after previously playing as Venice and milan, i tend to forget that my militias aren't up to par with, sometimes, even rebels... any way just started as England , M/M, 1st 20 turns

*1st turn, it's nice to have the british isles for myself, so to do that asap, *Scotland has to go.
*Spy gets as much exp. as he can so get him to work.
**London goes for a Ballista maker for a quick strike, w/o papal interference.
*Prince goes for rennes w/ reinforcements
*Same goes for the other guy in york . both wait it out.
**diplomat gets an alliance w/ the french. i wanted them to betray me. Dip. then makes a beeline to rome.

*York sallied as did rennes later on, but w/ added reinforcements no problem.
**1 starter cog to the west of rennes, picks up heir w/ some troops headed for bordeaux.
*Henry who gained chivalry replaces th king at London
**Other starter cog + additional 3-4 takes the 1st ballista, king, picks up all available troops and heads for edinburg

*Scots by turn 6, failed to take a 2nd settlement, and my spy was able to open the gate, so the king and his troops were able to siege scottish capital w/o the ballista (not have made it).
**The scots were out early on turn 6.
)**The french left bordeaux alone, so i attacked w/ th heir.
*The Danes were next. I left wales and inverness for my leisure.
*Alliance w/ the Pope, spanish and the HRE were negotiated.
*Nottingham became a town.

**Around turn 10-ish, assault army led by the king, in 10 cogs heads east.
**Turn 14, the french captured both dijon and metz, giving them 7 provinces.
A diplomat of mine then purchased angers, toulouse and rheims, took me 2 tries. about 2000 gold in 11 turns.
*Yay! Caen and bourdeaux can now become towns, to try and compensate lost cash.
*8Grand fleet, which cleared some pirates along the way,separates into 3, each having a ballistae

**Turn 16. Simultaneous amphibious assaults went well. Flushed the danes out of arhus, hamburg and stockholm.
*News of faction destroyed meant the Danes didnt get a 4th settlement
Cheers!
*But, the french decided to backstab me early, w/ the heir by himself assaulting toulouse. I thought they'd at least let me finish paying for my purchased territories.
*I tried to guickly send reinforcements (w/ a ballistae) from the Brit. Isles.

*I sallied from Toulouse and killed the heir, then defended northern France + Rheims from... the French... awaiting for reinforcements to counterattack Paris.
*A succesful jihad on baghdad by the egyptians... eh?
**Turn 20, After multiple French offensives were repulsed, i besieged and attacked Paris, w/ a good-sized army.
*Defense had the king in it.
*When Paris fell, the French blue suddenly became, rebel gray!!!
I guess there was no chosen heir, despite thm having loitering generals...
**An unexpected early exit for the French
*Pope calls for a crusade at Egyptian Antioch.
*My faction leader dies in stockholm, my new king was readying an assault on a now rebel marseilles.
He'll be the perfect candidate for a crusade.

*I took a quick toggle-fow, before I hit the sack.
*the danes and the french's early exit left a large stacks of rebels...
I might receive a nasty ambush if i'm not careful.
*Milan moves a huge stack towards Dijon. I should prepare for the worst.
*Portugal's army went missing, and their princess approached me earlier w/o offering nothing... i hope it's just me being paranoid.
*Venice is th biggest threat overall, taking Vienna, bologna, durazzo, zagreb.
The italian cities could become the bane of me.
I'm #1 in everything except overall (Venice). Strange
**Metz antwerp bruges are my top priority to connect my territories and i need a castle too.
*Milan's demise may seem to be a higher priority compared to th crusade.
*oh, and inverness and wales are still rebel.

So far so good, i g uess