Comeback Kings

[CrazyGuy]

Just a quick question, whats the greatest comeback that you've had? I appreciate that often, when in 'difficult' situations people tend to give up. But who hasn't? And what was the result? For example, has anyone survived a huge civil war (or wars) and been surrounded by a hegemon but still came through to win?

[seireikhaan]

Hmm, one particular one stands out to me.

I was playing as the Israelites in Macsen's Ancient TW mod. Due to a very large re-emergence, I lost control of Canaan(aka Palestine), my main production center, with only control of Moab, a relatively low income province with only a few troop options available to train. They had Jerusalem castle under seige with about 1400 soldiers. However, my small garisson was capable of lasting many years, so they attacked. However, with no catapults, their assault was battered and decimated by my castle defenses and few remaining troops. The next turn(thanks in part to a spy) there was a massive rebellion(of slingers) against the invaders, and I switched the troops in Moab to Canaan as well, forcing the enemy to abandon the seige. I then gained an alliance with Egypt, who was already at war with my opponent(this opponent had re-emerged from a province Egypt had held and took the opportunity to attack me instead of focusing on Egypt). With a few more years of troop training and spending myself to the brink of bankruptcy, I invaded Sinai(where they had invaded me from), and took it thanks to a stroke of good fortune that my opponent had, at that turn, chosen to reinforce the province they took from Egypt to the west, with little effort. Then, a few turns later, me and Egypt combined to invade their last province, and I was able to capture this as well. Egypt, rather unhappy that I had taken what was originally their province, stabbed me in the back, and tried to take the province, only to be repulsed both on land and sea. Now decimated, Egypt had little to defend themselves, and I finished conquering them. Eventually, the Israelite Empire became the most powerful in all the ancient world.

[sharpshooter]

Yes, I'm browsing back through the threads, waking sleeping dogs ....

I had a really weird comeback situation a few years back, playing BKB's Supermod. As the Croatians I had conquered Italy, most of Central Europe and the Balkans - I had around 30 - 40 provinces. Croatian armies were poised for the Steppes, Anatolia and the Atlantic coast.

Heirless, I was frantically chasing princesses (I didn't know about unfreeze then) when my king died.

The whole map went white - rebel after rebel province - except, in Bohemia, sat one royal knight on a small stack. My new King! I couldn't remember where he came from - the crown was gone from his parchment when I looked at a save (I don't train RKs - just the heirs, so he must have been royal at some time).

From his single territory he looked about, and there were teched up armies of his former comrades, large and small, looming in Venice, Franconia, Poland, Hungary - everywhere he looked. Finances were in deficit.

I took a deep deep deep breath - and continued.

It proved to be a fascinating campaign, with lots of tough tough battles and a number of powered up re-emergences. I wonder if you can imagine the first 20 turns.

I've never had anything like it since - and I played every faction of BKB's mod in every period on my old computer (a few, the Portuguese, the Swiss, the Bulgarians kept CTD about 50 turns in, whatever I did).

[Kaidonni]

Well, I suppose it can count as a comeback of sorts...

Yesterday, I was playing my Aragonese/Early/Hard/GA/XL 3.0 campaign. I decided to invade Granada, and to be honest it was quite a gamble because there were about 1700+ Almoravid soldiers in Cordoba, and only a small garrison, about 360-400 men or so, of mine in Murcia.

Okay, so the Almoravids retreat into Granada Castle, a Keep. Next turn, they launch a MASSIVE counterattack, complete with life-size, fully working Almohad Urban Militia!

I'm outnumbered, about 2:1. Lord Cid has 6 command, Khalifah Yusuf I only 4. But that doesn't make much difference, as at the start of the battle, I get a royal butt whupping. My army really feels the Moors' wrath. I wonder how I'm even going to win the battle. I come close to losing both my heirs, and even El Cid...

Only after a bloody battle do the tables begin to turn. Some of the Almoravid troops retreat. But they have reinforcements to send in. However, I kill their Khalifah, and have tied up two AUM chasing my Archers (that may not have been a mistake...Archers are easily replaceable for me, and thus bait and expendable in a way). I also fight their Ghulam Bodyguards downhill in forest now, and slaughter them. Because my FMAA and Bodyguards, and even Jinetes, are spent and almost dead, my Feudal Sergeants have to hold the line. An epic clash takes place in the forests, and the Almoravids turn tail and flee.

I managed to kill about 700 enemy soldiers and capture 400. However, the Almoravids refused the ransom - and also ended up with a civil war on their hands. When I end the turn, a four-way battle ensues in Cordoba - the Castile-Leonese and Portuguese invade side-by-side, against a rebel army and the remaining Almoravids on the Iberian Peninsula.

The battle I fought was costly. It wasn't exactly Pyrrhic, as I could still win the war. But if the Almoravids had still had a large army within striking distance, it could have been a very different story. Especially if they'd also taken out Portugal and Castile-Leon. But as it stands, Lord Cid won the battle that day, but at a price.