Sneaky Stories

**Brandy Blue** · 12-13-2006, 05:24

Does anyone want to share any sneaky stories? I'll give a couple of examples, so you will know what I mean.

Once I was playing the Polish faction and fighting the HRE. My allies the Danes were helping a lot. Then I happened to notice one of their emissaries heading toward the heart of the HRE.

I checked, and sure enough he was offering the emperor a cease fire.

So I had him assassinated.

I suppose that assassinating a representative of an ally to keep that ally on your side in a was is kind of sneaky.

Another time I was playing the Byzantine faction and allied to the People of Novgorod. Nevertheless, I had decided to fight the P of N. But I decided to use a dirty trick to weaken them first. I invaded a rebel province that had a bridge. My allies sent two Boyar units and a tattered Viking unit to my aid. I let them go across the bridge first. The rebels routed them and they fled back across the bridge. Then I attacked my poor allies. (Okay, I am embarrassed.)

They ran back across the bridge where the rebels pounded them again. Soon those poor guys were running back and forth across the bridge, not daring to attack anyone, while we peppered them with arrows.

It was fun, but really CHEESY. I don't plan to do it again. Made invading Muscovy a bit easier, though.

**Martok** · 12-13-2006, 08:30

Welcome to the Org, Brandy Blue!

Unfortunately, I don't really have many stories like that, as I'm generally more of a "blunt instrument" type of guy when it comes to playing MTW. (I personally use spies and assassins more for defensive purposes, as I prefer to let my armies take care of my enemies.

) I do have great fun with Inquisitors, though--especially if the Pope is getting on my nerves....

**macsen rufus** · 12-13-2006, 13:14

There was a case in Napoleonic TW once where I invaded Switzerland (because the Swiss Legion is a great unit to have in that mod) but my Austrian allies also invaded with me -- and they had about two men more than me, so they would have kept the province assuming we won. It wasn't the first time they'd pulled that trick, so I decided on the battlefield that it was time to stop this nonsense. I let them pull ahead in the attack, and once their infantry had engaged the enemy I let one of my Jaeger units hold back. The Austrian general passed in front of my Jaegers.... you can see where this is going, right? Yup, one dead general and the whole Austrian army routed instantly. I just had a few of the enemy (rebels I think) to mop up at the end, and I kept the province and had my Swiss legions to fight the rest of the Austrian war

**Vladimir** · 12-13-2006, 19:16

Recently as Portugal, playing XL on expert, late, I did use sneaky tactics to conquer Iberia. First I allied with the Moors/elmos/orange people in their attack against Spain. The real purpose of this alliance, however, was to steal a territory or two off of Spain while I completed work on a crusade and my fleet. After I took Cordoba I did like the Prussians: switched alliances and called a crusade (later two) against the Muslims and kicked them out of Spain.

At this point the Castile-Leonese were so weakened by their wars that the French sent a large force to take Castile. Immediately after they took it, I sent my fleet to close off their escape/reinforcement path and took it from them. Soon afterwards I launched two crusades against them and conquered southwest France.

When the English became too powerful I launched a lightening raid against Normandy as soon as I had a clear naval path. Eventually I destroyed their fleet and the Fatmids and Venetians finished them off. I was using a raiding party of 5 Jinettes against their small garrisons in northern France.

Once the Venetians became too powerful (plus they nudged me out of the Netherlands

) I launched an army sized raid from southern France to Italy. The sneaky part about it is that a significant part of their army, and their leader, were still up north taking out the English and newly formed rebels. Their small forces abandoned most provinces, and Italy was almost totally without garrison. I ended up finishing off their faction with an assassin. The Egyptians are next.

I don't think backstabbing can be considered sneaky...more like treacherous.

**Odin** · 12-14-2006, 16:05

In a current game with XL early/hard as the hungarians I have consolidated most of central europe. All of Poland, the Baltic up to Livonia, Bohemia and half of the HRE. The Byzantines where always knocking at the door in Bulgaria, to the point of 3 stacks of very elite troops with an heir or two thrown in for good measure.

So under this constant threat I ended up building an alliance with the Byz, Turks, and what was left of the Cumans (they have a couple of provinces left around the black sea). The turks declare war on the Byz and the empire starts to loose ground, a little while later the Byz is reduced to Constantanople, Bulgaria and greece, i wait and wait and eventually the turks end up with Constantanople and a surprise invasion from Genoese into Greece has them in a seige.

So of course the Byzantine's are stuck with what is left of thier army in Bulgaria. enter My elite force of Szelsky and Avar nobles, I invade Bulgaria and basically wipe out the empire.

So why is this sneaky? Because the Emperor had lost some battles and territory and in the end, ended up as a 3 star general. He had several heirs and former uncles with 6-8 stars in his army, but since he was present in the province he commanded the defence of Bulgaria, and his 3 star's.

I wasnt expecting the Genoese to take Greece, I honestly was geared up for a blood bath (on both ends) to take greece and bulgaria. The Genoese move made my invasion that much easier, and allowed me to be "sneaky"