CanAARies

MiltonS · Nov 12, 2013

Yeah, assassinate button does become ridiculously over-powered by mid- to late-game. Plot-based would be better (maybe with some option to throw cash to help not nerf it so much).

Is that little stretch in North Africa all Aghlabid has? Shouldn't be too hard to get Siliana if so.

Rozmarzony · Nov 12, 2013

MiltonS said:
Yeah, assassinate button does become ridiculously over-powered by mid- to late-game. Plot-based would be better (maybe with some option to throw cash to help not nerf it so much).

Is that little stretch in North Africa all Aghlabid has? Shouldn't be too hard to get Siliana if so.

Yep, new conquests will be pretty fast, but now, after becoming local power entire chapters will be "faster". Less screens for battles, and other minor stuff.

Rozmarzony · Nov 12, 2013

Chapter 30
1140 - 1164
Badshah Meq'wran I the Confessor of Canaries
Part III

In the following years by using holy wars grabed 3 duchies from Sultanate of Africa.

January 1141 - First

April 1143 - Second

June 1144 - Third

Skipped truces by assassinating sultans. By the way, Sicily was conquered by some frankish adventurer.

Released all theocracies from Russia. Now, they're useless for me.

When I declared war for Sicily, which has around 30k free troops...

This happened.

But there is one big problem. Lonely Lotharingia have 2x more soldiers than me + all christians kingdoms are joining to the war.

So assassin button again and a lot of civil wars are going into Lotharigina. Often I had to assassinate claimants, otherwise there would be no provs to siege.

Start there.

And completion in Andalusia itself. Also, you can see how contribution is broken. High Priest lost all his forces in some battle without conquering anything, but he is still having 57%? Huh.

When warscore was at 100%, ended all civil wars in Lotharingia by using assassins, you know, I wanted to gain entire Andalusia.

However, High Priest now controlling half of the Iberia was damn strong and with 100 relations, he still declared war for independence. Of course, war with him was won. Now I can use all his troops without restrictions, while he is in my prison.

My conquests on the way to the Empire.

Created Hispania in 1164, completing my second objective.

THE END?

Aardvark Bellay · Nov 12, 2013

I agree that the assasination button is completely overpowered and i agree with your idea to rather hire assasins for a plot.

Now a comment on rather recent events......OhMyGods......you made it, eh ? Nice.
Contribution could be worked on, but how.
You could even afford to get rid of your russian vassals. Yup, snowballing.

You got so far, it might seem pointless to go on. Though I will read further on if you continue writing.
Congratulations anyway.

MiltonS · Nov 12, 2013

Kudos indeed! Glad to see a Canaries -> Reformed West African Hispania AAR. Very, very fun.

Did you figure out why you didn't get the Head of Religion on reformation? That seems horrible, although you managed to make it work.

saint242 · Nov 12, 2013

MiltonS said:
Kudos indeed! Glad to see a Canaries -> Reformed West African Hispania AAR. Very, very fun.

Did you figure out why you didn't get the Head of Religion on reformation? That seems horrible, although you managed to make it work.

I think the only religion where the ruler gets the Head of Religion title on reformation are the Norse? I know Tengri don't, and I'm pretty sure Romuva and Slavic don't either.

And congrats to Rozmarzony on a serious triumph here.

MiltonS · Nov 12, 2013

Ah, well that would make sense. I've only reformed Norse, so I had thought that was the standard. Apparently it's the exception. How does the game decide who gets the Head of Religion title?

Rozmarzony · Nov 12, 2013

MiltonS said:
Ah, well that would make sense. I've only reformed Norse, so I had thought that was the standard. Apparently it's the exception. How does the game decide who gets the Head of Religion title?

In theory, highest priest, in practice? Who knows. In my game count-tier ruler got it.

And thanks people for watching this screenshots show.

Rozmarzony · Nov 13, 2013

Blobbing as blob
Byzantine Empire
I Bonus Chapter
1164 - 1191
Badshah Meq'wran I the Confessor of Canaries
Badshah Adum I the Holy of Canaries

I didn't wanted to play classic "holy war - assasinate to avoid truce - holy war - assassinate and so on" (I'm tired of that tactic after playing my roman game) so I decided to mess around with prisoners and my lovely assassin button.

During one of the first raids I take child of the caliph into prison. I managed to kill caliph (well, it wasn't that hard, just push that button), then killed elder brother of my prisoner and he became caliph in effect. But after few years I recalled that you can't educate prisoners. yes, if I would play as woman I could take him as my lover and gain entire middle east but whoops, not this time.

After a LOT of raids I managed to pick the oldest daughter of the ruling emperor. Well, there is one rule - the easiest to take into captivity are wives of the rulers from specific holdings. Basically, emperor sometimes had like 3-4 chidrens in Constantinople but I couldn't take any of them into prison, trying again and again burning capital to the ground. After I killed some duke and husband of the daughter became new one, I just raided his capital and taken into captivity his wife, at first try. So advice for the future, want claim? Don't try with children.

After she produced like 5 descendants for me, I killed her (she was orthodox heresy, so everyone from my blob joined to the faction) and almost all my offsprings gained claim for Byz.

Killed 2-3 emperors in the row to have child ruler in Byz. (I had to kill few of them because of elective)

:laugh:

Yes, assassinated my son to instantly inherit Byz. Now, while I have those lands and free duchy revocation, I'm even more deadly.

What about future?
*I can use anchor wife trick for Cumania, because we are in same religion group (there is "no marry infidel" modifier but modifiers for relations/prestige too, I can't do that with Muslim/Christian because there's only "no marry infidel" modifier).
*I can use same tactic as with Byz for Caliphate, but I need to be a woman.
*All other states are just too small, to even look at them.

alscon · Nov 14, 2013

Congratulations for this successful Canarian campaign. The Hashashin? There are Canarian assassins much more numerous and as deadly!

Rozmarzony · Nov 15, 2013

Blobbing as blob
The Shia Caliphate
II Bonus Chapter
1191 - 1254
Badshah Adum I the Holy of Canaries
Badshah Akorakor I the Just of Canaries
Badshah Yahya I the Holy of Canaries
Empress Tinhinan I the Holy of Canaries
Badshah Aksil I the Holy of Canaries

When I inherited Byz, it was already gavelkind and lowest crown authority. Because of that I couldn't use free revocation on vassals in the ERE and couldn't raise authority because everyone hated me at this point. Yes, I could banish everyone, but it would take too much time. All former imperial vassals joined to factions against me, pushing some random claim for ERE. I could survive this, just assasinating claimant, or winning war with them. By wining 2 civil wars with all ERE vassals I could use bonuses to relations to convert everyone to west african, but I decided to grand independance to all of them as you can see in screen. They were my de-jure, but other religion, so no problem there.

After this I destroyed Hispania, increased crown authority of ERE (my "core" vassals instantly accepted it) and changed to elective. Why I did this? Too much of clicking for to little profit. I also did trick with varangian guard, and all my future characters will have that (varangian) trait.

Some minor info, Monothelite Patriarch is now my vassal. Considering orthodox is wiped out and there is no Ecumenical Patriarchate, some positive flavour for me.

At this point I could just use holy wars for everyone in entire ERE arena, but I decided to take kingdom of the Sicily only.

Having free revocation I decided to weaken high priest. He disagreed, but was pretty fast beaten by my armies. An interesting contrast of colors.

Caliphate did successful jihad for Asturias in exile, which has de-jure in Aquitaine. Huh? Although the war Queen of Lotharingia is still holding almost titular kingdom of Asturias.

Mongols! I'm always waiting for them like little child. They brings a lot of fun into late game.

Ilkhanate decided to be the only mongol state and eaten Golden Horde after it showed up.

At the sime time, Caliph and Pope against me!

Pope was having 4 temples in northern Europe, so I just get some armies into boats, assaulted his holdings and defended against crusade in total.

Although Caliph was having 240k army (I had 120k) defeating him was easy too.

Then I just killed myself because I wanted to gain entire Calihpate.

However, I managed to capture only a girl with inheritable claim for Egypt... Remember for future, first get claimant, then kill myself if needed.

New heir, similar age to my hostage.

After 10 years of waiting, "suicide" again.

Concubine, formerly hostage, who spent entire life in dungeons.

After some time son was born, who got claim after killing concubine.

Some fast, really fast war for Caliphate. Hostile armies didn't even managed to appear.

Son (because of my dynasty) became my vassal as king of Egypt, but once more time assassinated to hold the title personally.

I only posted a few screens, but it was really long 60 years, mainly of waiting.

MiltonS · Nov 15, 2013

Wow, so gamey - I love it! (nothing wrong with gamey).

What's the Varangian trick you mentioned?

And just to make sure I understand your technique:
1. Capture a title holder
2. Marry your heir to them when of age
3. Kill yourself (becoming the heir).
4. When son (heir) is born, also with claim, kill wife & then self.
5. Become that son and heir with claim; press it.

That correct?

Rozmarzony · Nov 15, 2013

Blobbing as blob
Stabilisation
III Bonus Chapter
1254 - 1271
Badshah Aksil I the Holy of Canaries
Badshah Massiva I the Holy of Canaries

Used same trick as for Varangian. However, while I'm Captain of Mamluks... I can't use armies since I'm no shia. Weird logic.

Although I'm west african, I'm getting free piety for pentarchy! It going to be fixed in 2.0

Didn't liked face of my ruler and he was having -50 to relations to everyone due to being dishonorable... so why not. Assasinating my characters / other characters, doesn't matter if it's still assassination. Without killing myself I would be a little doomed, that -50 factor combined with a hundred of shia vassals could be dangerous for me.

But ok, some information about my realm after inheriting entire Caliphate. As you can see in the screen, Egypt de-jure drifted into a lot of lands. I can't revoke titles from there, because crown authority don't allow for this. From all other lands I can revoke everything, because medium crown authority from Byzantine allow for revocation on infidels. What I did? Revoked all duchies I could outside de-jure Egypt, gifted gold to everyone from de-jure Egypt, thanks to it increased crown authority of Egypt to low. I still couldn't revoke everything because I need medium for that, but now I can revoke duchies thanks to ERE title ability. In the next 20 years I was slowly reorganising entire state in the east, creating big priest vassals and converting as many people, as I could. My main target was to destroy Egypt, but after 10 years of reign I still couldn't change inheritance of it, because at any point of game some of my vassals always were fighting.

However, some weird bug happened, which helped me a little, changing inheritance of Egypt to agnatic-open... I don't know how I even can have agnatic-open as west african, but I instantly destroyed that title. After doing it I could revoke EVERY title form Shia hands, allowing me to end re-coloring east.

For all those years I was balancing at the edge of civil war. Yes, I managed to not have a civil war. Only 2 times some duke-tier rulers didn't agreed for revocation, but were pretty fast defeated.

My vassals, most of them are having some wars against tyranny, but after 50-100 years it will end. Althought all of them are Berber/West African, they have a lot of Egyptian/Shia vassals, but hey, that's not my problem.

Granted independence to caliph.

Now, there's trick. I gave some lands to claimant, after it converted him (thanks to 100 relations with him), pushed his claim on caliphate, killed him and his successor inheriting caliphate as west african. Now I'm little sad, cause there is no sunni caliphate to "gain".

Ahh, you're probably asking, why my every ruler is "holy" but I'm always taking that ambition after becoming ruler. Considering I have 10 piety per month or even more thanks to priest vassals after little time I'm completing that ambition. What's even better, becoming paragon of virtue gives +50 to relations to all priest vassals, and I have only them.

Rozmarzony · Nov 15, 2013

MiltonS said:
Wow, so gamey - I love it! (nothing wrong with gamey).

What's the Varangian trick you mentioned?

And just to make sure I understand your technique:
1. Capture a title holder
2. Marry your heir to them when of age
3. Kill yourself (becoming the heir).
4. When son (heir) is born, also with claim, kill wife & then self.
5. Become that son and heir with claim; press it.

That correct?

1. Just claimant, with a claim that is inheritable. If there are no avaible people with inheritable claim or they're too rare to capture them, just kill 2-4 rulers in the row of specific realms, then a lot of people will gain claim. As for power of the claim, it doens't matter if strong/weak.

2. Not marry, take as concubine/lover. You can do it only as your main character. In the caliphate case I killed myself because I was woman, and I was having woman with claim for Caliphate, but I said that I did mistake. At first, capture, then kill yourself if change of gender is needed. Not otherwise. In most cases you gonna do it as man, taking some woman with claim for concubine... but with Shia state I wanted to do it the other way around. Why? In muslim states only men can inherit, and it's almost impossible to find girl with inheritable claim for sultanate. However, somewhat such girl appeared and she was first claimant I taken into captive, so used her. Death of my ruler isn't big deal for me.

3. Just kill concubine to give claims to all of your/her offsprings.

4. Push claim of your children for specific realm, after winning kill that children and you gonna inherit because you're father/mother. It's better to play as adult. For completely other tactic, you need to kill yourself becoming child in total. (tactic, which I used for gaining Mali, but what's non-important when you're empire-tier)

Varangian trick:
If you have mercenaries/holy order as vassal, just give them kingdom, assasinate, you will inherit both mercenaries/holy order title and your king title. Pretty easy, but damn useful.

alscon said:
Congratulations for this successful Canarian campaign. The Hashashin? There are Canarian assassins much more numerous and as deadly!

Thanks! Really appreciate it.

Rozmarzony · Nov 16, 2013

Blobbing as blob
Ilkhanate
IV Bonus Chapter
1271 - 1300
Badshah Massiva I the Holy of Canaries
Empress Iija I the Holy of Canaries

Getting sayyid trait for my family.

After all, playing as woman is better.

Ilkhanate started invasion for Persia, countered with boat bombing.

In the meantime in western Europe, when Almodis united most of the kingdoms, I gave her 1+k gold to allow her for creation of empire.

After I got a couple of kids like this...

Assassinated my sayyid husband and get new one with claim for Ilkhanate.

When son was born, killed him (new husband) too and instantly attacked Ilkhanate.

Global borders before the war. As you can see, I conquered a bit of de-jure Byzantine there and there because of boredom.

Boat bombing with 200K army, as with Caliphate, armies of enemy didn't managed to appear in-time.

Yes, another dead baby. Well, it's essence of ck2.

After cleaning entire Caliphate I came to conclusion, that doing same with Ilkhanate and its vassals is unecessary (and tedious for me). Almost all of them accepted my request for converting, so I will leave them alone.

Rozmarzony · Nov 17, 2013

Blobbing as blob
Saoshyant and fragmentation of the realm
V Bonus Chapter
1300 - 1342
Empress Iija I the Holy of Canaries
Badshah Lacumaces I of Canaries
Badshah Cucung I of Canaries
Badshah Ifser I the Saoshyant of Canaries
Badshah Ifser II of Canaries

I was having few members of my dynasty educated as persian. I killed myself (yes, once again) and one of them, Lacumaces became new ruler. He was there only for Persian Empire purposes (because of requirements for it) and after he created it, I instantly killed myself because half of the empire joined to the independance faction and with each months of Lacumaces rule I was risking a big civil war. However, I had hard times finding a good person for my successor. (a lot of members of my family were of other culture/or just having bad traits). When I finally managed to find someone semi-good, I couldn't design him as my heir because he was too distant in dynasty tree. But there was fast solution for it, giving him some duchy. After next suicide he became my next character. However! He wasn't sayyid.... so his only purpose in life was educating some sayyid from my dynasty into great person. After I did it, I killed myself once again and his pupil was next ruler.

There you can see that pupil. Everything is fine. I married someone, got 3 concubines and waited for the children.

After my first (and the only) son became adult, time for some action. I married one of the last Zoroastrian believer into random guy in my court. Then killed him and thanks to it I could take Zoroastrian lady as my concubine. Then thanks to it I converted to new religion.

And instantly used 2 new available decisions. Then killed myself cause once again half of the empire wanted to rebel against me.

Saoshyant, Sayyid, Varangian, Born in Purple, Shia Caliph, Captain of Mamluks!

At this point Persian Empire was useless. (I needed it for Zoroastrian decisions)

Mess in family tree... and i'm not mad enough to explain everything.

At this point I released almost everything from the far east/far north. I didn't needed them, never wanted to have those land from the beginning and they were pretty troublesome, If I got average ruler.

Map of the world after entire "release" action.

Religious map

Can anyone guess, what I gonna do next? :happy:

Rozmarzony · Nov 18, 2013

True End

Yep, converted as some character to catholicism.

Final character.

Final lands. I should conquer northern Italy and lands within de-jure Byz to have nice borders, but who cares.

Basically, starting as most isolated, hardest pagan-count, having no technology, no economy, no troops and no boats at the start I managed to:
-Create the empire, with motto "Divide et impera" destroying during the course of the game all major powers: Mongols, Romans and the Caliphate
-Reform west african religion and convert most of the world into it
-Have heads of the following religions as vassals : west african / tengri / miaphysite / monophysite / zoroastrian
-Become Agustus, Born in Purple, Saoshyant, Sayyid, Varangian, Shia Caliph, Captain of Mamluks

I'm ending this today for obvious reason (release of the Soa).
Thanks everyone for watching and reading.

Portal · Nov 18, 2013

*Slow clap*

MiltonS · Nov 18, 2013

Portal said:
*Slow clap*

Wow, I second that. That's pretty impressive! And I learned a lot of fun new tactics, too! Very entertaining!

Please let us know when you start a new AAR.

Lord Finnish · Nov 24, 2013

This was quite the adventure.

CanAARies

Major

Field Marshal

Field Marshal

Lord Wuffington of Grumpytown by the barks

Major

ia ia!

Major

Field Marshal

Field Marshal

Magister Inquisitiones

Field Marshal

Major

Field Marshal

Field Marshal

Field Marshal

Field Marshal

Field Marshal

GOOD ENOUGH FOR SECONDS

Major

A man of science and culture.