Allies taking advantage of you...

I started a game as Russia a few days ago, a lot of fun it is too, quite a challenge in battle considering everybody to the west of you has better line infantry and everyone east of you... Well, there is no east of you. I decided i would pursue peace and build up an economy for the first half of the game, not to be rich, just strong enough to support an enormous military made of as many conscripts as professional soldiers, and also be very backward in terms of enlightenment and industrial technology, but still matching the standards of more western armies, and not trading with absolutely everybody on the map i possibly can, just the most trusted allies. I found this way of playing makes Russia feel very realistic in the game, it almost represents how it actually was in this period.

My ally and only trading partner, Poland, went to war with Sweden very early on and i had to choose a side, so i chose Poland. I went into Sweden's closest province to me and took it without much of a fuss. This gave me access to a trading port with the west and also a naval base, both of which i may decide i want to use later, so i kept this province. I marched west a little more and took the next Swedish province along the coast, but only to trade back with them for peace, which i did, and everyone was happy.

I then found myself at war with Prussia. I let it sit for a few years and began asking for peace, no joy. I offered money for peace, not happening, so i decided i would try the same tactic as with Sweden, take a province and give it back for peace, and i had to force peace somehow because Prussia are blockading a sea lane i am using to trade with Portugal.

I sent an army into east Prussia, a full stack made up of an equal number of Cossacks and line infantry, 2 units of cavalry and 2 units of demi-cannons. I was met by a full stack composed almost identically to my own. The battle that ensued was amazing. After some intense skirmishing on both flanks from the Prussians i drew my army opposite theirs. Two volleys were exchanged and my line infantry charged. The melee lasted around 5 minutes and my cavalry was whittled down to almost nothing during flanking attempts, before my men broke and retreated.

I ordered the second of 3 lines forward, the Cossacks, and they let loose with an amazing volley all along the line into the disorganized and beaten up Prussian soldiers. Some ran, a few charged the Cossacks and were clubbed to death, in the end, all were routing from the field.

The second battle was outside a small town. I set up my army to funnel the Prussians into a killing corridor, where my cannons ripped them apart with canister shot. They made a little success on the left of my line where my cannon was routed by a volley from them, but nothing major, it was a decisive victory for me.

And there it was... East Prussia, naked of its garrison, and me with an army of 700 soldiers (out of the original 2025), now rather experienced from the battles that very year, all i had to do was walk in. It was there for the taking, but i had no movement points, so i ended turn.

AND POLAND STOLE THE BLOODY PROVINCE!

:wall:

Lusted said the AI was ++. :)

I say take 2 provinces of Poland, the one they stole and another random one and sue for peace giving back the random province... Then try and sue for peace with prussia with the province you reciently took back from poland. That or just steamroll Poland because they can be a bit of a pain in the backside sometimes

I had a similar experience playing as GB with prussia as my allies. I ended up in a war with poland because I attacked their ally. My main army has a huge battle, taking a polish town Whilst the army is attempting to recover the polish counter attack and nearly wipe me out.

I think ahh that will have been most of the city garrison and move to take the city.

:gah: The sneaky prussians who had done nothing to aid me the whole game had snuck in and taking the virtually unguarded city :furious3::hmg::charge::bigcry:


the bell tolls for thee Prussia :surrender:

Of course, you can do that back to them. I did this to Persia about three times, whilst playing as Russia. :laugh4:

Just a hint, if you have a save left you can just take the city by moving into it with only your general since he has more movement points than the rest of the army. The rest of the army will join in the battle(if there is one, sometimes there are flintlock peasantry left) as reinforcements automatically.

At least the AI did something advantageous....Just so you know if you had sieged the town but didn't attack. If they attacked you'd get to support them and they'd get the region anyway....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nafod

At least the AI did something advantageous....Just so you know if you had sieged the town but didn't attack. If they attacked you'd get to support them and they'd get the region anyway....

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That's what happened to me once.
As Prussia, I invaded Saxony, with my bestest of buddies Hanover. I moved a good army (lots of Line, a couple cav and all the Demi-Cannons I could, the idea was to use them up in suicidal fashion rather than disbanding them) into Saxony, but wanted to wait a turn for 1) better bayonets and 2) my units to be back at full strength. End turn, Hanover's move.
They send a pitiful band of 2-3 militias and one or two cavalry units and assault the capital. I'm within range, so am dragged into the battle as reinforcements, sans cannon. No option or tickbox for "sorry, you're on your own", so I did the next best thing : watched Hanover and Saxony go at it for a while, shooting in their melee at random from the edge of range, and mopping up the survivors once Hanover gets routed, which they promptly did, leaving me to deal with the garrisonned buildings, with plug bayonets. Thanks so much, guys.
They (Hanover) ended the battle with a single unit of depleted cavalry left from their total rout...and since I won the battle for them, took the friggin' capital from under me :wall:

Yeah, I learned really early in the game to assault cities ASAP. :wall: Had the same problem as France trying to take Amsterdam and my Spanish allies in Flanders just sneak in and take it while I'm besieging.