Saved by the AI?

Well, I gotta say, this is a first for me. I was playing an early, GA, Bohemian campaign on XL. I sat a while on my one territory, building up a little and looking for opportunity. A possibility arose when a new HRE emperor was excommed for carrying on the wars that got the previous emperor excommed.(BTW, these happened to be the first and second emperors in the game chronologically. They sure were energetic!)

Bavaria was looking like a tempting province with its nice keep and spearmaker ws. However, the neigboring province of Austria held about 2000 troops, about double my entire force. As expected, these were comprised of vanilla archers, vanilla spears, and um's, whereas my forces comprised of bohemian bowmen, RK's, Armoured spears, and a few fmaa's. In addition, I had a 5 command prince with a 4 command king, whereas they had no command. However, due to sheers size, I wasn't sure if I could beat them if I had to invade, though I was pretty confident if I was defending. So, I invaded Bavaria w/ a stack of 960 troops, leaving about 120, including my king, back in Bohemia, along with the troops I was produding each turn.

Bavaria was barely defended and they pulled back to the keep, which was going to fall in 2 turns. My hope was that they would try and rescue their lost province, whereby I would slaughter their army in defence. Unfortunately, they circumvented my army and invaded Bohemia. With no chane of victory, I pulled back my army to the keep. Now my production was lost and Bavaria lost many of its buildings to pillage. In addition, I would have to fight an offensive battle to reclaim Bohemia, which wasn't an all too promising aspect. But I had little choice, so I waited a turn for them to suffer casualties from the siege, and planned to invade Bohemia the turn after. However, surprise, surprise. Turns out, the Germans were at war with about every catholic, including my ally, Poland, who had been building up troops all game long. They rush in to my rescue and relieve the siege, scattering the HRE army.

Basically, in summary, I think this is the first time I've ever been saved by the AI. Sure, they've helped me out before, but never in so crucial a moment as this. Anyone else have the AI save their butts before like this?

It's happened to me a few times, actually. As it happens, I was rescued once as the Bohemians as well, although in my case it was the Hungarians that bailed me out. We were faithful allies to each other throughout the game -- I dealt with the HRE, while the Huns held off the Cuman hordes that threatened to overrun central Europe. We actually came to each other's aid a couple times, as we seemed to always manage for one of us to be in a strong position while the other was somewhat weak.

I hate to admit it, but I to have been saved by the AI, and as the HRE to boot. My wars with France during the 1100's-1140's were going badly. The French had driven thier iron fist of an army south, and thanks to a massive crusade and an excomm. Spanish (a rather humorous moment, I must add), were in complete possession of the Iberian cash cow. Their armies were well supplied and armed, easily rivaling my own. In a terrific defeat in Lorriane were I lost a third of my forces, the tide turned, and the French were prepared to raze and sack my interior. But then the strangest thing happened: the English and Danes began raiding the French coastal provinces. The French pulled back, giving me breathing room. A few years later, they came to my aid again, and in the most spectacular fashion! I held Paris at the time, but barely. As expected, the French invaded full force with 2300 men, and quickly put it under siege. But to their suprise, and to mine, my force of 420 hardened veterans was quickly complemented by 900 Danish men from Flanders and 1400 Englishmen from Anjou. Neither force by itself could have dreamed of beating the French army (okay, maybe the Danes:beam:) The defeat was utter and total, and not a SINGLE frenchman escaped. The French never really recovered after that.

But it doesn't stop there! During the resurgence of the Spanish, the English helped me directly inummerable times, and were key to my victory over the well trained Spanish army and thier Byzantine turncoat ( I know he was Byzantine, even though he had a spanish name. Their's no way the Spanish could ever have sired a 8 star General with a 2 influence King!).

During my "Drang Noch Osten", the Danish and I fought side by side against the Polish and Russians! They were crucial in distracting the Russians, raiding and smashing every coastal province they could feasible attack, and in one instance saved my crusade of all things while it was moving through heavily manned Lithuania.

Even till the end in 1350 something, the English Empire (it really was one) and the Danish trading empire went to war with each (god knows over what) instead of me, making the end game more of a clean up then an actual conquest.

Playing as the Almos, the french (my allies) let a crusade through, which struck by sea at an undefended Castile. In the next turn, my allies invaded it and routed the besieging crusaders...