Pics & History of your Empire

[Martok]

As for my Portuguese campaign, things have taken an interesting turn.

King Henrique's diplomatic mission to El Cid was successful beyond his wildest dreams. In exchange for an endowment befitting a man of his rank (3000 florins), the Duke pledged both his personal abilities and his lands (the duchy of Valencia) to the crown of Portugal in prepetuity. With the Cid in his service and a strong state now in vassalage to his throne, Henrique continued to rebuild his army and readied it to deliver a crippling blow to the Almoravids. Alas, however, his plans never came to fruition. War came to the Portuguese, but not in the direction from which they'd exepcted.

Just as Henrique and El Cid were preparing to launch simultaneous invasions of Cordoba and Murcia, they faced sudden attack from the north. It appeared that Alfonso--king of Castille, Leon, & Navarre, and self-proclaimed "Defender of the West"--had for many years secretly desired to extend his lands along the Atlantic shoreline. With the bulk of the Portuguese army massed in the south (leaving Lisbon only lightly guarded), Alfonso suddenly marched on the city in force. After a brief battle in which his small army was completely overwhelmed, the Lord Chamberlin had little choice but to retreat back to Lisbon and hope that his messengers would reach the king in time.

As it happened, El Cid had already received word that the king of Castille-Leon was preparing to invade Portugal. While he himself was unable to render aid directly to his new liege lord, he saw an opportunity had presented itself when he realized Alfonso had left Castille grossly under-defended. He wasted no time in invading and routing the garrison there. Before the end of the month, he had claimed the newly-conquered kingdom in the name of Portugal. As a result, the Spanish king now had a danger in his rear, although he would be too slow to realize it.

Meanwhile, Henrique had at least received word of the Castillians' treachery, and immediately redirected his army northwards. All his men were hot with wrath at their new enemy, and burned to reach their homes and families. When Alfonso saw the Portuguese army arrive on the outskirts of Lisbon, it was an unpleasant shock, as his agents had told him Henrique was far afield battling the Almoravids. Fearing the righteous fury of his foe, yet unwilling to give up his dream of conquering Lisbon, he withdrew his men to a defensive position in the dry hills some miles northeast of the city.

While doing so was a wise move, it was not enough to save him. Henrique--who had now been reinforced by his Royal Chamberlin, along with the troops that had survived the siege--moved steadily towards the army of Castille-Leon. Upon reaching the enemy's position, he immediately sent his cavalry around the flanks....save for a few of his mounted seargents, which he used to lure the Spanish down from the main hill on which they were stationed. Still unmanned by the unexpected arrival of the Portuguese and fearful for their lives (knowing they were outnumbered), a large contingent of Alfonso's troops gave chase against his orders; they were subsequently cut down for their foolishness.

When Henrique's sons and the rest of the cavalry showed up in the enemy's rear, Alfonso knew the battle was lost and fled almost immediately. He did not get far, however, before being captured. How Henrique's mercy might have manifested itself, however, would never be known. The men who caught Alfonso were too blind with hate to care about ransom money, and they slew the enemy king with his own sword.

Henrique had won a great victory, and the soldiers of Castille-Leon had paid a fearful price for their king's greed--over 700 men were killed or captured (and there were very few of the latter). When he received word that El Cid had already exacted vengance upon their opponent in the east, he suddenly had a new vision: that of a united Catholic Iberia. Once his men had had their chance to heal, he began making preparations to fulfill what he now viewed as his holy destiny: to unite the peoples of northern Spain, and then drive out the Moors once and for all....

[Innocentius]

Thanks for the encouragement Martok Here's the story for the English between the years of 1232 and 1250. No pics this time though, as I forgot to take them.

The English - 1232 A.D to 1250 A.D

Just the year after King John's succession to the throne, his son edward came of age. With line of kings secured, King John II immediately took personal command of a great army, and marched for Scotland. In the first few days of 1233, English troops med the Scots in the snowy highlands.
The battle started out with some manouvering, and the English soon succeeded in reaching higher ground, putting them at the same elevation as the Scottish defenders. The Scots used this opportunity however, and attacked the English who lacked artillery before they could fully establish their position. The first english troops to be hit took heavy casualties, but soon King John and his professional knights were able to relieve them, ultimately routing the Scottish rebels. At the end of the day, some 150 scotsmen and 50 englishmen lay dead on the battlefield. Only a handful of prisoners were taken, all of whom were executed.
The few surviving Scots retreaded to thei fort, this was stormed and fell to the English in 1236.

A few years of adjusting the economy and planning the upcoming crusade followed. A son was born in 1238, and one of King John's daughters married the king of Denmark during the same year.
In 1241 Prince Stephen came of age, and alliance was signed with the Pope, much thanks to the crusade against the Almohads.

In 1243, the crusade reached its target Aragon, that fell without a fight. However, it was too late. Just the year after, the last king of the Aragonese was captured and killed, levaing his lands open for the Almohads.
A quick breather was given to the English by the outbreak of a Catholic rebellion in Castille and Leon in 1245, this was crushed by the Almohad khalifa though. In 1246 the Almohads finally attacked the English, invading Navarre. The outnumbered troops of Navarre retreaded to the fort, and reinforcements arrived in the next year. The English won a great victory against the Almohads, although at a great cost. The exact casualties are unknown, but the number of casualties is generally believed to have been around 500 on the Almohad side, and 300 on the English side.
And in 1246 King John II died out of age. He was succeede by his son William III. Already aged 50.

In the same year, 1247, the English suffered a defeat in the Bay of Biscay against the Almohad navy. This allowed the Almohads to invade Britanny in 1248, King William III himself retook Britanny just the year after though, and the uncourageous Almohads abandoned the province and fled without daring to fight.
Valencia was invaded as well in 1249, and resulted in a minor battle in which the English were victorious, however only a few soruces even mention this battle so we don't really know much about it.

By 1250, the English had conquered roughly 20% of the Iberian peninsula, however their position had a major weakness as the Almohad fleet in the Bay of Biscay was too strong for them, thus not allowing them to send supplies by seas.

[Martok]

Good job against the Almos, Innocentius. May the Reconquista proceed apace!

Things may finally be turning the corner in my Portuguese campaign. I simultaneously invaded Leon (where King Alfonso was holed up) from both Portugal and Castille; the Cid commanded my attacking army. It was a hard fight, as Alfonso is no slouch when it comes to generalship; but I was successful in the end. El Cid captured him for ransom, only to find there was no one to pay!

The reason for this was that the Aragonese (apparently sensing the weakness of their Castillan neighbors) invaded and conquered Navarre. Since Alfonso's only two remaining heirs were located there, his royal line was wiped out and the Castille-Leonese ceased to exist. So there ended one threat.

Now I have to decide whether or not to first take out Aragon. Normally this would be a no-brainer decision; but the Almos have built up some pretty big armies on my southern border, and I don't want to turn my back on them for very long at this point!

[Don Corleone]

{I like to play heavily into role playing while in the game, especially in GA campaigns. Typically, before beginning, I make a list of rules and try to write some historical fiction in my mind to give the campaign some flavor. It helps stave off boredom in the early years of a campaign, after the initial rush, when I'm trying to build up my lands. If you're not into that sort of thing, skip this post and pop down to the next, as this is just the prologue.}

It was a cool, crisp April evening, but not too cold. Phillippe was happy to be alive. And why shouldn't he be? He was the King of France!!! He lived about as good a life as anybody alive. Sure, his father had allowed the accursed William and the rest of the Normans to take more than their share of his kingdom. But they hadn't taken his favorite tavern, or more imporantly, his favorite brothel! Not that he needed one. Tonight for example, he had managed to couerce the Countess of Poitiers to join him in his bedchamber, her husband drunkenly oblivious still dancing at the feast many floors below in the great hall. Phillipe enjoyed himself fully, allowed the cool air to refresh him, and curled up next to the beautiful woman laying in his bed, sleep rushing upon him like a hungry tiger....

He awoke with a start. The hearth had burned to embers, but the room was ablaze with a strange silvery glow. Nervously, he tried to speak, but found immediately his voice was unnaturally silenced. Fear crept to the core of his bones. A blue blur whirled in the middle of the room. He desparately tried to shake the Countess awake, with no success. The blue blur began to solidify. The light in the room reached blinding levels. The young king found he had to shield his eyes. As he tried to peer through the cracks in his fingers, he saw a vision of the most beautiful, most pristine woman he had ever seen.

"Notre Dame", the king silently whispered... even if he had voice, he wouldn't have been able to speak in his current state of awe. He dropped to his knees and began to mentally recite every prayer he had ever been taught.

"PHILIPPE!" a melodic female voice boomed out loud enough to shake the walls. "PHILIPPE! You make me cry!" Philippe peered between his fingers, and indeed, tears streamed down the cheeks of the Queen of Heaven. "Philippe, you were given so much, and you have squandered it. The Abyssids tend pigs in the stable in which your savior was born. The home into which I was born is now a brothel. The temple to your Lord is occupied with the troops of the Sultan, and pilgrims are no longer allowed to ascend its heights. And yet, here you sit, sotten with wine, in the company of whores. Oh, Philippe, what a disappointment you have turned out to be".

The King began to weep shamelessly. Yes, he thought, she is right. I have squandered my birthright. I have allowed myself luxuries I have no right to. My great great great grandfather was Charlamagne, Lord of All Christendom, and here I am, paying William secretly to stop raiding me... All for the promise of one more party.

"PHILIPPE! YOU ARE NOT BEYOND HOPE OR USE, BUT YOU MUST STOP THIS SELF PITY IMMEDIATELY!" Phillipe swore he never saw Mary's lips move. The voice seemed to be coming from within his brain. No, wait, his heart and his soul. It bubbled up and vibrated through every cell of his body.

"PHILIPPE! LISTEN TO ME. YOU CANNOT LEAD MY ARMIES TO FREE MY HOME. YOUR SON WILL BE MORE OF A WHORE CHASER THAN YOU. BUT YOUR GRANDSON... IN HIM LAY ALL MY HOPES."

More softly now, he could hear her speaking to him, wisdom and consolation rolled into each word, so much more tenderly then his own mother ever spoke to him...

"Philipe, William cannot achieve such an act of purity either. Nor can Otto. All the men of your age are too weak, toosmitten with the female form and the cask of wine. You fight each other over women and vineyards, and you allow the enemies of your savior, my son, to triumph and reign in places they have no business. But I hear your heart, and I know you are pentinent. To prove to me you are serious, you will take residence at Saint Denis, as a novice. You will remain there for 90 days, not one hour more or less. During this time, you will speak to noone. The abbot will know who you are and why you are there. During this time, you will review every lost moment you have squandered, every sin you have committed that sent another thorn into my beautiful son's head. And then, and only then, you will be the true king I told my son and our dear Lord of. You will begin that which will not end..."

Philipe awoke in a start, shivering in a pool of sweat. Blood stained the linens. At first he was in fear for the contessa, but she still slept peacefully, without a scratch. Philipe brought his hand to his face to wipe away the sleep and halted... his flesh was bloody and sore on the back of his hand where an "M" in the Latin lettering was emblazoned unto the back of his hand. "It was no dream", he silently mused. He dressed himself in his most humble of hunting rags, and as he reached for a purse he read a note:

"You, my dear Philippe are the King of France. When you return from Saint Denis, you will drive William and his accursed kin from the land I love, my new home. You will spend your life building these lands, preparing your grandson for his hour of glory. Your son will continue in your role, building your infrastructure and the ability of France to generate wealth untold. And your grandson will use that wealth to build an army like none the Earth has ever seen. It will wash the Saracens away in a mighty flood. It will cleanse Nazareth, and Bethlehem, and Jerursalem, in blood. It will storm the mighty cliffs of Tripoli and build a fortress that only God Himself will be able to rend assunder. And then he will return home, and build me a home to dwell among you, here in Paris. He will name this church after me. I will accept whatever he builds for me, and I will dwell in it forever more, so long as I continue to visit your world. In all your generations, your prodigy, to remain true to me must:

-Crusade to all the states of the holy lands: Antioch, Tripoli, Edessa and of course, Palestine itself.
-You must remove all Normans from the Western Frankish Kingdom by 1100.
-From the moment they are gone, you shall launch no further attacks against your Christian brothers.
-When the Holy Father upon this Earth calls you to crusade for him, regardless of your current plans, you will respond, immediately.
-You may take lands held by Christian monarchs, but only if they violate an alliance signed in the name of our Lord. You may take one county or one duchy for each offense.
-You may never take sides with the Heretics against your true Christian brothers. You may never take sides with the followers of Mohammed or worse, the pagan filth, against any of your Christian brother, true followers of Rome or heretics that follow Constantinople.
-Always, always grant mercy on the field of battle. Consider each drop of the blood of one of your captives more precious than a vial of your own.
-These rules shall apply for all your progeny, until the End of Days....

The note was signed with a simple femininely scripted "M".

Philippe wiped his eyes again. "Surely, I must still be dreaming" he thought. He wasn't... he was the first monarch in Don Corleone's French Campaign... Early, Hard. And with that... we ride.

[Don Corleone]

A much older, much more mature Philippe reflected back on all the days between the magical aparition in 1087 and this cold November morning... He had done all he had been asked... William had been driven from the shores of the Western Frankish kingdom, his violence and ill temper confined to the shores of the poor benighted island of Britain.

In 1093, he had led a desparate attack into Anjou. Caught off guard, the English had surrendered without a parting bowshot. His desparation was due to the sending of his army, split in two to Normandy, under his son Philippe, and into Aquitane, under his loyal general and best friend, Baldwin of Boulougne. Neither his son nor his mate had it as easy as he, but they had prevailed, as though the will of Notre Dame herself had propelled the French forward, against insurmountable odds. They had paid dearly, but they had won. Philippe, knowing William well, knew to immediately move to defend the breadbasket of Flanders, and indeed his son Philippe had been forced to repel 2 invasions across the channel in 3 years. But at the end of it, William's son, William III had made peace. No evil with the English remained, and in 1102, an alliance was signed between the two former enemies before God.

Philippe spent the rest of his reign tutoring his son on how to generate wealth and how to build armies. He taught young Philippe how to restrain himself, to trust in his armies and not conscript new ones, draining his treasury, or worse, hiring mercenaries... draining the coffers of his patron, the Queen of Heaven. As though she herself guided his actions, he was a wise and just ruler who managed to imbue wealth into the land, as if through sheer force of will. On his death bed, he begged his son, the young Philippe: "Build the fleets. Reach the holy land. Take the money of the Saracens, but do not enter their lands. This role is reserved for your son, young Jean". With the last words upon his lips, Philippe slumbered, to pass into history and the arms of his waiting patroness.

"YOU HAVE DONE VERY WELL, MY DEAR, DEAR BOY. COME, AND MEET MY SON".

[Martok]

Excellent story, Don Corleone. One thing is certain, and that's that my modest writing skills pales next to yours. I can hardly claime I mind, however, as I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

(By the way, it's good to see you around here again!)

In my Portuguese campaign, events continue to outpace my long-term plans. Aragon did not wait for me to build up my forces and attack them; instead, they took the initiative while my attention was directed elsewhere. Shortly after my conquest of Leon, King Sancho invaded Valencia, which El Cid had left guarded by only a small force of Feudal Seargents and Jinnettes. They did as much damage to the Aragonese as they could before retreating to the castle.

Upon receiving the news, Lord Cid moved swiftly to defend his duchy. Reinforced by fresh levies (which were dispatched by a grateful Henrique and led by his own son), he massed an army in Castille and marched on Sancho's troops. Despite the size of Cid's army, the Aragonese king refused to run. In addition to employing a sizable contingent of archers, he was confident he and his 3 sons could sweep all enemies from the field with their knights. In this, he would be sadly mistaken.

El Cid was not only a better general than the king, but he also knew the lands of Valencia better than anyone--he knew how (and where) to fight in his own home! In the end, the battle was one of the most lopsided engagements the peninsula had yet seen. Over 450 of the Aragonese troops were killed or captured, while El Cid lost less than 100. Among those captured were 2 of the king's sons, which garnered a total ransom of ~3800 florins.

King Sancho himself the battle escaped unharmed, but he had already sealed his country's fate. King Henrique and El Cid now turned the full of their attention and resources to Aragon & Navarre. Their simple objective: complete, total destruction and subjugation....

[bamff]

Resuming the story of Bamff's English Empire...

Chapter Two : 1152 - 1165

In the year of our lord 1152, King Stephen I sits upon the throne of England. Having taken Flanders, Toulouse, and Brittany, the English king has sought peace with our neighbour, France. Sadly, King Charles IV will have none of this, and is determined to win back those lost French provinces.

King Stephen does not wish to pursue further aggression against his fellow Catholic nations. This does not mean for a moment that he has no intention of acquiring further lands, however. His eyes have drifted to other parts of the map, and in 1154, he directs his son Prince Richard to take a small force to Ireland to subdue the local population. It is a gamble - whilst his bravery is unquestioned, Prince Richard has never led men into battle before.

The Irish have set their position atop a hill, and the English forces split to make their approach. A force of Hobilars circles to the enemy's rear, while the main force of archers, and men-at-arms, together with Richard's own royal knights make their way up the hill so as to face the Irish on level ground. The Irish general sees this danger and attempts to block the approach of the English, sending a regiment of kerns. On Richard's orders, a regiment of archers had been positioned for just this eventuality, and the Kerns run headlong into a hail of death, as the main English force continues to move into position. The surviving kerns withdraw. All in in readiness, but before the English can make their move a force of Gallowglasses and Kerns charge across the open ground. They are brave, these Irishmen, but foolhardy. 180 archers await them across a slight uphill charge. They are decimated. Upon Richard's order, the Hobilars move in from the rear, drawing another regiment of Gallowglasses to chase them. The Gallowglasses are lured within range of our archers, and suffer the same fate as their countrymen. Now the men-at-arms are released, charging the now depleted Irish line, as the Hobilars and Knights encircle them, and then strike the hammer blow from the rear. The day is won! Huzzah for Prince Richard! Our young Prince was typically modest after his victory, noting that to have lost with superior numbers against such a rabble would have been unforgivable.



Meanwhile, King Stephen was demonstrating to the world that warfare is not the only means of expansion to an able ruler. With our newly established trade routes along the African coastline boosting our treasury, the king despatched his most skilfull ambassador, Ralph Cromwell to Norway. The Norwegian leader, Markus Skaaning, had been identified as a man of notable acumen - one who could ably serve our kingdom if convinced to join our cause. Prince Richard's recent victory, together with the growing influence of King Stephen proved more of a lure than gold, with Skaaning duly swearing his allegiance to the King, with nary handful of florins being exchanged. Norway was ours.

With the province of Norway now in English hands, King Stephen felt it prudent to secure our new border by conquering Sweden. This task was entrusted to Prince John. The young Prince embarked in 1157, and duly succeeded in vanquishing the Swedish rebels. sadly, King Stephen did not have the opportunity to bask in the reflected glory of his second youngest son's victory. The King drew his last breath even as the herald bearing the news of victory alighted from his steed at Wessex. Prince Richard ascended to the throne as King Richard I.

Prince John had no time to enjoy his new status as the conqueror of Sweden. Perhaps it was the change of monarch - perhaps the appointment of the Norwegian Markus Skaaning as overlord of Sweden. Whatever the reason, the Swedish rebelled, and with scant time for reinforcement, Prince John led the defence of the province. It was an interesting force that he faced - horsemen, archers, woodsmen, and viking landsmenn taking the field. The Swedish rebels were routed. At the death of their leader, most fled the field in disarray. The following image shows the final stage of the battle as the Prince's knights see off the last of the swedish horsemen.



Our borders were further secured as the King of the Danes announced that he would wed our Princess Bianca, and there was much rejoicing throughout the kingdom.

All was quiet in the kingdom, but it would not stay that way for long. Unlike his father, King Richard was hungry for greater glory, and in 1165 he launched a crusade against Tripoli.

[Don Corleone]

Well told Martok & Bamff. And well played. I don't know who I feel worse for, the Martok's hapless Aragonese enemies or Bamff's new slaves, the Danes. You're both really set up well to really put the screws to anyone that gets in your way.

[Don Corleone]

Philippe Augustus took another drink of cognac. He hated nights like these. He always had and he always would. Some official of the church would come to Paris to pay homage to the local eclessiastical officials. After a day or two, they would all subtly hint that they were ready to be invited to the King's castle for a feast. And throughout dinner, he would be scolded and ridiculed for being a eunuch, refusing to crusade to the Holy Land.

Of course he knew the Pope expected him to crusade, even if he hadn't called on Christian knights to do so openly! The pope was always looking to fill his pockets, and gold flowing into Rome from the Levant would build the popes already overstuffed treasuries. But he could not break the oath he had sworn to his father. He never believe that silly story his father had told him about Mary appearing to him in a vision, but he DID believe in his father, and if his father had told him not to crusade until the pope publicly called for him to, then so be it. He had never understood his father's obsession with what he called "The rules of Civility", but his father had been clear and serious. Deadly serious.

Once, when the Holy Roman Emperor had sent a raiding party into Champagne, Guy d'Brisard had ridden out to end the raid. He had captured most of the riders, scared teenage boys who were only looking to prove their manhood. But Guy was furious, and had them hung in the city square of Brie. Philippe's father had been enraged. Young Philippe had never seen a man scourged to death before, yet that was exactly what the elder Philippe had ordered and delivered to Guy for the execution of the captives. And then, his father did something strange. Not only did he not retaliate on the Empire, he sent an emissary to sue for peace. Of course the Emperor, who was overwhelmed in wars with the Danes, the Venetians and the Poles had granted it. His father then paid a princely sum to have each of the young riders carried back to their home villa deep within the empire in a funeral procession.

Nobody ever suspected it, due to his love of women and wine (two fancies Philippe shared with his father), but in his own way, Philippe I had been a deeply religious man. And Philippe Augustus, while no devotee of the clerics, loved and adored his father and so honored and obeyed all the requests his father had laid upon him. He had dilligently spent each year of his reign constantly riding from corner to corner of the Kingdom, inspecting fields and trading houses, maximizing all the money he could. He also personally inspected each and every barque launched, be it in Ghent, in Nantes or even all the way down in Toulouse. No mean feat considering he kept every shipyard in the kingdom contstantly running at maximum capacity. His father had been explicit, and Philippe Augustus had seen to it that every boat took to the sea that he could possibly sail.

In the end, Philippe Augustus hoped he had honored his father well. He had done all that he had been asked. And while his reign had done little to increase the glory of France, France was well poised to swell its coffers the moment the costly expansion of its fleets was completed. Yes, Philippe mused, France swims in money. And churches. We have more chuches than anywhere. Philippe made his way quietly out of a corner door, fondling the buttocks of a particularly attractive young wench on the way by. Later, he mused, later I'll show her I'm nowhere near as old or as tame as the gossip would have her believe. Philippe stepped into the alley and made ready to return some wine to the Earth.

As he felt reflief in his bladder, he caught a glimpse of two of the Sicilian emissaries who had ridden in with the church entourage arguing quietly but vehemently. "Something vexes thee, my king?" a pleasant, oily voice called from behind him. He turned, his urination still in progress to view Don Mateo Caligari, King Adam of Sicily's falconeer (and rumored to be his chief assassin) skulking up to him. "No, nothing..." Philippe stammered, "AAARGGH"!!! Philippe was blinded by pain as a small thin stilleto worked it's way between the ribs in his back, through one, then both kidneys, then up into his liver, piercing it. The pain was exrcuciating... so intense Philippe could not breath, let alone scream. As he sank to his knees, falling into the puddle of his own urine, Mateo leaned in close and quietly hissed "When Adam hints he wants something done... you better do it. You were told to invade Lorraine, and you were delivered the perfect excuse. But, you wretched coward, you let the chance slip through your fingers. Let's see if your son, with his hot blood and temper, will be more likely to do Adam's bidding". Mateo peered down, spat in the king's face, then shooed the two assasins away from the dying monarch. The last words Philippe ever heard were "And your daughter Adelle wasn't killed by highwaymen. In fact, she entertained me for weeks. I've never had a more thrilling adventure. She did finally stop screaming after two weeks, and then she lost all entertainment value....". Philippe Augustus slowly passed from this world, darkness clenching him like a giant vice, with Mateo's diabolical cackling still ringing in his ears.

[Martok]

Well told Martok & Bamff. And well played. I don't know who I feel worse for, the Martok's hapless Aragonese enemies or Bamff's new slaves, the Danes. You're both really set up well to really put the screws to anyone that gets in your way.

Thanks Don Corleone, but I wouldn't say that about my campaign just yet! King Sancho still has decent-sized armies in both Aragon & Navarre, and it won't be easy for me to root them out. I'm not yet at the stage where I can just churn out troops--at the moment, I'm still limited by both finances and logistics.

Also, despite my successes thus far, I still don't have a secure heartland. Even if the Aragonese weren't a threat, the Almos definitely are. They've just been sitting there, developing their infrastructure and massing ever-greater armies along our mutual border. I can well imagine the Caliph & his court sharing a hearty laugh whilst Aragon, Castille-Leon and myself have been duking it out for supremacy of northern Iberia; I'm sure nothing pleases him more than the infighting among us.

So while I appreciate the kind words, I know all too well that I still have my work cut out for me!

[bamff]

Well told Martok & Bamff. And well played. I don't know who I feel worse for, the Martok's hapless Aragonese enemies or Bamff's new slaves, the Danes. You're both really set up well to really put the screws to anyone that gets in your way.

Thank you for your kind words, Don Corleone - though I fear that the "Chronciles of Bamff's English" are but the scribblings of a barely literate peasant when viewed beside your magnificent work!

It is interesting watching all of these empires take shape, isn't it?

It is also intriguing to read the stories of those running either the XL or BKB mods....gee I thought I was happy to have finally got hold of VI....but clearly there are many other doors for me to open yet!

Keep the posts coming all!

[Innocentius]

Great campaigns everyone! Particulary impressive write-up Don Corleone
It's a big shame that the catholics in Iberia can't unite though

Just wanted to report that my English campaign is more or less screwed, the supremacy of the Almohad fleet turned out to be more disatrous than I ever imagined, not only have they invaded the British Isles, but they've also taken Flanders and Britanny for a second time. I think I could still knock them back, but that would force me to abandon all my provinces in France and Iberia, and besides, its no fun to be the English if you can't keep your homelands in check

I'll probably pick a decent sized faction instead next time, perhaps another go as Burgundy. Establishing a decent size kingdom, as opposed to a vast empire, is much more my "thing".

[caravel]

Just wanted to report that my English campaign is more or less screwed, the supremacy of the Almohad fleet turned out to be more disatrous than I ever imagined, not only have they invaded the British Isles, but they've also taken Flanders and Britanny for a second time. I think I could still knock them back, but that would force me to abandon all my provinces in France and Iberia, and besides, its no fun to be the English if you can't keep your homelands in check

Naval superiority within your own "stamping ground" is key to success. I have often gone to war with the Sicilians and the Byzantines simply because far too many of their ships were in my seas. If I hadn't have hit them first, they would probably have hit me and lost me most of my shipping. To gain naval superiority over the muslim factions you need 3 ship caravel fleets aplenty. Have these fleets break up when you want them to attack, and have every ship attack individually, then bring them back together when you're done (isolated ships tend to be a target for the AI, especially if they're alone in the sea zone, and get annoying wars started that you didn't want, ruining your trade income in the process). This way you get three chances to catch and sink their fleets. If you win, your 1 ship will sink the entire AI fleet, which is value for money. The Almohad fleets, in your case, should have been aggressively dealt with in this fashion. If you think you can get away with the same against a distant faction (a faction that you have no contact with, apart from their ships, and where an alliance won't be lost) then you should do so. The state of war will end once their ships are gone and your fleets will gain command stars for their trouble. (state of war only persists if you a) share borders, b) a siege is occurring involving you and the faction in question, or c) your ships are in sea zones with their ships or off the coast adjacent to their provinces)

Using those tactics over the years I've never had problems with my fleets. You have to be watchful. If you're playing as the English and notice overly large Byzantine fleets appearing all around your lands, then it's time to mobilise a large naval force and start sending them to the bottom before it's too late (too late being the situation where every new ship you build appears in hostile waters and is blown up by the enemy fleets at the end of the turn before it can do anything useful. To try and counter this you need to have your ships appear from multiple provinces simultaneously into the same sea. (e.g. Northumbria and Mercia will give you two ships per year combined, which increases their chance of survival. (A better example is the region around the holy land, or the Adriatic, where you can turn out a sizeable fleet each year.)

I'll probably pick a decent sized faction instead next time, perhaps another go as Burgundy. Establishing a decent size kingdom, as opposed to a vast empire, is much more my "thing".

The English have a strong starting position that can easily be overlooked. The French are at your mercy from the start if you can time your attacks carefully and hit the right provinces at the right moments. It is quite a good faction for the beginner. The only other catholic faction for a beginner would be the Spaniards, they have good trade, some superb units and a good defensible position from which to expand from. The Egyptians and the Almohads also make good starters. You say you don't like muslim factions. Try playing as them, and you will understand their strengths and weaknesses more, helping you out a great deal when you face them in the future.

[bamff]

Resuming the saga of Bamff's English....

Chapter 3 - The Reign of Richard I

The year is 1165. King Richard I sits upon the throne of England. The English monarch is anxious to ensure the stability and prosperity of his kingdom, and to this end has yet again despatched an emissary to the court of his erstwhile neighbour, King Charles V of France to seek an end to the hostilities between the two nations. Charles’ many detractors in the English court label him a vain, posturing fool, more interested in feasting and acquiring new garments for his burgeoning wardrobe than he is in matters of state. He dismisses the English envoy out of hand.

Not to be deterred, in 1166, Richard entreats the Bishop of Anjou to journey to Champagne to reason with Charles. Once more, the olive branch is summarily brushed aside by the French king. The journey is not simply a waste of time, however, for whilst in Champagne, the bishop notes the extraordinary numbers of French troops that are gathering in camps along the Flemish border. Sure enough, in 1167, with King Charles V himself in the van, the French army crosses the border into Flanders.

Sir William Marshall, the general in command of the English garrison of Flanders is outnumbered, with only some 1059 men to meet the French force of 1467. He is one of our most capable commanders, however, and he quickly draws his forces together to meet the threat. The French attack is clumsy, and they are duly routed, suffering the double ignominy of defeat and having to watch helplessly as both King Charles and his son Henri are captured by Marshall’s men. Both appear to hold their manhood cheap, to surrender so easily rather than fight. 8451 florins flow into the English treasury to secure the release of “the peacock” (as this vainglorious fool is known at court) and his offspring.

One would think that such a sound defeat would force Charles to see reason. Sadly it did not. Yet another offer of ceasefire is dismissed by the French in 1168. Good King Richard is fast tiring of the unwillingness of Charles to accept the supremacy of our English forces and live in peace. “I have tried the carrot, perhaps it is time for the rod,” muses Richard, as word of the latest refusal of terms reaches court. Few understand exactly what he means until the news arrives that within the space of weeks, two French princesses, have met a rather unfortunate end, and a French emissary in appears to have vanished without trace in Normandy. Rumours abound that it is the work of Montfort and his men. William Montfort is a somewhat unsettling character, a shadowy figure known only by name and reputation. He is rumoured to be an assassin in the employ of the English crown. It is said that he takes rather too much pleasure from his trade, but he and his men do have particular skills that are useful to a pragmatic monarch…

Nonetheless, these latest moves also fail to bring the French to heel.

News reaches Wessex in 1170 that Pope John XXII has died. Clement IV is the new Holy Father, and Richard immediately sends an offering of congratulation to the new Pope to ensure that our long-standing alliance with the Papacy remains strong.

With our alliance with Rome duly secured, King Richard is able to unleash his pent up frustrations with the French. Sir William Marshall is ordered to invade Champagne. Charles flees as fast as his steed will carry his ever more portly body. The following year, Lord Fitzgilbert invades Ile de France. Yet again King Charles and his son Henri are captured. It would appear that the French populace have also tired of this pair of braying buffoons. Fitzgilbert's demand for ransom is refused. Richard himself pays Charles one final visit in the dungeons of Paris Castle before the French royal line is ended forever. The chronicles do not record the details of this final conversation, though Richard is said to have emerged from the dungeon bearing a triumphant grin.

Whilst the king is indeed satisfied with the outcome of the “French Question”, he has precious little time to enjoy his newly secured realm. The very next year, 1172, brings news of the vilest treachery, as ships carrying the flag of the Holy Roman Empire attack one of our barques in the Ligurian Sea. The Germans have picked the wrong vessel to attack however, for it is captained by Henry Stuart, one of the ablest of our sea captains. At the end of the engagement, the German barque vanishes beneath the waves.

The armies of the Holy Roman Empire continue to mass in menacing fashion along our borders throughout 1173. Further naval actions by the Germans in the Ligurian Sea cost us a barque. These naval attacks continue into 1174. This is the 3rd year in succession that the Holy Roman Empire have launched such attacks, and King Richard is apoplectic with rage. He despatches an emissary to the Vatican to implore Pope Clement to excommunicate Emperor Heinrich V for these unprovoked attacks on a fellow Catholic faction. While Clement offers his assurance that our alliance is strong, he stops short of excommunication.

With the German fleet now on the bottom of the Mediterranean, and their land forces apparently unwilling to take on our armies in a face-to-face fight, an uneasy peace settles over Europe. In 1177 this is broken by a most unlikely aggressor – the tiny kingdom of Aragon. King Alfonso I has long looked covetously across his borders at the rich lands of Aquitaine, and in 1177, he leads his forces north to meet Lord Gascoigne's garrison. He has gravely underestimated the English forces in the region. Our archers cut his forces to pieces before his remaining cavalry push uphill, only to be skewered by three regiments of Fyrdmen. Alfonso flees back to Aragon with almost indecent haste.

Our Crusaders, who bravely set out some 13 years previously, finally arrive in Tripoli in 1178. After a bloody battle, the Egyptians retreat to their stronghold, and the Crusaders, having no seige engines, prepare to wait them out. Meanwhile, on the Iberian peninsula, Aragon accepts our terms, and a ceasefire is arranged. The court rejoices, peace has returned to Europe...but King Richard urges caution, and riders are despatched to all border garrisons to ensure that our generals remain ever vigilant.

As it transpires, our monarch is correct to be cautious in celebrating the peace prematurely, as the Aragonese immediately break the ceasefire, and send a further force north to Aquitaine. This impressive force includes 100 royal knights, with Prince Fernando and Prince Sancho among them. Sadly for Aragon, the mountainous terrain of Aquitaine, and the presence of a crack regiment of Welsh Longbowmen, together with 3 regiments of archers result in 94 of these 100 knights littering the valley floor alongside many Urban Militiamen and peasants. The two princes' bodies grow cold alongside their countrymen.

In Tripoli, the Egyptian forces sally. 1894 of them die attempting to raise the siege of Tripoli. Our forces are also sorely depleted, with 827 brave crusaders returning to the Kingdom of Heaven. Reinforcements are hastily called from all coastal provinces. Again and again the Egyptians attempt to raise the siege. Again and again they are defeated. Finally, in 1182, some 17 years after the crusade was launched, Tripoli falls. There is great rejoicing throughout the kingdom.

Buoyed by the success of this crusade, the king orders a second crusade the very next year. This time Palestine is to be the target of our holy war.

Sadly, our sweet king is not destined to see the conclusion of this, his second holy mission. In the year 1188, our beloved Richard succumbs to a mysterious illness. Whilst there is much sadness throughout the kingdom, the coronation of King Stephen II does much to restore the spirits of the common folk. Whilst only 26 years old, Stephen has already done much to instill the faith of the populace at large. Will the young king live up to the feats of his father Richard I? Time will tell....

[Martok]

Excellent, bamff! May King Stephen rule his people as well as his father did.

Unfortunately, I have bad news in regards to my Portuguese campaign. I seem to be suffering from a bad save file, and I can't get it going again. I plan on starting another campaign in the near future, but right now I'm unsure as to whether I'll play as the Portuguese again or not. (And just when it had started getting interesting too!) Sorry guys.

[naut]

Nice campaign bamff, I recently started a campaign as the English. Scots invaded Northumbria, Aragon invaded Aquitaine! GAH! But using professional armies saved me from defeat. Got excommed thought.

Excellent, bamff! May King Stephen rule his people as well as his father did.

Unfortunately, I have bad news in regards to my Portuguese campaign. I seem to be suffering from a bad save file, and I can't get it going again. I plan on starting another campaign in the near future, but right now I'm unsure as to whether I'll play as the Portuguese again or not. (And just when it had started getting interesting too!) Sorry guys.

That sucks I was enjoying reading that.

[Innocentius]

In the year 1320 of our Lord, Duke Philippe II started overlooking his small kingdom of Burgundy, squeezed in between majos powers as France and the Holy Roman Empire in Western Europe.

Duke Philippe was already by this time a respected man, he was 38 years of age and wass well-known for being a highly skilled attacker. His troops were a constant threat to his neighbours, the French, who had just about enough troubles keeping the English (and their many other enemies as well) at bay.

Burgundy was a land tough to defend, as it lacked secure borders, and thus each corner of the kingdom needed strong garrisons, which would be hard to afford without a coastline or any trade network set up. The first major target was not to reach the Mediterranean however.
Philippe had long wished to claim the rebel lands of Switzerland as his own. Controlling these lands would, except from the obvious benefit of expanding the kingdom on the map, grant him with the well-known and dreaded swiss pikemen. Already in 1321, he started sending scouting patrols to Switzerland to learn of the strenght of the rebels. The prescence of even the smallest amount of troops however angered the Swiss, who in their usual manner armed themselves and went to fight the intruders. Duke Philippe wisely drew back his lone scouts.

He returned but a few years later though, this time himself commanding a highly professional army, including many mounted crossbowmen from Savoy. And in the summer of 1324, the Swiss were defeated in a humiliating battle.

However feared, the Swiss pikemen could do little to resist the impact and mobility of the mounted crossbowmen from Savoy. This unusual tactic scared the Swiss from any real fighting, and were instead concerned about moving out of range from the crossbowmen. But whereever they went, they were pursued and fired at.
In the end, the Swiss general was killed, this caused a major rout in the already demoralized swiss army, which broke ranks and fled. Duke Philippe II was able to take many prisoners this day. None were spared. This total defeat of the Swiss army meant there were no men left to defend the many castles and fortresses of Switzerland, which fell without a fight to the Burgundians.

With the potential threat in the east removed, and after getting his men some fighting experience, Philippe now turned his eyes south. It was to take a while until he felt strong enough to charge the French however.

In 1331, Provence was invaded. By this time, the French were already severly weakened. Although their main enemy, the English, had been busy fighting to hold their own homelands from the Scots, both the Holy Roman Empire, The Kingdom of Aragon and the Consul of Genoa (all of whom were allies to the Burgundians) had waged war against them, on all fronts.
A genoese force joined the Burgundians in the invasion. The French ran away, lacking the courage to meet the glorious troops of the Burgundian-Italian army.
In 1333, the last standing castle of Provence fell to the Burgundians, ensuring their position.

By 1335, the now 53 year old Duke Philippe II of Burgundy had already achieved his main goals. Burgnundy was no longer a landlocked little country, but was instead a growing nation, ready to enter the main scenes of action.

If this luck was to sustain however, remains to be told.

The Kingdom of Burgundy under the rule of Duke Philippe II in the year 1335 of our Lord:

[Martok]

Nice, Innocentius! I don't think I've ever seen such a one-sided slaughter of the Swiss before, though. That was a brilliant use of your mounted X-bows!

Well for my next campaign, I'm looking at going with either the Scots, the Bohemians, the HRE, the Fatamids (Egyptians), or the good old Byzantines--I haven't payed a visit to the Comnenus family in a while. Any suggestions or opinions on who I should play as?

[bamff]

A short(ish) update for you. Up to now I have been lucky enough to have fought almost all battles with numerical superiority - this changes a bit in this instalment.

The Chronicles of Bamff’s English

Chapter 4 – King Stephen II reign begins (1188 – 1195)

Having ascended to the throne in 1188, young King Stephen mused on his good fortune. The building and trade programs of his grandfather Stephen I, and thence his father, Richard I, had reaped great benefits for the kingdom of England. The treasury was full to overflowing, allowing Stephen to continue the great building programs of his forebears, and he set about this task with great gusto.

Our envoys in Aragon send word that the Aragonese monarch continues to resist all offers of peace. King Alfonso is a most stubborn man….but one thing that Stephen has learned from his father is that there is more than one answer to a problem.

Stephen’s building programme is rudely interrupted in 1190. The Holy Roman Empire have been massing their forces along our borders for some time now, and Emperor Heinrich chooses this year to unleash his horde into the province of Champagne. Of all of the English border provinces, Champagne is the most lightly defended. Sir William Marshall sends riders to call for reinforcement, but the enemy are advancing too swiftly. He is forced to meet the German onslaught of some 2096 men with his force of only some 684 troops. Yet again Marshall demonstrates his superb leadership skills, and carries the day. As the dust of battle clears, some 465 German troops lie dead across the field. 508 prisoners are taken, with the German general, Lord Plittersdorf amongst them. Our losses amount to 202. News of the victory, and of the hefty ransom received for the release of Plittersdorf soon spread throughout the kingdom.

With almost a third of the garrison lost in the battle for Champagne, Stephen directs reinforcements from Flanders to move to the beleaguered border province, to discourage the Germans from attempting a second assault.

His strategy is successful in this endeavour – inasmuch as the German forces do not launch a secondary attack on Champagne. Instead Flanders is their new target. Lord Blankenberg marches from Friesland with some 2013 troops. Lord Mercadier marched north to meet this threat with his entire garrison of 1570 men, choosing a field slightly north of the township of Dendermonde on which to make his stand. The field is flanked by heavy forest on both sides. The battle is opened, as two regiments of enemy archers advance in a skirmish line across the plain. Our Hobilars burst from the woods and smash into the archers from the rear. Nary a handful escape as the cavalry rides them down. The main enemy force now advance in a steady line. Our archers hold steady until all are within range, and then unleash a rain of death. Having lost all of their archers to the charge of our Hobilars, the Germans cannot return fire, and their casualties mount steadily. With our lines of Fyrdmen holding steady in the centre, the clansmen sweep in from the flanks, carving the enemy’s feudal sergeants and urban militia to ribbons. Blankenberg’s men are forced back and surrounded, and finally Lord Mercadier leads the cavalry charge from the rear of the enemy formation. The rout is complete. Blankenberg himself is captured after he is dismounted from his steed.

The combination of two heavy defeats, the failure of King Heinrich’s crusade to Antioch, and the work of our Inquisitor in Friesland have had a disastrous effect of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1194, rebellions are reported to have broken out in all provinces along our borders. The news is not all good for King Stephen in 1194, however, as the Egyptian forces launch another invasion of Tripoli. 572 brave defenders of the faith fall in an epic battle, but their lives are not lost in vain. Some 1077 enemy corpses litter the field, among them is the Egyptian Sultan himself. 882 prisoners are taken. It will take our enemies some time to make good such losses.
Word reaches court that Princess Isabella of Aragon has been found garrotted. With a rue smile, Stephen sends forth another envoy, with his instruction “Those who stand against us do so at their peril. Remind Alfonso that he has two other daughters…and peace would be in their best interests.”

The following year, 1195, our Crusade arrives in Palestine, and sets about reclaiming this province for Christendom. Too long have these lands been in Fatmid hands. Meanwhile in Europe, the Holy Roman Emperor is under ever increasing pressure within his own territories, and at last agrees to terms for a ceasefire. With the German threat removed, Stephen is free to focus once more on his economic and building programmes…although he still harbours doubts about the intentions of the burgeoning Spanish empire to the south….

[bamff]

Incidentally - really sorry to hear of your bad save file Martok - like everyone else I was looking forward to hearing how that campaign panned out....and it had firmed my decision that my NEXT campaign will be Aragon (I was tossing up between the Turks and the Aragonese). I haven't got hold of XL or BKB yet, so Portugal wasn't an option, but Aragon might give me something similar....anyway, still some way to go with my English at present.

Innocentius - what a carve up! Well done, great use of mounted x-bows!

A strategic question for King Stephen - with Friesland and the province immediately to the south (sorry name escapes me) going rebel, I'm sort of thinking that it would be nice to grab them in order to reduce the number of provinces that border other factions. It would also men that I have a nice buffer zone around Flanders.....but....I don't want the kingdom to get too big....any arguments for/against?

[Martok]

Incidentally - really sorry to hear of your bad save file Martok - like everyone else I was looking forward to hearing how that campaign panned out....and it had firmed my decision that my NEXT campaign will be Aragon (I was tossing up between the Turks and the Aragonese). I haven't got hold of XL or BKB yet, so Portugal wasn't an option, but Aragon might give me something similar....anyway, still some way to go with my English at present.

Thanks, bamff; I appreciate the condolences. But I digress.

Yeah, Aragon is fun too, as it posses similar challenges to that of the Portuguese. They have the added dimension of bordering the French & English as well, which makes things....interesting. In addition, you can secure the services of El Cid should you feel so inclined.

A strategic question for King Stephen - with Friesland and the province immediately to the south (sorry name escapes me) going rebel, I'm sort of thinking that it would be nice to grab them in order to reduce the number of provinces that border other factions. It would also men that I have a nice buffer zone around Flanders.....but....I don't want the kingdom to get too big....any arguments for/against?

I definitely vote for taking Friesland and Lorraine. Flanders is too valuable to not have a buffer zone if you can give it one!

[Innocentius]

Double post, sorry. Remove this one.

[Innocentius]

Nice campaign you got there, bamff. Big battles seem to be in the pleny.

Shame to hear about the bad save-file, Martok Had a couple of my own campaigns ruined in similar ways.

A strategic question for King Stephen - with Friesland and the province immediately to the south (sorry name escapes me) going rebel, I'm sort of thinking that it would be nice to grab them in order to reduce the number of provinces that border other factions. It would also men that I have a nice buffer zone around Flanders.....but....I don't want the kingdom to get too big....any arguments for/against?

This would be a pretty obvious thing for a medieval king to do: the dominion of Friesland would lead him one step closer to a trade monopoly in the Northern Sea.
I say go for it

[caravel]

Shame to hear about the bad save-file, Martok Had a couple of my own campaigns ruined in similar ways.

Pssst... He's been on the old "quicksave" again...

[UltraWar]

I might try a HRE Peaceful campaign, I don't know how long I'll last though.

[Innocentius]

Burgundy: 1335 - 1365 A.D.

While Duke Philippe yet remained in Provence, establishing his position and planning for the naval expansions of his little country, the French had not forgotten the loss of the same province.
Simply taking revenge on the Burgundians, the King of France himself commanded a massive army marched into Burgundy itself in the summer of 1336. The Burgundian troops were outnumbered 2:1. Unfortuneately for the French, they had to cross the Rhone before they could enter Burgundy. This was where the Burgundians under the command of Prince Philippe made their stand.
The French trying to cross the bridge were hit by volley after volley from the Burgundian crossbowmen, and once they got across all they found was a compact hedge of halberds pointed towards them. When the King of France himself foolishly attacked across the bridge, trying to turn the tide of the battle, Burgundian cavalry hit him in the rear. The King of France could not be taken prisoner however, as the fierce Burgundians killed him at first sight. At the end of the day, the French had to retreat, suffering heavy casualties:

The next year, the French signed a ceasefire with Duke Philippe. This meant the beginning of a long period of peace for the Burgundians.

At the end of his days, Duke Philippe II saw a few setbacks for his duchy. The economy was struggling, and he was unable to construct the impressive trading fleet that he had hoped for, but a few ships were actually constructed. At the time of his death, in 1342, he had expanded Burgundy widely, and had kept it at peace for many years. He was succeeded by his son Philippe, now Duke Philippe III. Philippe was 32 years of age as he took over the rule after his father.

Philippe III's reign is remembered as happy times, later on often refered to as "the good old days". Burgundy was at peace, however mainly because it lacked the resources needed to go to war. All the money had to be spent on the defences of the country.
During this time however, Burgundy became infamous as dangerous lands to travel through, especially French princesses had a nasty habit of turning up dead.

Philippe drew his last breath in 1364, and was succeeded by his only son, Prince Jean, who matured just in time to be able to claim the throne. Duke Jean I was merely 16 years of age as he took over the rule after his father.

If Duke Jean I was to break the peace remains yet to be told however.

The Duchy of Burgundy in the year 1365 of our Lord:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Any suggestions for where I should turn next? The HRE is on the decline, facing plenty of wars on plenty of fronts, but their only province bordering to my own lands is the single of their provinces that has a reasonable army (about 1200 of good untis, a few really good).
The French are becoming more and more powerful. I'm not worried about them really attacking me, as their armies are huge, but concist of really crappy units. But I can't really attack them, I can only afford one army per province, so invading them means I have to leave something unwatched (which means this province being invaded by someone else). Also, if I invaded them, I'd probably face numbers so huge not even the much higher quality of my troops could save me...

Any suggestions?

Edit: Oh, just noticed that I have no borders to the HRE anymore. Didn't check carefully enough.

[Kavhan Isbul]

Innocentius, I think that expanding at the expense of the French is your only good option. Here is why.
First of all, I do not think you have enough time to conquer 60% of the map. This means you can only win by GA points. I am not sure, but I think Flanders may be one of your homelands. At the same time, the French have too many provinces and ways to get GA points. You cannot win the game unless you take them out.
Second, if you wait, their armies will be just as huge, but they will also tech up and then beating them would require a lot of luck. You need to get to their troop producing centers as quickly as possible, because if they start churning out chivalric units (sergeants, men at arms, knights), halberdiers and arbalesters you are doomed.
Third, they seem to be overstretched. They are likely to get in was with the Spanish (try to ally with them), and they might even get attacked bu sea. The large numbers of their land armies mean they spent little on ships and maybe even have none or few. The Danes, the Swedes and perhaps with some luck the Scottish may decide that they need to expand somewhere and they may see the French as an option.
Fourth, the French are larger, they have already attacked you once and doing it again will get them excommunicated, if they aren't already. This will most certainly get the Spanish to attack them and after they lose a few provinces a civil war is more than likely to occur. Then you can easily finish them off.
This is why I would go for the French if I were you, even if this means exposing myself a little. The Genoese have a tendency to get in war with the Pope and excommunicated as a result. Therefore they will probably not attempt to backstab you, and you do not want to destroy them, as this will then make a large Papacy your neighbor and then it will be a huge pain dealing with his Popeness once he attacks you (inevitable). You can try taking land in North Africa, if you have a large fleet, but this will stretch your kingdom too thinly and you will have to fight on too many fronts - in Europe against the French and the Papacy eventually, and in North Africa you will be squeezed between the Egyptians and the Spanish. I do not think you have any other options, unless perhaps turtling ehavily and producing armies of inquisitors and grand inquisitors to get rid of the rest of the catholic factions (except the Papacy), and then try to bribe the resulting rebels, but this is going to be extremely hard.

[Martok]

Another great update, Innocentius!

Unfortunately, I think your only real option is to slug it out against the French, huge though they may be.

Attacking the Papal lands is unattractive for all the usual reasons, in addition to which their territory isn't that valuable anyway. As for the Genoese, they would be a pretty tough nut to crack. Attacking across the Alps is no picnic; and with their naval supremacy, invading from the sea is extremely risky at best.

I would suggest taking the French King's lands in the south, particularly Acquitaine and Tolouse (although Aragon and Valencia are pretty nice provinces as well). No it probably won't be easy, but I think that's probably your best route for expansion at this point. It can be done.

EDIT: @Kavhan Isbul: Also good points; great minds think alike.

[bamff]

Out of curiousity Innocentius - who is the maroon shaded faction immediately to your south?

I concur with the other members of your council of war there are attractions to striking West across Toulouse to Aquitaine, and if you are able to take Aragon and Valencia, this will give your economy a boost....

Of course having said all of that, you need the troops to take these provinces, and then to hold them...

[Martok]

Out of curiousity Innocentius - who is the maroon shaded faction immediately to your south?

That would be the Genoese.