Chapter 21: There’s always a smaller fish
Well, I guess you could be krill, but those are related to barnacles, not fish. I find it humorous that the first thing the AI tells me after the Russian war is that I have the reconquest CB on them. Conquest too, since I still have a claim on one of those other provinces. The first thing I do is cancel my mission, which was to claim Liaodong. I can get it later, and I’m not that interested in picking on Shun right now. I get a bonus to Cavalry Combat Ability via event. Russia, terrified by my now certain victory in the second round, finds an alliance with Great Britain.
I take out my Russian related frustrations against Zhou.
I won’t lie: that felt pretty awesome. Another stackwipe follows shortly thereafter. Time to work some rage out of my system. I throw 24,000 Japanese soldiers against twice the number of Zhou. Of course, Xi waits until I’m already winning to throw their army in. Jerks.
I also disband my armies in New Japan and Alaska; they were too small to be effective, but wasting valuable force limit. I also build an Earth Rampart in Kamchatka; oddly, Russia never got there. Hah hah Russia! You could have taken it for free! You’re probably tired of seeing me treat Chinese units like a Prestige Factory, so we’ll skip that part. I do get my first trade idea – Shrewd Commerce Practice, which is a nice boost to trade power across the board – 10%, in fact. I start manufacturing a claim on Pyongan, before Shun acts sneaky and grabs it. I get ADM 23 in 1774. I get my CB against Korea, and Zhou gets off with a warning this time (I really just wanted the prestige).
You know what, Xi? I’ve had enough of your crap. Go ahead, honor this alliance. I
dare you. I
double dog dare you.
As I predicted, I declare war and Xi can’t run away fast enough. You’re on my list now, Xi. One more false move and you’ll regret it. I also start preparing to reabsorb Majapahit by breaking our alliance. I demand conquest! Sweet, delicious, nourishing conquest! I get MIL 24 in March 1775, but any semblance of Korean forces is already gone. Still, I’ll not reject a boost to cavalry. My new mission is to make Uzbek my friend. This makes sense, since Russia has rivaled us both. Back in Europe, Burgundy reclaims the “punching bag of Europe” crown from Great Britain, giving up Cornwall, Gwynedd, and 654 ducats. Korea is absorbed into Japan.
Alaska DOWs Cherokee. Well, I have to admit, at least you’re trying. I pay off my last loan; this Trade group is pretty awesome. One idea in and I’m raking in the cash!
Hello, Manchu! Long time no see! And what’s that tasty prize you have now?
The rebirth of Manchu will be very short but very exciting. France decides it’s time for me to test my mettle against Europeans again.
This gets worse, since Ferrara calls in Spain, but I am quite confident that France’s army will be doing the heavy lifting. I just blockade the Spanish colonies in the Pacific and am content. Uzbek won’t be my friend, so I cancel that mission. The CB is generated. Hello, and goodbye, Manchu.
I am well aware that my OE went over 100%. It is worth it for Beijing. GB DOWs Majapahit for Imperialism. Wow, were they that scared of me? One of my vassals takes a province in our European war, and the Spanish take it back before I even notice. I get a legitimacy hit, lose one of my merchants in place and a pile of cash, but by October 1781 Beijing cores and OE problems disappear. It will take ten years for Beijing to become Shinto. Bring it on.
So, Japan’s involvement in that war was blockading Spanish colonies. Spanish fleet never showed up. My vassals were stupid, but I don’t see how that’s my fault. I call this a win, in my book, as I faced the Europeans and was not directly responsible for the loss! France doesn’t see it as a win and breaks the alliance. Eh, where were you against Russia, France?! Nowhere, that’s where! Alaska has its most positive result against Cherokee yet!
Congratulations, Alaska! You successfully held off the onrush of Cherokee using only cannon and muskets. The AI gives me my favorite mission – insult Zhou. Then it’s time to build up some fortresses. I get MIL 25 in 1784. I get ADM 24 in 1785, and realize I’ve built no unique buildings in a long time, as I have lacked the cash. I start with a Grain Depot.
No Easter Eggs, eh, Paradox?
Spain DOWs Majapahit (I don’t know happened with the British). I get DIP 25, good for Threedeckers. I purposefully skipped the idea boost, at least for now, for the best big ships in the game. The Iroquois westernize, and Prussia disallows wars in the HRE. Eh. I hire a new ADM advisor, an Artist. I build a Glorious Monument in Pyongyan. I get ADM 25 in 1791. I get a mission to insult Burgundy, which I do, then go back to more fortress building missions. I get 800+ gold from an event and start an Admiralty in Satsuma. My awful leader dies (yay!) putting a better in place (woo hoo!) and giving me an abysmal heir.
You know what goes well with a new Admiralty? 5 Threedeckers!
They will be joined by many more, my friends.
Many more. I get MIL 26 in October 1792. Alaska celebrates by DOWing Cherokee again. Perhaps this time, they’ll get a concession of defeat! Russia beats the snot out of the Ottomans and Crimea. You had your chance, Ottomans. I get Free Trade. I’ll explain my reasoning for where to place my new merchant; you can all tell me if I’m an idiot or not.
Here are my options:
(The first page, anyway.) I initially sorted by overall value, but quickly realized that cash money is what matters most of all. I remembered shierholzer telling me only fools use merchants in their capital nodes. So, here is #2 by trade power/income generated.
Trade power, as far as I can tell, matters most for monopolies, but after that additional trade power is better spent elsewhere. Once my fleet of doom is finished, I’ll turn the remaining naval forcelimit to light ships. Majapahit gives up Bali-Lombok to Spain. I hire a new MIL advisor (for fort defense) and a new DIP advisor (reputation). I DOW Majapahit before somebody else gets a hold of them. As you might expect, victory ensues.
There’s a noble rebellion in Beijing, which is quickly and easily put down. Xi, meanwhile, probably feels a bit nervous since I just cancelled our alliance. I have fully converted to the idea that my defeat against Russia was all Xi’s fault, and thus I shall punish them harshly in the near future. We close this update with the most shocking news of all:
Alaska won a war!
We have one more gameplay update, followed by at least one appendix. Fret not, though, my friends, for our contest winner will have exciting news once I complete this AAR!
