Early XL Cuman Expert Campaign

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Originally Posted by Vladimir

I just noticed how good you are doing politically; but I think you'll reach critical mass soon so watch out.

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At the start, diplomacy is of utmost importance to me. For an expert campaign, I only start with 4000 florins. Every florins counts. You don't want to make enemies with a strong faction at the start. Now, I stop my military expansion and wait for other factions to make the first move. Meanwhile, my first brothel is about to be completed. I will get spies and create some trouble in other factions provinces without a border fort. Meanwhile, my first ship is coming out in the sea connecting Levida, Lesser Khazar and Crimea. I need to guard against a possible invasion by the Turkish by sea. My first ship is coming out so late as I channelled all my florins into building farms and ground troops for military expansion.:beam:

The English had a cease-fire with the French. Besides attacking my allies, the Norwegian, it has also attacked me in Brandeburg through Saxony. It cause the Genose, the German and the Byzantium to annul their ally treaty with me because they happened to be allies of the English as well. Now I am vulnerable to an attack from the south by the Byzantium empire. I planned to hold a full scale invasion into Saxony from Franconia where there are two stack of English troops led by a 6 star general. After that, I will relieve the siege in Brandeburg which can still last 3 years as it has a small garrison. Hopefully, I don't get attacked by the French and the Byzantium in the south as this happens or I'll be severely stretched.:no:

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...gital/mtw8.jpg

This campaign is great :beam:

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Originally Posted by UltraWar

This campaign is great :beam:

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Thanks. I'll continue this game some other day.

I invaded Saxony. To my surprise, the English retreated to Brandeburg which is still under siege.

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...ital/mtw9a.jpg

Now they are trapped with nowhere to run. I moved all my troops except for 60 men of Cuman Warrior in Friesland to Franconia to defend it as my 2000 florins investment in the form of a castle is still building. I moved my force originally in Franconia into Brandeburg to lift the siege.

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...ital/mtw9b.jpg

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...ital/mtw9c.jpg

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...ital/mtw9d.jpg

Sadly, the English King didn't want the prisoners. :wall: Saxony is about to fall to my troops too.

Yea, there you go! That's the type of army I like to see. You just need some step heavies and you're golden. A pitty about the prisoners, the Cumans usually need the cash.

I got 4 Steppe Heavy cavalry as reinforcement when I invaded Brandeburg. My spearmen and Cuman warrior engaged the enemy first while the Cuman Heavy Cavalry slowly moved into a flanking position. Then they charged home from all sides.

After Saxony fell to me. The English became neutral? Is it because they have no troops which can attack me directly. They have no ships because they lost the naval battle with my ally, the Norwegian. Surprise, they sent a princess to me!

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...ital/mtw10.jpg

Now, I am allied to the English and my former ally, the Norwegian, became neutral. A good chance for me to invade my former ally and expand northwards.

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...tal/mtw10a.jpg

I moved my force from Saxony into Denmark. I am allied to the Swedish, so they are unlikely to attack me. Saxony is likely to rebel under the small garrsion of 60 men and will provide opportunity for the troop in Saxony to gain valour and some dread related vices.

My castle with its associated upgrade is finished. I'll be able to upgrade it to a fortress before the Mongol arrive in Khazar. My annual income is a respectable 4000+ florins.

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c.../mtwcastle.jpg

I am now at war with the French finally. A French crusade entered my land which was under a rebel siege. To lift that siege, I have to fight the French crusade as well.

Hehe, my heir married the Spanish princess. My faction has marriage ties with Sweden, Ireland, Serbia, Genose, English and Spanish. I think if the same faction offer their princess more than 1 time, especially after a long period of time, it is best to reject them to avoid Chinless Wonder, Odd number of toes kind of vices.

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...gital/mtwb.jpg

Very nice, Digital. :thumbsup:

Just a word of advice, however: All things being equal, you should generally accept marriage proposals where another faction offers their princess to your son. Doing so does *not* increase your chance of getting negative traits. Besides which, such offers are generally all too rare as it is. ~;)

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Originally Posted by Martok

Very nice, Digital. :thumbsup:

Just a word of advice, however: All things being equal, you should generally accept marriage proposals where another faction offers their princess to your son. Doing so does *not* increase your chance of getting negative traits. Besides which, such offers are generally all too rare as it is. ~;)

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Generally, I accept all marriage proposal, especially to my Khan, and his heir. Lets say King A has 2 princess B and C, 30 years old and 1 years old. He offers his 30 year old princess B to my heir. Lets say after a few years my Khan died, and his heir ascended the throne. My heir has a son whose mother is princess B. Lets say he reach 15 years old and the new heir to the throne. King A again offer his princess C, who is now in her 19, maybe, to the 15 years old boy and new heir to the throne. Wouldn't he be marrying his aunt? I think this would result in a vice of Chinless Wonder, which may progress to Odd Number of Toes and so on.

The French are a tough nut to crack. I invaded them and their troops came in to lift the siege. They also invaded me in three other provinces, the most painful one is by sea in Denmark, where I only had 6 Viking Carls and 1 spearman. In that battle, they managed to kill my one star general and some of my troops routed. I managed to win all 4 battles. My Khan now has 9 Influence but is already 56 years old. BTW, the Norman Foot Knight of the French is extremely powerful, being able to slice through almost anything!

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...tal/mtwmap.jpg

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...al/mtwking.jpg

Although my southern campaign against the French has met with great success. It left my northern provinces open to an attack by sea by the French. My only ships are in the Black Sea, but the French has a strong fleet of ships spanning the northern sea. The French attacked Denmark and Friesland. My general from Denmark routed and retreated to the castle. Friesland, which is held by a small garrison, retreated to the castle. The French king himself led his army to storm my castle!

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...al/medtw1e.jpg

Alas, he placed his siege weapon too close to my castle war, and my general was able to shoot down the soldiers operating it, forcing him to storm my gates!

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...al/medtw1c.jpg

The French getting fried at my gate! French fries anyboby?:idea2:

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...al/medtw1d.jpg

Although my warriors fought a brave battle, Friesland fell to the French King and his troops.

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...al/medtw1b.jpg

My influence get reduced by 1 crown. I have a level 3 spy in Friesland in order to incite a loyalist uprising. I also sent a 2 star spy to Denmark which is still under siege. All my border province and sea provinces with a port does not have a border fort but is police by a spy. This is so that the spy can gain level when he catches an enemy spy or assasin entering my province. Freisland now has a loyalty of 43% although the tax rate is very low. A loyalist uprising is very likely.

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...al/medtw1a.jpg

Well you’re putting my Cuman campaign to shame, although I focused on cheesing out the Mongols and focused on the East instead of the West. It’s a pity that you don’t have a northern navy. I think the French may be close to a civil war if you maintain your pace of victory. Cutting the king off from the rest of his country would really help. From an earlier screenshot I was going to recommend that you reduce your frontage in the South but you have very effectively cut South and West. Let’s hope for that loyalist revolt and not a reemergence.

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Originally Posted by Vladimir

Well you’re putting my Cuman campaign to shame, although I focused on cheesing out the Mongols and focused on the East instead of the West. It’s a pity that you don’t have a northern navy. I think the French may be close to a civil war if you maintain your pace of victory. Cutting the king off from the rest of his country would really help. From an earlier screenshot I was going to recommend that you reduce your frontage in the South but you have very effectively cut South and West. Let’s hope for that loyalist revolt and not a reemergence.

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Oh, my only three northern provinces that borders the sea with a port are recently conquered. Only Friesland has a shipbuilding facilities and the French King invaded it. My navy only consist of 4 ships at the moment and 2 has to stay at the Black Sea to guard against an attack by the Turkish by sea. Another 2 is moving towards Sardinia to blockade it in order to cause an uprising.

The next turn I invaded three French provinces, Venice from Austria, Lorraine from Swabi and Milan from Tyrolia, leaving a small garrison of at most 120 men in the original provinces.
https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...ital/med1a.jpg


Not surprisingly, the French decided to storm my castle in Denmark.
https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...ital/med1b.jpg


My spearman holding formation at the narrow gate.
https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...ital/med1c.jpg


Despite fighting bravely, my troops in Denmark were anihilated, but not before causing heavy casualties for the French.
https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...ital/med1d.jpg


The French decides to abandon Venice, Burgundy and Milan. So I have lost Denmark but gain 3 provinces. My Influence returned to a respectable 9 crown, compared to 3 crowns for the French King. A French civil war is imminent!
https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...ital/med1e.jpg


My level 3 spies doing his work in Friesland.
https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...ital/med1g.jpg


My level 2 spies doing his work in Denmark.
https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...ital/med1f.jpg


The French king has moved over to Flanders. Now he is in a dilemma. If he does not want Denmark and Friesland, to have an uprising, he has to sent troops to this two provinces, leaving his southern provinces vulnerable to an invasion by me, but if he does not do so, the uprising in Denmark and Friesland could erupt into a civil war. Switzerland, a French province, already has a peasant uprising. He has no way of sending troops to Switzerland, since it is surrounded by me. My province, Tyrolia, has an uprising too, but can be easily quell by my troops.

Are the advance building of Chancellery, Constable Palace, Marshal Palace and Admiralty available to a Pagan faction. I already had a Royal Palace built my province with a Citadel but it seems that I cannot build any advance buildings in the same upgrade path as the Royal Palace. Sorry, this is my first time playing as a Pagan faction.:help:

I don’t think so. I built a fortress in Kazar for the Mongols to smash against and don’t think I was able to construct those advanced structures. The religious buildings are nice but I think you will “stagnate” in the late era.

It's not that bad though as having a large pagan population is great when defending against other religions. Nice revolt risk!

Way to beat on the French there! It looks like you're doing well. ~:cheers:

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Originally Posted by Digital

Generally, I accept all marriage proposal, especially to my Khan, and his heir. Lets say King A has 2 princess B and C, 30 years old and 1 years old. He offers his 30 year old princess B to my heir. Lets say after a few years my Khan died, and his heir ascended the throne. My heir has a son whose mother is princess B. Lets say he reach 15 years old and the new heir to the throne. King A again offer his princess C, who is now in her 19, maybe, to the 15 years old boy and new heir to the throne. Wouldn't he be marrying his aunt? I think this would result in a vice of Chinless Wonder, which may progress to Odd Number of Toes and so on.

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In your example, yes your new heir would be marrying his aunt. However, the game still does not penalize your prince with incest-related vices. (That only happens when a princess marries her own brother.) I agree that you *should* get negative traits for such behavior, but you don't. :shrug:

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Originally Posted by Vladimir

I don’t think so. I built a fortress in Kazar for the Mongols to smash against and don’t think I was able to construct those advanced structures. The religious buildings are nice but I think you will “stagnate” in the late era.

It's not that bad though as having a large pagan population is great when defending against other religions. Nice revolt risk!

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Oh, that means I can only build a Royal Palace and have no upgrades. I cannot build Chancellery and other building on the same upgrade path. This is a disadvantage when playing as a Pagan faction. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Martok

Way to beat on the French there! It looks like you're doing well. ~:cheers:


In your example, yes your new heir would be marrying his aunt. However, the game still does not penalize your prince with incest-related vices. (That only happens when a princess marries her own brother.) I agree that you *should* get negative traits for such behavior, but you don't. :shrug:

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Hmmmmm...ok, that means I can safely accept all marriages from other faction.

Loyalists have appeared in Denmark!
https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...al/medloy1.jpg

I moved all my force from Scania to join in the battle!
https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...l/medloy1a.jpg

The loyalist general won!
https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...l/medloy1b.jpg

However, the Germans re-emerge the next turn in both Saxony and Switzerland!:furious3:
https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c...l/medloy1c.jpg


I think now I have to give Denmark a miss and retreat to Scania. I have expanded too fast, leaving pockets of disloyal provinces at the back. If I did not adjust the tax rate of many provinces, the German could re-emerge in as much as 5 provinces! I will deal with the re-emergence first before dealing with the French.

That one in Saxony looks like a pain but if you manage a defensive battle in Switzerland it should be easy.

That's quite a nice loyalist revolt!

I'm interested in your sucessful battle in Denmark - especially as the French troops were 3 stars up on leadership and most, if not all were 2 or 3 up on valour. Looking at the final result screen, the French must have just sat there and let the Cuman infantry shoot them to death - and chance of a little detail? If you had autocalced the battle, I would have predicted a French victory, not a Cuman one with only 21 casualties!!

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Originally Posted by King Kurt

I'm interested in your sucessful battle in Denmark - especially as the French troops were 3 stars up on leadership and most, if not all were 2 or 3 up on valour. Looking at the final result screen, the French must have just sat there and let the Cuman infantry shoot them to death - and chance of a little detail? If you had autocalced the battle, I would have predicted a French victory, not a Cuman one with only 21 casualties!!

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Oh, as expected, the French infantrymen hid in the forest with their cavalry hiding behind them. What I did is that my Cuman warrior and archer are right in front, followed by the lone spearmen unit, and the Viking armour piercing units behind them. My Cuman Heavy Cavalry is behind all of them. I arranged this formation such that their shooting range is somewhere in front of the forest the French are hiding. Then I send a lone archer unit, on skirmish mode, to shoot at them in the forest to lure them out of the forest. When they came out and attack my archer, my archer which is on skirmish mode, will move backwards, bring them in the range of my Cuman Warriors who are just too happy to shoot at them. Some of them routed, but some managed to come within melee range of my armour peircing and my Cuman warrior and attacked them. After suffering heavy casualties, the French general and his troops decides to retreat.

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Originally Posted by Digital

Oh, as expected, the French infantrymen hid in the forest with their cavalry hiding behind them. What I did is that my Cuman warrior and archer are right in front, followed by the lone spearmen unit, and the Viking armour piercing units behind them. My Cuman Heavy Cavalry is behind all of them. I arranged this formation such that their shooting range is somewhere in front of the forest the French are hiding. Then I send a lone archer unit, on skirmish mode, to shoot at them in the forest to lure them out of the forest. When they came out and attack my archer, my archer which is on skirmish mode, will move backwards, bring them in the range of my Cuman Warriors who are just too happy to shoot at them. Some of them routed, but some managed to come within melee range of my armour peircing and my Cuman warrior and attacked them. After suffering heavy casualties, the French general and his troops decides to retreat.

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Very nice - slightly surprizing that the french cav were hidden as well - mind you 300 archers helps!! - especially as I assume the Cuman infantry can melee quite well. I'm quite tempted to give them a go once the teutons rule the world.:2thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by King Kurt

Very nice - slightly surprizing that the french cav were hidden as well - mind you 300 archers helps!! - especially as I assume the Cuman infantry can melee quite well. I'm quite tempted to give them a go once the teutons rule the world.:2thumbsup:

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Cuman warrior are archers as well as swordmen. I think they have attack and defence of 4 at valour 0. Unlike Nizaris, the Muslim archer and swordman, they have good attack AND defence. It is better for me because I only need a Citadel to build a Master Bowyer, and get +1 valour archer and swordmen, whereas for other faction, you have to get a 8000 Florins Fortress before you can build a Master Swordsmith to get +1 valour swordmen. They are the only normal swordmen that the Cuman can build and they cost 300 florins. Of course, the Cuman can also build other non-faction specific swordmen but they will need to conquer certain provinces in order to do so.

And one of the best units in early can be found in two places right next door. :yes: