The Pharaohs Return: An Alexandrian AAR

[fermun]

Your pictures from the last update have gone to the "Upgrade to pro" bandwith exceeded thing. Have you considered moving over to Imageshack or tinypic? I know their interface isn't as nice, especially for mass-uploading, but they do also allow third party programs like ZScreen which you can use to crop and automatically upload pictures to your account or copy the image to your clipboard and upload at a keystroke.

[Sybot]

I've started to replace the imagehost with a hopefully better one. It'll take a while to do for the whole AAR, so no update for now.

Edit: All finished. That was surprisingly easy once I worked out a routine for replacing. I should be able to get an update out tomorrow.

[Sybot]

Calyptus: I’ll need a large force in India to take on Kandesh, but you’re right that Spain will inevitably come after me. Conundrums like this are why I like to avoid becoming too powerful.
morningSIDEr: Having allies to drag you into wars definitely makes regencies less boring. Of course you should always be wary of you wish for…Also, I didn’t take a stab hit, that’s just a display bug that isn’t fixed because I’m running an older version.

Thanks for all the replies and hello to my new readers from the other site.

The Pharaohs Return: An Alexandrian AAR
Chapter Seventeen: No Emperor? No War Allowed? No Problem!



No one came to the defence of the minor Hindu nation of Sind, allowing Alexandrian troops to easily land and begin to take control of the vital trading centre in Kutch.



Meanwhile the rest of the army was kept busy dealing with major uprisings in Armenia. The local garrison was defeated, necessitating the intervention of the primary Army of Alexandria.



A burgeoning colonial empire required a much greater focus on the seas and with that came men willing to take to the water and lead the navy. The first Grand Admiral of Alexandria wasn’t particularly skilled, but that was something that would change as the balance of the military continued to swing.



Ethiopia was losing its grip on its Arab territories, resulting in the recreation of Yemen as an Orthodox kingdom. Relations were opened but there were no plans to try and forcibly bring them into Alexandrian control for the moment.



Once Kutch was conquered it was annexed into the Empire, providing a valuable source of income as it controlled the majority of the trade in western India. Shortly afterwards Portuguese forces finally arrived after following the Alexandrian explorations around Africa and conquered the remainder of Sind.



Shortly afterwards Alexandria’s other ally called for aid against the tribes of the Ukraine. The regents accepted the offer and were content to let Lithuania and their allies Austria do all the fighting. England was also involved and was a potential threat, but they were far more focused on the New World and had serious internal conflicts between the state-supported Klatovists and a radical sect that wished to create an independent Anglican church. (Anglicans are a new religion in Miscmods. They’re robably a bit too powerful at spreading, especially when England isn’t even Catholic anymore)



The spread of Ptolemaic culture through Egypt was nearing its conclusion, as the only remaining holdouts of pure Arabic were in the still heavily tribal and rural lands of southern Egypt as well as some die-hards in the Nile Delta.



Unfortunately, Lithuania was not quite as capable as the regents thought and soon they found they had no choice but to send a force north to help their ailing allies.



Their timing couldn’t have been more unlucky as soon after the army arrived another request for aid came. This time it was Portugal looking to expand into Africa and dragging in Oman. Also, conflicts were resuming with the tribes along the Caspian Sea although Persia seemed to be dealing with them already. This wasn’t actually much of a concern as troops could just be called off the western border.



Except that wasn’t the end of it. Spain was finally making its move to finish unifying the lands of Iberia it claimed for itself. Now battle was joined on almost every border and the quiet isolationist ideals of the regency council took their last dying breath.



The war began with the invasion of Omani-ruled Iraq and a major engagement with Omani forces attempting to seize Alexandria’s Persian Gulf ports. Shockingly, the Muslims had weapons far better than the Empire’s and two whole regiments of cannon. Luckily superior Alexandrian morale won the day but it was a worrying portent that perhaps the Empire’s enemies were starting to get ahead of it.



In the west Portuguese and Spanish forces engaged in a war of manoeuvre with neither side really willing to engage the other. Unfortunately this worked in Spain’s favour as they had far more land to spare and Portugal’s African territory was being invaded by the very Muslims they had hoped to conquer. With all of Alexandria’s armies engaged in other battles there was nothing that could be done to help them.



If help was to be sent to Portugal new armies would have to be raised, which required money that had been sunk into colonies and infrastructure. War taxes were raised for the first time in a century and new policies were enacted to improve the efficiency of the monetary system.



With most of the Empire aimed at it Oman could not hold and soon lost all of Iraq. Sadly Portugal still held control of the war and signed a ceasefire before Alexandrian troops could reach Muscat and force more beneficial terms. This was understandable for Portugal since it also got rid of the Muslims invading their African lands.



It wasn’t enough though as the relentless Spanish war machine marched through and seized all that they desired. On top of that Galicia was vassalised, cementing Spanish dominance of the peninsula. Alexandrian troops simply had no way of arriving in time.



Meanwhile, despite Alexandria withdrawing its support Lithuania had somehow managed to pull out of the conflict it was mired in with the net gain of a Black Sea port.



Kallinikos II arrived on the throne after a few more years of peace following the end of the war. While not particularly blessed with skill he had spent a long time sitting in on war council meetings and had a grasp of grand strategy. If the conflicts prior to his reign had taught him anything, it was that having a large hostile enemy on the eastern border was not going to help Alexandrian interests. It was time to resolve the Oman issue for good.

The year is now 1561.
To be continued…

[Enewald]

Large enemy, compared to what?

[Malurous]

Quite a dogpile. At least it's over and now you can choose your own wars.

[Boris ze Spider]

Have you enacted the indian company decision?

[Graspiloot]

Ok I wanted to reply to this thread, because I wanted to thank you. Thanks for writing this AAR. I greatly enjoy it, it is actually the first AAR I fully read (so far I've been unlucky that the ones I tried were world conquest, or the ones too over the top for someone new to it). Now I have been giving other ones I shot and I really missed out on something. So thanks, and I will be following this thread.

[morningSIDEr]

A pity that Portugal was defeated but not exactly surprising. More of a pity that they agreed peace before you could settle your own terms with Oman. Good that Kallinikos has now taken the throne as you can begin your own wars rather than simply being dragged into fights which are of little benefit to you.

[Sybot]

Enewald: Not really large compared to me, but large enough to make me divert troops to fight them.
Malurous, morningSIDEr: I’m especially glad I can start using CBs again so I don’t end up taking full infamy costs on stuff I want.
Boris ze Spider: I can’t since my capital needs to be in Europe for that. I might actually mod that so I can take it at some point.
Graspiloot: I’m glad you like it so much. I don’t think world conquest makes for an interesting AAR (unless you do it uniquely, like with Iroquois or converting all culture) which is why I’m limiting myself in this.

Thanks for all the replies!

The Pharaohs Return: An Alexandrian AAR
Chapter Eighteen: The Crusades Resume



As soon as the armies were prepared and the truce from the previous war had expired, war was declared. Alexandria was going on a crusade for the first time in decades. The question of the Muslims on the eastern border had been ignored for a very long time as irrelevant strategically, but there had been continuous pressure from religious factions to bring the heathens to the truth. It was finally time to carry on the crusades.



Iraq was the primary target for the moment for two reasons: it was the main goal of the war and Persia had come to Oman’s defence so the armies would have to be positioned against them. Persia was still struggling with the Timurid remnants on its eastern border but once the war began it had to divert several armies to join in.



The Persians launched an invasion of Armenia with their largest force but this left their own lands exposed. Alexandrian troops entered Persia and convinced them to surrender and give up any designs they had on the Iraqi region.



With Omani Iraq overrun attention could be turned to the south. The Omani army led by their Sultan had entered and seized Alexandria’s port on the Gulf. They could not be allowed to go any further, so they were intercepted and engaged in a decisive battle by Alexandrian General Palaiologos. With the Sultan on the run Oman itself could be entered.



In the west rebel sentiment amongst the Berbers of Tripoli continued to be stirred. For now they would have to be paid off as most Alexandrian armies were stationed in the east.



With the armies focused on the invasion of Oman it took everyone by surprise when the Sultan remerged behind Alexandrian lines in Iraq. Apparently he forced his men across the desert and linked up with loyal forces in hiding. Everything was pointed at Oman so nothing could be done to stop him from freeing all of the area.

(Okay what really happened was when I tried to chase him down he went into some kind of invincible-retreat mode and marched literally all the way around Arabia to reach Iraq where he promptly started reinforcing and beat off the small force I had shadowing him. Pretty ridiculous.)



Kallinikos had to take advantage of the fact that the Omani nobility was cut off from their ruler and had no idea of his successes. He was able to negotiate a peace deal that took all of southern Iraq, leaving the north cut off and vulnerable to revolt.



A new wave of zealotry had been stirred up by the war and people were happy to ignore problems in the Empire as long as they were beating back the heathens. Thousands of volunteers flooded into Iraq to help assemble churches and begin preaching to the populace.



While the new gains were consolidated, word came of large Spanish fleets sailing past Africa. They had discovered that the Empire of Brunei was struggling under the weight of a massive peasant uprising and was incredibly vulnerable to invasion. Already Kallinikos was starting to curse his ancestors for discovering the route around Africa and opening up rightfully Alexandrian regions to other Europeans.



A large number of eager, devout young men were rapidly recruited and loaded onto ships headed east. Alexandria would get a piece of Brunei before it was too late.



Upon arrival they landed near the vital trading city of Malacca, although their ships were forced into port to hide when Brunei launched its still powerful navy. The threat of the navy did not last very long however as Spain was already in the region and used its much more substantial fleet to crush them shortly afterwards.



Between Spain and Alexandria it did not take long for the entire Malacca region to fall. The armies were shipped across the sea to the heart of Brunei to force a concession from them. There they discovered the extent of the rebellion and how it had crippled Brunei. More than twenty thousand peasants were driving off less then half their number in loyal forces. No wonder they had collapsed.



Peace was secured, with Malacca and its centre of trade coming into Alexandrian control. It remained to be seen what Spain would take now that the biggest prize was out of reach. The crusades had taken Christianity further east than ever before and the people were crying out for more victories



However that also meant they sought the elimination of the Catholics of Tripoli and probably Jerusalem as well. Religious fervour was carrying Alexandria forward, but was it beginning to spin out of the Emperor’s control?

The year is now 1569
To be continued…

[Malurous]

Great update! It'll be interesting to see how that region develops between you and Spain.

[Enewald]

So, your future casus bellis will be 'this neighbour is large enough to make us divert our troops, and therefore poses a threat to our invincible Empire'?

[morningSIDEr]

Useful gains, especially the new CoT. Good too that more of the Arab Peninsula is being secured. Slightly worrying that Spain is also getting in on the action, hopefully you can conquer the best land before they get their claws into it.

[Sybot]

Enewald: I never said that. Though given my empire’s size it’ll probably be the case for anyone large on my eastern border.

Thanks for the replies! Sorry that this is a relatively short and uneventful update, EU3 was running really slowly so I had to take a break from playing to try and figure out why.

The Pharaohs Return: An Alexandrian AAR
Chapter Nineteen: Turning West



War was once again declared on Oman. This time around they were already involved along with their ally Persia in a conflict with Baluchistan. The majority of their army was bogged down on that front, making the invasion simple this time.



The Spanish invasion of Brunei ended with them taking most the remainder of the Malay Peninsula. It was clear they had wanted Malacca for themselves, meaning the future inevitably held conflict.



Tensions continued to rise with the Catholics as many in government called for Alexandria to begin spreading Orthodoxy to other Christians instead of just the Muslims. Many believed that, with Byzantium under Catholic domination, the Empire was the true herald of the correct path.



The war with Oman ended predictably as they gave up the remainder of their Iraqi and Azerbaijani territory.



Conflict with the Catholics was rapidly looming, and whether it came from the situation in Asia or religious tensions control of the Mediterranean would be vital to the Empire’s success. A large shipbuilding program was established and a large number of drydocks were constructed to service a new line of Caravels that replaced the outdated galleys.



This was aided by brilliant tax collection work by the Empire’s top sherrif.



While Alexandria built up its fleet other events were occurring in the world. In the New World the various conflicts of Europe had slowed down the colonisation of England and Portugal and allowed some of the more minor powers to gain a foothold. Normandy and Savoy established colonies of their own with more following.



Lithuania meanwhile was in the process of collapsing to internal revolt. Many Russians had defected to the principalities and Polotsk had declared independence outright.



Amusingly, Lithuania handed control of suppressing the revolution to Alexandria when they requested help. This gave Kallinikos the perfect chance to try and defuse some of the fervour in his Empire. Instead of returning Polotsk to Lithuanian control he had them convert to Orthodoxy.



That was not enough, in fact the victory emboldened the hardliners even more and they called for the Empire to strike at the Catholics directly. Aiming straight for Rome was out of the question as supply lines across the Mediterranean could easily be intercepted. A stepping stone was needed, and Sicily was chosen as the site of the invasion. However, Spain stood ready to defend any Catholics against aggression. The time was at hand to resolve the longstanding rivalry.

The year is now 1576.
To be continued…

[Enewald]

What is Unam Sanctam in Greek?

[Legendary Bard]

Oh gods, I have a feeling the next update will be insane.

[Malurous]

Very nice. I like Sicily as a direction, should be interesting.

[Boris ze Spider]

This next update shall be very exciting.

[IconOfEvi]

lol, this game is going along very well!

Though no Free Subjects ? Unto the cruel

You show the heretics of Espana the might of the pharoahs!

(btw, you added in Ptolemaic culture, but why don't you make it a union culture of Greek and Arabics?)

[Sybot]

Enewald: ένα ιερό, according to an online translator. No idea what that actually means though.
IconofEvi: I’m just playing to character. If I take this into V2, high serfdom will really come back to bite me and keep things interesting. Making Ptolemaic a union of both cultures would be a bit overpowered.

Thanks for all of the replies!

The Pharaohs Return: An Alexandrian AAR
Chapter Twenty: Heart of the Beast



The war began with an immediate invasion of Malta, as the Scilian had far too many forces on their island for the Army of Alexandria to attack successfully. The aim was to allow some of the defenders to leave to another front and then strike. Milan led the defending alliance as a closer ally of Sicily than Spain.



Meanwhile Oman took the chance to invade. While a nuisance that would have to be dealt with in future, they could be fought to a standstill easily enough and then ignored.



The plan was a success and the Sicilian fleet was caught as it shipped troops out into the Gulf of Gabes. With the fleet routed sent into hiding in Tunisia the defenders were significantly weaker.



General Choniates led the troops ashore where they were met with a Scilian counterattack. The hills proved vital in securing victory, and the defenders were sent fleeing.



The Far East front initially seemed to be easy for the Alexandrian forces as they marched into northern Malacca with impunity. However, the appearance of a massive Spanish force forced them to retreat and fight defensively for the remainder of the war.



Portugal had served its purpose as a distraction for the invasion of Sicily, and made peace on the condition of giving up its control of Rhodes. Many were upset at treating such a long-standing ally this way, but the hardline Orthodox group that continued to dominate politics saw them as just more heretic Catholics.



Shortly afterwards Sicily surrendered, becoming Orthodox and surrendering Malta. Almost immediately diplomatic envoys arrived on the island to begin repairing relations and turning Scilly into a loyal Orthodox ally.



This victory was just in time, as the Spanish arrived in force shortly afterwards. Their fleet dominated the seas and they landed large armies in Tripoli. Luckily they were distracted by their ongoing war with the North African Muslims but it was only a matter of time before they began marching east.



Another one of the Empire’s eastern neighbours jumped into the fray, but this was a far bigger threat. The massive Indian kingdom of Kandesh sought to free their Hindu brothers in Kutch. (In Miscmods Hindus get Holy War vs any non-Hindu that owns a Hindu province) With the seas locked down by Spain and no land route through Persia there was nothing that could be done for the time being.



The defenders of Kutch were thankfully able to be saved. Rajputana, the largest remaining independent Indian nation, was more than happy to shelter Alexandrian forces if it harassed their rival.



Unfortunately for Spain, it only took a small slip in their naval dominance for the Alexandrian armies to slip away and land in Italy directly. General Choniates began carving a path of carnage straight towards Milan, which was occupied in a war with Austria-Byzantium.



With this threat looming at their back Milan offered a ceasefire so they could focus everything on the more immediate threat to them. It couldn’t have come at a better time for the Empire, as it was the verge of a decisive battle against Spain in Libya. Thirty thousand Spaniards, with another twenty in reserve, were marching on Alexandria itself and Kallinikos had personally gathered up twenty thousand men in a last-ditch attempt to hold them off. The showdown was averted, but it revealed that for all the bluster of the Spain still held the upper hand. More troops, more ships and more power would be needed to win out.



As soon as the armies were in order, the next phase of the plan could begin. Naples was cowed into submission by threats of invasion like Sicily and gave up military access, but as soon as they learned what the Alexandrians were planning they immediately tried to expel them. It was too late though. Rome would fall. The heart of Catholicism was now laid bare.



Spain was in the middle of some form of succession crisis and was unable to join the war, so the situation was far more favourable. General Choniates easily crushed the Papal and Neapolitan forces arrayed against him. His supply lines were secured by the new alliance with Sicily which further cemented Orthodox control of the Central Mediterranean.



The Pope could only watch as his city fell to invaders for the first time in centuries. While he outright refused to convert as that would tear Catholicism apart, he was willing to accept some form of subjugation. Clearly he hoped that the nations of Christendom would come to his rescue. Incidentally, outright annexing the city was out of the question as the Pope still had holdings in Sweden that he could retreat to.



Oman attempted an invasion, this time aided by Ethiopia. This time the war in the west was not even as serious, so the logic was even more questionable. Local forces were easily able to handle them.



Elsewhere the religious civil war in England ended with an Anglican victory. The remaining Klatovists left alive immediately began to flee to the newly free Kingdom of Ireland to the west out of fear of further suppression.



Ethiopia was forced to cede some territory to smooth out the borders. Hopefully the humiliation would keep them from attempting another attack. Oman was simply fought to a ceasefire once again.



While Naples fell and was converted, the invasion began to slow down as Burgundy made its appearance on the frontline with significant numbers of ships and men. It was decided that backing down and consolidating was the best choice for the time being. It didn’t matter too much even as they concede to Tuscany, the leader of the alliance. The Pope was an Orthodox puppet. The Empire had a foothold on Italy. Ultimate victory over the heretics was in sight and surely only a matter of time.

The year is now 1583.
To be continued…

[Sybot]

World Update: 1583



-England's collapse really hurt its colonisation and let a bunch of minors into the game, but what's Portugal's excuse? Apart from being dragged into wars by me they've had plenty of time to expand in the Caribbean. Spain should get in the on the action once they get round to taking QFTNW (one of the problems with them forming from Aragon).
-Lithuania totally imploded, making Russia even more of a mess
-Manchu's on the march west.