XL Aragonese - Early - Tyberius 2.0

[PershsNhpios]

I have just begun a campaign with these fine men of the Pyrenees.

Indeed, I enjoy playing in the Iberian situation on early and have created very successful kingdoms as the Portugese and Castilian-Leonese.
Naturally therefore I have a seething hatred of the colour Brown.

However, after the last thirty turns, Aragon has become my favourite Iberian faction.
They are placed in a highly defensible position - with two other easily held provinces lying open to them from the beginning of the campaign! Navarre and Valencia. Both of these can be taken in two turns by a combination of bribing and military offensive with the King's small army.

Valencia is a particularly valuable province, guarded by a river to the south - in the beginning - if the Arabs do come north, they will be forced to attack over two rivers before reaching Aragon.
They will never cross the first, provided that the main army is kept in Valencia, and Aragon will not be threatened by Castile if an alliance is made early.
My kingdom has a concrete alliance with Castile and Portucale, due to my assistance when both were besieged in 1102.

The most terrifying threat, which will often never materialise, is that of France!
Large armies are always garrisoned in Tolosa and Aquitaine. Certainly, the entire French armee was south of La Garonne in my campaign.

I ignored them, and they have still done nothing - perhaps due to my influence and military strength (And Aragon is capable of fielding two fine armies with these three provinces), but it is still an issue.

Once the Arabs are pushed into Africa, and a ceasefire is made, it is doubtful they will return, and impossible for them if you maintain a small naval force in the straits.

Then you are placed in a decisive moment - whilst your two allies are recovering from the war and France has not quite gathered her entire might in Aquitania.
Which Catholic faction is first to be considered unworthy of their holdings?
Will the Aragonese betray Catholic Iberia and create an empire upon the peninsula - from which the north may be assailed?
Or will France be first to suffer a war with the proud Aragonese?

Or will you redirect your navy to the mouth of the Rhone, and assist Christendom once more in the destruction of the excommunicated Holy Roman Empire?

I recommend that all of Iberia be taken early, from such holdings a very strong offensive can be made against several different areas of Europe.
But I do enjoy scouting the many possibilities of conquest!

By 1129 anno domini I have created a very powerful kingdom which covers all of the peninsula under Aragon.
This was done by exploiting the weaknesses in my neighbours - chivalrously!
Firstly, the Arabs declared war on their allies, the Castilians, and besieged them in their own capitol.
I came to the rescue of my Castilian allies - and gained influence. After which, Portucale became my ally.
I then held my entire military strength south of the Ebro in Valencia, and the Arabs massed an eventual 2600 men against my 1386.
But it was an infamous bridge battle.

Exploiting this, my allies in Portucale marched into Algarve - under the applause of Christendom!
Then the Arabs were forced to march into Cordoba to assist their besieged Khaliph.
Ah! But Aragon then marched into Murcia, and unchecked, into Granada.
And so 1800 Arabs, reinforced, were caught in Cordoba.
The entire Aragonese army under Sancho II was in Granada, a meagre garrison left in Murcia, and it was very important that the Arabs did not counter-attack that province.
So although the Arabs were superior in weaponry and numbers, the King made what was intended as a feint-attack on Cordoba from Granada.
But Fortuna shined on the servants of the Lord!

Castile brough 800 men, Portucale 700, and Aragon 1187 against the 1800 Arabs!

Oh how romantic - the colours on the field - dove white and mint green upon the tunics of the Portugese, gold castles upon the shields of the Castilians, and crimson with the fairest yellow adorning the sleeves of the Aragonese!
The Arab Khaliph Yusef II was present! Alfonso VIII King of Castile-Leon! Henrique III of Portucale, and Sancho II King of Aragon all together on one field with their largest armies.

And what a slaughter of heretical nuisance it was, the Castilians, 566 strong in horse, charged the right flank of the enemy - a charge in which Alfonso was killed.
Henrique fought amongst the Ghulams, his bodyguard destroyed - oh he survived - a 56 year old man cutting off young heathens in the prime of their lives!
Sancho II led his host of Andalucian chargers into the spines of the Arab infantry, and took 300 prisoners.
Khaliph Yusef II, having routed the Castilian Men-At-Arms, was set upon with his men exhausted by 300 Basque warriors from the Pyrenees, who cut him apart with his entire bodyguard and a group of Ghulam cavalry in minutes.

But I did not allow my Kingdom to fight foolishly, I knew what situation would arise with three equal powers left in Iberia. So I let the other Catholic kings run to their deaths, and ensured that only a few spare units of my army were engaged in certain victories against wavering Arabs.
My Allies lost more than three-quarters of their strength each.

After this, the Arabic royal family was lost - and Africa turned over to the Fatimid dynasty.

Portucale and Castile had two provinces and about 700 men each - with 6 star generals.
Peace between these two god-fearing allies did not last.
Aragon - so wise and trustworthy that they had won an alliance with France and England - and many donations from the Pope, was dearly regretting the choice that was to be made between these two kingdoms.

The Portugese were chosen as the allies, and two new armies were raised under Sancho II and his son, Ferdinando. One was stationed in Navarre, the other in Cordoba.
And when finally, Portucale had won over Leon, and both kingdoms had only 250 men remaining for military service, Algarve was taken by 1566 Aragonese, Castile by 1400. And all of Iberia was conquered two years later.

Now I shall place two Barques in every coastal province, two armies on garrison duty in Iberia, and continue to act on the Pope's word from my rich holdings.

This is the part of my campaign where I really begin to have fun - where I begin to have a choice in what paths I can follow to power.