The Fatimid Caliphate: Hegemony
It is the year 1182, and the Fatimid Caliphate is the unrivaled Hegemon of the Mediterranean. I am quite surprised to find myself in the position of the games second most powerful player, as I am by nature a reactive rather than proactive player. So with 1/3 of the CK part of the Great Game III behind us I think we can have a look at where we are, how we got here, and perhaps a peek at the future.
with Rus and Caliphate going strong, Poland and Cordoba still struggling, and the rest medium powers our game is surprisingly balanced with no permanent major alliances yet formed. As well all know power in ck fluctuates wildly, and can only be represented in snapshot form. So with Russian god-king and underage children on the Bavarian and Cordoban thrones in mind lets look at the stats, with current available mp and maximum possible gold. I give you the Free Powers of the world!
Provinces/
Manpower/
Gold
Mordor :
167/
650.000/
1050
Fatimids :
151/
460.000/
700
Denmark :
105/
260.000/
400
East Rome :
80/
270.000/
360
West Rome :
83/
210.000/
250
Bavaria :
65/
180.000/
380
Persia :
61/
180.000/
180
Loire :
53/
130.000/
180
Croatia :
30/
110.000/
209
Cordoba :
27/
50.000/
150
Poland :
19/
60.000/
114
Pope :
1/
2.000/
5
Of immediate interest to me are the Mediterranean powers and Persia. Of secondary importance are the Atlantic powers and the
ungodly behemoth that is Mordor. Poland has not moved noticeably for a century. Finland and the Pope hardly register at all.
One of the main successes of Fatimid policy is establishing well defined borders. The Caliphate has expended much manpower, land, treasury and diplomatic influence in an attempt to secure its western flank with friendly powers. With the formation of a friendly Spanish player and the control of the Mediterranean islands I finally feel confident of my Maghrebi position, and Oddman is none to displeased by the lands and titles flowing his way for having pledged to me some 50 years back. With the Med as a natural delineation between us mutual cooperation is in the best interest for both of us, especially when the colonizing begins...
The Eastern front however is another matter entirely. With the historical animosity between our realms I was none to happy about the reanimated Byzantine-Persian alliance that fields numbers equal to my own. The troubles started with Persia sniping the quite large duchy of Jerusalem, and then attacking me together with Byzantion. When Persia later fell into rebellion I was quick to regain the provinces lost and then some, but gave back northern Iraq in a fit of mercy. Not quite content I later also offered back some 3-4 of Persias wayward vassals in accordance with our peace-borders, Persia however rejected the borders and demanded an
additional 13 provinces be completely handed over to him. In response I decided to keep my Persian holdings. Byzantium then decided to bash poor little Croatia, figuring he needed to be taken down a peg I annexed the remainder of the Syrian coast and the east Med islands.
With upcoming vassal trouble I signed a NAP with a much reduced Byzantion, counting on others to keep Croatia safe. Persia, instead of pleading for my previous offers of peaceful return of vassals, opted for a military strategy of annexing vassals of my vassals that broke free. The strategy was met with bad luck and failure as his attempts were repulsed and the Archbishopric of Mosul was sniped in retaliation. Meanwhile Byzantium attempts to steal my islands through third party assassination, allowing him to charade as innocent by the terms of our NAP. With the NAP protecting his back he also bashes Croatia and vassal snipes his way up the Italian boot, increasing the power of this hostile power considerably.
The two other friendly players on the Med, Croatia and West Rome (or Germany), have both had hard times recently. Croatia I helped bail out from the initial attacks by Byzantion, but haven't had much interaction with since. Presumably hungry for both revenge on KoM and getting those Russian provs to its east Croatia is expected to grow sooner or later. West Rome has been a friend of the Caliphate since its early days of strengthening me with Tunis in an attempt to weaken KoM. Much like with Cordoba the Med makes of a good delineation and secure flank. It is under new management by Jakalo who, while of to a rocky start due to the Italian isles, I believe I can get along with rather well.
Recently I and Mordor had to threaten the medium powers with doom and fire lest they rip the former great power to shreds. Some players, including Jakalo, believed it to be a bluff. Something I perhaps am to new to the mp scene to quite grasp, I am perhaps simply not sufficiently adept at bluffing. Misdirections, plotting and subterfuge sure. But the risk of getting caught bluffing on that scale would have been far more damaging to the perception of the Caliphates resolve than throwing everything at them and failing. It is prudent to to play the cards you have, I see no benefit in claiming you have any more or less, regardless of whatever some wrinkly old Chinese geezer may tell you.
The more recent loss of half of Italy to the East Romans is more troubling as the previously safe west med is opened up and Jakalos ability to fend of any Atlantic powers is troubling. I expect some backlash from him and Croatia to materialize when his realm has stabilized and backs have been secured.
The rest of the Atlantic powers meanwhile worry about the bloating Bavaria. It will be interesting to see how the European powerplays pan out. I am content so long as no new powers appear on the Med coastline. Bavaria on the Adriatic is a possible problem, we'll have to see if they intend to say.
Poland has after much inaction received a new player in Emperor Ike, but his realm is far to small for independent action. If action is ever taken against the Rus expect him to be the main benefactor. Until then he can spend his days trying to snipe the rest of Bohemia from Bavaria.
And lastly we have Russia, also known as Mordor, R'lyeh, Korriban, Mt. Crumpit. Von Roundstedt, not happy with being relegated to mere great power status, decided to jump all that boring slow growth and went directly for Soviet Union. With a nation needing 2/3 of the games players to take down, and to big to get away with any more growth, people have settled into a waiting game. Being to far away for me to have anything to gain from fighting him my main worry is my hostile neighbors gaining at his expense and then turning on me, and more long term the prospect of a super-Russia in EUIII. When he
will be able to easily project that power past the Golden Horn. Unless vR goes for a early WC I expect it to collapse on itself and lose its more remote lands eventually, we shall see who reaps the benefits.
As for me I had expected to make by as a small medium power stretching from Damascus to Tunis, pleading for larger players to save my butt from Greeks, Persians and Sicilians. But Allah has smiled upon his faithful and my current position looks good and solid. I intend to maintain my hold on Africa and the Islands, while pushing back incursions from Greeks and Persians. The colonial Game come EUIII will be interesting, as I do not want to become a exclusively African player, but on the flipside can hardly allow hostile players to lay their grubby hands on its gold filled underbelly.
(Or you know, I could just ally with vR and take Rome, Baghdad and Constantinople, time will tell.)