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Children of the Sun - a Cuzco MEIOU AAR

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Spain blocking access to Central America is both unexpected and unwanted. The fact they have substantial holdings in the New World is just icing on a particularly unpalatable cake.

In other news, the Protestant religious block looks solid and seems like it would have a near-permanent lock on the HRE. That could work to your advantage if Catholic Spain gets dragged into an inter-faith war.
 
They also colonise faster than you, get to city status more quickly and can build bigger and better forts. If they are in a land war in Europe they will probably take troops out of the Americas. it's true you can't see all of their holdings in the Americas, but thye probably can't see all of yours. if the Treaty of Tordesillas is active, they can take your colonies anyway without being at war. If you can hire conquistadors, try to find the extent of Spain's colonies especially that one directly north of your Incan colony.

True a war with Spain and Portugal is a huge gamble at any time. Right now, most of their cities probably haven't cored and can't produce European troops. Once, they can, they'll come after you. I think linking your empire together is your top priority. I thought your army was much larger than that.

Mutapa, a pagan tribal Federation. Are they ruled by the Prawnstar?
 
Alright, the last update for a small while coming up. I have three master's programme entrance exams within five days in the weekend and early next week and I'll be staying in a hotel, so it's not really an option to do this. ;) I've whined about my employment situation earlier in this thread, and getting a new job is close to impossible these days, so I figured this is as good a time as any to go back to school if I can slip in to a good one. Wish me luck! :)

I'll probably pop in tomorrow (and possibly do a nice little ctrl+v in the Brunswick AAR), but after that I'm not likely to come to the forum at all until Wednesday at the earliest - I read from the Rebels without a pause thread that there's no internet in Sweden! :rofl:

Alan deLane said:
Another issue you should take into consideration:
  • What is/are the typical composition/s of larger Spanish/Portugese armies?
  • Tons of "Dons" on horses with some vaqueros and tech-vaqueros or a more balanced composition?
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Infantry and cavalry pretty much even, with some artillery sprinkled in. I'm going to need to recruit more cavalry myself - I got it so late that I had a large amount of infantry by then and didn't feel like disbanding too much.

P.S. My army composition are for a time tailored for the switch towards western unit types, hence the 1/5 cavalry percentage.
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Yeah, my army is also structured so that it's easy enough to turn Western compliant. That's not optimal now that it appears that I'm going to have a big fight in my hands before modernization is possible.

MannheimCouncil said:
I don't think Malurous has to worry about this one. He plays an older version and as far as I know this decision was made universal only after the Venetian ones, wasn't it?
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Prussian Military Reforms is in fact universal in this version. I'm not sure what you mean by "the Venetian ones" as I haven't played newer MEIOU versions much because of this AAR, but if that's vanilla Venice decisions then those are still Venice only.

Dewirix said:
Spain blocking access to Central America is both unexpected and unwanted. The fact they have substantial holdings in the New World is just icing on a particularly unpalatable cake.
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Indeed. It's a bit frustrating, if I'd been able to westernize ten years earlier I could have made that connection without going through Spain. :( But it is what it is, and I'll have to make the best of it. :)

In other news, the Protestant religious block looks solid and seems like it would have a near-permanent lock on the HRE. That could work to your advantage if Catholic Spain gets dragged into an inter-faith war.
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Let's hope that's the case - I believe such a war would have to be rather devastating to really hurt Spain in the New World though...

Chief Ragusa said:
They also colonise faster than you, get to city status more quickly and can build bigger and better forts.
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These are true for Portugal only, and them I can handle anyway, I'm sure. Spain on the other hand should have only negligibly better colonization rate now than I have, and they're colonizing all over the place while I'm concentrating on one area only. I have the advantage in that for now, but they should get more trade tech eventually...

While it's true that both COULD build bigger and better forts, only Portugal has used that option so far. Spain's forts are inferior to mine in theater.

If you can hire conquistadors, try to find the extent of Spain's colonies especially that one directly north of your Incan colony.
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Already did. ;) Not only to know the surroundings for the inevitable war, but also to find out if I can block them off somewhere as far as colonization goes.

True a war with Spain and Portugal is a huge gamble at any time. Right now, most of their cities probably haven't cored and can't produce European troops. Once, they can, they'll come after you.
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They have enough troops already, so the advantages they get for further cores (they have some already) are way smaller than I get for getting closer in tech. Also, one can always hope that an opportunity comes to only fight one of the two.

I think linking your empire together is your top priority.
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It is. It has to be, there's so much untapped potential in Mesoamerica.

I thought your army was much larger than that.
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I have something like 210000 men. But two thirds are in Central America and therefore not much use against the Spanish provinces. I can't take much away from Mesoamerica, so I'll have to recruit more. Teching up will go a long way toward financing that.

Mutapa, a pagan tribal Federation. Are they ruled by the Prawnstar?
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Judging by their unimpressive size, I doubt it. :D
 
Chapter Thirty-nine
1595-1602​

In early 1595 I send spies to infiltrate the administration in both Madrid and Lisbon. The Portuguese seem to have around ten thousands troops on each side of my Mesoamerican holdings - something that I should be able to handle regardless of units.

Spain also seems promising, with small scattered forces in both their North American and South American lands and about 10000 men sprinkled in the Caribbean (I'd expect these to be shipped to my provinces if I attacked).

As the Spanish provinces that are in the way when it comes to connecting my lands are still colonies, I start recruiting some extra men in South America, hoping to use what seems to be a weakly garrisoned South America to grab those provinces before they become cities. Then the Spanish march some 20000 men from the TI on top of the scattered forces. Now I'm glad I didn't DoW recklessly...

So I decide to just continue the colonization project for now. In May Kanamari starts producing Maize, while in June I get my first Conquistador, Pachacutec Cusi, who discovers something interesting:

42_01.jpg


Seems that we border Spain already. I'll have to keep exploring - maybe I can find a way to block their colonization somewhat.

An Inca Conquistador seems like a pretty funny concept by the way.

Huaxtepec loses just over 2000 people to an earthquake in December.

In the last days of the year we first find out that Quibdo produces sugar, and then get more bad news from Cusi.

42_02.jpg


Stability zero is reached in May 1596. The economy is getting stronger and war doesn't appear to be imminent. I decide that this is as good a time as any to do something about my heretic provinces.

42_03.jpg


I also hire Pascac Chalcuchima, an identical advisor. The two replace my Statesman and Natural Scientist.

In the autumn we get mixed news from the Conquistador: we find two more Spanish provinces, but also a vacant one.

42_04.jpg


I think we've pretty much located the Spanish border. Now I just need to make sure that it doesn't come this way any more.

Neighbor bonuses give me production tech 13 in March 1597. Government 17, and Town Halls, follow in September.

42_05.jpg


It's not a particularly effective building in any of its uses - I only build it in each of the CoT's as it should pay for itself in those.

Kareguaje, our northeasternmost province, becomes a city in November. It will produce sugar.

I get a missionary for a change in December. Unsurprisingly, it's sent to Tikal. It's got a decent 13.9 % chance due to having the core and a high ADM ruler.

At the same time, I spot something interesting.

42_06.jpg


That isn't acceptable. I'll be looking to steal that one.

More tech in January 1598:

42_07.jpg


One down, seventeen to go as far as catching Spain goes. ;) And now Portugal as well, as they've also reached level 29.

With the Spanish grabbing Chiquinquira, my next colonization target is Caqueta. At this point, it's all about creating colonies on the Spanish border, claiming as much land for myself as I can.

42_08.jpg


In March 1598 we've recovered from full westernization: stability +3. I start investing in land tech, but trade is the first one to advance - a freebie level 17 for +2 % TE.

Tuscany attacks the Pope in July. The Iberians dishonor, which is great for me - one strong nation with a remarkable navy out of the alliance. Tuscany appears to be operating in the New World: Netherlands sided with the Pope and Tuscany seizes one of their Brazilian colonies. It ends up back in Dutch hands however.

Caqueta gets sugar as its product in October. That upgrades my sugar producer modifier, doubling the bonuses.

42_09.jpg


Tollan-Chohollan converts in January 1599.

In February we reach land tech 13, while the Spanish colonists reach Chiquinquira on the 10th.

Heh, incite natives costs 11 ducats and has a 99 % chance of success...

42_10.jpg


So, thirty-two days later:

42_11.jpg


Neat. I slaughter the helpful native natives to make sure I don't lose the colony. Thanks guys!

In April I send a colonist to Guahibo, blocking that province from the Spanish. Meanwhile, we've explored pretty far.

42_12.jpg


In September Conquistador Cusi returns alone from the jungle, his seven-thousand men all dead.

42_13.jpg


I can't decide if he's badass or just a bad leader.

I also notice that France broke and actually ceased to exist the previous year, with most of the land defecting to Nice. Mallorca was active in the aftermath, conquering two provinces from Nice and one from Toulouse.

42_14.jpg


We then reach year 1600. In February I get new units from land tech 14 - seems that tech takes about a year a level when doing full investment these days.

42_15.jpg


Parantla converts to Inti in May, followed by Oaxtepec in September.

After further exploration, I find out that I've blocked Spain in the west.

42_16.jpg


The province where the Conquistador is now, fighting native natives, is a colonizable province, but the province north of that is wasteland.

4400 Ica inhabitants die of the plague in December. South American natural disasters > Central American natural disasters!

Later in the month, Caqueta becomes a city.

In March 1601 we get our first artillery, the Houfnice. It isn't good this early, but I add some to the army that is supposed to hold the border (as if) in case there's a surprise Spanish DoW. Can't hurt, they're essentially Western units and they'll get better. No sense building more of them though, especially since we don't have any copper or tin provinces:

42_17.jpg


Zacapoaxtla converts later in the month, followed by Tikal (yay!) in August.

I celebrate by doubling our Atlantic fleet to 16 cogs.

We get trade tech 18 (+2 % TE) and naval tech 7 in November 1601 and January 1602, respectively. I like the neighbor bonuses.

The "stolen" Chiquinquira turns out to be another sugar province.

Land tech 16, as well as Government tech 18 (enables merchant republic) are discovered in April. It's a good month - we also get the conversion of Oaxaco.

Kanamari upgrades from maize to sugar in June.

Tenochtitlan converts in August. I'd call the tax income decent now for a province that gets -90 % from no land connection to capital...

42_18.jpg


That province should be epic when we're finally able to connect to it.

Also, seems that we have some new friends...

42_19.jpg


At first I wondered why the English took scattered provinces like that. But I suppose it makes it feel like home for them.
 
Good luck for your examinations! :Thumb up:

Blocking the enemies' path(s) can be fun. :D

... and finally:
At first I wondered why the English took scattered provinces like that. But I suppose it makes it feel like home for them.
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:rofl:

Yours,
AdL
 
+1 for badass.
 
France broken, Nice!

20000 Spaniards in TI was what I suspected might be out there. I was hoping they'd split their effort equally between North and South America. So ship some units back from Meso-america.

Keep a watchful eye on Mutapa, just in case.

Perhaps you can now ally with Tuscany or did they re-ally with Spain and Portugal?

Good luck with your exam.
 
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Malurous said:
Neat. I slaughter the helpful native natives to make sure I don't lose the colony. Thanks guys!
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Ample reward for helping you out so much! Things are looking increasingly interesting with your colonisation race against Spain.
 
As much as I like to see a collapse of France, it's really not doing you any favours in this case. Looks like Spain is pretty much unopposed in Western Europe, which means they'll be able to stomach war with you for a much longer period. On the plus side, at least taking Central America off them will be cheap in terms of warscore.
 
Nice does hold the choicest bits of France and would be no push over if Spain attacked. It's got to have a chance to reform France, if it can hold off Mallorca and Switzerland, which have smashed every other obstacle in their way in Europe and Protestant tag team champs to boot.

Spain looks like it is winning the colonisation race with the Incas.
 
Thanks for the well wishes guys, any game analysis will have to wait until a situation where I don't have to leave my home in ten minutes in order to catch a ferry! :D
 
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