April 1st: Without warning, The PCG-AEG fleet attacks our fleet at 3 places: Shahin, Sahname, and Shahr-i Peroz. Half of our fleet is stationed there and we are caught totally off guard thanks to incompetence on our side as we didn't expect a sneak attack and failed to post watch. Half of those ships are captured by Marines, 1/4 burnt, 1/8 run aground, 1/8 escape.
Situation of the rest of our fleet:
1/4 at Rew-Ardashir
1/8 at Arbil
1/8 at Arrajan, Newkart and Hormizd
Those that escape do not go to Retro Reich Immediately, some of them go to the south and some to the east at Arrajan. This takes about a week. When we arrive at Arrajan, we immediately inform the Royal Navy about what happened and send a Saraat on April 8th. Saraat arrives there on April 16th. Given it takes a month for the fleet to get ready and that war would be declared, I presume the Hoshis find out via spies in late april and word is sent to them, reaching them in July. It would take 1 month or two months for them to get ready and word likely doesn't reach both of us till November since they would like set sail in September or October. Their arrival time would then by around December at that big island, November at the small island in middle.
During this period, the rest of the fleet in the east is ordered to meet up at Arranjan. The fleet at Arbil tries to escape but fails, burnt to avoid capture. Fleet at Rew-Ardashir remains in position.
Late-May or June, Retro Vanguard arrives. The Islands have fallen and blockade at Rew-Ardashir. The rest of our fleet at Arranjan meets with them.
Mid June: Battle of the Shahrivar Bay. Retro Vanguard with voms eastern fleet attempt to break through. Fails first time on the 10th. Succeeds second time on the 20th with the Rew-Ardashir fleet's support. aeg-pcg fleet falls back to island.
July to September: Battles fought between both sides around Siraf, inconclusive. When Siraf falls, centered off Siraz. Pcg-Aeg fleet managed to raid Ram-Firouz in late august and Retro-voms fleet is hampered by the surprising aggressiveness of their enemy but starts to adjust by September and prepares to launch their own assault on Abarkawan next month.
October: With the fall of Peroz-Shapur, the vrt-voms fleet falls back to Ram-Firouz.
November: Word of Hoshi fleet causes both of our fleets to fall back to Retro Reich aside from many of our frigates, staying behind to raid. Idk if RN would want to as well, likely leave a screening force at the narrows and Ram-Firouz.
1097
January, Hoshi feign in north causes their main thrust into the strait to slip by. We would try to engage somewhat but pull back into our ports.
Feburary: Hoshi fleet reaches the Island chain.
Land Timeline:
1096
April 1st, 3 armies cross our borders at Nud-Bahman, Yazdkhast and Mihr-Narseh. Within a month, the local satraps are defeated and those cities are captured.
May: Arbil Captured. Shah orders all armies to withdraw back to the Bampur-Istakhr line. Center army of pcg-aeg heads south to march towards Rasht, to meet up with south army. North Army continues along the coast. Rasht falls late in the month and South army stops to wait for the center army.
June: Battle near Bampur, ends in defeat. New line is the Kujaran-Khosrow-Sus Line.
Late July: Siraf falls, fall back to Sus river line.
August: Kujaran-Khosrow and Siraz fall. Center army meets up at Rasht, only to be forced to send half of its men to the south because of 774. Advance on Ardashiragan begins next month.
September: Counter attack at Kujaran fails.
October: Peroz-Shapur falls but North has ran out of steam.
November: Ardashirgaran falls to South Army. Raids on supply lines prevent any further movement as pcg-aeg has to levy more men. They will wait until March likely. We are still recovering from defeats and rallying troops from Eastern Satraps. When Peroz-Shapur falls, the supply line shifts to the Arrajan up to Farah. Likely would be rallying point for new forces from the east. (Farah) while other forces rally at Izadkhast.
We would likely have 3 main armies at this point, one at Sus river, one assemblying at Farah, and the other being in Damavand area, ready to strike north. We would have minor forces at the Sus river enterance and Izadkhast (assembling). I would assume they also still have 3 armies, one at Peroz-Shapur, one at Ardashirgaran, and one at Rasht. Minor forces for them would be at Veh-Rostam and in their own lands on the panhandle.
1097
1096: Major advance by Philippos, reachs the capital and prepares to siege until he is forced to withdraw after 774 enters the war. pcg fleet wins a naval victory, which (potentially) draws the big boys (2434, vrt, hoshi) into the war. See what each of them think of.
1097: Voms wins a victory against pcg, but pcg wins a few themselves, once again reaching the capital by end of year. Fatherland speech by Shah made on December 31st.
1098: Attempts to take capital fail, Shah rallies a large army with several heroes and forces them back. The "Great Ride" into Aetheria by (name) and the forcing of the army back propels morale to new heights.
1099: April 13th to 14th, annihilation of the northern army by the Shah's army in a two-day battle. Another "Great Ride" into PCG by (name) and preparations for the knockout blow next year giving PCG is falling apart.
1100: Taking of the panhandle and armistice.