Portugal

[frogbeastegg]

Portugal needs to be unlocked before you can play as them. To do this you can either complete a campaign (on any difficutly, long or short setting) with one of the five starting factions, or you can edit the preferences file. To do this open your Sega/M2TW folder/data\world\maps\campaign\imperial_campaign, find the file called "descr_strat" and open it with wordpad. Now find the section which says

campaign      imperial_campaign
playable
   england
   france
   hre
   spain
   venice
end
unlockable
   sicily
   milan
   scotland
   byzantium
   russia
   moors
   turks
   egypt
   denmark
   portugal
   poland
   hungary
end
nonplayable
   papal_states
   aztecs
   mongols
   timurids
   slave
end

Change it so it reads

campaign      imperial_campaign
playable
   england
   france
   hre
   spain
   venice
   sicily
   milan
   scotland
   byzantium
   russia
   moors
   turks
   egypt
   denmark
   portugal
   poland
   hungary
end
nonplayable
   papal_states
   aztecs
   mongols
   timurids
   slave
end

[MadKow]

Started a Portuguese campaign, cause i had to, on M/M with 1 turn-1-year.
First thing that strikes you is the oddity of having Portuguese in Pamplona, but I guess you have to shrug and move on from there...
Here are some early thoughts

Early moves
You start in a split position with the City of Lisbon (Lisboa) and the Castle of Pamplona. Your first move should probably be on Zaragoza, that falls easy to your northern troops.

Now the big question would seem to be Moors or Spanish.
For loyalty to the church I went for the Moors. Granada is not too well defended, and King Afonso Henriques took it and sacked it.
This is important because you start with a fairly large army, considering your weak economic position. Those 4000-5000 florins are invaluable to kick start your economy.

I joined my fleets and moved them to Gibraltar, to prevent a counter attack from North Africa- fleets block land bridges. Watch for pirates, they attack hard and repeatedly. If you happen to be at war, repeated attacks by pirates and enemies can wipe out and apparently decent fleet without, you being able to do a thing.

After that I took Cordoba and Valencia. The French declared war on me. Even after I neglected to take Bordeaux, as suggested by the Noble Council. The small army they sent to siege Zaragoza was repelled by the forces that I had used to take Valencia and the filed for peace.

In the mean time, Guilds started to offer to settle on my lands. One welcome was the Order of Santiago. Immediate access to Foot Knights is a welcome strike force for a very light weight infantry rooster.

I will definitely use them when I go against the Spanish, next and take over the Peninsula.

Units
This leads me to some comments on the units. Portuguese Javelinmen are a decent early unit, with heavy losses I could use them to storm a wall defended by spears and other javelins.
Almughavars should prove even better, of course. But I don’t expect them to excel against later cavalry heavy armies.

The Aventuros look somewhat promising for that, a line of them (if they can keep it with their impetuosity) backed by Almughavars should be a challenge, if the stats translate into action.

I have yet to have a major field battle. All my major ones were sieges. Where the mobility of the troops is less important than their range or sturdiness, your early troops provide neither, so I have yet to discover exactly the field tactics that make the Portuguese Army shine. As for powder, I have no idea what impact will bring, yet.

After consolidation the Peninsula ill cross the straight and take the lands of Northern Africa, present day Morocco. That’s what Portuguese did.
And then, who knows, the New World… Or those vineyards in France… we do like wine.

[MadKow]

Rethinking after trying game on H/H.

After some experience on a higher difficulty level, i think it may prove more wise, for the initial strategy, to deal with the Spanish first, and fast.
Toledo appears very developed and becomes a fortress fairly soon into the game. That means Feudal Knights, both mounted and dismounted start coming your way.
Using the strategy of blocking Gibraltar, but concentrating on eliminating the Spanish in the first few rounds may prove the most effective path to peninsula domination. I you are lucky and catch them off guard, you can take their land in 4 turns, as complained by someone.

[Pretorian]

I agree.
Spanish have to go first as they will become a power horse in no time.
Dealing with Spain in the beginning is the best way to aproach the Portuguese campaign, after aquire managment over the peninsula (moors have to go down also) I'm thinking about going to north Africa to continue my conquest of moorish lands or go against France as I'm Allied with England and France is already bleeding to their armies.
Either way so far and playing on M/M I think Portugal is a very entertaining Faction to play, but the start is not easy.

[Pretorian]

In a more detailed manner here goes my first turns and the total domination of The peninsula.
On turn 1 gather all your troops around Lisboa and go for the spanish castle. At the same time gather all your tropps in the fort Portugal has near france and go for the spanish city in the North.
Gather some mercs to your troops.
In turn 4 the Spanish are out of the game.
Retrain your troops, build your cities a little (conquer one rebel city and a castle near your original fort) and go for the moors.
If you blockade the passage to North Africa with your Navy, the Moors aren't very strong in the Peninsula so destroying their presence is even easier than the spanish, 2 turns will do.
France started attaking me at this point so I had to take their 2 castles near my borders. Once taken, garrison them well and you have a great line of defence to the rest of Europe.
With these 2 castles I only keep one more (the former Spanish castle in the middle of the Peninsula) all the other castles I conquered where turned into cities.
When the game reaches this point you should turtle a little, develop your cities and armies.
When you are ready go for North Africa and kick some Moorish butt.

A Vitória estará perto, Longa Vida a Portugal

[Afonso I of Portugal]

I agree with you. We start with a large army and it's better to deal first with the Spanish. However, block Gibraltar to avoid the Moors reinforcements.
If the Spanish didn't move fast try to get Zaragoza and Valencia first with some mercs units as well. After conquer Spain you are ready to go for the Moors.
If you do this, the Portuguese campaign is a walk in the park!

[mbrasher1]

Portugal's MA does not give it any units. It may give traits. Does anyone know if it is worthwhile?

Portugal has some interesting units. Jinetes are solid units throughout the whole game. Aventuros are the best pikemen in the entire game.

[Dromikaites]

I've tested in custom battle 3 Jinetes against 3 Mongol Heavy Archers, both sides with golden armor and 3 golden chevrons.

Each used the default single line formation. The Jinetes left flank unit and the center were ordered to charge into the Mongol right flank while the Jinetes right flank unit charged the central Mongolian one. After routing the Mongolian right flank one of the 2 Jinetes (the one whith the least losses) was ordered to charge into the Mongol left flank unit (untill then intact and shooting the Jintes engaged with the central Mongol force). The other one went to help the attack on the Mongol center by hitting them in the rear.

After routing the Mongol center the two badly battered Jinettes attacked the last Mongol unit from behind and from its right flank. The total numbers were almost equal but the Mongol unit ended up completely encircled. Eventually it broke and fled.

The odds were almost equal, with the Jinettes having slightly better close quarters statistics while the Mongols had better range. This experiment seems to indicate a Portuguese stack with a lot of Jinetes and several knights might be able to defeat a Mongol similar stack of archers and heavy cavalry, especially whith the later versions of knights. The general idea would be to have the Jinetes pinning the horse archers letting the knights do most of the killing.

[Si GeeNa]

I've been playing with Lusted's LTC mod, on VH/VH.

I've been on excellent alliances with both Spain and France since the very beginning and it looks set to continue.

Spain is currently expanding into England and France is edging into HRE settlements. I have also since concluded marriage alliances with both Spain and France... it's like a Tripartite Pact.

My hunch is that as long as Portugal remains as a relatively periphery power, i.e., not viewed as a global threat, it will be treated with less hostility. I'm 10th on the faction standings, 1 in Finance and production. It also helps that my diplomats work the ground and give tribute every 5 turns. Current reputation is Reliable.

I've since expanded into Moor territories and taken Marrakesh. Overall, it's been a very satisfying game, different from the typical expand-or-die mindset.

[ixidor]

Ok, advices: as the first moves you should take zaragoza as fast as you can and start marching for toledo. Now zaragoza will be easy to take with the troops you have in the region. Also, make peace with the moors, they usually are very passive and don't attack you, with or without alliance, which is good. By the way, use you princess for diplomacy and she will win quite a few charm, what is good since his husband will have the trait "wife is fair", thus increasing the number of brats for you.

Now, as initial units, just use militia, some mercs if you need and especially, jinetes. Theses guys are one of the best missile cavalry of the game, came very early, are ideal to chase rooters, have armor piercing and are pretty good in melee. Now, just DON'T make mailed knights, his high recruitment cost and that 250 upkeep is insane for you early weak economic, make jinetes instead. And never doubt the power of the jinetes, they are simply game winners:

Are you seeing this battle? 1 unit from jinetes against 2 of militia SPEARMEN and 1 of crowsbowmen militia (or peasent archers, not sure right now). See the results?

Now, don't exterminate anyone and especially, train some spies. Why? After taking toledo the pope will probably start anoying you but not to the point of excommunicate you. If you use spies to take leon in 1 turn and if you don't exterminate anyone you can beat the spanish and not being excomunicaded. By the way, the initial move should be making MINES, especially on Lisbon. For just 2000 you can get 440 every single turn, which is a lot. After that the world is yours. Take Valencia and sack it for money (don't exterminate or it will take an eternity to make it a big and very profitable city), close your frontiers in the Pirineus, destroy the moors, make a crusade on Jerusalem, get Timbuktu for money. Also, turn every single castle in the Peninsula in cities. I only left Pamplona as a castle, the rest is easily defended with militias, and if the things start go wrong you can also recruit some jinetes in the cities, who will crush any rebels around.

I also recommend to not taking Tunis, it will avoid much pain in the ass against Sicily, Milan and sometimes Venice until you are ready to make a full assalt on the Europe.

[Argal]

As a portuguese the only faction that I played was Portugal of course, after unlocking it.

I've made a campaign game in H/H and in turn 200 I had already wiped out Spain, Moors, England (helped by France), Sicily (after they attacked me in Cagliari), France, Denmark, HRE, Venice and Hungary and Egypt had one City each. I occupied all of western Europe, Central Europe, Scandinavia, North Africa, Middle East (struggling with Mongols and Timurids) and set foot in America.

The first moves that I made was to conquer Zaragoza with the Pamplona army, and Valencia with the army that I carry from Lisbon by sea with some help of fresh recruited troops from recent captured Zaragoza.

Then start diplomacy with the French and ally with them (by this time Spain and Moors are allied which can be a good thing, because if you ally with France nor Spain nor the Moors will do so). After that retrain units and train some more and board them in the fleet that is near Pamplona and attack Bordeaux. In Bordeaux train good units and after 2/3 turns get them to Leon by Ocean. At the same time gather troops in Pamplona, Zaragoza and Valencia and head to Toledo. Combine them to attack the 2 spanish cities in the same move.

After taking Spain out of the map I've got 7 cities giving good income and retraining units, with which I easily kick out the remaining cities in the peninsula, held by moors.

I don't use the fleet to block North Africa, instead I put my king with Jinettes, Archers and Spearman and face the armies of Moors that came from Africa. After defeating 3 armies, wipe out Moors was easy.

One good way of getting some more money and influence early in the game, is to put the princess and the diplomat aboard the fleet that bring the faction Heir and the Lisbon army and after dropping them near Valencia go to North Italy and there you can easily get in touch with most of the catholic factions and establish commercial and diplomatic relations.

I'm starting a VH/VH to see if the AI gives some more fight.

[Captain Pugwash]

when or how do the carvels and grande carricks arrive.

[TheLastPrivate]

Need the event "the World is Round"

[Captain Pugwash]

thanks. Just the des st. files doesnt say that. How do you build mines in lisbon there is nothing there?

thanks

[TheLastPrivate]

Not sure but if its not in the building roster than no mines for lisbon i guess.

[seari]

I'm playing 'the crusader' with portugal.
The first turns, i have sent all my armies to egypt to conquer Antioch. The princess went to the Pope to give him some money, and start a crusade. When I arrived there, i played the game rather chivalrous, not starting the war on egypt and turkey.
Now i'm 50 turns in the game, i've got almost whole the Middle east, except Dongola in the south. My northern border is antioch-edessa-mosul-baghdad.
I'm preparing for the Mongols to kill them with my bloody jinetes!!
Oh yeah, i gave al my areas in Iberia to the pope when i had conquered Antioch

and excuse me for my English, I'm from Belgium.

[Maltz]

This is my favrotie opening movies on VH/VH. It seems to hurt diplomacy though.

Turn 1: Gather all forces from Lisban and take Cordoba. Use the spy to open the gate. Gather all forces from the other town to proceed to Leon. Proceed to block the straight to prevent the first wave of Moors coming.

Turn 2: Gather all forces from Cordoba (leave 2 for the garrison) and attack Toledo.

Turn 3: Besiege Leon. Next turn take it.

Turn 5: Besiege Toledo. Spy opens the gate.

So by turn 5 all major threats on Iberia is neutralized, and you have 5 of the best developed cities. Pope rating is 4 crosses from the bottom.

Troubles:

- I always get an annoying landing of the Sicilians (half stack) at turn 6.