Well Glenn mate i *was* doing well lol, not so sure now.

Please bare in mind this is really my first ever proper go at a campaign.

My problem is i play a lot (too much really) Crusader Kings and this i feel is definately impacting on how i play MTW, for instance in Crusader Kings Excommunication is something to be avoided at all costs, consequently im terrified to start wars in this game lol, another thing is in CK you have to be patient...very patient and i feel this is another thing holding me back as i dont think ive yet learnt when to press onwards. im happy just sitting back building my economy and not really challenging the status quo at all, i guess im still adjusting to the way this game is meant to be played, enough of this on with the game session!

Ok i left Frances king cowering in brittany, he was completely cut off from the rest of his country and had no way to get to any other provinces, i sent assasins in to finnsih the job and succeded but only after his heir came of age!!! this was a mistake that would bite me hard later on.

Now forced into a peace with them i turned my attention to building my empire andbrining my various armies up to scratch and reinforcing all provinces, also beginning to build a fleet of ships, this takes a while with not much happening to be honest HRE mullered the remaining french provinces and then were excommed, i nabbed some rebel french lands and began raking in some serious cash.

Some years later it very much starts going a bit wrong, The aragonese pitch up and want aquataine i defend my land fairly easily, but the french reckon they can have Normandy back, i put them strait quickly forcing the king back to brittany, by this point im fed up of these one province wonders and invade them with everything i can spare.......dear god that was a big big mistake, i end up routing my entire army off the field sharpish with their cavalry running me down as i go..no doubt they will dine out on that for years convieniently forgetting about the many defeats i inflicted on them. Back to the Aragonese and i take toulouse off of them and press on to their homeland, i dish out an almighty defeat and come back to the map screen only to see the ope give me my two year warning and see that the siege will take 3 years.

Option 1: Carry on the siege get excommed and then make sure the pope has a convienient accident (some ally he is anyway!!!!)
Option 2: Abandon the siege and let the spanish take whats left of the argonese defend the border and try once more to wipe out France.

Not sure yet, but this war with the argonese sure did wipe out most of my Alliances.

Just one question how do you build Longbowmen? im certain i have created the buildings i need acording to the printed pull out poster tech tree that came with the game, this is with M:TW and VI vanilla early.