Orders and reports thread

[gibsonsg91921]

Brother, I shall go to protect Staufen like you suggested, receive my army, and return to Bavaria to fight my oldest enemy - the Greeks.

[Cecil XIX]

http://www.mizus.com/files/pbm/kotr1362-5.zip

Battle fought and won. I'll post the report and revelant screenshots when I'm not feeling so far under the weather.

[Ramses II CP]

Congratulations are in order again Lord Becker! I am very pleased with your progress. If you make it to Breslau all of Franconia will be forever in your debt, and rest assured I will not forget it.

My Kaiser, my brother, as soon as the siege of Metz is complete I will send you south with what cavalry can be spared, so that you march at full speed. If you are available you could draw some men from Count von Luxemburg's infantry and make the assault yourself now, otherwise I am sure the Swabian will be pleased to have a chance to recover that city this season.

edit: Feel better soon Cecil. Now, if we can take Breslau who the heck is going to hold it? I'll poke DG again, but otherwise the siege of Breslau may be lengthy, which given the plague in Prague should be okay with Becker I hope.

Fritz von Kastilien

[TinCow]

Taking the save to assault Florence (AT LAST!). I will coordinate the various armies in the area assigned to support the attack.

[TinCow]

They will DIE! THEY WILL ALL DIE! I demand that not a single Byzantine man, woman, or child on the Italian peninsula be harmed until I can be present to witness it!

The assault on Florence was a typical affair with the usual tactic of storming the gates and putting crossbowmen on the walls. Victory was had at a reasonable cost...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

...but then I tour my great city only to discover A GODDAMNED TAVERN WHERE MY PLEASURE PALACE ONCE STOOD! I WILL IMPALE THEM ON RUSTY SPEARS AND REND THEIR REMAINS INTO TATTERS OF PIG SLOP!

http://www.mizus.com/files/pbm/kotr1362-6.zip

[Ramses II CP]

My, err, heart grieves for your loss Duke Steffen, but I am also greatly impressed with your victory. Congratulations!

I must ask now, of you and Prinz Dieter, if I could bring the Prinz away north towards his home in Franconia? I know the French still hold Genoa, Count Erlach is still plagued, and a sizeable Byzantine army remains in the region, but the Prinz need not bring any great number of men with him as his generalship is needed more than his Imperial army.

It pleases me to no end to see an end to Byzantine control of our Bavarian holdings. I am not quite ready to move the capital and the Diet back to Rome, not with France and Hungary seemingly threatening to pincer in on Bavaria with the Byzantines not yet all in the grave, but I want to send my warmest appreciation to you for your efforts. Bavaria was my first area of focus, and in Bavaria we have had a great deal of success.

I would still like word from either Welf von Luxemburg or Kaiser Peter on progress at Metz. Either commander is authorized to use whatever infantry from Welf's army they feel is necessary to capture the city.

Fritz von Kastilien

[TinCow]

All non-Bavarians are free to leave Italy. We have the situation fully in hand. I will personally destroy the last remnants of the Byzantine forces in Italy next year. Bavaria will then turn its attention to the French in Genoa, and beyond that the provinces of Marsailles and Ajaccio. I swear that Bavaria will be the first Duchy to liberate all of her provinces and free them from the rule of lesser peoples.

[econ21]

Welf:

My Lord Chancellor,

I am preparing to assault Metz and will send word when the attack begins.

I have heard that Prinz Dieter is happy to march home to Franconia.

Yours

Welf

OOC: Taking the save

[econ21]

Welf:

My Lord Chancellor,

Metz has been taken. The French defenders - a noblemen and his escort, a regiment of Scots Guards and a regiment of dismounted Chivalric knights - fought bravely and with skill but were badly led and overwhelmed.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I request that I be reunited with the army at the bridge and that we push on north this season. I am concerned that Antwerp be attacked and Sir Bohmen is placed in peril. If my army can move far enough north to provide him assistance next season if he is attacked, we may be spared a repeat of the debacle at Bruges.

Your servant,

Welf

EDIT: correct upload:

http://www.mizus.com/files/pbm/kotr1362-7.zip

[Ramses II CP]

Very good Count von Luxemburg! You will be marched north, though I am requisitioning one of your companies of Teutonic Knights for the Kaiser's army.

Unless there are (very soon) further requests for offensive action I am closing the season and moving forward now.

Edit: The save linked to is from last year. Thinking Econ had uploader troubles.

OOC: Taking the save.

Fritz von Kastilien

[Ramses II CP]

1362 Construction and Recruitment report (End of Season report)

Construction funds were limited by my belief that we have far greater needs in the field, still I was determined to follow such requests as had been submitted via the proper forms. To wit:

Prague: Alchemist's Lab
Vienna: Ballista Towers (RA was out of reach due to funds)
Adana: Ballista Towers (Acre's Heavy Armourer also out of reach)
Antioch: Church

and at Metz a Town Watch. The Cannon Towers at Dijon represented too great an investment for an ad hoc build and were dismissed. I prefer that we be on the offensive in any event. Additionally all repairs that were found to be necessary except those at Paris were made.

Recruitment was made a priority, as it can expect to be for the entire duration of my term in office. As such, recruitment occurred at nearly every training facility in the Reich. I will break it down by region:

Franconia
Frankfurt retrained Town and Spear militia, trained Teutonic Knights
Hamburg retrained Crossbow militia, trained two additional Crossbow militia
Arhus trained two Crossbow militia and one Spear militia
Madgeburg stands under siege, no training

Austria
Prague trained three companies of Spear militia, as requested
Vienna retrained Forlorn Hope and Spear militia, trained a Serpentine
Ragusa trained two Imperial Knights and one Mounted Crossbowmen
Venice retrained Town militia, trained two Spear militia

Bavaria
Nurmeburg retrained two Spear militia, trained one Spear militia
Innsbruck trained two Imperial Knights, one Teutonic Knights
Milan trained two Crossbow militia, one Spear militia
Bologna retrained two Spear militia, one Town militia
Florence recruited a spy
Rome trained Spear militia, two Crossbow militia
Naples retrained Crossbow militia, Halberd militia, and Spear militia
Palermo retrained Armoured Sergeats, Imperial Knights, and trained Reiters

Swabia
Bern retrained three Spear militia
Staufen retrained Feudal Knights, trained two Imperial Knights
Dijon retrained Spear milita, trained two Spear militia, as requested
Metz trained three Town milita
Paris saw no training
Antwerp trained Pike militia, two Arquebusiers

Outremer
Adana retrained Armoured Sergeants, trained Armoured Sergeants, Basilisk
Antioch trained Crossbow militia, Diplomat, Merchant
Acre retrained Pavise Crossbow, Teutonic Knights, trained Teutonic Knights

The defensive season is upon us, and there is only a single engagement (But multiple siege launches). Edmund Becker is being attacked by a very large army of Poles under Captain Janus. God grant you victory Lord Becker!

edit: The save if anyone else wants to take a look at the battle:

http://www.mizus.com/files/pbm/kotr1362-8.zip

(PM'ing Cecil, hope he feels better!)

Fritz von Kastilien

[FactionHeir]

May I ask why construction had not been performed at Staufen nor Bern even though orders had been given?

[Cecil XIX]

OOC: Just have me withdraw, Ramses. I'd like to be at my best before confronting that army.

[Ramses II CP]

OOC: That would've been my decision too Cecil. Better to have the Teutons with you. The season will progress after I eat dinner.

Count Ruppel, if build orders were issued for those locations they were issued with the prior Chancellor, and so were deeper in my pile of papers than the build orders which were issued at the start of my own term. If funds had been sufficient to allow for construction at all sites, they would have filtered their way down to Bern and Staufen.

Fritz von Kastilien

[FactionHeir]

I'm afraid that due to the lack of ability to survey the various locations while being besieged, I had only been able to pass a message to the office that orders would resume where they had left off previously.

[Ramses II CP]

Chancellor's Report, 1364.

In summary, the previous year was a one of smashing success. Florence was recaptured, at long last, despite the loss of Duke Steffen's favorite Pleasure Palace. Dijon was relieved. Metz was taken, and Paris was raided and sacked. Adana crushed a Turkish attack, and the Byzantines feared to tread where so many of them had died before.

Diplomatic Report

Venice has been excommunicated, removing the need for us to refrain from attacking them.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In darker news the Russians were not satisfied with being sold Oslo, and have declared war after a long peace. Hamburg is under siege by a small force of cavalry under a Russian noble. Our diplomatic corp spoke to them about the possibility of a ceasefire, and was firmly rebuffed. I wish to offer my personal assurances that the Russians will pay a blood debt for this treachery. (%&$^! How does that work? Beware Russians accepting gifts. Now I desperately wish we'd had a diplomat that could contact England last season.)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Relations with the Papacy improved to very good as two more German priests ascended to the College of Cardinals. Jan the Missionary and Edmund von Austria have been sworn in to the penultimate Catholic office.

The Office of the Exchequer

The financial situation reflects the quantity of soldiers we have in the field, but nonetheless I am pleased to report that sixteen thousand florins are available for spending.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

An offer from the Teuton's Guild to build a Chapter House at Nuremburg could not be refused, at the cost of one thousand florins.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Physician's Office

My own army and the smallest militia army in the field in the north have been declared free of the plague, but this is the sole, slight good news on this front.

Captain Ruprecht, near Arhus, remains infected along with the majority of the men I led into the field previously.

In Swabia Captain Gunther's large army remains infected, and Captain Michel, who leads only the ribault company, is also reportedly infected. Both should be kept isolated from clean troops and cities.

In Bavaria Fredericus Erlach still has not shaken the plague either.

Our spy in Krakow reports the loss of his experimental rats, so much the better in my opinion.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The War Office

Outremer sees Adana once again under siege, this time by the Byzantine Captain Ermanes, who retreated from the Iron Bridge. No other developments of consequence, although a substantial engagement is shaping up between the Turks and Byzantines northeast of Adana.

Bavaria sees a fresh French army which appears to be marching towards Florence or points south. This is a large professional force of high quality. The plague at Genoa appears to have come to an end as well, though the French army there has not moved. Near Venice Prinz Dieter is in position to confront some rebels who have dared take up arms, and is welcome to draw on the garrison of Venice to aid him as necessary.

In Swabia the French have besieged Paris and moved an army to threaten Dijon, but not taken it under siege. As seems typical for the French all the armies which they sent north last year they have sent south this year. Hugo de Cervole is in position to reinforce Ludwig von Bohmen at the bridge southwest of Antwerp, and Welf von Luxemburg is in position to threaten Rheims. I'll have a more specific recommendation in the regional report later.

In Franconia the vile Russians betrayed our ceasefire and beiseged Hamburg with a small force of cavalry. Madgeburg still lies under Polish siege, by a relatively small and weak Polish army. Also the remnants of a Polish army sieged Frankfurt, but the garrison there was clearly superior and immediate sallied (Auto-calc'd it as the odds were 3-2 in our favor and no avatars in range).

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Austria sees the Hungarians shifting their armies about aimlessly, with the captain stack which went west last season coming back east, and the Noble who went east last season now marching west. Durazzo is sieged by the Venetians.

Recruiting and Construction Report

As per previous with the addition of the Teuton's Guild at Nuremburg. Recruits have, except in a few rare circumstances, been left at the facility where the trained until it is determined what actions will be taken for the offensive season.

edit: Forgot to say, The offensive season is open!

http://www.mizus.com/files/pbm/kotr1364.zip

Fritz von Kastilien

[Ramses II CP]

Regional recommendations:

Outremer:

Viceroy Matthias I am certain you will wish to sally. If you desire them for the battle, your cavalry reinforcements are aboard the ship just south of your Citadel.

Count von Salzgitter your army is unlikely to get larger. My recommendation is that you move to the port region and make ready to sail to Cyprus. After the siege of Adana is lifted I will ask Viceroy Matthias to load the basilisk aboard a ship and point it in the direction of the island so that next season you can ferry over as many of your men as possible and make ready for an assault.

Bavaria:

Duke Steffen my recommendation is that you allow Kaiser Peter or Count Erlach deal with the remaining Byzantines while you gather forces to prepare for the French. Your son has a few reinforcement just north of Bologna, and more heavy cavalry are ready to march south from Innsbruck. You are welcome to send either the spy near Genoa, or the spy at Florence into the city of Genoa.

The situation is complex if only in terms of combining armies and coordinating movements. Prinz Dieter, west of Venice, should draw on the garrison of that city as much as necessary to deal with the rebels facing him.

Austria:

You have drawn the attention of the Poles with your victories Lord Becker. You have a number of options. You could move around the Polish armies in front of you and, using your cannon, assault Breslau immediately. You could attack the Polish army due east of you, and then move to assault Breslau, but be aware that any men from that army might retreat into the city after you defeat them. You could also strike the northernmost Polish army, but I believe you would then be unable to proceed with the assault on Breslau. My advice is to smash the Poles in front of you first, without the use of your cannon but with the Teutons, and then march on Breslau, whcih would give you walls to defend against any further attack of the Poles.

Further south Vienna remains unthreatened. I will continue to train forces there to get that army back in the field Count Zirn.

Duke Arnold you have a decision to make. I trained heavy cavalry at Ragusa with the idea being that they could march north to meet you at about the same pace as the catapults. If you do not wish to delay another season you are welcome to proceed without either set of reinforcements, otherwise you should bring your reinforcements north to meet your men and march only a short distance north. You will then be in possession of a very powerful force, including the catapults, and ready to assault Zagreb the next year.

Swabia:

Count Ruppel you are in the position of once again warding Dijon, though this time you are in the field. The recruits at Staufen are also at your disposal, as those men would impede Count von Luxemburg's manuever too much for me to send them to him. Smash the French at Dijon and, barring you seeing a better option, wait patiently for Captain Gunther's camp to become free of plague.

Welf von Luxemburg my suggestion is that you or Hugo de Cervole infiltrate Rheims with the spy (In Hugo's stack) used at Paris and see if he can make a contact at the gates. If he cannot leave a small force there to lay siege (Don't forget the DFKs at Metz can reach Rheims!) and move to attack Captain Foucher if you believe you can find victory. If Count Ruppel acts first some of his men may be available to assist you with Captain Foucher.

Hugo de Cervole I would be deeply appreciative if you moved north to reinforce Ludwig von Bohmen at Antwerp. Submit training requests for the men you feel you will need to hold the city or the bridge and I will meet them.

I believe Bavaria is well in hand, thanks to Prinz Dieter and Duke Steffen, so I am shifting my focus to Swabia, which has already seen a impressive measure of success. This means priority will be given to recruitment requests from Swabians, for your information.

Franconia:

Duke Dieter I strongly advise you to sally as soon as possible. I believe the Polish army you face can be defeated, and with the Russians returning to the war we may need your forces in the field rather than behind the walls. If Count von Tyrolia is unable to field his own forces leave him at Madgeburg and we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

Fritz von Kastilien intends to march south to relieve Hamburg, and then return to Arhus to stand off the Danes who are moving very, very slowly towards the city.

Fritz von Kastilien

[Zim]

I will prepare to sail to for Cyprus then, Chancellor von Kastilien. The Viceroy is quite confident in his ability to take care of the Greeks in the area, and it is about time that Outremer begin to advance again.

[_Tristan_]

Hughes de Cervole

Chancellier,

I have confidence that I can make another sneak attack on Reims with the Merowinger fellow...

Once done with that city, I will turn north and attend to the situation in Flanders...

[_Tristan_]

Taking the save.

[TinCow]

I will abide by the Chancellor's recommendations for strategy in Bavaria. The Kaiser, Count Erlach, and the Prinz can prepare for action this year however they wish while I build an army to confront the French.

[_Tristan_]

New save

http://www.mizus.com/files/pbm/kotr1364-1.rar

Reims is now a city of the Reich and 16600 florins have been gained from looting it...

Only 4 of my retainers died.

I requested a unit of town guard from Metz to hold the walls at Reims.

I am now marching on Caen to continue wreaking havoc behind French lines.

Our spy Michel Merowinger is still in Reims but I would ask to have sent west with him in order to mount an assault on Caen.

I would also request the recruitment of any mercenary unit available in the area for that matter.

[Ramses II CP]

I'm recommending that the save go unused until I can top off the AI factions. Apologies gents.

[AussieGiant]

Lord Chancellor,

I'll wait for the reinforcements and catapults.

Then, instead of building the siege engines I'll simply storm the god damn city after smashing down the walls in the first week.

Zagreb will be Austrian again and the skulls of Hungarian's will line the roads all the way to Budapest after I've finished with them!!

Duke Arnold

[Ramses II CP]

OOC: The save is unfrozen, and the offensive season is once again in full swing!

http://www.mizus.com/files/pbm/kotr1364b.zip

I apologize to anyone whose action was delayed, but thanks to FH we're back on track now!

Now, hie ye forth and slaughter mine enemies!

[Cecil XIX]

So, how much time do we have?

[Ramses II CP]

OOC: I'm not going to push a time issue as the delay was my own fault. I would say we should try to move forward ~24 hours from now.

edit: These are the critical areas, as I see it:

Madgeburg

Adana

Breslau

West of Bologna (Count Erlach or Kaiser Peter)

Dijon and north of Dijon (Count Ruppel, Hermann Steffen, and Welf von Luxemburg in any way, shape, or form they decide)

6 total battles in addition to Hugo's capture of Rheims which has already happened. I don't believe Paris can be saved, nor is it necessary to attempt it, as the city is a wreck anyway, and I can hope the French will pay for the repairs for us.

[Ramses II CP]

Oh, and I forgot the minor rebel battle for Prinz Dieter. It won't matter if he does that this season or the next, as they pose little threat IMHO.

[Cecil XIX]

Hmm. Well, I won't be able to take the save until 16:00 GMT -5. Then I'll have to catch a train, but I should be able to upload the save when I arrive.

[econ21]

OOC: Taking the save for a look and possible battle.