Tyranny's End

[Ramses II CP]

This is an AAR using ATPG's rules for Total Independence listed here:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=97557

I'd intended to do a broad summary, but got caught up in it and wrote a bit more. We'll see if I have the time to finish it. Comments of any stripe welcome, as always. Enjoy!

The End of Tyranny, turn 1.

(With apologies for notes cribbed and impossibly perverted from the history of the French revolution)

'M'Lord it's another riot. The fifth one this week. Rheims has suffered seven, and even Anger has had trouble with the peasantry from the surrounding farms. Rennes, Bordeaux, and Dijon have taken advantage of the situation in the core of the country and no longer acknowledge you as King. All of France is inflamed by this abbot and his notions of peasant power. Most of our armed forces are currently drawn from militias, which have little motivation to disrupt their fellows from their will to cause trouble. If I may be blunt, my King?'

'Speak as you will. I need truth, not pleasantries, if France is to remain a nation.' (Note the King is intelligent and chivalrous)

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'Very well, the abbot is named Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes, and he holds equal sway with your own noble self in our nation. He was educated by the Church and is said to have a mind like a knife, sharp and hard and unable to resist cutting apart everything it comes into contact with. His falling out with the upper orders of the Church came rapidly after he reached adulthood, of course, but he had consolidated enough influence that he avoided excommunication and still has a reputation as a pious man among the people. He now turns his will to utterly undermining the historical privelege of the nobility. At first he was a highly useful tool, you will recall the ease with which we disposed of the Comte d'Artois who was stealing war funds meant for Toulouse?'

'Move along to this latest treatise he is pushing.'

'Very well m'Lord. About three weeks ago he made another speech outside the east gate. It was evidently titled 'Tyranny's End.' As it's subject was his assertion that all the wealth, all the power, all the majesty and might of a nation has as it's source the collective work of the so called Third Estate, the peasants. Ergo all that power and wealth should devolve back to those same peasants in some form, rather than supporting the armies that oppress them and the opulent luxury of the nobility. The commoners are understandably elated with this idea.'

'Indeed,' King Philip replied with an arch tone, 'As would be any powerless person suddenly promised wealth and glory. And so now they riot, and the word spreads across the face of France while to the north the English gather their armies. I wonder what Sieyes will have to say when an English mercenary cuts his throat. My own soldiers have reservations about slaughtering rioting peasants, but those northern dogs will have no such scruples.'

For a moment King Philip's gaze rose to the beautifully painted ceiling of his audience chamber as he turned his intellect to the problem at hand. Only a moment, before he said, 'Bring him to me. No guards, no soldiers, and invite him to bring a few select individuals from his retinue if he so desires.'

'For the English, this is the time for appeasement. Send my daughter to them to seek an alliance. I have heard their young prince is a comely man, and unwed. They should be eager for peace, given the trouble the Scots are promising.'

Consolidation, turns 2-5.

Negotiations with Sieyes' faction were lengthy and slow, but gradually the abbot and King Philip grew to be friends through the adversarial debates. The King's own intelligence and chivalrous nature combined well with the abbot's genius and implacable will to improve the lot of the peasant. Additionally the demonstrable fact that Sieyes did not control or rule the regions of France which had rebelled, but instead let them go their own way lent credence to his theories. The opulence and decadence of the nobility had rankled King Philip since his childhood, and through Sieyes he found a clear method to bring them to heel. Slowly, gradually, the men were developing a new concept of national identity and power. The King issued two proclamations towards the goal of bringing an end to tyranny; first the Rights and Responsibilities of the Third Estate, empowering peasants with the right to life, justice, and freedom from oppression alongside the responsibility to secure such rights for all, and second the Right to Freedom of Belief, which, to the astonishment of the Papacy, guaranteed Frenchmen and free peoples under French protection the right to hold any, all, or no religious beliefs they so desired.

A golden age of philosophy and invention immediately unfurled in France, and especially Paris, as thinkers of all stripes immigrated, desperate to escape from under the thumbs of the despots and petty dictators who had ruled their lives and limited their investigations. Abbot Sieyes declared this period the French Revolution, though he acknowledged the necessity of preserving the current power structure to accomplish the larger goals of the Revolution.

Meanwhile, though, the unruly provinces of France had to be brought back into the fold to advance the cause. King Philip swore to Sieyes that he would leave Bordeaux to the rebels, as a sanctuary for their kind within the borders of greater France, but if the two men's new ideas were to have any chance of survival and trial on the world stage it would require a base of power and a safe haven. Dijon was the first to be occupied, but the city was treated well and after the battle the handover of power (And about 180 florins) proceeded easily.

At Rennes the siege lasted longer, and rams had to be brought up to open holes in the walls, but ultimately the city was occupied peacefully (202 florins). An English army which had been in the region turned back and set camp around the English castle at Caen.

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Trade rights were exchanged with the Milanese, however our diplomat sensed an undercurrent of aggression from them. King Philip realized that without some reinforcement the eastern stretch of France was highly vulnerable, so with the accedance of Sieyes he proceeded with the siege of Bern, capturing that castle (And 145 florins) from a rebel commander who had been secretly negotiating with the Doge of Milan.

Meanwhile Prince Louis' expedition to bring word of the developing revolution into Ibera met with the growing imperialism of Portugal as they lay siege to the free people of Zaragosa, who had sworn to stand aside from the petty conflicts between the Kings of Spain and Portugal. Though his own King had been, of necessity, consolidating power within his own Kingdom this struck the King as an injustice, and he ordered Prince Louis to intercede on the behalf of the rebels.

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One of Sieyes' closest companions, a young nobleman named Arthur de Plaisians was riding with the Prince, and begged his permission to ride to Zaragosa and teach the Portugese a lesson. The Prince agreed, and the young man rode forth chivalrously with only his guardsmen to face many times his number and launch the first war for freedom!

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The enemy was disorganized by the sudden attack from Sir Arthur, and their jinettes very nearly ran over their own archers attempting to flee when de Plaisians began his charge.

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Guardsmen gave their lives to drag down the Portugese captain who was intent on following through his King's imperial aims.

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After smashing aside the jinettes and archers easily, Arthur de Plaisians' men formed up for one last charge, and destroyed the enemy spearmen.

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In the very first battle of the foreign wars of the French Revolution an heroic victory was accomplished by a champion of the new cause.

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The King of Portugal was invited to ransom his captured soldiers, and agreed to pay a small sum (216 florins). Northwest of Zaragosa Prince Louis attacked the noble directly responsible for ordering the siege of Zaragosa, a man named Johao, outside of Pamplona, earning another clear victory for the Revolution and again ransoming the Portugese who had been captured (1884 florins because the general was captured). Those men returned to Pamplona, which might otherwise have been free from it's overlords, but the Prince could not bring himself to execute a man who had surrendered to him.

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Negotiations are entered with the Spanish, who trade maps with us and offer trade rights. We warn them that the free people of Zaragosa are under our protection, but the Spanish diplomat does not seem to quite understand this concept.

Iberia aflame, turns 6-10.

The Pope has the termerity to warn us against further aggression towards Portugal under threat of excommunication. The real issue, of course, is our declaration of religious freedom in France, but we accede to his terms of a ten year halt despite this knowledge and hold the siege of Pamplona rather than assault.

The very next year the Spainish, in full view of Arthur de Plaisians, guardian of Zaragosa, lay siege to the city. Arthur sends a messenger for orders as to whether or not he should launch a second war in defense of the city.

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King Philip and Abbot Sieyes have issued a third and fourth proclamation from Paris, the Right of Defense, which states that all free people are entitled to arm themselves as necessary to defend their holdings, and to organize such armies and militias as are necessary to that purpose, effectively putting free cities and castles on the same footing as larger, organized nations with respect to rights. Alongside that right is the Right to Succession; any unit of free people must, by definition, have the right at any time to secede from the larger group of which they are nominally a part and form their own, new group with it's own respective rights.

These rights form the core idea of the end of tyranny, for if every group of people, no matter how small or strange, have the respected right to defend themselves and their holdings while also having the right to section themselves ever smaller then the basic idea of the French Revolution, which is the elemental power of the Third Estate, can come to fruition. No one group can control or coerce another, their only method for mutual advancement is cooperation.

To further the spread of these ideas King Philip opens trade rights and exchanges maps with the Holy Roman Empire. Additionally to secure a trading partner to fund the more militant arm of the Revolution King Philip signs an alliance with the Danes, who themselves are a single region power, and marries his son to their princess. With northern trading alliances secured, the Iberian offensive can continue safely and remove the oppressive Kings of Portugal and Spain, barring Papal interference.

With this goal in mind, King Philip moves to take control of the city of Bruges. Before the ideas of the French revolution began to spread among them, both the English and the Danes had aggressive, imperial aims for Bruges and Antwerp, but as our ideas took hold the English lifted their siege, and soon the Danes will lift the siege of Antwerp and leave the city to the eventual control of the Revolution. For now the captain of the Bruges guard sallies against our King to attempt to drive him off. With a heavy heart, King Philip takes the field.

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The King withdraws his men from the walls and attempts to negotiate with Captain Yves, but the man is intent on battle. As the King's spearmen and archers withdraw farther back Yves pushes his men to seek contact. The King sees how to exploit this to his advantage, and strikes for the crossbowmen to the rear, scattering and slaughtering both companies.

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Yves is no fool, he realizes he is surrounded and the majority of his army routs and attempts to flee through the King's Guard. King Philip chases them back to the town square, where he exults amidst his men, one citizen among others serving the greater cause of the Revolution. As one the men raise the cheer, Viva La Revolution! Two hundred and twenty four florins are taken as the city is peacefully occupied.

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Word reaches Arthur de Plaisians that he is to do whatever is necessary to secure the rights of the free men of Zaragosa. With this in mind, he launches an attack against the army of Spain which holds siege over Zaragosa. Outnumbered more than thirteen to one his guardsmen nonetheless ride into battle behind his heroic leadership.

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Alas, at a pivotal moment in the battle the enemy jinettes, who had routed early in the battle, rally and return to throw one volley of javelins. Arthur is pierced many times over, and falls to the dirt. Fighting with redoubled vigor, his citizen guardsmen butcher the Spanish soldiers and pursue them to the very ends of the earth seeking vengeance. (The battle took place on the low plains, but the enemy routed straight up the mountainside)

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There is mourning throughout the free territories of France as the news spreads, but his unequalled heroism in service to the cause of the Revolution inspires many to take up arms.

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Near Bordeaux a second Spanish army is driven off, and with this total defeat of their imperial aims the Spanish beg for peace, and offer us tribute in exchange. The King, desperate for the funds to advance the Revolution, signs the ceasefire with only the further proviso that the King of Spain acknowledge the right of the free peoples to exist and govern themselves.

After inking the ceasefire King Philip secures the city of Antwerp for the Revolution, turning back a valiant sally by their Captain Baldwin, taking two hundred and sixty one florins after occuping the city.

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At this latest conquest a fiery debate breaks out in a very public forum between the King and Abbot Sieyes. The Abbot argues that any King, no matter how enlightened, who gathers to himself too much power will inherently become corrupted, and even if not corrupt in himself the mere size and complication of the government necessary to manage a large empire will become corrupt and ineffecient. Ultimately the King finds himself swayed by these arguments, especially after an investigation into the nation's finances discovers a massive embezzlement effort via remilled florins. These matters lead directly to the fifth and sixth proclamations of intent on the part of the Revolution; the Right of Good Governance which states that political structures larger than a set limit of ten regions or provinces become too ineffecient to best serve the interests of their people and the Right of Limited Burden, which states that tax revenue cannot exceed a tenth part of the resources produced by any given region or group. These measures result in a halt to the expansion of the core territories of the French Revolution, and a great lessening of the tax burden of the people to the lowest taxes in living memory nationwide.

That matter being settled in so peaceful and righteous a manner the King of France became widely known as King Philip the Honorable.

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Immediately a test of the King's new proclamations developed as one of his generals threw down his colors and declared himself independent of France. King Philip dispatched a messenger to the man with a sworn affidavit that his affairs would not be interfered with so long as he refrained from harassing the locals or preying on merchantry in the region. As proof of his noble intent, King Philip instructed that the nearby fort at Anger be torn down and converted to a village more useful to the peasantry there.

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Additionally our diplomatic mission at least reached Rome, and after a few suitable bribes our reputation with the Papacy rose to perfect and an alliance was signed into being between our peoples, conditional on the Pope rejecting expansionism. So ends the first twenty years of the Revolution!

:egypt:

[Askthepizzaguy]

Bravo! Bravo!

Excellent work, Master Ramses. You have successfully taken the ideals and philosophy of freedom and righteousness and applied them to your campaign for the liberation of all peoples of the world.

Your fight for universal human dignity is inspiring, and I shall assuredly continue my own Sicilian campaign for human freedom. I would encourage you to show mercy to captured prisoners, as your status as a saint and liberator of all men will be much uplifted by such an honorable deed. What life is worth a few florins, after all?

I heartily endorse your struggle and encourage others to join us in our most righteous quest.

Sincere regards,

Master ATPG

:knight:

For Freedom!

[Ramses II CP]

Waiting for Lisbon, turns 11-20.

Our diplomat in the eastern reaches of Europe congratulates the free people of Prague for holding firm against tyranny and spreads the message of the Revolution. The Pope calls a crusade against Jerusalem, which we decline to join. He is quite annoyed with us, despite the florins and favors we paid to win an alliance with the Papacy. Fortunately his decree barring further attacks against Portugal is set to expire, just as our small navy reaches range of a Portugese fleet carrying a large army bound for conquest. We smash them at sea and force them to retreat under pursuit.

With the Spanish again threatening Zaragosa Prince Louis determines that the siege of Pamplona can be handed off to a devotee of the Revolution, Jean Touchet, while the Prince marches for the Portugese capital. Noting the lack of the Prince at the walls, the remaining garrison at Pamplona sallies out against Jean.

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Their general Johao, rides hard to try to catch our peasant archers exposed, but his guardsmen are intercepted by Touchet's own guard, and a brutal melee breaks out. At last, though, a simple farmer called up to serve the aims of the revolution fires a brilliant shot and puts an arrow through the visor of Johao just as he was charging home against the company of archers, tumbling him to the earth.

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His remaining forces rout, but the citizens of Pamplona, eager to enjoy the fruits of the Revolution, bar the gates against them. French militiamen taken them prisoner at spearpoint, and the siege comes to an end.

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Pamplona is occupied, and just over a hundred florins go into the coffers from the castle. The people there are told to hold an assembly, in the absence of French troops, and determine if they truly wish to be a part of the nation of France, or merely a free protectorate of the Revolution.

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Two years later Prince Louis launches the siege against Lisbon, capital of Portugal.

Watch towers west of Toulouse spot another Spanish army making for the free people of Bordeaux. The Spanish have been warned several times about the protection enjoyed by these non-contributing members of the Revolution, but still they persist. Sieges are planned for their capital, Leon, and their castle at Toledo.

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At Leon Guillemot de Lyon, a young hero of the Revolution, is surprised when King Alfonso sallies from his city despite being outnumbered, but when the enemy troops take the field they are revealed as three companies of cavalry which far outclass the spearmen who are de Lyon's own army.

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The enemy draws Guillemot away from his spearmen, and then charges home against them while they are in schiltrom. The spearmen valiantly stand up to the initial charges, but when the enemy King returns and strikes them from the other side they are overcome and flee in the absence of de Lyon's leadership.

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de Lyon, meanwhile, has killed the lesser enemy noble and slaughtered the jinettes, but does not have enough guardsmen remaining to challenge the Spanish King. He is forced to withdraw from the field in defeat and pay a small ransom for those of his men who were captured.

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West of Lisbon we at last catch and sink that Portugese fleet, sending the soldiers aboard to their deaths before they could spread the tyranny of their King. For this act we are warned that we must cease hostilities against Portugal by the Pope, or face excommunication. Alas, our current siege of Lisbon is not likely to last long enough to wait out this warning, but the Prince holds it anyway. Perhaps the men inside will see the light of the revolution and surrender.

Rioting breaks out in Pamplona. As Abbot Sieyes informs us, this is simply a good sign of healthy political discourse taking place. At the request of the citizens King Philip orders Pamplona converted into a town.

The year after the conversion a revolution takes place and a citizen's council takes control in Pamplona. They are assured of the protection of the French Revolution as much as it can be offered, and of our own intent not to interfere.

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The Spanish beg us to lift the siege of their capital, and offer many florins to the Revolution, in addition to a promise not to interfere with the spread of freedom. Again we accept their offer and invite them to prove their good intent. Relations with Milan are increasingly strained as the ideas of the Revolution create difficulties for their tyrannical leaders.

In Portugal a minor army of rebels springs up near our siege camp around Lisbon, obviously responding to the ideals we spread.

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Alas, in Paris the wife of the King passes away long before her time. Queen Bertada de Montfort will be missed, as her gentle and charitable mind was a great influence on the noble King Philip.

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Alas, as well, for Spain who mere years after swearing to leave rebels in peace attacks a small rebel army outside of Toledo in full view of our own forces, still withdrawing from the region. Prince Louis writes a strong letter of protest to the Spanish King, who sends back a note full of pompous self importance, insisting that he must have the autonomy to defend his lands. In response we reopen the sieges of Toldeo and Leon.

Two years later Jean Touchet occupies Leon, to the cheers of the citizenry, and Perrin Gassou redeems the failure of de Lyon at Toldeo, putting the Spanish King and his entire court into the hands of farmers from the local hills after his peaceful occupation of the mighty castle. The nation of Spain is at an end. It's people no longer groan under the weight of a vast and useless noble class, they are now free to determine their own fate.

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In more positive news, the intellectual climate of the Revolution is spawning heresy and original thought in record quantities, as men with new ideas begin to spread them throughout the countryside.

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:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

Iberia Cleansed, turns 21-30.

In Paris King Philip and Sieyes put forward another joint proclamation, the Guarantee of Peaceful Occupation and Free Release which informs the free people of the world under oppressive regimes that the armies of the Revolution shall never sack their cities or discriminate against them for serving in the armed forces of their nations by executing or ransoming prisoners.

There is more healthy political discourse in Toledo in the form of riots in the street, but in the spirit of the revolution no one is harmed. The Pope informs King Philip that he is most disappointed we have no sent an army to further his aims via crusade. He is visibly gathering an army in the region around Rome, for what purpose we cannot yet discover, but it is feared that he will join in the imperialist games of conquest. Our fleet is sent to control the crossing at Gibraltar and hold it closed to Moorish armies seeking to take advantage of the absence of Spain. At last the siege of Lisbon comes to an end, as their King Henrique and Prince Goncallo take the field against Prince Louis. The Prince and his army of free citizens utterly destroys the oppressors of Portugal, and free Lisbon forever by bringing an end to that nation.

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This causes the Pope to withdraw his threat of excommunication as Portugal no longer exists. Rioting continues at Toledo, costing the lives of some five hundred citizens.

Prince Louis moves immediately from Lisbon towards Cordoba to carry the battle on against the Moors, who are already threatening Zaragosa again. An almost completely peaceful revolt takes place at Toledo, costing the lives of only two dozen citizens to establish their own Council of Free Men to rule the city. Leon and Lisbon both begin experiencing their own healthy political discourse in the form of riots. Back in Europe a mighty German army has layed siege to the free castle at Metz, over our protests.

At Cordoba a spy has slipped into the city and opened the gates, so Prince Louis force marches his men to the city under cover of darkness and makes his attack.

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Confusion reigns within the walls. Demonstrations had taken place earlier in the day in support of the Revolution, and so the Sultan's men were scattered about the walls. Louis sent his men in from three sides, attempting to isolate the enemy's crossbowmen from his rally point at the square.

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This effort is mostly successful, as both companies of crossbowmen are caught in the streets by cavalry. Getting word that his lighter mounted men are having some trouble Louis attempts to ride to their rescue, but is caught by Moorish camel cavalry. Now the confusion and darkness work against him, as his guardsmen would have little trouble with the camel riders if not for the fact that they were trying to follow his orders and ride through them to aid his other men. Louis attempts to rally and redirect his guardsmen, but finds himself isolated and falls with a Moorish sword in his throat. (Stupid mistake, wasn't paying attention and Louis tried to run through the square)

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So dies another hero of the Revolution, but not in defeat, in victory! Captain Heliot, Louis' second, takes command and completes the assault. Cordoba is occupied in the name of the Revolution, and her people are given the freedom to choose their own way.

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For his noble role in clearing Iberia Jean Touchet is named the new Prince of Revolutionary France. He vows to continue the fight for as long as is necessary to cleanse the world of poor governance and imperialism. South of Cordoba a second Moorish army is engaged and defeated by Louis's army. The same captain who performed so well in holding the army together after Louis' death performs admirably in driving away the Moors who would seek to reclaim their capital. He is field promoted to general, and given command of Louis' army.

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While the Moorish offensive continues Lisbon and Leon complete their discourse and revolt to form local citizen's councils of their own. Unfortunately over three hundred free men die in each revolt, but this is a small price to pay to accomplish the aims of the Revolution. Rioting in Cordoba to open the discussion in the name of freedom costs another six hundred lives, as this city was long under imperialist control and the forces of freedom have a difficult road ahead. The war between Scotland and England begins as they squabble over control of counties between them that should be free. The time to deal with them will come, but it is not yet.

As the years pass rioting in Cordoba kills another nine hundred citizens, but the discourse is reaching a productive end as the Free Cordoba Revolutionary Council sets up it's office and begins convincing the Moorish loyalists of the benefits of freedom. Egypt, Hungary, and Byzantium have formed a substantial alliance in the east, an alliance we have joined in to gain information on it's aims and power. In Iberia Captain Heliot attacks and crushes the last substantial Moorish army.

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All that remains now is their castle at Granada, which will soon be dealt with. Word reaches us that the Polish crusade army stands at the walls of Jerusalem, prepared to open a new front of oppression for their nation. In better news the people of Metz have thrown back the Roman assault on their castle! Inspired by their example Raoulet Poitevin leads the assault on the Holy Roman Empire, that most ancient of imperial constructs. A smashing victory opens the second front in the Revolutionary War.

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Sieges are set at Frankfurt and Hamburg while spies are sent to infiltrate the German city of Nuremburg and castle at Staufen.

The sieges hold for two years while the armies build rams and ladders, which unfortunately gives the Holy Roman Empire ample time for scheming to maintain their hold over the people of Frankfurt and Hamburg. Not only does the Pope warn us against carrying our attack forward on pain of excommunication, the Byzantines sign an alliance with the Romans, which forces us to withdraw and conclude a ceasefire against Germany. It's a disaster, but the King swears that the people of Metz shall not go unguarded no matter the diplomatic price. If the Germans come again, it will mean war.

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However, good news out of Cordoba as the Free Cordoba Revolutionary Council at last secures the aims of the Revolution for that city by defeating the last remnants of the imperialists, at a cost of five hundred lives. Over two thousand citizens died to secure the revolt of Cordoba, the largest loss yet, but also a substantial victory for the aims of the Revolution. News out of the east is that Poland has secured Jerusalem, and is moving to expand their power in the Levant. It will be some time before we can oppose them there. Prince Jean sieges Granada, the final imperialist outpost in Iberia before the close of the year.

King Philip and Sieyes suspect that the imperial nations of Europe are starting to take the Revolution more seriously, which is why every passing year sees the announcement of ever more complex alliances. Milan has joined the Holy Roman Empire in alliance, which leaves the Venetians surrounded by a complex web of allies. While the revolution will not mourn the passing of that people, nor is it pleasant to see the accumulation of power via alliance.

Meanwhile, at Granada, Prince Jean makes his assault on the castle, which is occupied to few losses for the Revolutionary army. The released prisoners beg us not to send them to their masters at Marrakesh, so their arms are collected and they re-enter the soon to be free society of Granada (They fell over and 'died' when released because there was no way to get to another Moorish city.)

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Prince Jean's reputation as a chivalous ruler is spreading, and contributes substantially to his authority. A ship from our southern ports makes for the coast of Iberia to pick up the Prince's army, while the Free Granada Group is established in that castle to oversee the transition from imperialism to freedom. The siege of Marrakesh is set as soon as word arrives of the fall of Granada, while in Europe Raoulet Poitevin is determined to bring the battle to the enemies of freedom and revolution. With the Germans off limits for the moment, he moves through their territory to attack Poland's Madgeburg. The Polish imperialists have recently sacked the once free city of Prague and must be made to surrender that city to it's own governance.

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The passing of the year sees peaceful rioting in Granada and a terrible storm west of Marrakesh, which sinks one of our ships there and costs the life of our most experienced Admiral.

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The web of allies further grows as well, as our oldest ally England signs on with the Holy Roman Empire. Something must be done to thwart this growth soon, but now is not yet the time with our main armies still at work in western Africa. Marrakesh and Madgeburg are occupied peacefully, and aided in setting up their Revolutionary Councils. The people of Madgeburg are particularly pleased to be set free, and may even remain a direct French protectorate for some time.(Blue face even with no garrison right after occupying)

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Prague is placed under siege, and the free people throw flowers from the walls to welcome us as the garrison huddles in their barracks.

Predictably the Pope demands that we stop attacking the Poles on pain of excommunication. We ignore him, but hold the siege at Prague for the time being. Rioting at Marrakesh and Granada costs five hundred lives as the political processes in those regions sort themselves out. The King's second son, Michiel, comes of age. His disposition is not such that he will likely be a battlefield commander, though he may serve well as an administrator (Faltering Courage). A pair of battles are necessary to fully drive the Moorish Crown Prince from the region of Marrakesh and prevent him from disrupting their free discourse.

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The passage of more years brings word that a terrible earthquake has afflicted the people of Aleppo. Abbot Sieyes and the King dispatch a mercy mission to aid those devestated people, but the vile Egyptians turn it back and reject any aid. Milan and Sicily go to war, likely squabbling over the islands west of Italy. Rioting continues at Marrakesh and Granada, costing four hundred lives. The last Moorish stronghold at Algiers sees it's gates opened by a French spy, and Prince Jean marches in to occupy the castle in the name of the Revolution, thus bringing an end to the legacy of the Moors as a national identity.

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In darker news, a large English army marches into our territory despite us providing them no military access. Either they mean to betray the alliance, or they no longer respect our protection of the free people of Bordeaux. Either way, this move is so unexpected that it will be many years before an army can be brought to bear against the English. In the mean time we are training spies to watch their moves and try to slow their progress.

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A large Papal army has also assembled east of Milan and marches into our lands around Marseilles. I believe the Pope has noted the apparent lack of national power in Iberia and means to take advantage. That effort must and will be halted despite our abrupt lack of troops in the region, even if it means the death of the Pope.

:egypt:

[Askthepizzaguy]

A diplomat arrives bearing word for you. The letter is stamped with the seal of the Royal Family of Sicily.

Master Ramses, Royal Commander of the Free People's Army of France,

Excommunication may be inevitable. Prepare your core provinces for such an eventuality. You will need militias, public order buildings, and your tax income may take a hit. However, since you have already obliterated a corner of the map, you are well on your way to pushing back the imperialists.

I would suggest you delay the Papal armies with groups of weakened troops covering his Zone Of Control, thus delaying his progress. Should he go by ship, you may be able to sink him in a single stroke, and you can guard the rivers with a sole troop.

He is a coward, and will not backstab you.

I bow to your gracious and selfless acts of sacrifice, and have told my citizens of your generous deeds. The Sicilian people thank you.

I am inspired to take up the sword in your name.

Salute!

Master ATPG, Royal Commander of the Free People's Army of Italy

:knight:

P.S: I have taken note of your promise to free all captured prisoners, and also your valliant sacrifice of family's blood for the cause of freedom and justice.

I hereby award you the Italian Cross, the highest military honor bestowed by the Free People of Italy. You have also been proclaimed honorary citizen of Free Italy, and have been granted a gift of an estate in the hills of Palermo, Sicily. A modest but luxurious castle, and hundreds of acres of farmland for you and your family.

God Bless you, benevolent leader of the free people of France.

For Freedom!

https://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh177/daniel_albert1983/210px-Flag_of_Sicily_28revised29_sv.png https://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh177/daniel_albert1983/210px-Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_Sicily.png

[Ramses II CP]

OOC: Heh, FYI I've already been excommunicated where I've played to, just takes a bit longer to write it up. I'm working on the next ten turns now, so you'll see how matter play out. I'm actually rather fortunate that the Pope decided to attack the Iberian rebels, gives me plenty of excuse to replace him. :yes:

:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

Opening the Eastern Front, turns 31-41.

Marrakesh and Granada revolt and come under the control of their Revolutionary Councils, at a cost of three hundred lives. The King's third son, Henry, comes of age at Paris and takes the governership of Rheims. At Antwerp a great thinker named Pierre Abelard joins the retinue of noble Amaury de Vesc to aid him in running the city according to the principles of the new philosophy of 'Realism.' More proof that our reforms are greatly aiding the intellectual development of Europe!

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Milan and Venice declare war on one another, and the English lay siege at Bordeaux despite an official protest from our representative. Our armed forces in the region are insufficient to protect the free men of the castle, but shortly before it is sieged a spy is snuck in to keep the people's spirits alive with thoughts of the Revolution. The day will come when those men are freed, but it is not yet.

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Our ships and armies, having greatly accelerated the Revolution in Africa and Ibera, are now positioning themselves for a lightning strike against the Sicilians. In Paris an exiled Englishman completes the translation of the Liber de Compositione de Alchemiae, a repository of Arabic scientific knowledge deemed heretical by the Papacy, whose protests are ignored. Hungary enters the war against Venice. The large Papal army continues to march through our territory near Marsellies, and we lodge an official protest with the Pope requesting that we be told it's intent. It is our turn to be ignored, however.

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In Poland the great city of Prague surrenders to us, and is occupied to the great relief of it's citizens. Eager to participate in the Revolution they immediately form a Council and request that our army depart the region, a request we are happy to honor.

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Rioting at Algiers costs two hundred and fifty lives as the political discourse opens there. Our armies aboard ship are now in position to launch the attack against Sicily next year, and the free city of Prague is threatened by a large collection of Polish armies but does not request our aid.

Algiers revolts at a cost of another two hundred lives, and their own version of the Revolutionary Council takes power in the castle. We wish them well! Unfortunately the Poles reoccupy Prague, but in perhaps a show of solidarity with the coming Revolution their forces do not sack the city or damage it.

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The cause of the Revolution still advances, however, as all four known Sicilian settlements lay under siege by French armies. The fate of Sicily as an oppressor of men seems assured.

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In Free Iberia a formerly Muslim technology to make high quality paper becomes widely available, and the various Iberian agencies of the Revolution begin exporting it profitably to the rest of Europe. More proof of the boons conversion to the Revolutionary ideal can bring! The Pope demands that we cease hostilities with the Sicilians, and this time he has gone too far. King Philip and Sieyes mutually send him a fiery letter in response demanding that he end his meddling in the affairs of the Revolution and tend his own flock! Our ally Denmark enters the war against the Holy Roman Empire, laying siege to Hamburg even as we too are preparing to relaunch that war. Vile German assassins are discovered hiding in the Metz region by a scouting party under the command of the King. This causes Sieyes and the King to put forward a proclamation called simply the Right to Life which states that no party, whether friend, enemy, or other, will ever be subject to assassination at the hands of the French, and that where ever an assassin is discovered there the French Revolution shall call to account the masters of that man for his work.

Naples, Palermo, Cagliari, and Tunis are occupied in the name of the Revolution within days of each other. Contrary to the Pope's claims we are not excommunicated for this act, but our reputation with the Papacy is reduced substantially. Also, strangely, Sicily's ships nearby do not strike their colors, but instead appear to set sail for Corsica. Our spy network learns that Corsica was recently captured by the Sicilians, and they crown a new King there. Ships depart Tunis immediately to seek out their final outpost and destroy it, while Prince Jean takes a smaller force to scout the Venetian holding at Tripoli.

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Meanwhile in Germany King Philip himself has marched again to war, using our spies to open the gates of Frankfurt, the German capital, for a sudden assault.

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Our reputation with the Pope is at a new low, and our alliances with England and the Byzantines are dissolved over the matter, but German aggression towards the free people of Metz could not be allowed to continue, especially after the discovery of a second assassin in the Metz region. Nuremburg and Staufen are also taken under siege, and an army prepares to march against Vienna.

The next year sees the Pope again threatening us with excommunication in response to our attempts to completely free the people oppressed by the Sicilians and Germans. Since an aggressive Papal army has just marched through our territory and into the free region of Iberia his warnings have a hollow ring. They are ignored as Bertran de Calais attacks the armies around Vienna, resulting in a victory and an excommunication.

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After the released remnants of the Germans at Vienna are besieged within the city, Raoulet Poitevin makes his assault on Nuremburg.

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And Captain Adenin attacks Staufen, losing his life but winning the battle and killing the German's Prince Henry.

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Half of the Holy Roman Empire has fallen to our armies, while Vienna stands under siege and Innsbruck will soon be threatened. Only Bologna, in Italy, is still free from threat as we were forced to divert the armies meant for it to deal with the remaining Sicilians. The coming years will see many new free cities in the name of the Revolution!

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Healthy rioting breaks out in Nuremburg, Frankfurt, Tunis, Cagliari, and Palermo. (I have never had so many cities riot. I usually get one or two at most during the plague. It's actually pretty funny to see.)

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Outside Paris a rebel named Henri d'Orleans has come to the city to speak with Abbot Sieyes. He is welcomed there as a free man, owing no allegiance, and indeed his aid with the Bordeaux situation is greatly sought but he declines to take his men to battle there. Many of the rebels that have sprung up since the start of the revolution have wandered into other lands, outside the protection of France, but fortunately three heretics still spread their visions of the truth within our borders. The last outpost of Sicily at Ajaccio is brought under siege. At Vienna Bertran de Calais makes his assault, catching the new German Prince Leopold within the city during the peaceful occupation. The man is an unrepentant imperialist, and dies defending his 'Reich.'

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The next year sees revolts in Frankfurt and Cagliari. A Merchant's guild is erected in Dijon. Disorder and rioting continue in Nuremburg, Naples, Tunis, and Palermo as those free cities sort themselves out. The Milanese, greedy to expand, have besieged the French city of Marsellies. The garrison commander believes he can hold them there easily, but the King sends him orders to attempt to sally out and lift the siege if possible. Before that battle can take place, Perrin Gassou assaults Ajaccio and kills the last Sicilian King, ending their tyrannical line forever.

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At Hamburg Amaury de Vesc captures the castle after the Danes lifted their siege unexpectedly the year before.

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Despite repeated warning to withdraw his forces an army of the Pope's was seen attacking rebels in the free region of Iberia. This grand injustice will not be tolerated, so Guillemot de Lyon takes advantage of our spy network to assault Rome and kill Pope Gregory, freeing the citizens of Rome to join the Revolution!

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Our reputation with England and the Byzantines falls on the news, but they too will inevitably come to our side or fall before the demands of the Revolution. At Marsellies Captain Jaquob sallies out to attempt to drive back the enemy, but on his very first charge his horse stumbles and he is pitched headlong over the enemy line to break his neck in the dirt. His merchant cavalrymen flee, having inflicted few losses on the enemy, and the sally ends abruptly.

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The Milanese villains execute the four men they captured during the sally, and the new captain of the free citizen's brigade at Marsellies swears to repel their invasion at any cost.

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Emboldened by turning back the sally, the Milanese general soon makes his assault.

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Immediately Captain Odo rides out of the gates to the east of the city and makes his way around to disrupt the crossbowmen pushing the ram while fire arrows rain down on it. He valiantly gives his life to slow the enemy assault.

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For a time this works, as they abandon the ram and attempt to send their massed infantry up the ladders as one.

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Fighting on the walls is vicious and uncompromising. Few of the men who scale the ladders to face determined free citizen's militia spearmen will come back down again. Eventually the Milanese return to the ram, and push home against the gates. With no forces remaining to disrupt them, the gates crack and are broken.

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The remaining Milanese troops scramble forward, hoping that resistance on the ground will be more easily swept aside, but they are sorely disappointed. The gatehouse is a meat grinder as dozens of vaunted Italian spearmen die under French spears. At the last it is the equipment they made to attempt to spread their tyranny which undoes them, as our spearmen from the walls scale down the ladders and surround the mass of men in the gate.

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Many French lives are given in defense of Marsellies, but few of the invaders escape. After the battle the seventy five prisoners are shocked when Captain Odo's second releases them freely to return home with word of the mercy and might of the Revolution.

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At Florence, in northern Italy, Perrin Gassou has ridden ahead of the main army to begin the siege of the city. The Milanese garrison, doubtful of his valor, sally against him and lose the city in their foolishness when they leave the gate open behind them. Perrin leads them on a merry chase, and rides in to capture the city bloodlessly to the cheers of the local populace.

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Rioting continues in Rome, Ajaccio, Vienna, and Tunis as the process of revolution takes hold in those provinces. An election is held to determine a new Pope, and we vote for the Danish candidate, who wins. This, of course, means that we are reconciled with the church, for the moment.

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:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

The Revolution Rolls on, turns 41-51.

Here's a look at the condition of Europe from a fog of war off screenshot at the halfway point I went back to take (I've now gone as far as I plan to go with this idea and it's just a matter of catching up the write-ups):

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The assault on Innsbruck proceeds easily, with the demoralized German army posing little resistance.

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North of Nuremburg King Philip turns back a large Polish army intent on stepping into the void left by our demolishing German authority in the region.

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North west of Hamburg a German army attempts to slow the progress of the Revolution by holding a bridge against Amaury de Vesc.

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Amaury and his citizen soldiers determine to attack across the bridge no matter the cost, in the name of the French Revolution!

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The German lines cannot stand before an army of free men, and their formations are smashed aside and routed.

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Before they flee, however, they launch a deadly barrage of massive ballista bolts into the French crossbowmen, costing many lives.

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Despite this Amaury immediately frees the almost three hundred captives of the battle, sending them home to bring word of the might and compassion of the Revolution.

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Those same men reject our mercy and again take up arms against the aims of progress. This time Amaury rides out with only his guardsmen to set them right, though outnumbered ten to one.

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These Germans have courage, no denying that, as they meet Amaury's charge with one of their own. That courage leads only to their own destruction, as every man from this company of town militia meets his death in battle this day.

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The remaining company of spearmen forms a schiltrom and dares Amaury to attack them. He obliges, surrounding and breaking open their formation.

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In the end a third of Amaury's noble guards have given their lives, but they have thrown back the German aggression and won a great victory for the Revolution. Amaury again sends the prisoners, a third fewer than were taken in the first battle, back to their homes in peace.

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The people of Vienna revolt and take their fate into their own hands.

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The Pope then threatens us with excommunication, again, over the matter of our bringing the revolution to the German people. His warning is ignored. Rioting continues as the political reforms of the Revolution take hold in Rome and Florence.

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Admiral Casin wins a victory on the seas, driving back some Milanese troop transports intent on reinforcing Genoa.

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After his victory Perrin Gassou occupies the city of Genoa, and returns control of it to it's citizens.

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Heliot Bliaud and Guillemot de Lyon then occupy Bologna, thought to be the last redoubt of the so called 'Reich.'

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This results in excommunication, but not the destruction of the Holy Roman Empire, as during our assault on that nation they continued their own aggression against the free people of Europe by sacking the castle at Stettin. A siege force is sent there immediately.

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Florence and Rome revolt, at a total cost of five hundred lives. The King and Sieyes send the people of Rome a special note of congratulations at having so quickly thrown off the shackles of the Papacy. Healthy rioting continues at a record number of free settlements.

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The passage of time sees the siege of Stettin brought to a close, and with it the end of the Holy Roman Empire.

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From Bologna Guillemot de Lyon moves to occupy Venice, which was under Milanese oppression, after a brief siege.

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At Tripoli Prince Jean opens the war against the Venetians by laying siege while Perring Gassou sieges the city of Milan. Admiral Casin pursues and sinks the Milanese troop ships, sending their army of vile intent to a watery grave. Such soldiers as can be pulled aboard our ships are set free at the next port. (I didn't think about it at the time since they were threatening ungarrisoned Genoa, but that was a fairly evil thing to do I suppose)

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Soon Tunis, Hamburg, and Ajaccio revolt and set up their respective citizen's councils in the name of the revolution. Excellent political discourse continues in a number of other cities.

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Venetian Zagreb is sieged, and Prince Jean proceeds with the attack on Tripoli, occupying that castle in the name of the Revolution. Afterward he becomes known as Prince Jean the Honorable for his chivalrous actions on the battlefield, and as a ruler of men.

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In Poland King Philip the Honorable occupies Prague for a second time, and swears a mighty oath to her citizens never to let another imperial army threaten their lives.

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Departing the city immediately he brings to battle a large Polish army waiting to the north of Prague like a pack of vultures. The released prisoners flee to nearby Breslau, but do not surrender their arms.

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Polish Breslau and Thorn are then taken under siege by various armies of the French Revolution. Bertran de Calais then occupies the Polish capital at Krakow, freeing that great city's citizenry to take part in the process of the Revolution.

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Two years later King Philip the Honorable, mighty champion of the cause of the Revolution, passes away in the field. Abbot Sieyes delivers an incredible speech, one which shall echo down the ages, about Philip's great wisdom and awesome intellect, but most of all he praises the King's incredible foresight. History shall surely record him as co-author of the world changing French Revolution!

The King is dead, long live the King! King Jean the Honorable takes over the role of first citizen for the Revolution, and vows to continue it's spread even into the far reaches of the Levant. In celebration the people of Bologna revolt and establish their own government. Pope Ranerius the Missionary also passes away in Iberia, where his armies continue an ugly offensive against the free peoples of that region. His passing is little mourned in France, though it technically leads to a reconciliation. Political discourse continues in many recently freed cities, with an unfortunate cost in lives.

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Breslau is occupied by Bertran de Calais and King Philip's former army, at a relatively high cost in casualties due to the absence of the King.

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Bertran then drives a Polish noble away from the region, assuring the continued freedom of the people of Breslau.

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Amaury de Vesc frees Thorn to take part in the Revolution and again drives back that same Polish nobleman.

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Heliot Bliaud leads the occupation of Zagreb, expelling the Venetians who had mercilessly ground the people down in an effort to wring more profit from them.

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Revolutionary France is accounted the most trustworthy people in the known world, and where our word is given it is surely taken as truth beyond question. (I've never had a trustworthy rating before. Jeez, all I had to do was destroy the heart of Europe, break two alliances, and be excommunicated twice in ten years.)

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:egypt:

[OverKnight]

Excellent read, and some counter-intuitive moves for an M2 campaign. The forces of Incremental Anarchism are on the march!

Will you deal with the Imperialist English and Papal forces at some point? They may cause havoc in the part of Europe you have already liberated. I'm guessing half the challenge of this is keeping "Free Cities" free.

[Askthepizzaguy]

A message from the Italian front. This letter bears the Royal Seal of the Commander of Italy, but it is soaked in blood.

Master Ramses, Royal Commander of the Free People's Army of France,

I bring distressing news! All is not well in Italy.

While the volunteer army of Italy is off liberating Serbia from the Venetian Mercantile Empire, the Imperial forces of the Holy Roman Empire have attacked!

There are 5 full stacks attacking, due to their recent troop buildup for a crusade that ended too soon, and countless more defending at home. We are beating them easily, but our troops have been releasing the prisoners, who only turn back to fight again under their master's orders! Our generosity has cost us, as we have but one sole, weary stack fighting on the northern border. We cannot repel the next three stacks when we cannot even finish off the first two. Our cities are defenseless!

I have ordered another stack to return home for our defense, but our offensive against the Venetians has suffered. While we have indeed pushed them out of Venice and Serbia, they attack the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. We pushed them out of there as well, but the Byzantine Empire has attacked us with a full stack against Naples. The Empire has also raided our navies to oblivion.

We have one lone offensive stack remaining... to take on the entire Eastern Roman Empire.

We have crushed only Milan and the Papal States and weakened Venice. Our own future seems in doubt (perhaps not... but we will not be able to defeat the Holy Roman Empire at this rate... never fully defeating even one of their many, many, many stacks) and our offensive against the imperialists cannot sustain itself when the war at home is so fierce. I fear the next 50 years will be nothing but survival.

On more pleasant news, the sixteenth Pope in as many turns (Imperial Papal armies keep respawning with a hostile Pope trying to recapture free Rome), elected from our allies the Portugese, has reinstated us as upstanding Catholics, even though we are a nation of free religion. The Imperialist faction of the Papal States has been eliminated for the most part, leaving a small majority out of the remaining 7 cardinals in support of freedom. When my Cardinal dies, this trend will reverse.

We have increased taxes to compensate for the war to defend free Italy, but with things looking so dire...

I feel it is my time to resign as Commander of Free Italy, and allow my successor a chance to repair the damage I have done, rather than waste 5 decades merely defending Milan and accomplishing nothing!

(I hereby resign from this campaign in the interest of retrying it instead of wasting too many days off in a funless war of attrittion against Imperial armies)

Fear not... your valour and bravery in combat, as well as your successes, coupled with my own briefly inspired leadership, has compelled my son and heir to take up the banner in my absense.

I hope this letter finds you well, for it will be my last. I must now fall on my sword, as it is the only way to spare my family dishonor.

-Simon the First of the Sicilian Royal Family.

Master ATPG, Royal Commander of the Free People's Army of Italy will return...


I find it interesting that you are having so much success with the French, while taking Italy was all I was able to accomplish with Sicily. Perhaps you are indeed the superior commander, but I suspect the difficulty of a Sicilian campaign versus a French one explains the difference.

Being raided constantly by full stacks on my southern islands, repelling the French from the West, the HRE from the North, and Venice and Byzantium from the East and South, I am almost unable to win. It would take a very, very long time to build up massive cities and armies and then the drive in 3 directions at once would take forever, especially with releasing prisoners.

I am not saying it is impossible, but my free time with college and work makes this unworkable and far less fun. I intend to redo the campaign, and under a Sicilian banner, too... but I must decline to continue this particular timeline due to lack of resources to win at the moment.

I haven't resigned from a campaign due to resistance from the AI before. Ever.
This is a first.

I must indeed fall on my sword here, as the disgrace and the shame is too much to bear!
(Not really, but why not go out with dramatic flair?)

I will rethink my strategy and try again.

Salute!

[Ramses II CP]

It's funny with the Germans, Milanese, and Venetians I hardly did any fighting at all. The Germans had 4 full stacks of troops, two of them in the mountains around Innsbruck, one at Stettin, and one in northern Italy and they didn't make any effective moves to defend themselves. Milan had a huge, scary army just south of Bern right next to a rebel stack, and it just sat there while I dissected them. The Venetians had a full stack east of Tripoli that made it back in time to siege the castle after it rebelled, which put the pressure on me to take Ragusa and caused me to divert Heloit's army there, but they also had a full stack sitting out near Hungarian territory (They were at war with Hungary) that didn't come back for Zagreb. In the end all three of those nations fell with me fighting mostly only their militia garrisons.

Poland was, by far, the biggest trouble. Their stacks caused a lot of casualties and the fact that they had Jerusalem and Acre mean that I had to fight them, they wouldn't turn rebel. Hungary had some big armies that kind of wandered around.

France has a huge advantage over Sicily, not only in terms of size, but in that I was able to make two marriage alliances, which are nearly unbreakable for the AI, with nearby trading partners in the early part of the game. That probably doubled my income, or more, for those critical first 40 turns. I'll have more notes about what I thought worked and what didn't at the end, but suffice to say I didn't end up getting to the true goal of the campaign either. Oh, and I'll put up a save file or two with the last post as well, so people can take a look at the state of things.

As far as strategy I put all my effort into launching sieges as quickly as possible, and built my autocalc armies on upgraded armor infantry while ignoring field armies for the enemy. As far as tactics, I noted that the AI tended to want to move towards my armies rather than moving to retake their cities, so by keeping my troops on the move I was able to avoid many battles.

:egypt:

[Long lost Caesar]

amazing AAR, never actually read one of these liberation things, but it's been a great read! keep it up, 5/5
:2thumbsup:

[Ramses II CP]

Into the East, turns 52-56.

The siege of Novgorod opens the Russian front of the Revolution. In London the Free People's Council For Justice revolts and takes control of the region. A device called a 'compass' is invented to take advantage of the principle of magnetism and aid in navigation the world over, yet another great benefit of the spread of Revolutionary ideals. Rioting flows through the cities just behind the wave of the Revolution like rough waves behind the lapping of the tide.

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Michiel occupies the English fortress at Nottingham, though losses are high among his militiamen.

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He immediately departs and marches west, in the direction of the English city of Caernarvon, driving away a small army of oppressors along the way.

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In Russia the noble Amaury de Vesc occupies Novgorod after casting out the appropriately named Prince Mikhail the Mean. Departing the city immediately after the battle gentle Amaury is saddened to later discover that the fee peasants hung Mikhail's corpse from the western gate to warn away the Russian noble who led a small army to the west of the city.

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West of Thessalonica Prince Guillemot brings the Byzantine Emperor Anthes to battle before marching down from the high passes to occupy the city with the aid of French spies.

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Not far to the north Colet le Maingre drives the Hungarian imperialists out of Sofia, and then attacks another nearby Hungarian force, thereby freeing the citizens of that fortress to serve their own ends.

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A French diplomat reaches the new lands of the Papacy in free Iberia and demands that he depart the region and reconcile our King. Despite our very trustworthy reputation and his supposed unorthodoxy no offer will be accepted by Pope Gualandus. (I've wiped out several factions, I'm at war with all the rest except the Danes, Scots, Turkey, and maybe Egypt, but I stay 'very trustworthy' all the way until the Danes move on Hamburg and I have to take them out. Very curious.)

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Byzantine ships sink most of Admiral Casin's fleet off the coast of Corinth in a rare defeat for the Revolution.

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Durazzo, Halych, Ragusa, and Bordeaux revolt and come under the control of their respective citizen's councils. It is always a cause for celebration when so many new cities and castles join the Revolution. A similar number are undergoing revelatory political discourse, though at a cost in lives including three members of Prince Jean's army at Rhodes. (Rhodes had Prince Jean's small army still present due to exhausted movement, the first time I've lost soldiers to rioting I think.)

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Bertran de Calais captures Iasi from the Byzantines. Their Isaac Comnenus put up small resistance, choosing instead to foreswear his allegiance to the Byzantine Empire and become a free citizen like any other.

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Perrin Gassou had a similar experience with the Hungarian commander at Budapest, a man named simply Tamas, who embraced his enemies after his capture and cried 'Thank you! Now I will be free!'

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King Jean sails west to occupy Nicosia on the isle of Cyprus, against minimal resistance.

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Rolin de Dijon makes the second French assault on Pamplona, one of the first provinces to freely join the Revolution, and casts out the English before marching south to the sounds of the celebrations of the free citizens of Iberia.

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A record nine provinces are undergoing some stage of rioting in the name of the Revolution! Truly it is a great day for the free citizens of Europe, though some four thousand of them must die to bring it about.

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Michiel occupies Caernarvon, ending the reign of the imperialist King Henry of England, whose soldiers fought poorly on this day and celebrated their freedom on the next. Michiel departs immediately, hiring a ship to take him to Dublin where the last redoubt of the English can be found.

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Despite being outnumbered Colet le Maingre proceeds with his occupation of Bucharest, counting on the spread of revolutionary ideals to aid him in his victory. Another Comnenus brother joins the Revolution joyfully, after a brief fight.

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Outside of Corinth Heliot Bliaud and an army of local mercenaries who have decided to serve the cause, and coin, attack an army sitting near the walls of the castle, which is reinforced by the garrison.

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The very first French charge kills Captain Georgios and scatters the infantry army outside the walls, but the garrison force is made of sturdier stuff, vaunted Vardarioti.

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Colet's guardsmen deal with one on the blood soaked hillside, aided by the remaining Slav mercenaries, while the archers whittle away the others.

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Eventually only Captain Eleutherios remains, surrounded by Colet's bodyguards and abandoned by the rest of his soldiers. He surrenders his sword and Colet salutes him as a valiant enemy before releasing him to return to Corinth.

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Heliot is brutally scarred in the mighty victory, having taken the brunt of the fighting on himself to try to preserve his free citizen guardsmen.

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Admiral Casin suffers another reversal on the high seas. He is left with so few ships and men that his force ceases to be effective, but his ships are no longer truly necessary. At Bran the Hungarian King, Kalman, sallies out against the vastly superior force of Bertran de Calais and is defeated, resulting in the occupation of his last oppressed territory and the end of his people.

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Thessalonica and Novgorod revolt and become free regions. Pope Gualandus dies in Iberia, unlamented, and is replaced by Pope Buanacorsus, who immediately reconciles our King in an attempt to appease us and protect his position in Iberia. His appeal is rejected, and a French army marches into the region. Extensive rioting continues in many provinces across Europe.

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Prince Guillemot drives away some Byzantine armies outside Constantinople, too small to be worthy of note, while King Jean the Honorable occupies Polish held Acre in the Levant, opening the Middle Eastern front of the Revolution. The primarily Muslim population is stunned and overjoyed to see the French army drive away the Poles and then immediately depart the castle to march towards Jerusalem.

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At Dublin Michiel is forced to kill the last English King, Barnaby, when he will not surrender with his army. England is thusly repaid for their imperialist assaults on Bordeaux and Pamplona, and the legacy of that people ends.

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Heliot the Scarred occupies Corinth, and discovers that Captain Eleutherios and his men retired after the previous battle in the region leaving the defense in far less capable hands.

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North of Jerusalem the Polish King attacks King Jean's small army with overwhelming numbers, but our King has wisely hired on Free Citizen Knights of the Revolution upon his arrival, and their steadfast defense allows them to overcome the enemy's numbers and bring home a victory. (Auto-calc stack for the win! Man those knights are good. I thought I was going to have to lose one here and gather more mercs before I could finish off the Poles.)

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Pamplona, Nicosia, Budapest, Iasi, and Sofia all revolt. In addition to those shown on the document below, there is continued rioting at Rhodes.

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Colet le Maingre drives off the last of the small Byzantines forces west of Constantinople in several small battles, and Garnot Marcel occupies Smolensk, driving off another imperialist Russian noble while Amaury de Vesc occupies Moscow, where most of the Russian army appears to have deserted their commander in the name of the Revolution. (The Russians have a full stack wandering around Halych and around a half stack near still-rebel Vilnius, both under captains.)

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The Revolution comes to Scotland as sieges are lain around Inverness and Edinburg. The Scottish also hold York to the south. At Constantinople Prince Guillemot occupies the city against modest reistance from Captain Trifyllios. The ancient capital of the Eastern Roman Empire rings with celebrations as it joins the ranks of those freed by the Revolution. Several small armies of men previously released must be brought to battle and driven off again before Prince Guillemot can leave the region to march on Nicaea, resulting in Guillemot becoming brutally scarred as he and his guardsmen take most of the fighting on themselves.

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Admiral Casin's fleet does one final job in transferring Heliot and his men from the Corinth region to the castle at Smyrna before an overwhelming Byzantine attack sends them to the bottom. His name is enscribed in the Hall of Heroes in Paris for his long and noble service in the name of the Revolution.

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Thanks for the comment LLC!

:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

Issuing Freedom to Islam, turns 56-61.

Bran, Bucharest, Caernarvon, and Rhodes all revolt and form regional governments to better serve their citizens. The Pope threatens to excommunicate us if we continue to free the citizens groaning under Scottish hegemony. His demands are the source of much humor in Paris as Sieyes coordinates the movement of a French army into the Toledo region, where the Papist imperialists are oppressing the once free people of Iberia. Rioting is still widespread at the front.

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Heliot the Scarred attacks a substantial Byzantine army west of Smyrna with the aid of freshy hired mercenaries, to serve the cause, and wins a costly victory before laying siege to the castle.

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Amaury de Vesc routs a pair of Russian armies outside Ryazan, their final redoubt, and lays siege to the fortress.

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Prince Guillemot the Scarred rides ahead of his army to take advantage of our spies inside Nicaea and occupies that city to few losses, becoming known as Prince Guillemot the Honorable for his noble actions in rule and war.

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King Jean the Honorable attacks the Polish King, Vaclav the Honest, at Jerusalem and occupies the city in the name of the Revolution, bringing an end to the idea of Poland and immediately marching towards Gaza to attack an Egyptian army under Nasser the Wrathful. Control of the Holy City is returned to the grateful local populace.

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At Inverness in Scotland Michiel drives forward his occupation of the castle against minimal resistance as the Scottish King, Edmund the Honorable, is already somewhat familiar with the ideals of the Revolution and consents to become simply Edmund, free citizen of the region of Inverness. Michial salutes him for his sacrifice before riding south to aid the occupation of Edinburgh against Prince Farquar, who also accepts his new position after only a token battle.

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These actions result, again, in our excommunication, which has now happened so many times that it seems like the natural state of things.

Acre and Dublin then revolt and come under the control of their respective Citizen's Councils. A young free citizen named Lancelot de Nevers takes up the cause of the Revolution as a general, his claim being the only one recently accepted on account of his reputed nobility in battle. Eight cities see rioting as the lines of the Revolution stretch ever longer, though a large Egyptian army is spotted in the region of Jerusalem.

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Heliot the Scarred captures Smyrna and brings an end to the long legacy of vile Byzantine imperialism, while in the north Amaury de Vesc occupies the last Russian stronghold at Ryazan and closes off their branch of the tree of imperialism.

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Alas, a large Danish army is seen attacking a small rebel force north of Hamburg. It is feared that our dear allies have rejected the ideals of the Revolution under their new King, Charles, and are intent on conquering free territories. At Toledo Rolin de Dijon has been reinforced and makes his attack on the Papacy. At the end of the battle Pope Buonacorsus flees the field with a small army and marches south, perhaps seeking to capture Cordoba. Rolin de Dijon departs Toledo in pursuit.

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Constantinople, Corinth, and Moscow revolt, while healthy political discourse continues at a substantial number of other cities and castles.

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At York Michiel attacks the last King of Scotland, Feradac, who fights viciously to retain control and must be killed to secure the occupation. Scotland is no more.

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King Jean occupies the Egyptian fortress at Gaza, being forced to kill King Nasser the Mad, who reject the aims of the Revolution. The King is brutally scarred after a personal duel with the mad Sultan to free the long oppressed people of Gaza.

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South of rioting Toledo Rolin de Dijon attacks the army of Pope Buonocorsus the Unorthodox. The Pope refuses to surrender and must be killed, leaving the Papal seat momentarily empty.

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A siege at Trebizond opens the war against the Turks. Unfortunately the mercenary transport ships of Admiral Godfrey are attacked by the Turkish fleet with Perrin Gassou and his entire army aboard. Several ships are lost, but the Admiral manages a 'forward retreat' south towards Alexandria, Perrin's intended target.

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Jerusalem, Nicaea, and Inverness revolt. The last Cardinal of the Papacy, wandering alone and friendless through the free region of Rome, declares himself to be Pope Talentus and begins demanding that the city of Rome be surrender to him, though he has no army other than his guardsmen. French soldiers are dispatched to negotiate with him. (I make a huge mistake in killing this chap. I should've simply bartered reconciliation at any price for the public order benefit in my home towns because once he's dead there's no more Pope and no more chance of reconciliation, meaning my costs to maintain order at home spiral ever higher.) Excellent political discourse is widespread as the Revolution marches on.

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Prince Guillemot occupies Iconium, the Turkish capital, and splits his army to march for Caesarea and Adana.

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Bertran de Calais occupies Trebizond, and marches east towards the northern Turkish provinces. For his noble actions he becomes known as Bertran the Honorable.

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Alexandria comes under siege as Perrin Gassou reinforces King Jean, who has been operating alone at the very forward edge of the Revolution for many long years. Edinburgh, Toledo, Ryazan, and Smyrna revolt to form local governments. A great boon for farmers and laborers of all sorts is invented in Paris, and dubbed the 'wheelbarrow.' More proof of the rightness and brilliance of the Revolutionary cause! Rioting remains widespread behind the front.

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A very large army under Captain Regnault in the formerly Russian territories decides to lay down the banner of the Revolution and serve their own ends. Their former general, Amaury de Vesc, had marched away briefly to seek more mercenaries, and upon his return acknowledges his soldier's right to revolt and departs for points west to secure a new army. (Curses! Those men were meant for the Mongols. This is a much larger blow than it seemed like at the time, as I was still hoping the Mongols would come in at Baghdad at this time. Still, no reloading to avoid it, that would be cheap and counter-revolutionary!)

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Perrin Gassou and King Jean occupy Alexandria, freeing that ancient city to form it's own government as the two march directly for Cairo.

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The garrison of Tblisi is reinforced and sallies against Bertran the Honorable, but is turned back and defeated by the valor of his men. Tblisi is then occupied and given over to the control of it's now free citizens.

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Viva la Revolution!

:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

Perhaps the End of the Beginning, turns 61-71.

There are revolts in York, Smolensk, and Gaza. King Jean's daughter marries a general named Rene Alacoque, who immediately moves to gather an army for the Danish front and promises his wife he will occupy a Danish city in the name of the Revolution. A mathemetician named Fibonacci, from the free city of Pisa, publishes a brilliant work named Liber Abaci which revolutionizes the world of math and offers yet more proof of the ultimate correctness of the ideals of the Revolution. Rioting is limited to only three cities as the front nears the furthest reaches of the known world.

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Perrin Gassou and King Jean jointly occupy Cairo, and remaining Egyptian armies in the region turn tail to depart rather than risk our wrath by retaking the city.

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The Danish front is opened by sieges against Arhus and Oslo, after their unforgiveable and aggressive attack on the free people of Hamburg. Our reputation declines to mixed on the news.

At Arhus the enemy sallies forth, leading an army equal in numbers to Lancelot de Nevers' own mercenaries, but full of heavy cavalry and heavy infantry. Lancelot will not retreat in the face of them, and draws up a daring plan to oppose them. (Had to fight this one, not that it did me any good)

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His crossbowmen will direct all their fire at the enemy cavalry, driving them to launch fruitless charges upon the mercenary's spears.

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The plan is immediately successful in causing the rout of the first company of enemy War Clerics, whose will to fight for God is not equal to the will of the men of the Revolution!

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Alas, this advantage cannot be followed up upon as the Danish heavy infantry now attacks our spearmen. Lancelot has cleverly led the enemy's own general and his guardsmen in a circle, which allows him to charge home against the rear of the Danish infantrymen who are slowly slaughtering his spearmen, routing the enemy's left flank.

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Lancelot withdraws, attempting to leave the opposing general trapped amidst the spearmen, but he wisely withdraws as well and calls his rallied War Clerics to his side. Lancelot must make a wider circle, capturing some of the routing vikings but losing some of his guardsmen as well, to charge home against the enemy's right flank.

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Those men instantly rout, but now Lancelot must again try to escape and leave the Danish general pinned amidst his own spearmen. Alas, the Danish War Clerics make all the difference in the enemy's pursuit of our general, as Lancelot's helm is crushed by an enemy mace amidst the fleeing remnants of the viking infantry.

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Absent his leadership the mercenaries lose the will to fight, and the battle goes ill for the Revolution.

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The vile Danes have the audacity to execute the two hundred and fourteen men they took prisoner during the battle, including many of Lancelot's own guardsmen. The principles of the Revolution rightly prevent us from replying in kind, but nonetheless there will be a reckoning for this dark act.

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Lancelot's name is added to the roll in the Hall of Heroes in Paris. North of Arhus, at Oslo, Michiel occupies the fortress of Oslo, and the enemy's Prince Haakon falls to a peasant's arrow in the battle.

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In Turkey Bertran the Honorable occupies Yerevan, and marches for points south immediately.

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To the west Prince Guillemot the Honorable occupies Caesarea against the fierce resistance of Sultan Mustafa's small force and then rides south to reinforce the army sieging Adana.

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Trebizond, Alexandria, and Madgeburg revolt. Five more cities are experiencing their own political rioting.

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At the walls of Adana Prince Guillemot dies a natural death of age and exhaustion, having pressed forward the cause of the Revolution all his life. He too will be entombed in the Hall of Heroes. Amaury the Honorable is the new Prince of the French Revolution. Colet le Maingre, Prince Guillemot's second, now commands the reinforcements at Adana as that castle is added to the roles of the Revolution over the weak resistance of the new Sultan Tutush, whose reign was brief indeed.

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The passage of years sees revolution in Cairo, and rioting in five more cities.

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Merchants bring word of a new threat, the Mongols. They are reportedly moving in out of the east, and may attack the known world either north or south of the Caspian sea. (Argh! Armies will have to march all the way from Danish lands and the Levant to them, through mountain passes clogged with small rebel armies and cities that the pathing engine won't acknowledge I can't march past freely. Very irritating!)

Herman Touchet makes a deal with Pope Talentus, he will go into exile as a penniless free citizen in exchange for the French Revolution sparing his life. The Papal seat is again empty.

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Tblisi, Caesarea, and Yerevan revolt and arrange for local citizen's councils to take control of their affairs. Adana and Oslo are still undergoing the process of political discourse via rioting.

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The last Cardinal in Europe, a Dane, flogs several horses to death riding to the Rome area to annoint himself Pope Saracinus. He is quickly dealt with, and there is an end to the tyrrany of the monolithic institutions of Catholicism. There are no more Cardinals, no more Popes, nor will there ever be any again. Any man is now free to be a Catholic or not at any time, without repercussions.

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Meanwhile, in the Danish homelands, Stockholm and Riga are under siege, leaving only Hamburg and Arhus under the Danish imperialist's sure control. King Jean the Scarred and Heliot the Scarred cooperate to capture the mighty Egyptian city of Antioch to few losses.

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Adana and Oslo revolt, while only Antioch is experiencing riots, marking the first time in many years that only a single region was undergoing the often difficult progression to a free province.

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Stockholm is occupied, and the brutal Danish King Charles dies in the siege.

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Bertran the Honorable captures Mosul, in Turkey, and marches on Baghdad.

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The Mongols invade, coming in near the isolated free outpost of Bulgar (I have a spy south of the Caspian who is now moving north). It will be many years before we can have diplomatic contact with these new people, much less discover their intentions towards the Revolution. Several cities are again undergoing rioting.

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Damascus is siezed from the Egyptian Crown Prince, and after the occupation King Jean and Heliot jointly march south for Jerusalem, which the Egyptians brutally recaptured after we first freed it.

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Michiel joins Garnot Marcel at Riga, and they proceed with the occupation of the city before boarding ships to sail west for Arhus. Losses are especially heavy among Garnot's militia companies as the Danish heavy infantry takes a harsh toll.

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Five cities experience rioting as a part of the process of the Revolution.

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Bertran the Honorable attacks Sultan Sundak at Baghdad, and then departs to march north west towards Edessa.

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Colet le Maingre departs the siege armies of the King at Jerusalem and begins to make his way south, towards the last Egyptian stronghold at Jedda. The road is long, but he should arrive around the time Edessa is taken, bringing an end to imperialist civilization in the known world. Hamburg comes under siege as the many large rebel fleets gathered nearby allow our Frenchmen safe passage.

Two years later Mosul, Stockholm, and Antioch revolt. Three more cities are rioting.

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The Danish armies near Hamburg abandon their King within the fortress and march back to Arhus. Rene Alacoque makes good his promise to his new wife and occupies that place, freeing it in the name of the Revolution. Marching north he puts Prince Gunnar of the Danes to flight.

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King Jean and Heliot occupy Jerusalem for a second time, defeating the last substantial Egyptian army in the Levant under their cruel Sultan, Hakki the Wrathful. They have several smaller forces scattered about, but they are all marching on the slow road to Jedda.

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Bertran the Honorable defeats a Turkish noble east of Edessa before marching closer to that final hold out of the Turkish imperialists.

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A substantial Danish army is discovered in the south, laying siege to long free Frankfurt. No forces are available in France to deal with this enemy army at this time, so it must be hoped that the citizens of Frankfurt can hold while the siege of Arhus progresses.

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Riga revolts, and four more cities experience healthy rioting.

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An earthquake in the region of Jedda costs the life of Colet le Maingre. (%^$&! It'll take ten turns to march my nearest all cavalry force there now, with the 'constant disaster' bug in full effect to sabotage the end of my campaign.)

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A massive battle west of Arhus breaks out, as the armies of Revolutionary Freedom strike at the foul Danes who remain to oppose them. Following the defeat of their primary force of heavy infantry Michiel proceeds with the assault on Arhus. Many hundreds of free Frenchmen give their lives to bring a final end to tyrrany in Europe, and in the end it is enough. Victory for the Revolution! Europe is cleansed and the Danes are destroyed for their foolish imperialist intentions. (Michiel, the lead general in this battle, went from 'faltering courage' to 'cowardly' afterward. I drown him at the crossing in recompense.)

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Effectively the end of my current run at Total Independence, but I'll be continuing from this point as soon as I have more time to actually play. Obviously Edessa fell in a hurry, and Jedda about ten turns later due to the movement penalty. I could post up to that point, but they'd be a lot of empty years with no battles and only a few riots or revolutions left to occur. Dull and unecessary.

Campaign notes:

I played on from this point to turn 95, but en route to the Mongols, who turned around to collect their reinforcements of course, three of my eldest generals at the front died, leaving just two to manage 4 stacks with a low authority King back at home, and my income collapsed without a trading partner.

There's no doubt in my mind that I could defeat the Mongols eventually, but just the thought of marching 4+ more generals and armies across Europe when the pathing refuses to acknowledge that I can't march past a rebel city without my movement ending is staggeringly irritating. Constant micromanagement of the path of my army was simply not an option.

I'm going to start again from turn 72 and at least cause all my own cities to rebel to see what happens. I may also try to do the save and reload trick to keep my generals alive on the road north against the Mongols, but IMHO a realistic assessment of the time it would take for me to finish off the Mongols without those generals is about turn 130. I don't know if I have the will to play this campaign that long, especially not having to micromanage every step of eastward moving generals.

Here are saves from turn 20, 40, the end of 59, and 72 (Using The Org's filespace for convenience, but if that's not appropriate feel free to take them down and I'll put 'em up somewhere else :beam: ):

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/Tyranny2040.zip

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/Tyrrany5972.zip

[Askthepizzaguy]

a Supreme effot, lord Ramses, liberator of the people of Europe!

I do believe you when you say you could best the Mongols. You came very close to meeting victory conditions and I accept your explanation as to why such a long trek would be a waste of time.

We all have lives too.

Mostly I like how you prepared a complete story and provided accounts of all your battles in a superior fashion. You truly know how to illustrate and tell as story.

Until the Mongols and the Timurids fall, the campaign is not truly over. However, given the difficulty and repetitiveness involved and how un-fun it would be, I hereby relieve you of that duty.

All others MUST destroy the invaders to secure the independence of the freed men of Europe. I myself will accept that challenge.

MY PLAN:

I will allow some of my cities to rebel and capture several castles in the region where the Mongols arrive. I will disband all my forces and recruit proper ones if necessary from these castles. This will eliminate the distance problem. Once these fortresses have done their duty, I will return them, and all of Italy, to the hands of independent states.

A good deal, yes?

[Ramses II CP]

Well, I'm definitely going to find a way to 'wrap up' my French campaign, even if I can't eliminate the Mongols, and end with Total Independence as far as possible.

Then I mighty try it with Turkey, Egypt, or Russia. It'd be substantially slower, with no jihads, thus letting me get to the Mongols and maybe Timurids without excessive waiting, and of course they're right there in the region. I had a Turkish campaign I never finished, and I've never taken Russia anywhere close to the end game. The interesting thing about Turkey would be finding funding; there might be some substantial rebel swathes in the middle of your territory if you want the promising economic zones.

It's a fun idea, a good way to shake up the MTWII games we're used to playing.

:egypt:

[Askthepizzaguy]

Did you find it significantly more difficult than a regular campaign, Ramses?

I would think it is. A regular campaign does not necessitate offensives like this, with underpowered militaries.

Of course you have France which is better. I have Sicily which, if I take Italy, gives me a decent economy as well. I have decided that instead of those worthless islands, and for the time being, Rome, I am taking the balkans and Vienna with the gold and silver mines. I am also going to try to keep some trade partners as long as possible.

[Ramses II CP]

Not only harder, but in a certain way more realistic. As a normal campaign develops you reach a point of critical mass, usually about 18-20 provinces, after which even the whole world working together just has no chance against you. With France, as with the HRE, you reach that point very quickly and the game is essentially over, except for grinding out the rest of the victories.

Frankly I had given up on vanilla campaigns, and since I'm ducking SecuRom and Kingdoms so far I can't use the latest versions of any of the good mods. After my Danish AAR I tried to get a Moorish general camera campaign going, but I really wanted replays to go with it (Because screenshots from gen-cam are usually useless and unclear) and I simply couldn't make them work.

Anyway, yes, it was very interesting to see silver bar militia spearmen from Rheims fighting at the walls of Tblisi. It was also interesting to take advantage of the auto-calc system. I rarely auto-calc in my normal campaigns, but the more multiplayer ones I get involved in the more I'm trying to figure out auto-calcs. In this campaign France did stunningly well via auto-calc, especially against the Muslim factions. As I've said, I don't think I could play out many battles and be successful in this type of campaign, as it would dramatically increase the number of prisoners (Probably by a factor of 10 over auto-calc) and thus force me to refight the same soldiers over and over again.

That makes the campaign faster, and strategy much clearer in that before I advance to attack I make certain I have a clear superiority in numbers and quality of soldiers. Over all it's a very different sort of campaign, and I would highly recommend it to people bored with the run of the mill. Only at the very end do the pathing problems become overwhelming, making it difficult for western factions to deal with the Mongols or Timurids.

:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

...or the Beginning of the End, turns 72-86.

Baghdad revolts, and four other cities have their political discourse well underway.

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Prince Amaury attacks and occupies the last remaining Turkish city, Edessa, and forever ends their brand of tyrrany.

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Jerusalem and Damascus revolt the next year, while rioting continues at three other cities.

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As our armies march north to meet the Mongols and south to attack Jedda the citizens of Arhus revolt and organize their own government. Meanwhile Toulouse builds the Swordsmith's Guild a Headquarters, and rioting is experienced in two cities near the edges of the known world.

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Two years later Edessa and Hamburg revolt, while the nation mourns the death of King Jean the Scarred and Abbot Sieyes. From the front King Amaury sends word of a day of reflection to be declared throughout the free territories of the Revolution on the mighty legacy left by the warrior King, Jean the Honorable, Jean the Merciful, Jean the Scarred. The funeral for Abbot Sieyes is a quiet, calm affair at his home, but his name stands higher in the minds of many free men than any warrior or poet. The Sieyes School for Superior Education opens in Paris, and carries on his legacy of dissecting the stale ideas of the past to continually produce fresh, slashing new iconoclastic concepts.

At Jedda Noel de Coligny proceeds with his assault and the occupation of the final Egyptian redoubt, ending that people's nationalist legacy. (Somehow reloading the old save removed the permanant slowdown around Jedda. Not clear on how this happened, but it was a minor advantage at best as I disbanded that small army and marched the general back out alone. If anyone wants to load the save I linked to above, 72, and tell me what their movement is like around Jedda I'd be curious. I went back over my old screenshots, and it took me until turn 83 to capture Jedda previously.)

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZp-3ObdI/AAAAAAAAIJQ/lTtb8LD0XZU/s800/0018.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZrO3ObeI/AAAAAAAAIJY/wmbUA75eJ60/s800/0020.jpg

The political process with which we are all familiar begins quickly at Jedda, the last of the distant and temporary foreign holdings of the French Revolution.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZs-3ObfI/AAAAAAAAIJg/kUjBrbCRo8o/s800/0021.jpg

Diplomatic contact is established with the Mongols, and they are gifted copies of our maps. A few years later Jedda finally revolts, and, except for the good and necessary maintainence of France, all of the known world is free from tyrrany!

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZuO3ObgI/AAAAAAAAIJo/KzhqY8GQOrs/s800/0025.jpg

A flash flood strikes the Toulouse region, slowing all traffic at our sole training facility for many years yet to come (Now how did I clear Jedda? I'm 70 turns further along that this, and it still takes two turns for troops to reach the ships from the citadel at Toulouse. Irritating! I hate this bug. The strategy map flood graphic is kinda nice though, never noticed it before.)

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZvu3ObhI/AAAAAAAAIJw/OUHu1xqmik0/s800/0029.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZxe3ObiI/AAAAAAAAIJ4/i_0HrFY4_-A/s800/0032.jpg

The second Mongol wave arrives in Europe, and our scholars estimate that their total military might now exceeds our own. Certainly they have brought uncounted wealth out of the barbarian regions they conquered before their arrival. Near Sarkel Bertran the Honorable dies before he can bring the Mongols to battle. He was a great hero of the revolution, and his name is added to the Hall of Heroes at Paris.

A few years later King Amaury also dies, also before he can attack the Mongols and show them the folly of their assault on free Europe. A noble who has lived in Paris his entire life becomes King Richart, marking the first time a King of the Revolution has not spent his life fighting at the front. Here's a look at the strategic situation at the time of Amaury's death.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZzO3ObjI/AAAAAAAAIKA/3hVYGyUIEX4/s800/0039.jpg

Note that the Mongols have eight fully manned armies in the region, struggling to avoid contact with our own forces, while we have two and a half armies, with one more just arriving far south of Sarkel. We, however, control most of the river crossing points, which allows us to take advantage of some confusion in the Mongolian movements.

Two more years sees the death of Perrin Gassou, the most experienced remaining general in the Mongol theatre. His name, too, is carved in stone for all to see inside the Hall of Heroes at Paris. Heliot the Scarred, now senior commander at the front, determines that we must strike now to take advantage of our most brilliant commanders before their lives are lost to time. With that in mind an 'incident' is arranged to bring about a declaration of war.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZ0u3ObkI/AAAAAAAAIKI/CHhcytJnk3w/s800/0042.jpg

Heliot then moves to take control of the river crossing directly between the two groups of Mongols, hoping that they will attempt to force it to unite their men. His hopes are answered, violently, by a mighty Mongol lord named simply Batu.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZ2O3OblI/AAAAAAAAIKQ/mY4pprFUBi8/s800/0044.jpg

On a cool, misty morning in the middle of winter Batu goads his army into attempting the crossing. Heliot arranges his free citizen mercenary spearmen in deep ranks along the center of the ford, with crossbowmen and archers taking the high ground to either side and heavy infantry to back up the spearmen.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZ3O3ObmI/AAAAAAAAIKc/0L40MfRnX98/s800/0045.jpg

Batu is a man of uncommon courage, or exceptional arrogance, for he determines to lead the attack from the front. His guardsmen are the first to reach the bitter cold of the swift river, and the first to taste the bite of our bolts and arrows.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZ4O3ObnI/AAAAAAAAIKk/-QVCiOxtRpA/s800/0047.jpg

As an act of kindness Heliot orders his archers to light their arrows on fire, quipping, 'At least let the vile imperialists die warm!'

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZ5e3OboI/AAAAAAAAIKs/Bb99izbf3qw/s800/0048.jpg

As his army crosses the river behind him, General Batu falls gently into the snow with a crossbow bolt in his throat.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZ6e3ObpI/AAAAAAAAIK0/9oZn0yTqjqg/s800/0049.jpg

Immediately the Mongol army begins to lose it's discipline. Eager to answer back the fire they are taking Mongol infantry archers and horse bowmen rush forward in front of their heavy cavalry, disrupting all order in the advance and turning it into a shivering mass of stalled targets.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZ7e3ObqI/AAAAAAAAIK8/_kN5U_j8Dhs/s800/0050.jpg

Long minutes pass while dozens of brave Mongols fall under the withering rain of bolts until finally a wise Mongol captain steps up to take control. He notes the imprecise positioning of our left flank, how the spearmen have exposed their own flank by not expanding their formation widely enough, and commands an attack from his companies of heavy cavalry.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZ8e3ObrI/AAAAAAAAILE/TdqQ4O06Gi4/s800/0052.jpg

Heliot rushes to reinforce that flank immediately, and issues orders to the archers on the far side of our formation to fire into the rear of the Heavy Lancers while they are engaged with our spearmen in the hopes that their morale will be reduced.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZ-O3ObsI/AAAAAAAAILM/12o3WfTvme4/s800/0053.jpg

Their will does not falter until long after their numbers have proven insufficient to force a breach. At last, when the captain who led the charge is felled, the very few remaining heavy lancers retreat in disorder.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5jZ_-3ObtI/AAAAAAAAILU/O7ThXpSqka8/s800/0055.jpg

Noting the spreading wave of unease amidst the Mongol morass, Heliot decides his men have held back under fire long enough. He sends word for his own crossbowmen and archers to cease firing, and orders a general charge by the infantry across a broad front, with companies at either end to wrap the flanks.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5jaBe3ObuI/AAAAAAAAILc/0cvTn1EelgU/s800/0058.jpg

The battle is soon over, and Mongol losses are heavy. Heliot commands that the five hundred prisoners we took in the melee be given their freedom to carry a message to their Khan, that if they depart these lands in peace they need not face the Revolution again until it spreads to their homelands.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5jaCu3ObvI/AAAAAAAAILk/IyACO8eCtbs/s800/0060.jpg

A message which, alas, goes unheeded. (It's much more painful to release Mongol prisoners than those of any other nation because the Mongols are a Horde. They won't go down until all of their generals are dead, which essentially means destroying all of their armies one by one, over and over again, without much auto-calc. Still, it does make for an interesting campaign, and in the end it actually helps me break up their formation... but we'll get there soon enough.)

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5jaEO3ObwI/AAAAAAAAILs/tjqERWUdCyc/s800/0061.jpg

The Mongols, however, are not fools, and seeing that the north ford is held by an army likely sufficient to turn back their entire combined might, they wisely turn aside and test the south ford.

Rolin de Dijon, who has just arrived in the region to hold the south ford, is attacked three times by the Mongols, and though he costs them heavy losses in the first two battles he must eventually withdraw and surrender the crossing to them when his losses cause him to be outnumbered two to one by the third assault force. (This stack was hastily built for auto-calc, so I have no spearmen to take a charge and certainly insufficient crossbowmen to hold the crossing. Hence upon the third attack, I withdraw and open the crossing. For the lack of spearmen, the Horde was released.)

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5jaFu3ObxI/AAAAAAAAIL0/T04kgBqRkjo/s800/0063.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5jaHO3ObyI/AAAAAAAAIL8/hRcHYdzsx6I/s800/0065.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5jaI-3ObzI/AAAAAAAAIME/JTgat5whNw0/s800/0068.jpg

Tactically we have cost the Mongols far more men than we have lost, but strategically they have broken the French encirclement that was meant to deny them the chance to unify their forces. We have won three great battles, but lost the first stage of the larger war.

...to be continued soon...

:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

Managing the Mongols, turns 87-103.

It is increasingly clear that the new King of France, Richart, is a foppish sort of nobleman, unconcerned with duty or the success of the realm or Revolution. It is only fitting that his authority, what of it there is, is frequently flouted in the cities of the Revolution, but his inability to keep order at home is causing funding problems for the armies at the front and rioting in Paris. This rioting is not over ordinairy political matters or over mismanagement, high taxes, or any of the normal factors in a city riot. In fact, no one seems entirely clear just why these riots are happening, or what could be done to guide them to a successful conclusion. Meanwhile the King sits at court with his nobles enjoying esoteric discussions of esthetics. One might almost say the revolution has gone too far, at least at the top... (This was, in fact, an actual riot and I had soldiers killed in it, but I still don't know why. The best explanation I could come up with, one which removed the riot icon the next year, was that a young family member had matured at Paris with no chivalry or dread. If he'd been the governer, over the King, the city would've been red face and rioting, but this clearly shows King Richart as the governer, with a green face and riots. Very curious.)

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5kivu3Ob1I/AAAAAAAAINE/ak9wj9jic9E/s800/0072.jpg

In the far east the northern army which departed Arhus so long ago has, at last, arrived, giving France nearly four full armies of men, well supplied and led by generals of varying quality. This is the strategic situation, bearing in mind that the half-stack force which retreated south previously is not visible in the forest which trails away off the bottom of the map.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5kixu3Ob2I/AAAAAAAAINM/-oVpSj4siYQ/s800/0074.jpg

For the moment we are out of position for an offensive, but a large cavalry force is being brought to bear with the idea of clearing away some of the damaged Mongol armies.

Several years of complex manuever see us at last find an advantageous position, with the Mongol Khan's army completely surrounded at the southern crossing by the majority of our own troops. Heliot arrives too late to lead the attack, but Rolin de Dijon conducts himself admirably and inflicts heavy losses on the enemy as they struggle to extricate themselves and retreat.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5kize3Ob3I/AAAAAAAAINU/7VQaPVQ-e_E/s800/0077.jpg

Four hundred enemy soldiers are released, many of them departing on horseback to rejoin the enemy armies. Given what we know of the Mongols we could not expect the same consideration in return, but the principles of the Revolution must be upheld. Khan Abayan cannot retreat across the river, so he is forced to fall back towards our cavalry force, which sweeps him into battle yet again.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5ki1O3Ob4I/AAAAAAAAINc/-fXDvOPO0UU/s800/0081.jpg

Garnot Marcel allows the Khan to retreat again, and sends the captives back to him as well, but vows to hound him until he gives up his imperial aims or departs the free French protectorate region entirely. Our military experts now assess that our own sum total might is slightly greater than that of the remaining Mongols, much heartening our commanders in the field. Rene Alacoque takes advantage of the liquidation of some unecessary structures back in France to hire on more mercenaries from the Moscow region, before riding back south, while Rolin de Dijon catches up to Jebe the Mauler, and with Noel de Coligny reinforcing him he attacks Jebe again, driving him back.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5ki2u3Ob5I/AAAAAAAAINk/md0p06pWr28/s800/0087.jpg

As the Mongol armies gather east of Sarkel Heliot and Garnot Marcel catch the retreating remnant of Khan Abayan's army at the northern crossing where Heliot won the first great battle of the war, and strike it again.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5ki4e3Ob6I/AAAAAAAAINs/TdSABI-RFOw/s800/0090.jpg

At this point it comes to the attention of the King that the overseer of our sole training citdael at Toulouse is now widely reputed to be mad, so much so that he is called Nicholas the Mad. King Richart sends word for Nicholas to march north, to speak with the King. At the front the situation is thus:

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5ki6e3Ob7I/AAAAAAAAIN0/OgEcnQhBL1I/s800/0094.jpg

Khan Abayan is isolated in the north, but the Khan's leadership is now questionable after his many defeats at our hands (He's the only low star general they have at the moment) and Heliot decides it would be best not to alter the leadership situation of the Mongols in the hopes that they will assign more troops to their Khan. In the south Jebe the Mauler is isolated and facing a superior force, while in the center the Mongols have gathered their might and are marching north.

The passage of time sees Jebe outmanuever Rolin de Dijon and very nearly make it back to the safety of the Horde before he is caught and defeated again. Rolin then retreats towards the south crossing in the face of the overwhelming might of the Mongols.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5ki7-3Ob8I/AAAAAAAAIN8/_xgdDtiRlEQ/s800/0097.jpg

Alas for Rolin, after this great victory it becomes common knowledge that his wife is unfaithful, and he is nicknamed Rolin the Cuckold. The following year Noel de Coligny dies of old age at the front, not the greatest of our generals but one of the most loyal. His name, too, can be found in the Hall of Heroes. In the same year Nicholas the Mad, having somehow become lost on his way to Paris, is found to have drowned near Arhus, and our training facility is placed in the hands of a competent youngster. Also, alas, the next wave of Mongol reinforcements arrive, and our experts again reassess their strength as greater than all the military might of France. Few of the soldiers at the front are religious, but those who are pray that the might of the Mongols is not endless.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5ki9e3Ob9I/AAAAAAAAIOE/RhvixKAy-fI/s800/0107.jpg

In response to this next wave a fresh French army is dispatched from Toulouse aboard ship, to sail for the south coast of Sarkel and hopefully arrive in time to reinforce the armies at the front. Shortly after the launch the citizens of Nottingham, on the English isles, decide that King Richart is no longer for them, and begin rioting which will surely be preperatory to full revolt.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5ki_O3Ob-I/AAAAAAAAIOM/v_6S1mcJe-k/s800/0110.jpg

As the Mongols manuever their forces Garnot Marcel and his cavalry army shadow them carefully, finally catching Berkei the Pious out of position and unsupported by the main mass of Mongol troops. He immediately attacks, reinforced by a small army under Rolin the Cuckold. His men are inferior to the Mongol troops, but he will have the element of surprise and speed on his side.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjAu3Ob_I/AAAAAAAAIOY/Cgf5z26_g94/s800/0111.jpg

The armies line up perpendicular to a long ridge line. On the left Garnot concentrates his horse archers, with orders for them to keep the enemy's own main mass of horse bowmen busy. On the right he places his light cavalry, supported by a company of Merchant cavalry militia, to deal with the Mongol's other horse archer flank. In the center are his heavy cavalry companies. Garnot urges his men to make haste in seeking contact with the enemy, before his many, many bowmen can get off too many volleys.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjB-3OcAI/AAAAAAAAIOg/D0M1X5d82Sk/s800/0112.jpg

The weight of Garnot's charge is concentrated on his own left, where the hill is highest, while his right is slightly weaker but supported by a company of light cavalry horse archers. The Mongol right, under heavy pressure, is penetrated immediately, and quickly flanked by Garnot's own guardsmen.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjDO3OcBI/AAAAAAAAIOo/VUWkMIaKf6c/s800/0114.jpg

On the right the light cavalry are having a hard time with the enemy's valiant horse archers until the arrival of the Merchant cavalry to support them. Then the battle gradually swings in their favor, but it is a slow fight. In the center Garnot's heavy cavalry are gradually pushing the enemy infantry back down the steep hill behind them, towards where their artillery sit, inactive. The Mongol center left is now completely enveloped, and their general abandons his efforts to aid those men, sending his own melee cavalry and guardsmen against the weaker French center right.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjEu3OcCI/AAAAAAAAIOw/aFOG39o43qc/s800/0116.jpg

At this point the battle grinds to a crashing halt. There is no more room for movement, only for fighting and death. On the far right the French light cavalry mercenaries are successful in driving off the enemy horse archers, but at high cost. On the left the horse archer duel is basically even. In the center the French have destroyed the Mongol's right flank and driven through it, but the light cavalry support on the French center right has routed and fled the field in the face of overwhelming pressure from Berkei himself. At this critical moment the battle lines have turned ninety degrees, with the horse archer duel now taking place to the rear of the French center line. Berkei is a clever man, he spots this immediately, and since those men are the only mostly whole units remaining to him he commands them to charge the French heavy cavalry's rear. They cannot hope to win, especially not when our own horse archers counter charge behind them, but they buy Berkei time to try to extricate himself and the rest of his army from the battle.

(Screenshot-fu failed. I had no clear shot of this key moment.)

Alas for Berkei, it is not to be. From the French far right come the Merchant cavalry and scattered remnants of the light cavalry to pin him in place. The Mongol horse archers are ground away, and the bloodbath comes down to trying to catch or kill Berkei himself while the more depleted companies clean up the artillery crews behind the hill. A merchantman's sabre takes Berkei the Pious in the chest, and the paltry remains of his army rout instantly after his death.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjF-3OcDI/AAAAAAAAIO4/zZ4eWkeL6uM/s800/0117.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjHO3OcEI/AAAAAAAAIPA/0sijGiFTtQg/s800/0120.jpg

There were shockingly few prisoners. Berkei's reputation from his depredations in the east must have been fierce indeed for his army to fight virtually to annihilation before surrender, but it is now the reputation of a dead man. Over half of Garnot's own carefully conscripted mercenary cavalrymen are also dead, but Heliot commends him for a job well done despite the losses, and orders a battle marker built on the site. (I had one for the river crossing too, but those don't count.)

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjI-3OcFI/AAAAAAAAIPI/1jFRvKIxq0o/s800/0123.jpg

Nottingham revolts and forms a local government, with our blessing. Our scholars provide us with a most curious warning.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjKe3OcGI/AAAAAAAAIPQ/vXu8Cj3TW1g/s800/0125.jpg

The Revolution inspires the creation of the 'clock,' a mechanical method for accurate time keeping. Surely a boon to money lenders of every stripe. The Mongol armies, seeing the utter defeat of Berkei to the south, redirect their armies to a more central river crossing point so as to avoid Garnot's reduced cavalry force. Unfortunately for them this was precisely as Heliot the Scarred anticipated, and he has positioned his mighty army directly in their path. The Mongol faction heir, Batuban, and another of their generals named Orda ride forth to seek success againt the army that destroyed Batu in the first battle of the Mongolian War.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjMe3OcHI/AAAAAAAAIPY/okr9Zi_phQA/s800/0129.jpg

Heliot's position is, if anything, even more imposing on this occassion, as the river bank here east of Sarkel is much steeper on the sides. He positions his men much as before, taking advantage of the natural lay of the land to give his archers and crossbowmen excellent firing positions well protected by spearmen. On his left, where the ridgeline has one possibly passable spot, he places the weakest company of spearmen as a sort of bait, hoping to draw the enemy into attempting an attack up the narrow and steep path there.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjNe3OcII/AAAAAAAAIPg/cnG8Ryxs57I/s800/0130.jpg

Unbeknownst to the enemy, Heliot's own guardsmen sit just on the other side of the hill from those lightly armed spearmen, watching the battle unfold and prepared to aid them as necessary.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjOu3OcJI/AAAAAAAAIPo/e2Ary7H0HPs/s800/0131.jpg

As the mass of enemy soldiers cross, rain begins to fall, reducing the effectiveness of our bolts and arrows. Still, many corpses dot the ford.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjP-3OcKI/AAAAAAAAIPw/vErXBQkELFs/s800/0132.jpg

The Mongols split their efforts, as Batuban orders a probing attack at the position Heliot left exposed, which Heliot quickly answers, and making their main effort directly at the center of our line.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjRO3OcLI/AAAAAAAAIP4/cXVJqQ102h4/s800/0133.jpg

There, at the center, one of the companies of free mercenary spearmen which has been long in the service of the Revolution holds Batuban's guardsmen, and one of their number impales Batuban himself through the shoulder, ending any slight hope of success his attack might have had.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjSO3OcMI/AAAAAAAAIQA/kH98f-eoM6Q/s800/0134.jpg

The understrength Mongol attack then becomes a slaughter, as desperate Mongol soldiers struggle to escape the killing ground. Most are felled by bolts and arrows, but Heliot descends to capture the last few, who surrender gratefully, certain they will be freed. Across the river the second Mongol army approaches the blood soaked crossing, and descends their own high hills to attempt it. They leave their artillery crews on the far bank, making no effort to utilize them against our men. The Mongols march precisely in column down to the water, over the still warm bodies of their fellows.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjTu3OcNI/AAAAAAAAIQI/FAeTOhqWzRA/s800/0141.jpg

As they reach the far bank their general, Orda, reorganizes them effeciently under fire for his attack. He holds back his own foot archers, ordering them to occupy our archers and crossbowmen, while launching a heavy attack at the weak spearmen and leading his own guardsmen against our center.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjU-3OcOI/AAAAAAAAIQQ/o2yvXEOaaQ0/s800/0143.jpg

Orda's bodyguard company struggles to dress their lines for a charge amidst the many corpses dotting the field, and, noticing their stall, Heliot orders all fire concentrated against them. A massive volley of bolts and arrows strikes home, slaughtering Orda and all of his men and throwing chaos into the Mongol lines.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjWO3OcPI/AAAAAAAAIQY/gPzRQvp1qPE/s800/0146.jpg

When the Mongol attack on the French left fails, the entire army loses heart and attempts to flee. Many of them charge straight into our infantry lines, begging to be allowed to surrender. Now it is Heliot's turn to cross, riding through the corpse strewn ford to bring the Mongol artillery to battle.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjXe3OcQI/AAAAAAAAIQg/8eG7kvLFpbM/s800/0149.jpg

Heliot is surprised when the artillerymen do not immediately surrender to him. Many of them must be slaughtered before the remainder can be convinced to give themselves up.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjY-3OcRI/AAAAAAAAIQo/sr2NYmIjYz8/s800/0155.jpg

Another mighty victory for the Revolution, and if there is any luck more Mongol armies will seek to cross here against Heliot, who is aging gracefully but cannot have too many more years remaining in his career.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjZ-3OcSI/AAAAAAAAIQw/BMxBLhPw7Yw/s800/0156.jpg

After the battle Heliot discovers that one of his captives is none other than a badly wounded Khanzada Batuban himself, the Mongol Crown Prince. He is freely released, with an admonition that if he wishes to remain alive he should depart these lands in peace. Batuban declines our advice, and takes up a position secondary to the Mongol Khan.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjb-3OcTI/AAAAAAAAIQ4/P0nH3vKkD6U/s800/0159.jpg

Our military maps of the region show the strategic situation, with Heliot commanding the crossing directly in front of the rest of the Mongol armies.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5kjd-3OcUI/AAAAAAAAIRA/4YWC78sqFQ0/s800/0160.jpg

Reinforcing Heliot at the front are the remaining cavalrymen. To the north rear are the weaker armies made up of militia troops, partial companies, and green mercenaries. To the south is a middling force, rushing to reinforce Heliot in the event that the Mongols attempt to cross again in force.

:egypt:

[gibsonsg91921]

Amazing AAR as usual.

[phonicsmonkey]

I second that - the combination of original house rules (with due credit to ATPG), with an French Revolutionary theme and excellent storytelling makes this a compelling read - is there an AAR award I can nominate you for?

here, have a balloon
:balloon2:

[Ramses II CP]

Hacking Apart the Horde, turns 104-115.

Scholars again estimate that our own total military forces outman the Mongol armies after the great victory at what has since been dubbed Orda's End Crossing. Unfortunately not all of those men are available at the front, but the news is still heartening. The war at this point is one of positioning and attrition. We must break up the large mass of the Mongols and overwhelm them with our numbers before they can strike any free citizen's settlements, while they must endeavor to protect their smaller armies with the larger while advancing. With this in mind the Mongols spend some time repositioning their men to the south to avoid Heliot's blocking force at Orda's End, and Rolin the Cuckold takes our reinforced cavalry army out against their isolated scout group at night, a modest army under Aradai the Wrathful.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5lR_e3OcWI/AAAAAAAAISA/qSNdBVT9w1E/s800/0166.jpg

Aradai's force is primarily formed of mounted and dismounted archers, so Rolin orders his own horse archers to engage the enemy's mounted bowmen, while his heavy cavalry strikes out against their infantry. When Rolin's light cavalry strikes home against the Mongol horse archers Aradai leads his personal guard to their relief, just in time to permit the French heavy cavalry to strike the virtually unguarded Mongol infantry with full force charges.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSAe3OcXI/AAAAAAAAISI/57Nw-eYvuzo/s800/0168.jpg

Aradai is caught between two disasters. His horse archers are inflicting heavy losses on our light cavalry on their way to extinction, but his infantry are being wiped out utterly. Before he can reinforce either position, both are clear victories for France and the Revolution. Determined to make at least someone pay, Aradai attempts to charge home against our horse archers. The effort is futile, as they are faster the the Mongol lord, and simply ride around him shooting his escort full of arrows.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSBe3OcYI/AAAAAAAAISQ/jX7zbT5TCUg/s800/0170.jpg

In the end Aradai too falls to a simple horsebow, or rather dozens of arrows from nearly two hundred horsebows firing in concert.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSCe3OcZI/AAAAAAAAISc/0ygsWNtdGvs/s800/0171.jpg

Rolin the Cuckold has brought home a victory, but his losses were substantial. Many more cavalry mercenaries will have to be recruited before this army is ready for a head on battle against a full Mongol army again.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSDe3OcaI/AAAAAAAAISk/SoB0ajl84bg/s800/0172.jpg

Research on captured Mongol rocket launchers leads French scholars to deduce the workings of gunpowder, and to begin devising their own uses for such a weapon. Toulouse immediately begins work on a gun works to put this invention to work. Garnot Marcel, riding out with only his guardsmen to seek more mercenaries, fights a series of battles against a tiny captain led Mongol army, too small to be worth recounting as the main Mongol armies march around the river bend and head north, past Heliot's position at Orda's End Crossing.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSFe3OcbI/AAAAAAAAISs/Ld388lmMRmk/s800/0181.jpg

The arrogant enemy, certain that we will not attack his massed formation, has left Heliot a clear opening to press home against the very center of their line. Heliot cannot pass up this chance to break up the Horde, and so he move into position for an assault against three Mongol armies.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSG-3OccI/AAAAAAAAIS0/EIDVmgqIHEU/s800/0182.jpg

His victory opens a wide gap between the two full armies at the fore and the two full armies to the rear of the Mongol Horde. Heliot himself is gravely wounded in the fighting.

As feared the coming of the new year sees Heliot the Scarred, one of the most renowned generals of the Revolution, passing away peacefully after inflicting heavy losses on the Mongols. His name is added to the rolls in the Hall of Heroes in Paris. Heliot's valor at the front guided our armies through the most threatening period of the Mongol invasion, and our ultimate victory will be a direct consequence of his actions. The success of the eastern wing of the Revolution owes much to Heliot, a debt which will never be forgotten. A less experienced general named Hermant Trouchet moves to take over his command, first using them as reinforcements to assail the tail end of the Mongol line, where a general named Kuo Kan leads.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSIu3OcdI/AAAAAAAAIS8/8Ti9AD6WwfA/s800/0190.jpg

The victory costs Hermant a great many men, and before pressing on with his attack he reorganizes his armies to take better advantage of the men from Heliot's command. Then, pushing hard now, he attacks a mighty Mongol army at the new rear of the column, supported by the remnants of Jebe the Mauler's own men. Hermant's soldiers greatly outnumber the Mongol enemy, who cannot resist their advance, but they suffer more losses than they inflict even in victory.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSKO3OceI/AAAAAAAAITE/0Ouzg1p-u84/s800/0193.jpg

Hermant again calls a pause to reorganize, and to bring up more French generals to aid him in command. With our numbers at the front continuing to grow French generals can now be more aggressive. Losses will be heavy, but the soldiers of the Revolution will pay the price to keep it alive across Europe. The strategy maps show that Kuo Kan was forced to retreat south, into the path of Hermant's forward rushing reinforcements, while the rest of the Horde continues northward.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSL-3OcfI/AAAAAAAAITM/ARYaqtUE1QU/s800/0195.jpg

Rioting breaks out at Innsbruck, a formerly German holding that had been content under French control for many long years despite having never had a garrison. The slackening of central authority in France is clearly visible now.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSNe3OcgI/AAAAAAAAITU/TnjuC3UWwAI/s800/0196.jpg

Southwest of the main Mongol formation Rene Alacoque, who is a clueless leader (Zero stars and negative traits) and Rolin the Cuckold move to strike the army of Kuo Kan which retreated into their area, winning a modest victory.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSPO3OchI/AAAAAAAAITc/HmQOTytbhwQ/s800/0198.jpg

Meanwhile a general has been sent south to Turkey to purchase the services of any willing free company mercenaries in the region. Quite a large number sign up, and board ship to sail back north for Sarkel. Garnot Marcel arrives back at the main lines with a few more mercenaries from the north, just in time to reinforce Hermant Trouchet's latest attack on the Horde.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSQ-3OciI/AAAAAAAAITk/bKlbCxJIcso/s800/0204.jpg

Losses are heavy on both sides, but this further breaks up the Mongol formation so that now no two of their largest armies are positioned next to each other. If they can be kept apart then French might can be brought to bear against each in turn, piecemeal. Back at Paris King Richart's reputation and authority hit a new low, and many in the countryside openly wonder if the King's wife wouldn't be a better choice to run the Revolution.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSSu3OcjI/AAAAAAAAITs/B5NQADyP1R4/s800/0206.jpg

Rioting continues at Innsbruck. Rolin the Cuckold chases down Kuo Kan, and smashes his army again, though suffering the loss of many veteran men from his own force. After releasing the prisoners from this battle Rolin earns a new nickname, and becomes Rolin the Chivalrous.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSUe3OckI/AAAAAAAAIT0/3rASTncPLAM/s800/0210.jpg

He then pursues Kuo Kan's men to their fallback point and attacks them again.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSWO3OclI/AAAAAAAAIT8/GzQlawljekQ/s800/0213.jpg

Hermant Touchet leads a massive attack against the center rear position of the Mongol armies, and both sides are blooded in heavy, inconclusive fighting which leaves the French in possession of the field.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSX-3OcmI/AAAAAAAAIUE/n8xTsSvXkRY/s800/0216.jpg

The subsequent arrival of Blanchet, the general who rode south to collect more mercenaries in Turkey, allows Hermant to attack again against the very heart of the Mongol formation, breaking it up further at heavy cost. (Note the new Khanzada, meaning that Batuban died serving under Khan Abayan at some point. I'd hoped the Mongols would gather more of their generals into the Khan's stack for a single, decisive battle, but they don't do so until their armies are already so small as to be nearly irrelevant.)

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSZe3OcnI/AAAAAAAAIUM/w0t0DyTec8Y/s800/0219.jpg

At last the enemy possess only one full strength army. Hermant's costly assaults have scattered and broken the larger formation of the Horde, which allows Hermant to isolate smaller groups of the enemy and overwhelm them, as he does here against Abaqha.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSbO3OcoI/AAAAAAAAIUU/CsW0q-wQTno/s800/0222.jpg

Here is the strategic situation. There are many small Mongol armies widely scattered across the region, but there is no longer a single Horde, difficult to attack and well positioned to support itself. Victory now seems, if not certain, then certainly likely.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSdO3OcpI/AAAAAAAAIUc/ZOVpPxIDjHA/s800/0224.jpg

Hermant's next attack brings many fresh French reinforcements, recently arrived by ship, to bear against the largest group of Mongols after their desperate movements attempt to reassemble some form of the Horde.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSeu3OcqI/AAAAAAAAIUk/U-03BXXg0QE/s800/0226.jpg

Kitbuqa the Wrathful drove his men ferociously against the French lines on that day, but it was fruitless and foolish. A series of clearing actions to wipe away the now outnumbered and overpowered Mongol armies was all that remained, but it would not be quick work. First Rolin brought his cavalry army to bear against Kuo Kan, who escapes him despite the utter destruction of his army, twenty three of whom must be released to return to their lord.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSfu3OcrI/AAAAAAAAIUs/gHWaX2JtK-k/s800/0234.jpg

Rolin pursues Kuo Kan and attacks him again, eager to bring an end to the vile Mongol general. At last, near a steep ridge, Rolin's horse archers catch Kuo Kan's last few guardsmen and shower them with arrows. None escape, not even mighty Kuo Kan himself.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSge3OcsI/AAAAAAAAIU0/7ZJwzqndEIo/s800/0241.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5lShO3OctI/AAAAAAAAIU8/JmoqWr_l3RE/s800/0242.jpg

To the north Garnot Marcel attacks Hulegu with an army of small, scattered companies and wins a costly victory.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSjO3OcuI/AAAAAAAAIVE/a98oPvK4Jqc/s800/0244.jpg

Hermant Trouchet then once again strikes at the core of the Mongol's attempt to reassemble their formation, breaking up their largest army groups.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSku3OcvI/AAAAAAAAIVQ/jwkOKv0Ynb0/s800/0247.jpg

The passage of two years sees more extensive rioting at Innsbruck. Rolin the Scarred attacks Khan Abayan, who escapes with his life and little else.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSlu3OcwI/AAAAAAAAIVY/5P11HuoDKW8/s800/0255.jpg

Hermant and Garnot attack the army Kitbuqa the Wrathful is attempting to gather up, cutting it in half.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSnO3OcxI/AAAAAAAAIVg/Es_jaJ13k2Q/s800/0258.jpg

A new arrival from France, Hugues de Bordeaux, attacks the tiny remaining army of Jebe the Mauler, and drags down that once mighty Mongol general.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSou3OcyI/AAAAAAAAIVo/VyydOih8I88/s800/0264.jpg

King Richart the Cuckold is the laughing stock of all of Revolutionary Europe. (His authority is so low it 'wrapped around.' This does not mean he has maximum authority, it just means it can't display correctly how far into negative authority he has gone.) He takes estates out of France with a foreign 'woman' of uncertain provenance to avoid mockery, and turns over day to day running of the kingdom to his aids.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSp-3OczI/AAAAAAAAIVw/ZE0SK2ETrNA/s800/0266.jpg

Garnot and Hermant attack Kitbuqa again, halving his force yet again.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSru3Oc0I/AAAAAAAAIV4/6ZxuCAIjyvI/s800/0268.jpg

Rolin the Scarred takes his cavalry out against a large but scattered force of Mongols, breaking them up again.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSte3Oc1I/AAAAAAAAIWA/w_ryvJwu2kI/s800/0271.jpg

He then drives on and breaks up another group, whittling them away gradually.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSvO3Oc2I/AAAAAAAAIWI/mWiThWRfdbk/s800/0273.jpg

The strategic situation is quite simple, France has overwhelming numbers in the theatre of operations now, and needs only to find a way to bring them to bear effectively. Once the Mongol armies have been ground away the leaders of this invasion can be brought to justice, one by one. Already their armies are growing so small that more than one of them serves under their Khan.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5lSxO3Oc3I/AAAAAAAAIWQ/Js4VQxDCQxM/s800/0275.jpg

:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

Thanks Gibson and Phonicsmonkey, it makes for a pretty interesting campaign when 90% of the known world are rebels. At this stage, having gone back for the Mongols and found ways around the irritating pathing problem, I'm pretty determined to finish things up all the way through the Americas and Revolutionizing France herself. Does anyone know if the player's capital can revolt? Otherwise I might have to drown my whole family at Arhus. :laugh4:

:egypt:

[Askthepizzaguy]

I would ship them off to the new world and wait for mother nature to capsize them at sea. Or simply ram them into some pirates. Oops!

[Ramses II CP]

The Mongols Make an Exit, turns 116-122.

Kitbuqa the Wrathful leads the largest remaining Mongol army, which Garnot Marcel attacks and defeats with his rag-tag remnants, though both armies suffer equal losses. The French can afford such outcomes, the Imperialists cannot.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5qBo-3Oc5I/AAAAAAAAIXQ/iwc8Mxmw2nA/s800/104.jpg

Rolin the Champion, once the Cuckold, attacks a small army commanded by Hulegu under cover of darkness before it can slip away.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5qBqu3Oc6I/AAAAAAAAIXY/7BQbP_NQnkQ/s800/0202.jpg

As with Kuo Kan before him, Hulegu is pinned to the ground under a vast shower of arrows, and his army is destroyed, though two men are released to carry word of Hulegu's end to his Khan.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5qBru3Oc7I/AAAAAAAAIXg/wbeynrjS4Ak/s800/0277.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5qBsu3Oc8I/AAAAAAAAIXo/wbC9tXs5yaQ/s800/0278.jpg

After this battle Rolin the Champion's reputation is that of a saint of battle, one of the living examples of the chivalrous virtues all men of the Revolution aspire to for themselves. Nearby Hermant Touchet overwhelms the army under Khanzada Subatai, and kills over half of his men before the rest can flee to momentary safety.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5qBuO3Oc9I/AAAAAAAAIXw/zH5vIe-jWLw/s800/0282.jpg

Despite the Revolution's observance of the principle of free release the Mongol soldiers rarely surrender to us in inconclusive battles, only when there is nowhere left to run and their general has been decisively defeated do they surrender in any great numbers. Garnot Marcel defeats Khan Abayan, who now commands one of the two remaining substantial armies of the Mongols.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5qBv-3Oc-I/AAAAAAAAIX4/QrV7zcAAE_E/s800/0284.jpg

A few of the vaunted Khan's bodyguards are among the prisoners taken, and they reveal that Khan Abayan is beholden to a greater Khan from the east who will not permit his men to surrender, and ordered that Abayan return with a victory or not at all.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5qBxe3Oc_I/AAAAAAAAIYA/K2Dt98dDKh0/s800/0285.jpg

The strategic situation leaves no question which end he will reach now.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5qBzO3OdAI/AAAAAAAAIYI/6YSpSp09xv4/s800/0286.jpg

The following year Garnot Marcel attacks Khan Abayan again, and defeats him again, but now the majority of the Khan's army is composed of his own guardsmen, and those of the subordinate generals in his army. Those men will not lose heart no matter how many times they are defeated. They and their lords must be killed before they will give up their mad quest to attack free Europe.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5qB0u3OdBI/AAAAAAAAIYQ/-jKlTDeBGS4/s800/0289.jpg

Hermant Touchet then attacks Khanzada Subutai the Wrathful in a forest not far from Khan Abayan's remaining men.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5qB2O3OdCI/AAAAAAAAIYY/T3WCe-ocdLo/s800/0290.jpg

Subutai decides that he has retreated enough, and today he launches an immediate attack against Hermant's vastly superior forces. He selects the heaviest men at the front, French Aventuriers, and charges home against them, causing many casualties but losing most of his guardsmen in the melee.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5qB4O3OdDI/AAAAAAAAIYg/BUoi6rvleGk/s800/0292.jpg

His remaining guardsmen pull back, and move down the line, selecting a lighter target. By the time they are prepared to charge again there are only two of them remaining.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5qB5-3OdEI/AAAAAAAAIYo/fmrae__qqf4/s800/0294.jpg

Just before he can strike home against the mercenary crossbowmen a mass of bolts strike Subutai in the chest, and he is thrown to the turf penetrated many times over.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5qB7O3OdFI/AAAAAAAAIYw/E0c1SaHA89o/s800/0295.jpg

Four of his men flee deeper into the woods to try to rejoin Khan Abayan at a later date. None surrender.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5qB8u3OdGI/AAAAAAAAIY8/V3COm-AMi1g/s800/0296.jpg

Next Khan Abayan is assaulted by overwhelming force, with his pair of subordinate generals joining him in battle.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5qB-O3OdHI/AAAAAAAAIZE/mu5XgBsCT1U/s800/0297.jpg

The Khan's men split up to make their charges against the French lines, with each finding a different fate.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5qB_u3OdII/AAAAAAAAIZM/E8OCy7A-lgY/s800/0299.jpg

Khan Abayan flees the field in terror, unable to face his own death.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCAu3OdJI/AAAAAAAAIZU/PntTYScTXN8/s800/0302.jpg

Kitbuqa the Wrathful meets his end at the hands of French mercenary spearmen, while Bayan the Wrathful is captured uninjured and freely released to go his own way. Instead he returns to the service of his Khan.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCB-3OdKI/AAAAAAAAIZc/uAr7jWOnKgo/s800/0304.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCDe3OdLI/AAAAAAAAIZk/Jv3MpMXA2L0/s800/0305.jpg

All that remains of the once mighty Mongol Horde can be seen in this spy report. Most of the local mercenaries in our armies are released to return to their free homes, with the great thanks of the Revolution.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCE-3OdMI/AAAAAAAAIZs/QWPNBuRRzBE/s800/0306.jpg

At this time Bern, Staufen, Caen, and unruly Innsbruck are converted into villages with the intent of reducing the territories of the Revolution to nine, so that a local outpost can be established in the far east for the training of new troops to face any further eastern invasion. The dismissal of our mercenary armies and the dismantling of the excess training structures at Bern provide for a growing stockpile of wealth in the coffers of the Revolution.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCGu3OdNI/AAAAAAAAIZ0/cArUt_ZEBy0/s800/0308.jpg

Rolin the Champion again assails Khan Abayan's forces, and Bayan the Wrathful meets his end at our hands, but the fearful Khan surrenders himself into our care.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCH-3OdOI/AAAAAAAAIZ8/_c4JdcuuneM/s800/0315.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCJO3OdPI/AAAAAAAAIaE/8ahJew1w1Oo/s800/0316.jpg

Rolin attempts to have a discussion regarding the nature of chivalry, and when time has arrived to concede your defeat, but the proud Mongol Khan knows only one thing, that he is assured of his release. Rolin then tries to communicate to the Khan that the armies of the Revolution and the dictates of chivalry will not prevent him from being killed in battle, but Khan Abayan demands to be set free, and swears to raise new forces to fight his foes. Rolin the Champion give the Khan his horse and sends him on his way. His retreat takes him far from our armies, requiring a long march to catch him again.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCK-3OdQI/AAAAAAAAIaM/qn2FiZGAmm4/s800/0317.jpg

Their conversion to towns aids the process of the revolution in the four former castles, as rioting breaks out and all four begin to determine their political futures.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCMO3OdRI/AAAAAAAAIaU/JG2oAAoqlH4/s800/0318.jpg

More years pass before the flighty Abayan can be caught again, seeing revolts in all four formerly French castles at a cost of nearly two thousand lives. Prince Henry, long the true ruler of France, passes away peacefully in Paris. There is some confusion over the matter of succession, but the Revolutionary Council decides it is time for a young man to take the reigns, and so Prince Foucher becomes next in line to the throne. Rolin the Champion at last brings Abayan back to battle, and the arrogant Khan is made a pincushion by the free mercenary Turkopoles.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCNe3OdSI/AAAAAAAAIac/lghu5L8rT8g/s800/0331.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCOu3OdTI/AAAAAAAAIak/iFYF7R_xRRg/s800/0332.jpg

The Mongol Invasion is at an end.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCP-3OdUI/AAAAAAAAIas/Q75JcrrpO14/s800/0333.jpg

All that now remains is to determine where the French Revolution shall establish their base in the region. Some suggest Sarkel or Bulgar, which are little more than backwater forts. Others would have us claim Tblisi or Yerevan, which are also regions of small population deep in the mountains, while still others would have us take over Baghdad or Mosul, deep in the deserts. Prince Foucher, however, concludes that our base should be more easily reinforced than any of these places, and settles on the great city of Antioch. The northern armies are mobilized to accomplish the goal as quickly as possible, while spies are being assembled in the distant east so that any further eastern incursions can be spotted as they begin.

Here is some data regarding the state of the Revolution at the end of the Mongol War.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCRu3OdVI/AAAAAAAAIa0/j0K5LZEZagA/s800/0334.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCTO3OdWI/AAAAAAAAIa8/EnT2lhoXLsc/s800/0335.jpg

Here is the state of the King at this time as well, a most unimpressive gentleman. Many Frenchmen and free citizens find his behavior disturbing even in these most permissive of times, and the popularity of his wife means that his current consort is viewed very poorly no matter the viewer-in-question's opinion on sexual liberation in general. ('Exotic tastes' indeed.)

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R5qCUu3OdXI/AAAAAAAAIbE/FEneBfIyN4M/s800/0336.jpg

:egypt:

[Askthepizzaguy]

Thread is taking a while to load even with a fast connection.

Part of the problem is so many 'unspoiler-ed' images. It takes a while just to load the page each time someone wants to view the page or post a reply.

Might be solvable simply by wrapping a spoiler around each AAR posting. Must click once to view each chapter. Only a suggestion.

Bravo! Bravo!

It is so gratifying to see my theory on making the map rebel turned out to be an excellent and satisfying campaign. I believe it successfully blended both fun and difficulty to give new life to the game.

I am wondering if you'd try something similar on your own, just for fun. Not necessarily having to make the entire map rebel, but just playing under the same house rules and eliminating, say, X number of factions, and perhaps adjusting the number of provinces you are allowed to garrison.

For a smaller campaign, you could get by with 5 or less provinces. Higher difficulty, still fun, less lengthy campaign.

Or perhaps this AAR has proven so exhausting that youre ready to scrap the whole idea.

I, for one, will play under these rules unless I am blitzing or roleplaying as a dreadful leader. This is Total Chivalry. Note how easy it was to maintain excellent reputation and high chivalry generals!

I have nearly immaculate reputation and I'm at war with several factions. Holy schniekies!

You fought well, master Ramses. Hopefully I will be able to perform just as well with little old Sicily.

Salute!

[Ferret]

Indeed Ramses is a great general and a great story teller, well done.

[Ramses II CP]

The post is going to take awhile to load because of the number of images I use. I've experimented with putting them all under spoiler tags, but (At least on my older home box) it doesn't seem to make a difference to the load time. Basically forum software is ill equipped to handle a large number of images. I could tone it down, but I'm already glossing over a heck of a lot and I worry that without at least battle results screens that the story of auto-calc after auto-calc would be, more or less, 'And they rode out and beat them. Again. And again,' etc. I could make the posts individually shorter so as to get to page 2 faster and that would help, but it's a bit more work on my end.

I bulled on ahead to the Timurids, and I'm almost in position to start fighting them. Cannons are expensive! I'm at the point where my army upkeep is eating all of my cash, at least until the Tims smash a few of them. The Black Death was not a big deal, since everyone could just hunker down safely in the city of their choice.

Anyway, I want to get in a few fights with the Tims and then I'll post again.

As far as the idea, I'm thinking we need Total War: Stability. You play the UN of the old world, trying to prevent war by any means necessary, including war. Your ten province nation must prevent any faction from being eliminated, including the Timurids and Mongols, until the end of the game. If the Byzantines threaten Iconium, you land your peacekeepers in the region and aid the Turks, but if Turkey declares a jihad against Constantinople your peacekeepers must cut them off and preserve the capital of Byzantium. The idea of releasing all prisoners and never sacking a captured city would be preserved, while the full range of diplomatic tools would be available as well (Assassins would be key I think). Also by the end of the game there must be no rebel provinces, as everyone deserves good governance and protection.

Basically the rebels made a lot of sense for TI, but they make for fairly boring, static opponents through the majority of the game (From turn 65 on, or so). Wait, wait, wait, fight for your life! I think playing peacekeeper would make every turn somewhat harrowing, and it might be necessary to annex territories in strategic spots around the world to keep up your quick response capacity. If all else fails (Think Scotland or Portugal) then you must build a protective enclave within your own territorial holdings to preserve the vital national identity of X people.

I've also considered a TW: Total Vassalage campaign. You are limited to 15 permanant territories, but you must win the game according to the victory conditions. How? By collecting the other thirty provinces under your vassals. Two thirds of your final empire must be vassals. Could be pretty interesting, but I haven't messed with the vassal system enough to be sure it would work and wouldn't just be a matter of 'Conquer X, give it to Y who is already my vassal, move on.'

:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

A Gentle Decline, turns 123-169.

King Richart the Cuckold manages to sink his pleasure boat off the coast of Arhus, drowning himself and his entire retinue of sybarites. A new King is crowned, King Perrin. Prince Foucher remains the next in line to the throne. Both men are aboard ship headed for Antioch, which Prince Foucher's policy dictates will become our base in the east. (Little mix-up in my notes there about Foucher.)

The next year sees the peaceful death of Rene Alacoque, whose long, if unexceptional, service in the Mongolian War earns him a place of honor in the Hall of Heroes. The years pass quietly, quickly, as scholars of the Revolution invent a method for turning a sawblade with only water. Eight years after the end of the war Garnot Marcel and Rolin the Champion pass away on the long road back home. Both names can now be read in the Hall of Heroes in Paris. A mighty accomplishment of the Revolution occurs at Milan, where they place a large clock at the top of a tall tower. In the Levant King Perrin arrives at Antioch with his army, and Prince Foucher, hiring on local mercenaries to make his assault as the entire force he brought with him was composed of cavalry.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R54KnO3OduI/AAAAAAAAIfg/msIxF8Q-2l8/s800/0012.jpg

The city is occupied, of course, and King Perrin the Wrathful earns a reputation as being fair in rule. Alas, this does nothing to appease the citizens of Antioch, who are so accustomed to the freedoms provided by the Revolution that they excercise their political right to reject serving the cause as a base against future invasion. Riots begin immediately, and not a single happy citizen can be found in the whole of the city.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/R54Kou3OdvI/AAAAAAAAIfo/Cc_jESRukEM/s800/0017.jpg

King Perrin, Foucher, and the third general on the expedition all set out aboard ship to review the battlefields and ponder defenses against any further invasion. News reaches them of a plague at Paris, but it seems a minor matter. Two years later the plague continues in Paris, and the rioting continues at Antioch. A further two years sees the abatement of the plague, and the end of the riots... via a revolt.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/R54KqO3OdwI/AAAAAAAAIfw/OJHQMcWCPMo/s800/0021.jpg

The captain of the former garrison of Antioch has no orders from home, no boats to follow the King in, and no command structure on the ground. Absent those things, he follows his last orders and lays siege to Antioch again. None will gainsay their right to protest, but the needs of the Revolution must outweigh the needs of any one city's citizens. Near Constantinople King Perrin, Prince Foucher, and their entire retinues are lost when their ship runs aground and is destroyed. For three noble men doing their duty to the revolution to be lost at one time throws the whole realm into chaos, and a new King must be chosen. Unfortunately the Council is split over the decision, and must choose the only candidate none of them would truly favor, Jehanin the Mad. (%^$&! I've had the absolute worst run of Kings and generals in my personal history with the game. Perrin the Wrathful was flatulent due to a witch, Foucher had aesthete and warts and was actually worse than Perrin. Can't kill too many more, or I'll risk running out of generals. Jehanin the Mad it is then. Note the 'wrapped around' authority again.)

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Facilities for training men armed with personal gunpowder weapons are being erected in Paris. West of Caffa a ship finally arrives to pick up the remaining generals and soldiers from the Mongol campaign, and sets sail for Antioch. The second siege of Antioch proceeds, and Captain Casin loses his life making a costly assault which ends with the reoccupation of the city.

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Once again not a single citizen in all of Antioch is pleased to see it under French control, and the riots begin immediately.

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If rioting in our supposed eastern bastion isn't sufficient, a deadly new plague has also begun spreading throughout the known world. Our physicians can find no way to slow it's spread, and it seems inevitable that every French city, indeed every city of the whole Revolution, will become infected. As the plague ravages Europe, Antioch revolts a second time.

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Surely if any general or command structure were in place to control his actions the French captain on the ground would abandon his plan, but, rather sheepishly, Antioch is again besieged. King Jehanin, who finally gets a report on the matter, just giggles and does a little dance to indicate how terribly amusing he finds the situation. He then orders ships prepared for him so that he can sail to Antioch personally, and departs within the year, just ahead of the arrival of the plague at Toulouse. He also orders a halt on training before departing.

A new method of metal working is discovered by Revolutionary smiths in Sweden, proving yet again the power of the Revolution to inspire philosphical discoveries and innovation. Estimates are that the plague has killed over six thousand Frenchmen, and perhaps fifty thousand in the surrounding territories.

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Two years later a French merchant near Antwerp dies of the plague, giving clear indication of how quickly it is spreading. Captain Casin's replacement, Captain Etienne, assaults Antioch yet again, and occupies the city a third time. Many new structures have been paid for at Antioch between the riots in the hope that this will appease the people, but they have little effect.

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Some believe the worst of the plague has passed, but seventeen thousand Frenchmen die of it despite this, including the noble governer of Bruges... and there is a great deal of political discourse ongoing at Antioch.

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The coffers of the Revolution are empty, and indeed there is little cash for the basic running of the realm. King Jehanin the Mad is still at sea, so in his absence the council decides that the theatre in Marseille must be sold to provide funds for the pacification of Antioch. Alas, the people of Antioch are not impressed, and the rioting only grows. Ten thousand Frenchmen die of the plague.

Antioch revolts.

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Halfway across the sea King Jehanin eagerly issues orders that the city be taken again, in the name of the Revolution! Before the message bearer can depart the King also draws the crude image of a cat on his forhead, and claims that the captain at Antioch will know what it means. Captain Lanfrank, reinforced at last by some of the generals from the Mongol front, lays siege, and two years later makes the next French assault on the city.

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Antioch is occupied once more. Back home in France word of the actions of the Revolutionary army at Antioch has become common knowledge, and the citizenry is displeased. Happiness is generally lower across the board, and satsifaction with King Jehanin the Mad is at an all time low, even worse than under King Richart the Cuckold. Prince Hermant, recently arrive from the front, takes over governership of the city and declares a number of measures that notably improve happiness.

Just not enough to prevent more rioting from the populace.

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If that isn't sufficent, plague strikes at Antioch.

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Two years later noble Prince Hermant, already ill with the plague, loses his life attempting to pacify a crowd during a particularly violent riot in the streets of Antioch.

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Blanchet, an unremarkable general from the Mongol wars, becomes the new Prince of the realm. The riots at Antioch grow inevitably into another revolt by the people.

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The following year, however, word on every merchant's lips from the east is of the impending arrival of a terrible new threat under Tamur the Lame, a Mongol Khan with a mighty empire behind him. Antioch is besieged once again, in the name of protecting free Europe the valorous people of this city must be brought to heel and made to serve the greater good.

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Back home in France all is not well, however, and as a sign of the growing anger in the free territories over the treatment of Antioch a young noble moving to take governership of Rheims is ambushed by a rebel army.

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The battle takes place within marching distance of Paris herself, heart of the Revolution. At first young Gilbert Touchet assumes the rebels are moving to meet him for discussions of local land values, or perhaps even for a philosphical debate, but as he watches the enraged mass of men approach their intent becomes clear.

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Discussing it with his bodyguards he realizes he has no choice but to attack. His men spur themselves forward and launch a vicious charge into the ranks of the angry peasants.

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Charge after charge strikes home, costing the lives of some of Gilbert's men, but killing most of the rebels. At last the mob's organizer is struck and killed, bringing an end to their effective resistance.

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After the battle Gilbert draws together the seventy or so men he's captured and hashes over their complaints and their reasons for raising arms. In short, they are disgusted that France is led by a madman, and that his behavior has cost the lives of so many free citizens at Antioch. The situation was not to be borne any longer.

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Gilbert is not unsympathetic to their complaints, and he offers them a resolution; sign on with him as Free Company Longbowmen and he will provide them with jobs, weapons, and a chance to march east and bring their complaints directly to the King while serving the cause of the Revolution. These hardy, valiant men discuss it amongst themselves and agree, they shall take up arms in the name of the Revolution, and if the chance arises they shall present their disagreement to the King personally.

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The occupation of Antioch goes forward again, with chivalrous but aged Hughes de Bordeaux taking governership of the city. In light of the coming threat out of the east, and in no small part due to the dramatic reduction of the populace, the citizens of Antioch accept his rule and do not riot any further.

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France has a line of spies stretching from north of Bulgar to south of Baghdad on alert to watch for the arrival of these Timurids, and at the time of their invasion it pays off as their advance guard is spotted immediately. Prince Blanchet takes the best troops from the Antioch region and marches north immediately.

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Another group of Timurids is spotted around Bulgar, and their armies reportedly include immense war beasts that carry cannons and gun firing soldiers on their backs. The spy network is generally considered highly reliable, but this particular report is hardly to be believed.

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As the years pass and the respective armies manuever to reach one another plague strikes at Marsellies, killing nearly three thousand citizens. The situation at home continue to deteriorate as well, as rioting breaks out at Rennes, damaging several local buildings and killing some of the garrison.

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There are no funds available to rebuild the Merchant Warf, so it is torn down and sold for parts. A second wave of Timurids arrives out of the east, near Bulgar, and the two massive forces move to combine into one mighty Horde, mirroring the tactics of their predecessors. They are now estimated to be the mightiest military force in the known world, over and above France. The enemy unites before any of our forces can arrive, and viewing them from up close Prince Blanchet suffers some doubt about the ability of his army to deal with their elephants.

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Four years later a great truth about the nature of the world is discovered by scholars of the Revolution; the world is round! Some facilities must be sold around the cities of France to allow Bruges to build a dockyard for the construction of ships large enough to sail west, into the unknown.

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Alas, in this same year Hughes de Bordeaux dies at Antioch. The people of the city are little pleased, and riot vigorously the next year. Afterward a local is elected to lead a group council to oversee the operation of the city, leading to some improvement in satisfaction and the momentary quelling of riots for the immediate future.

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For the following years our policy is one of containment and patience. The generals at the front, where King Jehanin is just arriving, advise that we wait and see what the intent of the Timurids is. The free people of the fortress at Ryazan, with two mighty armies under their command, agree to aid us in this purpose and watch the enemy.

Alas for the people of Ryazan, the lead elements of the Timurid Horde besiege them. Agreements regarding the limitations on French army movement in the region prevent us from aiding them, and Ryazan appears destined to fall.

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King Jehanin rejects a politically expedient marriage, further upsetting the citizenry back home in France. Happiness is at an all time low in the core cities of the Revolution, as is funding for construction and war. Debt mounts ever higher. Ryazan is attacked, but the Timurids withdraw from the walls when the second rebel army in the region moves in to aid their fellows. The castle remains a free protectorate, but now war is inevitable between France and Tamur. Antwerp, long one of the critical trade centers for the Revolution, decides that King Jehanin's mad policies can no longer be supported, and revolts. (This was beyond my control actually, not planned. I can't drown Jehanin because my family consists of 4 nobles at the moment and he's the best general. It gets worse too.)

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The Revolution appears to be in some considerable danger of collapsing under mismanagement and pressure from Tamur the Lame. Only time will tell if the vision of Abbot Sieyes can be seen through to it's noble goal. (My taxes are leveraged to the maximum supporting the armies moving to the front, especially including the large number of cannons. An entire stack of elite cavalry was wasted an Antioch, including thousands of florins for construction, and the Timurids aren't even going there. My king is mad, the fourth useless king in a row, and I'm rapidly running out of family members. There's no guarantee I'm actually going to make it to the Aztecs...)

:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

Timurid Two Steppe, turns 169-175.

All of the French forces that can be expected in the forseeable future have now arrived at the front, making up about three and a half armies. The Timurids have nine complete armies, and a fragment under their Khan. For the moment there is technically no state of war between our peoples, but that is sure to change. After their failure at Ryazan the Horde moves back south towards some river crossings that are not conclusively held by our men. We move to block them, and they move back north. Meanwhile the people of Marsellies, seeing the success of the rebellion at Antwerp, decide to follow suit and riot themselves. A famous Flemish painter in the now free city of Antwerp invents a new method of painting with oil based paints, another in the long list of innovations inspired by the Revolution.

Arriving at the front Gilbert Touchet sends his free company Longbowmen to join the army of the King. Those men, having undertaken the journey of their lives to reach their King attempt to detail for him the many troubles that are causing the people of France to give up their larger aims and take local control of their cities. The purposeless and repeated conquest of Antioch, the complete lack of construction in French cities during the reign of Jehanin and his predecessor Perrin, and the crushing weight of sending all their wealth to battle an eastern invasion that would not reach them for generations, if at all. Hearing this King Jehanin grows impatient, and decides to launch the war himself by attacking an isolated Timurid general named Umar Shaykh the Pious. In a moment of clarity the Mad King says to his subjects, 'Worry not my good friends, for the day is not long in coming when we shall be free of fear, but for now the aims of the Revolution must trump the concerns of the French at home just as they must the free men of Antioch. Join me in battle today, though, and I vow I will set Antioch free upon their next request as we begin the last war of the east!'

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The early part of the battle is entirely conducted at long range, with our three serpentines and basilisk all battling against their pair of grand bombards.

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After a lucky shot by the bombards kills one of the King's spearmen he decides that something must be done about their fire, so he charges out entirely alone and attacks them. Many die, but they retreat under the screening fire of the nearby horse archers. As soon as they return to their bombards King Jehanin strikes again, killing so many that the bombards are left uncrewed.

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Our cannons having exhausted their ammunition the army now advances to a hill north west of the main Timurid position, and begins an archer battle. Position and numbers are both heavily on our side, and the Timurids lose many men.

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As the odds grow ever longer against Umar he makes a very wise decision and withdraws his heavy cavalry and infantry rather than face a melee battle under constant archer fire. King Jehanin pursues the retreating infantry fearlessly, slaughtering many of their halberd militia troops.

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By the time the enemy has withdrawn King Jehanin's questionable decision to attack has been proven out, as he has all but destroyed a Timurid army to very slight losses among his own army. The cannons accounted for over four hundred of the enemy dead by themselves.

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Despite this great victory debt is mounting ever higher for France. Either the economy must improve or the armies of the empire must grow smaller, and soon.

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Taking advantage of the momentum gained by his win, King Jehanin then calls all of the armies in the region to his side and launches an immense strike against the head of the Timurid column, winning another substantial victory, though at high cost to his own forces.

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Paris is struck by the plague, costing the lives of many Frenchmen. Gilbert Touchet attacks the Timurid Khan in the position he retreated to after King Jehanin's mighty victory the year before.

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Thibault the Mad, whom some whisper is an illegitimate son of the King, then assaults the rear of the Timurid column while they struggle to reassemble their Horde.

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At Antioch news of the rebellion of Antwerp, the King's vow at the front, and the riots at Marsellies is too much for the people. They take to the streets in riots of their own, and King Jehanin, persuaded by his valiant free company Longbowmen, orders the garrison to take ship and depart Antioch, to allow them at last to return to their own ways. The Antioch experiment was a colossal error on the part of the Revolution, and history must record it accurately as such. The quantity of florins lost, the effective destruction of a whole French army, and the diminishing faith of the citizens of France at home were all high prices for such a dramatic error. (It was time to let go of Antioch. Nor could I rescue Marsellies without sinking myself deeply in debt. Antioch would never be capable of paying for itself, and I desperately need more men at the front. I'm going to be left with only seven provinces, most of them perforce at low taxes with no governors too, so money is very tight.)

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King Jehanin rides away from the Horde to strike the isolated Dayir the Pious.

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Unwilling to sit back and let the King's cannons weaken his army, Dayir attacks immediately. His cavalry attempt to engage our serpentines, but cannont penetrate the line of stakes to reach them.

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His weakened infantry, however, can, while the general himself rides around to strike at our exposed Basilisk. He is counter charged by dismounted feudal knights, and the King's guard rides back to trap him in place.

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Eventually King Jehanin's guardsmen carve a path to Dayir and throw down the vile invader. The morale of his army falls, and many of them begin to flee.

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There is still some fighting to be done before the last of his mounted bowmen are driven off, but at the end of the day the King's men have taken light losses and killed one of the enemy's greatest generals.

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Eager to impress his supposed father, Thibault the Mad makes his own assault against the rear of the Horde, going against a pair of generals far greater than himself and an army that slightly outnumbers his own.

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The battle begins with the almost obligatory exchange of cannon fire between the Timurid's two grand bombards and our own basilisk and serpentine pair. The enemy gets the worst of it, but the close range allows the grand bombards to score some damaging hits as well.

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As Nayaga the Pious' men move into position, however, a fortunate shot from our serpentine strikes him head on, stripping the enemy of one of their great generals and leaving Umar Shaykh the Pious struggling to control a second army.

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The Timurid bombards are finding the range against our men. More and more Aventuriers are lost with each volley, despite loosening their formation and moving them to a deeper position behind our line.

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At last Umar leads his heavy cavalry forward to try to shock our men into a retreat. Thibault the Mad rides out from our left flank to meet them. Rather than charge headlong into our spears, Umar cleverly rides up and down our lines, seeking a weak point.

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Tragedy strikes, as on the left Thibault's guardsmen are charged from behind by a company of Timurid heavy horse archers. Thibault's head is crushed by a mace, and his bodyguard flees the field.

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Morale is low across the whole front, as Umar and the heavy lancers with him strike at the weak point of our far right flank, where a company of gunmen was firing around the edge of our spear line. Umar penetrates the line deeply, driving off many of the gunmen in terror, but also coming under heavy fire from those gunmen who held their courage.

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The Timurid assault against the right continues, as a whole company of heavy lancers crashes into the spearmen holding there. Those men struggle valiantly to hold the line.

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...but eventually they break, and more Timurid heavy cavalry charges into the rear of our formation. Disaster looms for Thibault's army. On the left heavy lancers and heavy mounted archers are duelling some companies of Aventuriers, who may win the battle but are wavering and on the verge of flight. On the right our formation has collapsed completely, and spearmen are being forced off the line to try to restore order in our rear. If the enemy infantry were to push right now, or even their remaining light cavalry, we would be swept away.

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Alas for Umar, though he blows his horn desperately he does not have the correct signals to call for an advance from Nayaga's troops. Riding back towards our line, obviously hoping to be able to signal the rest of his army some other way, Umar is caught by our spearmen and killed.

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The soldiers of the Revolution take heart, and rally to reform the line! The enemy cavalry is driven out of our backfield in terror at the loss of their leader, and even Thibault's guardsmen return to the fray to attack those hateful grand bombards that have inflicted so many losses on France today.

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Though they are successful in driving away most of the men manning the bombards, it costs them all their lives. An immense shower of flaming arrows falls on them, killing the guardsmen of Thibault but for a single man, who fled and was never seen again.

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Now the two armies stood facing each other across the proverbial valley of the shadow of death. Neither side has sufficient manpower to be certain of victory if they advance, but neither can either reliably turn and retreat in safety. The French line has reformed, showing the experience and training of the French captains, while the Timurid line is chaotic and uncoordinated, but they still have some cavalry and far greater mobility. Someone must make the first move and risk defeat if they wish to secure victory.

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France's artillery has exhausted their shot, but the few remaining men to man the Timurid bombards return to their cannon and begin to load one of them. France's captain sends forward a reduced company of arquebusiers to attempt to neutralize the grand bombard.

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The experiment ends badly for the Revolutionary army.

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Timurid cavalry attempt to chase down the fleeing arquebusiers, but are driven back before they reach our lines, where the small company rallies. The most depleted company of spearmen are sent out to make the next attempt against the bombard, and they succeed in routing them before they are themselves put to flight by a shower of arrows.

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With their artillery also now out of commission the Horde's mounted archers come forward, briefly, before being driven back by the volume of our fire. Another stalemate develops, and once again the enemy's bombard crews can be seen creeping back to reman their deadly instrument. With no other options in the offing except utter defeat, the army of the Revolution must advance. The French captain calls for a slow, stately advance in good order, but before the men can even get halfway down the hill the enemy sounds the charge and attacks.

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They are on us in moments, with all of their heavy cavalry, including archers, striking home directly against our line as the arquebusiers flee the front line. Pressure is greatest on the flanks. To the left the remaining Aventuriers are asked to hold against a charge.

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While on the right our spear line is wrapped around by the enemy cavalry. The center, composed of heavy mounted archers, has withdraw and so spearmen are called up from the center to reinforce the flanks.

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The fighting is desperate in the blood soaked snow, with neither side giving ground. When the lone grand bombard opens up again, doubt enters the hearts of the Frenchmen at the line.

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A second shot over the heads of the men on the right, still enveloped by heavy lancers, causes them to rout and flee, but the left flank has turned back the enemy and begun to advance. Losses amongst the advancing Timurids were horrific, and there are few of them left even where their attack was successful, on our right.

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The fighting now degenerates into a grand melee, as spearmen from the left turn back to reinforce the right, and Aventuriers backed by gunmen drive back and destroy the main body of Timurid infantry and bowmen from the left and center.

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When the heavy lancers that routed our right are themselves enveloped and annihilated the Timurid army accepts their defeat and flees the field. Though half of Thibault the Mad's army was destroyed, they took with them nearly twice their number of Timurids, and with the death of two Timurid generals on the field our military analysts account it a great victory for the Revolution. (This was an excellent battle, mostly because Thibault died early and I had to work around the lack of a general to shore up morale. Loads of fun, one of my top ten battles all time with MTWII.)

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No matter the good news from the front, the next year sees Antioch and Marsellies both have revolutions and declare themselves permanantly under local leadership. (Screenshots omitted due to load considerations.)

:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

The Elephant in the Room, turns 175-180.

The plague in Paris continues, and the citizens of France do not find King Jehanin's release of the people of Antioch compelling so happiness remains very low. Though several new men have been adopted into the royal family, it remains a small group of generals with little experience, and a small area under their control. Jehanin the Mad is not only King, but the greatest general in all the realm.

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King Jehanin attacks a small captain led stack that is struggling to reunite with the larger Horde, intent on it's elmination.

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The Timurids move their Sabadar militia troops in range to launch fire arrows uphill at our formation.

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King Jehanin and his guardsmen offer a convincing retort.

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The enemy's heavy infantry and cavalry respond by climbing the hill to attack our formation, backed by a shot from their lone grand bombard.

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French dismounted knights wrap the flank of the Timurid attack and drive it back, killing captain Jangg in the process.

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The remaining enemy soldiers rout quickly, and flee the field. Only a handful surrender to be released, or escape to fight another day.

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The next season the King leads his men against a pair of reduced armies, including the current Timurid Khan and his heir.

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The imperialists are spotted marching through the dense forest, and despite the cover our experienced cannon crews find the range and open fire.

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Khanzada Miran the Pious is killed in a long range duel between our serpentines and the crude Timurid rocket launchers, which hit little at their full range.

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Unfortunately our own artillery proves more dangerous than that of the enemy, when a loader mistakenly tries to place another cannonball in a basilisk that is just about to fire. His arm is torn off, and his blood sprays across the nearby stack of ammunition. Some later mutter that King Jehanin could clearly be heard giggling after witnessing this terrible error. (Put the frickin' cannons too close together. Idiots.)

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As the French soldiers move in the rocket fire becomes more accurate, inflicting some losses among the King's archers.

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Heavy lancers inflict even more losses, before being trapped and crushed by sergeant spearmen.

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Seeing his army collapsing around him and mad King Jehanin charging towards him, Khan Charakha flees the field in some haste, disgracing himself and disappointing what little remains of his army, bring the battle to an end.

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The King cannot pursue the Khan without abandoning his cannon, which he is unwilling to attempt, but recently arrive reinforcements from Antioch can and do find the enemy leader and bring him to battle again just a few seasons later. The men are all horse archers, they pin Khan Charakha to the turf against paltry losses among their own.

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The second upgrade necessary to produce ocean going vessels is begun at Bruges as funds are finally scraped up to begin work on a naval drydock. Soon it will be possible to comprise an army and launch it across the western sea. Another attack by the horse archers sees another tiny Timurid army all but destroyed.

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The strategic picture now is clear. French armies have been diving in to attack the Timurids only when they are unsupported by their elephant troops. All of the major Timurid armies without elephants have been defeated and scattered. Now the French forces have been carefully arranged to provide the Timurids no logical option except to attempt to force a crossing of the river to their west, against the best men Prince Blanchet could assemble. Any other path will take them many years off of any western course.

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They take the bait, as they must. The stage is set for a classic confrontation of the mighty elephant war machines against a heavily fortified and defended ford. First a tiny enemy army must lead the way.

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Amazingly those few, courageous fools charge their way across the river and launch an attack directly at the center of our line. All of them are dead or fleeing before they can come to grips with our spearmen.

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And what's this? Khanzada Pir Muhammed the Pious and his war elephants decline to take the field. They retreat, leaving Prince Blanchet and his waiting army jilted and frustrated.

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What more could France do to drive the Timurid Horde to make the obvious choice? The next season sees another young noble adopted into the royal family, along with the news that our scholars assess our total military might to be greater than that of the remainder of the Horde. Still, we have not yet taken on their elephants, so there is considerable doubt about that estimate. The enemy has now marched away from the river crossing, back to the southeast, perhaps seeking an easier path, but leaving behind one elephant bearing army in a temptingly exposed position. Will King Jehanin dare to attack them, or will he continue to order a cautious approach, waiting and hoping to force them into an unfavorable position?

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(Curse the Timurids, the Mongol Horde would've spent half it's strength trying to ford that river before turning back. What's wrong with them? I don't mind being cheesy when the success of the whole campaign hinges on it. If I lose even one battle at this stage I'll have to assemble a whole fresh army and send it east to have any chance. Maybe it's time to fall back, defend the crossings closer to Kiev? As soon as the Carracks are ready I need to send a cavalry army west if I want to smash the Aztecs in time.)

:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

The Screaming of the Elephants, turns 180-190.

Our losses in battle and the promotion of some Timurid captains to generals has led to our military analysts reassessing their total strength as once again greater than our own. King Jehanin has decided that it is his destiny to be killed in battle by an elephant, so he makes the astonishingly clear headed decision that he will not lead his men against them. While the King's madness prevents him from attacking the isolated Timurid army Prince Blanchet passes away peacefully, leaving the army at the primary western crossing led by a captain. Even so the Timurids do not attack. The matter is at a stalemate, they cannont proceed west into Europe, but neither can the insane King of the Revolution muster the courage to attack them. The new Prince, Gilbert, is brought up to take Blanchet's place at the crossing, and rather than continue to shuffle armies about the King builds a fort near Ryazan to block access and leaves it held by a small garrison.

As the years pass our debt lessens, allowing for the training of cavalry to be sent west to seek new lands and free them of their oppressors. A scholar of the Revolution publishes a document called 'Of Learned Ignorance,' which brilliantly describes some of the objects that can be seen in the heavens. Gradually King Jehanin senses a pattern in the back and forth wanderings of the Horde, and comes to the conclusion that by a certain reshuffling of our forces they might be incited to attack. With this in mind he withdraws Prince Gilbert's reinforcements, and immediately a mighty Timurid general, Timur the Pious, rides up to attempt the crossing.

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His army contains a full complement of elephants and heavy cavalry, and the man is no fool. He first sends his infantry and archers across to answer our massed fire and give his more decisive troops a chance to cross behind them without drawing the full volume of our fire.

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Prince Gilbert has wisely hired on a local company of mercenaries who bring with them a Mongol style rocket launcher, and he immediately commands it to blast away into the mass struggling to cross the river. The rockets have a shocking effect on the first company of elephants to cross. When just a few of them explode among the beasts they run absolutely rampant, wreaking havoc among both armies, clearly out of the control of their handlers. It is a lesson well learned which cannot help but benefit our future battles against the beasts.

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Unfortunately before the rockets can be brought to bear against another group of elephants a rampaging beast from the first group scatters the crew of the launcher, killing many of them. The same beast then turns back and smashes through the entire formation of spearmen meant to protect the launcher. It is an awesome, stunning example of the power of their fury. The whole French army, hardy veterans of the Timurid campaign and certainly valiant after their long service to the Revolution, is shaken and disturbed by the sight of what a single war beast can do when it is enraged.

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Yet still, the French fight on and hold the line. A pocket develops at the front, contained by valorous French spearmen, who are taking the worst of the arrows and gunfire by far. When attrition thins their numbers too greatly for them to hold, Timur spots it immediately and leads his heavy cavalry forward at last, with his own guardsmen at the front to break through our line and crash against the stunned Aventuriers. The center of the French spear formation is utterly thrown down and broken, and the second line opened to assault.

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When a company of elephants joins the attack half of the French crossbowmen flee the field, as do two of the companies of spearmen. Our center has been completely broken through, but on the left Prince Gilbert and another company of spearmen have been butchering waves of heavy lancers, while on the right the high ground is still held by our mounted archers. Most of the the enemy army has been destroyed, but the battle still hangs in the balance.

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Having cleared away the last of the heavy lancers Prince Gilbert spots the valiant defense of the remaining crossbowmen against the vigorous attack of Timur and his guardsmen. He must make a snap decision. If he abandons the left the elephants there will surely rout the spearmen who have been aiding him, and the French flank will be exposed. If the center gives way completely, however, the enemy will be able to turn in either direction and defeat the smaller groups on either side before they can aid one another. Shouting 'Hold the line!' Prince Gilbert rides to reinforce the Aventuriers, and trap Timur the Pious, who is taken unawares and killed. (Yeah, this shot really stinks, but it was the auto-camera for a General's death so nothing I could do about it but maybe post the scroll of his death instead. I stuck with the crappy one. :shrug:)

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With Timur's death his army, what little remains of it, breaks and attempts to flee.

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The rocket launcher and the mounted archers accounted for the largest number of Timurid losses, though the Aventuriers would no doubt have performed better if the spear line had held. Prince Gilbert vows to bring in more spearmen and position the line better against the next possible assault.

In formerly German lands a man named Gutenburg has invented a sort of pressing device which acts as a mechanical scribe. In time this method will surely overtaken hand copying in the art of creating books. Rheims is stricken with the plague, costing the lives of over two thousand citizens. Prince Gilbert's victory causes our greatest military minds to believe that the Revolution's armies are now stronger than the combined might of the remaining Timurids. Excellent news for the men at the front! The end of the season sees a fresh attempt from another whole Timurid army against Prince Gilbert's ford.

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As before cannon and rocket fire lances into the advancing mass of soldiers, killing many but not slowing their assault. You can see the thickened spear lines Prince Gilbert has arranged, though if the elephants should come crashing through again it will make little difference.

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As the pocket begins to form rocket fire again causes one of the elephant companies to lose it's composure and run amok through both armies.

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Just as those mad elephants are preparing to smash a hole through the heart of our spearmen's formation the rocket speaks again, killing many of the rampaging elephants and driving the rest back to foil the Timurid advance, for the moment.

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A second group of elephants goes on the rampage, and these will not be denied. They disrupt a heavy lancer charge against the spear line, but they also break wide gaps into the spearmen's formation. Prince Gilbert begins to question whether it is better to attempt to slaughter the elephants before they go mad.

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As those same elephants penetrate our second line, where the Aventuriers are firing as rapidly as they can, dozens of heavily armored crossbowmen are smashed to the earth or crushed under their feet before the elephants careen off into the distance.

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Despite these breaks the line is holding. The pocket is perfectly shaped and the Timurid mounted and foot archers are suffering horrific losses on the beach. The enemy's heavy cavalry has not been able to effectively charge against our men, so the French spearmen are slaughtering them. The battle is very much in our favor.

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At last Prince Gilbert signals the advance, and our spearmen begin to push back the few remaining heavy lancers. Before they reach the beach Husayn the Pious is discovered attempting to rally a small group of his heavy cavalry. The men of the Revolution are merciless when he refuses to surrender, breaking open his armor and butchering the man inside.

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There is nothing left of his army to fight after his death. Another great victory for the Revolution!

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In this battle the Aventuriers suffered astonishing losses again from elephants charging through their ranks, but the venerable Scots Guard archers that the King placed under Prince Gilbert's command accounted for nearly two hundred of the enemy by themselves. It was a remarkable performance.

Plague stricken Rheims continues to suffer, losing another two thousand citizens. The Explorer's Guild and blacksmith at Paris are sold off to allow King Jehanin to purchase another Mongolian rocket launcher for Prince Gilbert as he fully expects the Timurids to attempt another crossing with the closing of the season. King Jehanin is proven correct, as Khan Shahrukh the Pious himself comes this time, determined to find success where his minions have failed.

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French tactics are unchanged, though the elephants are more heavily targetted during their crossing in the hopes that a company can be driven mad and stampeded through the tightly packed soldiers slowed by the river. Alas, it is not to be, all of the elephants cross before rampaging.

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This time Prince Gilbert has asked his Free Company Longbowmen to erect their stakes to help ward off cavalry from charging the French left flank. In the early going it seems to work, as the Timurid general instead sends a mass of his infantry rushing against our left. The first company of elephants makes it all the way to the spear line before running amok, causing incredible damage to the very center of our line.

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Khan Shahrukh has learned from the failures of his predcessors, and sends his elephants stomp flat the stakes and disrupt the powerful formation of Scots Guard and Mounted Archers on the French right. Losses among the foot archers are great before the elephants are killed and driven off.

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The Khan has not learned, however, how Prince Gilbert guards his rocket launcher, as he leads a heavy cavalry charge directly into the teeth of the Prince's customary defense. Gilbert's guardsmen meet the charge while his spearmen pin the enemy from the flank.

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Khan Sharukh cannot escape, and is quickly struck down from behind while struggling to withdraw his bodyguard.

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Over half of the Timurid army remains, and for once they do not all rout as soon as their general is felled. Some of the elephants and halberd infantry attempt to flee, and Prince Gilbert pursues them just to ensure that they don't return to the battle after having rallied behind our lines.

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It takes some time before the final company of elephants can be convinced to give up the fight. Without any artillery to aid them in making their decision the beasts prove incredibly tough, able to stand up to multiple volleys from hundreds of archers and crossbowmen.

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At last, though, they are all killed, leaving Prince Gilbert with another costly but mighty victory.

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The Timurids have only a single full army remaining, but our reinforcements too are running short. Losses have been especially heavy amongst the Aventuriers, and all of them are now committed at the front, as are all of our Mounted Archers and Scots Guard soldiers. The plague at Rheims is unremitting, but there is hope on the horizon of a world without fear of eastern invasion.

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:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

Cleaning out the Khans, turns 190-196.

The last great Timurid army serves under Pir Muhammed the Pious, the current Khan of the Timurid Horde. This is the same general who previously declined to try the crossing when it was held by Prince Blanchet, but given the fate of those who came before him it is a courageous act for him to commit to this attack. Perhaps it is the way of the Khans that they must lead by example, from the front. No matter what the reason, this battle is no more a foregone conclusion than any of the others. The French position is superior, but it's clear that if the enemy elephants hold on to their discipline and break through the French lines that they can be overrun and driven back.

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Prince Gilbert arrays his soldiers as before, but reinforcements have become so thin that Turkopoles have been recruited to fill in for a fallen company of Aventuriers that lacked replacements. Stakes are set directly at the mouth of the crossing, where they may catch some of the horse archers but the elephants will quickly stomp them flat and clear a path for the heavy lancers.

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Cannon and rocket fire blast away at the head of the Timurid column, directed at their lead elephants, but doing more harm to the infantry and mounted bowmen at the front.

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The second volley strikes against the massed elephants to much greater effect, gutting several of them as the balls skip through the lines. The best results by far yet achieved by firing into the enemy as they cross.

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Here you can see rocket fire tossing burning soldiers from the back of an elephant in the middle of the pack. This is the elephant who, absent his riders and guides, begins the panic amongst his fellows.

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Resulting in a headlong charge back across the river, away from the terrible fire of the French artillery, bursting a path directly through the Khan's guard and the formations of heavy lancers behind him.

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Another close range volley from the experienced crew manning the rocket launcher drives a second group of elephants amok, and they charge back and forth through the pocket forming below our men, creating havoc for the Timurids as they attempt to organize an offensive.

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The lead company of elephants charges directly into our spear line on the right, damaging it heavily but also losing over half their number of war beasts to massed fire from the Aventuriers and Mounted Archers. The battle has just begun, really, and most of the enemy's elephants are dead or broken, and now even greater news, as Khan Pir Muhammed himself, held up by the rampaging elephants at the head of the river crossing, is downed by a cannon ball from the French serpentine.

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The battle has been brief, but already the enemy dead are piled high. With the elephants mostly out of the way and the Timurid Khan dead our crossbowmen were able to concentrate fire on the formations of heavy cavalry, cutting them down before they could form up on the near bank for a charge. Two of their reduced companies make it to the spear line, but they have little effect before they rout or surrender. All that remains is to finish off the last company of elephants and the few Sabadar militiamen supporting them.

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On this day the slaughter was very great. Truly Prince Gilbert has now mastered the craft of defending a river crossing. The last of the Timurid generals to arrive out of the distant east is dead, though others have been promoted since to keep the Horde alive.

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Back at home, in France, Jourdain de Brabant dies a natural death, having long overseen our critical training facilities at Toulouse. At the front it is time to dismiss some men who will no longer be needed, including the inexperienced cannon crews and the little used heavy infantry. The time has come to hunt down the small remaining armies of the enemy, and bring them to justice for daring to attack the protectorates of the Revolution.

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First King Jehanin attacks the army of Khanzada Nekun, intent on proving his courage against the Timurid elephants now that the largest of their groups are broken up.

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The enemy must climb a steep hill, under arrow fire from our horse archers all the way. Despite this not a single elephant dies coming up the hill.

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King Jehanin kills a company of heavy lancers, while ordering his noble Knights to seek out the enemy general. They find him, but when he realizes he is losing the battle he calls a company of war elephants to his aid, driving away the French knights.

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Alas for the King, when he realizes that his Aventuriers and Turkopoles have not killed a single elephant in the entire battle and that he may have to face them in melee, he loses his courage and departs the field. The few crossbowmen and noble knights flee with him, while the Turkopoles continue to attempt to bring down an elephant.

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Ultimately the battle is little more than a disaster. The enemy is blooded, but they lose none of their elephants, which are the only substantial force remaining to them. King Jehanin insists he is fortunate to have escaped with his life. (Taking a general who has several 'lowers morale' traits into a fight against elephants is a mistake. I thought I could make up for it, but I was wrong, and the noble knights had their lives thrown away as a consequence. Oh well, less upkeep at the front now.)

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Eight Aventurier and fifteen Turkopoles must be ransomed from the enemy, despite the fact that we have freely released every single man of theirs we have ever captured. Paris suffers an outbreak of the plague, killing over two thousand citizens. Toulouse is on the verge of riots as news arrives of the failure of the King's courage and his army, also perhaps because of the departure of the army that has been training to sail west. Prince Gilbert attacks and defeats the current Timurid Khan, Lablakha, though at great cost.

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More die at Paris as the years pass, and Prince Gilbert drives back the Mongols in a pair of indecisive victories for the Revolution.

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At last King Jehanin catches Khan Lablakha without any elephants in his army, and attacks.

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The very first French charge rides down the freshly minted Khan, leaving his army leaderless and scattered.

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They are easily defeated.

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King Jehanin then attacks the recently promoted Khanzada Yeke, and drives him to flee the battle in utter disgrace, but with his life intact for the moment.

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West of Toulouse our mighty fleet departs the coast of France, sailing into the unknown to seek Imperialists and men yearning to breathe free across the sea. Local mercenaries, the only army in range of the enemy for the season, spend their lives to drag down some of the elephants in the new Khan's small army.

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Prince Gilbert then drives them back to the river ford he defended for some many years, and brings them to battle there.

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The early stage of the battle is entirely at long range, across the river, with neither side quite daring to make an attack. Both sides suffer losses, including one of the valuable rocket launchers.

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The rocket's return fire, however, drives the Timurid elephants mad, and they stampede through their Khan's lines, back up the hills behind their side of the ford.

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The French mounted archers then cross the river and shoot down Khan Nekun from behind when he turns to flee, bringing the battle and the most recent Timurid leader to an end. (It's really quite irritating to try to end a Horde faction when you can't execute prisoners. The issue is no longer in doubt, though it certainly was for awhile, with low happiness at home and barely adequate income for upkeep. I lost more cities during the Timurid campaign, cities that I wanted to keep anyway, than during the entire rest of the game.)

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:egypt:

[Askthepizzaguy]

A messenger arrives with word from the recently crowned King of Free Italy, commander of the Sicilian Liberation Army, and the New Sicilian Front. It bears the official insignia of the royal family.


Apologies, Master Ramses. The irritating loss of major cities was expected and designed into this campaign, because I knew that once the major powers were gone it was simply a matter of sending army after army after the Mongoloids and the Timids. That's both tedious and unchallenging.

The combination of limited cities and no additional churches or priests limits your ability to fight the longer the campaign drags on due to heresy and trade disruption. I admit, the idea of no building churches or recruiting priests was specifically to make your empire become old and undesirable to your own people over time. After a century of warfare, the people grow tired of the church, the war, and especially your rule.

No one will trade with you, and you must struggle to win several epic foreign wars against fearless and nearly numberless enemies with only the support of a tired, old, and dying empire. The releasing of prisoners means you must actually slay the enemy, not merely capture routers.

I've noted that killing the general and routing the army is too easy for humans to accomplish, so this releasing of prisoners was designed to give you the challenge of defeating the enemy to the last man, or destroying all their heads of state. With the Hordes, this is nearly impossible, as they always seem to have generals to promote.

The idea of migrating your empire closer to the front is also a curse, because there is much higher heresy in that region and less developed cities. Whatever churches you started with are your ONLY saving grace.

Although tedious, I am certain the campaign provided you with enough white-knuckle terror and challenge to grant you the kind of entertainment value required for such a massive undertaking. Your particular style of generalship is now legendary, as you've fought more battles in this campaign than I have personally fought in the past several months combined.

News from the New Sicilian Front:

Milan was crushed in a single turn, and Venice is on it's knees. The Imperial forces of the HRE no longer trouble us, and the Pope is our ally. We have avoided excommunication and we still have allies, though they are fading fast.

We now have 10 provinces, but they are not my chosen 10. I intend to gift some of my lesser provinces to the His Annoyingness, the Papal Pain in the Pointy Hat, so that I have a trading partner and to keep myself on good terms with the Pope. We will liberate them for the cause of the Revolution once His Hatness liberates me and my fellow freedmen from membership in his church. Once I gift him my lesser provinces, the Gold mines and Silver mines in Serbia and Vienna will be mine (no pun intended).

I have also developed a grand strategy for avoiding prisoners altogether: Seiges armed with a great number of long range missile archers and artillery, plus armoured seargents on guard mode and schiltrom formation at the front.

I care little about infantry losses to enemy archers, they serve merely to protect my own massive missile forces and give an easy target for the enemy to aim at. While they attack my armoured seargents, I aim at their forces and slay them at range until none are left alive, or each of their units are sufficiently depleted to cause easy routing from my general's bodyguard.

Artillery to decimate archer towers, gates, and then walls.
Infantry to distract, hold the front line, and defend the archers and artillery.
Muslim Archers to rain death upon the enemy for the majority of battle.
Bodyguards to rout and destroy all remaining resistance.

For non-seige battles, I will have a different stack comprised of numerous armoured seargents, massive amounts of mounted knights, and a superior general. I will have a few long range archers as well, but they are less important in open field battles unless there are mounted archers involved.

Versus the Mongol/Timurid Horde, I intend to spam them with spearmen. Militia or armoured, it matters not, so long as they are spammed in great quantities. Cavalry will be fairly useless against them, because they have so many mounted units and spearmen that melee mounted units will be only marginally effective.

I could spam mounted knights, but they are expensive, and while they can win one battle easily, any losses are deadly and the army shrinks fast.

I will have a pair of night fighter generals, hopefully, and they will be my offensive front against the horde. They will have my spammed militia (ground meat) and whatever knights and generals I have left to surround n' pound the Mongoloids to death. I will wait at river crossings with my River Defense force, consisting of my elite artillery, archers, armoured infantry, and high morale general.

Eventually I may incorporate gun units into my army... but I've never really used them before except in the case of elephant frightening cannons. They can slay elephants at river crossings and make them run amok. Otherwise, I have no use for them.

Perhaps I'll try to assassinate generals from afar... I may have to step up my game and adopt new tactics. Otherwise, I may not do as well as Master Ramses, who in my opinion is a superior battlefield general.

Any further advice on my campaign would be helpful. The year is still 1120, so I have plenty of time to adjust my strategy.

Sincere regards,

Re Ruggero, Chosen Leader of the Free People of Italy

https://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh177/daniel_albert1983/210px-Flag_of_Sicily_28revised29_sv.pnghttps://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh177/daniel_albert1983/210px-Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_Sicily.png

[Ramses II CP]

Well, the last time I fought the Timurids in a self limited campaign it was my Danish AAR, and I basically did what you outlined, I spammed them into oblivion using my superior ability to train troops. As I think I said there, I didn't kill very many more Timurids than they killed of me, if at all. That simply wouldn't work for this campaign, because I wasn't in position to reinforce my armies at the front in a timely manner. The way the Timurids danced around attacking the river crossing I had moments when I honestly wondered if I could kill them within the time limit. Anyway, it's not hard to take apart their non-elephant armies with whatever stack you're comfortable with, they make the same stupid mistakes as any other AI army and they don't have the super high Mongol dread or command ability to worry about.

Even better than the night fighter ability is if you can catch the Horde right as they move into a forest. An ambush can only involve one attacking army at a time, so send in one of the spam forces and let it get ambushed. You've instantly taken what was a 3-4 stack engagement down to a 1 vs 1, which a player can usually win, even if the losses are very high.

It's not a bad idea to keep the Pope, in one form or another, as a trading partner right to the endgame IMHO. He's usually passive, his armies are easy to wipe out, and not being excommunicated through the entire endgame will massively help your public order and tax base. Not to mention having even a single trading partner can easily double or triple your income per turn. I had serious financial problems while facing the Timurids. I mean, I haven't built a structure anywhere in my home provinces since the end of the Mongol Invasion, my army upkeep took every cent that I didn't completely waste at Antioch.

Definitely no need to apologize, I like the challenge, though it gets a bit tiresome chasing down the last Timurid or Mongol fragments over and over again. Part of the game. I loved it when I had to let go of Marsellies and Antwerp. I desperately wanted to reload and play it again to find some way of getting a new King or holding on to those %^$&ers, but it made for a much harder endgame to have to give them up.

Oh, and I should've gone a bit slower with the easy starter factions. I needed some high chivalry generals (From all that releasing prisoners) to keep morale up against the Timurids, and instead I had Jehanin the Mad, with a fat -3 or something to morale. The early campaign was so fast because most of the time I could walk around around the AI armies and besiege their last city, sending multiple stacks of them screaming into rebellion. Nothing like that with the Timurids or Mongols. I too eventually developed the mass ranged fire idea, as you can see with my Timurid battles. Pin them in place and shoot, shoot, shoot.

I had good luck in some previous campaigns with serpentines against elephants, but my Frenchmen had no luck at all. The upkeep was high, the movement rate was very, very slow, and on the field they rarely caused the elephants to run amok. I'd say minimally effective. The mercenary Mongolian rocket launchers were much, much more effective than expected. They have very limited ammunition, but man did they do a number on the elephants. Highly recommended. They're expensive, so remember to budget for it (1650 florins for each, hireable in the Sarkel region I think). Scots Guard and French Mounted Archers seemed strangely more effective vs elephants than the Aventuriers, but that may have been due to a higher rate of fire. Something to consider. Also free company longbowmen's stakes can be highly effective vs Mongols or Timurids. Easiest to hire them in the Caen region after a certain period.

I'd also recommend stationing a permanent fort or two to block the zone around Ryazan. The Tims and Mons won't go around that huge northern forest, so all you've got to do is control the fords after that. If possible build roads for the areas you expect to fight in, bridge battles are actually easier than ford battles due to the ease with which you can cap a bridgehead.

Oh, and make sure you have a Huge City ready to build the Naval Dockyard for Carracks. I had planned to build it at Rennes, but never upgraded Rennes to a Huge City, so I lost about 6 turns on my Aztec invasion. Bruges was my only Coastal Huge city, and I didn't have either of the last two naval structures due to how quickly my trade partners got eaten.

A very fun campaign. A little spoiler:

The rebels do have a victory condition.

:egypt:

[OverKnight]

Just thinking out loud, but would it help, if this was tried again, to keep a few pet imperialists around? If you vassalised a few factions, you'd get a trade benefit, extra income and a more compliant A.I.

Of course they would be liquidated at the end, but only when the hordes had been dealt with.

Great read! :2thumbsup:

[Ramses II CP]

I have a hard time getting factions to agree to be vassals on VH, but it would definitely help. The whole time you're dealing with the Hordes though, be aware that they're going to be expanding. Even if your territory appears to block theirs, as I thought mine did the English at Caen and Bordeaux, they'll go right around/through you and keep conquering.

I think the best solution is still the Pope, if you can keep him from seeking new territory. Just hook him up with a few nearby trade centers, feed him cash to keep him happy, and kill him if he dares to excommunicate you.

Just as an FYI each of my end game huge cities with decent market buildings was pulling in around 2k florins per turn. With seven of those, counting Toulouse which got ~1600 florins, a little merchantry, and the King's purse, my total income was about 15,000 florins a turn, or about as much as any two coastal huge cities would make if I had a single trading partner. Nine cities and a castle with a well positioned trading partner would easily pull in 60k florins per turn. That would make a big, big difference in endgame development.

:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

An Arrow Aimed at America, turns 197-209.

The fast moving local mercenaries bring the current enemy Khan, Yeke, to battle, and kill almost all of his guardsmen, but manage to let him escape with his life.

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Prince Gilbert then brings his veteran companies of horse archers to bear against the recently promoted Udutai Mulk Khanum and the last of the elephants under Timurid control.

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The elephants are showered with arrows, but they refuse to fall. Prince Gilbert, enraged at their stubborn survival and the brute effectiveness of their weapons against his lightly armored mounted bowmen, charges home against them as they attempt to flee, killing two but becoming embroiled in a melee with Udutai.

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Prince Gilbert rides on through Udutai's guardsmen, and as they chase him many dozens of arrows are driven into their backs. Udutai's life bleeds away into the grass.

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The arrow-bit elephants are eventually driven mad, and pursued unto death, bringing the battle to an end.

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Prince Gilbert becomes known as a field tyrant, and is nicknamed Gilbert the Mauler after this victory. All the remains of the once mighty Timurids is their Khan and his lone bodyguard.

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King Jehanin rides out with only his own guardsmen to give the last Khan of the Timurids an honorable death.

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Acknowledging the failure of his imperialist aims, Khan Yeke has cast down the Timurid flag, and rides to battle under no banners whatever. (Never seen this before.)

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The Khan and his loyal bodyguard charge forward to meet the King's men, and are given a quick, clean death on the lances of the Revolution.

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No Frenchmen are lost in the last battle of the Timurid War. Europe is now free, for the forseeable future, from the threat of eastern invasion.

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After all of these terrible battles King Jehanin brings together the surviving Free Company Longbowmen who travelled across the world to convince him of his foolish error at Antioch. Fewer than half of those who sailed into the east remain.

'So, my good fellows, after all the battles you have seen, what say you now? Was the sacrifice of the people of Antioch's freedom too high a price to turn aside the wrath of these vile invaders? With clarity granted by hindsight, would you still brand me a madman, and curse my decisions as indefensible?'

Not a man among them spoke. King Jehanin appeared to find the silence agreeable, for he let it draw out uncomfortably long. At last a rough hewn farmer who went simply by the name Jan spoke, 'M'lord it weren't that you were wrong at Antioch, it were just that you went and did it by fiat, not askin' permission nor givin' due respect to the locals nor yer own people at home. There ain't a philospher among us, but we know the principles of the Revolution. Remember the Rights of the Third Estate m'lord.'

On hearing this a long, low chuckle escaped the King, trailing off into a moan, 'Right, well. If I've tainted the Revolution then it's done. I cannot see any way to make amends for it...' as Jehanin's words trail off a light comes into his eyes as he contemplates what has happened.

'Perfect example of Abbot Seyies' brilliance you know. Farmers teaching Kings their place. Well, gentlemen, I'll be a King no longer. I mean to settle here, to try to help this land and the people of Ryazan recover from the Timurid attack. Any of you who wish to stay and teach me how to farm will be welcome.'

Jon replied, 'Aye, well, I think I can speak for us all when I say t'will be an honor to aid you, m'lord. This looks like good sheep country. Wonder where we could get some sheep?'

King Jehanin and the fifty nine farmers retired to form a cooperative farming venture south of Ryazan, turning over the regular running of the remaining provinces of France to Prince Gilbert, whose journey back home will be very long indeed. Years later, during his travels, word reached the Prince of a terrible storm encountered crossing the western sea, costing the life of one of the young noblemen who ventured out on the expedition. (It's very difficult to get a screenshot of the lightning around a ship on the strategy map. I wasn't able to do it, so the scroll will have to do.)

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The next year word is brought to Prince Gilbert of the death of old King Jehanin, and he is officially crowned King Gilbert the Mauler. The people of Paris, ungoverned and with a far distant King, set aside a large sum of tax revenue for the construction of a Conservatorium where the latest beautiful examples of polyphonic music can be enjoyed. Another storm kills some soldiers on the western expedition, but in the same year those brave men discover a New World.

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A second expedition begins assembling to set sail for the new world, while the first seeks a safe landing area to debark their ships. On the home front the royal family is alarmingly small, but King Gilbert accedes to marry a young woman who is shipped east to meet him on his long journey home. Finances are once again becoming shaky, but otherwise the state of France is stable.

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After many years of seeking a safe harbor our ships at last find a good position in the far north of this strange new land. For months the soldiers cautiously send small parties ashore, seeking contact with locals to learn their language and try to understand their culture. It does not take long for the simple fishermen and villagers of the coast to tell us that they are a conquered, oppressed people, their earstwhile capital captured and violently held by an imperialist empire known to them as the Aztecs. After much consultation among the army, Laurens de Brabant, the commander of the expedition and the lone remaining nobleman on it decides that the principles of the Revolution demand that we intervene. Laurens hires on a large number of local mercenaries and uses them to launch a siege against their own former capital, Tlaxcala, in an attempt to oust the Aztec garrison. The Aztecs sally out against our combined armies, but the locals fight them to a draw before the arrival of Laurens' cavalry drives the enemy back into the safety of their walls.

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Laurens must work hard to convince the locals of the fitness of releasing the men they took prisoner in the battle, and it must be said that the captives themselves appeared shocked to be set free. The turning of the year sees Laurens allowing the locals to make their attack against Tlaxcala to free their capital, with Revolutionary aid.

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The city is occupied, and at our urging the army of native mercenaries does not make any attempt to maintain order there. Laurens struggles to explain the core concepts of the Revolution to them, but merely the idea of having 'rights' of any kind makes an immense impression. The mercenaries swear to follow Laurens to the ends of the Aztec empire to make such a dream into reality. Peaceful riots take place at Tlaxcala the next year, harming no one and launching the natural process of political discourse in the New World. Prince Francois, back in France, has trouble at home of an unusual sort. (Another first for my generals. Never seen this particular addition to a family member's retinue before. Wonder if she's transferrable? For the record Francois is also an alchoholic, carrying on the amazing run of pathetic generals in my French family line.)

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Riding south, ahead of his local allies, Laurens de Brabant encounters a large Aztec army at dusk, under a general named Xolotl the Profane. The army of the Revolution fearlessly moves to attack.

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Xolotl the Profane packs his large infantry army into a dense mass, led by archers and spear throwers. Lauens arrays his men in a deep line, well supported, and orders a rapid run up to a charge. (Dark Jungle + Night Battle + Large armies = ugly screenshots)

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On contact the weight of the French charge penetrates the Aztec line in many places. No one company of their infantry can hold against a heavy cavalry charge even for a moment, but the depth of Xolotl's formation allows for the back ranks to climb over the piles of the dead in front of them and come to grips with our cavalry at close range.

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Alas for Xolotl, he simply didn't have enough men to absorb the full weight and might of the Revolutionary army. The edges of his army flee or are annihilated, and after only a few moments of melee, during which a surprising number of Frenchmen die, Xolotl's lines are penetrated so deeply and his flanks enveloped so completely that the man himself is cut down.

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His army now consists of a paltry few companies of broken archers and spearmen seeking to escape into the hills. Laurens calls off any pursuit, and lets them flee, also quickly releasing the prisoners to head to their homes. Once again the captives appear stunned to have survived.

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:egypt:

[Askthepizzaguy]

A messenger arrives with word from the recently crowned King of Free Italy, commander of the Sicilian Liberation Army, and the New Sicilian Front. It bears the official insignia of the royal family.


Master Ramses;

You have shown great leadership, valour, determination and courage in eliminating the threat from the east. The principles of the revolution have been upheld, and your victory is nearly complete. The Aztecs should fall rather easily under the crushing might of the armed freemen of the French Revolution.

You have proven that it can be done in the time allotted, and it can be done by the rules I have layed out. You've gone much farther, much more quickly than I have. The Sicilian Revolution is still in her infancy, and most of the imperialists remain standing.

On lands to conquer, VH/VH, under War for Independence rules, you couldn't ask for a more challenging foe. Perhaps Sicily is in a better position to fight than I first assumed, since my logical ally and trading partner is the very Pope that I need to keep my lands from going completely heretic on me.

I will still stomp him, but he will be an invaluable resource to the revolution. I almost feel guilty taking advantage of his presence like that. I will simply confine gifting him provinces likely that the Papal state should control, like Florence or the islands west of Italy, those worthless provinces.

He will also hold Rome for a time, until I deem him to be a threat to the free people of Italy. So long as his ambitions remain peaceful, and he does not attempt to build an empire, he will be my ally. So long as he helps us liberate the world, he will remain useful.

Having him control my lesser provinces also provides the following loophole: If the Pope builds churches, and I liberate those provinces, I've effectively built churches in my own lands while not breaking the edict of no promulgation of state religion.

I've abandoned the idea of forming an outpost state near the Mongol lands, or Antioch, or any castle in that region, due to the loss of a trading province and the public order penalties out there. I will simply need a large and swift navy, and lots of patience.

I wonder how many turns of movement I save when travelling by sea from Italy to Sarkel. Clearly marching there would take a dozen turns or more.

I take note of your weakened family line in the endgame... perhaps it is necessary to move my generals around a bit and send them off to war when they become burdensome.

I find that even the lamest general (-4 morale or less) makes for good cannon fodder when paired with a decent one. Eventually you will promote one of your generals with very scarred or horribly scarred to the rank of heir, then king, with high combat ability and authority. Once he is king, his sons, if any, should be the heir, and that makes for good genes.

Meritocracy... if the official royal bloodline becomes watered down, let those brave warriors of the revolution own the crown.

If it becomes a matter of the generals we have to choose from are too few, it's time to promote some captains. They make excellent young generals with fairly decent traits.

Let the aristocracy die if they cannot compete against the might of the freeman.

Sincerely,


Sincere regards,

Re Ruggero, Chosen Leader of the Free People of Italy

https://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh177/daniel_albert1983/210px-Flag_of_Sicily_28revised29_sv.png https://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh177/daniel_albert1983/210px-Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_Sicily.png

[Ramses II CP]

The Charge Heard 'Round the World, turns 209-213.

Laurens de Brabant continues his advance, discovering that the soldiers he has just released are now back under Aztec banners and defending the city of Cholula. The army of the Revolution attacks immediately, despite being outnumbered almost three to one.

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Captain Ahcambal proves that the Aztecs know only one strategy, to attack. His army rushes directly into the path of hundreds of charging heavy cavalry, and is annihilated.

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Laurens cleverly used only half his force to drive away the Aztec advance guard, and those men now withdraw in the face of the garrison from Cholula, under a general named Tenoch. The army of the Revolution leaves behind a carpet of dead Aztec infantry dotted from place to place by a heroic Frenchman who gave his life to drag down the imperialists. Tenoch's men give chase, entirely unaware of the second, larger, wing of the Revolutionary army waiting patiently to crash against their flank.

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Tenoch's aggression is matchless. After he clears the deepest parts of the jungle, often rushing over the corpses of Captain Ahcambal's soldiers, to discover the long line of fresh cavalry facing his right flank he orders his men to charge them anyway.

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Laurens is amazed, but there can be only one response. He sounds the attack. Tenoch's front line of archers and spear throwers is swept away on contact.

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French cavalry then close in the flanks and completely surround the tightly packed Aztec heavy infantry, who fight to the death around their general.

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When it becomes clear that there is no escape, Tenoch and many hundreds of his men surrender themselves to Laurens.

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Proud Tenoch will not speak to Laurens, not even about the matter of his release. He and his men are simply set free, and appear to split up, with some taking refuse inside Cholula, which Laurens besieges, and more falling back into the hills behind the city of Cholula.

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The next season sees more rioting in Tlaxcala, also harming no one, as the people begin to arrange their own government. In France the people, long without a King, begin to experience some trepidation about the return of their leader. There are wide ranging discussions about the goals of the Revolution having been accomplished, and the time nearing for a end to the forced unity of their nation. In particular the citizens of Toulouse wish to be free of conscription into the armies of the Revolution, and to have a village constructed over the citadel there. As a test of civilian authority the people universally decide to lower all taxes and cease all recruiting.

Across the sea Laurens and his local mercenaries occupy Cholula peacefully, thought the Aztec leader Tenoch dies in the assault, and then depart the city immediately to march east against the advancing Aztec armies under their Emperor.

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After the battle a knight named Chevalier de Bayard joins the retinue of Laurens de Brabant, greatly enhancing the leader of the western expedition's abilities with his advice. Laurens believes he has taken a position adequate to guard his local allies, who lie in wait behind him.

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Alas, the enemy marches right past him and assaults the locals, spying out their ambush and leaving them with no choice but to withdraw. After their withdrawal the Aztecs reinvest the city of Cholula, much to Laurens' chagrin.

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Even worse, their Prince attacks and destroys the army of natives Laurens had been trying to guard. (My zone of control should have blocked this! Sloppy on my part. I'm not going to reload, of course, but it's still strange that the AI slipped past me somehow.)

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The hideous Aztecs prove the rightness of our war against them by slaughtering the locals who surrendered to them to a man. Nothing is left of the native levies who had sworn to follow Laurens. To the north the political process of the Revolution reaches it's logical conclusion with the revolt of Tlaxcala and the establishment of the first Revolutionary Council in the new world.

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Word reaches the Revolutionary army of the death of the Aztec Emperor deeper in their territory. Some say it was an assassination resulting from the spread of the ideas of the Revolution, but in any case the Aztec prince and their new Emperor are both in range of Laurens de Brabant's army now. First he attacks the new Prince, Cuitlauac the Profane.

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The thick jungle surroundings conceal the French advance until it is too late for the Aztecs to do anything but brace and die.

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The enemy fights hard, valiantly struggling to resist the cavalry assault, and the thick trees make it quite difficult to conduct effective charges, but in the end they are enveloped and destroyed, just as with all the armies before them.

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Prince Cuitlauac's body is just one among many. Laurens releases the prisoners, who retreat towards Cholula and their Emperor's army.

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Laurens immediately moves to attack Emperor Nopaltzin, coming on him at night, while the army of Cuitlauac cannot aid him.

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The jungle in this region is so thick it's virtually impossible to incorporate any strategy beyond simply attacking. The two armies can barely see each other before they reach fighting range.

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Emperor Nopaltzin dies quickly in the melee, just another corpse among many hundreds, unidentifiable as the leader of the vile imperialists of the New World.

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In the end a quarter of his army surrenders, but the rest must be killed.

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Nopaltzin was the last of his line, and the Aztec's imperial aims are no more. Indeed, all over the world, except in France, there are no Kings, no churches, and no peoples or nations struggling to oppress one another. The aims of the Revolution, except for the release of the French themselves, are accomplished, and the Revolution, nay the Rebellion is victorious. (So, let's see, the Rebels need 99 (I hold 7 still) old world provinces plus the six new world provinces for victory, or alternately they need all factions but one to be destroyed. Note that there isn't even a message, just a leftover command to some forgetful CA flunky who neglected to give the Rebels a text for victory. After all, what are the odds that rebels could ever be so successful?)

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All that remains is to release the citizens of France from their vows to see the Revolution complete. Laurens, now known as the Merciful, sends his knights out into the New World to teach the free people of the region about the Revolution.

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The second expedition to the new world votes to continue, though they drop off all their soldiers in Ireland to go their own way. When word reaches France the effect is electrifying, as riots break out across the entire nation and soldiers abandon their posts. Soon not a single army remains in the whole of the land.

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A few years time sees revolutions in all the cities of France except Angers and Toulouse, the latter of which is still converting from a citadel.

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By the end of the year, however, they too throw off French dominion. King Gilbert retires to Corsica to live a quiet life. The other nobles of the realm seek positions with their local citizen's councils. The aims of the French Revolution, originally set for by King Jean the Honorable and the incisive genius of Abbot Sieyes, have been completely accomplished. All of Europe, indeed all of the world, breathes free. It is the End of Tyrrany.

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The final map:

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Campaign notes to follow soon.

:egypt: