just damn epic!

[mystic brew]

Damn, this game can sometimes grab you by the neck and hold. I've never encountered a game which can combine the power of a long game with an individual affection for a particular army.

Early, expert, GA, English.

it's 1163 and the English are prospering under the peaceful 40 year rule of Stephen I. The French royal house is a shadow, existing on the sufference of King Stephen. England holds Toulouse, the gateway to the mediterranean, and english naval power extends from Sweden to the shores of Egypt.

All is in readiness for the Crusades' onslaught into the lands of the Muslim. The south of France is a vast marshalling yard for the forces of the cross.

Stephen is not a pious man but with practical eyes sees in the crusades the prospect of glory, trade and the Pope's favour.

The lightly armed spearmen that have been the mainstay of Englands armies for nearly a century are outmoded on Europe's battlefields by the newer forces; armoured knights and Feudal Sergeants, but in the desert heat these light infantry may yet prosper. the king's agents are busy recruiting light cavalry to leaven these forces and the Templar heavy knights. And the kings 4 battle-hardened heirs vie amongst themselves for the honour of leading the armies to the holy land.

In 1165, The 1st crusade is launched. Massive forces rout the Turkish forces around Antioch and rapidly make ready to storm the Castle.

But how quickly the world changes. King Stephen, rest his soul, dies in his 76th year. His son, king Stephen II is a 25 year old warrior with little interest in anything other than the sword. Taking adventage of the new king's inexperience, Italian pirates strike at the English trade routes. The navy quickly sweeps the sea clear of Italian ships in revenge. But the perfidious Pope ignores the evidence of the italian pirates and excommunicates the young King.

A vengeful Stephen decides to punish the Pope the only way he knows how, and orders the english armies left in Toulouse to embark for Rome. The Pope's forces are routed, and the Papal states lie open.

1167 is a year of disaster. The crusaders in Antioch are under relentless attack by Turkish armies, cut off from reinforcement by the sudden war. The Spanish attack Aquitane, the French attempt to grab Flanders, the Holy Roman Empire and the Italians ally and launch their forces into Toulouse. Just to compound the misery for the naive young king, religious uprisings occur in Flanders, Brittany, Northumbria and Mercia. Nearly every province of importance the English own is under attack by overwhelming force, directed by every Catholic faction except the Danes. The English forces are stretched perilously thin. The best generals are isolated in Antioch and Italy, unable to come to their country's aid. The best of the remaining high command are gathered together in Toulouse.

At least the war chest is deep, but it will be at least a year before mercenaries can be put onto the battlefield.

I sit here slackjawed with the shock. My plans are in ruins. I'm suddenly at war with 5 factions I have been allied with for half a century, and I have battles I can't afford to lose against all 5. And if I don't get the chance to reinforce Antioch they'll be washed away like sandcastles in the tide.

happy days...

[Kraellin]

hehe. nice read :) welcome to TOTAL WAR :)

K.

[desdichado]

this is about the time you start suffering sleep deprivation.

good luck

[Quokka]

Just play one more turn, then everything will be alright.

Just one more turn ...

[Dhepee]

Quote[/b] (desdichado @ Sep. 11 2003,02:24)]this is about the time you start suffering sleep deprivation.

People ask me what I did over the weekend, I reply conquered Europe, again. Then I guzzle a couple of cups of coffee and fall asleep at my desk anyway. I love this game.

PS. It only gets more time consuming once you start modding.

PPS. If you really want the time to disappear download the Napoleon mod from the Lords. My wife hasn't seen me in days.

[Nelson]

mystic brew, all you need now is Uncle Richard to start a civil war

Good luck

[mystic brew]

After two vicous, blood soaked years I think the worst is over.

the crusaders held in Antioch, A Templar death or glory charge killed the Turkish king and one of his heirs, and the battles were won there and then. The Turks wouldn't push the attack after that.
The Pope was killed and Rome and the Papal states razed by the vengeful English forces. this army pulled back and waited for the port to be completed in Rome. At sea the english ships obliterate every ship they see, and the med is thick with the burning hulks of the world's navies.

But these were mere side issues. The massed assaults of the Catholic nations and the rebellions would decide the fate of this critical phase. the ability to establish Outremer lies in the Chapter house of Toulouse and the army production of the homelands.

The French are beaten back in Flanders. early hobilar manouvering tempt the rebels and french into fighting each other, and in the confusion the English cavalry deal harshly with isolated archers. the tight english formation advances and expend all their arrows on the melee, before withdrawing untouched. Losing just 40 men in the process the French are routed, the rebellion crushed, and order restored.
Mercia is saved as well, barely, in a clumsy, bloody battle that leaves the defenders decimated. Northumbria and Aquitane fall to the rebels and the Spanish respectively. the loss of naval dockyard facilites and the well developed Aquitane are tough losses to swallow, but neither is crippling.

Yet the most crucial battles took place in toulouse. 3 Crusades sat ready to go, and the King and both heirs were also present and all the mercenary siege engines intended for the crusades were there. the other forces were thin. 3 units of sargeants and 2 Welsh longbows were the bulk of the army, facing a combined assault of 3500 Italians and Holy Roman forces. outnumbered 7:1, yet a loss here is inconceivable.

King Stephen is a formidable warrior (6 stars, born leader), but the loss of face should the crusades be lost would be calamitous.

the ballistas set up with a direct line of fire down the bridge, with the catapults behind and the deadly Longbows positioned to pour enfilade fire along the length of the bridge. But to cause maximum damage the king held as much of his firepower in reserve as possible.

As the Italians pour across the bridge the fire is held. Even when the sargeants at the head of the bridge are engaged the order to fire is not given. the bridge grows thick with the forces trying to get across, and the end of the bridge is choked, the grass invisible under the marching feet. The open fire order is finally given. The first volley of catapult fire is the best the King has ever seen. 2 of the rocks hit at the head of the bridge, and the bounces sweep dozens of men away. The ballistas cut down the cavalry, and the Welsh bows pile the dead 3 deep.

by cycling the sargeants and sparing use of the siege engines the Italians are beaten back. Then the Holy Romans attack, and a seemingly endless stream of reinforcements pour into the battle. The sargeants are down to less than half their strength and have to be spelled by sharp charges by the 60 knights and their royal leaders. Prince Harry falls in battle. All arrows are long gone, and the longbows are reformed as a final reserve.

The ballistas were the battle winner. once the later charges were broken the ballistas concerted fire broke unit after unit of reinforcements. (2 honour gained&#33

When the battle ground to a halt as night rolled in fewer than 1/3 of the English army still stood. the sargeants numbered just 40 of their original 300, and the knights numbered less than 20. But they've slain over 1200.

The following year Anjou falls, but at great cost to the Spanish. the French forces are smashed again in Flanders, and the Romans and Italians are quickly routed by the mercenary reinforcements. I can even spare a few reinforcements for Antioch.

Aquitane, Anjou, Northumbria, but the key battles in Toulouse and Mercia won. Could be a lot worse. My best troop provinces, Mercia, toulouse and Wessex are OK, and my money centres of Sweden and Flanders are untouched.

Give me three years without to take back the provinces lost to the Spanish without the Pope re-emerging, and I'll be OK. I

really want to punish those bastard Catholics, but I need to consolidate...

I'm still standing, and 3 provinces lost is not a disaster. Phew.

That was... emotional

[desdichado]

Quote[/b] (mystic brew @ Sep. 12 2003,10:24)]The ballistas were the battle winner. once the later charges were broken the ballistas concerted fire broke unit after unit of reinforcements. (2 honour gained&#33

not something I ever expected to read

[mystic brew]

nor me

But it's true. 2 of them killed upwards of 50 men I've never seen that before. But they were firing straight down the bridge at very short range...

[Bevan of Hertfordshire]

Cool narrative, wish i had done that with my games

[desdichado]

Quote[/b] (mystic brew @ Sep. 12 2003,20:51)]nor me

But it's true. 2 of them killed upwards of 50 men I've never seen that before. But they were firing straight down the bridge at very short range...

mystic brew,

did you keep a replay? would like to see these demon ballista in action

[Gregoshi]

Hi Bevan. Now you can start your own narratives. The battles take on a whole new perspective when you look at them from the story angle.

[HopAlongBunny]

Is there more?

[mystic brew]

sorry, no replay. I was very tired when I'd finished, and clicked on with relief

[mystic brew]

King Stephen II is risen from the ashes, and has defied europe to prosper.

The butcher of Rome, William plantagent (8* excellent attacker, butcher, natural leader, natural born killer) decides he will not wait for the port, and marches his army through northern Italy, burning, pillaging and slaughtering as he goes. The armies assembled to stand in his way melt before his reputation. The Italian attacks on Toulouse evaporate, and the HRE re-deploy to meet the army.

A punishment raid on Ile de France leaves the French crippled beyond repair, restricted to a single blasted province without so much as a castle to call their own. Phillip may have financial genius, but this may be too much.

France is reclaimed by the king himself. Aquitane falls first, the mercenary army dealing a decisive blow. The italian infantry smashed the centre of the line, while the massed medium and light cavalry led by Stephen smashed the right wing and reserves. No mercy is shown by the Alan cavalry to the fleeing foe. In Anjou, the isolated Spanish force, outmanouvered and with no place to run are slaughtered to the last man.

more to follow

[mystic brew]

In Antioch a solid force is established after a series of pulverising defensive tussles wreck any units the Turks have that can penetrate the tough english spearwall. A small bridgehead but an important one. The first thing the crusaders do is begin work on an inn, not the most pious of acts, but mercenaries used to the desert conditions should prove crucial to the longevity of Outremer.

The troop production centres thump out Feudal troops in numbers, including the best knights in Christendom. Money persuade the Northumbrian rebels to rejoin the king.

The heartlands are once again British. And while the Catholic church bickers over the choice of the new Pope, The young king Stephen sees opportunity. From Denmark to Sicily English raiders ravage the coast, and Aragorn and Spain find their lands snatched by King Stephen.

Then the Pope reappears and all offensive operations are suspended and a rapid shift of troops is made to Toulouse to meet up with the Templars being trained. The mercenary forces melt away.

So the storm is weathered. England is relatively stronger
than she was before the crisis began. Raids on enemy training centres have severly damaged them, and only Byzantium can rival her armies. King Stephen's shaky start is behind him and as the crusaders sieze all of the mid-east his reputation grows.