The Bloody Crescent: Rise of the Turks

[Askthepizzaguy]

EDIT: Bloody Crescent 2: Wrath of Arslan begins on post 25... scroll down to read.


Marhaba and ahlan wa sahlan!

These are the official records of Kilij Arslan the Indestructible, the Magnificent and most feared Sultan of the Anatolian Turks. History shall forever remember his glorious campaign to revive the Great Seljuk Empire, gain control of the Broken Crescent, turn back the mighty Crusader armies, slaughter the Mongolian hordes, and crown himself Caliph of Islam.

This is Askthepizzaguy's official thread detailing the events of my latest single player blitz campaign. This one is slightly different, as I'm playing the Broken Crescent mod which is much beefier than the vanilla version. The AI is vastly improved, the program also spawns entire stacks of experienced and advanced troops out of THIN AIR, as you will see. This is, by the way, my very first SP campaign using the Broken Crescent mod... so I'm either confident or stupid to post the results before I even finish it.

I also promise to pace myself in each post so you can actually load the page, unlike my ill-fated HRE 28 turn blitz of the entire map (blatant plug: it's still in my sig. Check it out if you haven't already... now that it's on two pages it might be viewable).

Medieval 2: Total War
Broken Crescent Mod
Version 1.05
Single Player
Turkish Campaign (Anatolian Turks)
VeryHard/VeryHard

Without further ado, let the bloodletting begin.... Images in spoiler.

=========================================

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The opening moves of the campaign:
4 settlements are under seige. Take no prisoners.

The largest threat to our nation lies to the west. We must destroy the Eastern Roman Empire.



Toghrul begins a seige against Amasia.



Turn two: Nicomedia is but the first to fall.



The enemy surrendered quickly, once they saw how overwhelming our forces were.



The Sultan's archers rain death upon the enemy, who quickly die.



Attalia falls with minimal losses.



Laying seige to Nicaea and Amorium... now the enemy has spawned two massive stacks of elite troops out of thin air. It is of no concern.
Soon the ERE will be crushed and young skywalker will be one of us.



Amorium stands no chance of victory.



Little militias cannot stop me.



Against humans, this movement is not advisable. But these are AI stacks which can be dispatched quickly. If they attacked me, it would just save me a turn of having to march towards them.

Ok, that's the first ten images. It's only turn two, I believe. Check back for updates... I have plenty more to post already. See those two stacks of doom? Yeah those are gonna die.

________________
To war, my brothers... to war...

[Askthepizzaguy]

Turn two continues:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Their main recruitment center is next on the chopping block.



All too easy.



And now... witness the final destruction of the Roman empire... and the end of your insignificant rebellion.
I don't waste much time, do I?



I have 2,780 troops, the enemy has 5,072. However, my Sultan has night fighter... which only slightly increases my odds, 1,246 versus 2,536, which is worse than 2:1 against me. And there's no mountains or river crossings to exploit. This is just a bloody, bloody battle.



My horse archers begin the assault...



Peppering the enemy to death brings out their general and their reserve cavalry... but he only charges towards his own death.



And now the real fun begins.



I could stampede over them now with just my elite general unit... but it's far more fun to rain death upon them, to put the fear of God into their hearts, so that when I do decide to trample over their broken bodies, the looks on their faces will be most amusing.



Routing so soon?



Lest you neglect to notice, that's 91 percent casualties versus 16. All the AI spawn in the world cannot save you now...

If the AI knew how to attack properly, this wouldn't be possible. Moving on... turn 3 still.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Turn 3 continued...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Epic win



We caught many prisoners this day. Let's see if our enemies can afford the ransom!



Nope... no ransom... BUTCHER THEM!!!



Starting to look a little better... all right men, full attack.



I have 2,613 men, they have 3,337... but I think you can guess the outcome. Begin round two. Still turn 3... no rest for the weary.



Again I pepper the fools to death with my arrows... which draws out the enemy general from hiding... and I promptly surround and slay him.



An arrow slices him through the face, impaling his skull, and knocking him off of his horse.



Never lose your general in battle... a lesson I recently and painfully learned in multiplayer.



Their reinforcements have arrived. Good. More pigs for the slaughter. My reinforcements, by the way, cannot all fit in the battle at once due to performance issues. But the AI gets theirs... and so they must die painfully.



Those cataphracts were giving my generals trouble, so I had to pull back and use the rest of my troops to surround and pound them to death. Gah... I hate cataphracts! Nevertheless, they all will die by my hands.

Next: more of turn 3.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Another 16 percent casualty win, versus 100 percent dead.



Almost lost Malik there for a second... and my Sultan is much bloodied... but still, everyone made it out alive, except for the enemy.



2,330 prisoners... thats kind of a lot.



One hefty ransom, considering there isn't a king or an heir involved, or even a family member. The enemy cannot afford my terms, and so they are all put to the sword. Would I accept the ransom? Yes, because I can beat these standing armies all over again, and I need the recruitment florins.



Still turn 3: Nothing left of those stacks of doom, or their reinforcements. Now their southern territories are en prise and their capital is defenseless.

Defenseless* should have an asterisk next to it... as you will see later.



Time to retrain my troops? Yes.



Turn 4... more territories on the chopping block.



You really need infantry for seiges.



A hard win, but still a win.

This battle is tricky, because the enemy have some good troops here.

Turn 4 continues...

[Askthepizzaguy]

To the end of turn 8... Rome collapses under the weight of the mighty Turks.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

More losses due to seige conditions... the only thing the AI can do competently is defend walls.



Turn 5: marching on Constantinople.



Ha! The capital is relatively undefended!*

Asterisk...



Surprise! AI spawn strikes again... only this time, very painfully. The enemy sally forth with Imperial Guardsmen, Armoured Axemen, and gold and silver chevron units of every type. I am at an extreme disadvantage here, because they have enough space to sally effectively.



Begin the strategy: Pepper the AI from a distance to draw out their forces.



21 percent dead already versus 2 percent dead on my part. But these arrows won't last forever.



Yes, chase my general and my heavy cavalry, as they cannot run very fast... but you've made a fatal error, seige boy.



I now hold your citizens ransom... if you do not surrender, I will butcher your families.



Not to be too cheesy, I insist on slaughtering as many as I can. They are attempting to retake the city, but my heavy cavalry mow them down while my light cavalry block the gates. It's a trap... and it works.

I honestly didn't need to lose this many men. I could have been a coward and ran away and kept them all alive. But I crave battle scars.



And so the outcome is more reasonable and realistic: I destroy more than half of their men and end up in the superior tactical position. The enemy, with their citizens in my possession, wisely surrender.



But there will be much pillaging...



Allahlalalalalalalalalalalallah!!! Constantinople becomes Istanbul on turn 8.



Marching on Armenian-held Seleukeia.



Caught his faction heir undefended...




Still turn 8: Heraclea is under seige.



Time to regenerate.



The climactic finish of turn 8... Rome has fallen, and we declare on Armenia.

That's all I have for now... so check back for updates. I have to play some more and post more screenshots.

By the way... I have the save for the epic battle at Constantinople.

If you want a REAL CHALLENGE, I urge you to play the battle and win.

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/EpicBattle.zip

Your version has to be Medieval 2 Total war 1.3, Broken crescent mod 1.5 in order to play the file.

Also, if you feel like mowing down the AI spawn from a couple turns ago, I can go back and upload the save file to that as well. See if you can do better than me. (I'm sure you can, I was rushing).

[phonicsmonkey]

nice AAR, good to see you bringing your inimitable style to Broken Crescent

and I'm pleased to see that the siege AI has held you up in the same way as me - your casualty rates assaulting cities are about the same as mine (although not for the same battles, I haven't played as the Turks)

[Askthepizzaguy]

Make no mistake... seiges are a place to lose troops, if you insist on taking the walls quickly. You can sit the seige out entirely and wait for them to sally, and destroy what's left of them with minimal casualties.

But such cowardice is unbecoming of a blitzer... engage the enemy. Full attack.

[phonicsmonkey]

ok, I did it, but it wasn't easy

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I made a pocket with my HAs and peppered them with fire as they came out

then their general made a dash for mine, so I concentrated all bow and javcacv fire on them and withdrew my general slowly to draw their leader deeper into the pocket of fire

eventually he reached my bodyguard units and I slammed him from behind with the ghulams

meanwhile my HAs are running out of ammo and my jav cav are depleted from charging and recharging isolated infantry units

when the Emperor fell I managed to rout a few units and then I made a mad dash for the centre with my remaining cav

as they came back into the gate I charged from three sides and held them up long enough for the win

[Ramses II CP]

Good stuff ATPG!

Sieges are absolutely the most dramatic difference between the vanilla AI and the BC AI. I still don't like it when they get a massive garrison boost from the script and sally because they'll always get butchered in a sally, but otherwise the AI is much, much smarter about defending the walls. Some tricks still work, like the running ladder team to claim an undefended gate, or the three sides attack confusing anything less than half a stack. Overall, though, I probably take two or three times as many losses.

I love it though, better battles make for a better game. Unfortunately it seems like the AI doesn't want to keep troops at castles very often, so I've only had one or two good fortress/citadel battles.

[Askthepizzaguy]

ok, I did it, but it wasn't easy

...as they came back into the gate I charged from three sides and held them up long enough for the win

Good, Phonicsmonkey, good... I can feel your anger. It gives you focus, makes you stronger.

Do what must be done, Lord Phonicsmonkey... do not hesitate, show no mercy, leave none alive. Wipe them out. All of them! Now you are strong with the dark side of the force...

Your hate has made you powerful. Now fulfill your destiny and take your father's place at my side!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

edit: more to come... busy with midterms all day. Give me a day or so to catch up and post more.

[cassu]

nice start to a new mod , how many turns do you think it will take to accomplish your goal?

[Askthepizzaguy]

PLENTY!

This is no "jihad from turn one until victory" campaign. This is methodical, brutal blood and guts action, at breakneck speeds.

This one will have to be earned. EARNED.

All my soldiers cost money. They all are a struggle to recruit, and move, and the enemy is not such a pushover in auto-resolve. They have decent armies and when they garrison castles and towns, they put up quite a strong defense. And the Turks aren't exactly seige masters in the early game.

I still have half my midterm left... maybe tomorrow or so I can begin work on this one again.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Ok midterms completed... time to roleplay as the angel of death once again.

I take note of the geography of the map... it seems that in order to complete my conquests quickly, I should expand now into Baghdad, and secure a central location from which to spread my seeds of destruction. From Baghdad, I will have sea access to 39 provinces, and I can quickly hop from territory to territory with minimal loss of time and troops.

Then I will have cut a swath of destruction across the entire map and crippled 5 factions. From there I can expand into Egypt, as it's closer and it's not a priority time-wise, and expand north, which will be very difficult, considering how remote Tibet is...

However, I do have the added bonus of the Mongolian invasion coming from the north which should destroy a fair amount of my enemies while I am accomplishing all this. Then I can swarm through Khwarezm, Ghazni, and the Ghorids.

Also, with Constantinople turned Istanbul, I should be able to construct a proper religious building which is actually capable of creating Imams (unlike other mods, these guys are advanced units... religious conversion is insanely difficult) and once I have Imams... it will be a true Jihad.

I think everyone knows what will happen if I can manage to call a jihad. Then my journey towards the dark side will be complete, and I will become more powerful than any Jedi.



If anyone has any suggestions or alterations to this plan of attack, let me know. Some of you might have more experience with BC. I'm also informed about the concept of Crusaders attempting to assist Jerusalem, but only vaguely. Any insights you all have would be appreciated. I know nothing more about this mod than I've already demonstrated... I'm charging blindly into a dark and forbidding map, with only my knowledge from previous campaigns to guide me. Let's see how I can handle real adversity.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Attacked by the Armenians? Good. More pigs to be slaughtered.



Impaled their leader. That seems to happen a lot...



Time to die.



(hacks the enemy to pieces) Take that... and that... and that...



Always a joy when another family member passes into the afterlife...



Turks: 2
Armenia: 0



I cackle with glee to accept their ransom...



And so the enemy is honourable after all. But he's no less dead for that.



Mmmm.... pillage-y goodness.

The Conquest of Tarsus.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Just a few odds and ends to mop up...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The survivors are eager for their most merciful death.



And so I spawn the general who will cut off the heads and gut these gasping fishes... General Tartar Sauce!



I lay seige to Sinop... soon they will join us.



Another exposed limb ready to be sliced clean off.



Never much doubt there.



Now you will experience the full power of the dark side...

Captain Oshkosh b'gosh is really about to get spanked.



Charge bravely men… leave none alive.



Was there any doubt? The enemy fought like children.



For the record, I hate Caucasian Mountaineer Axemen.



Adana falls next turn. But first, let me dispatch the fools standing watch.

Soon, Armenia will crumble. Good... the fast pace is on par with my expectations as Blitzmaster.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Not many men to assist us in battle… good, more for my generals to kill personally.



Smashy, smashy…



You read that correctly. A mere ten fell on our side… compared to the mass death on theirs. I also netted a gold chevron for my second general, nearly there for the commander himself.



Death becomes them.



Gah, the enemy still have some fight left. All right… begin the seige operation.



17,924 profit this turn alone… all spent on the coming campaign.



Some nameless captain seeks to slay the Roman prince? Very well… earn your stripes, my humble servant…



Aybak commands men on the field for the first time. Dressed as a common man, he must EARN the respect of his troops in THIS battle.

More will be posted soon, but for now I have real life things to attend to. Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion of the Captain Aybak versus the Roman Prince battle.

[Ramses II CP]

Those heavy cavalry general's units in BC are just incredibly tough, which is why I'm loving those Caucasian Mountaineer Axemen in our Armenia game. Turkey's axemen are even better, those Thaq-whatevers, as I'm sure you've noticed. Swamp the enemy general in cheap spearmen and send in the axes.

A word of warning about the Kingdom of Jerusalem (And the Kypchaks I think, some others as well) they go to 'horde' mode after you capture all their cities, where their faction continues to exist as long as it has family members. This can sometimes take the game engine a loooong time to process, resulting in ten or fifteen minutes of pause on the AI's turn after you 'eliminate' one of those factions. It might look broken, but it's just weak code trying to compensate.

I've been disappointed by the performance of the Kypchaks in the hands of the AI. I expected to have some trouble with them as Armenia, I even brought some camel archer mercenaries up to help, but their bodyguard units are of the weak but numerous type (My starting generals have 7 man companies whereas theirs have 30, but they're HA) which really weakens the overall faction performance. I'm betting with some quality HA in your roster you'll roll over them in no time.

edit: Oh, and by the way, the city of Kiev is broken. You don't want to try to fight a siege there, just auto-calc it. Discovered this last night, when my men broke into the walls and discovered the town square was inaccessable and underwater with floating buildings around it.

[Askthepizzaguy]

More of the Armenian war:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The enemy prince charges directly at us after we begin peppering them with arrows. Soon, he is charging uphill and then is promptly surrounded and slaughtered by javelins from all directions.

The enemy Prince dead, his forces scatter, and we mop up what's left of them.



A few losses, but given the prize of victory, well worth it.





Yes, I will adopt this man into my family. He has proven himself to be most worthy. I care much for the advancement of the common man, especially if he swears allegiance and demonstrates heroism in battle. This is a man worthy of leadership and royalty.



The Armenian Avag is surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered.



Not even worth mentioning, really, except for the loss of their leaders.



I dare the Armenians to sally forth... but they are too cowardly to face me.




Another adoptee... not very impressive, but he will make a good soldier.



More reinforcements... I hope to break Armenia totally very soon.



And here come his reinforcements... as expected.
Should I lift the seige now, he might sally against the other stack...

The final Armenian province is about to fall. Forgive the short post, but this is as far as I've actually played. Now I have to go kill things.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Armenia hasn't even been defeated and already I declare war on Jerusalem and Georgia. I don't understand the concept of "friends" or "peace"



Our formal declarations of war come not on writings on a scroll, but on the edge of our swords.



Konya becomes a castle to better serve the Sultan. THESE Azaps are far mightier than any other infantry we have.



Gunduz is attacked at Antioch by relief forces. This seige will fail if we do not win decisively.



The short reign of the new Roman Emperor is at an end.



Slain in battle like an honourable soldier, the King fights bravely, but to no avail.



A great warrior has died... if only he would have served the Sultan instead of desiring an Empire for himself.



And so Rome is pushed out of Anatolia. They survive now only as a small state sharing a little island barely worth mentioning, or conquering.



The armies of Jerusalem attempt to destroy my assault force... they will fail.



When they cross the bridge, I charge into them and deliver the hammer blow from all three sides... the Triple Hammer.



None can resist such a move... not even the "superior" forces of the Western knights. He runs like a scared rabbit.



We cross the bridge and turn to face the advancing army which is far larger.



The enemy general can only watch in horror as the Triple Hammer maneuver is repeated, with the same success.



The enemy general's head has been cut off by our vicious forces... we press onward, as the enemy flees and tramples his own forces attempting to escape. The carnage that follows makes me laugh...



What a crushing victory... frankly I was impressed by my own performance there. I lost fewer forces than I could have.



Meanwhile, Malik, commander of the Third Rank, fights through the gates of Sinop and personally destroys every last rebel there.

The assault begins on Georgia and Jerusalem... the year is 1182.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Still only 1182...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Summer, 1182: new member of the royal family is appointed to be Kaykaus' heir in case he falls in battle.



We are now the richest of all factions



And we are the most advanced nation as well.



We have new sons of Islam who have come of age today!



In our assault against Jerusalem, out of work Crusader mercenaries who have families to feed will advance our cause!



Crushing the enemy, one army at a time.



Wipe them out... all of them.



Only one bodyguard fell honourably in battle... and we destroyed them.



We also did it without the support of the troops. Our generals did this alone, and the mercenary Latin knights simply mopped up some of the routers.



This battle...



We swiftly dispatched their smaller force, and now charge downhill to meet the rest.



We converge on the enemy general, who is slain, and now we press the attack.



Few escaped, and those who remain are all dead.



It is still 1182... and we still press onward. We will see if Tripoli poses any challenge.



The attack against Georgia now commences.



Gunduz, leader of the Fourth Rank, has achieved in battle what none dared hope for. He will forever be called a Champion.



And still he battles to victory for the Sultan, again...



And still he mops up the remainder.



In the year 1182, the Turkish forces mount ever more assaults on the enemy. Georgia is next to fall.

Our Second Rank leads the attack on Jerusalem, backed by our Third Rank who is approaching, while the First Rank disposes of Armenia.

Four wars in 8 years, two of them already won, and one other halfway over... with promising beginnings for the fourth. And we have scouted the map and our merchants are bringing us lots of extra trade. The Turks are rising...

[barcamartin]

How is this thing going ? Not exactly blitz speed at the moment.

Hope you continue it, I enjoyed following your progress.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Took a break... had final examinations and assorted tests, plus overtime at work.

I may continue this campaign seeing as there are people interested in watching. Right now I'm playing around with the Roman empire.

[Privateerkev]

I can hear the Imperial March when I read this AAR. Good work!

BC is interesting. Almost makes me want to cave in and DL it. Almost...

It was also fun to watch you kill Jeremy Irons and Orlando Bloom. (two generals you killed are portrayed in the movie "Kingdom of Heaven" and played by the actors I mentioned)

Anyways, good luck and keep up the good work!

[Askthepizzaguy]

ANNOUNCEMENT

The previous storyline has more or less been abandoned. However, there is a new Turkish dynasty on the rise:

Approximately 1178 AD

The Fall of Constantinople to Turkish forces has finally happened.

The year before, Jerusalem and Baghdad also fell to Turkish forces, and Sultan Kilij Arslan was named Caliph of Islam, sacker of Constantinople, and ruler of the Holy Land. He was immediately declared the reincarnation of Muhammed, descended from heaven to bring the wrath of Allah down upon the infidel. Many infidels were beheaded this day.


Soon, the legend of the ultimate blitzkreig across the map will be told by the one in the golden mask. I implore you to keep an eye on this story, because the shocking events are unfolding as we speak.

[Askthepizzaguy]

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/1178epic.zip
Before the fall of Constantinople

Here is the save file of my progress so far.

I actually started a brand new storyline since my previous announcement, and it's been updated to reflect that.

The order of conquest was reversed. Baghdad was the first to fall, then Jerusalem, then Constantinople... all by turn 10, 1178 AD


See if you can take the city without auto-resolving, as I did. Auto-resolving actually fails I believe.


http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/Turks-1178b.zip
After the fall of Constantinople

The AAR will begin shortly... I have to upload all sorts of screenshots. But this one puts my previous blitz campaign to SHAME. I am sure you will find it quite entertaining.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Marhaba! Ahlan wa sahlan! These scrolls contain the legend of Kilij Arslan the Indestructible, whose deeds have been a part of Islamic lore since the time of the Abassid Caliphate, and continue to be spoken of this day.

ذو الحجة 569 Dhu al-Hijjah التقويم الهجري
In the year 1174 AD of the Christian calendar, 569th year of the Hijri

Sultan Kilij Arslan was encamped outside the rebel fort of Karaman, when the voice of Allah spoke to him. Allah saw what a pious man Kilij Arslan was, and smiled upon him. None had spoken directly to Allah since the time of Muhammad the Holy Prophet, and Arslan fell to his knees. Allah frowned upon the Roman and Latin invaders of Arabia and Anatolia, and commanded Arslan to destroy all the infidels.

Allah also commanded Arslan to destroy Caliph an-Nasir, who had forsaken his duty as Allah's representative and had done nothing to put down these infidel invaders. Allah had cast an-Nasir out of his sight and declared him to be a traitor to all Islam. Though an-Nasir was Arslan's brother of the faith and the ruler of the Caliphate, his rule was to be put to a swift and timely end in the name of Allah. The Armenian infidels were also to be destroyed or converted to Islam.

Arslan knew that he must do as Allah commanded, for there was no higher duty or greater honour. Arslan was willing to die for Allah, and he was prepared to kill the infidel invaders as well.



Arslan was not alone, his top general and eldest son Malik the Untrustworthy was with him. Malik was the most disloyal and unruly being that Arslan had ever seen. He was also faithless, openly defiant, and resentful that his younger brother Kaikosru had been named the heir. But Malik had brought that upon himself; he had been a liar and a pagan his entire life, and never once embraced the teachings of Mohammad or his father the Sultan.

However, the Sultan never once forsake his son, and loved him very much. So he took him on his great jihad against the infidel, to teach the man what it means to be a warrior for Islam. Malik was greatly displeased, but he had a begrudging respect for his father whom he disliked personally, so he agreed to join Arslan.



In the north, Kaikosru the Magnificent, heir to the Sultan, encircled the rebels at Amasia. Toghrul the Defiant advanced east into greater Armenia which was under the control of many criminal shieks and minor emirs who have openly defied Allah's will.

Some faithful have decided to join our cause as mercenaries. They will die well and be compensated in the afterlife. Our spy has infiltrated Armenian soil and they are quite unprepared for our assault. May they die like worms.

End of turn one.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Winter, 1174 AD

The fall of Karaman opened the gateway into Armenia, and the Turkish jihadis came flooding through. Immediately the heartlands of these infidels were surrounded by good honest Muslim warriors. To prove his loyalty, Malik was commanded to take Tarsus with hundreds of gazhis under his direct command. Arslan rode ahead to take Adana with his elite cavalry in a bold maneuver, inviting the Armenians to defend what they have and die a quick and painless death, one reserved only for the brave and honourable.



To prepare for our great forward advance, spies were being trained to pose as the infidel and infiltrate their cities and castles, and during the night, they were to sabotage the gatehouses from within using a strange powder obtained by trading with eastern mercenaries. When set ablaze, this powder would explode. If set right against the enemy gates, they would be rendered useless just as our armies assaulted the castle in the darkness of the night, and the enemy would not even be assembled to fight! We trained assassins to scale the enemy walls on the far side of our diversionary forces, open the empty gatehouses, and allow our main forces access into the settlement. We would use seige equipment to take any stronghold which we could not sabotage or sneak into.



Kaikosru had simultaneously taken Amasia, and was tasked with moving east to put down the rebellious dogs en route to Baghdad. Toghrul the Defiant ignored orders completely and marched almost all the way to Baghdad by himself. Was he a traitor? Was he trying to warn an-Nasir of the coming attack?

There still is no word from our messengers that we dispatched as to his whereabouts. When last seen, he was encamped in the middle of several rebel settlements he left undisturbed. Worse, he was seen recruiting these rebels to form an army... was he planning on turning on his own people? Why was he arming the rebels and training them to fight?

End of turn two.

[Askthepizzaguy]

In the year 1175 AD of the Christian calendar, 570th year of the Hijri

An honourable and faithful captain has proved himself by slaying the Armenian Prince by his own hand. This man, Fadullah of Hillah, and his noteworthy second, Quilich al Su-ud, have both been granted land and title as adopted sons of the rising Turkish Sultanate. Malik, having proven his worth to Arslan, has decided to remain behind in case the Romans should attack our western holdings. These dishonourable men are not to be trusted.



Kilij Arslan assaults Syrian forces north of Jerusalem, rebels who have declined to join either the Abassid Caliphate or the forces of Salahuddin the Ayyubid, Sultan of Arabia. So now they will be forced to join the Jihad against these traitors of Islam... some Christian mercenaries who have seen the infidel's atrocities while on a "holy" Crusade have decided to join our cause. Apparently for the Christians, a full stomach is more important than loyalty to one's God. I despise them so...

If they can hold a sword, their deaths may have more meaning than their pathetic infidel lives ever could. Perhaps Allah will forgive them. I certainly could not.



Kaikosru assaults the rebels in Malatya, who are Turkish by ethnicity but have declined to join the Jihad. Perhaps Kaikosru will convince them that they have no choice in the matter. They will serve Allah, or our righteous swords will send them to the afterlife to be punished by Him.



Finally, Toghrul the Defiant... perhaps he should be renamed Toghrul the Traitor! He is now at the border of Abassid territory and has no doubt informed the Caliph of our plans. He should be captured upon sight and executed for treason against Arslan and for disgracing himself before his brothers and insulting Allah.

End of turn three.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Winter, 1175 AD

Kilij Arslan has heard Allah command him to attack the Ayyubid Sultanate. Arslan was most puzzled by the move, as he was on his way to destroy the infidels in Jerusalem... and the Ayyubids were not exactly infidels! Additionally, their forces were massive and well-defended by the Castle of Homs.

Not one to question Allah's divine judgment, he immediately declared war and besieged their main fortress. The Sultan was bolder and fiercer than a lion, and that is why he is called Arslan.



Malik the Untrustworthy took command of the garrison at Konya and instructed the people there in the ways of espionage. He also sent orders north to the castle of Ankara, the Turkish stronghold.

Malik was acting under orders of Kilij Arslan himself... but even Malik had no idea what purpose this retreat would serve. Why waste time moving west when there were infidels to fight in the east?



Kaikosru the Magnificent beseiged the Emir of Edessa, a famous outlaw who had been the cause of the cessation of trade between the Turks and the Abassids. Their plundering would end this very year, with the death of their leader.



Toghrul the Traitor was spotted inside an Abassid fort, defending the border of their territory and raising an army of rebel mercenaries! His treachery is most apparent now. It will bring me great pleasure to deal with this scum and his Abassid allies.

End of turn four

[Askthepizzaguy]

In the year 1176 AD of the Christian calendar, 571st year of the Hijri

Note: Screenshots of battles will be posted later... don't worry. I'm not going to auto-resolve my way to victory! The critical battles will all be fought.





Midnight.

After the epic victory at Homs, where many Turks valliantly gave their lives to put down the mightiest army in the Ayyubid Sultanate, they pressed onwards to their goal... Damascus.

Even with 4 noble agents inside the city, the gates are too well guarded to be breached with guile. It seems brute force is necessary to bring about the fall of Damascus... with Arslan's depleted forces, only gall and bravery count as strength in the seige. Over a third of his men were destroyed by the Ayyubids whom Allah has cursed. It appears we were given a challenge by Allah to test our will. But none question our devotion now, least of all the Ayyubid scum.

The Latin King Baldwin sits on his throne in Jerusalem rubbing his weasel-hands together and cackling with glee. A civil war between Muslims? HAH! This is just the opening he needed to beseige his own rebellious traitors in Antioch. Word is dispatched to Baldwin that the Turks will NOT be interfering with the conquest of Antioch, as men without states are the most dangerous sorts of criminals. A proposal of alliance is sent to Baldwin himself, signed by Arslan's own hand.

One of Arslan's faithful jihadis questioned this move, and was promptly gutted.



Malik sends one of his apprentice warriors into Roman territory with a scouting team. Should they be captured by Roman forces, our alliance with Rome will fail. Did the Sultan neglect to mention he signed a secret treaty with the Romans?

He does not tell you everything that happens. Praise Allah he tells you this much, for you are unworthy of his wisdom.



The Magnificent Prince quells yet another rebellion in Harran after the slaying of the evil Emir of Edessa. Spies from the west have finally arrived, and they are combing the desert sands to find the traitor Toghrul. When combing the desert does not work, they attempt to curl it and then style it. Still no sign of Toghrul.



Perhaps the rat bastard is still inside his little fort? Spies infiltrate the settlement... but find nothing except a sleeping battalion of javelinmen. They are arrested and questioned.

The javelinmen reveal nothing... except their loyalty to Toghrul. Finally, the traitor is spotted...



...beseiging the Abassid Caliphate's forces in Samarra!

Toghrul's loyalty to the Sultan Arslan is confirmed beyond our wildest dreams! Apparently the man could not wait for orders to attack the Caliph himself. The bounty on Toghrul's head has been rescinded, and Toghrul is granted all of Syria as his personal shiekdom for his boldness and loyalty.

Even the Abassids were fooled by his trickery. They allowed him to build a fort on their lands and allowed him to recruit the Abassid's own mercenaries!

This is a great day to be a Turk!

End of turn five.