I infiltrate the Mamluk administration, revealing that they have a high revolt risk, but only a few small stacks of rebels. That won't be enough. I send all my remaining spies to spur a revolt in Alexandria, getting two stacks of 10k rebels each. Could be better, could be worse. My strategy will be to avoid fighting their armies as much as possible, letting them rack up WE fighting rebels and chasing small stacks while I siege Syria and the Levant.
A few months after the declaration of war, my armies are in position:
The war itself is a bit anticlimactic. The Mamluks have a lot of land, as they often do, and most of it stinks, as it often does. They have two large armies; one heads south and sieges my core provinces (which are promptly sieged back) while the other chases a 2k stack in circles. In 1480, scenting blood in the water, Morocco invades. They help dispatch the big stack in the north, but are more of a hindrance than a help, as I worry that they'll overrun the defenseless Mamluks and take provinces I want if I peace out too soon.
Finally I spot that the Mamluks have made an alliance with Delhi. In January 1484, it's time for a bit of the old ultra-cheese. I peace out for three good provinces:
(I wanted to be sure the Moroccans wouldn't get Alexandria). Then I declare war on Delhi.
The only interesting tactical feature of the second conflict is making sure that I arrive ahead of the Moroccans in the high-value provinces. To this end, I build 3k of my useless African infantry. The Mamluks are bankrupt, reducing their forts' morale, so infantry speeds up the advance greatly.
In September 1485, the Moroccans peace out for - wait for it - 2 ducats. My notes at this point read, verbatim, “Hahaha, suckers!”
In 1486, I peace out for a bunch of provinces:
That's most of their good provinces. The rest will probably defect in due course, apart from Cairo, which I want eventually. For the time being, though, they're a useful buffer against Morocco while I occupy myself with parts east. I get Conquest of Jerusalem next month and start converting Alexandria. Thanks to some slider moves narrowminded, I now have .65 missionaries per year (he's missing his legs, but the rest of him works OK).
Ultimately, I expect to be fully narrowminded and have the national idea that gives missionaries. The world is not a nice place for orthodox powers, religion-wise. I believe that Rome also gives missionaries to non-Catholic Christians, which should include me, but I don't want to start the invasion of Europe until I have Unam Sanctam - stability is approaching the “ridiculously expensive” stage, and it will only get worse as I keep expanding into wrong-culture, wrong-religion provinces.
In the meantime, however, I have a good section of coast. In the long run, that should help increase my naval forcelimit. Right now, however, the new conquests are all blockaded by pirates and I don't have a single cored coastal province. Bagamoyo, far to the south, will core in a few years - but I can't get ships to the Mediterranean before QftNW in any case. I make a mental note to pick that as my next idea. It's pretty useful anyway, if only for the purpose of beating up minor powers for cash. I won't be getting much in the way of free map spreading in this game, given the settings.
I pass the time while waiting for the next national idea by beating up my vassal Adal, taking four provinces. The idea is to link up all my provinces eventually, so that distant provinces in Asia and Europe don't get the penalty for being far away from my capital.
In 1488, feeling bored, I decide to beat up Persia. Their armies are embroiled in a war with the Timurids, which they should win easily, but I want the chance to hit them before they come home. I take enough land for a decent warscore while only fighting one semiserious battle, partly by repeating the 2k stack dance that was so effective against the Mamluks. I take two provinces in the peace treaty, hoping that the cut-off sections of the empire will revolt - which they eventually do.
QftNW comes in December. I've been building some cogs in preparation.
And so, in 1496, the natives of the Americas heard of the wonders of Christianity from a somewhat unexpected source:
