View Full Version : Pics & History of your Empire
Galagros
09-07-2006, 16:18
1102: King Olaf III returns to Norway with a vendeance ... and a much larger army.
https://img378.imageshack.us/img378/2251/8en5.png
We retreat and soon afterwards Olaf sends his daughter to be wed into my royal family. I accepted, knowing that I needed my army elsewhere to deter the Kievans, who have driven the Cumans from my borders. Prince Ysevolod comes of age; he's known to be a prideful warrior, not accustomed to leading men into battle.
1103: Prince Sviatopolk I leads a small expedition into Finland.
https://img167.imageshack.us/img167/6241/9gx3.png
https://img417.imageshack.us/img417/5045/10nk5.png
An unexciting battle follows in which we are the clear victor. Later, 170 captives were executed.
1104: Prince Sviatopolk I's fourth son comes of age; though a great warrior and general, rumors of his sexual preference circulate throughout the empire.
1105: Trade is established with the east coast of Britain, bringing in much revenue! Prince Yaroslav comes of age and despite being a more than able general rumors of his sexuality also run rampant. What is happening to the royal line!?
1106: Prince Sviatopolk I's first son, Sviatopolk, is captured by rebels while patrolling the Livonian border. His insanely high ransom is refused and he is never heard from again.
1107: Prince Andrei, now heir-apparent, leads an offensive into Livonia. seeking reveng for his brother.
https://img178.imageshack.us/img178/5505/11bz3.png
The battle soon turns into a mass of spearmen being rained on by many ranged units, only to be trampled to death when they turn to flee!
https://img457.imageshack.us/img457/3966/12xs0.png
Victory!!
https://img316.imageshack.us/img316/9492/13jo0.png
180 prisoners are put to the sword immediately following the battle, further increasing the dread that the name Prince Sviatopolk causes. In other news, a new ally, the Polish, now share a border with our great empire.
1108: Construction of a true castle begins in Novgorod as Prince Andrei ends the siege in Livonia.
1110: Trade has been established with all of the British Isles and the coast of France. This is deemed adequate by Prince Sviatopolk and the dockyards cease their work.
The Empire
https://img313.imageshack.us/img313/9345/14vl3.png
1114: With trade booming, construction begins on a castle in Lithuania. The Polish also attack Kiev and a large battle ensues.
1116: Hurrah! Our empire has been named the richest! Prince Sviatopolk's sixth son, Vladimir, comes of age. Even though he is an adept killer, other warriors still consider him strange. Prince Andrei leads a large force into the weakened Kiev.
https://img416.imageshack.us/img416/7180/15sa3.png
It was a hard fought battle (auto-calc), but we soundly defeated them by more then 2 to 1.
1118: Prince Andrei ends to siege of Kiev as his father, Prince Sviatopolk I, is likely nearing death from age.
Congratulations, Maloncanth! You've accomplished what I could not--guiding the Bohemians past the mid-12th century and keeping them intact. ~;)
Yeah, Cuman HC units are a real b**** to fight. I still have no idea how Prince Boleslav managed to kill so many of them (in my last Bohemian campaign), especially since he lost that battle. In any case, however, I salute you for managing to outlast the dreaded Khanate and his legions of cavalrymen. :bow:
@Galagros: So I take it that Sviatopolk II was sent on a "glorious conquest" (i.e. suicide mission) to Livonia? Poor him. ~D Good story so far; looking forward to hearing more of it!
My Norwegian campaign is progressing well. In 1096 & 1097, I struck against the Danes from both sides. My longboats destroyed King Olaf's small fleet in the Skaagarak, and King Magnus landed in Denmark with a modest but powerful force, including his Huscarles. To his (and my!) utter shock, Olaf did not offer battle, instead electing to abandon the province altogether. This proved to be the Danish king's undoing, for he did not yet realize he had nowhere to flee to.
From Sweden, Prince Magnus had led his men into Skania, following his father's plan to crush the Danes on both fronts. The enemy garrison was commanded by Eric Thorkelson, the Danes' royal chamberlain. A man of good character and possessing an able mind, he nonetheless was no general. Although having enough sense to position his troops in a large copse of trees (I'd brought with a fair-sized cavalry contingent), Thorkelson was unable to instill in his men the discipline needed to stand their ground. Unnerved by the Norwegians' advance, the Danes abandoned their concealed positions in the woods and charged Prince Magnus' army head-on. I hesitate to even call the ensuing melee a proper battle, as the clash lasted barely more than a minute before the enemy turned tail and ran. In the end, only 18 Danes made it back to their castle (out of an original force of 220 men).
Having nowhere to run, King Olaf and his son were both captured and executed. The following year, Prince Magnus stormed the fort in Skania and torched most of the buildings in it. (He preserved the fort itself, however.) With the prince's victory coupled with the surprisingly bloodless conquest of Denmark, King Magnus' dream of a united Scandanavia was now a reality.
His ambitions didn't stop there, however. He looked west across the North Sea, and remembered how Harald Hadrada had tried to conquer England less than two generations ago. Magnus now became determined to succeed where Herald had failed....
r johnson
09-07-2006, 20:39
To his (and my!) utter shock, Olaf did not offer battle, instead electing to abandon the province altogether.
Well educated king:inquisitive:, where is the pictures? Gl in your Norwegian game Martok
Well educated king:inquisitive:, where is the pictures? Gl in your Norwegian game Martok
Thank you. :bow: I'm admittedly a compu-tard, and thus have never figured out how to post screenies from my campaigns. ~:rolleyes:
Nicely done Martok. In my (unfinished) Norwegian campaign, I followed your strategy almost exactly to the T. I only got to 1207 and stopped, since it almost seemed too easy. My allies (the Novgorodians [sic]) and I controlled all of Northern Europe, England, Scandanavia, the western European coastline--only the French remain, and not likely for long. Hopefully, we can coexist, though I've not played that one since May or some such time. ~:D
Some of the colors in the BKB mod seem wierd...I may have to try it out and see!
Thanks, danfda. I too have had a relatively easy time of it as the Norwegians (at least in the very early part of the game), which surprised me. I fully expected the conquest of Scandanavia to be a bloody and costly affair, but the Swedes were the only ones that really put up much of a fight. The invasion of Britain, however, is another story. (The English were less of a pushover than my fellow Norsemen.) ~;) I'll hopefully have a chance to relay that part of my campaign tonight when I get home.
Galagros
09-08-2006, 03:21
Martok - Yeah, I suicided Sviatopolk II. I was wondering if anyone would criticize me for that, but I didn't want to risk a perverse king with very few or no heirs. For some reason 3 of my king's 5 sons are "perverse". Also, to take the pictures while playing simply hit F2. They are stored in the TGAs file in the Medieval - Total War folder. Host them on a site like imageshack, which will then give you a screen bombarded with URLs. The bottom one is the one you want to copy and paste. When you make your post his the clip-art looking mountain button and paste the URL in there. You may need to change to format of the photos in order to host them. If so, just open them and save them as .pngs or something. If you need a program to open them I reccommend InfranView, which can be downloaded for free.
danfda - Yeah, some of the colors in BKB are bright and weird looking, but it's still one of the best mods. You should definately try it out at some point. I'm in heaven because I just figured out how to get multiple installs of MTW to work (after having the game for years). Now I don't have to uninstall and reinstall everytime I want to play a different mod.
I'll play more of my campaign later tonight or sometime tomorrow. No college or work tomorrow, yay! :2thumbsup:
Maloncanth
09-08-2006, 04:26
https://img212.imageshack.us/img212/7820/bohemia1204st0.jpg
A bunch of things have happened. On the expansion front, things went smoother as expected after getting the Italian cities running. First, the Hungarians, in all their wisdom, backstabbed me. They'd already been steamrolled by the Byzantines and had gone through civil war as a result and were down to Croatia. I obligingly destroyed them and took Croatia, paying the requisite 482 lives to storm the citadel ahead of the pope warning. The sad thing is, its citadel survived and was the first citadel in my whole empire.
A few years later, I gathered some forces and finished the Venetians off for good as well, annexing Savoy. The Pope warns me, so I rush the keep. After that, I took Swabia from rebels.
England and a whole bunch of others war on the Almoravids and wipe them out in a series of Crusades. Then Genoa went to war with the Pope and managed to suppress them. Then he returns and sits with four stacks in former Genoese Rome. Meanwhile, the Poles went to war with the Kievans and I sided with the latter. Nothing interesting happens there though as neither seems able to overpower the other.
The roots for the eventual AI gangbang on all powerful England also begin to build. It doesn't start well. The Aragonese go to war with the English and get wiped out. The Genoese war with them to a standstill until the Pope hits them.
During this lull in action, I stopped building feudal knights out of Bohemia to roll out half a dozen Inquisitors. I promptly begin torching Englishmen and there isn't a soul out there to stop me. :2thumbsup: I also embark on a massive assassin campaign. There was so much garbage clogging up my campaign map. I mass assassins and embark on a five-year plan of bloodshed, successfully clearing up my whole territory and getting enough high level assassins to keep it clear. Now I can select my units and I'll never accidentally click on a rival princess or emmissary. I also spam out enough ships to finally wrap around Italy.
There is a scuffle between the Poles and the Germans. I betray my German allies and take Franconia. The Pope warns me, so I rush the keep. I end up capturing the Holy Roman Emperor and a bunch of nobles for well over eight thousand florins. This shoves me briefly to over 13,000 and I quickly start a pair of Citadels, a castle, and some other important stuff.
I faithfully wait over ten years, building up while the Genoese imploded as they too went to war with England and predictably lost. I invade Switzerland. The Pope warns me, so I rush the keep nd wipe the Germans out too. Meanwhile, he happily tore into Genoa, who go into civil war quickly. They survive, but barely, on top of the Italian boot.
And finally at this point, practically everyone in range (and many who aren't) is now at war with England. The largest among them, the Danes, are the most successful, making a few quick gains. A few turns of mass conflict quickly break up the west. There is a brief English civil war but a rebellion against the Danish occupation of Freisland swiftly yanks most of the rebels back under the flag. Meanwhile however, the Almoravids have revived in Grenada, keeping that English stack rebel. A lot of the British isles have stayed rebel as well, which gives us hope for a Scottish re-emergence.
Meanwhile, I'm preparing to join in the feast and attack England myself. If I can get Lorraine and Burgundy, that's three more inside provinces that don't need heavy garrison.
https://img208.imageshack.us/img208/482/bohemia12042dr6.th.jpg (https://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bohemia12042dr6.jpg)
Great game Galagros, makes me remember I have to reinstali BKB's Super Mod.
Justiciar
09-08-2006, 09:38
I'm almost tempted to start a new BKS Cuman campaign. Haven't touched MTW for a while now, but this thread serves as a reminder of how satisfying a decent little empire can be. :2thumbsup:
r johnson
09-08-2006, 12:30
danfda - Yeah, some of the colors in BKB are bright and weird looking, but it's still one of the best mods. You should definately try it out at some point. I'm in heaven because I just figured out how to get multiple installs of MTW to work (after having the game for years). Now I don't have to uninstall and reinstall everytime I want to play a different mod.
:2thumbsup:
I'm tempted to try a mod, how easy is it to do? Do I just go on a website and click download? Or do I need a GCSE in I.T.? :dizzy2: I've had medieval total war for a year and i'm getting bored of the same factions over and over again.
Simple r johnson.
Download the mod you want.
The file will be an easy install, so simply click and set the target path.
Boom you have a mod ready to play.
Also, to take the pictures while playing simply hit F2. They are stored in the TGAs file in the Medieval - Total War folder. Host them on a site like imageshack, which will then give you a screen bombarded with URLs. The bottom one is the one you want to copy and paste. When you make your post his the clip-art looking mountain button and paste the URL in there. You may need to change to format of the photos in order to host them. If so, just open them and save them as .pngs or something. If you need a program to open them I reccommend InfranView, which can be downloaded for free.
That makes my life easier, no more Printscreen and alt-tabbing!!!
Maloncanth
09-08-2006, 13:06
For the record, what does this BKS mod add compared to say, what XL adds?
BKB's Super Mod adds way more units, each era specific. Plus the faction choices are different etc. Basically it adds a different perspective.
Well here is the next installment of Bulgaria Rythmic style!
Hungary attempts to lift the siege. :furious3:
https://img49.imageshack.us/img49/7951/bulgars51ca4.jpg
Merchantry emerges.
https://img49.imageshack.us/img49/1186/bulgars52ru1.jpg
The kings of Castile ask for alliance, we accept.
https://img49.imageshack.us/img49/7646/bulgars53ci7.jpg
The extent of Bulgarian influence by 1282.
https://img49.imageshack.us/img49/166/bulgars54fa0.jpg
That makes my life easier, no more Printscreen and alt-tabbing!!!
Hah! That's what I have been doing...it is such a pain in the rear, too.
I think I am going to try BKB's mod...and PMTW.
The Blind King of Bohemia
09-08-2006, 14:22
Just a remark on the colours in my mod - I know some like Valencia and Norway are a bit bright but I had some many factions in the end I literally ran out of different colours to give them all!
Maloncanth
09-08-2006, 14:46
Western Europe has utterly shattered.
https://img230.imageshack.us/img230/355/bohemia1207ox9.jpg
By 1207, the English Empire has crumbled and is in chaos. In the space of four or five years, the English have suffered three separate Civil Wars only to have the provinces bounce back on loyalist rebellions twice. Meanwhile, Almoravids and France have re-emerged, Genoa has crushed the Papacy again, and Denmark and Novogord, each having taken their fill of England, turn on each other. Rebels are everywhere, and now the Byzantines are getting involved.
By comparison, observe the solid, logically contiguous, and emminently stable empires to the east. We'll see how long that lasts when the Horde arrive. :laugh4:
As of now, the goal is to solidify borders and improve the horrendous lines that the empire has been surviving on until now. Bohemia has already largely replaced the erstwhile Holy Roman Empire in the role of Central European power, although it's still not as strong as Byzantium. Future success will depend on the ability to capitalize on turning English fortunes now, and the inevitable disruption the Horde will cause without actually becoming more powerful than the Byzantines until then. At this rate though, we should be winning before Late arrives.
Galagros
09-08-2006, 16:48
I'm tempted to try a mod, how easy is it to do? Do I just go on a website and click download? Or do I need a GCSE in I.T.? I've had medieval total war for a year and i'm getting bored of the same factions over and over again.
Almost all of the mods are self-installing and you just tell them where your Medieval - Total War folder is. Be sure to remember that most mods will not allow you to play the normal MTW after they have been installed.
For the record, what does this BKS mod add compared to say, what XL adds?
The map seems to have been heavily edited as well. And it is different for each era.
Just a remark on the colours in my mod - I know some like Valencia and Norway are a bit bright but I had some many factions in the end I literally ran out of different colours to give them all!
It's okay BKB, we still love you! (But Valencia really does bring a tear to the eye) :oops:
Oh and nice campaign Rythmic. I tried playing as that faction once and after initially expanding successfully (probably 5 provinces) I got destroyed in a very short time.
Thanks for the update, Rhythmic! Am I seeing things, or has the Polish gotten pretty huge in your game?
As of now, the goal is to solidify borders and improve the horrendous lines that the empire has been surviving on until now. Bohemia has already largely replaced the erstwhile Holy Roman Empire in the role of Central European power, although it's still not as strong as Byzantium. Future success will depend on the ability to capitalize on turning English fortunes now, and the inevitable disruption the Horde will cause without actually becoming more powerful than the Byzantines until then. At this rate though, we should be winning before Late arrives.
Nice work, Maloncanth! :thumbsup: I'm guessing you'll continue to expand west, then? If you do, just remember the English will continue to be a threat as long as they still hold Britain. (Sorry, I'm a compulsive "back-seat" driver!) A pity the Danes diverted their attention from the English to Novgorod (as they could've helped keep up the pressure on the Normans), but oh well. Guess you'll just have to deal with the Brits yourself--a task for which the Bohemians seem more than able to handle, thanks to you. ~:)
Galagros
09-08-2006, 23:01
1124: At the age of 65, Prince Sviatopolk I succumbs to age and dies peacefully in his sleep. His son Andrei takes the throne as the empire mourns.
1125: Prince Andrei's first act as ruler is to declare war on the Khazar Khaganate. Though they have been longtime allies, Andrei must prove to the world that he can live up to his father's legacy. The Khaganate retreats, but Prince Andrei is shocked to hear that all but three of his allies have abandoned him.
1126: Prince Andrei ends the siege in Muscovy, only to hear immediately afterwards that the French have mercilessly attacked the trading vessels in the English Channel!
1127: Furious, Andrei orders even more ships sent into the English Channel to teach the French a lesson. A garrison is sent to Muscovy from Novgorod to keep the peace as Andrei leads his men into Smolensk. The untrained, but numerous, enemy retreats.
1128: Prince Andrei quickly leads his men into Chernigov, leaving the Khaganate no time to organize a defense. However, the enemy makes a totally unexpected move and invades Lithuania, home to the royal family's most able general, Prince Yaroslav. It seemed a futile as the forces in Lithuania outnumbered them by over 400 soldiers.
https://img520.imageshack.us/img520/1125/16en7.png
Before the battle begins Prince Yaroslav organizes the battle line near the edge of a forest. The enemy attacks the right flank, routing a unit of spearmen and horse archers. The only reserves nearby are a unit of viking thralls, who sacrifice themselves to give their comrades time to counter. The victory was costly....
https://img437.imageshack.us/img437/4308/17tg5.png
At the same time the Khazar Khaganate retreats from Chernigov and the French sink the longboats sent against them, though losing many of their own ships in the process.
1129: Prince Andrei presses the attack into Pereyaslavl after learning from his spies and mathmeticians that Novgorod possesses the largest army of any nation.
https://img437.imageshack.us/img437/2563/18pn2.png
The battle was well fought and ended in victory!
https://img394.imageshack.us/img394/4763/19is6.png
The Empire - January 1130
https://img394.imageshack.us/img394/9484/20ga4.png
1130: Prince Andrei attacks the Kievans, an old enemy, in Kazar, who retreat.
1131: The Kievans attempt to take back Khazar!
https://img394.imageshack.us/img394/8919/21ql9.png
https://img509.imageshack.us/img509/5470/22ol7.png
A 2 to 1 victory!
1132: Construction begins on a citadel in Novgorod.
1133: Prince Andrei leaves the defense of Khazar in the hands of his brother, Ysevolod, while he attacks the Khaganate in Ryazan. The battle is short and sweet. Afterwards, everyone assures Prince Andrei that his battlefield capabilities have improved (5th star). Andrei's first son, Chort, also comes of age. He seems to be a great warrior and general, with a love for wealth.
1134: Prince Andrei leads the assault against Volga-Bulgaria, the last Khaganate stronghold north of Georgia.
https://img369.imageshack.us/img369/7092/23at7.png
The Khazar royal cavarly put up an impressive fight, but in the end our numbers ensured victory.
https://img397.imageshack.us/img397/7941/24ix6.png
The enemy general is killed and the enemy fianlly flees the field!
https://img397.imageshack.us/img397/6158/25bw1.png
1135: The castle in Sweden is completed! Prince Andrei hears troubling rumors that his brother, Vladimir, has been acting like a madman and is making everyone in Kiev unhappy. While Andrei is distrubed by this news, he has no time to deal with it and can not afford to lose a worthy general at this time. The siege in Volga-Bulgaria is ended.
That's the end of this episode, folks! Hopefully I'll get to play again tonight, but I doubt I'll be able to post the results tonight, too.
r johnson
09-09-2006, 16:26
BKS mod what XL
Will I have to uninstall my Viking Expansion pack or will that be alright? Plus where do I down load either mods?:dizzy2:
Galagros
09-09-2006, 17:12
Double post, because I am too fast for all of you. I have discovered that I made a clerical mistake in the last post. Prince Chort is actually Sviatopolk I's son and Andrei's brother, not his son. This is important later on, and as you read, you shall discover.
Note: I am probably wrong. Prince Chort is Andrei's son and was just born before Sviaopolk's son, Mikhail. I don't know, but the more I think about it the more confused I become.
1137: Prince Mikhail, the late Prince Sviatopolk's son and Prince Andrei's brother, comes of age. Mikhail is a good general, but there is nothing memorable about him. Prince Chort leads the attack on Kievan Crimea, the last known Kievan territory.
https://img178.imageshack.us/img178/582/26hl8.png
The battle is a definative victory. (auto-calculated)
1138: Prince Chort ends both the siege of Crimea and the Kievan royal line. In his madness, Prince Vladimir invades our allies, the Cumans. He is captured and executed for killing 48 of the heathens. Prince Mikhail takes over the defense of Kiev as the empire prepares for war with the angered Cumans.
1139: Prince Chort leads the invasion of the only remaining Cuman province, Oleshe.
https://img291.imageshack.us/img291/6816/27xj1.png
The Cuman force was really symbolic of a time before Novgorod created it's vast empire and the battle did not last long. Khan Baghatur I was captured in the heart of the melee and ransomed for an amazing price. (over 11,000 florins) Later that year, in the heart of winter, Prince Andrei catches pneumonia and passws away in his mid 50s. His only son, Chort, takes the throne. The people are uneasy, and the empire without an heir!
1140: Prince Chort orders an invasion of Norway from Sweden; the Norwegians retreat. He tells his advisors that this is the first step in his plan to "fix" the borders and make the empire "more denfensible". As they leave they are left wondering why he hides his predatorial intentions. A few months later the Khazar Khaganate invades Khazar, but decide that they did not bring enough men and retreat before battle.
1141: Prince Chort assaults the keep in Oleshe and destroys the Cuman roal family. Also, word reaches the newly completed citadel in Novgorod that a few hundred unhappy peasants have risen up in revolt in Livonia.
1142: The rebels in Livonia are put down thanks to reinforcements from Novgorod and Lithuania. Chort decides that now is the time to put steps two and three of his plan into action and, after sending a message to a general in Sweden to invade the Danes in Denmark, he leads a force against the Khaganate in Georgia himself.
https://img92.imageshack.us/img92/417/29sg6.png
The battle in George ends swiftly, as 4 of the enemy are killed to every ally lost. The Danes retreat from Denmark and leave a small garrison behind to hold the keep.
1143: The Danes reinforce Denmark with a large force while Prince Chort eliminates the Khazar Khaganate. Afterwards, he marries the daughter of an aristocrat, hoping to soon create a host of heirs.
https://img91.imageshack.us/img91/5893/30ln2.png
https://img105.imageshack.us/img105/6364/31jv4.png
An excellently executed battle ended in victory!
Map of the Current World
https://img402.imageshack.us/img402/5526/33az1.png
1145: The Danes once again reinforce their homeland, Denmark.
https://img226.imageshack.us/img226/3623/34oa0.png
The battle results in an astounding 5 to 1 victory.
1147: The same army that conquered Denmark marches on the Danes once again, in Saxony. The cowardly Danes retreat.
1148: A second citadel is started in Lithuania as the Danes attempt to retake Saxony in desperation.
https://img157.imageshack.us/img157/3922/35ue7.png
The Danish King, Knud III, leads his men to disaster. The death toll speaks for itself.
https://img226.imageshack.us/img226/5741/36uw8.png
1150: Prince Chort is convinced that the army lacks a strong cavalry. Lithuanian Cavalry and Steppe Heavy Cavalry have long since replaced the outdated Mordovian Horsemen, but he decides to begin assembling extra Boyar units (brown sword, silver armor) in the capitol. In addition, Prince Chort chooses to begin a war with the Polish, who have refused to marry a Novgorodian princess, by invading Moldavia. It is one thing to refuse a marriage proposal, but it is another thing entirely to say that you'd rather marry your grandmother's wart! The Polish retreat.
1151: Lithuanian forces attack Polish Prussia, while an army from Kiev with Lithuanian reinforcements attacks Volhynia. The Polish retreat from both fronts in order to send massive reinforcements into Moldavia.
https://img89.imageshack.us/img89/5609/37zo7.png
Prince Chort makes a risky decision and chooses to fight against the odds rather than show weakness by retreating. The gamble does not work and nearly the entire army is defeated, taking down only 1,500 of the enemy. Chort manages to escape the battlefield and make his way back to Oleshe, luckily for the empire, who is still without an heir.
1152: Half of the enormous Polish army that defeated Prince Chort the year before were so inspired by his selfless defense that they choose to rise up in revolt! Also, the sieges in Prussia and Volhynia are put to an end.
1153: Offsenive action is taken against Poland and the weakened Moldavia, both in Polish hands. The enemy retreats from Poland, but offers an uncoordinated defense in Moldavia and are subsequently defeated. The world now knows Prince Chort I, of Novgorod, to be an excellent attacker!
That's all for now folks! I'll play more tonight and I will probably post another update, too. Hope you're enjoying it. (And hopefully I'll get an heir soon :wall: )
Galagros
09-09-2006, 17:15
Will I have to uninstall my Viking Expansion pack or will that be alright? Plus where do I down load either mods?:dizzy2:
No, in fact, most mods require VI to be installed. Go here to downlad. (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=40) Most of those mods have the download link in the first post. Enjoy!
Well my last save file was 1281 so it looks like I'll have to do 1282 again. :furious3:
It turned out for the better as Hungary plunged into a mass civil war :2thumbsup:
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/7003/bulgars55mw3.jpg
France comes in for the easy pickings.
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/4402/bulgars56cn6.jpg
Numerous factions re-emerge.
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/4771/bulgars57fe7.jpg
The hated Cumans re-emerge.
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/2005/bulgars58qh7.jpg
We must decline the French offer.
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/9306/bulgars59rl6.jpg
Silver Rusher
09-10-2006, 19:36
Wow, the Bulgarians must be a really tough faction Rhythmic. You have been playing for 77 (that right?) years and you have still only gained 1 province. Must have been attacked by a hell of a lot of factions ~;).
Btw, I have made a small patch-ish thing for XL which replaces the Volga-Bulgars with the Latin Empire in the high period in case you are interested. It still needs a few tweaks but should be ready soon. PM me if you are interested in downloading it. (I think it could really make your Bulgarian campaigns more fun)
Galagros
09-10-2006, 20:52
(Note: I have decided to stop my Novgorod campaign. I consistantly find that after my kingdom reaches a certain size the fun factor decreases dramatically. Large battles frighten me and it takes too much time to go around to every territory and get things done.)
Anyways, I have begun a new campaign! This time around I want to incorporate a lot more story and a few less pictures. I found out that it takes a very long time to play when I write notes and story tidbits at the same time. I wrote almost half a page about one year, which was a bit much, but I didn't like the formoat I tried last time with only a few sentences per picture.
Faction: The Irish
Version: BKB Super Mod
Period: Early
Difficulty: Normal
Starting Ruler:
https://img235.imageshack.us/img235/3144/highkingruaidriii1eo7.pnghttps://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3814/highkingruaidriii2te0.png
Experience: I've played as the Irish in VI and in several mods, but have never done that well with them. Of particular importance is that I almost always auto-calculated the battles because I don't know how to use their special units. Hopefully, I'll learn how to in the process of playing this campaign and if any of you have any advice on Irish battles, please share.
Goal: I want to do something other than the standard "conquer Britain" thing.
1087: High King Ruaidri sat upon his throne, inspecting the scene around him. His army --what passed for an army in Ireland, at least -- was gathered around him in celebration. For Ruaidri was the second of his name, son of a King, and on this day King himself. He thought long and hard about just what he had inheritied -- a nation full of hills, farms, and squabbling nobility. His country was nothing compared to any other country in Europe... unless you counted the Scottish, but few did. He also thought that he would be ashamed to pass on to his son what was passed on to him from his father; he knew that he had to do what no one expected and make his country great.
But how was he to do this? Less that one hundred true soldiers were under his command; those that still fought in the old-fashioned Celtic ways were coudl hardly be called soldiers. He had but one decent ocean-going vessel, his nation barely made any profit, and he could find no one talented enough to govern his capital when he was busy.
"First things must come first," Ruaidri said. The country must be secured and a governor must be found. Thus did he order watchtowers built along the borders and a militia unit (Irish Dartmen) to man the garrison.
1088: It was at this time that the King saw his first son, also Ruaidri, for what he really was -- an unloyal, disobedient, good-for-nothing fool that spent his days (and nights) getting into drunken brawls; such a man could not be allowed to inherit Ireland. As King Ruaidri spent his days pondering his position, he ordered border forts to compliment the watchtowers and called up another unit of militia (Kerns). He still needed a governor ... and a new heir.
1089: King Ruadri's second son was now of age. The boy, Donchad, was overweight and disobedient, but he was a finer general than Ruaidri himself. Yes, perhaps Ruaidri could leave his country to this son ... if he improved with time. Afterall, his third son was still just an infant. Ruaidri's next orders were for the countries first real modern swordsmith and for a unit of disciplined spearmen.
1090: This was a sad year for the people of Ireland. A famine swept across the land, starving the old and infant alike. The King had still found no one worthy of being governor and so he settled on a fiery, but loyal, chieftan (2 acumen Celtic Warrior). Ruaidri also ordered another ship to built and thought, not for the first time, that his country was going to need allies if his plans were ever to come to fruition. The problem, he knew, was that he had found no one glib of tongue to send out into the world to represent his nation.
1091: "Great, just great!" King Ruaidri shouted from inside his chamber. He had just been informed that Lord Uaid, the chieftan he had settled on to be governor, was as inbred and useless and inbred and useless could get. But how could he strip the man of his title now without causing a rebellion? He couldn't and once again he found himself in need of a talker, someone who would stay calm in an argument, someone that could change his voice from sympathetic to authoratative in a heartbeat, someone to be a diplomat. Ruadri sighed and went back to his planning.
1092: "What a lucky day!" exclaimed the King. An emissary from the Holy Roman Empire was in his hall, and was asking for their countries to become allies! He quickly and graciously jumped at this chance and accepted. That same year another unit of spearmen was called up for duty.
1093: The High King's daughter, Deirdriu, turned 15 this year and is old enough to be wed. It is decided that she will be offered to the Welsh, in return for an alliance. Around this time the King realizes that, should another emissary come to Ireland, he will need a palace to impress them with and orders construction to begin. He also employs a unit of battle-hardened Galloglaich.
1094: The people in cities and towns celebrate as the Irish and Welsh are joined together in an alliance by marriage! Only one week later Ruaidri's 4th son is born and the people celebrate again! Not only is the royal palace nearing completion, but another unit of Galloglaich offer their services to the crown, for a small fee.
1095: King Ruaidri meets an intelligent and wise man in the capitol one day and hires him on as an official diplomat. Also, he gathers together some of Ireland's best spearmakers to man a workshop that he has ordered built.
1096: The new diplomat, Rochad Diarmaid, is sent to strip the fool-of-a-Celt, Lord Uaid, of his title in a way that will not anger him too greatly. At the same time King Ruaidri forms a plan that will need another ship and the order is sent the shipbuilders within the hour.
1097: In the aftermath of Lord Uaid, Lord Eoghan is named Lord Chamberlain an governor of Ireland; the island has never has never seen such glorious days. Rochad is ordered to go to Scotland and use his charisma to find out the Scottish opinion of the Irish and, if possible, to seek an alliance.
1098: Rochad reports back to King Ruaidri that, unfortunately, the Scottish were kind, but unready for an alliance at this time. "Hmm, a minor setback," mumbled the King as he read the report. Still in high spirits, he sends word back to Rochad to move into England and seek an alliance there. A third unit of Galloglaich is hired and in a surprise move two ships (barques) are ordered to attack an unknown (Rebel) longboat patrolling the North Atlantic. It appears that the King has his sights set on Iceland, an island that would not only provide people to bolster his army and tax income, but also one full of rish trade resources.
1099: Rochad sends a disturbing report that the English King has rejected our offer of alliance and spoke to him as though we were unworthy. It was hard for Ruaidri to read, but he knew that it was basically true.... though it would soon change, the King vowed. The next day Ruaidri's 5th son was born and Rochad was sent to seek the hand of a Welsh princess for one of his sons. Less than a week later the royal princes, Ruaidri and Donchad led the invasion of Iceland with nearly 500 soldiers at their command. Around the same time the King ordered another ship and an armorer to be built in order to prepare for the times ahead.
High King Ruaidri was pleased that he had brought his country so far and maintained three fourths of his treasury, but he knew that he had to somehow generate more income if his people were ever going to be known as civilized. The thought gnawed at him as he awaited news of the battle in far off Iceland....
Episode I, completed. Next time -- the battle for Iceland and much more! Questions? Comments?
Silver Rusher
09-10-2006, 21:16
Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice write up, duuuuude!
Galagros
09-11-2006, 16:09
Thanks guys! I have more than twice as many notes this time around, but also more pictures. I realize that some of the longer intervals between battles may be boring, but it was the best I could do. Also, the battle for Iceland may be a little incorrect. The played the battle and took the notes, but the game crashed while going back to the campaign map so I had to fight it again. The results were very similar, but didn't make for as good of a story so I kept the notes from the first time around and used those.
Previous Posts: 1 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1239248&postcount=527)
1099 cont: (In Iceland) The day was cold and raining -- a normal thing in Iceland. It had been raining ever since their arrival and morale was waning. Nonetheless, Prince Donchad arranged the battle formation and readied the men for battle. Despite being younger, he had been given command and his older brother given no specific role other than to be present. To all, Prince Ruaidri wasn't really considered part of the royal family, but more like a nuiscense ... and even Prince Ruaidri knew it. He was determined to show that he had worth in this battle, or die trying. Either, way, he figured, Ireland was better off.
Preparations were finally complete and the army began marching. Prince Ruaidri and his guards raced ahead and off to the right, into some woods, readying an ambush for the enemy. Soon, they were joined by some Celtic Warriors, but as the rest of the army closed in, the enemy retreated and were too far away for an ambush to work. Quickly, Ruaidri led his unit far to the north of the enemy, hoping to take them from behind. The enemy right, a group of spearmen, spotted the Prince and moved to attack him. At the same time a unit of Irish Light Cavalry that had tried to slip around the left side of the enemy began to fire their missiles at the enemy left, a unit of Viking Thralls. The thralls moved to attack and as the horsemen retreated, the thralls gave chase.
With his thralls gone and his spearmen out of position, the enemy general and Icelandic Warriors found themselves alone. The Irish infantry slammed into one side of the spearmen and the front of the Icelandic Warriors. Their superior numbers allowed them to wrap around the general's unit and flank it. The royal brothers saw their chance and charged in and massacred the enemy; Ruaidri lanced the enemy general himself.
Afterwards, they raced after the thralls and the battle was won. Prince Ruaidri's valourous actions had redeemed him in the eyes of a few, a very few. Later that day 113 prisoners were executed and the siege began.
https://img77.imageshack.us/img77/9595/2ndan8.png
(1st battle that was not saved.)
https://img145.imageshack.us/img145/3631/1stdf9.png
1100: Directly after the new year, Rochad sent word back to Ireland that the Welsh had refused the marriage proposal -- who could blame them when Prince Ruaidri was to be the groom? The King still had high hopes, however, and sent Rochad to inquire about a German princess visiting Mercia. Back in Iceland, Prince Ruaidri devised a plan and as night fell on the 24 rebels besieged in the fort, he and his 17 guards attempted to sneak in and kill the garrison in their sleep.
Sadly, one of the Prince's guards tripped over a napping guard and soon they were surrounded and outnumbered two to one. Though they fought bravely, most were killed within minutes and Ruaidri was captured. His ransom was beyond what the kingdom's coffers could handle and he was hanged from the walls of the fort, for all to see. The six bodyguards that escaped the failed attack were severly punished for their foolish actions.
1101: Enraged by the events of the last year, Prince Donchad and a unit of Galloglaich stormed the fort and it's last 12 men. In Ireland, the 4th ship of the royal navy was completed and sent into the English Channel. The King also ordered one more unit of Galloglaich to replace the losses of the battle in Iceland. Rochad, who failed to earn Ireland the hand of the German princess, travelled Denmark in an attempt to meet with the Danish King and discuss politics. The assault of the fort in Iceland proved to be an easy task, though many building were burned beyond repair. Every enemy prisoner was tortured and executed, causing men to whisper that the King's swift in delivering his justice.
1102: With the army stuck in Iceland, construction of a port hastily begins. Celtic Warriors are recruited in Ireland to help guard the island while much of the army is away in Iceland. Ruaidri's plan has both succeeded and failed; trade is booming and Iceland is in Irish hands, but it will take many years to be rebuilt. At 54, he may never live to see that day.
1103: King Ruaidri is pleased when his 3rd son, Aedh, turns 16. The boy is a much more obedient version of his older brother, Donchad. Rochad reported that his talks with the Danish King had not gone well and he spent a long time pondered why things had gone bad. King Ruaidri knew that his system of watchtowers, complimented by boderforts, had worked wonders for keeping intruders out of the country, but there was still the problem of keeping the peace inside of the country to worry about. After much thought he mad an edict ordering many townwatches established. A special unit is also established, consisting of well armed and armoured nobles on foot; though small; they should prove a strong force.
1104: Rochad returns to Scotland to find out if the Scottish King is ready to make an alliance yet and secure our borders. Ruaidri's wife also gives birth to his 6th son, which awakens an odd feeling within him. He wants to keep his family and country safe, so he hires on more Galloglaich to do the job.
1105: Rochad succeeds in securing an alliance with the Scottish; however, the circumstances were quite odd.
https://img183.imageshack.us/img183/5251/5ago8.png
Neither the Irish or the Scottish are at war and Rochad leaves the meeting wondering on the Scottish King's sanity. Emboldened by his recent success, Rochad once again attempts to set up a marriage with a Welsh princess staying in Ireland. High King Ruaidri II hires another special unit of Celtic soldiers; these called themselves "Ceatharn Cogadh Connachta" or a Connaght Warband. Then, he hires an exerienced stone mason to make some badly needed repairs on the keep.
1106: "No! How could this have happened!?" The King was furious when he heard the news that his allies, the Germans, had been excommunicated by the Pope, even Lord Eoghan became irritable when he heard the news. In Iceland, the port was finished, re-establishing the travel between the two islands, and construction began on some watchtowers to secure the area. At home in Ireland, the stone mason informs Ruaidri that more repairs are necessary and work begins on a stone mason's workshop. An extra unit of Irish Light Horsemen are hired to patrol the land and eliminate bandits and highwaymen.
1107: King Ruaidri II fears that his "navy" is stretched far too thin and orders a 5th ship to be built. In Iceland the King's defensive policy is continued by the addition of borderforts. That year the people praise their King for his building projects and all are happy.
1108: An emissary from England arrives in Ireland and offers the King an alliacne, on the condition that the country fficially distance itself from the Holy Romand Empire. As they are now excommunicated, the King is forced to accept the English offer and the alliance is made. Months later a pleasant surprise arrives in the from of Princess Naiara, of Navarre. She is wed to Prince Donchad and another alliance is sealed. In Iceland, the King can invision his grand scheme coming to fruition when he orders the construction of a trading post, but the talk of the commoners is that the wiley stone masons have persuaded the King to build a brand new castle to replace the crumbling keep in Ireland. The foundation is layed that year, but many years of work will be needed to complete it.
1109: Rochad attempts to secure a Norwegian princess for the Irish and begins persuing her. A 6th ship for the navy is also ordered by Ruaidri. Many people now fear for the live of their King, as his health continues to decline. Prince Flann, a huge dissappointment to all, comes of age late in the year and is quickly given a list of unimportant jobs to keep him occupied and out of site.
1110: "He will be missed..." is all the people can say when High King Ruaidri II passes away in his sleep, at the age of 62. He will be rememberd for his building projects and his forward thinking. His oldest living son, Donchad, takes the throne and states that he plans to continue in the footsteps of his late father and make the country great.
https://img160.imageshack.us/img160/8821/d1ld5.pnghttps://img82.imageshack.us/img82/6059/d2mo4.png
Immediately following the coronation, an emissary from the Holy Roman Empire arrives, but it turned away at the gates. King Donchad and the isles realize the brilliance of the late King when the trading post in Iceland is completed and profits nearly triple overnight. In June of 1110 a complete rebellion occurs against the Germans in Friesland and the new King leads an army of 500, more than one third of all Irish forces, against Friesland to take advatage of the situation.
That's it for now, everybody. I actually have another page of notes in front of me, but I am running out of time and figured this little cliff hanger was a nice stopping point.
Next episode -- The battle of Friesland!
r johnson
09-11-2006, 16:53
That's it for now, everybody. I actually have another page of notes in front of me, but I am running out of time and figured this little cliff hanger was a nice stopping point.
Next episode -- The battle of Friesland!
You evil man :furious3:
ah was going to put up my irish bkb expert mod game. ah well it can wait.
Nice stories, guys; keep 'em coming! :2thumbsup:
As for myself, here now (finally!) is the latest update on my Norwegian campaign. It covers the establishment of a trade network, preparations for the invasion of Britain, along with events leading up to it.
Sadly, King Magnus would not live to realize his dream of conquering the English. Only a couple years after he began making preparations for yet another war, he unexpectedly died in a hunting accident. In the year of our Lord 1119, his son Magnus II was crowned in the recently-constructed royal palace in Denmark. (Magnus I had established his capital there after conquering the kingdom.)
Perhaps owing to the fact that most foreigners viewed him as more of a pure warrior and less of a statesmen, the new king was accorded less respect than his predecessor. (The English in particular were less than cordial to him at his coronation ceremony.) This was something Magnus II vowed to change. Towards that end, he had wholeheartedly embraced his father's vision of invading England and founding a new Viking kingdom there.
This would not be easy, though, as there were a couple major obstacles that had to be overcome. For one, the Normans were stronger than they had ever been, as their Angevin empire now stretched from the Pyrenees all the way to Orkney. (They had conquered the kingdom of Scotland several years before.) An even bigger problem, however, was that the Norwegians' campaign to unify the people of Scandanavia had severely drained the royal treasury. The economy wasn't exactly in dire straits, but the fact remained that Magnus simply didn't possess the funds needed to raise a new army.
Fortunately, a solution to the former problem came quickly in the form of the French King's emissary. Perhaps seeking to yoke my strength to his cause, he offered us alliance against the English. Magnus accepted the offer gladly, knowing he'd found the perfect way to keep the Normans from reinforcing their lands in Britain.
The solution to the latter problem was credited to Sven Ericsson, the king's royal chamberlin (and jarl of Sweden). Knowing that the lands of the north possessed unique goods & resources found nowhere else in the world, he suggested longships be built to transport these goods to the far-off ports of the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. (He pointed out that one did not always need an axe or spear to deprive the wealthy Southerners of their money. ~D) Knowing Ericsson had served his father with loyalty and distinction, Magnus agreed to his plan. He immediately ordered his shipwrights to begin constructing a fleet that would bring the culture of the Norsemen to the western world!
The results began to pay off almost as soon as the first longships slipped their moorings and left the king's harbor. Taxes from the newly-established trade routes began to flow into the royal coffers at a modest but increasing rate. Soon, Magnus was able to begin assembling his men for the expeditionary force to Britain. He had no problem finding volunteers, as many Norsemen engaged in wild talk about the riches awaiting them across the North Sea. The king's plan to conquer England and Scotland was finally starting to come to fruition, and the whole kingdom was looked forward to the coming invasion with excitement!
As events closed in on 1130, however, storm clouds gathered on the horizon. To begin with, ships crewed by Sicilians began roaming the waters around Scandanvia. For reasons that have yet to be discerned, they had the temerity to sink one of our longships in the Skaagerak, just a few miles away from the royal palace! Enraged, Magnus ordered his fleet to sink any Sicilian vessels they came across. With reighteous anger, the Norwegian navy attacked and sunk at least 4 ships that next year. The Pope, hearing of these troubles, sent the king a message that he was overreacting and to halt his attacks. Magnus did not care, however, and gave all nobles and ship captains standing orders to destroy any craft flying the flag of Sicily. The entire incident ended up a moot point, though; as only a few years later the Sicilians were excommunicated, and then conquered by a people known as the "Serbs".
The Sicilians were but a minor irritant, however, when compared to the decline of King Magnus's health. Originally hoping to lead the invasion of Britain himself, he was weakening with such alarming rapidity that he had no choice but to give command of the expeditionary force to his brother Joar. Fortunately, Prince Joar was more than up to the task (he had good stats in all areas, including 5 command stars), but he worried--along with the rest of the kingdom--whether his brother would recover from the mysterious malady that had struck him when he was still in his prime.
The army was nearly assembled and ready to depart in their longships for the shores of Britain, but Joar was reluctant to leave home when Magnus was of only questionable health. The king assured him he'd be fine, however, and told him to win glory for himself and for their people. Prince Joar acquiesced, and ordered his men onto the ships and the fleet to depart. Accompanying him on this great adventure were his other brothers Burislev and Jon. A huge crowd surrounded the harbor, cheering the departure of the king's mighty army.
And so the invasion of Britain had begun! Joar could not help but wonder, however, if it would be the the last time he saw his brother Magnus on this earth....
Galagros
09-12-2006, 02:30
Ah simply lovely, Martok! I felt as though I had slipped into a good book. More!
I have to write an english paper at the moment, but plan on posting a a huge post tomorrow. I played stopped my last write-up in 1110, but had note up until 1114, and tonight I played until 1135. I had a ton of fun tonight and some great battles. :2thumbsup: I can't wait to share!
Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie Galagros
In 1131, Prince Joar stepped out of Thor, his great longship, and onto the sands of Northumbria. He was the first Viking to set foot on the shores of England in over three generations....but he was not the last. Within the next couple hours, over 1000 of his fellow Norsemen disembarked and beached their vessels. Having arrived late afternoon, the army marched only a few miles before setting up camp.
They hadn't marched very far the next morning when they were spotted by the enemy for the first time. Prince Henry (who was serving as his father William's regent in Britain) had received word in London only a week prior of the great fleet sailing from Roskilde, and had ordered sentries along the eastern shore to keep watch. Despite these precautions, he was still unprepared for how soon the Norwegians had arrived--the winds of the North Sea had been unusually favorable for Joar's fleet--and he suddenly found himself scrambling to try and rush reinforcements to the north.
Fortunately for the Norwegians, those reinforcements were too late to save York. They advanced on the city almost unopposed, as the Earl of Northumbria didn't even bother to fight after glimpsing the size of the force arrayed against him. He and his men bolted back to the town, shutting the gates in an ultimately vain attempt to hold out against the invaders. Upon arriving on the outskirts of the town a few days later, Prince Joar immediately began preparations for a direct assault. He was determined not to waste any time in conquering this land.
Just as the Vikings were about to storm York, however, they suddenly heard horns to the north! Inside the town, the English began cheering--help beyond hope had arrived in the form of Prince Edward. Edward had somehow gotten word of the invasion before his brother, and had marched from Edinburgh days ago at the head of an army, mostly made up of fierce Highlanders and stolid Saxon Fyrdmen. The Norwegians, momentarily nonplussed, quickly overcame their startlement and arrayed themselves in battle formation. Joar quickly realized his army would be outnumbered, and settled in for what he knew would be a long battle.
For all that, however, the Prince was more irritated than worried over the battle about to commence. He knew he could defeat the English easily enough, but doing so would significantly slow down his plans for taking over Britain. He determined that after he had secured victory in Mercia, he would would order the fleet to find and destroy all English vessels in the North Sea and the Channel, so as to ensure the Normans couldn't dispatch any more reinforcements from the Continent.
So decided, he went off to lead his men to a tough but decisive victory. The Norsemen took heavy losses, but the bulk of Norman forces in Britain was destroyed that day. Prince Edward was captured and ransomed back to his father, and Prince Henry was still desperately trying to raise an army in Nottingham. Joar decided not to give him the chance to do so, and immediately invaded Mercia. After a short but bitter fight, Prince Henry was killed, and the town was overrun.
Back in York, Prince Karl had arrived from Norway with fresh troops. After reinforcing the garrison there, he turned his army north to Edinburgh. The Duke of Scotland was of the bookish type, not a warrior, and was running away almost before Karl's men even reached the Norman lines. The old Scottish capital fell almost immediately, as the survivors went through their food stores too quickly. Now only Wessex and Wales remained unconquered.
In regards to the latter, King Magnus (on the advice of Prince Joar), made an extraordinary offer to the Welsh. So impressed was Joar with their superb archers, that he wished to make them brothers to the Norsemen in all but name. Magnus therefore dispatched an emissary, wishing to purchase their services in perpetuity. Surprised, yet grateful for the offer--they had fully expected to be the Norwegians' next victim--they accepted. Now only Wessex itself remained in English hands.
In the meantime, the captains of the various Norwegian longship squadrons had already done precisely what Joar desired. The Sea Wolves had siezed the initiative, sinking all English shipping down to the Bay of Biscay. In the space of less than a year, most of the Normans' navy ceased to exist. Only a single ship in the English Channel survived--a ship that transported King William III to Wessex. He had crossed over with only his Royal Knights, determined to make a last-ditch attempt to redeem his lands in Britain.
The move, while a noble one on his part, was ultimately futile and led to his downfall. William arrived in a Wessex wholly abandoned by his once-great army; only the servants were there to greet him when he rode to London. The next year, Norwegian longships dispatched by Prince Joar sailed into the Channel and sank the last English vessel patrolling the waters there. King William was now cut off with no chance of retreat back to the mainland.
Upon learning of this, Joar dispatched his brother Burislev along with 2 units of newly-recruited Feudal Seargents to Wessex. William fought bravely, but was eventually brought down by Prince Burislev's own lance; the rest of the English knights quickly fell after that. Britain was now wholly conquered by the Norsemen; King Magnus' dream was at last a reality. All that remained now was for him to come to London for his coronation.
Alas, Magnus would never make it there. Finally succumbing to the illness that had plagued him for so long, he died just as he was getting ready to make the trip across the North Sea. There was great mourning throughout all of Scandanavia, and Princes Joar & Karl both wept when the news reached Britain. Despite their sorrow, however, both brothers knew they still had work to do. Karl returned home with Crown Prince Jon for his coronation, while Joar and their younger brother Burislev stayed behind to order affairs in their newly-conquered territories.
Little did Joar and Karl know that a new enemy would soon threaten their people. Only this time, however, the threat would not come from outside the kingdom's borders--it would be from within.
Galagros
09-13-2006, 01:57
Gah!! Good stopping point, Martok. Thanks for the comments guys.
Previous Posts: 1 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1239248&postcount=527), 2 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1239811&postcount=530)
The Battle of Friesland, 1110:
A heavy downpour soaks the Irish men to the bone as they receive orders to form the battle line. Donchad does what he can in the way of encouraging speeches, but there is little that can be done to cheer up a man who is soaking wet and wearing armor; they just want to get the battle done with. Soon enough the King orders the infantry to advance on the enemy troops, who have positioned themselves between two small forests. King Donchad expected an ambush, but was unworried. He and a unit of Irish Light Horsemen flanked the woods on the left, while Prince Flann and another unit of Irish Light Horsemen flanked the trees on the right, and the infantry marched straight for the plains in the center.
As soon as the infantry engaged the small enemy, hundreds of spearmen emerged from the woods on the right. The Connaght Warband held their ground against the advancing spearmen and the Irish Light Horsemen softened up the spearmen with thier missles just before Prince Flann charged into their backs. It was obvious now that the woods on the left were empty and the King charged across the field and into the battle. The enemy general was killed in the melee and as the entire enemy army routed, many were cut down and captured.
https://img170.imageshack.us/img170/716/8ng0.png
The King took much pleasure in riding down the cowardous enemy archers, who fled with hardly a fight. After the battles, even seasoned veterans applauded Prince Flann's ability to stay calm in battle while his bodyguards were falling around him. His actions behind the enemy lines had surely helped win the battle so quickly. After the battle, 216 enemy soldiers along with 2 nobles were sentenced to death, and King Donchad felt more confident in his attacks than before (skilled attacker).
https://img98.imageshack.us/img98/787/9sf4.png
1111: The King sends for another Connaght Warband from Ireland and lays siege to the keep in Friesland while also ordering Rochad to arrange an alliance with the Norse, who have heavy garrisons in two territories bordering Friesland.
1112: The Norwegian King sends Rochad away after rejecting our offer for an alliance. Rochad is hardly disheartened and goes back to his favorite game, and asks for the hand of a Scottish princess. As the siege in Friesland continues, Donchad orders Lord Eoghan to have garrison troops prepared for the fall of the keep. He also has Iceland encourage more forresting to provide the much needed lumber for ships and building projects.
1113: The Scottish refuse our marriage offer, but that seems entirely unimportant when news reaches the King that the Welsh have invaded the English in Wessex! "....this decision may well define our country for generations to come," said Donchad; he knew how important wars were. The Welsh were family; Donchad's own sister was married to a Welsh prince. However, they seem to have no hope of beating the English, and he feels forced to abandon them. Spearmen are conscripted in Ireland and Woodsmen in Iceland, both will be sent to garrison some location. A good stone mason is also sent to Iceland, with hopes of building a keep there.
1114: The siege of Friesland ends in a huge fire and many building are torched, though a select few survive. The King's brother, Prince Niall, comes of age. The boy has a strangely shaped chin, and he often wears a full war helmet in order to help cover up his deformity. Celtic Warriors and Woodsmen, from Ireland and Iceland respectively, are sent to help garrison the new territory while it's watchtowers are being built. Ireland continues to expand it's navy while Iceland finally lays the foundation for a keep.
1115: As soon as the last watchtower is up in Friesland, Donchad orders all of the workmen to to construct a port so that he may have travel back to the Isles, if necessary. He also recruits a unit of archers, to add a little diversity to his army. The year turns out to be quite eneventful.
1116: A diplomat from Poland is received by the King and, eventually, an alliance is worked out. The new castle in Ireland looks impressive and several horse breeders are brought in to fill up the newly expanded stables. More Galloglaich are also hired to help man the longer walls.
1117: Urgent news arrives that the English and the Navarrese have declared war on one another and a battle has been fought. Though the details are hazy, it has been confirmed that the King of Navarre was killed in the fighting and that is heir has ascended to the throne. Donchad's wife is in an uproar over her father's murder and presses her husband to side with her homeland against th English. Donchad knows that it is folly to go to war against a far superior power, but he simply can not reject his wife, and sides with Navarre. The King now worries for his fledgling navy and the impact on trade that would occur if his merchant ships were sunk. He anxiously waits for the port in Friesland to be completed so that he can formulate his next move.
1118: Another great famine spreads across Ireland, killing many. Is this an omen of things to come? As he pondered that very question a courier arrived. Apparently, the man had come from Rochad, who had finally worked out an alliance with the deadly Norse. Unfortunately, it was only weeks later when another courier arrived and reported that the Norse and Scottish had gone to war.
"...what to do," Donchad mumbled while he thought out his situation. The Norse ruled the seas and has thousands of soldiers on the border of Friesland, whereas the Scottish were weak and only controlled Scotland, but had been longtime allies. "Curse that man!" Donchad was speaking of the mad Scottish King, who, no doubt, had started the war. He sighed as he abandoned the Scottish and sent his good intentions to the Norse. Ireland and Friesland both continued to recruit soldiers to participate in, what seemed like, the many battles that were to come.
1119: King Donchad's youngest brother finally came of age, in Friesland. He was much like the rest of his family, save for the fact that he was too easily tempted by monestary gain. The King leaves his bother, Flann, to defend Friesland as he leads a host of 600 into the lightly defended English land of Northumbria. Before he goes, he sends word to Rochad to try and re-establish diplomatic ties with the Welsh, who had successfully taken Wessex from the English years earlier; he now regretted ever abandoning their alliance.
1120: While besieging th English, who had not fought in Northumbria, word reaches the King that that Danish, Polish, and Norse have all sided against him. He is particulary angry at the Norse, who he had spent so much time trying to appease. Mounted Sergeants are recruited in Ireland, thanks to the new horse breeder. An axesmith has been built in Ireland, next to the newly completed keep. Another unit of Galloglaich join their King in Northumbria while he awaits the probable Englsih reinforcements. At home in Ireland, Donchad's first son was born!
1121: A day of mourning occurs when a royal servant finds Rochad, royal friend and diplomat, slumped over his desk with a knife in his back. Though a long search for the assassin is performed, no leads turn up. More bad news is received that the Englsih have broken the siege of Navarre and massacred the Navarrese royal family. The Queen takes to crying and it is said that she often goes about her day as if in a trance.
1122: No Englsih reinforcements ever arrive and Northumbria falls to the Irsh army. Lord Gofraidh is named Earl and construction immediately begins on watchtowers to keep the populous in order. People now say openly that Donchad is just as good of a builder as his father.
1123: Several Irish ships trading in the Bay of Biscay go missing and it is assumed that they have been captured or sunk by the English. In an unexpected, but good turn of events, a Scottish prince weds King Donchad's daughter, and the nations once again have an alliance. Borderforts and archer are ordered in Northumbria to boost defence.
1124: A messenger from the Pope arrived and presents Donchad with 1,000 florins as a reward for his piety. The King find this odd, but admits that his people are very zealous by nature. That year a shipyard is started in Iceland and a port in Northumbria. In mid spring Donchad marches in men south into York, which is still held by the English, who run for their keep without a fight when they spot the Irish army.
1125: The Irish lands continue to improve themselves and the siege of York also continues without objection. The year ends without much happening.
1126: Prince Dermont leaves the siege of York to replace his brother Flann in Friesland, who has repeatedly proven himself unworthy and incapable.
1127: The siege of York finally ends and rebuilding begins. All Irish territories appear to be safe and secure as the King celebrates his 54th birthday. Back in Ireland, Prince Aedh, who has spent many years studying military doctrine, is now regarded by many as highly educated.
1128: The shipyard in Iceland is now complete and it is converted into the kingdom's first naval base. Northumbria is tasked with increasing their trade revenue and in York borderforts are built to deter the English in Mercia. Mercia is a large problem for King Donchad, as an astounding army of 3,000 reside there under the command of a battle-tested general; thus Donchad can neither invade not withdraw his army any men defending York.
1129: The world is stunned when the French, our strongest ally, dissolve into complete civil war when the French King dies without an heir. Donchad fears that this will prove disasterous when the English attempt to assert control over the previous French territories and resloves to calm a few down himself and even out the situation.
1130: High King Donchad I departs for the rebellious Flanders, on the eve of his 57th birthday, with an army of 300. To his great surprise, the rebels retreat from the province entirely.
1131: The King leads 400 men against the rebels in Normandy and has units from far away sent to garrison Flanders in his absense.
https://img155.imageshack.us/img155/1056/10ro8.png
Only once Donchad arrived did he realize how terrible of a battlefield Normandy was. A thin bridge stood directly between the two armies and unfortunately, the enemy had arrayed in a defensive position on their side.
https://img155.imageshack.us/img155/1622/11zp6.png
So ... what will Donchad do? Will he order his men in a fullscale charge at the enemy? Will he retreat and hope to return another day!? Will he just sit there all day long and taunt the enemy!!? Well, you'll have to wait to find out. :juggle2: I am out of time right now, but I assure you, the best is tom come, as 1131-1134 are a lot of fun.
Well done, Galagros! Looks like you're going to end in up in a major confrontation with the English before too long. I wish you luck. :thumbsup:
@Rhythmic and Silver Rusher: When do you think you guys will do the next updates for your Bulgarian and Serb campaigns (respectively)? I've been looking forward to reading them! (Sorry, I know I sound greedy!)
I might have another update on my Norwegian campaign tonight, but I can't guarantee anything just yet. Real life may intrude on my playing (and posting) time this evening. ~:angry:
Nice Galagros,
Looking foward to reading both yours and Martok's.
I'll post now.
https://img80.imageshack.us/img80/9276/bulgars60gi7.jpg
The year began with the re-emergence of the Aragonese.
Followed swiftly by the re-emergence of the Sicilians.
https://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8837/bulgars61zt6.jpg
A grand day as the Cathedral at Turnovo is completed.
https://img147.imageshack.us/img147/2048/bulgars62ei4.jpg
https://img141.imageshack.us/img141/3818/bulgars63la5.jpg
Time becomes a concept.
An Ally against the Hungarians.
https://img180.imageshack.us/img180/6122/bulgars64vr8.jpg
A bride for the Prince.
https://img180.imageshack.us/img180/3186/bulgars65ou0.jpg
https://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8540/bulgars66gj0.jpg
Bribary! :idea2:
Galagros
09-13-2006, 16:05
Huzzah! Time for a little more.
Previous Posts: 1 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1239248&postcount=527), 2 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1239811&postcount=530), 3 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1241102&postcount=538)
The battle of Normandy, 1131:
Perviously, the enemy had taken up a defensive position on the other side of the bridge.
https://img155.imageshack.us/img155/1622/11zp6.png
The King ordered his Irish Light Horsemen to cross the bridge and attempt to lure out the enemy, but only minutes later half of the horsemen were back on their side of the river, reporting that the enemy had archers and ballista had showered them with hundreds of projectiles. "No," thought the King. "This battle will be won only by brute force." His next order was to send the infantry to attack in waves. Taking the front was a unit of Galloglaich, who were notorious for their ability to decimate armoured opponents. Behind them came a special unit of Noble Footmen, who would be able to keep a foothold once across the bridge. And taking up the rear was a Connaght Warband. The battle soon turned into a swirling mess of metal and flesh.
https://img155.imageshack.us/img155/5370/12dd4.png
Our forces were easily beating the men-at-arms, spearmen and miles, despite the many arrows and other projectiles falling among them. Slowly though, our men were falling, and more and more enemy units joined the battle. When finally the Connaght Warband could take no more arrows and routed, a group of Mounted Sergeants were sent in. Ther Sergeants and Noble Footmen were still hacking away at the enemy fearlessly when the second unit of Galloglaich were sent in and the first told to retreat and rest.
"Hmm, this kind of grinding away at the enemy will take all day, and at the end my army will be in ruins," Donchad admitted to himself. He devised a plan and sent it into action. The second wave of Galloglaich had only been fighting a short time when they received orders to retreat. The Mounted Sergeants received the task of slowly retreating, who obeyed, allbeit reluctantly. Sadly, the handful of remaining Noble Footmen had fought their way deep into the enemy and could not be reached for orders. Now surrounded and without allies, they routed.
Donchad was ready for the enemy counterattack. He had positioned himself atop a slight rise, directly opposite of the bridge. To one side waited a second unit of Mounted Sergeants and on the other the remaining members of the Connaght Warband. All were ready to give the enemy a taste of their own medicine, but the enemy general's intelligence had been overlooked and no attack came.
Now angered, the King gave his men a little time to rest and ordered another attack. He sent in the fresher unit of Galloglaich, followed by the battered Warband, and the untouched Mounted Sergeants. This time, the enemy were too few to hold back the furious Irishmen and the Warband busted through their defenses. Immediately, Donchad and the other Mounted Sergeants raced in to finish the battle in one fell swoop. "Charge!" shouted the King as the horses hooves beat and the cavalry screamed. The rebels were in a full retreat and many were taken prisoner.
https://img140.imageshack.us/img140/5346/13in6.png
The battle for Normandy was hard fought, but proved the worth of native Irish units. After the battle dozens of prisoners were put to death and the King was ranked as a better general then previously thought.
https://img140.imageshack.us/img140/3600/14gn8.pnghttps://img98.imageshack.us/img98/1068/15gu4.png
1132: A large garrison arrives in Flanders and another Connaght Warband arrives to reinforce the King in Normandy. Without a second thought Donchad orders his men to assault the castle, wanting to ensure it's fall should his age prove too much for him soon. He received a shock when rebel reinforcements appeared on the southern horizon, but prepared to make a stubborn defense.
He positions a unit of Galloglaich, the Mounted Sergeants and his own guards as bait near a large forrest, which held the Connaght Warband and some more Mounted Sergeants waiting in ambush. The plan works beautifully and the enemy routes extremely quickly.
https://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3976/16tx6.png
So surprised were the enemy, that tens run from a lone Galloglaich warrior!
https://img140.imageshack.us/img140/2479/17eg2.png
Nearly as many men were taken as were killed, though those taken were also killed. "Foolish rebels, how could they not have smelled an ambush?" the King had no ide how to answer his own question.
1133: Other nations find themselves in awe of the success of the Irish and several even offer their daughters to Irish Princes. In other news, Iceland becomes an island of strict Catholic zealousy under their governor. However, the King is interested only in the fall of Normandy, which does occur late in the year.
https://img101.imageshack.us/img101/9987/18zz4.png
1134: Rebels discover a distant member of the old French royal line and at least 5 previous French provinces rally to his cause. Luckily, Normandy and Flanders were not among them. Donchad, now 61, spends the year resting in Normandy with his son, who will become heir next year.
1135: Prince Donal comes of age and is considered to have the most potential of any Irish heir in generations. Zealousy increases even further in Iceland (to 95%), as Lord Raghnall forces strict Catholicism on the people.
1136: Several battered units from Normandy make the trip back to Ireland to re-enlist men. Prince Donal is given the defense of Flanders, an important task.
1137: Ruaidri O'Conall, Rochad's unworthy successor, asks a Scottish to princess to marry the prince. Donchad, following in his father's footsteps, begins construction of a wonderous citadel, much like the one that the Welsh have built in Wessex.
1138: O'Conall reports that he has failed in his task, making the old King to miss Rochad even further. That year he fears for his son, who has shown little interest in women so far, should a wife not be found soon. Ships are ordered into the Norwegian Sea and the Skageraak to kee an eye on the Norse and Danish. The Danish, at the moment, are Donchad's chief concern; after bribing the rebels in Brittany, they have moved in an army 1,000 strong, led by their King. "What are they up to?" Donchad figured that they had an attack planned, but he did not know if the target was himself or the French. In December Prince Brian comes of age. At the celebration the boy took to drinking ... and hasn't stopped since.
1139: The units sent back to Ireland fill their ranks and return to Normandy. Also, O'Conall, who failed at his task again, is sent to Anjou to re-establish our good ties with the French.
1140: Our ships reach the furthest reaches of the Baltic Sea and several countries confess that they are far poorer than the Irish. The Danish send another 500 soldiers to Brittany, bringing their garrison to 1,500. O'Conall continues his mission to meet with the French King. Hopefully, an alliance can be established before Donchad passes away. At 67, he still feels like 40, but he knows that his time is nearing an end.
1141: O'Conall fails horribly in his mission, even insulting the French King during the audience; the King considers getting a new diplomat. Unbeknownst to the King, Lord Keanan, Count of Friesland, establishes a tavern that is really a cover for a group of vefarious criminals.
Alright everyone, I'm finally caught up. I've given you everything that I've played and am ready to play more when I get home from the college today! :2thumbsup: Hope you enjoyed the read! Any suggestions for something new?
Also, please note that I am in no way playing this campaign in an effort to win. I've taken everything slowly and only build about 1/2 as many units as I could each turn. I only leave enough men to defend as I think necessary against the adjacent enemy and I've been trying to never outnumber the enemy by more then 100 when I attack. I don't expect to -ever- send ships south of Iberia and frankly, it would be overkill. As it is now I make 6,000 florins in profit every year.
Awesome, guys! Rhythmic, I see you've added Greece and held onto it; congratulations on your expansion. ~:cheers: Do you think you'll be moving against the Hungarians soon, or are you still not in a position to do so yet?
@Galagros: So are the Danes your biggest threat now? (How big are they, by the way?) And what happened to the English? Have you and the Welsh kicked them off Britain entirely? Inquiring minds wish to know. ~D
Here now is the next update on my Norwegian campaign:
In the early autumn of 1137, Crown Prince--now King--Jon and his brother Karl arrived at the royal harbor in Roskilde to a people still grieving over the death of Magnus, their great king. Despite the heavy rain that had been falling the last few days, a large crowd waited on the docks while the men on the longship Drake secured the vessel. A couple minutes later, Jon and Karl stepped out and began making their way into the town.
The people clamored to brush their hands on Jon's cloak, seeking comfort in their new sovereign. He shrunk away from them, though, and quickly hurried up the streets with his bodyguard to the castle. Sighing to himself, Karl stayed behind to carry out the duty which rightfully should have been performed by his brother--to comfort his people and share in their sorrow. Jon had been exhibiting increasingly odd behavior in recent years, and had been extremely quiet and withdrawn (even for him) on the journey home.. Karl wasn't sure what to make of his brother's strange behavior, but he felt it boded ill. He would turn out to be far more right than he ever could've wished or imagined.
Meanwhile over in Britain, the Norwegians were settling into their new lands. Prince Burislev took a small army to Wales to help put down a minor rebellion there, as not all the Welsh had accepted the offer of vassalage. Burislev also reported the startling news that shortly before the invasion, Prince Henry of England had completed building a Citadel in Wessex. Upon hearing of this, Prince Joar (whom King Jon had named as his regent in Britain) began making plans for establishing a second capital in London.
All in all, the people of Britain were fairly accepting of their new masters; the Scots and the Saxons apparently found the Norsemen to be much more palatable overlords than the Normans! This was also greatly helped by Prince Joar initiating an extensive building program, particularly with the construction of ports all along the coast. Once they were opened, money began to flow into the pockets of Britons, and from there into the royal treasury. Norwegian longships began sailing into the Mediterranean and finding new markets there as well, further increasing the wealth of King Jon's people.
And what of King Jon? While things were going relatively smoothly in Britain, not all was well back in Scandanavia. In fact, the situation was becoming increasingly dire, and the people were nearing open revolt. Jon I--by grace of God, King of the Norsemen, Jarl of Britain, & Lord of the Seas--was a man of little ability, and even less sanity. When he was younger, he used to talk about how the phrophets Elijah & Moses would speak with him. He was mocked mercilessly for this, especially by his brothers, and eventually he stopped mentioning it. But even though he no longer spoke of them out loud, the voices in his head continued. Upon being crowned king, they grew even louder and more insistent.
This dangerous situation was not helped by the fact that Inge, the youngest of old Magnus' sons (and now finally come of age), appeared to be as mad as his older brother. The only difference between him and Jon was that Inge believed he was the John the Baptist reborn. As a small boy, everyone indulged him when he wanted to baptize and "bless" everyone in sight; but the people no longer found such behavior amusing now that he was a man grown. The people began to grow fearful of what the mad brothers might do, and begged Prince Karl to do step in and do something.
While Karl acknowledged that something had to be done, he also realized he would need help--he could not oppose both Jon and Inge by himself. Towards that end, Karl dispatched a message to Prince Joar (who was currently stationed in Wessex), pleading he return to Denmark to help deal with the crisis at home. Joar did so, reluctantly leaving their brother Bureslev (a man possessed of both talent and over-ambition) in charge of the British provinces during his absence.
Joar sailed not to Roskilde, but instead to Akershus in Norway, where he was greeted in secret by Karl. They discussed at length what to do about Jon and Inge, as both knew their brothers must be dealt with soon. Karl openly proposed killing them, an idea which Joar resisted. (Of course, he hadn't seen firsthand just how mad his brothers had truly become, whereas Karl had not been so fortunate.) Karl emphasized this was not a suggestion he'd made easily or lightly; he even believed that killing their brothers would be a kindness, as opposed to them continuing to live in madness. Joar would still not agree to the plan, however--at least not until he'd seen Jon and Inge for himself, to see how bad things really were. With that decided, he and Karl sailed to Denmark.
Upon arriving at the king's harbor in Roskilde, however, the two princes discovered that events had far outpaced them. The people tearfully rushed to the two princes as they stepped onto the docks, embracing and kissing them as if they were long-awaited saviors. (In this, the brothers' impression was not far wrong.) Old Sven Ericsson, the ever-faithful royal chamberlain, hurried from the castle down to the docks to greet them and explain the situation.
It turned out that shortly after Prince Karl had secretly travelled to Norway to meet with Joar, King Jon and Prince Inge had had a "holy vision"--a vision that said they were to conquer the Irish in the name of God. Infused with divine inspiration, the two brothers had immediately set sail for Dublin, bringing with only their personal bodyguards; they believed God was on their side, and that that alone would be enough to bring victory. Lord Sven had pleaded with them not to go, or to at least wait for Karl's return; but neither Jon nor Inge would heed him.
Joar wanted to go after them, but Karl pointed out that they had at least a two-week headstart by now, and that there was virtually no chance of catching them. Realizing that his brothers were most likely already dead, Joar reluctantly took up the kingship, much to the joy & relief of the populace. He then dispatched Prince Karl to Britain to oversee matters there, as neither of them trusted Bureslav to rule the island by himself.
He also dispatched an emissary to Dublin, anticipating that the High King would want an explanation for why two Viking princes were raiding his lands when there had been peace between the Irish and Norwegians for many years. After relayed the details of the entire tragic affair, the High King forgave the actions of the Norsemen in exchange for a proper amount of gold (roughly equal to the damage suffered by the Irish during the raid). In addition, he also returned the bodies of Jon and Inge (which remarkably were more or less intact). Insane they may have been, but they were still Joar's brothers, and he felt they at least deserved to be buried in their family's ancestral lands in Norway.
It was now 1140. After three years of strife, anger, and fear, the kingdom of Norway was finally stable again. The throne was now in the very capable hands of King Joar, and his loyal brother Karl held Britain in his name. Their rebellious brother Burislev could still be a problem in the future, but Karl has been keeping a close eye on him. Trade has increased, the treasury has been starting to fill up, and the people--in both Britain and Scandanavia--were prosperous and content. For the first time in a decade, Norsemen looked to the future with hope.
Galagros
09-14-2006, 01:11
Awesome, Martok! Simply awesome.
The Danes are my chief concern simply because they have stationed so many troops next to Normandy in such a short amount of time. I don't know for sure, but I think they only have 3-4 provinces. The Norse probably have as many, but a lot of their men are thralls and they have just kept their large garrisons sitting around. My real concern should probably be the French, but I think they are having money issues since they gat so many men when they reappeared and only have 4-5 provinces.
The English are still in Mercia, with a 5-6 star general and 3,000 men (mostly fyrdmen). They used to have almost all of France, I believe, at least almost all that I could see of it (not using .matteosartori.). The French were holding onto 1-2 territories when the English took Navarre and I began to attack Britain. I can only assume that the English and Leonese got into it somehow because I can see that they now have a lot of soldiers in south-western France. I am guessing that the English only have 2-3 provinces left now (Mercia, and 1-2 in south-east France.)
I haven't played my campaign yet today as I just got my new computer!!! I'm upgrading from a P4 2.0 Ghz, 20 GB hd, 128 MB RAM, GeForce something 64 MB to a AMD Athlon X2 3800+, 160 GB hd, 1 GB RAM, GeForce 7300GS 512 MB. Although, I think I may have a problem and they may have only put 512 MB RAM in and not 1 Gig.... I'll have to look into it.
EDIT: Nevermind, I'm just too stupid to realize that beside 512 MB RAM it said "Quantity: 2"
Thanks, Galagros. :bow: I have to say, by the way, that I'm quite jealous of your new machine. I'm hoping to upgrade my computer here in a only couple months, but the waiting still drives me crazy!
Maloncanth
09-14-2006, 03:57
https://img216.imageshack.us/img216/2712/bohemiaqb4.jpg
phew!
I've started a Cuman Campaign from which I may or may not post the highlights. They're a much easier side to play than Bohemians but I figure just this once I'll try to win without doing anything cheap like always. ;p
I will see if I can destroy Catholicism. ~:pissed:
phew!
~:cheers:
I've started a Cuman Campaign from which I may or may not post the highlights. They're a much easier side to play than Bohemians but I figure just this once I'll try to win without doing anything cheap like always. ;p
I will see if I can destroy Catholicism. ~:pissed:
EDIT: Early Timeline:
1096: After rushing a tower and and an armourer for CHC's the Cumans sieze Kiev, taking away the Russian base of power.
Cool! Looking forward to hearing more!
Galagros
09-14-2006, 07:01
:fainting: Battles ... lots .... of battles. :dizzy2:
I'll post an update whenever I can, probably not until Friday. If you want a sneak peek ... look at the top of my post.
I remember enjoying the Cuman cavalry, but I've not yet figured out units that are both ranged and infantry.
:bow:
Nice Galagros, Martok and Maloncanth.
Looking forward to reading more.
Maloncanth
09-14-2006, 08:17
I remember enjoying the Cuman cavalry, but I've not yet figured out units that are both ranged and infantry.
Cuman Cavalry destroy the ozone layer. ~;p They are very thinly disguised Chivalric Knights except cheaper, lower tech, and available in Early. They run through everything. Spearmen? *stomp* Khazar Royals? *splat*
Nice update, Maloncanth!
I'll try to post another portion of my Norwegian campaign tomorrow, but no promises. I'm going to be fairly busy the next couple days, and probably won't have much time to play. ~:( I'll do my best though!
Galagros
09-15-2006, 17:39
Finally, time to post some more.
Previous Posts: 1 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1239248&postcount=527), 2 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1239811&postcount=530), 3 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1241102&postcount=538), 4 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1241531&postcount=542)
Map of the World - 1142
https://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5615/19tg1.png
1142: The kingdoms is once again thrown into mourning when the much loved High King Donchad I succmbs to age and passes away. He is succeeded by his first son, Donal. Though he, too, is in mourning he begins his first task of finding a bride; a kingdom must have heirs.
https://img49.imageshack.us/img49/7604/20az9.pnghttps://img174.imageshack.us/img174/5687/21aa2.png
1143: The King marries the daughter of an up-and-coming noble. The people anxiously awat an heir to be born, though those that know Donal best have their doubts one ever will be. Scouts report that the Danish army in Brittany has grown to voer 2,000.
1144: O'Conall fails to obtain the hand of a French princess for Prince Brian.
1145: Donal comes to the conclusion that O'Conall has failed one too many times and strips the man of royal service. His replacement, Connall Eochan, is tasked with stripping the lazy Lord Ciarrai of his title as Duke of Normandy for someone more favorable. The King surprises everyone when he announces that castles will be built in both Northumbria and York. He is an ambitious youth, for sure.
A scout, gasping for breath, arrives suddenly in Flanders to tell Prince Brian that the French have invaded. However, Brian is too drunk to understand and seems to think that they are coming for a party. By the time he comes to his senses it is nearly too late for his poorly trained and equipped army.
https://img174.imageshack.us/img174/4900/22fi4.png
The Prince positions one third of his army in a nearby forest, hoping ambush the enemy. A few Kerns and Irish Dartmen were sent ahead to harass the enemy. If all went to plan the Dartmen would lure the enemy into the crossfire of the Kerns, who would then lure the enemy into the ambush.
Predictably, the plan did not go as planned. The enemy proved quick enough to catch the Kerns and Dartmen, engaging and slaughtering them. Luckily, the units fled into the same forest as the ambush. However, the two units of enemy miles that sprung the ambush proved too much for our Horsemen, Spearmen, and Woodsmen. In the end, all that won the day was a cavalry charge against the enemy archers, made by the Prince himself and some Irish Light Horsemen. The entire infantry surrounded and slowly wore down the much stronger enemy infantry.
https://img160.imageshack.us/img160/3205/23jm2.png
The victory was cost many lives, but it was a victory nonetheless. After the battle the Prince slaughtered 353 enemy soldiers and 2 nobles.
1146: Word reaches the King that the Scottish have chosen to remain allied to the French over the Irish. Donal believes it is a follish move, meant to insult him personally and he quickly lands a small invasion force in Scotland.
https://img156.imageshack.us/img156/1924/24tt4.png
The enemy positioned themslevs at the top of an enormous hill. Donal sent the Nobel Footmen ahead to lead the way. To the left to sent Galloglaich and cavalry, and to the right went the Connaght Warband. At the top of the hill it was visible that the enemy planned to have their cavalry circle around our right and attack from the rear. Suddenly the Scots sent their spearmen againat our cavalry, their clansmen against our infantry, and their elite cavalry against against our entire right.
Donal had completely underestimated the Scottish. They decimated our Galloglaich, kept our Noble Footmen busy, badly injured the Warband, and charged everyone from behind. With the Warband tied up there were no anti-cavalry units available and so the two armies' cavalry clashed.
Somehow, Donal found himself surrouned by enemies and alone; his guardsmen were all dead. He fought like a madman, for what seemed like hours, until a battered unit of Irish Light Horsemen charged in to save their King.
https://img160.imageshack.us/img160/7205/25fh9.png
Later in the battle, he found himself face to face with the Scottish King. Both men were alone and they charged at each other. Donal proved too strong for thr Scottish King and he was slain.
https://img157.imageshack.us/img157/889/26mg9.png
As the enemy retreated Donal viewed the carnage. All of the dying horses thrashing about and whining were truly a sight to behold.
https://img131.imageshack.us/img131/9880/27vb2.png
https://img95.imageshack.us/img95/316/28nw4.png
-----------------
"Normandy! The French are in Normandy!" screamed the messenger. Lord Mac had just been given control of the province and he'd be damned if he was about to loose it already.
https://img81.imageshack.us/img81/2198/29iw5.png
https://img183.imageshack.us/img183/6190/30wp1.png
His superior numbers and tactics were enough to easily win the battle and defend Normandy.
-----------------
In Flanders, Prince Brian again received word of a French invasino. This time, he happens to be sober, and he vows to remain so during the battle.
https://img183.imageshack.us/img183/2341/31ix8.png
Brian ordered his men to form up in in the trees. The French sent scouts ahead to search out the ambush, which they did, causing the enemy to commit the rest of their forces. As soon as they did, our cavalry charged their defensless archer.
https://img301.imageshack.us/img301/7036/32wd6.png
The number of fleeing enemy soldiers was a sight to see. It seemed as though one whole army was chasing another.
https://img301.imageshack.us/img301/2952/33li0.png
The victory was complete!
Okay, that's it for now everyone. I've played up until 1165, but this post is quite large enough already and I have some other things to do. :2thumbsup:
Silver Rusher
09-15-2006, 18:11
A few notes:
1. Rythmic, huge problems with my Latin Empire thingy have caused me to have to abandon it. I hope you don't mind.
2. I haven't been bothered to continue on my Serbian campaign.
3. I may tell you all about my now finished but very fun Danish campaign. Also, my current Armenian campaign is looking very good.
Some impressive victories, Galagros! You've certainly taught the French a few hard lessons in the ways of warfare; let's hope they wise up and make peace with you. :2thumbsup:
I should get a chance to play my Norwegian campaign tonight, but I doubt anything very exciting will happen anytime soon. With both Britain & Scandanavia secure, trade flourishing throughout the kingdom, and the succession crisis now over with Joar's ascension to the throne, things are happy and peaceful. Of course that's all well and good for my people, but it doesn't make for a very compelling story. ~;)
Galagros
09-16-2006, 11:44
I started a campaign last night because I wanted to play around with something new for a little bit (haven't stopped my Irish campaign yet). It was as the Genoese, Early, Hard, XL Mod. On the first turn I took Milan from the Venetians and on the second turn I took Venice. Both times they retreated, apparently not knowing they had nowhere to run the second. :sweatdrop:
I then took Croatia and Provence in a few more years. Unfortunately, the HRE proved to be able to produce units A LOT faster than me. I found myself fighting battles that were 1600 vs my 700 etc, and and I lost Provence and Milan to the HRE. My armies are still mostly spearmen, but I try to get 2 units of Sergeants, Mounted Sergeants, and archers in each province, too. It's not looking good against the HRE, though. :furious3:
:bow:
Nice work.
Don't worry Silver, BTW what was wrong with it?
I gave the Almos a try, never tried them before.
https://img165.imageshack.us/img165/5210/almode2.png
Silver Rusher
09-16-2006, 15:43
There were some annoying bugs regarding the shield pics that I coudn't figure out.
Anyhow, let me tell you about my early period, expert, huge unit Danish campaign, which I unfortunately don't have any screenshots for:
The campaign had a very dodgy beginning. Thinking not at all of the defense of my homelands, I waited only a few years before attacking Pomerania. At first I had loyalty troubles, but once I got it in check I attacked and conquered Prussia.
Then the Swedes conquered Scania, which was only being defended by 60 Vikings. :angry: At this point I decided to ally with the Norwegians, thinking that they could help me against Sweden. Unfortunately, however, only a couple of years before my armies were ready to take it back my Norwegian allies came in and took it instead. Thanks for the help, Norwegians! :angry: I was not going to see this province again for a long, long time.
In my mind more allies was only best and so I allied with Novgorod and Lithuania. Happy days. Continuing my race for Baltic maritime supremecy, I then conquered Estonia (I would have conquered Finland or Livonia, but they had already been taking by Novgorod and Lithuania respectively). Everything was fine.
At this point my dreadful economy meant that I desperately needed a province with a bit of farmland in it. So I sent a longboat to keep the North Sea in check, before sending my marauding Viking horde to conquer Scotland. Fortunately, the Scots hand conquered Northumbria meaning that instead of retreating to the stronghold, they handed the province straight over. Ah, joy.
Another opportunity for expansion arose when the HRE was excomm'ed. Most of my army was in Scotland, and so I was to build a port and then go straight for Saxony.
But it didn't work out. Once again, two years before my invasion was prepared, the damned Norwegians beat me to it. They conquered Saxony with a relatively small force. So I settled for Friesland instead. I was hoping that the Germans would re-invade from Franconia, but instead the Bohemians re-emerged there at that exact moment. Now, the only German province bordering Saxony was Brandenburg, which had a pathetic army in it. What the heck, I thought. I conquered Brandenburg as well.
Then, finally, some good luck. There was a loyalist rebellion in Saxony. The Norwegians were powerless to do anything about it, so I waited until the besieged army was destroyed and moved my army into Saxony, taking the keep. My Baltic empire was looking better now.
But my economy was still absolutely terrible. I needed a good chunk of farmland for my people to grow their crops on without it freezing over. Novgorod was the best that I saw, but her army was far too powerful. Also, they had a fierce alliance with the Lithuanians, and they too had a very big army. :dizzy2: The economic situation was desperate, however, and so I invaded Novgorod via boat anyway.
At first, the result was terrible. While I managed to win the field battle at first, reinforcements from the armies of Novgorod and Lithuania almost outnumbered my 2-1, even though I had many mercenaries in my army. My men fought bravely, but to no avail. They retreated to Estonia.
But then I heard some excellent news, which was arguably a decisive cause of my victory. The brave General in charge of the Livonian garrison of the Lithuanians, recognising the foolishness of the Lithuanian Grand Duke in attacking the Great Baltic Empire, declared himself and his army independant, gaining control of all Livonia! The Grand Duke himself sent an army to try and take it back, but was defeated.
This was the perfect opportunity. Another invasion was sent by the Baltic Empire to conquer Novgorod, and this time it worked! The Keep was abandoned, and all the glorious farmland was left to me. This was a huge turning point in the Baltic economy.
Bad news from other corners of the Empire, though. The Lithuanian Grand Duke, in his anger, sent an army into Prussia and was able to conquer it successfully. And so I struck back at Lithuania, rather foolishly, but was repelled soon after. But I did take back Prussia shortly, however.
Meanwhile, the Germans took back Friesland. It was a very bad province anyway, and their excommunication had worn off. So I settled a ceasefire with them.
The Lithuanians attacked Livonia shortly thereafter and won. Using this as an opportunity, I attacked Lithuania again, but this time was far more successful. Then I liberated Livonia (well, conquered) and the Lithuanians were restricted to Smolensk and nothing but.
At this point I tried to reason with the Lithuanians. They had been thoroughly defeated and pushed back, yet they still rejected my offers of ceasefires. When they attacked Novgorod from Smolensk, I decided they had to go. Smolensk was taken and the Lithuanians destroyed shortly thereafter.
Now, the people of Novgorod had lost their main province but still controlled Muscovy and Finland. I tried to bribe their army in Muscovy, but to no avail. I did conquer Finland however, and tried to get a ceasefire with them. Not accepted. At that point I decided the Muscovites deserved their own land, and to be free from the oppresive Novgorod monarchy. I conquered Moscovy and let it rebel. The former family of Novgorod was no more.
Payback time for the Swedes, then. They had recently conquered Scania off the Norwegians. This was going too far. My glorious armies, having conquered the Eastern Realm of the Empire, marched back to the port of Novgorod and launch a full scale invasion of all Sweden. This ended with the swift destruction of their nation, and the Baltic Empire was glorious! This was the point at which I chose to end my campaign.
Galagros
09-16-2006, 19:44
Previous Posts: 1 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1239248&postcount=527), 2 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1239811&postcount=530), 3 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1241102&postcount=538), 4 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1241531&postcount=542), 5 (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1243183&postcount=552)
1147: The citadel is finally finished in Ireland and the government changes residences. Territories in France attempt to rebuild their armies after the previous defenses. Meanwhile, the King assaults the keep in Scotland. The defenders can not stop him and they fall, to the man.
1148: Units are sent back to Ireland to replenish their ranks and a garrison is sent to take over in Scotland. Armies in France again fortify themselves and prepare for more invasions, but they never come.
1149: Borderforts are built in Scotland to control the population and a much needed castle begins to take shape in Iceland. The mainland provinces are ordered to keep on their guard and watch for the greedy French to attack.
1150: The people are getting worried that their King has yet to sire a male heir, but some hope still remains. In a surprise turn of events, ships from all around the globe fill the northern seas, leaving one wonder just what the attraction is.
1151: Construction of a castle is ordered in Friesland, which should have been fortified long ago. Unknown to the King, Lord Keanan of Friesland is training a special group of highly qualified assassins. What are his intentions? Should the King find out, he would surely have the man executed.
1152: King Donal takes his first unwarranted offensive action and attacks the Norse in Orkneyjar and Caithness. The Norse wisely decide that they can not win and retreat to their fort. They would have been wiser to retreat from the territory entirely.
1153: King Donal leads an assault force against the Norse fort while our navy engages to Norse fleet on many fronts. The fort falls easily enough to Donal, who is a skilled assaulter, but one sea remains in the hands of the Norse. Our allies, the Novgorodians, also take action against the Norse and defeat them in Swabia.
1154: The Danish army in Brittany grows is now rumored to be over 4,000 strong. Once again, Donal wonders on their intentions. He has other things to worry about though, as he is now 35 and still, hiw wife has not born him a son. He must consider that his wife is the problem ... one that is possible to replace.
1155: Our navy attempts to wipe out the remaining Norse ships as Donal marches his army south in order to reach a port large enough to launch an invasion from, if necessary. Our army in Friesland is attacked by an army led by the Norse King himself!
https://img97.imageshack.us/img97/57/34cp4.png
Sir Dermot Boru is over confident in his numbers and does not use proper tactics in the battle. His forces are crushed and he is the last man off the field of battle.
https://img97.imageshack.us/img97/9753/35bn6.png
https://img237.imageshack.us/img237/9959/36uq8.png
The few remaining men barricade themselves in the keep and await the reinforcements that they know will come.
Sorry it's so short guys, but I'm about to leave work and go home. I've played up through 1175, just to let you guys know.
Maloncanth
09-17-2006, 04:04
Timeline:
1096: After rushing a tower and and an armourer for CHC's the Cumans sieze Kiev, taking away the Russian base of power.
1097: Khan Batu I continues his invasion by attacking Pereslavl. Masterful management of light cavalry envelopes Russian horse archers and the Cuman Khanate is completely victorious. Batu gains Specialist Attacker, and Builder.
1099: After raids into Chernigov, the Cumans defeat the Rus again at the Second Battle of Pereslavl this time under Batu the Younger. Unfortunately, another 2-star general, Ogodhun Morut steals the glory (and the command star) :(
Mass production of CMS-05 Shamans begins at Lesser Khazar. Down with monotheism!
1104: Cuman Khanate destroys the Khazar Khanate.
1106-9: Lithuanians attack Volhynia, briefly sieging the fort. Khan Batu himself liberates the province and then leads an attack in 1108. In the ensuing battle, the Lithuanians are overwhelmed by Cuman horse. The Cumans proceed to assault the small garrison during which Princes Batu and Subudai suffer strategic accidents, leaving the much more capable Prince Temedur heir apparent.
1110's: Go to war with the Volga Bulgarians but fail to take Ryazan. Novgorods attack, so now the Cumans are at war with three little AI's but it doesn't matter because I still haven't stopped building CHC's out of Kiev and Levidia! Beat the Novvies 2:1 when they try to invade Lithuania.
Cuman Heavy Cavalry Can Chew Up Humans To Fart Out Gold
1116: Beat the Volga-Bulgarians at Ryazan and Volga-Bulgaria, capturing many, including their king. Afterwards, the Cuman Heavy Cavalry confirmed their ability to simply overpower things even while in forests, and to chew up human corpses to fart out gold.
1123: A massive, general, four or five-sided Eurasian War goes from raging violence down to a sudden quiet. Volga-Bulgarian, Hungarian, and Seljuk royal lines are all suddenly ended. Egypt controls everything up to Nicaea except Georgia, Armenia and Trebizond. Hungary is now Byzantine territory, Muscovy is rebel, and around a third of all civilians involved (including those in Asia Minor and ex-Hungary ~:p) are pagan.
In the late 1120's the Volga-Bulgarians respawn with five stacks on the very turn my emissary bribed the rebel one left in Muscovy. Talk about luck. That is, until I realized they were all soft targets. After a furious series of fights in which the Volga-Bulgarians also attacked the Novgorods and in which Cuman Heavy Cavalry simply ran over everything the respawning Bulgarians had, including spearmen, the Cuman Khanate took Muscovy, Smolensk, and Novgorod, in that order. Meanwhile, the pagan population in the whole of the Byzantine empire was just reaching about 40% or so. This significant pagan minority is a sign that the gods smile upon our Khanate! Soon the spectre of monotheism will be no more but a bemusing memory! We will promote a more egalitarian, more socialist form of worshipment. From each, miracles according to ability, to each worship according to need! :director:
All would not be well for long though because then, the Fatimids attacked! The monotheist bourgeoisie fear the undeniable course of our pagan ideals. (There was a solid sheet of Shamans extending to Sinai) Yet, the tides of history were on our side. It was said that the Cuman Heavy Cavalry roared in unison so loudly in rage that the resulting storm blew half the Fatimid fleet out of the water.
Galagros
09-17-2006, 08:30
This was an absolutely terrible night for MTW. :fainting: I had 3 Argonese and 1 Armenian campaigns turned upside down on me. My first argonese campaign (XL) went great for a while. I bribed Navarre and started sending crusades against the excommed HRE. This went well and good for the first 2 provinces, but then I invaded Savoy and my general got killed, which caused my army to rout, and a lot of my guys got captured or killed. Okay, so I still had about 1700 men in Germany (and another 1200 back home). But then Emperor Otto showed up to take back his land. He was invincible! His 1 unit of royal guards, 4 units of archers, and every other unit as town militia defeated my army of 1200 that consisted of 3 Order Foot, 1 royal guards, 1 mounted sergeant, 3 archers, 3 fanatics, 1-2 town militia, 2 city militia, and who knows what else. Now, there weren't all full units, but none were tiny. It didn't matter though, his men ripped mine apart!!! Otto's royal unit (21 men) ALONE fought and defeated my royal unit (20), my mounted sergenats (33), and some fuedal swordsmen (20) ..... 21 vs 73 AT THE SAME TIME. :skull:
I was watching this with awe for about 90 seconds when I look back over at my main line and see that al of my units have routed except for some fanatics that were attacking the enemy archers and the order footmen, who are now surrounded and being devoured whole. :no: After that I had a long series of lost auto-calc battles and quit.
Then I tried out reconquista mod for the first time, as argonese. I attacked the people beside me within the firts 4-5 turns ... my King died in combat and I had no heir yet. I quit.
So the I tried Argonese in BKB. I tried to rush the Navarrese, but they chose great ground, a steep forest-covered hill. I didn't get ambushed, but somehow a unit of basque warriors and a unit of navarrese spearmen held off my argonese light cavalry, my catalonian guards, my alghumhavers, my royal guards, AND my spearmen. I had some archers and spearmen fighting their other units, but I was amazed at how those 2 units held off so many more in the woods for SO LONG (easly half the battle, without routing). By the time I was done with them I had their entire army beaten, but their 21 royal gaurds had never joined in the fighting and had a full unit that I couldn't hope to beat. Back in the campaign map I had lost about 400 men in the battle and decided to give up.
I played a BKB game as the armenians. I grabbed Georgia, recruited for a few years, and attacked Rum. I won and destroyed everything. (my goal was to take all turkish territory and reduce it to dust. I went on to win a lot of outnumbered fights and take 4 more territories, but in the end the Fatamids took all of the places I destroyed and were on my doorstep with 4x as many men as I and my treasury couldn't sustain anymore men. :wall:
Now, the fact that it is now 3:30 am and I played all of this after 11, when I was tired, probably has a little to do with my suckiness tonight, but I still maintain that Emperor Otto was amazing.
Galagros
09-19-2006, 06:44
The Tuetonic Order - High - Normal - XL Mod
https://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4141/00000000vr1.png
1252
This has been a fun game. I've found myself relying almost exclusively on Halberdiers and my mounted Tuetonic Knights. The Order Footmen will get the job done eventually, but they die too easily. I had a lot of troulbe with money for most of the game, well .... I'm not quite rolling in the dough yet. On the second or thrid turn of the game the Lithuanians expanded, but left few men in Lithuania so I took it, then Volyhnia (sp?) to finish them off. About a decade (or two) later I added Prussia to my kingdom... and that's all I've had up until 3-4 years ago when the Novgorodians attacked my ship for no reason and I decided they had to go (plus I wanted Novgorod and Smolensk for the cash). Around 1240 I raided the Cumans in Moldavia and then Oleshe (sp?). After capturing them both I destroyed everything and retreated to Volhynia. The Mongols eventually took out the Cumans, but were defeated the two times they attacked me. Now they are embroiled in war with the Kievans. 2-3 years ago I just became able to produce Tuetonic Foot knights and have only made 1 since, so I am waiting to see how those will work for me. :2thumbsup:
I must admit though, I feel like I've cheated because I auto-calced battles that had too many men in them (more than 1000). I just don't have enough experience with battles to risk losing myself (which I've done numerous times). This year was the first time I put in .matteosartori. and saw the map, but it is really interesting that there are so manu medium sized kingdoms and no huge one. I remember reading that the Outremers were the richest and I -think- the last largest army message was for the French. Notice how well the Swedes and Danes have done.
Also, before this campaign I was having a jolly time with the HRE (haven't played as them since vanilla MTW!), but I got too frustrated when I kept losing battles. My problem, it seems, is that I suck with spearmen. Anyone have any hints on how to use spearmen more effectively, besides against the cavalry?
Cool, Galagros; keep up the good work. May the Tuetonic Order bring light to the dark corners of Europe! :2thumbsup:
Also, before this campaign I was having a jolly time with the HRE (haven't played as them since vanilla MTW!), but I got too frustrated when I kept losing battles. My problem, it seems, is that I suck with spearmen. Anyone have any hints on how to use spearmen more effectively, besides against the cavalry?
Well for one thing, spearmen aren't very good against anything *except* cavalry. So if you've been using them to engage enemy infantry--almost never recommended--that could be part of your problem right there. In what other ways are you having difficulty?
Galagros: Who are those light blue coloured guys in Brittany, Normandy and Northumbria? BKB mod, right?
Cuman Heavy Cavalry Can Chew Up Humans To Fart Out Gold
1116: Beat the Volga-Bulgarians at Ryazan and Volga-Bulgaria, capturing many, including their king. Afterwards, the Cuman Heavy Cavalry confirmed their ability to simply overpower things even while in forests, and to chew up human corpses to fart out gold.
Hilarity! I am playing a Volga-Bulgaria camp in XL, and those poor Cuman HC (and Mongol HC, which are basically the same) were slaughtering my men. Then I decided that was enough, and when I was next attacked (first Cumans, then many times after by the Mongols) I loaded up my army with kazanchis (big polearms with anti-armour and anti-cav bonuses) and moved into the forest. And waited. Let me say with certainty that the Mongols and Cumans want nothing to do with me anymore. In one of the Mongol attacks (into Volga-Bulgaria) I was outnumbered something like 4700 to 1500, and I ended up taking about 600 casulaties to 3000 for the enemy. It was kinda cheap, but I loved every second of it...
Galagros
09-19-2006, 16:00
Martok - Well, in most of my battles as the HRE that I lost all I had to work with was about 4 spearmen, 1 archer, 1 royal knight, 1-2 fuedal men at arms, amd -maybe- one unit of fuedal sergeants. I generally tried having my spearmen be the anvil and then have the FMAA and knights flank. Keep in mind that in the early battles I literally only had 1 royal knight, and everything else was spearmen and militia.
danfda - That light color is the Swedish, who've done well this campaign.
Ohh, I suppose it is. For some reason I was thinking that it was a different light blue and was wondering who it could be. Instead, I realize that I am stupid. :laugh4:
And in my experience, vanilla spearmen are just about useless. They may be able to hold as the anvil versus peasants, but thats about it. Heck, I even charge my horsies into them half the time with little repercussion. My recommendation is, well...Jedi generals are nice... :-D
Ohh, I suppose it is. For some reason I was thinking that it was a different light blue and was wondering who it could be. Instead, I realize that I am stupid. :laugh4:
It's okay, man; it happens to the best of us. ~:pat:
And in my experience, vanilla spearmen are just about useless. They may be able to hold as the anvil versus peasants, but thats about it. Heck, I even charge my horsies into them half the time with little repercussion.
Unfortunately, danfda is pretty close to the mark. Vanilla spearmen simply aren't that effective against anything other than light infantry and light cavalry, unless of course they have some uber-valour bonuses and/or are defending on a hill. If one is to win with spearmen, one has to be very clever and/or lucky (or use them in absolutely overwhelming numbers). Sorry Galagros; I wish I had better advice for you. :shrug:
Galagros
09-19-2006, 21:45
Well they don't seem to have too much of a problem with being able to hold a line (unless the get attacked in the flank), but it just seems like they are whittled down at a medium pace while they hardly kill anything. And when it's my spearmen vs other spearmen ... it's a long, long, boring battle. What surprised me was when an army of almost all urban militia defeated my army of almost all spearmen (I was defending). :inquisitive:
I also had some rather annoying experiences as the Tuetonic Knights against Horse Archers. My infantry couldn't catch them (obviously) and my mounted Knights had a hard time of it, too. It seems like I have to bring a few units of Lithuanian Turcopoles along (I try to have 2 in ever fight anyways) just to make sure I have a unit that is "fast" so I can get the HAs off the map. :furious3:
r johnson
09-19-2006, 22:13
I also had some rather annoying experiences as the Tuetonic Knights against Horse Archers. My infantry couldn't catch them (obviously) and my mounted Knights had a hard time of it, too. It seems like I have to bring a few units of Lithuanian Turcopoles along (I try to have 2 in ever fight anyways) just to make sure I have a unit that is "fast" so I can get the HAs off the map. :furious3:
Yes I have that problem too, but through luck as much as experiance I try to trap them inbetween two other units and I either kill them all or whats left run away. :duel:
:weirdthread:
Well they don't seem to have too much of a problem with being able to hold a line (unless the get attacked in the flank), but it just seems like they are whittled down at a medium pace while they hardly kill anything. And when it's my spearmen vs other spearmen ... it's a long, long, boring battle. What surprised me was when an army of almost all urban militia defeated my army of almost all spearmen (I was defending). :inquisitive:
I think UM actually do have the advantage against spearmen, as I believe they have a higher attack value. I'm not a numbers guru, however, so I could just be blowing smoke up your butt. ~;p As for spearmen doing some killing, your best bet is usually to just put them on "Hold Formation" and "Hold Position"--this seems to maximize their defensive attributes and poke a few holes in their attackers' armour. I've also heard you can use their charge ability to your advantage by ordering them to charge the enemy and then put them into Hold Formation/Position as they settle into prolonged melee. I've never actually tried this tactic myself, however, so use at your own risk. ~:)
I also had some rather annoying experiences as the Tuetonic Knights against Horse Archers. My infantry couldn't catch them (obviously) and my mounted Knights had a hard time of it, too. It seems like I have to bring a few units of Lithuanian Turcopoles along (I try to have 2 in ever fight anyways) just to make sure I have a unit that is "fast" so I can get the HAs off the map. :furious3:
I hear you, bud. I absolutely despise HA's, and I too bring with at least a couple units of my fastest cavalry if I know I'm probably going to be facing the buggers. This is when Hobilars/Jinnettes/Mounted Seargents become your best friend. :2thumbsup:
Galagros
09-20-2006, 02:25
I remember one particular battle where I got slaughtered. The map was against me, with the enemy on a steep hill and partially in trees, but I had the numbers by about 200. I sent 3 units of fuedal spearmen, 2 units of spearmen, 4 units of fuedal men-at-arms, and 2 archer units against their infantry, which was far ahead of their cavalry. I kept 1 spearmen in reserve and tried to have the FMAA be the hammer and the rest of the men the anvil. It seemed to be working okay, but then I noticed the enemy cavalry moving to flank my infantry. My general, with royal knights, was far from the fight because I had forgotten to move him closer. :embarassed:
The enemy was sending in 2 units of royal knights and 1 of Tuetonic Sergeants (which, for some reason, have a tendancy in my XL game to pop up as rebels and get bribed). I threw my 2 units of either Fuedal Knights or Mounted Nobles or some 40 man unit against them, just to keep them from the main battle. I also sent a unit of archer to help. Just about the time both of those horse units were destroyed my royal knights arrived and charged in. One unit of enemy royal knights was almost gone and the other almost full. Also, the Tuetonic Sergeants were a little more than half full and going after my archers so I sent the reserve spearmen against them. Oddly enough, the spearmen beat them after losing about half of their numbers. My general's royal knights were decimated and it was now about 1 to 12-14, but he must have went Jedi or something because he lasted by himself for the whole battle and I had to force him to retreat when he was getting surrounded. I think he went from 3 or 4 valor to 7!
Anyways, while I'm watching all of this unfold my infantry is starting to rout, for reasons unknown to me. I think the enemy must not have contributed all of their units to battle at the start and then sent in the reserves as both sides were tired out. I think I ended up losing over 700 men and killing about 450. Once again, this was during my mostly disasterous campaign as the HRE.
I still remember the first time I faced horse archers in large numbers. I was playing as the Egyptians for the first time, and had realized that I would need to take out the Turks (so that I would then be able to face the Byzantines unhindered). I initially focused on conquering Syria, since doing so would consolidate my borders with the Turks from 4 provinces to 2.
I invaded with a good-sized army, composed of mostly Nubian Spearmen, Bedouin Camel Warriors, some Desert Archers, and a couple units of Alan Merc Cav. Although the Turks moved in reinforcements, I still outnumbered them by about 3-2 (I had a little over 1300 men, Turks had around 850), so I figured I'd be able to defeat them without great difficulty. Ah, how young and arrogant I was! ~:rolleyes:
The short version is that I was quite simply massacred. With the exception of their general (a prince), the Turks' entire army consisted of HA's and Turcoman Horse. :dizzy2: I was still too inexperienced with MTW to know that I should've used my Bedouins to team up and pin down each HA/TH unit one-by-one, and the only fast cavalry I had was the Alans--and they were hardly enough to chase down the Turks all by themselves.
In the end, my losses were approximately 900 to the Turks' 150-200 dead; the only guys in my army to inflict any damage were the two units of Alans and my Desert Archers. While my Bedouins and Nubian Spearmen did there best running all over the map, they never did manage to engage the enemy (and were only shot down for their efforts). :wall:
Of course, I've since become somewhat better at dealing with mounted missile units, but I still hate their friggin' guts! I think that's the biggest reason why I've almost never played as the Turks--it feels too much like joining the enemy. :laugh4:
Galagros
09-21-2006, 01:18
I played a decade ro two as the Portugese in XL today. Normal - High. I wa splanning on just keeping about 3/4 of a stack in Portugal and just launching crusades (preferably made up of mercenaries) to expand. I also built 2-3 inquisitors to raise zeal. Well, that worked for a little while until the inquisitio started right as my inn was finished and my zeal went down fast. So I was stuck in Portugal with only 661 soldiers -- 2000 Leonese on my east, the sea on my west and north, and about 3000 of the Orange Muslims (whose name eludes me right now) to my south. CRAP!
A year or two later the Muslims invade with 1200-1300 men. They were, however, about 1/2 or 1/3 archers of some sort. So I positioned my army on the top of a big hill. Royal Knights out in the open on the right, Halderdiers all along the ridge, Crossbowmen out in the open on the left, Fuedal Sergeants in reserve, and the Fuedal Knights in ambush to the left. The enemy arrives and seneds their archers out first, with the infantry behind. I wait for the infantry to be jammed up trying to walk through the archer before having everything charge down the hill. I had the cavalry attack the units behind the archers so that there was no escape. Some units ran after only losing 5-6 men, but they regrouped near the edge of the map and about 350 got another cavalry charge. :2thumbsup:
I didn't want to ransom any of the enemy back, so I executed about 450 soldiers mid-battle. I didn't even notice how well I did in the battle until it was over.
https://img166.imageshack.us/img166/9208/00000001ho2.png
A most impressive victory, Galagros. ~:cheers: I can't believe how your one unit of Feudal Knights killed 312 men while losing only 7! Even in my most brilliant victories (although there's relatively few of those), I don't think I've ever had a single unit have that high of a kill/loss ratio before. ~:eek: Well done!
I'd write another update on my Norwegian campaign, but there's honestly nothing to really report. I've continued to hold Scandanavia and Britain, am raking in massive trade income, and almost the entire world is at peace now. (Even the Eggies and Byz are getting along!) I'm either going to have to deliberately attack someone just for the hell of it, or I'm going to have to start a new campaign. Everyone in my little Norse-British empire is living the good life right now, but that makes for a pretty boring story. ~;)
Galagros
09-21-2006, 06:40
I think that in reality those Fuedal Knights only killed about 80-100 men and then they just ran down/captured a few hundred archer, which I then executed, giving them the kills. :idea2:
I can't seem to stick to any one campaign lately. I've got my BKB Irish campaign still, but haven't played it since I was really set up to win already anyways, with 130,000 florins (+7000 per year). I like some of the units in BKB a lot more than in XL, but BKB is too easy because of how well trade works against the computer.
I've also started the XL Tuetonic Knights campaign, the XL Portugese Campaign (though I doubt I'll ever go back to that one, it was really a test), and tonight I played an XL Norwegian campaign. I almost went bankrupt, but now I'm pulling in almost 2000 in profit every year and just finished taking Britain. I attacked Northumria on turn 2, Mercia on turn 3, and Wessex on turn 5. I took wales a few years later and then waited about 15 years before just taking Scotland. I built an armorer and castle in Norway, and a spearmaker and port in Northumbria, but other than that all of my money has gone into watchtowers, borderforts, trading posts, copper mines, and farming. I've probably only got around 1500-1600 men, and half of those are just plain generic Vikings. Wessex, Wales, and Mercia both just finished 80% farming, so now I can start putting money into the good stuff....
I've been holding out, but I think I should move onto Hard. I have never done well in a Hard campaign, but Normal ones are just getting too easy after the initial push for survival.
r johnson
09-21-2006, 08:14
So I was stuck in Portugal with only 661 soldiers -- 2000 Leonese on my east, the sea on my west and north, and about 3000 of the Orange Muslims (whose name eludes me right now) to my south. CRAP!
The Almohads. :coffeenews:
King Kurt
09-21-2006, 13:11
I have been running for some time a high, hard, vanilla VI Sicilian campaign for some time which I was recording in "See Naples and Die!" - for a blow by blow account , look at this link
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?p=1200042#post1200042
I have recently returned to it and felt that it would be better served in this thread - so for all my fans, especially Martok - the continuing saga of King Kurt's Sicilians returns (without pictures - I haven't mastered that yet!)
Sadly, the game would not let me run 2 crusades at once, so my free marker just sat at Constantinopole. My other crusade arrives in Livonia and kicks out the English. Then - for no apparent reason - I am excommunicated. So now I can't place my free marker any where! I start pushing north east, reducing the Poles and the Russkis. At the same time I have regained Edessa from the Egyies. Spain appears with a crusade, target Edessa, which I let through into the Spanish lands in Asia Minor - Rum and Antioch - while I prepare my defence in Edessa. Then the Turks reappear in Nicea - and the Pope attacks and takes Greece. This is a crisis point - my capital - Constantinopole - has several enemies nearby and looks a bit thin on defending troops. I decide that the time has come to regroup and rid asia Minor of all enemies. This means pulling back my troops up north - sadly the Citadel in Poland was about to fall, but needs must. These forces regroup over 2 years and then over the next 3 or 4 years completely remove all enemies from Asia Minor. By now my monies are looking a bit thin - down to about 9,000 florins with a bleed of about 2,000 a month. So - some fund raising was in order. As the Pope now has Greece, this presents a golden opportunity. Using my naval power - I own the eastern med up to Italy - I invade all the Pope's provinces in Italy - Rome, Tuscany and Papal States - with my Asia Minor army and some of my Italian forces from Naples and Milian. 2 years later, I own all of Italy and have a nice 15,000 florin ransom to boost the coffers. More importantly, the Pope is now in Greece. An interesting game point here - it appears that the Pope got 2 full stack armies through being ransomed - anybody come across that before? Any way, I invaded Greece, defeated the field army and now I intend to leave the Pope in Athens with a small army and no cash to rebuild. I own all of Italy and no nasty papal reemergencies to worry about - very nice.
I have lost ground to Poland and the Russkis, but they should be no problem now Asia Minor is secure and the bank looks healthy again. Also I am well placed to expand into France and the HRE - so, once again, I have weathered the storm and now look well placed to move forward.
Some observations - my outpost in Livonia - cut off for about 15 years have performed amazingly. Every year they have a revolt or bandits or whatever and every year they beat them down with the meagre troops they have and what can be made that year. As a consequence, their general is a 9 star superstar. When they are liberated by my forces sweeping north, he should be my linchpin in conquering the world.
Also I think the Spanish must be close to civil war - I defeated their crusade as well as kicking them out off 2 other provinces they had taken by crusade - now that sort of blow hurts. Throw in the fact they have just been excommed, then things look good for a civil war to me.
Finaly, despite my king recently dieing, I am still excommed!! - perhaps being at war with the Pope has something to do with it.
What has been good about this campaign is that it seems about every 30 or so years I am thrown a crisis which threatens to wreck my empire - roll on the next one!!:2thumbsup:
Awesome, King Kurt. Way to clear out Asia Minor and smack down the Pope (although I'm as puzzled as you as to why you're still excommed)! I admit I'm a little surprised you let him keep Greece, though. I figured you'd have wanted to push him out and force him back to Italy instead (since Greece is a more valuable province than Rome or the Papal States). I suppose there is something to be said for having him at your mercy, however. ~D
Also, I gotta say I'm honestly impressed you withdrew from Poland and the more northern parts of you empire to save Big C and your more valuable provinces. It seems like quite a few players refuse to retreat in situations like that, even when it's clearly in their best interests to do. (Not that *I've* never been stubborn like that--no, not me! ~:rolleyes: :blush: ) So kudos to you in having the wisdom to take the long view and preserve what's really important. ~:cheers:
King Kurt
09-22-2006, 09:35
Martok
Thanks for the kind words. One of the advantages of playing the campaign at a leisurely pace is that you have some time to reflect on your strategy. If I had been on a long session, I might of been tempted to hang on in Poland - a citadel about to fall is very tempting - but I knew it would take 2 years to get troops in place so I had to bite the bullet. Still, I will return.
I have kept the Pope in Greece because I did not want him in Italy. I hold Venice and Milan and of course Naples. When the Pope is in Rome I have to keep a big garrison in Naples to deter him, so if he is in Athens, I don't have to bother. I had not developed Greece very much as well, so it will be difficult for him to tech up to build a force to attack me. If he starts to get a bit bigger, then I can smack him down again.
As for the excom thing, well I just assume it is down to me being at war with the Papacy. The frustrating thing is having the free crusade marker which has sat there for ages which I can't use!! - perhaps i will put a couple of emmisaries and princesses there to try to make peace.:2thumbsup:
Martok
Thanks for the kind words. One of the advantages of playing the campaign at a leisurely pace is that you have some time to reflect on your strategy. If I had been on a long session, I might of been tempted to hang on in Poland - a citadel about to fall is very tempting - but I knew it would take 2 years to get troops in place so I had to bite the bullet. Still, I will return.
I have kept the Pope in Greece because I did not want him in Italy. I hold Venice and Milan and of course Naples. When the Pope is in Rome I have to keep a big garrison in Naples to deter him, so if he is in Athens, I don't have to bother. I had not developed Greece very much as well, so it will be difficult for him to tech up to build a force to attack me. If he starts to get a bit bigger, then I can smack him down again.
Yeah, after I re-read your post, I realized that that's probably what you had in mind. Better to keep your territories in Italy contiguous, and not have El Pappy suddenly show up there again!
As for the excom thing, well I just assume it is down to me being at war with the Papacy. The frustrating thing is having the free crusade marker which has sat there for ages which I can't use!! - perhaps i will put a couple of emmisaries and princesses there to try to make peace.:2thumbsup:
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. :bow: It's still damn odd that your excomm didn't end for at least a year or two, however. I wish I knew what was causing that, especially since you're not the only one to report the phenomenon. :wall:
EDIT: Oh, before I forget, I'm looking to start a new campaign this weekend. (The Norwegians are doing so well, that they don't need my help anymore. ~;) ) I'm also feeling quite "random" at the moment, so if anyone has a thought about who I ought to play next, I'm open to suggestions. (I'm still playing XL Mod, by the way.) So come on, let's hear 'em!
highlanddave
09-22-2006, 20:31
Oh, before I forget, I'm looking to start a new campaign this weekend. (The Norwegians are doing so well, that they don't need my help anymore. ) I'm also feeling quite "random" at the moment, so if anyone has a thought about who I ought to play next, I'm open to suggestions. (I'm still playing XL Mod, by the way.) So come on, let's hear 'em!
i have yet to hear anybody give an account of a portugeese empire. although i see just above that galagros had given them a try. also, what about genoa or venice? i haven't seen those two either.
Silver Rusher
09-22-2006, 22:35
I find the Portuguese campaign to be incredibly steamrollery, you can wipe the Almos off Spain easy. I guess it depends on the period but on my early period campaign (that's actually the one where one of your portuguese provinces is missing) you can just churn out Feudal Sergeants after Feudal Sergeants and thrash the Almohads, of course, that is until they start throwing AUMs at you...
My recommendation - Armenia, High Period. Surrounded by big, powerful factions, challenging campaign which will really force you to think about who you ally with, who you go to war with, and most importantly, how you fight your wars. I played one, took me about 30 years before I managed to hold 2 provinces for more than 3 years.
Galagros
09-23-2006, 01:34
I agree, the Armenians are the only faction that I have found to be VERY difficult.
I started playing a BKB - Danes - Hard - Early game today and have found it fun, but too easy. They have too strong of units. Sure, I'm still using regular old Horsemen, but I have Huscarles and Danish Nobles. The Carls are a very good unit to start with, too. I've seen them do much better than I expected. The hardest part of this game has been keeping a royal line. My first king, Olaf III, was good. His son, Olaf IV, was good, but had no sons. His younger brother, whose name I forget, was decent and had 2 sons, but died before they came of age. Before he died I didn't care, because his younger brother was an awesome general, but HE died at 56 (before the king)!!! Thus, the last remaining son of Olaf III took the throne. He was a crappy 2 star general with minimal stats and Pride. :no: This all occurred when the Prince was 14 .... (so close!). So the Prince came of age and had 0 stars, 2 loyalty, 1 piety, 1 dread, 0 acumen, and no VVs. There is one more heir that is 11 right now and I need to get the current King A LOT better before he comes of age. I'm trying, but it's not so easy to do (at least stat-wise).
Also, I've found that I suck as any faction in Late. Anyone think Late is hard?
r johnson
09-23-2006, 09:26
Also, I've found that I suck as any faction in Late. Anyone think Late is hard?
I think late battles are easier but you don't have as long to conquer the map, but neither does anyone else.
I almost never play the Late era, as I'm not that fond of gunpowder units. So for me it is somewhat more difficult, if only because I'm not as adept with some of the units from that period.
Oh, and I wound up taking a break from Medieval. I'm currently playing Shogun instead. (Go Hojo horde!) :thumbsup:
I think late battles are easier but you don't have as long to conquer the map, but neither does anyone else.
I just started a late campaign for the first time (XL) as the Hospitaller Order. Its quite fun. The map of my world is so foreign to me...the Portugese have expanded big time via crusade, the Bohemians own central Europe, and the Burgundians ALL of western Europe. They are ahead in GA points by about a dozen, and I cannot keep up. I need them to get excommed so I can attack them and get closer...
Ohh, the Scots own the Isles. :dizzy2:
The rise and fall of empires is amusing in such a short time frame. Hungary got huge at the beginning, and fell apart--the Horde and Byz have them down to one parcel of land. The Byz are a story--they were down to the big C and Nicaea, but have expanded to all of the balkans, trebizond, and chunks of eastern europe. The Russians own the steppe, and the Swedes the North Sea. Its really fun.
Ohh, and the Armenians own most of Asia Minor (minus Nicaea, Trebizond, and Georgia). I own the Middle East and Egypt. :laugh4:
So, enough rambling. I suggest trying a late campaign to spice things up.
Galagros
09-24-2006, 08:35
So I got a little bored and tried playing a bunch of different campaigns. I was doing really good in a Genoese, XL, Early, Expert game. I had 8-9 provinces, about 3500-4000 troops, a handful of ships, decent heirs, and a steady profit of 1000 florins. Truthfully, it was easier than I expected, so I stopped playing. I also started playing an Armenian, XL, Early, Hard campaign. I nearly took out the Turks, but their allies, the Egyptians came to the rescue when I had the siege going on their last territory. :furious3: The Egyptians also took some of the Turk provinces I captured. So now I have Lesser Armenia, Rum, Armenia, and Edessa. Sadly, I can't fight the enemy Turcopoles or Horse Archers very well and I had to auto-calc about half the battles. The only cavalry I can get that are 'Fast' are HAs and they aren't exactly what I want to have to rely on.
By the way, if anyone is ever up to try a PBM, count me in. :2thumbsup: Also, if anyone has a suggestion for a good faction/era, let me know. I'm counting out the English, French, Italians, Germans, Byzantines, Russians, and probably the late era, too. I'd try hungary if I were better with HAs, I'm not familiar with most Muslim units, and when I play the Cumans/Volga Bulgars I seem to always get my King killed in battle (though cavalry is fun).
Cowhead418
09-24-2006, 22:31
South-Eastern Front:
https://img208.imageshack.us/img208/770/09242006150526ro3.th.png (https://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=09242006150526ro3.png)
North-Eastern Front:
https://img174.imageshack.us/img174/1803/09242006151005ug9.th.png (https://img174.imageshack.us/my.php?image=09242006151005ug9.png)
Western Front:
https://img102.imageshack.us/img102/8434/09242006151322ct8.th.png (https://img102.imageshack.us/my.php?image=09242006151322ct8.png)
Look at the Danes!:
https://img50.imageshack.us/img50/7665/09242006151621zz0.th.png (https://img50.imageshack.us/my.php?image=09242006151621zz0.png)
Diplomacy:
https://img118.imageshack.us/img118/474/09242006152128py6.th.png (https://img118.imageshack.us/my.php?image=09242006152128py6.png)
It is the year 1300, and the world has been shaped in a very Darwinian fashion - strong factions have prospered while the weak nations have faded away. In this battle-torn continent three superpowers have emerged - an Eastern power (Ayyubids), a Central power (Hungarians), and a Western power (Danes). The difference between these powers became quite evident over the past fifty years. While the Hungarians remained at peace and solified their borders, the Danes and especially the Ayyubids have stormed across Western and Eastern Europe respectively, achieving almost thorough domination.
The story of the Danes' rise to power was legendary. Taking advantage of France's and the HRE's early internal struggles, the Danish seized Flanders and several German provinces. France and the HRE were soon overrun by several factions, with the English and Danes taking their picks amongst the many vulnerable provinces. The Almohads dominated Iberia for the first thirty years, until the ambitious Danish king declared war. Together, the Danes and the Genoese picked apart the Almohads, and the two factions soon came to dominate Iberia themselves.
The Danish could not have this, however, and declared war on Genoa. While the two went back and forth in Iberia, the English (who had become quite powerful) relationship with the Danes went sour, and war was soon on the horizon. By this time, the Danes had conquered half of the British Isles, and had an enormous empire that stretched from Sweden to Portugal. Though the English had a strong military, they were obliterated in a mere decade(!). The Danes now had achieved almost complete control of Western Europe.
Note: The Danes are my allies, and are currently at war with the Ayyubids. I love their superpower status because this is the first campaign I've seen them even move out of Denmark (apparently the XL mod made them much more aggressive).
The story of the Ayyubid rise to power is equally fantastic. Though the Seljuk Turks had managed to defeat the Armenians, the war left them in ruin. The Ayyubids quickly overran their fortifications and in a short time came to dominate Asia Minor. After spending two decades solidifying their borders and building up an enormous military, the Ayyubids were suddenly hit hard by the Golden Horde, who had come with over ten thousand troops. The Ayyubids were quick to strike back, however, and forced the Horde to expand north. The Ayyubids then marched west and kicked the Sicilians out of Constantinople, stopping their expansion due to coming into contact with my Hungarian empire. They focused their efforts south and north, marching as far west as Tunisia, and completely destroying the Horde up north. Last year they declared war on Novgorad, and their fearsome might grows every turn. I am reluctant to go to war (which will inevitably come anyway) because I feel I'm not ready to commit my forces to fight twenty - thirty thousand fierce Muslim troops.
As for my empire, I've spent the last fifty years solidifying borders and building up infrastructure. I make a decent income (about 3000 florins a year) largely due to farming with a paltry amount coming from trade. I have many allies, yet I am faced with a very distressing dilemma with the Ayyubids - do I join my Polish and Danish allies in a war that will require vast amounts of resources and men or do I sit back and continue to watch the Ayyubids grow stronger and stronger before it is too late?
King Samuel II has ruled for twenty years now and he is only 36 years old. His father had nine children but he is the only son. Fortunately, right as his father succumbed to illness Samuel came of age and was able to ascend to the throne at the young age of sixteen. Right after he took power, Samuel noticed the widespread corruption among his governors and reformed his administration, sacking many. A few years later he heard reports of a plot against him. Among the dissenters were several bitter ex-governors. Samuel employed the spies and immediately captured and executed five of the leaders. However, the mastermind behind the plot was still at large and Samuel conducted an extensive investigation that lasted over several years. Unfortunately, the spies were unable to infiltrate the traitor's elaborate informant network. Finally, after several long, expensive years, an experienced assassin brought Samuel the head of the culprit. Hungary had been saved from its third civil war.
Nice story, Cowhead. You're a good writer. :bow:
I too am rather amazed at the Danes becoming a superpower. You're right in that they do seem to do better in the XL Mod, but I've still never seen them become that huge before. How are they fairing against the Ayyubids, by the way? Has either faction gained the advantage yet?
And also: What are you waiting for (in attacking the Ayyubids)? Surely you can defeat a superior foe that's over twice your size! Where's your (lack of) common sense, man? ~;p
That's some campaign. It's rare to see empires develop in that fashion, the AI is usually incapable. ~;)
Silver Rusher
09-25-2006, 20:30
What I'd give to have a campaign turn out like that... Keep us informed, Cowhead!
UltraWar
09-26-2006, 19:12
I have started a Byzantine campaign in MTW:VI on Normal mode in the Late Era:
https://img180.imageshack.us/img180/8899/byzantine1px2.png
Looks like you're off to a nice start, UltraWar, particularly since you're playing the Byz in Late. Keep us posted! :thumbsup:
UltraWar
09-27-2006, 21:10
I have started a Hungarian campaign in MTW:VI on Normal mode in the Early Era:
https://img245.imageshack.us/img245/4299/hungarian1ar8.png
Silver Rusher
10-02-2006, 19:04
:2thumbsup:
Cowhead418
10-02-2006, 22:26
Gah! Damnit! I just played an hour long battle and pulled out a nice victory. I took a few pics but when I uploaded them the game CTD and I lost the battle. I don't have time to replay it either. I was going to update but now I'm going to be delayed by at least a week. Anyway, here are the pics I took:
https://img419.imageshack.us/img419/8646/10022006155016kg3.th.png (https://img419.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10022006155016kg3.png)
https://img412.imageshack.us/img412/5466/10022006160735wu0.th.png (https://img412.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10022006160735wu0.png)
https://img430.imageshack.us/img430/6140/10022006161154qy9.th.png (https://img430.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10022006161154qy9.png)
_Aetius_
10-09-2006, 13:14
I'm playing the Almohads, early period, hard difficulty with the XL mod.
I don't much rate the Almohads but I thought it'd be interesting to see developments in Spain, since there are 4 factions present in such a small area.
I was suprised to find the Almohads were so wealthy so early on so I started quickly building infrastructure and pumping out AUM in Cordoba, DA in Morocco and MFS everywhere that was available. My aim was to consolidate my Spanish territories and cut the Catholic power base in two by knocking the Spanish out of contention.
I built up my forces and invaded Castile only a handful of turns into the game, the Spaniards withdrew to Leon without a fight and Castile was quickly mine. They soon counter-attacked against Cordoba but were heavily defeated and lost their king and most of their nobility, another offensive resulted in the destruction of the Spanish royal house and their extinction. With Leon in the hands of harmless rebels I had eliminated my chief opponent in the peninsula and soon began plans for the outright conquest of Spain.
By 1125, I had dealt with Portugal, bribed Leon and expelled the English from Navarre, isolating the Aragonese who I soon relieved of Valencia, although I intended to allow them to remain a partial buffer to the French who now dominated all of France. However the Aragonese refused to a ceasefire and were soon invaded by the French. With the last of the Aragonese besieged, I invaded Aragon and pushed the French out, then invaded Toulouse where I defeated 2 French armies before withdrawing through Aquitaine to the safety of Navarre.
Whilst my main armies where fighting the French, the Aragonese repaid my gesture by retaking Valencia, by the time I returned from France I was forced to destroy the Aragonese and undertake the responsibility of the frontier alone. The French have large armies along the frontier and are a constant menace, the French are on the offensive alot, only because I can't be bothered expelling them and exposing myself to years of constant defensive battles against larger armies.:furious3:
It's 1145 now and i've developed a large navy, powerful economy about 50,000 in the treasury so far, reliant on tax income and farming more than trade, a great army which is growing every turn. :2thumbsup:
I plan to outflank the main French armies and land in Normandy a large force to ravage northern France, when the French inevitably withdraw armies to confront me, my Spanish armies will cross the frontier and occupy Toulouse and Aquitaine with relative ease. At the same time I intend to knock the Genoese out of contention by destroying their navy and seizing Corsica and Sardinia from them. My plan was always to occupy the islands around Italy, including Sicily and Malta so I can strike anywhere at anytime from Southern France to the Balkans. The ultimate plan though is to win in the inevitable struggle against the Egyptians who are bound to declare war on me eventually.
I'm never usually this aggressive, often I take things very slowly, however I think the Almohads need to be aggressive early on, knocking out the smaller factions early on is bound to make life easier in the future.
Nice game. The Elmos need to be aggressive early because the AUM get outdated pretty quickly. I've only seen them get large when they knock the Spanish out really early, otherwise the inevitable Catholic tide sweeps them off of the map (be they English, French, Aragonese, Spanish, or even the Portugese [which I've seen exactly once]).
The Elmos are nasty in that they re-emerge a lot against me. :2thumbsup:
Glemte_hage
10-09-2006, 15:15
Aragon, bkb supermod, early
Several Crusades were launched early, the first capturing Nicaea, which now functions semi-autonomously as a Duchy, but is responsible for production of the Eastern Mediterranean fleet. The second seizing Antioch, Tripoli and Palestine which now form the nigh-on independent “Kingdom of Jerusalem” under a King appointed by the Aragonese crown.
After this had been accomplished the Aragonese King looked around at the lands surrounding his own. To the north the French had destroyed all the English possessions before becoming embroiled in a civil war that left two independent Duchies, Toulouse and Provence on the Mediterranean coastline. The rest of Iberia was divided between the tiny Basque Kingdom of Narvarre, the Kingdom of Portugal, under the control of relatives of the French royal family, and the mighty Kingdoms of Castille and Valencia which had pushed the Almoravids, impoverished from raids by the Almohads which had destroyed their African possessions to the tiny province of Granada.
The Aragonese King, using a trade dispute as an excuse, invaded Narvarre, seizing the Kingdom and declaring it part of the Kingdom of Aragon. A crusade was then launched to Granada, in an effort partly to drive the Mohammedans into the sea and partly to surround the Kingdom of Valencia in order to crush it and thus control half of Iberia. Sadly it was not to be, the Valencians sent an army to assist in the destruction of the Almoravids and made their intention to rule Granada quite clear.
The King of Aragon died shortly after and his son proceeded instead to look out into the sea.
Until around 20 years earlier, Venice had ruled the waves, however they had become involved in a war with the Genoese, then but a pin-prick on the map which unfortunately coincided with a civil war. The Venetians were destroyed, however the Genoese failed to capture the opportunity and the Norman-Sicilians became the ruling power of the sea, with lands stretching from Sicily to Naples they established themselves in Malta, the formerly independent Duchies of Toulouse and Provence and one even managed to get himself crowned King of Serbia. Genoa was less than pleased and several years later war broke out between the two sides. At first the King of Aragon was not bothered by this war, his mind lay on capturing the Kingdom of Sardinia. However, just months before the invasion could take place a messenger arrived with grave news, a son of the last Venetian doge had amassed a huge army and became King of Sardinia, thus scuppering the Kings plan. The King decided instead to converge his eastern and western fleets and attack Naples, with Genoese help this land was seized, despite a Papal army marching down to assist the Normans, both promptly retreated however. Naples was declared a sub Kingdom of Aragon even as news broke of more Aragonese troops seizing Malta, Genoa, the new maritime power claimed the rest of the Sicilian lands bar Serbia which remained a free Kingdom under a Norman King.
The King of Jerusalem however was worried, the Byzantines were gathering strength to the north, the Seljuks, Fatimids and Armenians had all been destroyed, to the south lay the Kingdom of Arabia and to the west across Africa lay the vast Almohad caliphate, from Egypt to Morocco. Thus he contacted his overlord in Aragon and requested permission to launch a joint attack on the Caliphate with the Genoese, who had already seized Morocco, the King agreed and Egypt and Libya were seized while Genoa grabbed the remaining sea-bordered lands.
The currant situation, C1164
The Byzantines are as big as ever and using their vast ship network even managed to capture Freisland
The Novgorodians and Kievans are at war for the east, with various Khazar and Cuman kingdoms scattered amongst their lands, with new ones rising every now and then. Novgorod however, through marriage and brutality also holds lands in Flanders, Sweden, Denmark and Saxony as vassals.
Georgia sits as a Khazar Kingdom, independent but peaceful
The Norse hold the Orkneys, Ireland and Iceland as vassal states, while England holds Scotland. Wales remains independent although attempts to invade Ireland have been fought off
Hungary and Poland both dominate the east somewhat apathetically, while Austria is under a Venetian Duke
France sits nervously watching the ever changing fortunes of its neighbour the Holy Roman Empire
In Italy the North is now entirely dominated by Genoa as is most of the south and sicily, the Pope sits in Rome and Aragon holds Naples.
To the east of Italy the Kingdom of Croatia and Norman-Kingdom of Serbia both enjoy relative peace
No war has raged in Iberia since the Almoravids fell and the four Kingdoms live in harmony, this cannot last however as sooner or later one of them is bound to make a move. Aragon, the mountain kingdom in the north is by far the most aggressive, but most of its attentions are focussed on its twin goals of destroying Islam and establishing a naval empire
Great stories, guys; can't wait to hear more! :thumbsup:
As for myself, I'm finally starting to near the end of my Shogun campaign as Clan Hojo, so hopefully I'll be back to Medieval in the relatively near future. :2thumbsup:
Unfortunately, I'm in a friend's wedding this coming Saturday, so I won't be able to play then as I'll be gone all weekend (the ceremony's a couple hundred miles away). You gotta love how real life gets in the way of conqering stuff.... ~D
Great stories, guys; can't wait to hear more! :thumbsup:
As for myself, I'm finally starting to near the end of my Shogun campaign as Clan Hojo, so hopefully I'll be back to Medieval in the relatively near future. :2thumbsup:
Unfortunately, I'm in a friend's wedding this coming Saturday, so I won't be able to play then as I'll be gone all weekend (the ceremony's a couple hundred miles away). You gotta love how real life gets in the way of conqering stuff.... ~D
I can't help but laugh at that.:laugh4:
Glemte_hage
10-10-2006, 15:05
The 13th century draws nearer and much has changed in the Kingdom of Aragon and the world in general. The second king of the dynasty died reeling from the double blows of losing Malta to the Normans and suffering Papal excommunication. The New King instantly decided on a policy of peace and thus drafted ceasefires with the Normans and the Almohad caliphate, which by this time had all but swept the Genoese from Africa, allowing the Aragonese to maintain their nominal control over Egpyt and Libya. The fleet was expanded and more trade was opened up, it looked as though Aragon was set become a peaceful trading party, alas however it entered what some called the “Age of War”
The first battle took place in Naples as a Papal army surged in to drive the Iberians back across the sea, the plan faltered however and the army, led by the Pope himself, was driven back to Rome. This act sent the King of Aragon into a rage and it was only thanks to the soothing words of his advisors that he didn’t burn Rome to the ground.
However, dealings with the Papacy were not over as the Pope promptly ordered that the holy land be liberated from the hands of “heathens and heretics” and thus his pawns- the mighty kings of europe, whose grandfathers had praised the Aragonese Kings as “Saviours of Christendom” gathered their armies to “liberate” the holy land.
The French gathered their army first and marched down through Iberia, occupying Aragon on the way following a fierce battle in which the Aragonese were outnumbered 4 to 1, poorly timed storms prevented help from arriving overseas and the badly depleted Aragonese forces entered their castle. The King himself contemplated whether this would be the end of his dynasty. However once the crusade had passed and only the troops of the Duke of Aquitine remained, the Aragonese rallied from their fortress, assisted by the arrival of close to a thousand Basque warriors from Narvarre and utterly routed the French. As an act of revenge the Aragonese sailed north to the poorly defended French duchy of Brittany and annexed it. Meanwhile the Aragonese King of Jerusalem led a large army into the frontier region of Libya and destroyed the would be “Crusaders”. Further French aggression seemed likely, however the English broke a policy of years of isolation and landed at Flanders and Normandy, driving the Novgorodians and French away. The English quickly seized Aquitine and peace from the north seemed secured.
The south however was to prove an obstacle, the Castillian King declared a crusade and marched huge armies into Aragon and Narvarre as his crusaders headed north into Christendom enroute to Palestine. Things had never looked grimmer for the Kingdom, however news arrived that the Valencians would assist Aragon and thus the process known in some circles as the “Iberian shuffle” began.
After nearly 40 years of peace, a state of total war developed in Iberia. Aragonese troops from Naples, Nicaea and Jerusalem arrived to drive the invaders from the Kingdom, meanwhile the Valencians launched a massive attack into Castille, capturing much land. Meanwhile the King of Aragon was pleased to hear that the King of Portugal, a relative of the French King had been overthrown and forced to flee. Wishing to take advantage of this, the King sent one of his favourites to Portugal with a small army to declare himself King. The army of the new Portuguese King was swiftly defeated and besieged in their castle, the Kings favourite promptly had himself crowned King although he lacked total authority over the country. This situation came to a head when a French army landed in the north of the Kingdom to support the French King of Portugals claim. This cumulated in the “Battle of the three kings” in which the Aragonese, French and Portuguese claimants all fought for control of the Kingdom. The small Aragonese army was forced to flee, while the Portuguese claimant was killed and the Capetain dynasty restored.
The Aragonese King then received news that the King of France and the Holy Roman Emperor had dispatched armies which even then were marching through Hungary to capture the Holy Land. Combined with the Castillian crusade this meant that no less than three crusades were heading towards Palestine, luckily however over the years the Aragonese Kings and Byzantine Emperors had been firm friends, and due to arrogance on the part of the crusaders, the Empire rallied and destroyed all three crusades.
The semi-independent Duke of Nicaea meanwhile, had noticed that the Kingdom of Georgia, ruled by a descendant of the once great Khazar empire was weak, and in a bid to enhance his own social standing to match that of the King of Jerusalem, the other vassal of the Aragonese King launched an invasion force which quickly overthrew the Khazar monarch. The Duke was thus declared King of Georgia, although the King of Aragon quickly arrived to finish off the resistant and to ensure the allegiance of the new monarch.
On the journey back to Aragon, the King, and his large host once again seized Malta from the Normans. With the Norman King of Serbia now at war with the Croatians little outside support was expected, and none came. Thus Malta was annexed. The King then turned his attention to the Venetian-Kingdom of Sardinia, last bastion of the traditional Venetian dynasty since their Kingdom in Austria had been overthrown by Hungarian-backed rebels and subsequently annexed into Hungary. The King, once a man who had dreamed of the Aragonese living in peace, had become a warrior, more through need and choice and invaded Sardinia, ending the Venetian dynasty and declaring Sardinia part of the Aragonese crown lands.
News then reached him of a peasants revolt in Corsica, the Genoese governor had been slain, thus on the grounds of aiding his ally, the King led his force and defeated the Corsicans, adding that island to his lands. This victory was dampened only by the fact news arrived shortly after of an English crusade bound for Palestine, worse still, the English had amassed a considerable force on the Aragonese border
Aragon has become a naval empire which matches, if not exceeds that of the Genoese. Over the years the Kingdom has done battle with the Castillians, Almoravids, Almohads, Turks, French, the Papacy, The Sicilians, The Georgians, the Veneto-Sardinians, Portuguese and the Corsicans in order to ensure the dreams of Aragon remain alive. This new war with the English could well finish Aragon however. Aragons main weakness is that most of its overseas possessions rely on the good nature of their neighbours, Byzantium could easily destroy the eastern sub-kingdoms and war with Genoa could easily rob Aragon of its western-possessions and destroy the fleet in the process.
All hangs in the balance.
Kavhan Isbul
10-14-2006, 04:24
I decided to share with you a Pecheneg Campaign, MedMod, Early, Expert.
Little is known of the early history of the Pechenegs. A Byzantine chronicle by an anonymous author remains, mainly dedicated to the Komnins, which tells something about the Pecheneg expansion in the end of the 11th century.
"It was the year one thousand and eighty-seven after the birth of out Lord, when Emperor Alexius Komnenus began his glorious preparations to drive the Seljuks out of our lands in Anatolia. It was not to be, as the summer this year came earlier than usual, and a horrible menace sent from Hell itself poured from the North. The Pecheneg khan, Amraam IV, a bloodthirsty savage and brute, had somehow learned of the wealth of the Empire and gathering hordes of evil barbarians, crossed the Danube and invaded Moesia (Bulgaria) seeking plunder and bloodshed. The Pechenegs poured in like grasshoppers, in numbers unseen before, many thousands of them. A small garrison out of Turnovo castle under the stratiot Dionysios Arianites tried to stop them at the Danube.
https://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l9/kavhan/BulgariaOpening.jpg
At first, the savages sent a bunch of Slavs to try to cross the river, and when those saw our warriors at the other end, turned back and fled in utmost disorder. Unfortunately, not knowing of the size of the Pechenegs, reinforced by some Bulgarian banits, who took advantage of the Pecheneg invasion to rebel against the Basileus, our warriors started chasing the retreating Slavs and soon fell into the ambush the Bulgarians had laid in the swamps on their side of the river. Many fell to the arrows of the enemy, but were not defeated and fought bravely against the overwhelming foe. Arianites moved his psiloi and cavalry closer to the battle in an attempt to aid his brave hoplitae. Unknown to him, Amraam had forded the river not far from the main battle, and suddenly appeared with his horsemen at the back of our forces. Seeing this Arianites charged at him in an attempt to kill him, but his horse tripped and he died as he fell to the ground, hitting his head on a rock. His untimely death discouraged his men, and they all surrendered to the evil barbarian, not knowing of his cruelty and cunning. The hoplitae and psiloi also surrendered seeing defeat was inevitable, and then the Pecheneg khan committed a most terrible athrocity, killing all of them. Noone survived in this battle, except for a priest, a certain Dimitrios, who saw what happened on this horrible day and fled all the way to Thrace.
https://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l9/kavhan/1088.jpg
Then the Pechenegs ruined Moesia, destroyed a lot of monasteries and churches, and raided the towns and villages. They only attacked romans though, and spared the Bulgarians, especially those that denounced the Saviour and took the pagan religion as their own. Then a few local stratiots of Bulgarian origin managed to convince Amraam to stay and rule over them as their king, joining his retinue. Some other Bulgarian bandits also joined the Pechenegs. It is then, realising the danger, that the Basileus sent the Governor of Constantinople and the Palace Place Holder with an amy of Vardariots and Psiloi, led by the feared Variangian guards. The Pechenegs and their Bulgarian allies met the army at a small pass, and while initially it appeared that the Variangians will break through, at the end somehow the barbarians prevailed, again massacering anyone they captured to quench the thirst for blood of their khan.
https://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l9/kavhan/battle1.jpg
https://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l9/kavhan/BulgariaDefended.jpg
After this unfortunate defeat, many more rabid Bulgarians joined the Pechenegs, and their army seemed endless when the Basileus led an attack on the filthy barbarians himslef next spring.
https://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l9/kavhan/BulgariaDefended.jpg
The Pechenegs, due to their superior numbers, held victory once again, killing the heir Manuil and almost capturing the Basileus, who managed to escape with a few Vardariots.
https://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l9/kavhan/Theseconddefense.jpg
Once again, Amraam ordered all prisoners to be slain. With so many Christians killed, and with the Seljuks threatening us from Anatolia and raiding in Trebizond, the Basileus had no choice but to appeal to our Orthodox brethern in Kiev for help. They agreed, fearing the Pechenegs themselves and invaded Moldavia, where was the barbarian's capital. The Pechenegs fled to their castle, and on the following year Bashtu, the second son of Amraam, led an army in an attempt to lift the siege from the Brashov castle and drive back the Rus. The battle was again at the Danube, where Bashtu deployed the same tactics as his father did during the Moesia invasion. He tried to cross the river, but his courage failed and he fled the field in shame, and was hence known as Bashtu the Coward. However, chasing him, the Rus fell into the ambush the Pechenegs had laid on their bank. Many fell to arrows there, and then when the barbarians charged with swords and spears, the Rus faltered and fled. Bashtu spared the lives of his captives, only to be reprimanded by his father, who spared his son despite his cowardess.
Fortunately though, now fearing the Rus, Amraam IV stopped his raid in our lands and soon a peace was concluded with him, which allowed the Basileus to turn his armies against the Seljuk hordes..."
Here follows the full story of the glorious Byzantine victories against the Seljuks
"... While the Basileus was driving the infidel Seljuks back to the steppes they came from, the Serbs started a war with the Magyars, invading Croatia. The Magyars, whose main army under their king was fighting the Germans, sent an emissary with gifts to Amraam IV, requesting his help. Then the Pechenegs invaded Serbia, and the Serbs, under the Serbian heir to the throne, knowing of the athrocities the Pechenegs committed to the Christians in Moesia, and at the sight of the fearsome barbarians approaching with many horses clad in armor, retreated.
https://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l9/kavhan/ConquestofSerbia.jpg
The Pechenegs captured many of the fleeing Serbs, and executed them all, to the utmost delight of Amraam IV, who is said to have drunk blood from the skulls of his victims, and eaten their hearts. Soon after the Normans defeated the Serbs in a few battles in Croatia, taking the land and destroying the Serb kingdom forever.
https://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l9/kavhan/1103.jpg
The next few years Amraam spent in peace with his neighbours, but then learing of the Magyars' continuing war with the Germans, he mustered a huge army and betrayed his allies, taking their lands with relative ease while the main Magyar army was in Bavaria. The Pechenegs conquered Panonnia, Transylvania and Transdanubia, and in vain the Magyar king appealed for help to his Polish Catholic allies, who were busy fighting the Rus to the East.
It was at that time that Amraam used gifts and cunning to attract Adriatic traders to the Black Sea and the Aegean, and soon dromons with his flag appeared in almost every sea. The Basileus granted them trading permissions, but little did he know that these were not peaceful traders but evil pirates, who were to do much evil.
Finally, in the year one thousand, one hundred and eighteen after the birth of our Saviour, a year after Alexios Komnenus, Amraam the Bloodlust died, and is now undoubtedly burning in hell for his sins. With him gone, the Romas breathed a sigh of relief and festivities were held accross the whole Empire - it seemed that a bane has perished. Alas, it was not to be, and yet worse things awaited the Christians..."
To be continued
Nice campaign Kavhan Isbul
r johnson
10-14-2006, 14:31
Interesting campaign Kavhan Isbul. What MOD is that?:inquisitive:
Deus ret.
10-14-2006, 17:32
It's MedMod. It was done by WesW some time ago and introduces some new concepts like homelands and accordingly factions have fairly different unit rosters. You can find descriptions and the mod itself here: http://wes.apolyton.net/. I like it quite a lot and stick to it whenever I play MTW without Pike & Musket.
btw, a very well written campaign. the choice of perspective is especially notable and provides a cool flair.
Kavhan Isbul
10-14-2006, 22:06
Interesting campaign Kavhan Isbul. What MOD is that?:inquisitive:
Yes, it is the MedMod, v4. I really like the challenges this mod provides, as you can only train troops in certain "homeland" provinces, and in early your ships cannot go everywhere (and you cannot build them everywhere). Besides, there are only several units available per faction, which means that your troop roster will be missing something, especially in early. Expansion away from your homelands is quite dificult, crusades and jihads are made very expensive and take forever (10 years) to build. There is limitation on the provinces where emissaries can be trained too, and only one siege engineer can be built per faction. Not too many mercenaries either. It all makes for a great game. The AI seems extremely aggresive too, and attacks the human player early and often. There is no easy faction, really, and some are simply impossible - the Papacy cannot build any ships for example.
Has anyone been able to play a successful campaign with the Papacy in MedMod in early on expert?
gingergenius
10-20-2006, 01:00
I was the English in normal, early. Bribed the Welsh and Scots, and the Irish built a port quickly so I bribed them too. wanted to hang on to that and build an army, but the french invaded so i took flanders, bribed brittany, and conquered the rest of france then Navarre. Moved into spain, who got messed up by the almohads, and took their land easily. bribed norway and sweden, then moved into northern italy on one front and took almohad spain on the other. then i conquered the germans and danes, but had a massive standoff with the polish and hungarians on the Eastern front, so focussed all my efforts on North Africa, finishing off the almohads and moving into egypt. I sent some emissaries to go bribe a load of turks, and used these troops to invade the egyptian north while my army invaded egypt. not so successful with my Turks, but i got Egypt and ransomed them back so they all took egypts land fairly easily. i eventually had enough troops to invade poland and ruined them, and killed the hungarians off with some serious bribery. the golden horde had all but removed the turks and were really messing up the russians. i finished off the turks before using that army to attack the byzantines from the East, and my Eastern front army attacking Greece and Bulgaria. eventually killed them off, then moved north taking out the russians and mongols, leaving the russians in muscovy, and my entire army in novogrod. moved some troops to italy where i defeated the papacy and sicilians, before taking out the egyptians on the islands. i eventually got 100% in 1452 having waited on the muscovy border with a massive army for a long time.
one irritation was the constant german reappearences, italian sneak attacks into provence, restored papacies and islamic rebellions. when i had conquered britain i did the iron cheat and built master metalsmiths in wessex, scotland and ireland, along with master armourers. i built one army full of highland clansmen and one full of gallowglasses and kerns, and used these to crush every revolt. they never lost a single battle, and the genrals went from 0 to 5&6 stars. brilliant to see 960 max attack & defence clansmen charging down a hill at the pope.
1 more thing: why do many of these screenshots involve battles where thousands of troops have been used without reinforcements, a pre battle screen showing a pic of the opposing genrals and loads of new factions and units??? what went wrong with my game?
Welcome to the Org, gingergenius! Enjoyed your story. ~:cheers:
1 more thing: why do many of these screenshots involve battles where thousands of troops have been used without reinforcements, a pre battle screen showing a pic of the opposing genrals and loads of new factions and units??? what went wrong with my game?
It sounds as if you have only the original MTW and not the Viking Invasion expansion pack. If that's so, then I highly recommend you pick it up if you can (although usually it can only be found these days bundled with the original game). It really adds a lot to the game; and in my opinion, is the best out of all 4 expansion packs thus far.
Viking Invasion adds 3 new playable factions to the main campaign (Aragonese, Hungarians, and Sicilians). It also includes the Viking campaign, which takes place on an enlarged map of the British Isles. The Viking campaign has its own separate set of 8 different factions--most of them with their own unique units.
In addition, VI introduces a handy feature that lets you preview the units of both armies before a battle (including the commanding general of each side). This same pre-battle screen allows you to organize your reinforcements so that they will enter the battle in whatever order you choose. Another useful feature of the expansion is that you can quick-save between battles--very nice for when you want to go to bed on a turn when you have multiple battles to fight, but don't want to lose progress on the ones you've already fought!
Da_Funkey_Gibbon
10-21-2006, 17:17
OK so I am new to Medieval, though not Total War in general and this is my first campaign. Playing as Danes on Normal/Early with Gold Edition. (Just cost me £10! Bargain! :2thumbsup: )
Did the obvious thing in the beginning, took Norway and Sweden and allied with my neighbors. I also built up and army of mostly vikings, while building a mix of economic and military buildings. This being my first campaign I made the mistake of not building up my fleet and building rather too many troop, I ended up having to disband some so I could get out of the red and get some ships/ports up and running. :oops: But once I got trading links up around the Baltic and with England/France, the money started rolling in, and to be honest the game has been pretty easy since then (blessedly the HRE did not attack Denmark while I was stuck in Scandinavia in the red).
First thing I took was Ireland (Scotland was nabbed early by the English) and then some of the rebel states around the Baltic. I then concentrated on pushing into the steppes as the HRE seemed too powerful, and the Russians were rather weak, and it was still mostly rebels. The HRE attacked, but I was pretty powerful by then (Go Go Viking huscarles!!!) and took Saxony and one other province off them before they sued for peace. I also took Portugal from the Italians, as they had been excommunicated and I had a few full stacks sitting around in the Saxony area waiting for another German offensive that never materialised, manged to get a ceasefire pretty soon after.
I thought the Byzantines were very powerful for a long time, but it turns out that while they had provinces in the steppes and north of the Balkans, they were being completely chewed up in the rear by the Egyptians. Ended up fighting the Egyptians as they took provinces from the Poles and Byzantines (Yeah, I am one of those players who likes to play quite a pious game - in this case, be nice to Christians and crush the Mohammedians! :P Too bad Danes can't crusade, do have a Jihad or two being waged against me though...)
(Found a lil odd bug type thing actually, was neutral with Byzantium, attacked that Volga-something place while the Egyptians were besieging the Byzantines, and of course when I drove the Egyptians off, I ended up continuing the siege and found myself at war with Byzantium, without a message telling me as such or warning me. Initially moved my troops out (I hate to see Byzantium fall) but then realised that that would leave the front I had opened against the Egyptians to the East of the Black Sea cut off, and so thought better of it, I just took that province and then made peace.)
So yeah, now gonna be fighting a pretty intensive war against the Turk, (Ok Egyptians, but that doesn't have the same ring to it, and the Turks have been eliminated twice now. :laugh4: ) I also realise also that I am going to regret expanding my empire east into the steppes pretty soon... :sweatdrop: but at least things are getting harder now!
Pics!
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Da_Funkey_Gibbon/Danes1125.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Da_Funkey_Gibbon/Danes1148.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Da_Funkey_Gibbon/Danes1165.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Da_Funkey_Gibbon/Danes1177.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Da_Funkey_Gibbon/Danes1198.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Da_Funkey_Gibbon/Danes1209.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Da_Funkey_Gibbon/Danes1221.jpg
Da_Funkey_Gibbon
10-21-2006, 17:39
note: I'm not playing with the see all cheat on, I just went trough all my saves and took pics with it on to give you (and me) the bigger picture, kinda cheating, but meh.
Da_Funkey_Gibbon
10-22-2006, 01:07
Well I had a spot of luck. :)
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Da_Funkey_Gibbon/Danes1227.jpg
:) :) :)
Took just two in battle regicides and BAM! :charge: The second at the hands of my own king! (OK I can't be sure he did it personally, but I like to think he did! :D)
*dances*
:2thumbsup:
Deus ret.
10-22-2006, 12:40
Hey, great campaign! Nice and interesting to read. As I see from your last screenie the Eggies may be gone but you will soon face another challenge in the shape of the Golden Horde which will appear in 5 years from your last pic. To have an "easy" go at them, completely jam Khazar with troops (at least several thousands) and wait for them. They will number around 10-20,000 and are a tough nut but after the first wave when their Khan is gone they're beatable. If you want more of a challenge, let them appear, withdraw and let them spread south where they will soon take the place of the Eggies.....which isn't too praticularly nice a prospect but then at least you won't run out of work :laugh4:
Skål!
gingergenius
10-22-2006, 18:31
normal, early. i did the rebels cheat (.conan.) and started moving all my troops from the East, grouping them all in pomerania before fighting my way through the germans in saxony and friesland before defeating the french in flanders. i then used the scots to take northumbria from the english, and the next year took mercia with the scots and welsh. these guys moved into wessex, with the troops from flanders. having them all together protects them from bribery. i spent the time up till about 1150 with the army based in flanders, training more and more troops and mercenaries. i eventually hawell over 10000 troops and decided to ruin everyone else's empire. so, into champagne and lorraine i go, and eventually i conquered the whole of france, bribing the armies under siege in the castles to replenish any forces who were killed. having looted france i spent years with my army chasing after the faction leaders and trying to eliminate the factions. as the rebels you get loads of new troops when you are victorious in a few provinces against a faction as they usually have a civil war. my best general infact was 8* called Prince Ludwig, having been part of a german civil war. by 1300, my plan of eliminating all the factions was gettting boring as they kept reviving. one irritating glitch my game has is that if there is an army of rebels occupying say flanders, and there is a french revival or loyalist rebellion somewhere else, the rebels in every province france ever owned will defect to the french. the novogrod were powerful in this game and controlled every coastal territory in the baltic, north sea and english channel. then i took all their provinces in western europe and there was a loyalist uprising in normandy. half of my army who were in friesland suddenly became russian while all the provinces i had just taken did too. anyone else experience this glitch>??
i decided that it would be good to get the map looking similar to what it does today - so the french would occupy modern day france, the burgundians in burgandy, the swiss in switzerland, plus some additions like the golden horde who would have georgia and khazar. i eventually had it nearly perfect, by invading provinces which had the wrong owners (eg toulouse which the aragonese owned) and protecting smaller factions. however, the french wouldn't reappear, and the spanish king ran out of heirs and kindly left me with the entirety of spain, except aragon. by 1453, the british isles were controlled by the english, the aragonese had spain, the danes had scandanavia (& finland), i had france, burgundy had that, swiss had switz, germany had friesland through to prussia and south to austria, italy had tyrolia, milan, venice, genoa, tuscany, naples and the two islands, papacy had the states and rome, sicily had sicily, i had malta,the poles had volhynia, poland and silesia, hungarians had the rest of central europe except bulgaria and greece, which were byzantine along with constantinople and trebizond. turkey had nicea, anatolia, rum, lesser & armenia, while the egyptians had the middle east. the almohad had their north african bit.
_Aetius_
10-23-2006, 12:56
English Hard, Early period BKB super mod.
The new English king William II wasted no time in gaining the favour of as many powerful rulers as possible upon his own rise to the throne, envoys were immediately dispatched to the courts of the various Spanish princes, the Norman king of Sicily and the German Emperor. The response was generally favourable, the Holy Roman Emperor gladly accepted the offer of alliance, even the King of France allied with William and soon the Scots, Welsh and Irish made offerings of friendship to the Norman king by marrying off their daughters to his heirs.
So the early years of Williams reign proved to be peaceful ones until the turn of the century, without warning the French betrayed William and invaded Normandy with a large army led by the king of France himself. The battle of Roeun of 1103 was a hard fought clash of the cream of both armies, the Norman infantry of the kings son Henry eventually bested the French spearmen and Miles who broke after a fierce charge by the Norman knights on the French centre. The French were routed, but the campaign expanded and soon Anjou was attacked with similar results though, now William decided it was time for a counter-attack, the garrisons of Aquitaine and Gascony were united in 1106 for a offensive into Toulouse the following year led by the governor of Aquitaine himself.
The invasion force was 1000 strong against a French force of around 700, upon entering Toulouse great news arrived, Sancho King of Aragon had sent a company of 500 troops to aid in the struggle against France. Confidence was high among the English and Aragonese who shared camps the day before the battle.
The forces of Aquitaine and Gascony were largely made up of spearmen and light infantry and cavalry, the Aragonese had sent some heavier spearmen including Catalonians. The French took up position on a steep hill, which slightly concealed their battle formation, as the English forces advanced the French archers unleashed a heavy volley of arrows down onto the first ranks of English. Dozens were cut down in these initial volleys and considerable disorder was created, on the left flank the cavalry was struggling to ascend the hill with any speed and were bogged down by yet more archer fire.
Whilst the English archers were still far away unable to influence the battle. It wasnt long until gaps began to emerge in the English line as the French cavalry began to pour through and widen them still more. The English general meanwhile the Duke of Aquitaine was with another troop of cavalry attempting to flank the French by coming up behind their left, however the French commander saw this and sent his own remaining cavalry to repulse them. Outnumbered the Duke was eventually cut down and an orderly withdrawel turned into collapse as the line shattered and all ran for the safety of the camp.
At this crucial moment, the Aragonese arrived and began to hold the advancing French, some of the English rallied and formed up a makeshift line at the bottom of the hill, were the archers finally came into play and began to cut down the tired French cavalry and light infantry. Having recovered their nerve the English advanced and broke the French who were cut down by the Aragonese light cavalry who cleared the field. The battle had been far harder than anticipated, without Aragon it would surely had been lost.
Due thanks for given to King Sancho and a daughter of William married to Sanchos heir Alfonso, however it was tainted, the King of Navarre had made a secret pact with the French and had invaded Gascony whilst the southern army was in Toulouse. The garrison was forced to withdraw to Aquitaine, with the army besieging Toulouse and already having suffered over 50% casualties, there was no chance of reconquering Gascony with this force. Therefore William himself led his own personal Norman guard to Gascony and expelled the Navarrese and then expelled the treacherous Aragonese who had taken Toulouse for themselves.
Such a betrayel was not to be tolerated and for the first and only time during Williams reign, prisoners were put to death, Alfonso who had clearly influenced his aging father to go to war was among them. With the south secured William moved east to Paris whilst his son Henry moved west into Brittany between them both 1700 French troops were captured in two battles, all were released back to the French king but soon rebelled as the remainder of his dominions plunged into civil war. Within the next 5 years (1110-1115) all of Frances territory with the exception of Champagne (and Lithuania which the French had conquered in a crusade earlier) was absorbed into Williams kingdom. Champagne enjoyed a special relationship with England, the governor had rebelled against the French monarch during the Civil war, but had not interfered with Williams plans for Lorraine or Flanders, so was allowed to rule, surrounded by English territories.
Now approaching the end of his life (50s) William planned his final campaign, during the war with France 1103-1117, the Holy Roman empire had declined into anarchy, the Emperor had been betrayed by his own sons who had rebelled in the south in 1106 and again in the east in 1112. Twice William had planned an expedition to aid the Imperial army in Saxony but twice had to shelve these plans to deal with France. Now that the French were no longer a threat, William gathered 1000 Norman infantry and cavalry along with several units of loyal Germans and invaded Friesland which was held by two of the Emperor Conrads rebellious sons. The eldest son Henry was a famous soldier having expelled the Danes from Saxony and the Poles from Bavaria years earlier in the Imperial army, aswell as defeating two successive Danish invasions of his own Frisian kingdom.
William believed the empire was vital, so to avoid chaos in central Europe, these two rebels had to be crushed and made an example of, with 900 men including 600 imperial veterans Henry and his younger brother Otto faced William on a clear field near the frontier. Henry fought with reckless bravery killing with his own sword the Count of Flanders and routing an entire company of Williams elite Norman knights. It was fitting though that the Germans loyal to the Emperor, fighting as mercenaries with William who dealt the decisive blow, a unit of Swabians flanked Henrys left flank, commanded by Otto and successively routed it. Both brothers fell at some point during this rout, Otto last seen plunging himself against a tide of Norman infantry and Henry last seen rallying his own Swabians for one last desperate charge, straight for William and was believed to have been cut down, unable to break through William elite guard, only yards from the Norman king.
With this Friesland was conquered, the Emperor Conrad was thankful that his troublesome sons had been dealt with and asked William to rule Friesland in his name. Williams health was by now declining, circumstances had conspired to force the gentle king to fight campaign after campaign against, French, Spanish and German enemies. When he died in Friesland in 1122 England had lost one of the best it would ever have, his son Henry was crowned king of the English and French, guardian of the Frisians, overlord of Navarre (his vassal).
England was rich and powerful, everything was in place for peace to reign over Henrys dominions, but it was not to be, a new power was rising, the Papacy was calling for war, a crusade and England must rally and obey.
The Blind King of Bohemia
10-23-2006, 14:21
I'd like to see some pics of that campaign aetius, it sounds great. I'm surprised there has been no wars with the celtic nations especially wales
r johnson
10-23-2006, 19:03
English Hard, Early period BKB super mod.
Champagne enjoyed a special relationship with England, the governor had rebelled against the French monarch during the Civil war, but had not interfered with Williams plans for Lorraine or Flanders, so was allowed to rule, surrounded by English territories.
How was that possible?~:confused: Great campaign I too would like to see pics as i've never used the BKB Mod.
_Aetius_
10-23-2006, 20:14
It's thanks largely to the mod that the game is so active. I shall provide pictures after this update as I have no images pre-1147.
Upon Henrys ascension to the throne, he had in his control the most powerful kingdom in all of Europe, the Normans made up the backbone of the army alongside the fearsome Templars. England feared nobody, nor did Henry.
The Normans of Sicily had been busy matching the glory of their cousins in England, between 1100 and 1110 they had conquered all of central and southern Italy and the Pope was a mere puppet of the Norman king Tancred. However Italians loyal to the Papacy rebelled with the new Pope at their head, soon the Papal states, Tuscany, Naples and Apuila where taken from the Sicilians, only Rome remained.
William had watched from afar, saddened by the behaviour of the King of Sicily whom he regarded a close friend having met as children in his fathers court at Rouen. However, as a pious king he backed the Pope against his old friend and left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Normans of Sicily who attacked the new King Henrys fleet around Spain and the English channel in 1123. Henry therefore obeyed when the call came from the Pope to crusade against the excommunicated Sicilians.
In 1125 preperations were ready and the crusade left Normandy on route to Rome, 1500 of Englands finest had rallied to the cause commanded by Count of Flanders, passing through Venetian Burgundy and the northern Papal territories the crusade arrived in Rome in good time. The Norman garrison was terrified when before the walls of Rome itself they saw the Papal banners carried proudly by the Templars, followed the personal banner of King Henry of England.
With no support coming from Sicily itself, now under the control of the despotic King Robert, they withdrew and Rome was taken. Henry was ecstatic when he heard of the success gained in Italy, Rome had been taken without blood being spilled.
Glory was Henrys, he was in his late 40s and had after victory at Rouen in 1105 lived in relative obscurity, but now he had a chance to create a glorious legacy to rival his fathers. Things however took an unusual turn, the war with the Sicilian fleets continued and the English fleet neared total victory, when suddenly word arrived that the Pope and King of Sicily had become allies. The Pope angered at Henrys apparent disregard for this new alliance, condemned him with excommunication without hesitation, Henry was furious. The real reason was not lost, Henry had refused to hand over Rome to the Papacy, his argument was that his and his fathers backing of the Papacy in exile when peace with Sicily could of easily remained deserved reward. Henry was not pious like his father, he refused to back down over Rome, excommunication branded Henry until his death and the reputation his father had built, destroyed.
Henry though did not see the problems excommunication could bring with it, in 1130 after 50 years of total peace the Welsh prince invaded Mercia. Mercia had since Williams day been the chief training centre for the army, thus despite great numbers of troops being trained there, few stayed long before being shipped out to the frontiers. Only 2 years previously a large body of troops had been moved from Mercia to Aquitaine leaving Mercia with a mere 600 men.
The Welsh had over a thousand, however all was not lost the governor of York John Talbot chose to make a stand against the treacherous Welsh. His small force took up position on the east bank of a river, guarding both crossings as best he could. A unit of spearmen, northern militia guarded the lsouthern bridge whilst the remaining northern militia and spearmen guarded the main bridge to the north covered by two units of archers.
The Welsh sent the majority of their army to the main bridge where they met volleys of arrows from the far bank, whilst a smaller force took the smaller more distant bridge. The battle was hard fought, the archers poured volley after volley into the side of the Welsh knights, wave after wave of heavy cavalry charged across until all men were committed to the fight, Talbot himself in the frontline. He could not though expect to hold them forever and soon the archers ran out of arrows, the spears and swords of his men blunted and broken. The southern bridge fell as the guard was killed almost to the men, the few remaining on the larger bridge could take no more and broke, Talbot made his escape well, he had been defeated but 600 Welshmen and 3 Welsh princes had been the cost.
Henry was in Flanders at the time and quickly returned to England after hearing of the defeat, he landed in Mercia with 900 men the following year (1131) to ensure victory he asked for assistance from the Novgorod governor of Saxony who sent a force of 700 vikings and rus to Henrys aid. Henry decided to let his allies do most of the fighting as the Welsh only numbered 500 and saw little need to tire his own men. Henry therefore only advanced with the Novgoridians with his own Royal escort and two units of light cavalry. Within minutes Henrys allies were bested, the Welsh proved fierce opponents and had chosen a superb position on a steep slope and a rout ensued, Henry was left stranded the light cavalry he had taken with him had been destroyed and he was halfway up the slope when he met the royal guard of the Welsh prince himself. Word reached the English camp of the kings peril and troops were quickly despatched as the viking element of the Novgorod army rallied and turned around to rejoin the fight. The cavalry arrived first and Henry was able to disengage for a moment, change horses and rejoin the battle which had become sporadic and disjointed.
The final stages were chaotic as all order broke down on all fronts, Henry reclimbed the slope and chased the Welsh prince who was finishing off a unit of Norman knights, Henry himself lance in hand killed the prince of the Welsh. It was a crucial moment, the Welsh could not fight without their charismatic leader and they broke.
Henry had won and by his own hand, Mercia was his again. Without barely a days rest Henry gathered his forces and subdued the Welsh once and for all, annexing the whole country. The following year he turned on the Scots who had sided with the Welsh although remained at peace with England, the Scots could clearly not be trusted, they submitted to Henry without a fight. The Irish high king, believing he could take advantage of the confused situation in England invaded and briefly overran Scotland in Henrys absence. Henry having taken ill soon after the Scots had been subjugated, it was therefore left to his young son Richard to avenge the Irish invasion. Crossing the Irish sea with troops from Aquitaine, Gascony, Brittany and Wessex prince Richard smashed the Irish so totally that the royal line became extinct and there was barely a man left to disagree with English rule nevermind think of rebellion. Between 1131 and 1135 the Celtic nations had been conquered, only the extreme north was out of Henrys control, ruled as it was by his faithful allies the Vikings of Norway. Thanks was given to the governor of Saxony for his assistance and the brave Lord Talbot, reviled by the narrow-minded as a coward, was made Archbishop of Canterbury by Henry who recognised the extraordinary bravery he had displayed defending Mercia.
In 1137 there was finally peace for Henry, for the remaining 7 years of his life Henry was a pious king and never again went to war.
Henry died in 1144, he had gained the glory he sought so desperately, the Celts had been conquered, the last vestiges of rebellion in France crushed, but Rome the eternal city was Henrys greatest triumph, even though he was not present.
His 26 year old son Richard became king, King of England and France, Overlord of Scotland and Wales, conqueror of the Irish, King of Rome.
Before harmony could be totally restored though, one more issue had to be dealt with, Champagne. For the last 30 years Champagne had remained an independant entity, ruled by the highly respected Count Louis De Nogaret. He had however died in 1149 and was replaced by his son Hugh, who it was believed was in communication with King Louis in Lithuania and was encouraging rebellion, perhaps hoping to rule France in Louis' name. It wasnt to be though, the rebellion occurred, but Hugh was betrayed and killed by the rebels who seized all of Champagne for themselves. Richard was alarmed by what was happening and sent his best general, Strongbow Fitzgilbert to subdue the French and annex Champagne. Strongbow had with him only 1300 men, much of the continental army occupied in Ireland and Scotland. The French had over 3000, most of whom disaffected Normans and adventurers previously loyal to the France. Strongbow was not alarmed though, his own Normans were veterans and his Templars had never been defeated. The French fought hard and bravely, but ultimately they were crushed, 2500 were killed and the rebels executed. Champagne was Richards first triumph as king.
https://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r60/Lucullus_2006/Image1.jpg
Thats the latest image I have just prior to the conquest of Champagne, from here on in though i'll provide more regular images.
_Aetius_
10-23-2006, 20:16
How was that possible?~:confused: Great campaign I too would like to see pics as i've never used the BKB Mod.
Easily, when the french were in civil war Champagne had joined the rebels side, after I conquered all of the remaining French territories I saw no need to conquer Champagne which was harmless whilst in rebel hands. I surrounded it by controlling Ile De france, Lorraine and Flanders.
Those are some awesome campaigns, guys. Can't wait to hear more! :2thumbsup:
r johnson
10-24-2006, 09:08
Easily, when the french were in civil war Champagne had joined the rebels side, after I conquered all of the remaining French territories I saw no need to conquer Champagne which was harmless whilst in rebel hands. I surrounded it by controlling Ile De france, Lorraine and Flanders.
Gotcha thanks:2thumbsup:
_Aetius_
10-24-2006, 09:59
Thanks, unfortunately the game has lost it's balance somewhat as you will see in the next update, so it's becoming hard to create a realistic sounding campaign *storyline* when things have become so messy. Which tends to happen much later in the game than it has in this particular campaign unfortunately.
Fortunately i've been aided by the AI and some odd occurrances so far, such as my sudden (random) excommunication, crusade to Rome, my involvement in the German civil war, the Celtic wars and Champagne. The later you get into the game though there are less opportunities for such events to occur as i've conquered most of the smaller kingdoms.
However i've been suprised before by this game so i'm happy to continue.
Thanks to BKB again though for this mod, I mean I can train Templars! :beam:
gingergenius
10-25-2006, 00:49
Started a campaign as the almohads, early, expert (my first ever serious expert).
I did glorious achievments since i didn't expect domination, and the one homeland i was missing was Valencia. so, i raised an army with a backbone of almohad urban militia, peasants and archers, and after a decade was ready to invade. my finances were really pissing me off, and i was developing every province's castle, farmland, mines, merchants and ports. i was all set to take valencia when the poxy spaniards got there first, so i took portugal. bad move. the stage i am at now, i still have a large garrison in portugal to prevent rebellion, and i had to quell about 15-20 in the first 50 years of occupation.
i spent another decade at peace with the world, forging alliances with the egyptians and building a navy to enable more trade. then those spanish pricks declared a crusade and i had a perfect excuse to expand my empire. i built up my forces and in one year invaded their 3 provinces - leon, castille and valencia, knocking them out in one fell swoop, and their king and his heirs. just left with a rebel garrison in the besieged castles in valencia, castille and leon, plus the aragonese in navarre and aragon, before iberian domination. after starving the rebels out, my troops immediately mived into navarre and aragon, winning battles there and the following year finishing the aragonese off in toulouse. then, after i thought my troops might get some rest. no, the french decide to crusade and its 1193.
https://img113.imageshack.us/my.php?image=thealmohads1193ad0.png
the large french forces in aquitaine caused me to sit on what i had, and trained hundreds on muwahids, murabitins and archers, whilst waiting for their crusade to deteriorate (they never invaded). when it did, i had long since made peace with the french, but saw their post-crusade civil war too good an oppurtunity to miss. I invaded aquitaine, destroying the rebels and at the same time declaring war on the french by removing their army. next turn, all but one stacks moved into brittany and anjou, and before long i had conquered ile de france, normandy and flanders as well, leaving a long front with the germans. feeling sorry for my opressed english allies, i invaded the french in wessex, defeated them in wales and mercia and then withdrew my troops to the egyptian front.the french were left in constantinople (so i later found out - i was puzzling to see where they had gone after kicking them out of western europe) wales, wessex and mercia are governed by rebels, and its up to the english to regain these provinces. the germans somehow have scotland. while i was fighting the french, the treacherous egyptians had successfully invaded cyrenacia, defeating my small force there. however, thanks to my well developed trade routes, the army from france invaded and took it back immediately. these troops were bolstered by desert archers and saharan cavalry trained in morocco and tunisia, and detterred the two egyptian jihads away. having achieved peace and a firm alliance with the germans in europe, my troops invaded egypt, causing the egyptians to retreat.next came sinai, although a year after taking the province, a defence of my 6000 troops against 7000 egyptians was successful, and i had broken the egyptian army. the middle east was swiftly taken, and the byzantines decided to invade me in trebizond. they pussied out, and by 1251 have suffered, along with the weak turks who were in the way in anatolia. however, yet another alliance has gone down the pan as a german force of 1500-2000men invaded toulouse, crushing my garrison of 5-600 men. it may take a few years to get proper reinforcements over there, so by then i might have lost alot of my french territories.
https://img113.imageshack.us/my.php?image=thealmohads1251no9.png][IMG]https://img113.imageshack.us/img113/6240/thealmohads1251no9.th.png
Nice game so far, gingergenius. So is the HRE's invasion a serious problem, or is it more of a temporary setback?
Nice campaigns guys,
This is what I've been working on.
https://img207.imageshack.us/img207/2673/eastangliail5.jpg
UltraWar
10-28-2006, 11:31
Nice campaigns guys,
This is what I've been working on.
https://img207.imageshack.us/img207/2673/eastangliail5.jpg
That looks great! I hope the mod is ready to be released soon so I can lead one of the new factions to glory. :beam:
Well there are some bugs, its because of the new faction(s). I can run the game as anyone, other than East Anglia (or Mercia) and it will work, but it crashes after the turn is ended.
If anyone has added factions before, can you PM me with advice (or a walkthrough/link).
Torin XII
10-28-2006, 12:55
Hi!
I have a very simple question: How do I take pictures? Is it the "Print screen#-key and where do I find the pictures?
I hope someone can be kind and answer my question.
Thanks
Hi Torin XII
You have two options:
a) Use Print Screen, then alt tab and paste into a graphics program (eg MSPaint)
b) Press F2 in game, this will save images into the Game directory (usually ProgramFiles\TotalWar\Medieval-Total War\TGAs). The images will be TGA files which means you need either Photoshop or Ultimate Paint to open or edit them.
Yey!
https://img174.imageshack.us/img174/4113/eastangliaux9.jpg
Note: Unfinished Version, the flags are temporary
East Anglia, 793, historically the last year before its downfall to Mercia. However, how will King Athelbert the Saint fair against the Mercians, and the Vikings ...
_Aetius_
10-28-2006, 17:28
In 1150 Richard now 32 could sit back and look over his kingdom, the French were finished and England had never been stronger. Along his frontiers though new powers were rising, the Almohads were continuing there revival in Spain where all but a few of the Catholic kingdoms had been conquered, the Venetians of Burgundy and Provence continued the war they had fought against the remnant of the Holy Roman empire for the last two decades. Once far to the east, word had reached Richard that the Egyptians had crossed the rivers Danube and Sava with 5000 men, for a brief moment the Egyptians had reached eastern Germany, but failed to subdue the independant state of Bavaria which had broken away from imperial rule 50 years previous and remained unconquered.
To the north east the Novgoridians maintained there German territories to the north and dominated the steppes, finally on the point of overwhelming the Kievans. The Vikings though were in serious decline, it was common knowledge that King Harald had no male issue, in his mid 50's it looked as though the Vikings would soon collapse into anarchy.
But for now Richard could put his mind elsewhere, in 1153 to secure Rome naval assault, the Corsicans tired of the crippling taxation imposed on them by their Venetian backed despot, gladly accepted Richards subsidy of 3000 florins to switch loyalty to him. The transition was a peaceful one, the Venetians glad to be rid of the rebellious burden that Corsica represented.
For 20 years there was peace, peace like England had never seen before, London was a bustling metropolis, Englands trade network stretched from Sicily to Novgorod, the treasury was packed with over 250,000 florins, 12,000 profit each year. In 1171 Richard took to the field again, this time to the far north, King Harald finally died in 1170 and Orkneyjar and Caithness fell into the hands of squabbling minor nobles. They foolishly mistook Richards peaceful kingdom as weakness and caused disruption in the north sea trade links, Richards reaction was decisive, 1000 men were organised and and the Viking forces were destroyed. However Richard was not a well man, during the siege of the last major Viking stronghold in 1173 the 55 year old Richard died of a sudden fever. His rule had been by contrast to his father and grandfathers uneventful. However Richards peace had made England the richest state in Europe, it's Norman armies immovable, the peace was a blessing, his successor would not be so fortunate.
Richards 51 year old brother, John was crowned in Edinburgh as King of England, France and Scotland, overlord of the Irish and Welsh, guardian of Corsica and protector of Rome.
King John
https://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r60/Lucullus_2006/Image00003.jpg
https://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r60/Lucullus_2006/Image00007.jpg
France
https://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r60/Lucullus_2006/Image00004.jpg
Italy
https://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r60/Lucullus_2006/Image00005.jpg
Friesland
https://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r60/Lucullus_2006/Image00009.jpg
During the last years of Richard reign, developments abroad quickly accelerated, the Egyptians finally established themselves north of the Danube, as far west as Tyrolia. The Venetians had been gripped by civil war, their heartlands of Burgundy lost to rebels and Provence overrun by the Almohads, who ruled all of Spain aside from Aragon, still in Venetian hands. Novgorod had been seen deploying more regiments of troops in Saxony, all were weary of the Muslim tide.
Deus ret.
10-28-2006, 20:44
Now that's one hell of a scenery! I definitely never ever saw Muslims becoming that dominant on the map unless I played them myself. Usually they get their a**es whopped by everyone else....
May the realm propser under King John!
r johnson
10-28-2006, 21:07
Yey!
https://img174.imageshack.us/img174/4113/eastangliaux9.jpg
Note: Unfinished Version, the flags are temporary
East Anglia, 793, historically the last year before its downfall to Mercia. However, how will King Athelbert the Saint fair against the Mercians, and the Vikings ...
Nice the new factions look good, can't wait to play thefinished mod.:beam:
_Aetius_
10-28-2006, 21:53
I'll provide a bigger update tomorrow, there was simply very little to report during Richards reign.
From now on i'll also provide some campaign notes so you can see what my plans are seperate from the story.
I've played a few more years beyond the last update, but not enough to merit an update of it's own. I'm weary of the powerful Muslim factions, the Egyptians very much took me by suprise, I saw because of my emissaries that the Egyptians were overrunning Byzantium some 40 years earlier, but I never expected them to totally destroy the empire or reach the Danube so early. As you can see i'm the only significant Catholic faction remaining, Novgorod the only other significant Christian power. I expect from what I can see that the Egyptians will overrun the rest of Germany and mop up the Cumans and Venetians. The Poles are relatively powerful, but I can't see them standing up to the Egyptians for long and the Egyptians really did cross the Danube with 5000 men, I thought for sure that they would attack me but for whatever reason they withdrew.
The map has totally lost its balance, it's still early and most of the factions have been destroyed, hopefully there will be some re-emerging factions and the horde can mix things up abit. It'd be a shame if it came down to just me and Egypt, can't make much of a story or make it sound realistic if it comes to that afterall. I think I could take the Almohads, but the Egyptians are monsterously powerful.
I've never seen the Muslims dominate so totally either, I think I know whats caused it, the HRE a faction I consider the anchor of the entire map did collapse as it often does, but usually it's replaced by another Catholic power. That faction tends to be France, who I destroyed, meaning that relatively small factions fought each other, none gaining superiority, thus the door has been open for Egypt to go nuts. Spain is abit of a lottery, sometimes Castile dominates sometimes not, i've hardly interfered in Spain so it's natural development, my earlier wars with Aragon and Navarre, little influenced the Almohads expansion.
I've enjoyed the campaign so far, very much so infact and I think the little storylines i've tried to make have come off reasonably well for a change.
I'll have a proper session tomorrow. :2thumbsup:
Hi wot mod is the one rythmic made ???? it looks cool
_Aetius_, nice campaign. I've never had a muslim nation become so large! Your in for some tough battles!
King Athelbert the Saint, noticed the weakness of his kingdom. And thus decided it best to expand southward. He ordered the attack on the local warlord in East Seaxe.
https://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2867/eastangliab2oy4.jpg
https://img81.imageshack.us/img81/7827/eastangliab3ae4.jpg
https://img81.imageshack.us/img81/5314/eastangliab4yl5.jpg
Unfortunately it crashed abruptly right after the battle was fought.
Wow, _Aetius_, things have definitely gotten interesting in your campaign--I don't envy your position right now! ~D Probably your best bet is to try and destroy the Caliphate first, so as to eliminate the threat to your strategic "rear". Once the Almohads are taken care of, then you should probably see what you can do about driving the Egyptians out of Europe. Of course, if the Sultan's armies suddenly reach the Rhine in the next few years, you may not have that option; so I recommend moving as quickly as you may. ~:rolleyes:
I've never had a muslim nation become so large!
Really? I find that decidedly odd. :inquisitive: (Not that I don't believe you, it's just completely opposite from most of my campaigns!) In my games, the Egyptians end up dominating the eastern half of the map more than any other faction; and when playing Domination mode, it's usually only a matter of time before I end up facing them in a final cataclysmic war for supremacy. Sometimes the Byz, Cumans (XL mod), Novs, or Kievs (XL) get big; and occasionally the Hungarians or Turks do as well. Still, I'd say that the Eggies are the "big boys" of the east in roughly 70-80% of my campaigns, no matter what the game settings are.
Also, the Almos often become big as well, although it depends on which version of MTW you have. I you have just the original game (no VI x-pack), then the Almos are crazy-aggressive--if their northward expansion isn't checked at the Pyrenees, then western Europe is usually doomed. ~:eek: In Viking Invasion, however, they were watered down so much that the Spanish usually destroyed them with ease almost every time. With the XL mod, the Almos are once again a threat to contend with, although they're not as dangerous as they are in vanilla MTW. They're still powerful, and often take over the Iberian peninsula--and if they don't, then Castille-Leon (Spanish) will!--but they're more balanced now. ~:)
Well, never was probably the wrong word to use. I'm sure I have had a muslim nation dominating the map, but I probably haven't realised, playing with FoW on.
Innocentius
10-30-2006, 14:49
The Danes - Early - Normal
No mods or anything
Forgive my lack of skill, though I belive that opens up for a more interesting game, since it's funnier to watch a struggle, rather than a complete success
1087: The Danish kingdom is limited to the traditional Danish homelands, consisting of a peninsula and a few larger islands. The country is low-tech, has a struggling economy (although the profit from the viking raids of past days are still available for spending). The country and its minimal army is commanded by King Olaf I, 38 years old, who is natural born leader, but who except from that has no special abilites or vices.
1088-1092: The Danish kingdom is at peace. Construction of several buildings is issued by the king, and the size of the army grows, but nothing of real interest happens during these years. However, the country seals several important alliances with various contries all across Europe. In late 1092, an heir to the throne is born.
1093: For the first time since the viking era, the danes show an urge to expand, and this is done easily. A large danish force travels across Skagerack to Sweden - which is in the hands of the rebels - and the country falls without a fight, as the danes massivly outnumber the rebels. The victorious troops immediately begin the construction of a fort to keep Sweden in their grasp.
In the same year, an important alliance with the Byzantine Empire is concluded.
1095: In this year, Prince Erik of Denmark becomes of age. The succession to the throne is now ensured.
1096-1106: These ten years were peaceful years for the danes. Several alliances were concluded, and the profits from the copper mining in Sweden became an important boost to the economy.
1107: Prince Knud becomes of age, and yet another heir to the throne is born in the same year.
1108: Danish troops situated in Sweden launch an invasion of Norway. However, the norsemen defend demselves better than the danes had projected, and the battle ends in defeat. A dire victory for the norse though:
https://img84.imageshack.us/img84/4554/screen1qe8.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
Prince Olaf, the comander of the army, only barely escapes alive. His entire unit of knights are slain.
1109: The construction of a keep is begun i Denmark, in order to keep up with the level of technological advancement in other, more civilized, contries.
1111: The Danes are successful in their second attempt at conquering Norway. While their own troops only grew larger during the years of inactivity, the norse were unable to compensate for their losses.
https://img116.imageshack.us/img116/1492/screen2ue9.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
The great news of the victory in Norway are depleted however, as the King Olaf I dies in the same year. He is succeeded by his son king Olaf II, who is a less suitable king. King Olaf II became infamous early on for being a coward, and even for suffering from mental illness. He was 36 years old at the time he was crowned a king.
1112: King Olaf II marries. A fort is constructed in Norway.
1114: Prince Valdemar comes of age.
1117: The keep in Copenhagen is finished. 30 years after the birth of the new, modern, Denmark, the kingdoms is four times or more larger than it was initially, and the profits from the mines in Sweden has led the country to relative welfare, although the kingdom lacks the funds needed for expanding further. Also, the King is having sever difficulties in getting his daughters married. So far, every proposal has been refused.
The "known world" in 1117:
https://img167.imageshack.us/img167/4080/screen3sc7.png (https://imageshack.us)
gingergenius
10-31-2006, 01:55
Part 2 of Almohads, early expert, continuing from the fix of 1251 where the HRE broke our alliance and invaded toulouse.
unfortunately, the vast majority of my troops were over in trebizond and nicea fighting the byzantines. due to the presence of byzantine ships in the seas around turkey, i couldn't get any significant force over to france quickly enough and the germans were able to take the province easily, and hold on. however, i had a jihad in navarre, which was dispatched off to toulouse, and with the help of the besieged troops, and of the newly trained men who had sailed in from coastal areas all over my empire, the germans were forced into retreat. as my armies began to arrive from the East, it was time for revenge on the germans - but the golden horde chose that point to invade syria, and since then i have had to be constantly training troops (mainly nubian spearmen) in the middle east. a whole series of rebellions in this region, followed by a major turkish revival and more broken sicilian promises (they invaded trebizond) meant that i had to withdraw my remaining middle eastern armies to antioch and syria, while keeping huge garrisons in tripoli, plestine and arabia due to almost annual peasant revolts.
meanwhile, the story at sea has not changed between the late 13th century and where i am now (1326). my main ports, portugal and cyrenacia are constantly producing booms, and barring a few defeats, i have one ship in every sea along the north african coast, around the entire coasts of spain and france, and in all the northern seas. however, i cannot get a foothold in any italian/ northern mediterraenean seas because the sicilian navy is ridiculously big. by 1326, they have begun to push into the nile coast and gulf of gabes, conducting invasions of egypt the sinai and cyrenacia, all of which have (eventually) been dealt with. the only way i can see of securing naval power is by eliminating the sicilians.
at the same time in western europe, the french staged a revival, and invaded anjou and flanders. by this point champagne was teetering on the brink of rebellion, and the troops lost fighting the french tipped it over the edge. with my eastern army finally in place, i was able to defeat the rebels and the french, before moving swiftly on into lorraine, friesland, burgundy and provence. with these secured, there was a stalemate - i had too few forces to invade any more provinces without catholic uprisings. whenever i did, i invaded, but vast numbers of almohads have died fighting the numerous rebellions i have had to deal with. 2 things have made things especially difficult: my current and previous Khalifahs have reigned over the largest empire on the map, yet have had crap influence (3-4 crowns). the second is that after serious efforts at crushing all sorts of loyalist/peasant/catholic rebellions, and imposing islam, the german and middle eastern provinces have eventually got to o% chance of rebellion with no troops. however, like in the last year i played (where i have given up and will continue another day), just after my troops have pushed on further into europe on one side an turkey on the other, all these regions have 100% chance of rebellion. its like having mini civil wars every now and again, and while progress in europe has been slow, the middle east has been a constant progression of invasion, then losing those territories to go and deal with previously secure provinces.
https://img65.imageshack.us/my.php?image=thealmohads1285ks5.png
by 1285, i had secured a decent front with the germans, was controlling western europe, making plans to go and remove the sicilians. by 1306, i had kicked the sicilians out of venice, and, following a reckless italian invasion of my land, removed the italians. i had conquered northeastern germany, denmark, and sweden, but continuous uprisings of huge armies containing hundreds of chivalric and feudal foot knights meant the germans quickly reclaimed the area. i eventually trained 5 imams and sent them all to pomerania, where the german emperor was, and got the population to 80% muslim very quickly. so i invaded, driving the germans out of europe again and embarking on a huge offensive against the sicilians in hungary and croatia, while in turkey my armies invaded trebizond and anatolia. all were successful, and the turks soon diminished into minor factions following their defeat in anatolia. then, the 1320 battle of trebizond saw over 2,500 of my troops and their 8*general heavily defeated by a combined force of well over 4,000 mongolians and sicilians. my general was slain, and the reinforcements pussied out before engaging in combat - i lost over 1000 men killing less than 200. most of these were nubian spearmen, who make up about 75% of my middle eastern armies (which number about 8-10,000). despite their victory in trebizond, the sicilian population was clearly humiliated by defeats in the balkans and civil war broke out. Trebizond, Greece and sardinia all became rebel provinces, and my reserves in anatolia were quick to capitalise, taking nicaea and trebizond. meanwhile in the balkans i pushed further on into bulgaria and wallachia, while bribing the sicilian general in corsica and conquering that.
https://img174.imageshack.us/my.php?image=thealmohads1306jf4.png
Unless they have provinces further east, i will have them exterminated (and their navy!!) if i can take constantinople and greece. however, i finished in 1326 with hundreds of rebellions to deal with, so i may be a little preoccupied.
https://img67.imageshack.us/my.php?image=thealmohads1326qh9.png
Well, never was probably the wrong word to use. I'm sure I have had a muslim nation dominating the map, but I probably haven't realised, playing with FoW on.
Ah, I see. Well I can assure you that you've very probably played quite a few campaigns where the Eggies were a superpower, even if you knew it not. I sometimes call them the "Other" Golden Horde because of this. ~;)
@Innocentius: Nice campaign so far! So what do you think is next for the Danes? Will you try to re-establish the Danelaw in Britain, or will you look to the east where the Rus dwell?
@gingergenius: Wow, that's some crazy rebellions you've got going on; it's hard to believe you're having that much trouble with them! ~:eek: Do a lot of those provinces still have mostly-Catholic populations, or did you already convert them?
Hey. this is my first mtw campaign (i just bought it 2 days ago)
Faction: The French
Start Period: Early
Year: 1220
Cheats: No
https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/joesdragons/00medieval.jpg
Start: I Began by setting up my economic situation. improving farms, building ports things like that. i then attacked a couple neighbouring areas and got my first warning from the pope. i got excommunicated so i began pushing towards the papal states and i was dominant at first but i was driven off by the sicillians who had a massive army (about 35 years into it) and then i was caught between the strong sicillians and the germans who outnumbered me by 350 men i was going to let it play automatically but then i figured it would be a waste of time and money to basically allow 650 men get executed so i attack the germans myself i used the basic strategy of overloading there front line and flanking the general. once the general began to rout i took 511 prisoners and learned a big lesson. my general ransomed them off for 800 florins i got away safe and thats when i began taking control.
Challenges Ahead:1. im in a territorial struggle with my ally the bryzantines who in my theory are controlling over half the map and eventually they will make a move against me.
2. The Spanish have a strong base on my side they are neutral and we havent fought at all yet. they had alot more men then shown on the map but they are in a big war with them muslims to the the south west. i have been cautious about attacking them due to the fact im already fighting the germans. right now i believe would be oppurtune to attack as there guard is down near me and my men are close enough to get there quickly as reinforcements.
my florins are dropping extremely fast. about 15 years before the picture i had 80000 but mercenaries and my large army are sapping it.
Is that the Byz ... in England?!
Nice campaign, HUGE Byzantines.
thanks. im having alot of trouble with them. if i dont attack someone for territory quickly they will and its been going like that since they first came into veiw on the map they are the richest, most advanced and they have the largest army so im going to let them do there thing while i try to take control in the deserts. hopefully that will give me a much needed boost to finally make a move
All you can hope for is a civil war. Or assasinate their royal family.
Innocentius
10-31-2006, 15:05
@Innocentius: Nice campaign so far! So what do you think is next for the Danes? Will you try to re-establish the Danelaw in Britain, or will you look to the east where the Rus dwell?
Thankee, Martok. My main objective will be the same as the Swedes had during the medival and early modern period: total dominion of the Baltic sea. I will go for Pomerania and Prussia first, and then work my way east. I won't mess with the HRE, though.
Once I have the Baltic sea, I will try to make peace with the Russians (as I want them as a buffer by the time the Golden Horde appears), and then we will see where I go from there on.
gingergenius: That's one nice campaign. I rarely survive until the dawn of the 14th century while playing on expert (no matter what nation)~;p
things are taking a turn for the worse in my campaign ... early too. look at the change in florins and territory.
https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/joesdragons/00medieval.jpg
https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/joesdragons/00medieval2.jpg
costs have gone up. money has gone down. military is still decent but in poor positioning. and now the mongols have decided to join the fun. and on top of that i have only 1 heir and hes underage
Innocentius
10-31-2006, 16:29
Unfortuneately, my Danish campaign has ended:shame:
Not because I failed, in fact, I had just won a great victory against the Livonian rebels, but it was that screencap that made my game mess up. Stupid as I am, I took the pic, then went straight back to windows to save it, and then the game just popped. Now everytime I try to load the campaign, the game shuts down, so I ended up deleting the campaign as it became unplayable:wall:
Anyway, I did manage to beat the Livonians:
https://img432.imageshack.us/img432/9430/screen1dk6.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
Will commence a new campaign soon, and I wont mess with such a sensitive game again~;)
im about to go into the biggest campaign fight ive ever been in im going to save the replay -unless i get crushed ;)- i will take some in battle screenshots
https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/joesdragons/00medieval3.jpg
and a quick question... should i start my own thread for this because i love posting whats going on and it would be easier to see it :) let me know
Formation
https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/joesdragons/00medieval4.jpg
Awesome Catapult Explosion
https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/joesdragons/00medieval5expl.jpg
The Quick 1 Sided Finish
https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/joesdragons/00medieval6win.jpg
they routed early due to the catapults and the charge so it was clean up after that. i thought it would be a good fight. but atleast i got a snapshot of the catapults blast during the fight which i think looks awesome
Innocentius
10-31-2006, 20:48
Nice work there HoH Mystic:2thumbsup:
But I agree it was a bit of a shame the battle didn't last longer. A battle of those proportion would have looked really awesome, but probably would've cost both sides massive casualties.
Innocentius
10-31-2006, 22:35
Hungarians-High Period-Normal
In 1205, King András II is crowned king of Hungary. A century and-a-half of civil war has ended. By the time he becomes king, András is already an experienced warrior, and has proven himself to be a highly skilled defender.
The next few years, Hungary is at peace, and the economy grows. So does the army. In 1208, the king's son, Prince András becomes of age. During the same year, the king is happy to conclude an alliance with the Danes.
Things continue in this peaceful way for quite some years. In 1209 a fort is finished in the province of Carpathia, and the kingdom allies to France and the Aragonese in 1209, and to the Russians in 1210. During the next few years, alliances are made with the Papal states, the Byzantine Empire (or the remnants of it), Poland, Italy and The Holy Roman Empire.
In 1210, a son is born, and in 1213 the King celebrates the marriage of two of his daughters to the Holy Roman Emperor and King Aod of the Papal States.
However, with welfare and stability comes greed. Once you're off reasonably well, you want more. And so a few years of great expansion took on for the Hungarian kingdom.
In 1212 Moldavia was invaded. The rebels in the province surrendered without a fight.
In 1214, Prince Lázló becomes of age, and is immediately put in charge of an army invading Serbia. The Italians, who had become a great power controlling much of the Mediterranean coast - and who were allied to the Hungarians - sends massive reinforcements to aide in the conquering. The rebels who controls the province surrenders without a fight. However, the Italians gained the province as their army had been the greatest of the two. This was a big setback for the Hungarians.
This leads to no hostilities with the Italians though, and in the next year, Prince András marries an Italian princess. A daughter is born in the same year.
1215 was a busy year, and Walachia was invaded. King András personally commanded the army, and led his troops to a glorious victory agains the rebels:
https://img287.imageshack.us/img287/6497/screen2pw6.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
A couple of peaceful years follow. In 1216, another heir to the throne is born, further securing the lineage of kings. In 1217, an alliance is made with the Almohads, this alliance is almost immediately closed though, as The Holy Roman empire launches a crusade agains Almohad provinces. Hungary could not afford to become at war with the mighty Germans.
In 1218, a fort is completed in Moldavia, securing the conquered province.
In 1219, Bulgaria, the last remaining rebel province between Hungary and the Turkish empire, is invaded. Prince Lázló leads the army, and is victorious. A lot less glorious victory than in Walachia though:
https://img516.imageshack.us/img516/7263/screen3tz9.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
The rebels retreat to their castle, and Prince Lázló besieges them. The castle falls in 1224, providing the Hungarian army with a massive loot.
In 1225, Prince Béla becomes of age.
Europe and Northern Africa in 1225:
https://img502.imageshack.us/img502/8152/screen4kr0.png (https://imageshack.us)
The Hungarian Kingdom is currently jammed in between mighty kingdoms and empires. We shall see what happens next.
Derfasciti
10-31-2006, 22:45
Out of curiosity, how many of you are playing the Conquest campaign and how many are playing the achievements?
Also, how long does achievements last, and which is harder would you say?
Edit: And while I'm at it, in your opinion what are the differences in time eras (including difficulty). Which is harder?
Awesome, guys. :2thumbsup:
@Innoecentius: I take it you were unable to retrieve your Danish campaign, then? That's a pity. :sad: I was looking forward to their establishment of a Baltic empire! Looks like you're off to a good start with the Huns, though. :thumbsup:
@HoH Mystic: If you're looking for advice, I would recommend conquering the Spanish and Almohads before taking on the Byzantines. The Spanish and Almos own some pretty nice provinces in terms of income, and should go a fair way in helping refill your coffers. In addition, it may help to remember that the longer you hold off on going to war with the Byz, the more obselete their troops will become!
Innocentius
11-01-2006, 00:37
Out of curiosity, how many of you are playing the Conquest campaign and how many are playing the achievements?
Also, how long does achievements last, and which is harder would you say?
Edit: And while I'm at it, in your opinion what are the differences in time eras (including difficulty). Which is harder?
I only play the Conquest campaign. Haven't even tried GA yet =P
I like all eras. Early perhaps give you a bit too much to construct (keeping check on 20 provinces that are being built from scratch is annoying) but gives you plenty of space to move on (many rebel provinces). High has the most entertaining units IMO, gives some free space (at least if you play as an eastern European faction) anf includes the Joker of the Golden Horde.
Late is fun as well, since the game in total rocks, and has gunpowder (even though this appears a bit unrealisticly early on the battlefields).
I'd say High is my favourite.
@Innoecentius: I take it you were unable to retrieve your Danish campaign, then? That's a pity. I was looking forward to their establishment of a Baltic empire! Looks like you're off to a good start with the Huns, though.
Yes, that's the situation unfortunately:( I did finish with a perfect 1-10 kill ratio battle though.
Yes, I have never played as the Hungarians before, and they've turned out to be a real interesting and entertaining faction. I guess I'll wait for the Golden Horde now, and then try to expand as the Russians and Turkish are busy fighting each other and the Mongols.
thanks and good luck innocentius
im getting crushed by the spanish. supplys are running out military is getting thin there and it would take about 6 turns to move my main force off of the sicillians which would also be a big mistake. so im going to tough it out. they are pushing me back now and closing in on my original land
2,600 vs 2,500 (cant remember who had which)
https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/joesdragons/00medieval7field.jpg
got a major stike of luck here as the sicillians had a massive army around my border so i put my attention towards them
https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/joesdragons/00medieval28win.jpg
im currently fortifying my borders near the spanish
LegioScythia
11-01-2006, 14:18
Hungarians Hard Early
When i started playing i directly attacked the rebel providence near me after a few years resulting i then attacked the byzantine Bulgaria it took me 4 attempts to capture it after that i had 10 failed attempts of taking Greece but by 1125 i ended up controlling most of the Balkans i will add pictures as soon as can upload them :furious3: :furious3:
Great stories, guys; keep 'em coming! :2thumbsup:
@Darth Revan:: Don't worry about the pictures. They're nice, but a good story doesn't need them. ~:)
@Innocentius: How fares your Hungarian campaign? Have you expanded further, or are you content to develop your lands while the kingdoms in the East duke it out?
@HoH Mystic: I'm eager to hear how are things are going against the Spanish. Have you been able to check their advance?
https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/joesdragons/bigcomeback.jpg
i attacked the spanish and quickly went after the almohads after due to thre fact they had a small army at the time and had only returned to their lands after their faction reappeared. on a run of success i got ahead of myself and started war against the egyptians (most money, soldiers and technology) as i was conquering my florins replenished due to the fact my provinces werent having to support them
Derfasciti
11-02-2006, 03:36
Another question: Do you all ever reload after you've made a mistake? I personally try not to because it feels like I'm cheating.
Also, Any good advice on how I expand my knowledge of other nation's borders?
Ok my first real post here:
French, early, normal.
To make a very basic post I started off by offering an alliance to HRE.... many times in succession. Each time being flatly refused. Now, England has already signed a treaty with me. However, I'm trying to RP this and I really felt that if I were a French king I'd think that i'd be pretty mad about England acting like a real king instead of one of my vassals.
So I decided to first and foremost try to reclaim my continental posessions from England. Seeing HRE's build up of troops in Burgundy I knew I would be fighting a war on two fronts. I went along with the war and it looked like I really was going to lose. HRE took Il-de-France without much of a fight and I took Flanders (or friesland?) from them. I also took all continental English provinces. HRE offered a daughter in marriage and I whole-heartedly accepted.
Now, England is fortifying Wessex and Aragon has declared war on me and we are really duking it out.
Aragon declared war on me and the pope demanded that I stopped fighting the Arogonese!!! (What the heck is that!?)
I expect to be excommunicated shortly but I will take Aragon for her treachery.
So, was this any good?
reloading is for the guys without enough skill to bring it back from the bottom of the barrel. (no offense to anyone but it is a sad thing to do)
LegioScythia
11-02-2006, 07:19
I almost never reload but i don't think its called cheating if you do so you would have been in some bad position to be needed to reload
@HoH Mystic : Nice campign it seems that there are only four factions left
Innocentius
11-02-2006, 14:34
I don't reload, simply since it's no fun if your empire is a total success. You have to suffer some defeats to really appreciate the victories.
I'll try to get a post of my Hun-campaign today, Martok. :yes:
gingergenius
11-02-2006, 19:17
i reloaded once in my almohad game... but i have an excuse.
i never usually train agents, especially since alliances seem to mean squat at expert level. but at one poin i wanted some imams and assassins, but couldn't be bothered to train them all myself, so set it to auto train agents for 1 turn. after this, i didn't notice that jihads came under agents, and amongst others, egypt had created a jihad marker. when the sicilians invaded egypt, and took it, my jihad was destroyed, and this caused a civil war. at that point, i was under the kosh on two fronts, plus needing troops in all my coastal provinces, so a civil war would have all but ruined me, maybe i could have recovered in 20 turns or so but everyone else would be so much stronger by then.
r johnson
11-02-2006, 19:37
[QUOTE=Derfasciti]Another question: Do you all ever reload after you've made a mistake? I personally try not to because it feels like I'm cheating.
QUOTE]
Nope, thought if my PC crashes then i might continue from previous save but thats not my fault. I don't for 2 reasons;
1. It's boring to have to do what I just did again
2. I think it to be as real as possible so reloading is a bit of a cheat.
Derfasciti
11-02-2006, 22:19
Gotta couple other questions:
1: How do I take screenshots?
2: Can I get inquisitors in the early period?
3: What does piety, dread, influence, acumen do for your king exactly?
4: How should I deal with the pope?
LegioScythia
11-02-2006, 22:53
Gotta couple other questions:
1: How do I take screenshots?
2: Can I get inquisitors in the early period?
3: What does piety, dread, influence, acumen do for your king exactly?
4: How should I deal with the pope?
1:Press Print screen of you're keyboard then open Paint and click paste (or ctrl-v) and upload to one of the following sites :https://imageshack.us/ or www.photobucket.com (you need register on photo bucket to upload)
2:if you are able to build monasteries early enough (witch is hard since it takes like 16 turns and the fact that its one of the last buildings available) then yes
3:Piety dread, influence, acumen are his traits each one helps him in a particular subject for example if he is a Governor of a city and has a high acumen he may produce additional money to Providences influence determines you're position in politics if you have a high influence then a lot of Kingdoms will offer you alliances
4:http://www.totalwar.org/strategy/mtwbg/index.html read Frogbeastegg guide
Derfasciti
11-03-2006, 00:10
Hmmm... for image shack I printed, copied and pasted in Paint.
I went to image shack, used: C:\Documents and Settings\Jonathan\My Documents\My Pictures\France.bmp
and uploaded. Both times it went to an error screen.
My french campaign has become a total failure. To make things short, I got a crusade against me, a massive re-emergence of the Aragonese. The Spanish taking Aragon. The English retaking Wales and 3 civil wars in quick succession. I have only Flanders, Normandy, Wessex and Mercia under direct control. Think I can really survive?
Aragon declared war on me and the pope demanded that I stopped fighting the Arogonese!!! (What the heck is that!?)
The Pope generally sides with the smaller faction, even if they're the aggressor. Sad, but true. :sad:
On the other hand, it can be a real advantage when playing smaller factions like the Aragonese and the Danes. ~;)
My french campaign has become a total failure. To make things short, I got a crusade against me, a massive re-emergence of the Aragonese. The Spanish taking Aragon. The English retaking Wales and 3 civil wars in quick succession. I have only Flanders, Normandy, Wessex and Mercia under direct control. Think I can really survive?
It depends on a number of factors, but yes I think you can pull yourself out of the pit you've found yourself in. ~:) For one, how powerful are your adversaries (Aragon, English, & Spanish)? Do they have uber-armies everywhere, or are they now somewhat spread out after attacking you? If those other factions simply regained ground to the point that they're now roughly even with you, you can still recover your losses.
The four provinces you've retained possession of are decent in their own right, with Flanders being the real "crown jewel" of your kingdom--it's one of the riches provinces in the game, especially if you get some trade routes going. If you can hold on to what you have, you have a decent chance of eventually retaking your lands in southern France. And if you can pull *that* off, then you'd be in a pretty good position again!
Derfasciti
11-03-2006, 03:28
england just has Scotland and Wales and a mediocre force in numbers. I have a similar army in Mercia and Wessex. I think that at least Mercia can hold it's own.
Aragon is a REAL threat. While they've taken a lot of my territory they still have lots of troops at each of the provinces.
Spain took Aragon from me and I have no forces (or will) to try and take it back. Geographically, I am 2 or 3 provinces away from them at the least.
HRE I believe I'm still at war with and they of course have at least a measureable force. Currently most of central France is now in rebel (my traitors) hands.
Being that I'm trying to play this as a real guy, I always chose to support my monarch even when the rebels eaisly outnumbered me.
My king is currently in the recently reconquered Normandy province and preparing to do...something. I have no idea what though :stars:
Dragon20
11-03-2006, 11:37
It has been a while since I last posted in the org.
Derfasciti, if I may give you some advise. I would go for the british islands now. Because it seems to me that you are now on a 2 front war, and that might be a bit to much for your weakened empire.
What I would do is retreat from normandy so you only need to defend flanders. This will also free up the troops necessary to defeat the english. At the same time you may want to try to make a ceasefire with the HRE, now that your empire is a lot smaller they will be more likely to accept. Maybe the HRE will even go to war with the Aragonese then, and that will provide you with valuable time to rebuild.
About central france. I hope you have some spies. If one of your previously owned provinces are conquered by someone and there is a loyalist revolt to your faction, than all the provinces and troops you lost at the civil war that are still in rebel hands will join it and return to your control. I have seen this happen many times to the AI and even a few times to me. :2thumbsup:
Although from what you are telling, those provinces may be conquered with such large armies that there will be no revolt possible. :embarassed:
ColdPrecision
11-03-2006, 15:59
Good day folks.
My first attempt at writting the History of my Empire will be text only, as I have yet to master the art of posting images :P
Anyways, I have been playing MTW for an awfully long time now (I bet most of you have) but I have never went very "in detail" with the game.
Never finished a full campagne, I just pick a faction and play until my ass gets handed back to me in pieces, then loose interrest and start over.
Reading this thread inspired me to start a "Serious" MTW campagne, for maximum enjoyment I have also installed the XL mod.
Kudos to VH!:2thumbsup:
Here we go: The Irish, XL, Hard, Conquest, Early.
Reasons for picking the Irish:
I am fond of seeing heavily armoured knights getting torn appart by pointy things.
I love Green
They seem to have slim chances of getting anywhere in the game and I love a challenge.
I noticed I had no good income from my homelands in Ireland, so decided to expand right at the start, I had 2 options; Either invade rebel Wales, thus avoiding declerations of war with the English.
Or hit the The English ASAP in their richest province, in that time Northumbria.
I decided to hit the English first and try taking them off the scene as early as possible, the Welsh could wait arround to get conquered for a few more turns.
So, I landed my army in Northumbria, where the English suffered a humiliating defeat, I decided to wait a few turns for Loyalty to go up before moving on, in the mean time I built up Ireland to produce Bonnachts and gotten some armor for my army.
The English rallyed and tried retaking Northumbria a couple of times, they failed both times at the cost of little casualties on my end. I tried bribing the Welsh to join my cause but their leader turned out to be too loyal, too bad, I could have really used those two units of Longbowmen to fight against the English. The next turn I landed an invasion army in Wales and quickly made short work of the rebels, I managed to secure Wales without much casualties.
A few more seasons passed before I was ready to resume my offensive against the English, by then I had my ships all around the British Isles, my troops where ready to strike, My armies reflected the typical Irish war Tactics; Hit, Run, Hide, Tire the enemy, Flank, Rout the enemy.
A unit of armoured spearmen was enough to keep the enemy occupied while my kerns threw their spears and my Gallowglasses went arrond the Flanks.
Archers were made short work of by my Irish Cavalery, when not chassing enemy archers they would go around the enemy and try holding back a regiment or two, they would throw their spears at the backs of unsuspecting Royal Knights / Men at arms before the charge.
Wessex and Mercia both fell under my reign in 2 turns, the English were cleansed from the Isles. I decided to leave the weakling province of Scotland to the scots, I decided it was not worth fighting a re-emerging Scotish clan when I least expected it.
A few turns passed and the English tried a couple of Amphibious assaults with armies consisting mainly of Hobilars, the later made good fertilizer after my Bonauchts dealt with them. On the second attack I was blessed with the presence of the King of England on the battlefield, I managed to shoot down his Royal knights before he even made hand to hand contact, for the purpose I surrounded him with 3 units of my Irish Cav. He got impaled on the second volley and died a silly death.
His petty kingdom then plunged into anarchy, as there was no one to take the throne.
Well, that's it so far, hope it made a good read :)
more to come, hopefully with Pics.
Innocentius
11-03-2006, 19:11
Good work there ColdPrecision:2thumbsup: The Irish seems like an interesting faction.
History of the Hungarian Kingdom between year 1226 A.D and 1255 A.D.
After the great conquests in the late 1210's, King András II settled for a while, adjusting his economy and improving his army. The first steps in order to create a standing fleet for the Hungarian Kingdom were taken in the late 1220's.
Several princes matured these years of peace; Prince Kálmán in 1226, Prince Geza in 1227 and Prince Samuel in 1231.
In year 1230 A.D, a the great keep was finished in the province of Carpathia, but the most important news this year was the invasion from the east; Mongol warriors from the east invaded Russia and Armenia. Already by 1234, these steppe warriors had reached the borders of Hungary, and King András saw a good opportunity for a mighty allied, and was happy to conclude an alliance with the leader of the Golden Horde in the same year.
Except from the keep in Carpathia, a few other fortifications were raised during this time. Several border forts were constructed, but the most notable fortifications was the fort in Croatia, completed in 1232, the keep in Moldavia, finished in 1235, and the keep in Croatia, finished in 1244.
The war with the Mongols forced the Turkish to use all their troops at the eastern front, thus leaving many of their western provinces undefended. The Hungarians seazed this opportunity and invaded the unprotected Constantinople in 1241, but were forced to retreat the next year as Turkish troops rushed to the defence.
In 1243 A.D, an alliance with the English was concluded, and the next year, an English crusade headed for Lesser Armenia passed through Hungary, and later through Bulgaria. In 1246 another crusade, this time launched bu the Holy Roman Empire entered Hungary, and continued on through Bulgaria.
The newly constructed Hungarian fleet won a successful sea battle against an Egyptian fleet in 1245, and the same year a marriage was arranged with a prince of Novgorod.
In 1248 A.D, the Turks launched a massive invasion on Bulgaria, in order to compensate for their losses of lands in the east. The Hungarian army attempted to defend the province, but was beaten:
https://img296.imageshack.us/img296/1920/screen1yz0.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
The Hungarian fleet, however, won a sea battle against the Turkish fleet in the Black Sea in the same year.
The success in Bulgaria was short-lasted though, as King András launched a massive counter attack in 1249, and the Turkish were forced to retreat without a fight. In 1251, the Hungarian fleet won yet another battle against the Turkish ships in the Black Sea.
But in 1251, the old King András died. He was succeeded by his son, who became king under the name King András III. By the time King András was crowned king, he was already 59 years old, and was a well-known and respected warrior.
King András III first action as king was to launch a second invasion on Constantinople. The attack was a complete success.
The many crusades and the invasion of the Mongols had divided the Turkish sultanate, so that Constantinople was surrounded by rebel peovinces and was unable to make contact with other Turkish forces. Thus, the Sultan himself and his oldest son were captured. The ransom that the Hungarians received was massive.
The victories continued: In 1252 yet another Turkish fleet was destroyed by the Hungarian one, and in 1253, the rebel province of Trezibond was conquered. The rebels fled and retreated to their castle, which fell to the Hungarians in 1254. In the same year, a marriage between an Hungarian princess and King Pedro III of Aragon was arranged.
In 1255, a castle was completed in Carpathia.
The Hungarian Kingdom in 1255:
https://img163.imageshack.us/img163/9981/screen2vx1.png (https://imageshack.us)
Derfasciti
11-03-2006, 21:46
It has been a while since I last posted in the org.
Derfasciti, if I may give you some advise. I would go for the british islands now. Because it seems to me that you are now on a 2 front war, and that might be a bit to much for your weakened empire.
What I would do is retreat from normandy so you only need to defend flanders. This will also free up the troops necessary to defeat the english. At the same time you may want to try to make a ceasefire with the HRE, now that your empire is a lot smaller they will be more likely to accept. Maybe the HRE will even go to war with the Aragonese then, and that will provide you with valuable time to rebuild.
About central france. I hope you have some spies. If one of your previously owned provinces are conquered by someone and there is a loyalist revolt to your faction, than all the provinces and troops you lost at the civil war that are still in rebel hands will join it and return to your control. I have seen this happen many times to the AI and even a few times to me. :2thumbsup:
Although from what you are telling, those provinces may be conquered with such large armies that there will be no revolt possible. :embarassed:
I have no spies, no. But withdrawing from Normandy may be a good idea, thanks.
Can anyone help me with the screenshot problem I'm having?:charge:
@ColdPrecision: Nice campaign! Speaking only for myself, I'm pretty impressed with how well you've done with the Irish thus far--they're widely recognized as being one of the most difficult factions in XL. :thumbsup: So do you think you'll expand further, or are you going to just hold the British Isles for now?
Oh, and I too am too computer-illterate to figure out how to post screenshots as well, so you're not alone. ~:)
@Innocentius: Good to see the Hungarians are prospering. ~:cheers: I find it interesting how balanced the map looks right now in your game. It appears that a number of major powers (including yourself) have emerged, but no one seems to have become overly dominant yet. Watch out for the Egyptians, though--they have a nasty tendency to become the main superpower in the East if left unchecked!
ColdPrecision
11-04-2006, 00:16
Well, I'm actually considering an expansion around the northern sea and setting up trade before striking into the European mainland.
Either that, or I could try landing in the ex English now Rebel provinces along the French coast.
Well, will have to wait till tomorrow, cant play now :wall:
Derfasciti
11-04-2006, 00:34
What exactly are the effects of the 3 options on what to do with rebel captured troops?
execute them all, just the ringleaders, or release them all.
Kavhan Isbul
11-04-2006, 02:08
What exactly are the effects of the 3 options on what to do with rebel captured troops?
execute them all, just the ringleaders, or release them all.
If you execute only the ringleaders, nothing will happen. If you repeatedly execute everyone (if you have vanilla MTW once is enough), your ruler will get 1 dread point and some dread increasing vice. Helps with loyalty. If you release them all a few times (again, in vanilla MTW before VI once is enough) your ruler will get a virtue, which increases happiness by 10. Happiness raises loyalty, by much more than the 1 dread point. So initially I let them live, then massacre them in order to geta as much loyalty increase as possible.
I also think in case of a civil war, with the capturing and execution of the leaders, once or twice I had the rest of the rebels simply rejoin my forces. I am not exactly sure how this works and who do you need to kill to get your armies (and provinces) back.
Derfasciti
11-04-2006, 02:27
I have the Total War Eras version FYI.
What do you mean by vanilla?
Geezer57
11-04-2006, 03:40
Hmmm... for image shack I printed, copied and pasted in Paint.
I went to image shack, used: C:\Documents and Settings\Jonathan\My Documents\My Pictures\France.bmp
and uploaded. Both times it went to an error screen.
Rather than use the Print Screen/Clipboard/Paint method, I'd recommend you learn to use the F2 key, which saves a screen capture (as a .tga file) in the \Total War\Medieval - Total War\TGAs folder. Then use any of the common image conversion programs (IrfanView is a good one - download here http://www.irfanview.com/) to convert the file to .jpg format. It's much, much smaller than .tga or .bmp, without compromising image quality. Image Shack handles .jpg files better than other formats, so that alone may help your problem.
Derfasciti
11-04-2006, 04:08
Ok thanks Geezer. I just decided to restart my French campaign because it was going way too slow for my liking.
I'm not very computer-smart at all but I can try it when/if I want to post a pic.
200TH POST!!!!!!!!
:charge: :jester: :jester: :charge:
Derfasciti
11-04-2006, 04:45
Ok, started up my French campaign again and it's going off almost perfectly. England's continental forces are no more. France has reclaimed what was rightfully hers. After the fall of their final outpost in Aquitaine, the king of England immediately sent his daughter to marry into my family and I accepted. I'm at peace with everyone and my income is going really good.
I have the Total War Eras version FYI.
What do you mean by vanilla?
In this case, "vanilla" refers to the original MTW game, without the Viking Invasion expansion pack, and with no mods attached/installed. Since you have the Eras version of the game (which inclues Viking Invasion), that means you don't have the vanilla version. ~:)
Ok, started up my French campaign again and it's going off almost perfectly. England's continental forces are no more. France has reclaimed what was rightfully hers. After the fall of their final outpost in Aquitaine, the king of England immediately sent his daughter to marry into my family and I accepted. I'm at peace with everyone and my income is going really good.
Well done! ~:cheers:
Innocentius
11-04-2006, 19:09
The Kingdom of Hungary: 1256 A.D to 1277 A.D
The latter half of the 13th century was a dark period for Hungary. In 1257, an English crusade passed through Hungary, and next year Bulgaria, on it's way to Anatolia. The same crusade arrived in Trezibond in 1259 after travelling across the Black Sea.
In 1259 King András III died of an illness, and was succeeded by King Lázló IV, already an old man, aged 62. King Lázló was indeed not a great man, he was a known coward, yet still a cruel man who executed every prisoner he took. There were also rumours that he was in fact insane. King Lázló didn't rule for long however, he died out of old age the very next year, and was succeeded by King Béla IV, aged 52. Béla was also prone to executing every prisoner he took, and was on top of that lazy.
In 1259 a keep was finished in Walachia, and in 1262, a son to the already aged king was born. Thereafter followed a few peaceful and calm years.
In 1266 an Italian crusade arrived in Hungary, and in the same year Prince István became of age. Thereafter followed a grim period for the kingdom.
In 1267, a massive army lead by the Khan of the Golden Horde himself invaded Moldavia. The outnumbered Hungarians retreated to the castle, awaiting reinforcements. In 1268 reinforcements arrived, and the Hungarians were able to beat the Golden Horde, though at a great cost:
https://img513.imageshack.us/img513/9886/00000005dx9.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
An heir to the throne was born in the same year.
However, just the year after the Golden Horde launched a second attack on Moldavia, inflicting upon the Hungarians their greatest defeat ever:
https://img54.imageshack.us/img54/5982/00000009kr5.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
More than 400 men were killed in the battle, and just as many were taken prisoners. These were ransomed for a reasonable sum of money, though.
In 1269, another tragedy struck Hungary as king Béla died of an illness. He was succeeded by King István V, only aged 19. István was the first king in many years to be under the age of 50 at the time he became king.
The next year, Mongol troops attempted to storm the castle in Moldavia. This failed, however, and the Khane himself was killed during the attack.
King István, worried by the successes of the Egyptians to the east decided to invade Armenia in an attempt to cut the sultanate in half, isolating the Sultan in the northern provinces, near his enemy the Khan.
In 1271 Armenia was conquered without a fight, but the Sultan himself rushed to its defence the next year, and defeated the Hungarians:
https://img248.imageshack.us/img248/2784/00000015gn8.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
The number of casualties were almost equal, although the Egyptians managed to capture many prisoners. These were ransomed immediately.
On top the defeat in Armenia, the Egyptian fleet destroyed an Hungarian one in the Black sea in 1272.
King István did not want to loose this opportunity, as the Egyptians were weakened by the last battle, and he had the Sultan himself within reach, he commanded a second invasion of Armenia in 1273, this turned out to be disastrous as the Egyptians recieved reinforcements in time:
https://img243.imageshack.us/img243/6162/00000016sf8.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
And after suffering a second defeat in the Black Sea in 1275, all ideas of expanding further to the east were put aside.
In the late 1270's a few good news eased the situation a bit: in 1276 King István got married, and in the next year Prince Károly became of age, and a son to the king was born.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
No pic of the kingdom this time as I forgot to take one and can't be bothered to start the game just to do that.
I really hate the eastern factions, I hate horse archers, and all I fight is horse archers, and all my good troops are horse archers. Gotta download a mod were all factions are restricted to artillery, infantry and cavalry - no hybrids or stuff:wall:
What do you mean by vanilla?
Its a type of ice cream :clown:
V interesting campaign with hungarians Inno - i only ever played with them once (xl) and found them quite fun, because there are many options open in terms of expansion :2thumbsup:
Innocentius
11-04-2006, 22:39
The Hungarian Kingdom: 1278 A.D to 1300 A.D.
By the late 1270's, Hungary was an impoverished kingdom. The failed wars to the east and the loss of Moldavia to the Golden Horde had taken its toll on the country. Yet better times were soon to come.
In 1278, King István finally got the Khan to sign a ceasefire with him, thus more or less eliminating the threat from the northeast since the Mongols were busys fighting the Egyptians.
In 1279 Prince András became of age, and a citadel was finished in Hungary.
A small setback was the defeat in a naval battle against the Egyptians in 1280, however with the loss of Moldavia, the trade profit in the Black Sea was slim at this time, thus the king decided not to try keeping control of the Black Sea. A daughter to King István was born in the same year.
In 1281, massive Egyptian forces invaded Trezibond, and the Hungarians decided to leave the province without fighting. On the map this was a big setback, howeber, Trezibond was not a very fertile province, and the garrison needed to maintain loyalty became too big and costly to be profitable. In a way, the loss of Trezibond released the Hungarians from an economic burden. The next year, a ceasefire was concluded with Egypt.
In 1281, Prince Károly was married to Princess Valeria of the Papal States, closing the bonds with the Pope, and in the next year Prince András married with Princess Apolonia of Poland. In 1283, Prince Lázló became of age.
The Italians had been on the decline for the past years, with Serbia being lost to rebels. King István immediately seazed the opportunity and sent his son Prince Károly to defeat the rebels. A minor italian army participated in the battle, but was nearly annihalated. The battle was a great success for the Hungarians though:
https://img295.imageshack.us/img295/9927/00000003yl2.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
This was an important victory to the demoralized Hungarian army.
In the same year, 1284, an alliance was concluded with the past enemy the Turkish Sultan, and an heir to the throne was born.
The rebels who had survived the battle retreated to their castle, but were bribed to surrender already in 1285.
Then followed several happy and calm years. Alliances were concluded with France, the Byzantines and the Golden Horde.
In 1285 a marriage was arranged with Poland, Prince Lázló married Princess Dorothe of the Holy Roman Empire in 1291 and Prince Béla (who matured in 1292) married Princess Sancha of Spain in 1293.
In 1299 Prince Kálmán came of age, and a marriage with Poland was arranged in the same year.
The Kingdom of Hungary in 1300 A.D:
https://img126.imageshack.us/img126/2118/screen1cl4.png (https://imageshack.us)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Russia is on a slow rising and will hopefully keep the Khanate busy for a while, and Egypt and GH keep fighting. The many rebel provinces in the middle east is a result of three spies in every region =P I keep on pestering the Egyptian provinces who are still loyal (in Egypt itself, taxes are at Very Low and the loyalty is around 85%).
The Italians have been excommed I don't know how many times, and are at war with the superior HRE, so it's Greece next, once I can afford to put up some more, and better cavalry (there are about 2000 troops in Greece, these are mainly Urban militan and Archers though):2thumbsup:
Derfasciti
11-04-2006, 23:44
Ok just got back from a friends house and I got a question:
Can anyone just give me a basics on strategy in field battles. It seems to me that I am very horrible with them and I just don't know what I'm doing wrong.
While I don't do any real elaborate things, I usually group my cavalry, missile, and infantry together. Archers and missiles try to harass the enemy while my infantry comes up and I try to keep cavalry in reserve to either flank, go completely around the enemy to either hit their archers or their backs, and then persuit.
When I try field battles I stink, but then when I do auto-resolves it seems to end in victory.
Innocentius
11-05-2006, 02:44
Well, I'm not the best warlord either, but I do know the rough basics just from reading about real battles:
Study the terrain. Protect the flanks. Keep reserves. Don't waste your general.
There are no rules as each and every battle is completely different. The component of troops, the landscape and whether you're attacking or defending completely affect a battle, and as these factors always are different...well...
r johnson
11-05-2006, 09:04
While I don't do any real elaborate things, I usually group my cavalry, missile, and infantry together. Archers and missiles try to harass the enemy while my infantry comes up and I try to keep cavalry in reserve to either flank, go completely around the enemy to either hit their archers or their backs, and then persuit.
When I try field battles I stink, but then when I do auto-resolves it seems to end in victory.
I'm not a great General either, I like to think of myself of an opportunist in battle which is sometimes a good thing as my army usuelly is facing the wrong way:sweatdrop: . People learn through experiance try out new tactics for the sake of it:charge: . I just make it as I go along which isn't always successful, but fun:2thumbsup: .
Derfasciti: Keep at it with the battles, man; you'll get the hang of them eventually. Even once you do, however, don't be surprised if you still lose from time to time--MTW's combat AI is far from perfect, but it can still pull tricks on you now and then! I've been playing MTW for 3 1/2 years now; and while my command ability has certainly improved somewhat, I'm still no Saladin or El Cid. ~;)
For me, that's one of the things I love most about this game: Since the AI can still defeat me, battles are rarely boring. Until the message pops up informing me of my win, I never assume victory is assured. (Believe me, that was another lesson I learned the hard way!) I also never assume defeat is certain, as you never know when the AI will suddenly commit a grave tactical error. :sweatdrop:
If you haven't already, Derfasciti, I strongly suggest you check out Froggbeastegg's A Beginner's Guide to Medieval: Total War (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=31445). It's absolutely chock-full of useful information, advice, and strategies for all facets of the game. You in particular may find Section 3 of the Guide (which is found in this post (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=477309&postcount=2)) to be of use to you--it covers the battle map and virtually all aspects of combat in MTW.
Finally, you just need to keep fighting those battles; it's the only way you'll truly learn and get better at them. You may think you're a lousy field commander at the moment, but a little practice can make a world of difference! (Take it from someone who's been there--I know that of which I speak. ~D )
Jesenjin
11-05-2006, 10:19
Martok I totally agree with you.... With practice to perfection!
I am something of an average general in MTW but RTW has ruined my skill somewhat.... But I still have a hang of it..... And before this I was bad player but 3 years of playing MTW and 2 years of playing RTW can make you a better one.....
The Blind King of Bohemia
11-05-2006, 12:07
Ok just got back from a friends house and I got a question:
Can anyone just give me a basics on strategy in field battles. It seems to me that I am very horrible with them and I just don't know what I'm doing wrong.
While I don't do any real elaborate things, I usually group my cavalry, missile, and infantry together. Archers and missiles try to harass the enemy while my infantry comes up and I try to keep cavalry in reserve to either flank, go completely around the enemy to either hit their archers or their backs, and then persuit.
When I try field battles I stink, but then when I do auto-resolves it seems to end in victory.
Depends on who you are fighting against mate. I would usually though keep a unit of archers ahead of you infantry and when the enemy draws closer retire them behind the safety of the infantry line. Horse archers i would actually send ahead and put a few arrows into the advancing enemy and then retire them to the flanks to keep up the bombardment. When they run out of arrows try hitting the enemy on the flanks with an attack. Also if your infantry need support in the melee use the archers altern attack to help them out.
Also try to avoid putting certain units against an enemy unit. If they have halberdiers try to match them with the same unit or an armoured infantry MAA, CMAA, FFN etc Avoid spearmen or a peasent style unit as they will get destroyed and the last thing you want is units en masse routing as it effects the morale of most of your army. Also remember most spearmen are good at stopping heavy cavalry but they often need support of medium/heavy infantry to do the actual killing
If you have just started out mate practise is the best way. When i first played Shogun my arse was constantly handed to me. We all lose battles either through are own mistakes or the AI which is very good compared to Rome.
Derfasciti
11-05-2006, 14:13
Thanks for the encouragement guys. I'll perservere:charge:
Reading the guide now slowly but surely.
Innocentius
11-05-2006, 19:21
Hey, um...My Hungarian campaign is scrapped since I installed XL Mod yesterday (I didn't really think about it), so the campaign is reset to 0. I'll start a new campaign as the Swedish though (always wanted to play as "them").
Sorry:clown:
Derfasciti
11-06-2006, 03:27
Here's a general history of France up to now. The year is 1189
Basically, HRE made an all out attack on me after I took all of England's continental posessions. After a long stalemate, I finally made a massive breakthrough and currently, my borders have expanded to the Polish territorry. I have taken Denmark and Sweden after the Danes attacked me and their faction has disentegrated leaving rebels in Norway.
Spain took Aragon from me during the war and I didn't have many resources to put to the Southern front. Neither did they apparently because after a couple years of a cold war they accepted a ceasefire.
England has been COMPLETELY quiet. After our first war and our intermarriage once right after that war.
My original plan was the conquest of the British Isles but I kept expanding eastwards because the Germans wouldn't make peace. Now, the emperor is dead and I conquered the Italians. They re-emerged. The first battle I lost 1400 troops with my king and they lost 1000. My King was killed fairly early in the battle. My new king has marched from Il-de-France and we are currently engaging them again, hoping to finally subdue them forever. edit: I beat them this time and they're now holed up in their keep. The Pope threatens excommunication.
In short, my empire stretches from Britanny to Prussia.
and North to South from Tuscany to Sweden.
How am I doing?
ColdPrecision
11-06-2006, 14:12
Well, after a somewhat long pause from Total War, I decided to resume my Irish campagne.
So, the situation thus far:
I have conquered most of the British Isles, except for Scotland.
I have thrown the once-not-so-great empire of the English into anarchy, by killing off it's king along with his only heir in one major battle.
As the English rebeled I decided to capture their former coastal province of Britany, now belonging to the rebels, thus expanding my realm without going to war with anyone.
For the task I farryed a large detachment of my army and landed in Britany where I faced a mixed force of UM and Hobilars, my Bonachts and Archers made short work of the unarmoured rebel mob and the province fell under my tyrany.
As I was besieging the rebels in their small fort, the dishonorable Danes decided it was time to end our alliance and attack me in my homelands, three of their raiding attempts were thwarted, but alas, I had to give up Northumbria.
I decided that the best way to stop further Danish attempts at expansion on my account was to cut their developemtn dead in it's tracks. I immediatly queued more ships / Bonnachts to be built / trained and after a few turns managed to secure a naval bridge to Danemark.
I decided to carry out my attack in two steps, first I landed an army of Irish Cavalery, whos purpose was to soften up the mostly armoured Danish troops before the main invasion took place; The battle commenced and I quickly maneuvered my cavalery arround and in between the danish slow mooving Huscarles, once my Cavalery depleted their supply of Javelins I retreated killing ~ 300 men of the Danes. The next turn I landed my main force, consisting of again, Javelin chucking troops, despite the losses suffered by the Danes the previous year, it was still a hard fight, but at the end of the fight, the day was won by the warriors of the Emerald Island.
Innocentius
11-06-2006, 18:49
The Danes - Normal - Early XL
I intentionally tried to play as the Swedish, this proved to be a total disaster though. I got invaded 5 times in 5 years, thanks to Finland I was able to send minor reinforcements though. When I finally got a truce with the Norwegians (after beating them three times, killing their king the last time) I was completely bancroute. Denmark gave me a breather that lasted for about three years than gave me all they got.
Anyway, I got away again, and actually managed to beat the Danes completely by first taking Saxony from the rebels, then fighting them on two fronts. I was at -3000 florins by then however, and I had been both excommed and was at war with everyone, on top of that my king was 56 and only had a 2 year old son. So I gave up.
Tried the Danes today on XL however, and had much better luck.
I started out by taking Sweden in the second round (just wanted to train some viking carls just in case they decided to fight for once). Well they didn't and so Sweden was mine to no cost at all.
Then a few calm years went on, but when the Norwegians invaded and took Pomerania in the late 1090's I decided that they had become too powerful. I destroyed both their fleets and blockaded Norway from getting any contact with Pomerania. I also made sure they never "fielded" another fleet, to make sure their income was as small as possible.
It took some time before I felt really confident in taking Norway, but in 1108 I invaded it. Unfortuneately my game decided to lag like crap just then, so I called off the fight since it became more or less unplayable. I invaded again in the next year though, and without the game messing with me (it just does that sometimes) I beat the Norwegians:
https://img129.imageshack.us/img129/9527/00000013sy4.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
The castle however held out untill 1120, during this time I got excommed for my violent actions. This had surprisingly little effect though, I actually made several allies just after the excommunication (including the Venetians).
So, now the Norwegians are trapped with a huge army in a province with no port, no keep or even fort and surrounded by enemies.
Europe by 1130:
https://img167.imageshack.us/img167/5844/00000014qg4.png (https://imageshack.us)
Myself, I haven't been really able to expand very much further. I have my main target set to the Batlic states, but Novgorod is too strong currently. Unless they go to war with the Volga Bulgarians, Turks, Polish or Russians I'll probably have to expand on behalf of either the Scots or the Irish (not because there is anything useful in Ireland, I just feel like invading an easy target). Untill then I'll be pretty happy adjusting my economy and my fleet in particular.
Interestingly enough, the Scots had entire Britan (except from Ireland of course) by 1120 something. Quite a twist in history.
Derfasciti
11-07-2006, 02:03
Well my French Kingdom has again been destroyed. I attacked England and being greedy, I invaded Spain... :oops:
So after a while of my butt being handed to me, I had two civil wars in which my entire empire was hugely disentegrated. Not to mention, the Danes and Germans disapeared during this time.
Maybe I'll go back for another campaign in VI. Any suggestions?
@Derfasciti: I'd say you're doing well. I'm amazed, however, that you've managed to stay at peace with the English for so long--for the French, that's no mean feat. ~:cheers: I'm also surprised that the Pope is only now threatening to excomm you; usually the French are excommunicated long before now! All in all, I think you've been doing an excellent job. Have you given any thoughts to sending a Crusade or two to the Holy Land?
EDIT: GAH! Looks like I spoke too soon. :sad: Bummer, man; I feel for ya'. Sorry, Derfasciti--in retrospect, I maybe should've warned you about attacking the Spanish. They can get pretty powerful once they gain control of the Iberian peninsula, and one probably shouldn't go to war with them unless/until you have a fairly decisive advantage (in terms of troops, money, etc.).
Hmm. Maybe you should try the Spanish next. They're my personal favorite! ~D
@ColdPrecision and Innocentius: Nice campaigns, guys. :bow: I find it ironic and a little amusing, though, that Innocentius is playing the faction that ColdPrecision is currently at war with. :laugh4:
By the way, I must apologize for not posting anything on my Portuguese campaign yet. I played for about an hour Friday night--I decided to attack the Almoravids after all--but that was about it. I was rather violently ill on Saturday and the better part of Sunday, so I didn't do a whole lot of anything this weekend aside from lay on the couch and wish for death to come. ~:rolleyes: I hope to get a little further in my campaign in the next couple nights now. The Almos will either learn to fear me--or I'll be completely squashed. ~D
Derfasciti
11-07-2006, 06:46
@Derfasciti: I'd say you're doing well. I'm amazed, however, that you've managed to stay at peace with the English for so long--for the French, that's no mean feat. ~:cheers: I'm also surprised that the Pope is only now threatening to excomm you; usually the French are excommunicated long before now! All in all, I think you've been doing an excellent job. Have you given any thoughts to sending a Crusade or two to the Holy Land?
EDIT: GAH! Looks like I spoke too soon. :sad: Bummer, man; I feel for ya'. Sorry, Derfasciti--in retrospect, I maybe should've warned you about attacking the Spanish. They can get pretty powerful once they gain control of the Iberian peninsula, and one probably shouldn't go to war with them unless/until you have a fairly decisive advantage (in terms of troops, money, etc.).
Hmm. Maybe you should try the Spanish next. They're my personal favorite! ~D
@ColdPrecision and Innocentius: Nice campaigns, guys. :bow: I find it ironic and a little amusing, though, that Innocentius is playing the faction that ColdPrecision is currently at war with. :laugh4:
By the way, I must apologize for not posting anything on my Portuguese campaign yet. I played for about an hour Friday night--I decided to attack the Almoravids after all--but that was about it. I was rather violently ill on Saturday and the better part of Sunday, so I didn't do a whole lot of anything this weekend aside from lay on the couch and wish for death to come. ~:rolleyes: I hope to get a little further in my campaign in the next couple nights now. The Almos will either learn to fear me--or I'll be completely squashed. ~D
Yeah I always liked the Spanish. Although the game says it's hard, I find it pretty easy. Take Aragon, fight the Almos. The Pope won't excommunicate me for Muslims. Don't have to really worry about France or England because they're too busy with eachother. Good Idea Martok, maybe I will try them again. Either that or back to another VI campaign.
r johnson
11-07-2006, 09:35
Maybe I'll go back for another campaign in VI. Any suggestions?
Try the Genoese, I don't know why either.:laugh4:
Lots of activity in this thread, and I'm liking that. :2thumbsup:
Try the Genoese, I don't know why either.:laugh4:
You gotta have the XL mod to play the Genoese, though. ~;) Plus, I suspect Derfasciti was referring to the Viking campaign in any case.
With the Viking Invasion campaign, my favorite factions are the Mercians and the Irish. One faction has Huscarles, while the other has (IMO) the most eclectic unit roster in the game. Quite fun either way. :2thumbsup:
Derfasciti
11-08-2006, 00:54
Hmmm. Well I've beaten it as the Irish. Very fun. I'm kind of leaning either to sticking it out with the French again or maybe going English. I still don't know.:sleepy:
Derfasciti
11-08-2006, 02:23
:idea2: I've decided to try yet again the French. Normal/Early. This time, I won't attack the Spanish why I have another war(s) going on.
Innocentius
11-08-2006, 17:23
My Danish campaign proceeds. Not very much though:clown:
I lay low for some years, just looking for a suitable target. I noticed how weak the HRE had become, so I went for them. I easily took Saxony, without even fighting for it. The Bohemians beat me to Friesland though, so I missed that opportunity out.
A couple of years after I took Saxony I invaded the rebel province of Brandenburg. Unfortunately, as I was invading from the west, I had to invade across a bridge. I hate bridges.
In the first battle, fought in 1139, I lost thanks to the time limit:
https://img169.imageshack.us/img169/4594/00000000cb5.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
I invaded the next year with the same army, resulting in an embarrasing Pyrrhic victory:
https://img295.imageshack.us/img295/7584/00000003gz6.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
Brandenburg was mine, though at a great cost. I hate bridges:wall:
Not even on the political and diplomatic front did I have any real success. A Spanish inquisitor (ironically enough) tried and burned 3 of my top generals! He was a 5-star bloke as well, so he was immune to my low-rank assasins. He is currently occupied in Hungary, causing great chaos and fanaticism.
And all my hopes of a weakened Novgorod were in vain. Instead Novogorod has turned out as the super power of the map. Almost at my borders now, they only have to kill the last few of the poles and they'll be my neighbours. I fear that I shall have to fight them myself in order to prevent them from becoming too powerful.
The Norwegians are still alive in Pomerania, but still lack both port and fort. I can't attack them yet though, there are too many of them, and they have no less than 6 units of royal knights in their army (all of them with 3-6 valour and 2-7 command).
So, here's the current map:
https://img384.imageshack.us/img384/484/00000006kj9.png (https://imageshack.us)
And for my next campaign, I'll get back into the story or history-writing way of telling the progress of my kingdom, that makes up for a much more enjoyable read IMO:yes:
Derfasciti
11-09-2006, 03:55
France, Early, Normal. Year 1140
France has so far reclaimed all English continental posessions. After a brief war with the Germans, a treaty was signed that returned our present borders to the status quo. France invaded Wessex shortly after and in a decisive battle, the heirless king of England had died honorably and the rest of the kingdom became a disunited isle. Currently, France contains Aragon and it's British posessions are already up to Scotland, being the last bastion of rebel power (besides Ireland) that stands up to France.
Nice campaigns guys! Innocentius, did you give up on your Danish campaign already and switch to the Burgundians? Or are you doing a bit of both?
As for myself, I've finally made a little progress in my Portuguese campaign, although it's been rough going thus far. After a few short years, I had managed to put together a modest army, which I used to invade Algarve(sp?) to the south. The Almos retreated to the fort, and it fell to my king 2 years later. Henrique ordered some Urban Militia to be trained there, as the people were not happy with their new overlords. Concurrent with my conquest of Algarve, my son (Henrique II) came of age. He immediately joined up with his father's army, which was then already gathering for a second attack--this time against Cordoba.
When I invaded Cordoba, however, I was in for a rude shock: The Caliph, correctly guessing my intentions to add more than just Algarve to my domain, had dispatched massive reinforcements just as my invasion force crossed the border into his territory. Therefore, when King Henrique's army of ~600 men took the field at Cordoba, he faced nearly 1100 Moorish troops (instead of 350, which was the original size of the enemy garrison). He opted to fight anyway, and grimly dug in for a hard battle.
The Portuguese fought well, killing over 700 of the Caliph's men and nearly capturing his general. In the end, however, they simply could not contend with the Almoravids' superior numbers. After a last desperate assault was thrown back with heavy losses--the king himself barely escaped with his life--a general retreat was sounded, and my army withdrew back across the border. Barely 250 men survived to limp home to tell the tale of their defeat, and Henrique was ridiculed for foolishly choosing to fight a battle many of his own troops had considered unwinnable. His own son was his harshest critic, displaying nothing but scorn for the father he had once idolized.
Two years later, the Almos counter-attacked, invading Algarve with over 900 men. Fortunately, however, Henrique was ready for them. His regent in Lisbon had sent reinforcements, including a significant number of archers. With the additional troops, the Portuguese were able to massacre the Caliph's army so thoroughly that less than 100 men escaped back to Cordoba alive.
It wasn't very long before the King and the Caliph realized that neither one could defeat the other, and a ceasefire was arranged in short order. He vowed that the peace with the Almoravids would be only temporary, though. He would renew the war as soon as he was able, but he realized he needed allies so that he would not be facing the mighty Caliphate alone. To that end, he dispatched his emissary to Valencia for a meeting with the great El Cid.... ~D
Okay, you have inspired me to join the fun!
I am the first to admit that I have many league's to travel before I can call myself a general, but thus far in this campaign have scraped through (although my peasants, archers, and hobilars have paid a heavy toll for some tactical errors).
A couple of points where possibly I could have tackled things differently - bribing Wales, and hiring a couple of units of mercenary Italian Light Infantry to quickly beef up Anjou and Flanders wreaked havoc on the finances, but I think both were worth the short term pain (and painful it was - for a while there, my treasury hovered around a paltry 200 florins, with 76 being my "annus horribilus").
Apologies also for the absence of a pic in this opening - I will endeavour to include some in the following chapter....
Faction: The English
Starting at: Early Period
Type of Campaign: GA
Difficulty: Hard
Cheats: None
Current Year: 1152
The campaign opened briskly, as our forces invaded Flanders immediately, throwing almost all of our available forces from Wessex and Normandy into the fray. Our valiant king led this assault himself, spreading terror amongst our enemies. The ignoble French had no stomach for a fight, and fled like spavined nags to Champagne.
Toulouse was the next province to feel the weight of our military might, with our combined forces of archers and hobilars scoring an impressive victory (though at some significant cost to the cavalry). The isolation of this province had made it an inviting target, with the French unable to reinforce the garrison. The province of Wales was successfully bribed to join our cause, and one regiment of longbowmen was immediately dispatched to the province of Flanders to bolster its defences.
In 1092 the French made their anticipated counterattack on Flanders. 2 regiments of royal knights, 2 regiments of urban militia, and 3 of peasants descended on our forces, which included 1 regiment each of royal knights, fyrdmen, peasants, and longbowmen, and 2 of archers. One regiment of French knights and 1 of urban militia never reached our line, cut down in a hail of arrows. Horrendous casualties were inflicted upon the remaining French units as our arrows continued to rain down. One regiment of peasants broke and ran. Some Frenchmen survived and hit our line. Our fyrdmen, peasants, and archers fought valiantly despite suffering terrible casualties, and it was the French that broke first. Those Frenchmen still standing fled the field. Victory was ours, but at a truly terrible cost.
By 1094 Brittany had been added to the realm, although this invasion incurred the wrath of the Pope. The threat of excommunication meant that this would be our last attack against the French for some time. The French sought to take advantage of this situation, and launched a further assault on Flanders, and after another bloody encounter they were seen off again. On this occasion a mercenary unit of Italian Light Infantry proved invaluable, being the rock upon which the wave of French knights were finally broken. The court felt it was somewhat ironic that on the very day that the Papal threat was received, a wagon bearing a gift of 1,000 florins was received from his holiness for our services to the church…
The 1,000 florins was sorely needed, as these campaigns, whilst successful, had placed a significant strain on our treasury. It was time to rest our troops, and look to our ailing economy.
By 1101, our kingdom’s finances had recovered to the point that our noble king ordered the garrison at Aquitaine to invade Navarre. The local peasantry and spearmen fell in droves beneath our arrows and the hooves of our hobilars. News has reached court of the excommunication of the Italian Doge. It appears that an ill-conceived attack on Rome may have been the trigger for this turn of events.
In 1112, an expeditionary force travelled north to subdue the rebel forces of Scotland. A bloody battle ensued, with the clansmen exacting a heavy toll before our greater numbers eventually won the day. The Prince’s own regiment of knights had been cut down to only 6 riders by this terrible day’s end, but victory, and our northern border had been secured.
Some forty years of peace have now passed, broken only by a series of French attacks on Flanders. By the grace of God (and our longbowmen and archers!) none of these assaults has been successful. One must admire the bravery of the French troops - often they have pressed on with their attacks despite being outnumbered.
Trade is now the chief focus of the kingdom, and our barques are traveling ever further afield to establish new trade routes. A strong garrison was still maintained in Flanders, and our troops in Normandy, Anjou, Aquitaine, Navarre, and Toulouse were all maintained at a high state of readiness. Whilst Spain, Aragon, and the Holy Roman empire profess to be our allies, our King is sage enough to know that a dagger can pierce one’s back as easily as it can one’s chest…
Derfasciti
11-10-2006, 19:34
Year: 1162
France Is now locked in a very successful campagin against the Germans. They've currently taken Burgundy, Loraine, Provence, Swabia, Franconia, and Friesland (maybe a bit more) from the Germans. The Sicilians have made a continental showing and took Genoa from the excommunicated Italians.
An english heir suddenly appeared In Scotland and despite our overtures for peace, they fairly quickly invaded Northumbria which was somewhat fortified with troops expecting an eventual English aggressive war.
The massive battle caused about 1000 english and 1300 french lives. France had to fall back to their keep but not before the slaughter of over four hundred prisoners.
In two years, France made a push into Northumbria again and retook it, leaving a weak and disheveled English army to retreat back to scotland. Within another 5 years France took Scotland and once again killed the king of England, this time through starvation.
I aim to either invade Ireland and/or persecute the war further with the Germans and prepare fortifications on my Spanish border to prepare for a possible invasion in the future.
Good job, Derfasciti. It looks like you're starting to get the hang of the game. :thumbsup:
If you're looking for advice, see if you can get a ceasefire with the HRE (although don't hesitate to finish them off first if they tell you to stick it!). Before too long, you should probably begin turning your attention to the south and get ready for the Spanish. Even if you don't intend to attack them right away, the odds are fairly good that they will invade *you*. ~;) This is especially true if they've already secured the Iberian peninsula, and/or knocked out the Almohads. The Spanish often become big, especially if their power is left unchecked!
Innocentius
11-11-2006, 16:55
Nice campaigns everyone! Sounds like you're doing a lot better than me:2thumbsup:
Innocentius, did you give up on your Danish campaign already and switch to the Burgundians? Or are you doing a bit of both?
Doing a bit of both actually, though my Danish campaign is pretty much scrapped. I just didn't enjoy the political situation that I ended up with. Besides, I regret not writing it as a story...
Anyways, we'll see what comes up next. I've been thinking of playing a mini-campaign as the English in late, ordinary game, and put 100% focus at crushing the Scots. The Scots are prone to rebellion in the ordinary game, in XL they can only "rebell" by re-emerging, which isn't the same really.
Innocentius
11-13-2006, 00:21
After several attempts to start a campaign worth writing about and failing as miserably each time, I've decided to make a go for The English, Normal, High in the ordinary game.
I first tried as the Armenians in Early Xl, had a quite peaceful game until 1140 when I unfortuneately sided with the Byzantines in their war against the Egyptians. By 1150 there was nothing left of Armenia.
I then made an attempt as the English in High XL. I always read that a quick offensive against the French is the best solution. It seems blitz just isn't my way of warfare, I'm much more careful. Anyway, I had some initial success, but by 1230 the French had crusaded (yes) into Northumbira and I only held Wales, Britanny and Anjou.
I had a few other goes at other factions too, but failed in achieveing an interesting gameplay. I am pretty happy with my new English campaign this far however.
The English - Normal - High Era
The year is 1205, and the 31 year old King John rules the kingdom of England. His kingdom however, is weak.
The past years of war against France have ended with the loss of several provinces, nonetheless almost half of what is France is in English hands. Ireland has been conquered from the rebels, but Wales and Scotland remain untamed, and create a serious weakness in the kingdom as the British Isles are not fully united.
King John immediately saw the need to end the hostilites with the French, and already in 1206 he was able to convince them to ally with him. Several other alliances soon followed, out of which the alliance with The Holy Roman Empire was the most important by far.
In 1209, Navarre was invaded. For the first time since the days of William the Conqueror it was the English who expanded. The rebels in Navarre fought the English, but were mercilessly slain by the superior English cavalry:
https://img237.imageshack.us/img237/3172/00000000ls2.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
More good news came in 1209 as Prince John matured, securing the heritage of the crown.
In 1210 A.D, King John recieved a thousand florins from the Pope. The pietous rule of King John was the official reason for this gift, although the real reason is unknown.
These florins were immediately spent to bribe some Scottish rebels to fight for the English. The rebels accepted the money, but were defeated by other rebels. Some belive that there was no fight at all in Scotland, and that the rebels only took the money and walked off home. Whatever really happened, Scotland remained unconquered by the English.
1210 was a busy year in other ways; forts were finished in Ireland, Northumbria and Britanny, and alliances were concluded with Italy, Poland, Spain and Hungary. In the same year, the people of Ireland starved while the people of Mercia rejoyced, as an heir to the throne was born.
A few peaceful, yet active years followed. A daughter to the royal family was born in 1211, Prince William became of age in 1212 and in the same year Prince John married Princess Ulrikke of Denmark. Another daughter to King John was born in 1212 as well.
Over the next few years several alliances were concluded, amongst them was the alliance with the Byzantine Empire.
In 1215, King John finally felt strong enough to continue his unifying of the British Isles. Wales was invaded, and not even the stout welsh longbowmen could resist the well-trained knights of England:
https://img465.imageshack.us/img465/4654/00000002kr7.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
For a long period, the kingdom of England was busy struggling with its own economy and could thus not commence any new major projects or continue its expansion. A few noteable events from this peaceful time were the birth of an heir to the throne in 1217, the birth of daughters to King John in 1222, 1224 and the birth of a son in 1226. Prince Alfred matured in 1225.
In 1231, King John drew his final breath. He was succeeded by his son, who became king under the name John II. King John II was 36 years old when he was crowned, and was well-known for being a great warrior and strong believer, although perhaps a bit lazy.
When John became king, Englands future seemed bright. The economy was finally growing after many years of instability. Scotland was weak while England was strong, and the final unification of the British Isles did not seem too distant.
Down on the continent the English had many allies, and no foes at all. However, the threat from the Almohads in the south had become more and more obvious, and a crusade against muslim lands was planned.
The Kingdom of England in 1231:
https://img175.imageshack.us/img175/5950/00000005kb7.png (https://imageshack.us)
Nice read Innocentius, I never really use the English so I can't really offer to much advice on them.
But small professional armies should be your weapon(s) against the French.
I first tried as the Armenians in Early Xl, had a quite peaceful game until 1140 when I unfortuneately sided with the Byzantines in their war against the Egyptians. By 1150 there was nothing left of Armenia.
I then made an attempt as the English in High XL.
ROFL. I too have tried a campaign as the Armenians, and I too learned a harsh lession. Mainly, that is "don't be the Armenians." :laugh4: Especially don't be the Armenians in the High period, as the Turks and Byz and Eggies AND Mongols were all at war with me at one time. My most ignominious defeat of all time.
Keep up the good work gents! Always a fun read. I have to reinstall MTW onto my new PC, so I've been without for a little while...
Innocentius
11-13-2006, 19:12
Currently rather p*ssed off at my English campaign (yes, already):wall:
The Aragonese have been eliminated, the Spanish re-emerged, but got kicked by the Elmos after about three years, so now it's me against the Elmos. And no offence to anyone, but I hate the muslim factions. Can't stand their camels and 400 kinds of archers. It's now 1250, I'll continue the story only if I'm really lucky and get to skip the fight with Elmos (perhaps thanks to another re-emergance, or a crusade or whatever).
I really need to start modding...No hybrid units, no camels, no gunpowder, no GH at all and some extremely passive Elmos and Eggys.:juggle2:
Innocentius, if I may offer some advice: Don't be intimidated by the Almohads; don't be afraid to go after them. Their only truly dangerous units are Ghulam Bodyguards & AUM's, and both of these are already starting to become outclassed by the heavier Catholic units avaliable in the High period. While the Caliphate can get pretty uber in the Early period, by the time the High period rolls around, their power is often a misperception. They can field large armies, yes; but by this point in your campaign, they're likely made up of troops that are largely inferior to yours.
In addition, I would make another suggestion in regards to the Almos: Invade them by sea! Go behind their main lines, and take out as many of their big-money provinces in Iberia and north Africa as you can. (Don't bother with conquering Cyrenacia, however, as its lands are poor.) Depriving the Caliph of his ability to pay his soldiers can pay off big-time; his armies rebel more often (from lack of money) than any other faction I've seen. ~D Even if his troops don't rebel within a few turns, he'll still be forced to contend with you on multiple fronts--something that the AI isn't terribly good at!
@bamff: Whatever happened to your English campaign? Have you subdued the French yet?
As for my Portuguese campaign, things have taken an interesting turn.
King Henrique's diplomatic mission to El Cid was successful beyond his wildest dreams. In exchange for an endowment befitting a man of his rank (3000 florins), the Duke pledged both his personal abilities and his lands (the duchy of Valencia) to the crown of Portugal in prepetuity. With the Cid in his service and a strong state now in vassalage to his throne, Henrique continued to rebuild his army and readied it to deliver a crippling blow to the Almoravids. Alas, however, his plans never came to fruition. War came to the Portuguese, but not in the direction from which they'd exepcted.
Just as Henrique and El Cid were preparing to launch simultaneous invasions of Cordoba and Murcia, they faced sudden attack from the north. It appeared that Alfonso--king of Castille, Leon, & Navarre, and self-proclaimed "Defender of the West"--had for many years secretly desired to extend his lands along the Atlantic shoreline. With the bulk of the Portuguese army massed in the south (leaving Lisbon only lightly guarded), Alfonso suddenly marched on the city in force. After a brief battle in which his small army was completely overwhelmed, the Lord Chamberlin had little choice but to retreat back to Lisbon and hope that his messengers would reach the king in time.
As it happened, El Cid had already received word that the king of Castille-Leon was preparing to invade Portugal. While he himself was unable to render aid directly to his new liege lord, he saw an opportunity had presented itself when he realized Alfonso had left Castille grossly under-defended. He wasted no time in invading and routing the garrison there. Before the end of the month, he had claimed the newly-conquered kingdom in the name of Portugal. As a result, the Spanish king now had a danger in his rear, although he would be too slow to realize it.
Meanwhile, Henrique had at least received word of the Castillians' treachery, and immediately redirected his army northwards. All his men were hot with wrath at their new enemy, and burned to reach their homes and families. When Alfonso saw the Portuguese army arrive on the outskirts of Lisbon, it was an unpleasant shock, as his agents had told him Henrique was far afield battling the Almoravids. Fearing the righteous fury of his foe, yet unwilling to give up his dream of conquering Lisbon, he withdrew his men to a defensive position in the dry hills some miles northeast of the city.
While doing so was a wise move, it was not enough to save him. Henrique--who had now been reinforced by his Royal Chamberlin, along with the troops that had survived the siege--moved steadily towards the army of Castille-Leon. Upon reaching the enemy's position, he immediately sent his cavalry around the flanks....save for a few of his mounted seargents, which he used to lure the Spanish down from the main hill on which they were stationed. Still unmanned by the unexpected arrival of the Portuguese and fearful for their lives (knowing they were outnumbered), a large contingent of Alfonso's troops gave chase against his orders; they were subsequently cut down for their foolishness.
When Henrique's sons and the rest of the cavalry showed up in the enemy's rear, Alfonso knew the battle was lost and fled almost immediately. He did not get far, however, before being captured. How Henrique's mercy might have manifested itself, however, would never be known. The men who caught Alfonso were too blind with hate to care about ransom money, and they slew the enemy king with his own sword.
Henrique had won a great victory, and the soldiers of Castille-Leon had paid a fearful price for their king's greed--over 700 men were killed or captured (and there were very few of the latter). When he received word that El Cid had already exacted vengance upon their opponent in the east, he suddenly had a new vision: that of a united Catholic Iberia. Once his men had had their chance to heal, he began making preparations to fulfill what he now viewed as his holy destiny: to unite the peoples of northern Spain, and then drive out the Moors once and for all....
Innocentius
11-14-2006, 15:47
Thanks for the encouragement Martok:beam: Here's the story for the English between the years of 1232 and 1250. No pics this time though, as I forgot to take them.
The English - 1232 A.D to 1250 A.D
Just the year after King John's succession to the throne, his son edward came of age. With line of kings secured, King John II immediately took personal command of a great army, and marched for Scotland. In the first few days of 1233, English troops med the Scots in the snowy highlands.
The battle started out with some manouvering, and the English soon succeeded in reaching higher ground, putting them at the same elevation as the Scottish defenders. The Scots used this opportunity however, and attacked the English who lacked artillery before they could fully establish their position. The first english troops to be hit took heavy casualties, but soon King John and his professional knights were able to relieve them, ultimately routing the Scottish rebels. At the end of the day, some 150 scotsmen and 50 englishmen lay dead on the battlefield. Only a handful of prisoners were taken, all of whom were executed.
The few surviving Scots retreaded to thei fort, this was stormed and fell to the English in 1236.
A few years of adjusting the economy and planning the upcoming crusade followed. A son was born in 1238, and one of King John's daughters married the king of Denmark during the same year.
In 1241 Prince Stephen came of age, and alliance was signed with the Pope, much thanks to the crusade against the Almohads.
In 1243, the crusade reached its target Aragon, that fell without a fight. However, it was too late. Just the year after, the last king of the Aragonese was captured and killed, levaing his lands open for the Almohads.
A quick breather was given to the English by the outbreak of a Catholic rebellion in Castille and Leon in 1245, this was crushed by the Almohad khalifa though. In 1246 the Almohads finally attacked the English, invading Navarre. The outnumbered troops of Navarre retreaded to the fort, and reinforcements arrived in the next year. The English won a great victory against the Almohads, although at a great cost. The exact casualties are unknown, but the number of casualties is generally believed to have been around 500 on the Almohad side, and 300 on the English side.
And in 1246 King John II died out of age. He was succeede by his son William III. Already aged 50.
In the same year, 1247, the English suffered a defeat in the Bay of Biscay against the Almohad navy. This allowed the Almohads to invade Britanny in 1248, King William III himself retook Britanny just the year after though, and the uncourageous Almohads abandoned the province and fled without daring to fight.
Valencia was invaded as well in 1249, and resulted in a minor battle in which the English were victorious, however only a few soruces even mention this battle so we don't really know much about it.
By 1250, the English had conquered roughly 20% of the Iberian peninsula, however their position had a major weakness as the Almohad fleet in the Bay of Biscay was too strong for them, thus not allowing them to send supplies by seas.
Good job against the Almos, Innocentius. May the Reconquista proceed apace! ~:cheers:
Things may finally be turning the corner in my Portuguese campaign. I simultaneously invaded Leon (where King Alfonso was holed up) from both Portugal and Castille; the Cid commanded my attacking army. It was a hard fight, as Alfonso is no slouch when it comes to generalship; but I was successful in the end. El Cid captured him for ransom, only to find there was no one to pay!
The reason for this was that the Aragonese (apparently sensing the weakness of their Castillan neighbors) invaded and conquered Navarre. Since Alfonso's only two remaining heirs were located there, his royal line was wiped out and the Castille-Leonese ceased to exist. So there ended one threat. :2thumbsup:
Now I have to decide whether or not to first take out Aragon. Normally this would be a no-brainer decision; but the Almos have built up some pretty big armies on my southern border, and I don't want to turn my back on them for very long at this point!
Don Corleone
11-15-2006, 03:30
{I like to play heavily into role playing while in the game, especially in GA campaigns. Typically, before beginning, I make a list of rules and try to write some historical fiction in my mind to give the campaign some flavor. It helps stave off boredom in the early years of a campaign, after the initial rush, when I'm trying to build up my lands. If you're not into that sort of thing, skip this post and pop down to the next, as this is just the prologue.}
It was a cool, crisp April evening, but not too cold. Phillippe was happy to be alive. And why shouldn't he be? He was the King of France!!! He lived about as good a life as anybody alive. Sure, his father had allowed the accursed William and the rest of the Normans to take more than their share of his kingdom. But they hadn't taken his favorite tavern, or more imporantly, his favorite brothel! Not that he needed one. Tonight for example, he had managed to couerce the Countess of Poitiers to join him in his bedchamber, her husband drunkenly oblivious still dancing at the feast many floors below in the great hall. Phillipe enjoyed himself fully, allowed the cool air to refresh him, and curled up next to the beautiful woman laying in his bed, sleep rushing upon him like a hungry tiger....
He awoke with a start. The hearth had burned to embers, but the room was ablaze with a strange silvery glow. Nervously, he tried to speak, but found immediately his voice was unnaturally silenced. Fear crept to the core of his bones. A blue blur whirled in the middle of the room. He desparately tried to shake the Countess awake, with no success. The blue blur began to solidify. The light in the room reached blinding levels. The young king found he had to shield his eyes. As he tried to peer through the cracks in his fingers, he saw a vision of the most beautiful, most pristine woman he had ever seen.
"Notre Dame", the king silently whispered... even if he had voice, he wouldn't have been able to speak in his current state of awe. He dropped to his knees and began to mentally recite every prayer he had ever been taught.
"PHILIPPE!" a melodic female voice boomed out loud enough to shake the walls. "PHILIPPE! You make me cry!" Philippe peered between his fingers, and indeed, tears streamed down the cheeks of the Queen of Heaven. "Philippe, you were given so much, and you have squandered it. The Abyssids tend pigs in the stable in which your savior was born. The home into which I was born is now a brothel. The temple to your Lord is occupied with the troops of the Sultan, and pilgrims are no longer allowed to ascend its heights. And yet, here you sit, sotten with wine, in the company of whores. Oh, Philippe, what a disappointment you have turned out to be".
The King began to weep shamelessly. Yes, he thought, she is right. I have squandered my birthright. I have allowed myself luxuries I have no right to. My great great great grandfather was Charlamagne, Lord of All Christendom, and here I am, paying William secretly to stop raiding me... All for the promise of one more party.
"PHILIPPE! YOU ARE NOT BEYOND HOPE OR USE, BUT YOU MUST STOP THIS SELF PITY IMMEDIATELY!" Phillipe swore he never saw Mary's lips move. The voice seemed to be coming from within his brain. No, wait, his heart and his soul. It bubbled up and vibrated through every cell of his body.
"PHILIPPE! LISTEN TO ME. YOU CANNOT LEAD MY ARMIES TO FREE MY HOME. YOUR SON WILL BE MORE OF A WHORE CHASER THAN YOU. BUT YOUR GRANDSON... IN HIM LAY ALL MY HOPES."
More softly now, he could hear her speaking to him, wisdom and consolation rolled into each word, so much more tenderly then his own mother ever spoke to him...
"Philipe, William cannot achieve such an act of purity either. Nor can Otto. All the men of your age are too weak, toosmitten with the female form and the cask of wine. You fight each other over women and vineyards, and you allow the enemies of your savior, my son, to triumph and reign in places they have no business. But I hear your heart, and I know you are pentinent. To prove to me you are serious, you will take residence at Saint Denis, as a novice. You will remain there for 90 days, not one hour more or less. During this time, you will speak to noone. The abbot will know who you are and why you are there. During this time, you will review every lost moment you have squandered, every sin you have committed that sent another thorn into my beautiful son's head. And then, and only then, you will be the true king I told my son and our dear Lord of. You will begin that which will not end..."
Philipe awoke in a start, shivering in a pool of sweat. Blood stained the linens. At first he was in fear for the contessa, but she still slept peacefully, without a scratch. Philipe brought his hand to his face to wipe away the sleep and halted... his flesh was bloody and sore on the back of his hand where an "M" in the Latin lettering was emblazoned unto the back of his hand. "It was no dream", he silently mused. He dressed himself in his most humble of hunting rags, and as he reached for a purse he read a note:
"You, my dear Philippe are the King of France. When you return from Saint Denis, you will drive William and his accursed kin from the land I love, my new home. You will spend your life building these lands, preparing your grandson for his hour of glory. Your son will continue in your role, building your infrastructure and the ability of France to generate wealth untold. And your grandson will use that wealth to build an army like none the Earth has ever seen. It will wash the Saracens away in a mighty flood. It will cleanse Nazareth, and Bethlehem, and Jerursalem, in blood. It will storm the mighty cliffs of Tripoli and build a fortress that only God Himself will be able to rend assunder. And then he will return home, and build me a home to dwell among you, here in Paris. He will name this church after me. I will accept whatever he builds for me, and I will dwell in it forever more, so long as I continue to visit your world. In all your generations, your prodigy, to remain true to me must:
-Crusade to all the states of the holy lands: Antioch, Tripoli, Edessa and of course, Palestine itself.
-You must remove all Normans from the Western Frankish Kingdom by 1100.
-From the moment they are gone, you shall launch no further attacks against your Christian brothers.
-When the Holy Father upon this Earth calls you to crusade for him, regardless of your current plans, you will respond, immediately.
-You may take lands held by Christian monarchs, but only if they violate an alliance signed in the name of our Lord. You may take one county or one duchy for each offense.
-You may never take sides with the Heretics against your true Christian brothers. You may never take sides with the followers of Mohammed or worse, the pagan filth, against any of your Christian brother, true followers of Rome or heretics that follow Constantinople.
-Always, always grant mercy on the field of battle. Consider each drop of the blood of one of your captives more precious than a vial of your own.
-These rules shall apply for all your progeny, until the End of Days....
The note was signed with a simple femininely scripted "M".
Philippe wiped his eyes again. "Surely, I must still be dreaming" he thought. He wasn't... he was the first monarch in Don Corleone's French Campaign... Early, Hard. And with that... we ride.
Don Corleone
11-15-2006, 03:55
A much older, much more mature Philippe reflected back on all the days between the magical aparition in 1087 and this cold November morning... He had done all he had been asked... William had been driven from the shores of the Western Frankish kingdom, his violence and ill temper confined to the shores of the poor benighted island of Britain.
In 1093, he had led a desparate attack into Anjou. Caught off guard, the English had surrendered without a parting bowshot. His desparation was due to the sending of his army, split in two to Normandy, under his son Philippe, and into Aquitane, under his loyal general and best friend, Baldwin of Boulougne. Neither his son nor his mate had it as easy as he, but they had prevailed, as though the will of Notre Dame herself had propelled the French forward, against insurmountable odds. They had paid dearly, but they had won. Philippe, knowing William well, knew to immediately move to defend the breadbasket of Flanders, and indeed his son Philippe had been forced to repel 2 invasions across the channel in 3 years. But at the end of it, William's son, William III had made peace. No evil with the English remained, and in 1102, an alliance was signed between the two former enemies before God.
Philippe spent the rest of his reign tutoring his son on how to generate wealth and how to build armies. He taught young Philippe how to restrain himself, to trust in his armies and not conscript new ones, draining his treasury, or worse, hiring mercenaries... draining the coffers of his patron, the Queen of Heaven. As though she herself guided his actions, he was a wise and just ruler who managed to imbue wealth into the land, as if through sheer force of will. On his death bed, he begged his son, the young Philippe: "Build the fleets. Reach the holy land. Take the money of the Saracens, but do not enter their lands. This role is reserved for your son, young Jean". With the last words upon his lips, Philippe slumbered, to pass into history and the arms of his waiting patroness.
"YOU HAVE DONE VERY WELL, MY DEAR, DEAR BOY. COME, AND MEET MY SON".
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/tharris00/French%20Early%20Normal/PhillipeI.jpg
Excellent story, Don Corleone. ~:cheers: One thing is certain, and that's that my modest writing skills pales next to yours. I can hardly claime I mind, however, as I thoroughly enjoyed the read. :bow:
(By the way, it's good to see you around here again!)
In my Portuguese campaign, events continue to outpace my long-term plans. Aragon did not wait for me to build up my forces and attack them; instead, they took the initiative while my attention was directed elsewhere. Shortly after my conquest of Leon, King Sancho invaded Valencia, which El Cid had left guarded by only a small force of Feudal Seargents and Jinnettes. They did as much damage to the Aragonese as they could before retreating to the castle.
Upon receiving the news, Lord Cid moved swiftly to defend his duchy. Reinforced by fresh levies (which were dispatched by a grateful Henrique and led by his own son), he massed an army in Castille and marched on Sancho's troops. Despite the size of Cid's army, the Aragonese king refused to run. In addition to employing a sizable contingent of archers, he was confident he and his 3 sons could sweep all enemies from the field with their knights. In this, he would be sadly mistaken. ~D
El Cid was not only a better general than the king, but he also knew the lands of Valencia better than anyone--he knew how (and where) to fight in his own home! In the end, the battle was one of the most lopsided engagements the peninsula had yet seen. Over 450 of the Aragonese troops were killed or captured, while El Cid lost less than 100. Among those captured were 2 of the king's sons, which garnered a total ransom of ~3800 florins.
King Sancho himself the battle escaped unharmed, but he had already sealed his country's fate. King Henrique and El Cid now turned the full of their attention and resources to Aragon & Navarre. Their simple objective: complete, total destruction and subjugation....
Resuming the story of Bamff's English Empire...
Chapter Two : 1152 - 1165
In the year of our lord 1152, King Stephen I sits upon the throne of England. Having taken Flanders, Toulouse, and Brittany, the English king has sought peace with our neighbour, France. Sadly, King Charles IV will have none of this, and is determined to win back those lost French provinces.
King Stephen does not wish to pursue further aggression against his fellow Catholic nations. This does not mean for a moment that he has no intention of acquiring further lands, however. His eyes have drifted to other parts of the map, and in 1154, he directs his son Prince Richard to take a small force to Ireland to subdue the local population. It is a gamble - whilst his bravery is unquestioned, Prince Richard has never led men into battle before.
The Irish have set their position atop a hill, and the English forces split to make their approach. A force of Hobilars circles to the enemy's rear, while the main force of archers, and men-at-arms, together with Richard's own royal knights make their way up the hill so as to face the Irish on level ground. The Irish general sees this danger and attempts to block the approach of the English, sending a regiment of kerns. On Richard's orders, a regiment of archers had been positioned for just this eventuality, and the Kerns run headlong into a hail of death, as the main English force continues to move into position. The surviving kerns withdraw. All in in readiness, but before the English can make their move a force of Gallowglasses and Kerns charge across the open ground. They are brave, these Irishmen, but foolhardy. 180 archers await them across a slight uphill charge. They are decimated. Upon Richard's order, the Hobilars move in from the rear, drawing another regiment of Gallowglasses to chase them. The Gallowglasses are lured within range of our archers, and suffer the same fate as their countrymen. Now the men-at-arms are released, charging the now depleted Irish line, as the Hobilars and Knights encircle them, and then strike the hammer blow from the rear. The day is won! Huzzah for Prince Richard! Our young Prince was typically modest after his victory, noting that to have lost with superior numbers against such a rabble would have been unforgivable.
https://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/bamffofbrissie/RichardsVictory-1.jpg
Meanwhile, King Stephen was demonstrating to the world that warfare is not the only means of expansion to an able ruler. With our newly established trade routes along the African coastline boosting our treasury, the king despatched his most skilfull ambassador, Ralph Cromwell to Norway. The Norwegian leader, Markus Skaaning, had been identified as a man of notable acumen - one who could ably serve our kingdom if convinced to join our cause. Prince Richard's recent victory, together with the growing influence of King Stephen proved more of a lure than gold, with Skaaning duly swearing his allegiance to the King, with nary handful of florins being exchanged. Norway was ours.
With the province of Norway now in English hands, King Stephen felt it prudent to secure our new border by conquering Sweden. This task was entrusted to Prince John. The young Prince embarked in 1157, and duly succeeded in vanquishing the Swedish rebels. sadly, King Stephen did not have the opportunity to bask in the reflected glory of his second youngest son's victory. The King drew his last breath even as the herald bearing the news of victory alighted from his steed at Wessex. Prince Richard ascended to the throne as King Richard I.
Prince John had no time to enjoy his new status as the conqueror of Sweden. Perhaps it was the change of monarch - perhaps the appointment of the Norwegian Markus Skaaning as overlord of Sweden. Whatever the reason, the Swedish rebelled, and with scant time for reinforcement, Prince John led the defence of the province. It was an interesting force that he faced - horsemen, archers, woodsmen, and viking landsmenn taking the field. The Swedish rebels were routed. At the death of their leader, most fled the field in disarray. The following image shows the final stage of the battle as the Prince's knights see off the last of the swedish horsemen.
https://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/bamffofbrissie/PrinceJohnroutstheSwedes-1.jpg
Our borders were further secured as the King of the Danes announced that he would wed our Princess Bianca, and there was much rejoicing throughout the kingdom.
All was quiet in the kingdom, but it would not stay that way for long. Unlike his father, King Richard was hungry for greater glory, and in 1165 he launched a crusade against Tripoli.
Don Corleone
11-16-2006, 01:58
Well told Martok & Bamff. And well played. I don't know who I feel worse for, the Martok's hapless Aragonese enemies or Bamff's new slaves, the Danes. You're both really set up well to really put the screws to anyone that gets in your way. ~:cheers:
Don Corleone
11-16-2006, 02:30
Philippe Augustus took another drink of cognac. He hated nights like these. He always had and he always would. Some official of the church would come to Paris to pay homage to the local eclessiastical officials. After a day or two, they would all subtly hint that they were ready to be invited to the King's castle for a feast. And throughout dinner, he would be scolded and ridiculed for being a eunuch, refusing to crusade to the Holy Land.
Of course he knew the Pope expected him to crusade, even if he hadn't called on Christian knights to do so openly! The pope was always looking to fill his pockets, and gold flowing into Rome from the Levant would build the popes already overstuffed treasuries. But he could not break the oath he had sworn to his father. He never believe that silly story his father had told him about Mary appearing to him in a vision, but he DID believe in his father, and if his father had told him not to crusade until the pope publicly called for him to, then so be it. He had never understood his father's obsession with what he called "The rules of Civility", but his father had been clear and serious. Deadly serious.
Once, when the Holy Roman Emperor had sent a raiding party into Champagne, Guy d'Brisard had ridden out to end the raid. He had captured most of the riders, scared teenage boys who were only looking to prove their manhood. But Guy was furious, and had them hung in the city square of Brie. Philippe's father had been enraged. Young Philippe had never seen a man scourged to death before, yet that was exactly what the elder Philippe had ordered and delivered to Guy for the execution of the captives. And then, his father did something strange. Not only did he not retaliate on the Empire, he sent an emissary to sue for peace. Of course the Emperor, who was overwhelmed in wars with the Danes, the Venetians and the Poles had granted it. His father then paid a princely sum to have each of the young riders carried back to their home villa deep within the empire in a funeral procession.
Nobody ever suspected it, due to his love of women and wine (two fancies Philippe shared with his father), but in his own way, Philippe I had been a deeply religious man. And Philippe Augustus, while no devotee of the clerics, loved and adored his father and so honored and obeyed all the requests his father had laid upon him. He had dilligently spent each year of his reign constantly riding from corner to corner of the Kingdom, inspecting fields and trading houses, maximizing all the money he could. He also personally inspected each and every barque launched, be it in Ghent, in Nantes or even all the way down in Toulouse. No mean feat considering he kept every shipyard in the kingdom contstantly running at maximum capacity. His father had been explicit, and Philippe Augustus had seen to it that every boat took to the sea that he could possibly sail.
In the end, Philippe Augustus hoped he had honored his father well. He had done all that he had been asked. And while his reign had done little to increase the glory of France, France was well poised to swell its coffers the moment the costly expansion of its fleets was completed. Yes, Philippe mused, France swims in money. And churches. We have more chuches than anywhere. Philippe made his way quietly out of a corner door, fondling the buttocks of a particularly attractive young wench on the way by. Later, he mused, later I'll show her I'm nowhere near as old or as tame as the gossip would have her believe. Philippe stepped into the alley and made ready to return some wine to the Earth.
As he felt reflief in his bladder, he caught a glimpse of two of the Sicilian emissaries who had ridden in with the church entourage arguing quietly but vehemently. "Something vexes thee, my king?" a pleasant, oily voice called from behind him. He turned, his urination still in progress to view Don Mateo Caligari, King Adam of Sicily's falconeer (and rumored to be his chief assassin) skulking up to him. "No, nothing..." Philippe stammered, "AAARGGH"!!! Philippe was blinded by pain as a small thin stilleto worked it's way between the ribs in his back, through one, then both kidneys, then up into his liver, piercing it. The pain was exrcuciating... so intense Philippe could not breath, let alone scream. As he sank to his knees, falling into the puddle of his own urine, Mateo leaned in close and quietly hissed "When Adam hints he wants something done... you better do it. You were told to invade Lorraine, and you were delivered the perfect excuse. But, you wretched coward, you let the chance slip through your fingers. Let's see if your son, with his hot blood and temper, will be more likely to do Adam's bidding". Mateo peered down, spat in the king's face, then shooed the two assasins away from the dying monarch. The last words Philippe ever heard were "And your daughter Adelle wasn't killed by highwaymen. In fact, she entertained me for weeks. I've never had a more thrilling adventure. She did finally stop screaming after two weeks, and then she lost all entertainment value....". Philippe Augustus slowly passed from this world, darkness clenching him like a giant vice, with Mateo's diabolical cackling still ringing in his ears.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/tharris00/French%20Early%20Normal/PhillipeII.jpg
Well told Martok & Bamff. And well played. I don't know who I feel worse for, the Martok's hapless Aragonese enemies or Bamff's new slaves, the Danes. You're both really set up well to really put the screws to anyone that gets in your way. ~:cheers:
Thanks Don Corleone, but I wouldn't say that about my campaign just yet! ~:rolleyes: King Sancho still has decent-sized armies in both Aragon & Navarre, and it won't be easy for me to root them out. I'm not yet at the stage where I can just churn out troops--at the moment, I'm still limited by both finances and logistics.
Also, despite my successes thus far, I still don't have a secure heartland. Even if the Aragonese weren't a threat, the Almos definitely are. They've just been sitting there, developing their infrastructure and massing ever-greater armies along our mutual border. I can well imagine the Caliph & his court sharing a hearty laugh whilst Aragon, Castille-Leon and myself have been duking it out for supremacy of northern Iberia; I'm sure nothing pleases him more than the infighting among us. :laugh4:
So while I appreciate the kind words, I know all too well that I still have my work cut out for me! :whip:
Well told Martok & Bamff. And well played. I don't know who I feel worse for, the Martok's hapless Aragonese enemies or Bamff's new slaves, the Danes. You're both really set up well to really put the screws to anyone that gets in your way. ~:cheers:
Thank you for your kind words, Don Corleone - though I fear that the "Chronciles of Bamff's English" are but the scribblings of a barely literate peasant when viewed beside your magnificent work!
It is interesting watching all of these empires take shape, isn't it?
It is also intriguing to read the stories of those running either the XL or BKB mods....gee I thought I was happy to have finally got hold of VI....but clearly there are many other doors for me to open yet!
Keep the posts coming all!
Innocentius
11-16-2006, 16:26
Great campaigns everyone! Particulary impressive write-up Don Corleone:2thumbsup:
It's a big shame that the catholics in Iberia can't unite though:no:
Just wanted to report that my English campaign is more or less screwed, the supremacy of the Almohad fleet turned out to be more disatrous than I ever imagined, not only have they invaded the British Isles, but they've also taken Flanders and Britanny for a second time. I think I could still knock them back, but that would force me to abandon all my provinces in France and Iberia, and besides, its no fun to be the English if you can't keep your homelands in check:shame:
I'll probably pick a decent sized faction instead next time, perhaps another go as Burgundy. Establishing a decent size kingdom, as opposed to a vast empire, is much more my "thing".
Just wanted to report that my English campaign is more or less screwed, the supremacy of the Almohad fleet turned out to be more disatrous than I ever imagined, not only have they invaded the British Isles, but they've also taken Flanders and Britanny for a second time. I think I could still knock them back, but that would force me to abandon all my provinces in France and Iberia, and besides, its no fun to be the English if you can't keep your homelands in check:shame:
Naval superiority within your own "stamping ground" is key to success. I have often gone to war with the Sicilians and the Byzantines simply because far too many of their ships were in my seas. If I hadn't have hit them first, they would probably have hit me and lost me most of my shipping. To gain naval superiority over the muslim factions you need 3 ship caravel fleets aplenty. Have these fleets break up when you want them to attack, and have every ship attack individually, then bring them back together when you're done (isolated ships tend to be a target for the AI, especially if they're alone in the sea zone, and get annoying wars started that you didn't want, ruining your trade income in the process). This way you get three chances to catch and sink their fleets. If you win, your 1 ship will sink the entire AI fleet, which is value for money. The Almohad fleets, in your case, should have been aggressively dealt with in this fashion. If you think you can get away with the same against a distant faction (a faction that you have no contact with, apart from their ships, and where an alliance won't be lost) then you should do so. The state of war will end once their ships are gone and your fleets will gain command stars for their trouble. (state of war only persists if you a) share borders, b) a siege is occurring involving you and the faction in question, or c) your ships are in sea zones with their ships or off the coast adjacent to their provinces)
Using those tactics over the years I've never had problems with my fleets. You have to be watchful. If you're playing as the English and notice overly large Byzantine fleets appearing all around your lands, then it's time to mobilise a large naval force and start sending them to the bottom before it's too late (too late being the situation where every new ship you build appears in hostile waters and is blown up by the enemy fleets at the end of the turn before it can do anything useful. To try and counter this you need to have your ships appear from multiple provinces simultaneously into the same sea. (e.g. Northumbria and Mercia will give you two ships per year combined, which increases their chance of survival. (A better example is the region around the holy land, or the Adriatic, where you can turn out a sizeable fleet each year.)
I'll probably pick a decent sized faction instead next time, perhaps another go as Burgundy. Establishing a decent size kingdom, as opposed to a vast empire, is much more my "thing".
The English have a strong starting position that can easily be overlooked. The French are at your mercy from the start if you can time your attacks carefully and hit the right provinces at the right moments. It is quite a good faction for the beginner. The only other catholic faction for a beginner would be the Spaniards, they have good trade, some superb units and a good defensible position from which to expand from. The Egyptians and the Almohads also make good starters. You say you don't like muslim factions. Try playing as them, and you will understand their strengths and weaknesses more, helping you out a great deal when you face them in the future.
Resuming the saga of Bamff's English....
Chapter 3 - The Reign of Richard I
The year is 1165. King Richard I sits upon the throne of England. The English monarch is anxious to ensure the stability and prosperity of his kingdom, and to this end has yet again despatched an emissary to the court of his erstwhile neighbour, King Charles V of France to seek an end to the hostilities between the two nations. Charles’ many detractors in the English court label him a vain, posturing fool, more interested in feasting and acquiring new garments for his burgeoning wardrobe than he is in matters of state. He dismisses the English envoy out of hand.
Not to be deterred, in 1166, Richard entreats the Bishop of Anjou to journey to Champagne to reason with Charles. Once more, the olive branch is summarily brushed aside by the French king. The journey is not simply a waste of time, however, for whilst in Champagne, the bishop notes the extraordinary numbers of French troops that are gathering in camps along the Flemish border. Sure enough, in 1167, with King Charles V himself in the van, the French army crosses the border into Flanders.
Sir William Marshall, the general in command of the English garrison of Flanders is outnumbered, with only some 1059 men to meet the French force of 1467. He is one of our most capable commanders, however, and he quickly draws his forces together to meet the threat. The French attack is clumsy, and they are duly routed, suffering the double ignominy of defeat and having to watch helplessly as both King Charles and his son Henri are captured by Marshall’s men. Both appear to hold their manhood cheap, to surrender so easily rather than fight. 8451 florins flow into the English treasury to secure the release of “the peacock” (as this vainglorious fool is known at court) and his offspring.
One would think that such a sound defeat would force Charles to see reason. Sadly it did not. Yet another offer of ceasefire is dismissed by the French in 1168. Good King Richard is fast tiring of the unwillingness of Charles to accept the supremacy of our English forces and live in peace. “I have tried the carrot, perhaps it is time for the rod,” muses Richard, as word of the latest refusal of terms reaches court. Few understand exactly what he means until the news arrives that within the space of weeks, two French princesses, have met a rather unfortunate end, and a French emissary in appears to have vanished without trace in Normandy. Rumours abound that it is the work of Montfort and his men. William Montfort is a somewhat unsettling character, a shadowy figure known only by name and reputation. He is rumoured to be an assassin in the employ of the English crown. It is said that he takes rather too much pleasure from his trade, but he and his men do have particular skills that are useful to a pragmatic monarch…
Nonetheless, these latest moves also fail to bring the French to heel.
News reaches Wessex in 1170 that Pope John XXII has died. Clement IV is the new Holy Father, and Richard immediately sends an offering of congratulation to the new Pope to ensure that our long-standing alliance with the Papacy remains strong.
With our alliance with Rome duly secured, King Richard is able to unleash his pent up frustrations with the French. Sir William Marshall is ordered to invade Champagne. Charles flees as fast as his steed will carry his ever more portly body. The following year, Lord Fitzgilbert invades Ile de France. Yet again King Charles and his son Henri are captured. It would appear that the French populace have also tired of this pair of braying buffoons. Fitzgilbert's demand for ransom is refused. Richard himself pays Charles one final visit in the dungeons of Paris Castle before the French royal line is ended forever. The chronicles do not record the details of this final conversation, though Richard is said to have emerged from the dungeon bearing a triumphant grin.
Whilst the king is indeed satisfied with the outcome of the “French Question”, he has precious little time to enjoy his newly secured realm. The very next year, 1172, brings news of the vilest treachery, as ships carrying the flag of the Holy Roman Empire attack one of our barques in the Ligurian Sea. The Germans have picked the wrong vessel to attack however, for it is captained by Henry Stuart, one of the ablest of our sea captains. At the end of the engagement, the German barque vanishes beneath the waves.
The armies of the Holy Roman Empire continue to mass in menacing fashion along our borders throughout 1173. Further naval actions by the Germans in the Ligurian Sea cost us a barque. These naval attacks continue into 1174. This is the 3rd year in succession that the Holy Roman Empire have launched such attacks, and King Richard is apoplectic with rage. He despatches an emissary to the Vatican to implore Pope Clement to excommunicate Emperor Heinrich V for these unprovoked attacks on a fellow Catholic faction. While Clement offers his assurance that our alliance is strong, he stops short of excommunication.
With the German fleet now on the bottom of the Mediterranean, and their land forces apparently unwilling to take on our armies in a face-to-face fight, an uneasy peace settles over Europe. In 1177 this is broken by a most unlikely aggressor – the tiny kingdom of Aragon. King Alfonso I has long looked covetously across his borders at the rich lands of Aquitaine, and in 1177, he leads his forces north to meet Lord Gascoigne's garrison. He has gravely underestimated the English forces in the region. Our archers cut his forces to pieces before his remaining cavalry push uphill, only to be skewered by three regiments of Fyrdmen. Alfonso flees back to Aragon with almost indecent haste.
Our Crusaders, who bravely set out some 13 years previously, finally arrive in Tripoli in 1178. After a bloody battle, the Egyptians retreat to their stronghold, and the Crusaders, having no seige engines, prepare to wait them out. Meanwhile, on the Iberian peninsula, Aragon accepts our terms, and a ceasefire is arranged. The court rejoices, peace has returned to Europe...but King Richard urges caution, and riders are despatched to all border garrisons to ensure that our generals remain ever vigilant.
As it transpires, our monarch is correct to be cautious in celebrating the peace prematurely, as the Aragonese immediately break the ceasefire, and send a further force north to Aquitaine. This impressive force includes 100 royal knights, with Prince Fernando and Prince Sancho among them. Sadly for Aragon, the mountainous terrain of Aquitaine, and the presence of a crack regiment of Welsh Longbowmen, together with 3 regiments of archers result in 94 of these 100 knights littering the valley floor alongside many Urban Militiamen and peasants. The two princes' bodies grow cold alongside their countrymen.
In Tripoli, the Egyptian forces sally. 1894 of them die attempting to raise the siege of Tripoli. Our forces are also sorely depleted, with 827 brave crusaders returning to the Kingdom of Heaven. Reinforcements are hastily called from all coastal provinces. Again and again the Egyptians attempt to raise the siege. Again and again they are defeated. Finally, in 1182, some 17 years after the crusade was launched, Tripoli falls. There is great rejoicing throughout the kingdom.
Buoyed by the success of this crusade, the king orders a second crusade the very next year. This time Palestine is to be the target of our holy war.
Sadly, our sweet king is not destined to see the conclusion of this, his second holy mission. In the year 1188, our beloved Richard succumbs to a mysterious illness. Whilst there is much sadness throughout the kingdom, the coronation of King Stephen II does much to restore the spirits of the common folk. Whilst only 26 years old, Stephen has already done much to instill the faith of the populace at large. Will the young king live up to the feats of his father Richard I? Time will tell....
https://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/bamffofbrissie/TheRealmofStephenII.jpg
Excellent, bamff! May King Stephen rule his people as well as his father did. ~:cheers:
Unfortunately, I have bad news in regards to my Portuguese campaign. I seem to be suffering from a bad save file, and I can't get it going again. :wall: I plan on starting another campaign in the near future, but right now I'm unsure as to whether I'll play as the Portuguese again or not. (And just when it had started getting interesting too!) Sorry guys. :sad:
Nice campaign bamff, I recently started a campaign as the English. Scots invaded Northumbria, Aragon invaded Aquitaine! GAH! But using professional armies saved me from defeat. Got excommed thought. :juggle2:
Excellent, bamff! May King Stephen rule his people as well as his father did. ~:cheers:
Unfortunately, I have bad news in regards to my Portuguese campaign. I seem to be suffering from a bad save file, and I can't get it going again. :wall: I plan on starting another campaign in the near future, but right now I'm unsure as to whether I'll play as the Portuguese again or not. (And just when it had started getting interesting too!) Sorry guys. :sad:
That sucks I was enjoying reading that.
Innocentius
11-20-2006, 22:08
In the year 1320 of our Lord, Duke Philippe II started overlooking his small kingdom of Burgundy, squeezed in between majos powers as France and the Holy Roman Empire in Western Europe.
Duke Philippe was already by this time a respected man, he was 38 years of age and wass well-known for being a highly skilled attacker. His troops were a constant threat to his neighbours, the French, who had just about enough troubles keeping the English (and their many other enemies as well) at bay.
Burgundy was a land tough to defend, as it lacked secure borders, and thus each corner of the kingdom needed strong garrisons, which would be hard to afford without a coastline or any trade network set up. The first major target was not to reach the Mediterranean however.
Philippe had long wished to claim the rebel lands of Switzerland as his own. Controlling these lands would, except from the obvious benefit of expanding the kingdom on the map, grant him with the well-known and dreaded swiss pikemen. Already in 1321, he started sending scouting patrols to Switzerland to learn of the strenght of the rebels. The prescence of even the smallest amount of troops however angered the Swiss, who in their usual manner armed themselves and went to fight the intruders. Duke Philippe wisely drew back his lone scouts.
He returned but a few years later though, this time himself commanding a highly professional army, including many mounted crossbowmen from Savoy. And in the summer of 1324, the Swiss were defeated in a humiliating battle.
https://img102.imageshack.us/img102/8261/00000000jp2.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
However feared, the Swiss pikemen could do little to resist the impact and mobility of the mounted crossbowmen from Savoy. This unusual tactic scared the Swiss from any real fighting, and were instead concerned about moving out of range from the crossbowmen. But whereever they went, they were pursued and fired at.
In the end, the Swiss general was killed, this caused a major rout in the already demoralized swiss army, which broke ranks and fled. Duke Philippe II was able to take many prisoners this day. None were spared. This total defeat of the Swiss army meant there were no men left to defend the many castles and fortresses of Switzerland, which fell without a fight to the Burgundians.
With the potential threat in the east removed, and after getting his men some fighting experience, Philippe now turned his eyes south. It was to take a while until he felt strong enough to charge the French however.
In 1331, Provence was invaded. By this time, the French were already severly weakened. Although their main enemy, the English, had been busy fighting to hold their own homelands from the Scots, both the Holy Roman Empire, The Kingdom of Aragon and the Consul of Genoa (all of whom were allies to the Burgundians) had waged war against them, on all fronts.
A genoese force joined the Burgundians in the invasion. The French ran away, lacking the courage to meet the glorious troops of the Burgundian-Italian army.
In 1333, the last standing castle of Provence fell to the Burgundians, ensuring their position.
By 1335, the now 53 year old Duke Philippe II of Burgundy had already achieved his main goals. Burgnundy was no longer a landlocked little country, but was instead a growing nation, ready to enter the main scenes of action.
If this luck was to sustain however, remains to be told.
The Kingdom of Burgundy under the rule of Duke Philippe II in the year 1335 of our Lord:
https://img355.imageshack.us/img355/5843/00000005sj7.png (https://imageshack.us)
Nice, Innocentius! I don't think I've ever seen such a one-sided slaughter of the Swiss before, though. ~:eek: That was a brilliant use of your mounted X-bows! :bow:
Well for my next campaign, I'm looking at going with either the Scots, the Bohemians, the HRE, the Fatamids (Egyptians), or the good old Byzantines--I haven't payed a visit to the Comnenus family in a while. ~;) Any suggestions or opinions on who I should play as?
A short(ish) update for you. Up to now I have been lucky enough to have fought almost all battles with numerical superiority - this changes a bit in this instalment.
The Chronicles of Bamff’s English
Chapter 4 – King Stephen II reign begins (1188 – 1195)
Having ascended to the throne in 1188, young King Stephen mused on his good fortune. The building and trade programs of his grandfather Stephen I, and thence his father, Richard I, had reaped great benefits for the kingdom of England. The treasury was full to overflowing, allowing Stephen to continue the great building programs of his forebears, and he set about this task with great gusto.
Our envoys in Aragon send word that the Aragonese monarch continues to resist all offers of peace. King Alfonso is a most stubborn man….but one thing that Stephen has learned from his father is that there is more than one answer to a problem.
Stephen’s building programme is rudely interrupted in 1190. The Holy Roman Empire have been massing their forces along our borders for some time now, and Emperor Heinrich chooses this year to unleash his horde into the province of Champagne. Of all of the English border provinces, Champagne is the most lightly defended. Sir William Marshall sends riders to call for reinforcement, but the enemy are advancing too swiftly. He is forced to meet the German onslaught of some 2096 men with his force of only some 684 troops. Yet again Marshall demonstrates his superb leadership skills, and carries the day. As the dust of battle clears, some 465 German troops lie dead across the field. 508 prisoners are taken, with the German general, Lord Plittersdorf amongst them. Our losses amount to 202. News of the victory, and of the hefty ransom received for the release of Plittersdorf soon spread throughout the kingdom.
With almost a third of the garrison lost in the battle for Champagne, Stephen directs reinforcements from Flanders to move to the beleaguered border province, to discourage the Germans from attempting a second assault.
His strategy is successful in this endeavour – inasmuch as the German forces do not launch a secondary attack on Champagne. Instead Flanders is their new target. Lord Blankenberg marches from Friesland with some 2013 troops. Lord Mercadier marched north to meet this threat with his entire garrison of 1570 men, choosing a field slightly north of the township of Dendermonde on which to make his stand. The field is flanked by heavy forest on both sides. The battle is opened, as two regiments of enemy archers advance in a skirmish line across the plain. Our Hobilars burst from the woods and smash into the archers from the rear. Nary a handful escape as the cavalry rides them down. The main enemy force now advance in a steady line. Our archers hold steady until all are within range, and then unleash a rain of death. Having lost all of their archers to the charge of our Hobilars, the Germans cannot return fire, and their casualties mount steadily. With our lines of Fyrdmen holding steady in the centre, the clansmen sweep in from the flanks, carving the enemy’s feudal sergeants and urban militia to ribbons. Blankenberg’s men are forced back and surrounded, and finally Lord Mercadier leads the cavalry charge from the rear of the enemy formation. The rout is complete. Blankenberg himself is captured after he is dismounted from his steed.
The combination of two heavy defeats, the failure of King Heinrich’s crusade to Antioch, and the work of our Inquisitor in Friesland have had a disastrous effect of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1194, rebellions are reported to have broken out in all provinces along our borders. The news is not all good for King Stephen in 1194, however, as the Egyptian forces launch another invasion of Tripoli. 572 brave defenders of the faith fall in an epic battle, but their lives are not lost in vain. Some 1077 enemy corpses litter the field, among them is the Egyptian Sultan himself. 882 prisoners are taken. It will take our enemies some time to make good such losses.
Word reaches court that Princess Isabella of Aragon has been found garrotted. With a rue smile, Stephen sends forth another envoy, with his instruction “Those who stand against us do so at their peril. Remind Alfonso that he has two other daughters…and peace would be in their best interests.”
The following year, 1195, our Crusade arrives in Palestine, and sets about reclaiming this province for Christendom. Too long have these lands been in Fatmid hands. Meanwhile in Europe, the Holy Roman Emperor is under ever increasing pressure within his own territories, and at last agrees to terms for a ceasefire. With the German threat removed, Stephen is free to focus once more on his economic and building programmes…although he still harbours doubts about the intentions of the burgeoning Spanish empire to the south….
Incidentally - really sorry to hear of your bad save file Martok - like everyone else I was looking forward to hearing how that campaign panned out....and it had firmed my decision that my NEXT campaign will be Aragon (I was tossing up between the Turks and the Aragonese). I haven't got hold of XL or BKB yet, so Portugal wasn't an option, but Aragon might give me something similar....anyway, still some way to go with my English at present.
Innocentius - what a carve up! Well done, great use of mounted x-bows!
A strategic question for King Stephen - with Friesland and the province immediately to the south (sorry name escapes me) going rebel, I'm sort of thinking that it would be nice to grab them in order to reduce the number of provinces that border other factions. It would also men that I have a nice buffer zone around Flanders.....but....I don't want the kingdom to get too big....any arguments for/against?
Incidentally - really sorry to hear of your bad save file Martok - like everyone else I was looking forward to hearing how that campaign panned out....and it had firmed my decision that my NEXT campaign will be Aragon (I was tossing up between the Turks and the Aragonese). I haven't got hold of XL or BKB yet, so Portugal wasn't an option, but Aragon might give me something similar....anyway, still some way to go with my English at present.
Thanks, bamff; I appreciate the condolences. But I digress.
Yeah, Aragon is fun too, as it posses similar challenges to that of the Portuguese. They have the added dimension of bordering the French & English as well, which makes things....interesting. ~D In addition, you can secure the services of El Cid should you feel so inclined. :thumbsup:
A strategic question for King Stephen - with Friesland and the province immediately to the south (sorry name escapes me) going rebel, I'm sort of thinking that it would be nice to grab them in order to reduce the number of provinces that border other factions. It would also men that I have a nice buffer zone around Flanders.....but....I don't want the kingdom to get too big....any arguments for/against?
I definitely vote for taking Friesland and Lorraine. Flanders is too valuable to not have a buffer zone if you can give it one! :yes:
Innocentius
11-21-2006, 17:34
Double post, sorry. Remove this one.
Innocentius
11-21-2006, 17:35
Nice campaign you got there, bamff. Big battles seem to be in the pleny.
Shame to hear about the bad save-file, Martok:no: Had a couple of my own campaigns ruined in similar ways.
A strategic question for King Stephen - with Friesland and the province immediately to the south (sorry name escapes me) going rebel, I'm sort of thinking that it would be nice to grab them in order to reduce the number of provinces that border other factions. It would also men that I have a nice buffer zone around Flanders.....but....I don't want the kingdom to get too big....any arguments for/against?
This would be a pretty obvious thing for a medieval king to do: the dominion of Friesland would lead him one step closer to a trade monopoly in the Northern Sea.
I say go for it:smash:
Shame to hear about the bad save-file, Martok:no: Had a couple of my own campaigns ruined in similar ways.
Pssst... He's been on the old "quicksave" again... ~:handball:
UltraWar
11-21-2006, 18:23
I might try a HRE Peaceful campaign, I don't know how long I'll last though.
Innocentius
11-21-2006, 22:23
Burgundy: 1335 - 1365 A.D.
While Duke Philippe yet remained in Provence, establishing his position and planning for the naval expansions of his little country, the French had not forgotten the loss of the same province.
Simply taking revenge on the Burgundians, the King of France himself commanded a massive army marched into Burgundy itself in the summer of 1336. The Burgundian troops were outnumbered 2:1. Unfortuneately for the French, they had to cross the Rhone before they could enter Burgundy. This was where the Burgundians under the command of Prince Philippe made their stand.
The French trying to cross the bridge were hit by volley after volley from the Burgundian crossbowmen, and once they got across all they found was a compact hedge of halberds pointed towards them. When the King of France himself foolishly attacked across the bridge, trying to turn the tide of the battle, Burgundian cavalry hit him in the rear. The King of France could not be taken prisoner however, as the fierce Burgundians killed him at first sight. At the end of the day, the French had to retreat, suffering heavy casualties:
https://img128.imageshack.us/img128/4629/00000000lf1.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
The next year, the French signed a ceasefire with Duke Philippe. This meant the beginning of a long period of peace for the Burgundians.
At the end of his days, Duke Philippe II saw a few setbacks for his duchy. The economy was struggling, and he was unable to construct the impressive trading fleet that he had hoped for, but a few ships were actually constructed. At the time of his death, in 1342, he had expanded Burgundy widely, and had kept it at peace for many years. He was succeeded by his son Philippe, now Duke Philippe III. Philippe was 32 years of age as he took over the rule after his father.
Philippe III's reign is remembered as happy times, later on often refered to as "the good old days". Burgundy was at peace, however mainly because it lacked the resources needed to go to war. All the money had to be spent on the defences of the country.
During this time however, Burgundy became infamous as dangerous lands to travel through, especially French princesses had a nasty habit of turning up dead.
Philippe drew his last breath in 1364, and was succeeded by his only son, Prince Jean, who matured just in time to be able to claim the throne. Duke Jean I was merely 16 years of age as he took over the rule after his father.
If Duke Jean I was to break the peace remains yet to be told however.
The Duchy of Burgundy in the year 1365 of our Lord:
https://img517.imageshack.us/img517/3237/00000005po0.png (https://imageshack.us)
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Any suggestions for where I should turn next? The HRE is on the decline, facing plenty of wars on plenty of fronts, but their only province bordering to my own lands is the single of their provinces that has a reasonable army (about 1200 of good untis, a few really good).
The French are becoming more and more powerful. I'm not worried about them really attacking me, as their armies are huge, but concist of really crappy units. But I can't really attack them, I can only afford one army per province, so invading them means I have to leave something unwatched (which means this province being invaded by someone else). Also, if I invaded them, I'd probably face numbers so huge not even the much higher quality of my troops could save me...
Any suggestions?
Edit: Oh, just noticed that I have no borders to the HRE anymore. Didn't check carefully enough.
Kavhan Isbul
11-22-2006, 00:43
Innocentius, I think that expanding at the expense of the French is your only good option. Here is why.
First of all, I do not think you have enough time to conquer 60% of the map. This means you can only win by GA points. I am not sure, but I think Flanders may be one of your homelands. At the same time, the French have too many provinces and ways to get GA points. You cannot win the game unless you take them out.
Second, if you wait, their armies will be just as huge, but they will also tech up and then beating them would require a lot of luck. You need to get to their troop producing centers as quickly as possible, because if they start churning out chivalric units (sergeants, men at arms, knights), halberdiers and arbalesters you are doomed.
Third, they seem to be overstretched. They are likely to get in was with the Spanish (try to ally with them), and they might even get attacked bu sea. The large numbers of their land armies mean they spent little on ships and maybe even have none or few. The Danes, the Swedes and perhaps with some luck the Scottish may decide that they need to expand somewhere and they may see the French as an option.
Fourth, the French are larger, they have already attacked you once and doing it again will get them excommunicated, if they aren't already. This will most certainly get the Spanish to attack them and after they lose a few provinces a civil war is more than likely to occur. Then you can easily finish them off.
This is why I would go for the French if I were you, even if this means exposing myself a little. The Genoese have a tendency to get in war with the Pope and excommunicated as a result. Therefore they will probably not attempt to backstab you, and you do not want to destroy them, as this will then make a large Papacy your neighbor and then it will be a huge pain dealing with his Popeness once he attacks you (inevitable). You can try taking land in North Africa, if you have a large fleet, but this will stretch your kingdom too thinly and you will have to fight on too many fronts - in Europe against the French and the Papacy eventually, and in North Africa you will be squeezed between the Egyptians and the Spanish. I do not think you have any other options, unless perhaps turtling ehavily and producing armies of inquisitors and grand inquisitors to get rid of the rest of the catholic factions (except the Papacy), and then try to bribe the resulting rebels, but this is going to be extremely hard.
Another great update, Innocentius! ~:cheers:
Unfortunately, I think your only real option is to slug it out against the French, huge though they may be.
Attacking the Papal lands is unattractive for all the usual reasons, in addition to which their territory isn't that valuable anyway. As for the Genoese, they would be a pretty tough nut to crack. Attacking across the Alps is no picnic; and with their naval supremacy, invading from the sea is extremely risky at best.
I would suggest taking the French King's lands in the south, particularly Acquitaine and Tolouse (although Aragon and Valencia are pretty nice provinces as well). No it probably won't be easy, but I think that's probably your best route for expansion at this point. It can be done. :yes:
EDIT: @Kavhan Isbul: Also good points; great minds think alike. :bow:
Out of curiousity Innocentius - who is the maroon shaded faction immediately to your south?
I concur with the other members of your council of war there are attractions to striking West across Toulouse to Aquitaine, and if you are able to take Aragon and Valencia, this will give your economy a boost....
Of course having said all of that, you need the troops to take these provinces, and then to hold them...
Out of curiousity Innocentius - who is the maroon shaded faction immediately to your south?
That would be the Genoese. ~:)
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