The Ottoman Empire

[Skott]

The ottoman Empire is a paper tiger in the hands of the game's AI. In every campaign I have played with the AI controlling it the OE pretty much doesnt do anything other than spawn ships. When they do attack its a small raiding army of inferior units easily defeated. Heck, in one campaign (My second French campaign) Venice is kicking the Ottoman's butts in the Balkans. Giving them all kinds of trouble and taking territory.

So, I decided to give the OE a try on N/N. See for myself how weak they are. Its a tough go in the very beginning. I let Russia have the Crimea Khanate. I gave Russia 5,000 to get a peace treaty on the first turn (They wouldnt take less ). Giving up that much money at the beginning is very hard but it pays off in the long run. Russia hasnt come after me once. Hopefully they never will.

Unfortunately for me Venice attacked Athens on turn two and Persia attacked turn three. Then Georgia attacked a turn after that. Somehow I manged to fend off the Venetian army and pushed them back and took their Greek region. They sent a two unit army at first and I survived that attack. Then I managed to get a few units together in Athens and went after Venice's Western Greek regional capitol. It was a tough battle but I managed to win! After pushing Venice out of the Balkans they have stayed in their homeland and not bothered me since. They wont make peace though no matter what I offer. Stubborn Venetians!

I managed to get some Israelis(I know its not spelled that way) units going by this time and held off the Persian's two and three unit raiding stacks while I sent a three quarter stack against the full Georgian stack that was working its way west towards Ankara. They had already captured my Armenian region. After defeating the Georgia army near Ankara I recaptured Armenia from them and then went on to taking the Georgia homeland itself. After that I invaded Dagestan and captured it because I figured they would eventually come after me as well. I didnt want a possible enemy at my back once I turned south.

By this time I could build those Jannisary Musketeer units. Its important to get these guys as quickly as possible. I then was able to focus on Persia. With just one army consisting of a General, three 18lb cannons, and 16 Janni Musketeer units I slowly worked my way through Persia. Afganistan rebelled and became its own nation after the main Persian region fell to my army. Its next on my list to attack and then onto the Mughals and the Indian subcontinent. I'm somewhere between 1715 and 1720 right now.

During all this time I traded money and tech for any and all the trade agreements and tech I could get out of the the major and minor nations. I'm on good relations with most and have trade going with many as well. I have no alliances. I havent made any since I figure it would be best to stay neutral as much as possible since the OE is a weak faction in the beginning and needs to avoid war as much as possible. Especially a two front war. This has been a key advantage for my OE campaign. I'm letting the other nations fight amongst themselves while I just trade with everyone I can. I only have two colleges so tech building is slow. One college is in Anatolia and the other is in Persia. I'll add a third somewhere in India when the time comes.

Currently I have one full stack army in the field. Its in Persia at the moment working south and east. I have a 5 unit army following it to hold towns and cities as I take them. Once the region is secure I move on. I have about a 4,000 profit at the beginning of every turn to build and develope my economy and resupply my army. I have no trade nodes. The beginning navy is no match against other nations. Venice alone can field a better navy as can the Barbary Pirates so I'm relying on taxes so far. But I do have the ability to build 4th rates now thanks to some tech trading I managed to accomplish.

I keep two units in all my regional capitols to keep the peace. That seems to be enough to keep them from rebelling and keeping the people happy with my taxes set for 3 for the upper class and the lower class set at 2. This dosent allow for much tax money but for fielding just one full army stack its sufficient. Economy building is slow though. Thats the Ottomans problem in this game. No developed economy and a large empire to run. Money, or the lack of it, is a huge issue right from the start.

So far this strategy is working for me. Of course if anyone like Russia or Austria invade then my thinly defended borders will collapse quickly but so far they are tied down in their own quarrels against others. I just need to get down into India and conquor the Mughals, Mysore, and the Marathas before the European nations get wise to my lightly defended borders. If I can conquor India then it'll boost my profits by a huge amount. Enough to fund my European invasion.

If you want a challenge the Ottoman Empire is a good choice. At least so far it has for me.

[anweRU]

So, I decided to give the OE a try on N/N. See for myself how weak they are. Its a tough go in the very beginning. I let Russia have the Crimea Khanate. I gave Russia 5,000 to get a peace treaty on the first turn (They wouldnt take less ).

I made peace for 180 gp, by simply suing for peace and they came back to me with a demand for 180 gp + peace. That was at the same difficulty.

[Darth Venom]

I made peace for 180 gp, by simply suing for peace and they came back to me with a demand for 180 gp + peace. That was at the same difficulty.

On VH they accepted a white peace after I did the following stunt:

- Assemble all the troops you can get + recruit some new ones on the border to the Crimeans (1 turn march to the capital)
- Let Russia take Crimea
- Sweep in and defeat the diminished Russian troops, taking the province for yourself
- Sue for peace in the same turn. Even if they don't accept a white peace, this manoeuvre gives you time to same up some money if necessary.

Et voilá, peace with Russia and an additional province under your control.

[Skott]

I guess I was just unlucky in this campaign then. At first I offered them 1000 and they didnt accept it. Then I went to 2500 and they still refused but when I offered them 5000 they accepted. Costly but it paid off in the long run. The AI can be difficult to deal with on the diplomatic side of things at times in this game. Later after I capture all of India I'll come back and make them pay for their expensive ways so no worries.

[Slaists]

Tip: Do not make the mistake I made, trying to create a line out of these folks. I noticed too late, they DO NOT USE BAYONETS... I guess, they're meant as an inspirational addition to a line of Isarelys. The latter do get bayonets.

[IRONxMortlock]

The Ottomans are well worth a try; with many unique units and a complicated starting situation, they prove to be a challenge to play.

Strategic Positioning
In the early stages, your empire is quite large and tricky to manage. Your cities are low tech and your troops are substandard compared to more "modern" nations. You start at war with the Russians who will make a rapid move upon your Crimean protectorate. Your vassals will prove to be a useful shield against future Russian incursions into your empire's underbelly so it is well worth the effort to give them some support. Immediately gather together a small force and send them to the aid of the Crimeans. Be sure to keep in close proximity to your allies; the Russian army will be strong enough to eliminate an individual force. However together you will have the strength to take them.

In the meantime, send/create some reinforcements in nearby cities. Once you have seen off a couple of Russian attacks and have had a chance to rest, move on Kiev. It may well be undefended. The Russians will want this city back so think carefully about whether to keep it. The Austrians, Persians, Venetians, Georgians and Persians are all waiting for an opportunity to strike at your lands. Kiev makes for a powerful bargaining chip during diplomatic negotiations. Give it to a major power already at war with Russia, such as Sweden. They may accept an alliance to gain this territory, providing you not only with some protection against any future aggression, but also creating a distraction for Russian forces. With an aggressive and powerful enemy planted firmly in their backyard, the Russians may very well be open to a peace treaty.

There is no time to relax however. You are surrounded by potential enemies. Austria is a dangerous foe and one that must be humbled if you expect your empire to survive. Do not leave your borders with them undefended. They have very strong forces and can be very aggressive. Assemble an army as rapidly as your finances allow. Should they attack and fail, take rapid advantage of their weakness and strike at their cities. Use this as an opportunity for some expansion and if necessary over extend yourself and take one more city than you think your armies can control. You can then use this city as a bargaining tool to negotiate a peace treaty.

The Georgians also have large armies and will not hesitate to raid your lands in force. Your small settlements in the area cannot assemble the quality or quantity of forces you will require to defend against this enemy. Create and send forces from Syria and Baghdad to this front. Try to eliminate this threat as soon as possible. Expect Persia to also attack at approximately the same time. Their lands are vast so be sure that any army you send into their country can operate independently. Dagestan is also likely to declare war. Though not as aggressive as the other nations, they are not to be underestimated as their troops can be more than a match for your own. Manage this theatre carefully and use diplomacy to bribe as required to keep the peace so that you don't find yourself overwhelmed.

The Venetians are another relatively strong force that will have to be faced. Be prepared to counter any attack; The Venetian capital has advanced structures and can turn a healthy profit for the Sultan.

Once you have resisted these initial assaults and expanded Ottoman power, you can be much more flexible. Italy and its surrounds make for profitable places of expansion. Morocco gives a strategic position for your forces to move into the America's as well as another point of access to mainland Europe. Advancing into India is also profitable and your early forces are more evenly matched. Continue to harass and expand into Austria. They must not be permitted to build up their strength as they will most likely want to reoccupy their former territories.

Managing your Military
Your initial forces are no match for European armies. In the early stages, upgrading your military structures and technologies should be approximately 75% of your empire's construction and research efforts. You are going to have to make do with these lower troops at the beginning. If you have previously commanded European troops, be sure to lower your expectations of early-Ottoman performance or you will suffer many defeats.

Musellims
These men make good fodder. Place them in front of your armies and wait for the enemy to fire at them. Then rush your melee troops forward to engage the enemy while they reload. Move the depleted peasants around to the flanks and then charge into the engaged enemy. These troops have little other use other than emergency/garrison duties.

Semenys
Forget this type of unit. They are hopelessly outclassed by virtually all enemies.

Bashi-Bazouks
Do not expect these men to hold a line for long. They are best deployed on the flanks. They are able to remain invisible while walking so they have a shock value when they appear from nowhere and charge into an engaged enemy's rear or flank. Their numbers are small however so don't expect any magic.

Azzars
Azzars make for passable light infantry. They are sneaky and can inflict causalities in the right situations. They will not hold up in a lengthy fire fight however and they should be thought of as support troops only.

Isarelys
They are technically line infantry however they will be easily defeated by European militia units. In the early stages, these troops will be the mainstay of your musket armed forces. Always have support or reinforcements ready to move into any gaps as Isarelys lose heart without warning. With the advent of bayonets, they become a more versatile force. The best use for them is to pin enemy forces while swordsmen or other infantry attack from the flank or rear.

Deli Horsmen
Don’t let their name fool you, these cavalry men are no sandwich meat. They are a versatile force that you will find saving the day time and time again. They are fast and able to fire on an enemy before fleeing. They can deliver a fierce charge and inflict a heavy moral loss to enemy troops already engaged. They are perfect artillery killers; being able to approach rapidly from the flank, fire a volley or muskets, and then charge into the shattered remnants of gun crews. They will remain an economical and useful force well into the late stages of the game.

Cemaat Janissary
When the Janissaries start arriving on the battlefield, your most difficult times will be behind you. Their high moral allows them to fight hard against all odds. They can hold a line but work better by charging through gaps in the enemy lines and attacking engaged enemies. This is a medieval type weapon; pin the enemy with the musket fire or bayonet of a weak unit such as Isarelys, and then move the Janissaries in from the side. Very few units will be brave enough to stay and fight against this kind of cold steel.

Beylik Musketeers
You can breath easy now, these units are a powerful addition to your forces and capable of going toe to toe with European line infantry regiments. They work wonderfully with their sword armed brothers in the Cemaat and provide a handy boost in moral to those around them. Without bayonets however they can suffer horribly from enemy cavalry charges so be sure to keep bayonet armed friends nearby.

Nizam Infantry, Nizam Light Inf., and Nizam Rifles
These are troops trained in European style. They are very useful in a line and provide capabilities similar to European Line Infantry, Light Infantry and Rifles. They will not be a match against most European forces however, so provide additional support.

Beylik Grenadier & Janissary Bölük
Grenadiers... yeah they are OK. But they are nothing compared to a Turkish Hand Mortar crew. A unit or two of Janissary Bölük will turn any massed group of enemy into chunks of steaming, torn flesh. Always bring a regiment or two in any stack.

Shaturnal Camels
Slow but with powerful muskets. They are OK in a desert areas but a unit of Delis will generally work better.

Sipahis
Keep these horsemen in reserve until the enemy is properly engaged. Then maneuver them to the flanks or rear and charge into their formations. The impact of this cavalry charge will make many units flee for their lives in panic. It’s best not to leave them lingering in melee however. They are a shock weapon and care must be taken to ensure their charge is well formed.

Artillery
The Ottomans have some of the most powerful artillery in the world however it lacks the mobility of many Western styles. The 64lbers provide devastating fire when used correctly however they are static on the battlefield and slow down your movements considerably. 24lb Howitzers tend to be your standard field piece and on mass they can hurt any enemy while remaining safely behind your lines. The Bombard Mortar is a lethal weapon however it lacks any kind of mobility.

Other Matters
Trade, trade, trade, trade! It cannot be said enough. Garner trade agreements from everyone and anyone. Develop military and trade fleets and them to the four corners of the globe. Your trading empire will provide you with many friends in the future, some you will unfortunately have to betray; and others whom you will forge strong alliances with. Choose carefully, but always trade! And of course, always remember that there is only one God and Mohammad is his prophet. Use your Imams and construct Masjids to spread Islam to all your lands. This is your Devine duty. From Mysore to Maine, let the words of Allah be known!

This concludes your briefing on the Ottoman Empire. I hope you find it useful. May peace be upon you brother.