The Destiny of Egypt

[Quickening]

Okay so Im starting a blog on my first ever campaign as Egypt. Im playing with the leaked 1.2 patch.
The game is on Very Hard for campaign difficulty and Very Hard for Battle difficulty. It is a short campaign mainly because I'll be lucky if I even manage that. Also because its objectives of conquering the Turks, the Moors and obtaining 15 provinces are slightly less ludicrous than conquering Europe.
Im not going to be ultra-Chivalrous for a change as that road will lead me to a quick death here Im sure. Im going to do whatever is necessary to survive but try and be as honourable as is practical.

Also this is my first "AAR" (I don't even know what that means) so if Im doing something wrong then please let me know.


1080AD - 1081AD: Sultan Al-Zahir lay ill within his Palace at Alexandria as he had for many months now. And so rulership of the mighty Egypt fell to his son, Crown Prince Al-Mustansir.
Knowing that if Egypt was to survive it would have to expand quickly, the Prince sent his best spy Tamer Unujur North to investigate the lands around Jerusalem.
Although the Prince knew that to the South lay two rebel cities, Dongola and Jedda, he believed that it was best if Egypt conquered as much land to the North as possible before their Eastern and European adversaries did.
The Moors lay to West but miles of barren desert spread between them and the Prince knew that it was far too early to be engaging in a war where Egypts' armies were sure to be stretched.

And so the spy Tamer Unujur journeyed North as his master commanded. As he travelled inconspicuously onward, he learned that Jerusalem had a mighty garrison but that the castle of Acre, a little to the north of the city, was relatively weak.
He immediately sent a messenger home to Cairo with this news. The Imam Mahfouz immediately declared a Jihad upon Acre and bid the general Mubarak take up the sword for Allah and for Egypt.
Taking as many troops as he dared from Gaza, Mubarak set off upon his Holy Quest immediately.

Crown Prince Al-Mustansir faced a difficult choice. The rebel settlements of Jedda and Dongola to the south could provide Egypt with much needed manpower, resources and funds. But could Egypts entire northern expansion be trusted in the general Mubarak alone?
Deciding to put his trust in Allah, he assembled a respectful host from the garrisons of Alexandria and Cairo and marched south towards Dongola.
He would take Dongola and then Jedda and then, God willing, he would assist Mubarak in forging the Egyptian empire to the North.
This was a fragile plan at best in those early days. If either himself or Mubarak should lose a battle, then the future of Egypt itself would be in severe doubt.

The diplomat Fahim took the same path as Tamer had with the intention of seeking trade with the other major powers in Europe.




The spy Tamur moves northward



Overview of Egypt, 1080BC

[Stuperman]

AAR stands for After Action Report, and you can't really do it wrong, it's all very customizeable to what ever your intentions are. Good luck and I look foreward to reading it.

[Quickening]

AAR stands for After Action Report, and you can't really do it wrong, it's all very customizeable to what ever your intentions are. Good luck and I look foreward to reading it.

Thanks for the information! I hope you enjoy reading it!


1082AD - 1083AD

Mubarak led his Jihadist force North. There was some discontent amongst the ranks. Many of his troops felt that they should attempt to take the Holy City of Jerusalem.
While Mubarak understood their desire he, as a general, also understood that assaulting such a well defended city would cost many lives. Lives that in those times, could simply not be wasted.
Besides he reasoned, even if it had been Allah's will that they take Jerusalem, they could never hope to hold the place which every nation in Europe covets for long. One day Jerusalem would fall to Egypt. Of that he was sure. But that day was in the distance and for now Acre was their destination.
And so Mubarak arrived at Acre and besieged the castle. Although it always cost less lives to simply starve any settlement into submission, it would take too much time. Time better spent acquiring new lands.
Mubarak knew that the future of Egypt in the north was his responcibility alone and he did not take this lightly. When the time came, he would have to take Acre, and take it with minimal casualties. And so he ordered the construction of four battering rams and waited...

Mubarak marches to Acre


A little to the north the spy Tamer was living amongst some desert nomads from which he learned much about the town Damascus and the castle Aleppo. Even in the desert does information travel.
He learned that those places were both heavily defended which came as no surprise in that volatile region. There would be no easy pickings for any army be they friend or foe.

Back in the heart of Egypt, Crown Prince Al-Mustansir continued towards Dongola all the way cursing at how long their journey was taking.
He ordered construction of a watchtower and had it manned so that no enemy might one day snake up from the south and attack Cairo.

[Quickening]

1084AD - 1085AD

The day that all of Egypt feared came at last. The great Sultan Al-Zahir died leaving the fate of his Kingdom officially with his son.
This news caused much grief amongst the people and a rabble rouser by the name of Shabana gave himself the title of captain and led a handful of like-minded souls in open rebellion against their own Kingdom of Egypt. They marched the desert menacingly around the ill-fortified castle of Gaza.
Preparations began in Gaza at once to form a host of horse-archers to stomp those traitors, who were mainly simple militia, out before their treachery spread like a cancer.


In the meantime Tamur Unujur reached the city of Antioch. He told the poisoner who accompanied him how he had heard tales of this city even as a child and often dreamed of leading a host through its gates and claiming it for his people.
He laughed as he remembered. The dreams of youth. How could he ever have guessed that his visit to Antioch would be as the greatest spy in all of Egypt? He regretted nothing he assured his silent companion.

[Quickening]

1086AD - 1087AD

The now Sultan Al-Mustansir received word from the Council of Nobles who "advised" that rebel Dongola be taken. Such news angered the Sultan. The Council knew he was marching to that very place. The Council had outlived its usefulness long ago as far as he was concerned and now existed purely as an irritant.
As it happened, Dongola lay before the Sultan.


Tamer reached the city of Edessa. From here he could best catch news of any Turkish advancement for their borders lay only a short trek to the east. Here he would wait for further orders and for news of Egyptian conquests along the path he had travelled from his home.


The Assault on Acre

The responcibilities near overwhelmed Mubarak at times. Not only did so much rest upon his ability as a general, but the crowning of Al-Mustansir as Sultan made him the heir to the throne of all Egypt.
But there had been no time for brooding or dreams of Empire. Preparations for the assault on Acre had been completed and he sat at the head of his force and gave the order to advance.


He ordered his archers in the main to push the rams. Men would die attemting to breach the gates of Acre and Mubarak would rather have his melee units alive for the inevitable skirmishes in the streets. Besides, firing volley after volley over the battlements would never cause sufficient casualties to the defenders and so this was the archers use for the present. And so three regiments of archers and one unit of spearmen (since Mubarak had no more archers), pushed the rams up the hill right in the face of the defenders fire arrows.


Wishing to avoid a mass battle within the southern gate when the breach was made, Mubarak ordered that two rams make their way to the eastern gate to make a second entry point. The rebel archers on the battlements were desperately trying to ignite the rams with their fire arrows and seeing two of them break away they followed them along the rim of the castle.


Mubarak cursed as one of the siege engines destined for the eastern gate went up in flames. The spearmen who had pushed it hurried along behind the other ram which still rolled onwards.


After what seemed like a lifetime to Mubarak, both rams had breached their target gates. Now the bloodshed could begin.
Three units of spearmen, two regiments of archers and his own bodyguard were to enter the southern gate. The eastern gate meanwhile, was only to be breached with the archer and spear regiments that had manouvered their rams there.
Mubarak did not feel comfortable splitting his force but he knew that it could pay well to have a flanking force no matter how small. And so, he gave the order and his warriors rushed through the gates shouting oaths for Allah.


To Mubarak's surprise, the rebels did not engage his troops at the gates as he had believed they would. Instead they all gathered around at the centre of the castle, evidently intending to stage a bloody last stand. Their archers came forth to shower Mubarak's army with death but Mubarak responded in kind with twice as many arrows from his own archers.


As the archers exchanged volleys the spearmen moved in close behind in case the rebel spearmen should decide to show themselves. Mubarak himself made his way through the dusty streets with the intention of leading a devastating charge to the rear of the distracted rebel archers which would surely break them.


However a regiment of rebel spearmen saw Mubarak's horsemen and moved to counter them. Sadly for those spearmen, three of Mubarak's own spear regiments were closeby. The rebel spearmen advanced upon Mubarak confidently unaware that they were about to be caught in a deadly vice from which none would survive.






After cutting down the last of the bold rebel spearmen, Mubarak was free to lead his lethal charge upon the rear of the archers who were still pinned down by his own.
Another rebel spear regiment stood and watched the event fearing to even move lest they suffer the same fate as their brethren.


As Mubarak had expected, the archers broke quickly but the only place they could run was right past Mubarak and his knights. They were slain to a man.
Now only one single regiment of spearmen stood between Mubarak and his victory. Of course he could easily just shower them with arrows until they were all dead or even send his own spearmen to finish them.
However even after the frenzy of combat Mubarak could think clearly. If he slaughtered Acres' defenders to the last man, his reputation for noble deeds may suffer. Besides this assault was done in the name of Allah who is merciful.
And so Mubarak ordered that these stubborn rebels be showered with fire arrows. He believed that if he could get them to run from the arrows, then he could deliver a single devastating charge which would break their spirit and make them surrender rather than battling to the death.


The plan took longer than Mubarak would have liked and many men died to his arrows but at last the spearmen fled from their position and as soon as Mubarak smashed into their flank, they surrendered.



And so the Jihad upon Acre was a success and Mubarak became knows as Crown Prince Mubarak the Holy Warrior and even gained a Chivalrous Knight for his retinue.





After the battle and after the death count had been taken, Mubarak realised that he had even surprised himself at how little life he had spent "purchasing" the city. But he was wise enough not to get overconfident. That first battle he had won and because of that had had many honours bestowed upon him.
But that battle was the first of many and now the people of Egypt expected great things of the man who they believed to be great.
Mubarak swore to Allah that he would fulfill his peoples' belief in him or he would die trying.

[valhalla89]

great fun to read.. keep it up ;)