Friesland - free and pure

[Dark Scipio]

Friesland was my very first choice as I got EU II, first game crashed, second saw me annexd by Burgundy.

So now I like to play Holland, so I thought I could start again with Friesland. AGCEEP 1.54 this time.

My goal is to unite Holland and get all Friesen (the dutch and ther germans) into one country or at least have them as a vassal.

I will give me german culutre/or core if I controll the german Friesen (Oldenburg). Oldenburg will get durch culutre or core if they controll Friesland (in case I am already Holland).



I will also try, to gain all dutch, friesean (and belgish) provinces, spread the true faith, and build up a nice little colonial empire.

Friesland is small, but unlike in vanilla is not surrounded by Burgundy (yet). We already have a taxcolector and 200 gold. 5000+1000 men in the army.

The slider settings are not very useful:



First we go for more power to our chieftain (+1 Center) although the freeminded Friesen wont like that.

I just noticed that we are the Vassals of Brabant, we dispose our chieftain to cancel that (Stab at -2 now).

New monarch: Edo Wiemken.

This leads to a civil war (I am glad that I already took my stab hits to -2) [-6 stab +5 RR].

In April, we are back at stability 0 and Hannover invites us to an alliance with Bremen and Hannover. I accept. (Other alliance: Gelderland with Berg, Oldenburg with Holstein, Brabant with Burgundy, Cleves, Lorraine and France)

.
After that a daughter was married with a nephew of the Duke of Brabant, so that they wont declare war on use withour a thought.

Hannover did the same with the oppressors of the german Friesen (Oldenburg) wich was not what I whished.

Brabant has to cede Holland to Luxemburg.

Mecklemburg insulted us. The funny thing is, that they are part of the Hanse (like Bremen and Holstein) so if I declare war, Bremen will leave our alliance and Holstein the one with Oldenburg.

The small fight for power was over, RR -5 again.

Mecklemburg insluted us again.

Hayo Harldas is no the chief-chieftain of Friesland.

Good news from our diplomats:



Mecklemburg really seems to hate us: Now we have been warned.

If they want a casus belli, they can have it: We insult them twice. (misclicked).

Some nobles ally with England, (-1 stab, casus belli).

Royal marriges with Hannover, Bremen, Brandenburg and England. Now, most of our Hayo twelve children are married.

We also insult Meckelmburg again (as soon as the casus belli expired).

Heavy disputed between Gelderland and Berg (allies).

1424: Trade level two, we build 2000 cav., just in case. (Damn these Mecklemburger!).

Any advices and comments are very welcome.

[chefkoch]

That's an interesting goal. Good luck to the rising frisian superpower.

But watch out for the Saxons. They will made you a vassal of them per event.

[Dark Scipio]

chefkoch: I am reading your AAR too, thanks for the hint.



The romanist won (again) against the Hussites and our capital attracted some farmers.

To the surprise of our chietain, a leader appered to lead the friseans into battle.

We insult Gelderland by claiming, that they are not better than the pets of people of Berg. The we raise our army to 10.000 men.

Holland is now owned by Burgundy. Infrastructure 2 reached.

Now we delcared war on Gelderland. As we thought Berg dishonours (not that this would matter).

Our invasion (10K with leader against 6k) was replused. Good that Bremen broke the Geldertroops after that (and that I have a leader to steal the siedge).

Our troops in Friesland are even defeated by fleeing troops from Gelderland (at least at the thrid try). This will be a lesson to us.

Somehow there are now enough troops on Friesland to siegde our capital, I hope we are faster.



Zeeland was sold to Burgundy.

1st August 1426: Gelderland annexed, we inherit 7k troops (5k disbanded). Of course our rulers found our action quite brutal (BB:9.9)

Now its time to strength central power to overcome the chieftain system (-2 stab, +1 center).

1429 we contiune to build up a modern central power.

Last resistance ceases: We gain 5.000 cavalry that are now loyal to us.

1430: Burgundy inherits Brabant.

Brugundy won the war against France an gained 3 Provinces.

A new Monarch Wibet von Esens (medium).



Great: Denmark, Sweden and Norway declared war! Hannover dishonurs.

A diplomatic Insult, this time by Luxemburg, realtions with Luxemburg, Hannover and some others worse.

The 25k troops in Bremen are defeated. 11k troops land in Geldre, our relive force is repulsed. Gladly we could repulse two danish invasion forces in Friesland.

1433: Bremen annexed. Our 4th peace offer rejeted (100 gold).

[Dark Scipio]

The Scandinavians sent 50k troops there, 20k troops are killed/lost by attricition, in Geldre. Still 30k are too much for me to handle. Oldenburg seem to give Military access to anybody on the world, but not me, I even made a royal marriage, but still they refuse.



Geldre fell. I must cede it to denmark and pay 88 gold, after a massive defeat in Friesland. I wanted to much.

I have no troops or money left, my BB is at 7.9. So time to start it over.

Did I mention, that I was warned by Burgundy.



I am looking for a new (powerful) alliance:
Burgundy hates me.
Englands alliance is full (full of Irish)
Denmark hates me.

France joins the scandinavian alliance. So I can only join the Saxon/Hannover/Brittany alliance (they already offered to me).

January: Scotland warned us.

[Olav]

Wow, that's a really tough start. In hindsight you should perhaps not have annexed Geldre. Not all is lost though, you still got good old Friesland. Nevertheless, the next years will be very, very challenging. You need an extra province to avoid forceannexation. You could try to take Oldenburg, but that would probably lead to a déjà vu. So either taking Geldre or Holland would probably be the best. You could join the Saxon alliance, but I don't know if they will be helpful in a war against either Denmark or Burgundy.

Friesland is also one of my favourite nations to play (hence my avatar ). I was thinking of writing an AAR about them too. When I play with them, I usually build 10 galleys and train some men, and wait for Burgundy to get caught up in a war vs France. Then I declare war on them, and bring with my alliance (usually Geldre and Berg). While Burgundy and Brabant fights my alliance partners, I take the shortcut with my fleet and siege Flandern. If I'm lucky, Burgundy hands it over when it is captured. After that I continue to pick on Burgundy and Brabant to secure the rest of the Dutch provinces. Joining an alliance with France later on could be a good idea - you don't want them on your back.

Anyway, good luck in the forthcoming years!

[Samorim]

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That's my motto in EU2.

[Dark Scipio]

Thanks for the advices. I thought I go for a fast annex to sit the BB out for the next years while Burgundy fights France. As you can see, Burgundy is powerful right now.

I will just try to surive now. To bad Englands alliance is full.


So:

1436 began with the plague.

1441: To my pleasure Burgundys alliance with Aragon, Savoy and Swiss expires and the joint the alliance with Sweden/Denmakr/Norway and France.

Great to have the plague again this year.

1442 the alliance expires:

I now have the choice to join:
- Brandenburg/Saxony/Stettin/Pommern (a bit more powerful than the last, a biut usefull against Denmark and allies...)
- England/Scotland/Foix/Desmond (useful, but wont stand against France/Burgundy/Denmark/Sweden, and England will be in war against France soon again I guess).
- Wait for the France/Burgundy/Denmark/Sweden to expire.

After Brittany joined the english alliance I choose to try it with them and hope that France - Burgundy and Denmark split their ways.

Glad that 1443 brought a Meteor not the plague.

Burgundy and Denmark rejoined in their alliance, but France choos another one ( ) Gladly Burgundy is the leader so Sweden hesitates to join (not so the Swiss).

1445: We joined the war against Granada and Tlemcen. (Remember we had been warned by Burgundy [and scotland]).

1446: We defeated troops from Tlemcen.

1447: Tanne von Wittmund

1448: Oldenburg is now a danish vassal. 5 day later Oldenburg declared war. Alone! I invite my allies, because I am unsure if I can take them on my own. Good that I still had a royal marriage with them (stab at -3 now). They have 16k troops, I have 7k (on 50%).
By withdrawing from their first attack, I managed to be the first at Oldenburg (although Oldenburg siegdes Friesland), unfortunally, Oldenburg already has a small fortress... But I manage to keep Friesland free, English troops land and help... and steal my siedge without a leader.

I am lucky and the english move out and in again. The siedge is mine again.
Oldenburg annexed.
Very lucky.

[Olav]

Which alliance did you join? I got the impression that you're allied to England now, but wasn't that alliance full of Irish nations?

By the way, what difficulty are you playing on?

[Dark Scipio]

I joined England, after Brittany joined them too:

After Brittany joined the english alliance I choose to try it with them and hope that France - Burgundy and Denmark split their ways.

England somehow annexed around in Ireland only desmond remained.

Desmond dishonored when I invited them, Foix joined the alliance instead.


I edited some line in at the end before you read.

I play at Very hard/Weakling.

[Emperor_krk]

Signatures are so good. I probably wouldn't have noticed this AAR in the subforum if it weren't for your sig, which I spotted in the Persian SG .
I have never played Friesen yet - it will be interesting to watch . Good luck!

[stnylan]

It can be an exciting little region to play in that.

[Dark Scipio]

Thanks for the comments:

Much better:

Holstein joined the Denmark Burgundy Swiss alliance after the war. A war with this alliance now would be a hard task. I am very glad that Burgundy is the leader so that Sweden doesn`t want to join and vassal Norway cant join.

When our alliance expires, perhaps I can reform it as the leader and even bring Sweden in.

The next years I tried to rebuild my army.
From around the world:



Random events, was 2x Rush of merchants.

1453: Burgundys allaince expires, Burgundy joins the Aragon/Naples/Papal States/Desmond alliance. Desmond could lead to a war with our alliance.

Denmark/Norway and Holstein join an alliance.

1454: Most unfortunall Sweden also joins them.

October 1457: Just as I reached my manpower army limit and began to save money. Denmark declared war on me. Nobody dishonours.

I rush my troops to Geldre to destroy the 1K Army of the danish there. Even my 8k troops with 50% cav. have a hard time, but I win. I hope the english come fast, as 34k danish troops cross the Elbe to Oldenburg.


Most unforunally the danish siedge of Oldenburg is already at -3, while I did not progress at Geldre.

June 1458: Oldenburg is at -8, Geldre still at 2. At least the danish suffer great attrition there.

No signs of allied troops. I mean my allies. Holstein already sent 11K troops down to me, Sweden is also on the way.

September: Oldenburg fall, Friesland under siedge.


November: Geldre finally in my hands. I try to sneak to Oldenburg. Still 34K troops at Friesland. Must take a loan to pay my troops (100 over limit).

This time I give more freedom to the Friesen countrymen, to raise the morale of my troops.

Of course 7k Sweden rout my 10k (5K cav, behind river) without ease. At least Sweden loses 6000 men while I only loose 3000 infantrymen.

Friesland fell. 5.000 english help me out at Oldenburg (to where I returned).

My warsocre is -9%, which is not so bad, as they get -12% from my two provinces alone.

One bit morale more and our alliance would have won the battle against the returning 34k danish at Oldenburg, but we were defeated.


Geldre fell, and I had an autoaccept: Oldenburg to denmark.


1460: Denmark annexed Holstein.

[Olav]

You're back at the start... again. Only with more BB. At least you don't have more minors at your border now, so future expansion won't be so BB-costly. Regarding BB, Denmark seems to be quite aggressive now, so maybe they will be caught up in several wars soon. That would be a good time for Friesland to strike...

[Dark Scipio]

I didn`t want to annex Oldenburg, but I had to. But I hope that time is on my side. I am not at the start, I got depts now too.

1461 saw the return of many irish states, bad news for me.

A new monarch, with some military skill.



Denmark repulses 3 attacks of my allies (2 from Brittany) in Geldre.

Nice?


A month later Oldenburg was in rebel hands. Promotin canceled.

I am lucky the rebels go for Bremen.

We order to work on an ancient chronic, wich leads us to claims on Holland and Oldenburg for -1 stab and -50 relations with Burgundy.

Mecklemburg joins the Danish alliance (Hurra!).

Then we abolish a tax (good to have some money to spare).

1465: Rebels still hold Oldenburg (strange), Brandenburg built a Fine Arts Academy (impressive), Brittany was again repulsed 2 times at Geldre (expected).

September: Denmark marches through Oldenburg (boarding vessels). England lands in Friesland and marches somewhere to Denmark, Mecklemburg occupies Oldenburg. Brittany occupies Geldre (invasion succesful!).

Denmark siedges Oldenburg together with Mecklemburg, England and Brittany intervene, and throw the enemies behind the Elbe, they leave the rebels alone after that.

1466: Peace for 93 danish gold. One month later: Oldenburg declares independence, just as the danes began thei siedge.

They loose 20k men on the siedge and annex in September. Denmarks BB is still only at 9.4.

November: Denmark declares war on me.

Our armies meet at Geldre (again), they outnumber me twice (again), but this time we win.

[Dark Scipio]

Situation:



A loan must be taken again, Armies from Norway and Mecklemburg destroyed (1k each):



just a moment later, my brave men that nearly defeated 33.000 danes, lay dead near Bremen.

As 34.000 men began to siedge Geldre I could buy out of the war for 50 gold pieces (war score +7%).

[Olav]

Looks like you don't get much help from your alliance. Perhaps you should leave it and join a German one? That would probably give you some more breathing room.

I would definately settle for a 50 ducat peace, even a white peace, if all your men are dead. Sooner or later Geldre will be liberated, and then Friesland won't be free and pure anymore.

[Dark Scipio]

I rebuild my cav.force and make royal marriages with England, Sweden and Mecklemburg for the next war agaainst Denmark.

Brittany gains Iceland from Norway. France joins the danish alliance after they won a war with burgundy (they get 2 gold).

1470: Denmark asks for military acces, of course I accept. We gain a casus belli against saxony (how useful).

1473 saw a 3/2/3 leader appear. Land Tech 5 is reached (denmark:3)

And a new monarch:


We gain a casus belli against hannover (even more useful).

1477: The english/danish war is finally over (england pay 392 gold ) One day later denmark cancels the military access.

I order 2000 more cav and set military on 100%.

1478, still no war with denmark, saw the plague again (better than danes).

Now I thought it was time to act, not just to wait for the danes to declare war again. So I declared war on Burgundy. After a year the war leads nowhere, Burgundy seemed weaked, but it wasn`t. So peace again.
Still nothing gained.


1482: Land Tech 6 reached. Burgundy demand military access (accepted).

1485 saw the first pos. random event since a long time: gift to the state.

1490: Burgundy declared war on me. 6 Month later I am annexed.

[Brian Roastbeef]

Damn, there was just no letting up on that one. Hindsight would have said vassalize rather than annex Geldre in the first war, but still Denmark was crazy...

The Burgundians that did you in looked particularly strong in 1431. How strong were they when they nailed you in 1490?

I was lucky in my Brabant game recently, that they seemed abnormally weak pretty much from the start (needless to say, I made sure to keep them like that).

[Olav]

Sad to hear that you were annexed. It did seem inevitable though, as the 70 years you played were uphill all the way.

Will you try to restart it?

[Emperor_krk]

One of the shorter AARs I've seen as of late . Are you going to have another go at it? It's odd with this Denmark attacking you all the time just because of an annexation... But otoh in my games they do tend to attack and grab land in northern Germany/Netherlands.