Blitzmaster Challenge

[Grog]

Ah the Arguin problem

I had this in hand but also made a mistake here.

I sent my faction leader Sultan Jalal on this path at Jihad speed:

Smyrna > Corinth > Palermo >Algiers. The first Jihad ended here. Then its 7 or so turns to run a general + HA to timbuktu.

I got lucky with 3 tribesmen that I recruited right at timbuktu before sieging . I'd been montioring the merc pool all the way down in case moors were fast enough coming south after me. Then it was the simple case of picking up Jihad speed again over to arguin. Once you have arguin this stack is wasted, but I moved it back to timbuktu anyway in case the moors came down.

My mistake here was using my faction leader for this stack (waste of a nightfighter) but I don't think you have much of a choice tbh to get here this fast otherwise, as his is your most westerly general unit on turn1.

Some hints for beating my time:

Aim for structure:
2-8 Jihad 1 (get into europe and secure NE/SE corners and make for timbuktu)

8-18 Build/expand for jihad 2. Go off path to make as many generals as possible. Have no defined aims other than major castles, push northwest and go with the flow.

18-24 Jihad 2. win.

I took around 50 provinces in 6 turns with my second Jihad, could have done better with different prep/strategy/luck. If you end Jihad 1 start this Jihad2 turn earlier than I did, could edge a 24 turn victory maybe.

I had about 4 'wasted' stacks at victory on turn 25. Should have commited to hungarys destruction earlier, would have saved time in long run.

I didnt replay any turns. I did reload my end save three times, once to make minor troop move I forgot, twice to make siege engines I forgot to build..(lisbon/paris)

I fought a lot of battles early (about 20 heroics this game) but autoresolved about 60% overall for the sake of speed, so you could improve efficiency here.

I took lots of risks with ship borne armies that paid off every time.

I had one spy rush (accident, but probably enabled the 25 turn win in retrospect).

I used no mobile siege units (made 2 by accident turn 23 in spain, they were already obselete)

Try to do it in <150 battles fought and you will beat my time