Amalickiah’s loss only temporarily disrupted the Lamanite army, since Amalickiah’s brother, Ammoron, took over command and became king. His next act was to keep his army in the field, securing the cities that it had already taken.
Modern readers familiar with European-style monarchies would expect the king’s son to succeed, even if he is quite young. A brother’s succession, however, fits well in the Mesoamerican context. The later Aztec monarchy manifests frequent succession by brothers.