Oh, and I can't count, Muhammed has *only* 7 stars, not 9 like I said http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...cons/wacko.gif
He's 31 I think, so Simon should get a good long reign in.
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Oh, and I can't count, Muhammed has *only* 7 stars, not 9 like I said http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...cons/wacko.gif
He's 31 I think, so Simon should get a good long reign in.
Received the saveGame from Mount Suribachi, checked, archived, zipped, and mailed to Simon Appleton (who won't see it until tomorrow, Sunday).
The 05 July list:
SeljukSinan (Khalipha Yusuf I)
Monk (Khalipha Yusuf II)
Maniac (Khalipha Umar)
Mount Suribachi (Khalipha Ismail I)
Simon Appleton (Current Khalipha: Muhammad I)
Skie Mirror Silvanoshei
ArseClown
Alrowan
Demon of Light
ChaosLord
The_Emporer
DrHaphazard
Ummm...Kukri, when will my replays get online?
I edited a post of mine in page 6 so that Monk's write up appears where it should chronologically.
Demon of Light: good job, 'moving' that post to a more appropriate position in the thread. Ever helpful. Thx.
Monk: since DoL gave up his pg 6 post to copy your reign write-up there, any prob with my deleting this pg 8 version?
Maniac: still working on the replays thing. I'm just not bright enough to get them to work yet. Gonna ask for help from smarter guys. I'll get back to you...soon.
OK, I've been out all day so I've not been able to do my handover write-up. So I'll give you a brief edited version.
The map looks like this
https://jimcee.homestead.com/files/Almo1195.jpg
In Ismaels 55th year Pope Urban III re-appeared with c. 6000 men. Defeated the army in Naples, but Ismael wasn't able to stem the tide in Rome and was forced back into the castle. The next year my whole empire went crazy.
I am meticulous in my gameplay and check loyalty of every province every turn. My loyalty plummeted everywhere. many provinces had loyalty 0%, no matter how low the taxes or how many troops there were stationed there. The only explanation for this that I can think of is that my King was trapped in a castle.
In 2 desparate do or die battles the Papacy were defeated and Ismael died at the end of that turn. Loyalty is back to normal empire wide, but Simon Appleton is left with peasant rebellions in Portugal, Granada, Morocco & Northumbria. And Christian rebellions in Rhodes, Crete, Wales, Mercia & Scotland.
Did I mention that the Italians re-appeared in Algeria with 5000 men that turn as well?
Still, everywhere else is at peace.
Simon - Obviously you want to avoid war with Byz at all costs, as trade with them is our biggest source of income. The Poles have been allied to them for decades, so be careful of attacking them. Byz has only just allied with Egypt after a brutal 20 year war in Anatolia which saw no major territory change hands...WW1 in the 12th Century http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...cons/frown.gif
I would concentrate on developing our lands and armies - try and get Swabian Swordsmen, they are devastating, and Swiss Pikemen as the Elmos are seriously lacking in anti-cav units. However, you have an experienced army and some top generals. I would go through all the governers as well and check their V & Vs, something I've not done since the start of my reign. Of course you are your own man, my son, and you will rule your kingdom as you see fit http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...ons/smokin.gif I'm just one more daddy trying to pass on what he (thinks he) knows.
Ismael has only one wish of you. Destroy the Irish. Ireland was the scene of a humiliating Almohad defeat early in my reign and I was planning to lead a death or glory charge there in my 56th year. It wasn't to be, the Pope had other plans.
Avenge our peoples humiliation there my son, it is all I ask of you.
Hopefully tomorrow I can get stuck into writing my full history when Mrs Suribachi goes swimming http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...cons/smile.gif
no prob post deleted, sorry for being late but you know how life can be http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...icons/wink.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by [b
OK, I got the save game - thanks, Kukrikhan and Mount Suribachi. A lot to take in - but thanks for the advice, it will be treated with true filial respect.
Firstly, what exactly is a Kukri blade?Quote:
Originally Posted by [b
Secondly, why Hard, as opposed to Expert?
Thirdly, what's the record so far? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...icons/wink.gif Ummm, on second thought, perhaps that should be kept confidential.
I assume that this must be played in a linear fashion; that is, no going back to replay turns that went horribly wrong. This can be verified by examining save dates / times, although the most hardcore among us may elect to change their system time to get around this. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...cons/dizzy.gif Hmmm, yes, please don't do this, peoples.
May I e-mail you my first (and as yet only) attempt, Kukri? I saved at the beginning of each turn, and I'm happy to fill you in re: any questions you may have...
I want that blade, dammit http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...ns/biggrin.gif
A.
The new Kalipha ran up the stairs, adrenaline coursing through his veins. “Allah, you have guided me to this moment”, he thought, “now I will repay your trust”. He reached the top of the stairs. “Stop”, he told himself, forcing a halt, “Walk, don’t run.” He approached the entrance to the Council chamber at what he hoped was a more sedate pace, although the great doors were thrown open before him with a haste he did not recall from his father’s time.
Faces turned towards him as he entered the grand hall. Inside, gathered around a large map of the known world, were his father’s most trusted advisors and generals. Scanning the old men, Muhammad observed a mixture of anxiety and curiosity. The apprehension was predictable given the turmoil that had marked Muhammad’s ascension to the throne. But Muhammad had not anticipated the open expressions of interest on the faces of his Council; interest in how he, the new Kalipha, would respond to the chaos in the kingdom.
“Gentlemen” he began in a loud, clear voice, “I am indebted to you all for coming at such short notice. You helped guide my father from the Pyrnees to the Elbe. Various malcontents seek to undo that work. In Allah’s name, our people have brought down all the great Catholic kingdoms. A few rebellions will not prove much of a challenge to them, especially with your continued guidance. Qadi al-Quda, summarise the reports from the provinces”
The Qadi al-Quda, grey and wizen, shuffled through the pile of parchments in front of him. “As your highness has said, various malcontents. Two main areas of unrest – the resurgent Italians in Algeria, with 3800 men; and in the British Isles, with rebellions in all provinces bar Wessex with an estimated total of 4500 rebels. Minor uprisings also reported in Portugal, Granada, Morocco, Crete and Rhodes.”
“Thank you, Qadi al-Quda” said Muhammad, moving rapidly on. “The first order of business is to try to forestall any future such disloyalty in the provinces. Grand Vizier, you are to give all provincial governors authority to set taxes at sufficiently low rates to guarantee the loyalty of their subjects. We have better things to do than to second guess our governors.”
“As you command” said the hawk-faced Grand Vizier, oozing scepticism and ill-concealed displeasure at such a great loss of his power.
“Grand Vizier – we have amassed a formidable warchest; some 180,000 gold pieces. Now would be a good time to spend some of it. All provinces not committed to naval construction must immediately levy contingents of troops. What can we expect?”
“Your highness, I regret that, with a few exceptions, only the Ibernian and African provinces can train warriors worthy of your armies. The others can mainly offer only urban militia or peasants, if they can muster any forces.”
Muhammad suppressed his irritation. The lack of training facilities in the kingdom’s more recent conquests was probably more a reflection of the destruction of conquest and the backwardness of the conquered than the laxity of the Grand Vizier. Still, it seemed that the Grand Vizier, and indeed the Muhammad’s father, had been somewhat complacent in ordering the prioritisation of great castles, agricultural improvements and merchant houses.
“Grand Vizier, raise whatever forces you can – even levy the peasants if need be. Also, hire any mercenaries offering their services. We will not lose a kingdom for the want of a few blades. But in future, ALL provinces must be capable of producing well-trained forces – either Almohad urban militia, Muwahid foot or archers. We must not be caught unprepared a second time. Oh, and allocate some of our conquered provinces to horse breeding. We may not be able to trust Catholic-born warriors with steeds, but we must be able to replace them with our own Faris or Ghulam cavalry.” The fact that, outside of North Africa, only Rome was capable of training mounted warriors had been one of Muhammad’s most disturbing discoveries on assuming the kaliphate. Another had been the neglect of metalsmiths despite the kingdom’s generous endowment of iron-mines.
“Vizier of the Army” Muhammad turned his attention to the grizzled warrior stood closest to the map. “Empty all provinces without a land border or enemy insurgent of their garrisons. Leave only a skeleton force in each. If there are more or less than 100 men in each uncontested province, I will be wanting an explanation.”
“As you command, my Kalipha”, the old warrior bowed. “And they should be deployed to …?”
“The first priority is to forestall any attempt by existing factions to exploit our troubles. As my father instructed me, Byzantium is both our greatest trading partner and worst potential enemy. We meet them at the borders of Venice. What is the strength of our garrison there compared to theirs in Croatia?”
The Vizier of the Army uttered a dry, uncomfortable cough. “We have 120 men in Venice; estimate their army in Croatia numbers in excess of 2000.”
“That leaves us a rather tempting target, don’t you think? Make reinforcing Venice our first priority, followed by our other border provinces – especially Libya, our frontier with Egypt.”
“But there are armies already in the field against us” cried the Vizier of the Army in frustration. “Must we spend all our energies fighting shadows and phantoms?”
“Indeed not, my trusted sword-arm, you are right as always. After reinforcing our border garrisons to your satisfaction, you are to take all available men and allocate them to each of the ten contested provinces. I personally we lead our forces against the Italians in Algeria. I expect we will be outnumbered in most battles, so we must rely on quality. Make sure each province has sufficient archers and horse. The Almohad urban militia will be the backbone of our defence but their numbers are few. Order all militia company captains that they are to deploy only two deep. Tell every militiaman that their own fate, the fate of their comrades, their armies, their country and indeed the fate of the true faith all stands or falls on the skill of their swordsmanship.”
“Now, gentlemen, let us get to work and hope that next year we meet in less interesting times”, and, with that, the Kalipha dismissed the Council.
Almost as an afterthought, he called back the Qadi al-Quada, instructing him to send emissaries offering alliances to all factions except the Italians. But in his heart, he expected little of these overtures. The Almohad Kaliphate stood alone and now, with the exit of the old men from the Council chamber, the Kalipha himself felt a thrill of solitude.
Nice write ups Simon, seems like you made an excellent recovery from near disaster. Excellent work also not being at war with the Byz thereby capitalizing on trade as long as possible. By the way, what year is it? Have the Golden Horde come and gone, or are they just about ready to slam into the rear areas of the Byzantines?
Well its good to know we can build up troops and money still allied with the Byz while they are busy with the Golden Horde. Then, whoever wins, we'll have the manpower to smash em.
As for ArseClown:
We have not yet begun the proposed Russian Race to Antioch scenario, as we are waiting for this current campaign to finish.
Also, it was my hope that we could maybe turn it into a team event. Have two teams that pass the game on as each king dies and see which can take antioch first. I thought that might give us the best of both worlds.
In any case, popular enthusiasm has not been forthcomming for that idea and i think Kukri is going to wait to discuss it.
As for the kukri itself...well here's a site that i found in about 3 seconds worth of searching. At least it has some good pictures.
Suffice it to say that the Kukri is a brutal weapon that comes out of Nepal, favoured by the Ghurkas (ya know those guys that help tourists climb Everest.) It became famous because the British would use Ghurkas in their armies and of course the Ghurkas brought their favorite melee weapon with them. I've heard it said that every time a Ghurka draws his kukri the blade has to taste blood.
I'm sure KK can fill you in with more details though... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...s/rolleyes.gif
Great write up Simon http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...cons/smile.gif
When in 1160 Ismail became Kalipha of the Alomhad Empire, no one could have predicted the profound impact this 21-year-old would have on Europe. He had no outstanding qualities that marked him out as the great ruler that he would become. A promising general - one to keep an eye on, but no more. Able to read and write, with a rudimentary grasp of arithmetic, but certainly no scholar. Nor was he a man of profound religious beliefs, indeed in his youth the Alims used to whisper that whilst he knew about the existence of mosques, he knew not what they were for. He did however display great natural ability at personal combat and was regarded as a great warrior. His temperament was generally pleasant, though he was prone to occasional outbursts of anger, but no more so than would be expected from any young King carrying the burden of responsibility for a whole empire. There was but one trait from his early life that provided a clue as to how his reign would develop. All those who knew him - family, friends, advisors, and comrades - knew that he was somewhat irritable, quick to anger and slow to forget a grudge. If the Catholic Kings and princes of Western Europe had born this fact in mind, perhaps they would not have sown the wind, and reaped the whirlwind.
Upon his accession, Ismail found his kingdom to be one of great, but as yet largely untapped potential. The treasury turned over an annual profit of around 2500 florins and the royal coffers contained nearly 3000 florins. By the end of his reign, that annual profit was to be increased 10 fold and over 150,000 florins were stored in the treasury. In large part that was due to the reforms Ismail instigated. The fledgling navy started by his forefathers were up to that point used mainly in a defensive role around the East Coast of the Iberian Peninsula, defending against incursions by the Italians who had fought an on-off war with the Almohads for years. As the Italians were pushed back and eventually defeated, Ismail ordered his fleets to roam far from home and establish trading routes everywhere they could. Within 30 years the whole of the known world was accessible to the Almohads, from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Goods from all across the Almohad empire were sold in far away places, their import and export duties swelling the coffers - wax and olive oil from Portugal, saltfish from Northumbria, glassware and silk from Venice combining to make the Almohad empire the richest of the age. Ismail also set about improving his empires infrastructure in order that his merchants might make more profits and thereby pay yet more taxes, building trading posts and by the end of his reign encouraging the merchants guilds that were starting to spring up. He appointed new governors in many territories, based not, as was so often the case in those times, on nobility of birth, but on merit alone. Thus many able men of comparatively humble backgrounds found themselves ruling whole provinces in Ismails name. On the whole, these men ruled ably and well, and their wisdom and discernment further increased the profitability of their lands. They also owed their high position to Ismail and as such were very loyal to him, unlike perhaps those of more noble birth who would be much more likely to intrigue against the Kalipha.
To the North & East the French and Egyptians kept large standing armies on their borders with the Almohads. These tied down large numbers of soldiers in defensive positions, but the intelligence Ismail received persuaded him (certainly early in his reign) that they did not intend to attack him directly, so he was able to concentrate his attentions on his one enemy - the Italians.
For years the Italians had been launching raids on Aragon, Valencia and Cordoba, but Ismails father, Umar I had managed to drive the Italians back onto the defensive. By 1160 Ismail found Corsica in Almohad hands and with a foothold on the Italian peninsula - Genoa and Tuscany were occupied by Ismails armies with the castles at Genoa and Florence under siege. By 1162 both castles had fallen, and there followed several years of consolidation as Ismail secured his position as King and worked to improve the loyalty of his subjects - by civic improvements where he could, and where he couldn't, by the stationing of enough troops to make sure no-one dared to try anything funny. By 1165 he was confident enough to order his younger brother, Prince Yusuf to attack Venice to the North East.
Yusuf was an interesting character, 2 years younger than Ismail, he was on the face of things, a more impressive man - cleverer, a better general with a more fearsome reputation, a more devout Muslim (although compared to Ismail, this wasn't saying much). However, even at this early stage of his life there were rumours about his habit of sleeping in his tent with only young slave boys for company, but it was many years before his preference for young men rather than young women became common knowledge. When it did, it was only the fact that his brother the Kalipha was not a truly devout Muslim that allowed him to keep his life. When his perversion became an open secret, he was able to maintain his high position by a combination of his very charitable giving to the poor and his fearsome reputation - partly earned on the battlefield, partly rumours of what he did to those who crossed him.
Venice was defended by Lord Corsini, perhaps the cleverest man of the age. However the love of philosophy and abstract thought does not make one a general capable of defeating a foe superior in numbers and ability. Corsini abandoned Venice and retreated to Milan with his 500 men where the Italians prepared to make a last stand against the onslaught that they knew would come sooner or later.
Before that onslaught however came 2 incidents that would dominate Ismails thinking for the rest of his life. As the war with the Italians was drawing to its conclusion, Ismail began looking around for further opportunities for expansion. With the intricate web of international alliances, he was reluctant to attack any of the larger kingdoms lest it incur the wrath of their allies. He decided that Ireland, small and lightly populated would make an ideal base for his navy which by now was reaching into the North Sea and Baltic, but was finding it increasingly hard to support its operations so far from their home ports.
So in 1167, Abdul abu Muhammed, a highly educated general with a reputation for a devious military mind led an invasion force of nearly 500 men to take the Emerald Isle. Muhammed, who had won fame as the conqueror of Corsica, led his army against 350 Irish soldiers expecting an easy victory. Fate had decided differently however and as the 2 armies closed, a javelin thrown by an Irish peasant struck him. The whole army saw him topple from his horse skewered through the chest, and as the shock swept through the army, they wavered for a moment. At that point the Irish Gallowglasses, fierce tribal warriors, charged down the small hill they stood on. Much of the Almohad army broke and ran instantly, some stayed and fought, briefly, before they too ran. Many did not run quick enough and were slaughtered. Those who ran quickly enough were able to rally themselves and some order was restored to the army. But now it was they who were on the defensive. They met the Irish attack and this time put up a slightly better fight, but it was clear the Irish were slowly winning the battle. As more and more of the Muslims fell the army suddenly broke and ran once more, this time not stopping until they had reached their ships. Of the 500 men who landed in Ireland, less than 100 survived to make it back to Granada. When these survivors, humiliated by their defeat and with a long, lonely sea voyage back home to think about the shameful lack of courage they had displayed, made it back to Islamic Spain, Ismail flew into a rage. And not without reason. The army he had sent was well led, well trained and well equipped. The death of their general should not have provoked such a shameful and cowardly flight. When an Irish emissary arrived to enquire about a ransom for the 150 Almohad prisoners they had, Ismail saw him personally in order to deliver just one line
You may kill them all.
The survivors Ismail thought about distributing as reinforcements throughout the rest of his army, but decided against it. He did not want their cowardly ways infecting the rest of his brave army, so the survivors were dismissed from the army and sent home. The shame of the Irish debacle burned long in Ismails mind and he longed and planned for the opportunity to personally destroy these Irish peasants who had so humiliated his mighty empire.
The 2nd important incident that happened in 1167 was a surprise attack by the French from Toulouse into Aragon. Over 2200 Franks marched across the border where they were met by less than 600 Almohads led by Amir abu Hassan, an outstanding general whose uncanny ability had secured victory after victory. On this day he fought a holding action, defending as long as his archers had arrows, before withdrawing to his keep in Barcelona, having lost nearly 200 men, but leaving 700 French soldiers dead on the battlefield. Although already at war with the Catholic Italians, this battle began stoking the fires of Ismails desire to destroy the Catholic west.
By 1169 Prince Yusuf was ready to begin the final phase of the Italian war. Milan was invaded with 1200 men and Doge Enrico I himself led the last 1500 soldiers Italy possessed to meet them. The battle was long and bloody, but the result was never in doubt as the Italians were relentlessly driven back. Although 300 Almohads were lost, 600 Italians died and the same number were taken prisoner, but with no money to pay their ransom met death just the same. Only 300 survived to flee back to the castle in Milan.
The following year Prince Yusuf led the assault on Milan Castle, the last bastion of Italian resistance. Led by Doge Enrico and trying to wipe away the shame of their string of defeats and retreats at Muslim hands the Italians defended fiercely and inflicted over 100 casualties on the assaulters, several units being wiped out. At the last there remained only Doge Enrico himself, sat on his horse in front of the keep, fighting off attacker after attacker, till only Prince Yusuf remained in the vicinity. The 2 then fought an epic hand to hand clash, captured so famously in the portrait by Abu Zayyan al-Mansur, the archery commander whose paintings capture so many dramatic moments from the reign of Ismail I. Eventually after several minutes of combat, with both men exhausted, Yusuf was able to fell Enrico.
https://jimcee.homestead.com/files/P...oge_Enrico.jpg
Prince Yusuf fighting Doge Enrico by Abu Zayyan al-Mansur
With no heirs and no territory, the Italians were no more. The first, but not the last Catholic nation to fall to Ismail.
https://jimcee.homestead.com/files/D...co_drawing.jpg
The death of Doge Enrico I by Abu Zayyan al-Mansur
In the same year of 1170, the Almohads launched counterattacks against the French. The siege of Barcelona Keep was lifted, the French withdrawing without a fight, and to the northwest an attack on the lightly defended province of Anjou was unopposed, the small French army there retreating to the fort at Bordeaux. The following year the French launched a huge counterattack to lift the siege of Bordeaux - over 3200 men led by King Phillipe III attacking the 700 men of Amir Rahman. Rahman, the Censor of Genoa was possibly the best of the many fine generals at Ismails disposal. One the true greats in the history of warfare, he also had a fearsome reputation, his hands stained with the blood of innocents. Highly educated, but also a glutton, he spent vast fortunes on rare delicacies and huge feasts whilst his peasants starved. But of course, when you're outnumbered more than 4 to 1, what a general eats is not as important as how he leads. And Rahman fought a skillful rearguard action, his army (containing a large contingent of archers from the sands of Morocco) killing nearly 800 Frenchmen, capturing over a hundred more for the loss of 250 of his own men. When his archers had exhausted their arrows Rahman withdrew back to Navarre, happy to have caused the French casualties thrice that of his own.
To the east Kaliph Ismael led a force of 800 men from the freshly relieved Aragon into Toulouse. His spies and scouts had reported that Toulouse was only lightly defended, but as he advanced north, French reinforcements marched south. King Phillipe had announced a crusade against the Almohads several years previously. Pope Giovanni I had given it his blessing and over 1000 men responded to this call to wage a holy war against the heathen Muslims who threatened Catholicism. It was this crusade that Ismail met on the fields of Toulouse and which outnumbered his army by more than 2 to 1. The battle raged back and forth and swung first one way, then the other. Several times it looked like one side might break, but they always rallied. The biggest problem that Ismaels army faced were the Order Foot Soldiers. Well armoured, equipped with a shield and spear, these men were not of high enough social standing to become knights, but fought in support of them and with the hope of promotion. They also fought with a religious zeal that made them disciplined and tough warriors. They fought the battle with bravery and skill and inflicted heavy casualties on the Almohads. Eventually, when both sides had exhausted their reinforcements, the battlefield belonged to the Muslims. The French had just over 500 dead, the Almohads just under, however the Almohads had managed to capture nearly 900 French soldiers. After the battle was over, Ismael looked out over the fields and surveyed the carnage. His army had sustained 60% losses and it was a tribute to their bravery, skill and his leadership that they had persevered to win the day. He looked at the throng of French prisoners. The peasants, poorly dressed, no armour, shaking with fear, the terror visible in their eyes. And he looked at the Order Foot Soldiers, their armour no longer shiny and glinting, but dirty and dented. Their faces caked in dust, sweat and blood. But their eyes, their eyes In them was the gleam of defiance mixed with the anger at their defeat. Although they had surrendered in the hope of being ransomed to fight another day, they were clearly not afraid of their death, if Ismael should so order it. And then Ismael looked out again at the piles of dead bodies strewn around the battlefield, most of them accumulated round the places where the crusader foot soldiers had made their stands and Ismael thought I do not want to fight these men again. He turned to his surviving bodyguards and shouted
Follow me
With that he rode into the nearby town of Colomiers. Most of the inhabitants had fled in fear with news of the defeat or were locked in their houses. Ismael rode up to the local church and finding the priest ordered him to collect his entire store of bread and wine. Having done so, he took the clearly terrified priest back out to the battlefield. There he ordered the priest to deliver Holy Communion to the 900 prisoners. Though thought of as a man who was ignorant of the divine, Ismael regarded this as a last act of necessary chivalry towards a vanquished enemy before he ordered the execution of every one of the French prisoners.
The Battle of Colomiers was the turning point in Ismaels reign. Having witnessed 1st hand the potentially devastating effects of the Catholic crusades he was determined to eliminate their threat once and for all by destroying Catholic Western Europe. This desire to remove a threat coupled with his known grudge-bearing abilities was the beginning of the end of Roman Catholicism. Whether or not the threat posed by having to face those order foot soldiers again if he had ransomed them justified their slaughter is something that Islamic scholars have debated ever since. As we shall see, in the future he was perfectly happy to ransom back low quality troops and peasants, but royalty in particular, where likely to suffer a similar fate to those 900 captured Frenchmen on the bloody fields of Colomiers. Whether what he did was right or wrong, he never shook off his reputation for scant mercy the rest of his life.
[Very nice posts, Mount Suribachi. It is nice to know how I got here I will copy, delete and re-post my report(s) when you are done so that this thread is in chronological order. I'm going to post updates every other day in character; confused readers can think of this as flashbacks and/or flash forwards until Mount Suribachi has completed his write-up and I re-jig the ordering.]
Kalipha Muhammad I put down the journal of his father's reign unfinished. A messenger from Scotland had arrived, bearing news of the first of the ten battles that marked the year of his inauguration in 1196. Muhammad tore open the parchment and scanned it anxiously. A rebel army of 1900 men had attacked Almohad forces of 840 warriors. A wave of relief surged through the Kalipha – victory The rebels had been defeated, with the loss of only 93 Almohad warriors.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/simon.a...1/00000001.jpg
Amir Rahman presents the new Kalipha with a great victory in the Scottish Highlands. He will return here to out-do this triumph six years later.
The flow of the battle characterised most of the encounters of this year. The Almohads had deployed on the highest hill, with a thin frontline of double-ranked Almohad militia backed by archers in loose formation and cavalry for pursuit. The first wave of the enemy was invariably the strongest and pressed home its attack despite suffering from archery fire while approaching up a steep incline. However, in no battle was the enemy ultimately able to resist the charge of the Almohad urban militia down the slope. Typically the enemy general was captured or killed in the first wave of the assault. The negative effect of this on enemy morale, combined with the high losses sustained and the inferior quality of subsequent waves of enemy, meant that the outcome of the battle was no longer in doubt.
Reflecting later on the year’s many victories, the Kalipha wondered why so often his forces had managed to defeat superior numbers. No doubt it was partly the advantage of being on the defensive, able to use archery and elevation to good effect. In large measure it was also the considerable skill of the Almohad urban militia, who had proved able to best Highland Clansmen, Feudal Sergeants and even Feudal Men-at-Arms. However, perhaps the most decisive factor was the superior leadership provided by the Almohad generals. Most Almohad armies were led by veteran generals whereas the rebel generals had yet to make much of a reputation for themselves. This factor was particularly important in Muhammad’s own encounter with the resurgent Italians, whose young Doge had no particular aptitude for command whatsoever.
Although more Almohad soldiers were engaged in the various campaigns in the British Isles, the battle of Algiers was the largest single encounter of 1196. Muhammad had mustered 1727 men, but the Italians had gathered a force of 3781 composed almost entirely of stout soldiers – Feudal Sergeants, Men-at-Arms, Mounted Crossbowmen, Mounted Sergeants and archers. Thankfully, the Italians had been surprisingly light in terms of Feudal Knights but Muhammad also was short of heavy cavalry. As in Scotland, the fate of the first wave of the assault had been decisive. The Italians approached with their heaviest infantry and in the fierce ensuing melee caused heavy casualties, but everywhere were defeated. The second wave had been frustrating with massed horsemen proving an elusive enemy, capable of inflicting damage at range thanks to a plentiful supply of crossbows. Muhammad’s foot archers provided no aid, having exhausted their arrows, and although they were withdrawn with a call for reinforcements, the fresh troops that arrived were mounted soldiers rather than archers. Various counters were attempted to the mounted crossbowmen: slow moving Almohad urban militia attempted to drive them off; mercenary Druzhina cavalry exhausted themselves in pursuit; Berber camels came off surprisingly well in a ranged duel; but no decisive counter-measure was available. Fortunately, the crossbows appeared to inflict little damage, thanks in part to the strong armour of the Almohad urban militia. Eventually, a third wave of archers and infantry approached, allowing the battle to come to a more decisive conclusion. The Italians were defeated, inflicting 301 casualties on the Almohads and giving Muhammad the reputation for being a skilled defender.
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The battle of Algiers against the resurgent Italians gives Muhammad his first opportunity as Kalipha to demonstrate his skill at defence. The piles of dead visible on the battleground are an ominous portent of the bloodiness of his reign.
The other eight battles of the year were largely unremarkable, with the exception of a chaotic encounter in Wales. Muhammad’s brother, Prince Abdulla, had led the Almohad army of 656 men against 1140 rebels. Abdulla was a great warrior and excellent general, but made a terrible error in deployment. Perhaps due to the snowstorms of the unusually severe Welsh winter, he allowed the enemy to get behind the rear of his army. With low visibility, Abdulla had strained to see the advance of the enemy although confused shouts revealed it was approaching at speed. Only at the last moment, had the Prince realised with horror that the enemy spears were within yards of the rear of his archers and that his frontline of Almohad urban militia were on the wrong side of the hill, with the enemy fast approaching their backs. Hasty orders allowed his army to turn 180 degrees to face the Welsh. Only the fighting skill of the Almohad urban militia and the belated encouragement of the Prince allowed the Almohads to prevail, with the loss of 161 men.
Elsewhere, in Northumbria, a force of 608 Almohads defeated 1420 rebels for the loss of only 54 men. Smaller victories were secured in Mercia, Granada, Morocco, Crete and Rhodes. Only in Portugal was the Kaliphate to experience the sour taste of defeat. The rebel forces there had been the weakest facing the Kaliphate – a mere 60 Murabitin, backed by 200 peasants. Muhammad had little respect for the Murabitin – what was the point of spearmen without spears? – and no respect at all for peasants in combat. Consequently, he relied on the local Christian militia to quell the rebellion. Denied archery and horse, without an experienced leader or the infamous Almohad urban militia, the Almohads had few of the ingredients that had ensured success elsewhere. The Murabitin had unleased a volley of javelins at the Christian militia, apparently seriously denting their morale, and, after a quick melee, the militia wavered and then promptly ran.
So ended the year of 1196, Muhammad’s baptism of fire. The wave of victories had a marked effect on the new Kalipha. On inheriting the throne, the prospect of so many battles had encouraged Muhammad to plan for a period of consolidation. However, the favourable outcomes led him to realise he had inherited a finely sharpened sword. To leave it sheathed was at best to waste a precious gift. At worst, it would let the sword rust and atrophy, as a generation of fine generals idled their twilight years away. Consequently, the Kaliphad planned a reign of conquest to continue his father’s work. His first targets would naturally be the rebel Portugese and the hated Irish, who had humiliated his father. However, Muhammad also sought a worthier foe. The Danes were the obvious targets for conquest, since they occupied the wealthy Scandinavian provinces and their defeat would shorten the land borders of the kingdom. Peace with the powerful Byzantines and their Polish allies was to be maintained at all costs, due to the great trading links the Almohads had forged with them. Muhammad had heard rumours of a great migration of fierce warrior peoples in the East and suspected this horde might strike down the Byzantines for him. That left the Eygptians as the remaining enemy to be dealt with in his reign. Muhammad had been impressed by the many fine warriors only available from the deserts of North Africa and the Levant: Saharan cavalry, Berber camels, Nubian spearmen and desert archers. Uniting the Islamic people under a single ruler would greatly strengthen the one true faith. It was true that his heavily armoured Almohad urban militia would suffer battling in the desert, but Muhammad was confident he could find a way around that limitation.
So, having settled on ambitious goals for his reign, Muhammad returned to his father’s journal and sought inspiration for the many trials to come.
First let me say that I am greatly enjoying both Mount Suribachi's and Dr. Appleton's accounts.
Dr. Appleton: You mentioned a desire to put the accounts in chronological order. I himbly submit to you sir the idea that this might not be necessary. As you have skillfully interwoven Mount Suribachi's posts as a componant of your own, it seems (perhaps with a little help from Mount Suribachi) that the casual reader looking at this for the first time will encounter no difficulty deciphering who went in what order. Far from encountering difficulty, I would say that intersplicing accounts of reigns may even produce a more harmonious effect than the alternative if done correctly.
OK, Demon of Light, we don't need to impose chronological order. I happened to catch part of Pulp Fiction on TV last night and remember how much I enjoyed the way Tarrantino played with the temporal ordering in that movie. [Now there's a writing style to consider... Prince Yusuf put his foot on Doge Enrico's neck and called out to the Nubian Bring the brothers, I'm going to get medieval on his .... No, on second thoughts, let's not go there.]
Just a passing comment, though I have been silent. I am really enjoying this thread...and love all the essays here.
Brilliant work everyone.
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Demon, could you clarify what help you require me to provide in order that I might improve the clarity?Quote:
Originally Posted by [b
Simon, great write-up, but even more, great job dealing with all those rebellions I figured most of 'em you'd put down easy enough, but I thought Scotland would be tough..obviously not Surprised by the loss in Portugal tho...
But doing the Italians in one go...fantastic I really thought they would cause you some headaches Where you managed to get 1700 men from, I don't know...me losing 2000+ men defeating the papacy the turn before didn't help your cause either
Mount Suribachi, I think Demon of Light meant that your interweaving posts had already provided any necessary 'help'.
I must say as a reader: you two, father and son - playing off each other's accounts has very effectively explored the themes of father-to-son and son-to-father obligatory duty so prevalent in medieval times (and beyond). Hereditary monarchy, based on the philosopical concept of the 'obvious' selection by Allah or Jehovah of an ancestor's superior lineage by means of his apparantly god-backed battlefield victories, has been beautifully exposed by you fella's. My thanks.
And BTW: your 'grant the infidels their death rites' bit: priceless. I could just see the movie scene with Omar Sharif blasting to the nearest church, grabbing the pitiful friar, and allowing the enemy to die in honor. Butchery, tempered with compassion. Chivalry, indeed.
I wholeheartedly agree.
“Where is that accursed journal?” Muhammad muttered irritably. The record of the end of his father’s reign had been worked on for more than four years and still the learned scholar responsible was unwilling to sign off on the work. The fashion for elaborate illustrations on great books, lovingly fashioned with gold leaf and exotic dyes, produced admiration and impatience in equal parts from the Kalipha. “I need it now more than ever.” Muhammad thought as he faced the second great crisis of his reign.
It was a crisis far more grim and foreboding than the many rebellions that had marked the Kalipha’s inauguration, but it had its origins in the most absurd and comic circumstances – the impregnation of an Almohad general by a phantom pachyderm. Muhammad had entrusted the garrison of Bavaria, on the border with the Kaliphate’s great rival, Byzantium, to Abdallah al-Hajj, a potentially superb military commander. However, on inquiring further into the background of the general, Muhammad had been appalled by what he had read. Al-Hajj had fled a battlefield on more than one occasion and the stresses of command had unhinged him, leading him to believe he had experienced intimate relations with an elephant. Muhammad had not hesitated to remove Al-Hajj from leadership of the Bavarian garrison, but had neglected to find a substitute with comparable command experience. The replacement, Amir Mardanish, was a good planner and efficient executive officer but lacked the outstanding ability of other leading generals in the Almohad and, more relevantly, Byzantine armies.
The oversight was perhaps forgivable, as the invasion of Scandinavia in 1199 had preoccupied Muhammad. He had personally led an army into Denmark, while simultaneously his brother, Prince Abdullah landed in Sweden, and his son (and heir) Prince Ismail landed in Norway. The operation had gone better than Muhammad could have hoped. The King of Denmark had left his native province for Sweden but that rich land had fallen to the Almohads without a fight. The king was captured in the confusion and executed by the impetuous Prince Abdullah when no ransom was forthcoming. With the death of the king, the Danish faction was eliminated. The invasion of Norway was also unopposed, with the defenders retreating to the castle. Only in Denmark was battle joined and, despite the presence of 100 royal feudal knights, it was a one sided affair. Almohad archery proved devastating and a combination of Muhawid foot and Almohad urban militia drove the Danes from the field. In retrospect, this experience had led Muhammad to over-estimate the ability of his infantry to stop heavy cavalry without the aid of spears.
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An easy conquest of Scandinavia induced Muhammad to a near fatal degree of complacency.
Note that the map is almost equally divided, orange and purple, and the presence of Byzantine vessels in all seas.
Muhammad was elated at this swift victory and inspired to plan a similar operation on a larger scale against his intended next target, the Egyptians. Four sea-born invasion forces were planned to land in the Levant coastal provinces, the soft belly of the Eyptian kingdom. However, this ambitious plan was unlikely ever to be executed, thanks to the amorous advances of an illusory elephant. When checking the strength of the garrisons on the border with Byzantine, Muhammad had focussed on the quantity of troops rather than the quality of the generals. He had not taken note of the fact that the Byzantine forces facing him were led by Lord Argyrus, one of the true greats of military command and, on the attack, superior in ability to even Muhammad himself. The Byzantine general had the knack of taking raw recruits – half-naked Slav warriors and unarmoured urban militia – and turning them into fearsome fighters. That almost half of his force consisted of kataphracts, lancers and Pronpoai Allagion made the threat posed by this great warrior even more formidable. But, in the excitement at the heady victories in Scandinavia, this threat had gone unnoticed.
And so it had come to pass, in the year 1200, that Byzantine armies totalling 1170 men had marched out of Austria and Bohemia to invade the Almohad province of Bavaria.
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Lord Argyrus, Muhammad's nemesis, launches the start of the great Byzantine-Almohad conflagration.
The painter has captured well the hawkish visage of the Byzantine general and the contrary demeanour of the doomed Mardanish.
The battle had confirmed Muhammad surmise that it was superior leadership that accounted for his many victories in the chaos of his inauguration. Amir Mardanish had deployed his force of 800 men in the customary fashion, thin lines of Almohad urban militia on a hill slope, topped by archers. However, the outcome was very different from that in Scotland, Northumbria or Algeria in 1196. Lord Argyrus had placed his massed heavy cavalry out of range to one side, while his archers engaged in an inconclusive archery duel with the Almohads. Optimistically, Mardanish had ordered his archers to hold fire once their ammunition was half gone, wanting to reserve some of it for the inevitable Byzantine cavalry charge. But the stored arrows were never used. Byzantine light infantry – Slav warriors and urban militia – charged the heavily armoured Almohad urban militia and incredibly proceeded to gut them. As the first Almohad unit began to waver, the massed heavy cavalry thundered in, riding over the Islamic swordsmen. Mardanish had only 60 spearmen, a lamentable deficiency faced with over 200 of the finest heavy cavalry in the world. The battle was lost.
One year later, Muhammad paced the walls of Roskilde castle. He had failed to heed his father’s dying request to keep peace with Byzantium at all costs. The map of the known world, half orange and half purple, was now aflame. He still had large armies trapped without ports in Ireland, Norway and Sweden. Furthermore, the war had erupted in the heart of Europe, far from any coast. Indeed the seas were brimming with Byzantine galleys and dromons. Muhammad knew now the fate of his reign. It was to be reign of blood and war that would consume thousands of brave Islamic warriors. There would be no period of consolidation, no fat years, no diplomacy and no minor expeditions. No freedom to choose or act, save the freedom to choose which fields would be soaked in blood and which Almohad towns would wail the loss of their sons. A man of no faith whatsoever, Muhammad understood now the likely sentence for his time on this earth. The hell he was to forge on this world would doubtless be recreated for him in the next and he would spend an eternity enduring the horrors of war.
Sounds grim - good luck. I hope you can get some relief when the mongols arrive?
Hehe, sign me up too: Kristaps
e-mail: kristaps@caia.org
Another superb write-up Simon.
War with the massive armies of Rome eh? Oh bugger...
During my practice campaign, the Pope's emergences became too big to push back each time...Quote:
Originally Posted by [b
I think perhaps we should focus on another strategy of leaving the Pope with his space, but crippled with a pathetic army.
Just a thought.
“To the Kalipha Muhammad I,
As requested, the report from the Provinces for the year ending 1201:
The war with the Byzantines in Germany: faced with our vigorous response to his unprovoked aggression, Lord Argyrus retreated from Bavaria without contesting the province. A small Byzantine foray into Tyrolia was repulsed. Alims in Hungary report the Byzantine Emperor approaching the frontier with vast armies. Our forces await your imminent arrival in Franconia.
The war at sea: as instructed, the Amir al-Bahr ordered all fleets in seas containing enemy shipping to attack. 16 Byzantine vessels reported sunk; 10 of our own lost. Byzantine naval victories have left them in uncontested command of several of our coastal waters, but lack of secure supply routes make sea-born invasions unlikely. Our supply routes are also contested, with only some sea passages between our provinces safe for troop movement.
The Libyan border: an Egyptian army of large but indeterminate size crossed the frontier. Amir abu Batis defeated the invasion, killing 1223 Egyptians for the loss of 234 of our warriors and earning a reputation as a skilled defender. Scant mercy was shown to captured invaders.
The British Isles: an English king in exile has emerged and commands large armies in Scotland and Northumbria. A major Christian rebellion has broken out in Ireland. Our forces in both areas are greatly outnumbered.
The former Papal states: a great armed host has been levied in Rome and the Papal States, with a new Pope at its head. Only minor garrisons available in Italy, except for the frontline province of Venice. The Poles have refused our offer of alliance, their leader – the self-styled “Emperor” - citing the folly of your father’s attempt to eliminate the Papacy.
Unrest reported in Portugal, Leon, Rhodes and Crete.
Awaiting instructions for the coming year,
May Allah have mercy on our Kaliphate,
Qadi al-Quda”
Dr. Appleton: I believe that the phrase May you live in interesting times applies here. Looks like you have your hands full. These factions need to stop re-emerging
P.S: Might I inquire as to the name of your monarch in the Polish campaign?
Demon of Light - I am sorry, I did read up your request earlier about the name of my Polish king but when I tried to load the save game it did not work post-VI. I will uninstall VI after I've kicked the bucket in this campaign and get back to you.
Thanks, Simon.