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Dang, first you fight Chile when you think you have a superiority and they give you the toughest fight of your life. You get a state and they regroup and become a GP! Then you beat them down and now they have a huge army of doom! Man, your life in South America is interesting! You better beat them down now or you'll be fighting them for the rest of he game!
 
In August I discover Machine Tools, boosting Machine Parts production 15% (I built three or four factories), and my advance armies arrive in Tripoli itself. By September, the entire state of Tripoli and parts of the nearby Libyan Coast are under Argentine occupation, waiting for an opponent. In December I capture my first state, coastal Misratah.

Since the Arab Spring I find it odd to be fighting in the same places you read about in today's newspapers. Shouldn't France be helping you liberate people from their oppressive rulers? (Oh right, you're an oppressive ruler, gotcha :))

Or maybe I was foolish to be hopeful. The majors do tend to intervene, but I've seen plenty of wars, for example, where Egypt was left hanging.

They far more likely to intervene if they think they'll win, and given that France has more than twice your number of brigades it's probably not a bad call on their part.

In July 1882, noticing that France is "Likely" to accept an alliance proposal from me (I got us back near 200 from the 100 we reached after our little misunderstanding), I propose, and France accepts! I'm thinking that I could DoW the Ottos, if France were merely Friendly to them, and France could not intervene because France and I were allied? Does that sound right? Well, they break the alliance and intervene, I guess.

Breaking the alliance will only cost them a Diplomatic Point, so it's possible they'll do it in order to use a free CB. The AI seems very keen on not passing up CBs (or at least most CBs, I've not seen a 'Repay Debts' war).

Overall, I have to apologize for this update. Too bad about the war. I could not see passing up the opportunity, but I could not see continuing against France. The next update is certain to be better, for reasons which will become clear.

I don't think there's anything to apologise for. You took a calculated risk and then backed down when it was clear it wasn't going to pay off. That's good play in my book. Given how tight the infamy limit is, Acquire State CBs are often too tempting to pass up. They're particularly annoying when you're in the middle of a truce with whomever it is you get one on. At least you didn't waste any infamy; it's really galling when you've paid 10 infamy for a state and still can't get it.

Anyhow, time to take your frustration out on those damn Chileans, with their copper and their nitrates.
 
Chapter Thirteen: Is It Me, Or Is It Chile In Here?

brycef Yeah, I think Chile being a Democracy draws in a ton of people, and any state could be a powerhouse if you add literate Pops.

Dewirix Thanks for all the comments. True, I am an oppressor, but nobody should know that yet, I'm more democratic than France. The last chapter looked like it was going to be better than it was, but there ought to be plenty of action coming up.

Previously on "Last Tango" - Chile massed an huge army in an obvious attempt at continued existence.

In April 1883 I check my Infamy - 12.01. Since it costs 20BB to annex, I need to drop 7.01 before I can DoW (I am not taking risks on this war). That will be more or less six years, March 1889. I need to build a bigger army than Chile, and transport it to South America, since I'll be building it in central Africa. Also, I need to maxx out my Army Tech. The prospect of spending 20BB for a failed attempt to annex, wasting 16 years, is too horrifying to contemplate. In March I discover Steam Turbine, another big RGO booster, and make my switch to Military Techs.

In January 1885 I get another Social Reform opportunity. I won't report all of these here, suffice it to say I get one pretty much every January. I hate the Max Workhours choices. Substantially reduce industrial output? I would not take that road unless I had no other choice. I have bad memories of pension costs from 1.1, so I stick my toe in, but take just one early on. Work safety is fine. Factory upkeep doesn't seem that bad, and the tradeoff of reducing needs for Pops seems like a big win. All of these come with +1% immigrant attraction, which is what I'm after, so every chance at reform will will be accepted. Unemployment insurance is a good choice, I don't want to lose craftsmen. Minimum wage seems like the third worst choice after working hours and pensions, but I'll grab everything before I change working hours.

In February I complete my colonization of Lagos. Now I'll work to cut off the Frenchies and Brits, who are colonizing southern Africa. My plan is the same as I use in any 4x game - grab a perimeter, cut off the interior, and take that at my liesure. My target is the light tan area in mid Africa. As you can see, I'm being beaten in several areas, including the half of Benin I don't already own (by the UK), and bits of Congo (France). If I can link up with Egypt I should be able to seal off a half dozen states, grab what I can outside that area, then finish the inside areas I've blocked from others. Egypt seems very intact this game, let's hope she stays that way.



My Army tech advance continues apace: Army Risk Management (Tactics +100%, March 1885); Military Stats (Cav, December 1885); Deep Defense (Fort +1, December 1886); Muzzle loaded Artillery (I'm late, but with the worldwide liquor shortage I have very few cannon, May 1887); Iron Breach Loaded Artillery (Feb 1888); Saddle orders (morale +50%, invention, Aug 1888); Military Logistics (Cav, Feb 1889);

In January 1886 I note that my population has hit 5.4 million. My true population is 21.5 million, and I am up to 740,000 Platineans! Only 1.25 million to go for another NF! The only result of my Egyptian expedition turns out to be the Curse of the Pharaohs, +1 MIL nationwide. In May 1887 I see that I am up to 880,000 Platineans, a jump of 140,000 in sixteen months. I like being an American Democracy with good health care. My population itself is up to 5.8 million. In March 1888 I get more good news. Rubber in Lagos. Though it doesn't mean much right now, African rubber production will be very nice later in the game.

In May 1888 I colonize Congo. In July the USA offers to be my ally, sure! In December I get a border incident with the Ottoman Empire. Must. Resist. Temptation. Sorry, Chile is the big deal here. No Balkans campaign for me, thanks anyway Benito. A March 1889 look at Chile shows still 150,000 troops. I've jacked up taxes substantially, but I'm still bleeding $1000/day paying full shot for supplies. I start research on Inorganic Chemistry. That could have come earlier. Supply boosts would have been handy fighting with a quarter of a million troops. Ah well. What's a war without a significant miscue to start things off? I declare war, demanding annexation.



I develop a sophisticated plan to conquer Chile: I shout, "Get Her!"



Very scientific. Chile has a large army in every province, and many have a couple continugous provinces. So I don't choose the best place to fight in, I choose the best place to fight from. Lots of my troops (160,000) have easy access to Copiapo, so that's where I go. I'm not sure if it's the Military score boost that comes in wartime, but I'll be back in the ranks of Great Powers soon, it seems. Frankly, I assumed that being a Rank #10 country I'd get there if I annexed the Rank #12 country, but it's nice to see now. My General in Copiapo is good enough to make up for the terrain and Chile's +1 DEF general, so the fight is an even battle. Well, as even as 150,000 vs 26,000 should be when I'm the 150,000.



I send troops to fight in the plains of La Serena, to cut off reinforcements to Copiapo, and frankly because I can. I note that Chile's forts are all level one or two. I assume that Chile is not short of cash, so I hope that means that my tech is now a significant advantage.



Chile has mobilized, so while the La Serena battle looks good even before 66,000 men arrive, Chile has another stack of 125,000 men left to be dealt with.



I win Copiapo, but lose 6000 while inflicting only 8500 casualties. Frontage gets to be a real problem here. It turns out that having 100,000 men watch a battle between 50,000 and 30,000 does not add much. To quote Gollum: "Baahhhh!" Similarly, I win in La Serena, killing 6500 and losing 6100. Hmm. I do have to kill these guys eventually. Copiapo troops flee north, La Serena troops run to join their 125,000 comrades in the south. Most of the army which beat Chile's Copiapo force chase the survivors to Antofagasta.



I win quickly, losing only 2000 men, killing 10,000 and the rest surrender. It looks like the enemy can retreat into my territory once only. Then, unless they can reach friendly, unoccupied territory, they surrender. I should work on remembering that. I send 70,000 men into Valparaiso, Chile's southernmost province, because I can.



As you can see, Chile still has 130,000 men not yet being fought. My northern army heads to Santiago through my territory. I decide that, since Chile only has troops in three provinces, I will fight in all three. As each battle is won, the defeated soldiers ought to surrender, so long as I leave a small force in each of my contiguous provinces, and a battle rages in the other places Chile could have retreated to.



The biggest fight, in Vin Del Mar, goes well at the start.



I did not get men in position around Valparaiso quickly enough, but on May 13 I win, killing 17,000 of the 30,000 enemy for a loss of 3300. Some of the men are dispatched to mop up, some remain to occupy, some fed into the other two battles. Here we see the critical battle in Vin del Mar, and see that with so many armies, I neglected to check my generals, +0 ATT ftl. Still, this one does not appear to be a battle I'll lose. If a better general arrives will he take over, or am I stuck with the first moron to show up? Hopefully the best guy present will lead, but "dibs" has a long and glorious history. If the general in charge of any battle is selected via dibs, then We must respect the dibs.



On May 29, I wipe out the army which fled from Valparaiso, losing 1000 men. It's not until the 2nd of July that I win the battle of Santiago, losing 13000 men, killing 15,000 and capturing 20,000. As you can see, the final battle is taking a long time as well, but it is going my way.



On September 2, 1889 I officially become a Great Power. The Vin del Mar battle still rages. On the 19th I successfully occupy La Serena, and the battle still rages. I finally win Vin del Mar! My losses were greater than the enemy's, 55,000 to 53,000, a result of my not checking generals and fighting several battles at once. I also suspect dibs. On the other hand, Chile's remaining 50,000 men all surrender, meaning that the war is over except for speeding up the clock, and ignoring the WP spam.



Valparaiso falls on October 8, and on the 11th I complete Inorganic Chemistry, granting +25% to supply. Timing is everything. Copiapo falls in October. Santiago and Vin del Mar take longer still, falling in January 1890, and ending the war.



Is Chile in here? Nope, it's just me.

 
Excellent, it seems your tech was greater and you managed to outnumber them by concentrating locally in each battle. I figure they didn't uncover any of their provinces by reinforcing with idle armies because they didn't want you occupying anything, so effectively they pinned their armies in place for you to take them down in sequence.
 
Good work taking down Chile so painlessly. Makes for less drama, but far greater satisfaction. :)

Your population seems to have entered a phase of steady and rapid growth. Good: it should mean that the RGOs fill up and everyone else can be used to support industrialisation. With luck a top four finish is on the cards (and with dreadnoughts a top two).
 
Chapter Fourteen: Aftermath

Rabid Absolutely! If it weren't for BB, I could clean up quite a bit of map in South America.

Omen Santiago is my most productive state, and as you'll see I make a jump in the standings.

brycef Yeah, the AI does a decent job not giving you anything cheap. Especially as the wars get more spread out it actually takes you by surprise now and then, too.

Dewirix Thanks. Yeah, wish I'd lost fewer guys in the big fight. True on RGOs, I can recruit a vast army now.

Argentina is now the seventh most powerful nation on earth. So I get into the great power influence game seriously, and no sooner do I make a real attempt at Brazil than I get banned by France. That makes sense. I'll do an overview this Chapter, and I'll do that once more around 1910-1915, and then a post-game review.

Argentina is fourth in the world in prestige, which means that Walmart opens an hour early for me. Of course, the UK shops 24/7 and I still find many shelves bare. My military is fourth most powerful as well, quite a turn-around from the beginning of the game when I feared a DoW from Brazil. Okay, wondered with some concern about a possible DoW from Brazil. My industry is much like the post-WW2 Soviet Union, except I didn't have to move the machinery from conquered areas, I just left it where I stole it.



Italy has double my industry, and the Ottomans are still close behind me. I expand all factories immediately in Santiago because it has some 45,000 unemployed craftsmen. Didn't they fix the "occupied-provinces make RGO workers become craftsmen bug?" Can't see why Chile left 45,000 unemployed, but I suppose the AI Capis don't build factories any better for itself than they do for us. Come to think of it, Santiago wasn't occupied for long before the war ended, so that was not the reason for so many craftsmen. In July I begin what will turn out to be a titanic struggle for diplomatic control over the Ottoman Empire, and both Russia and France discredit me. My plan is to eliminate all possible intervenors for the next OE war. The Ottomans must have jumped to, then lost, GP status, because all GPs are neutral. I'm trying to mix a little gameplay discussion in with the overview, but that's enough excitement for now. Here's a look at my finances, long a favorite of the readers of this AAR:



Here is a look at Santiago, now with 60,000 craftsmen itching to go to work. Note the level 14 Luxury Clothes factory and its +2.67k profits. That one factory probably beats many entire countries for IND score.



In December 1890 I invent Dye. I like Dye factories because they're a one-year build, not two, and so they are very nice for provinces with potential unemployment issues. They also seem to make money. One thing I've done based on my Haiti game is build factories far beyond what is needed at the moment. I'm not sure how much that has mattered, but then ... I haven't been racing to get work for people the way I did as Haiti! January 1891 brings Argentina'a first minimum wage. I have the middle reforms in Safety and Unemployment, and the best health care. I also went for the second (middle) reform in pensions, which I didn't intend to do. Oops. I figure at low levels, a minimum wage is good for me. All factories are subsidized if they need it. This bumps me to +11% immigration attraction just from social reforms, I think I get 5% from Political Reforms. I won't go into detail, but I start finding rubber and cores everywhere. I complete my next colony, and work east, to connect up with Egypt and presumably seal off a chunk of Central Africa from my competitors. I can then grab whatever I'm able to outside the perimeter, and when those opportunities are exhausted, I'll work on the interior. I do need Egypt not to lose any territory touching these areas, but with the USA protecting her, Egypt seems to have been okay for quite some time now.



In November 1891 I complete Combustion Engine. It was worth staying State Capitalism for the ability to build automobile factories everywhere when the time comes. Speaking of Industry, here's what I have in 1892



And the rest:



Bonus fact of the day: La Serena is a gold mine!



After all this time, Buenos Aires has 5000 craftsmen, meaning it's not even on the list



I have nearly a million craftsmen, putting me in a very respectable position worldwide.



In Population and Army size, Argentina is also very respectable.



Here are the world rankings



I now have 1.5 million people of Platinean persuasion, meaning that not only will I have a second NF soon, I can expect many more before the game is over. Not bad for a start of 200k or so. And let's not forget what has made this all possible.



I should probably clean up that map at some point. I want a bigger font size, or at least a more central location for "Argentinian". I forgot to take tech screenshots until the end of 1895, but here they are. In Army, I have nearly all I could have.



Here are Industry and Culture.



We're just past the halfway mark, and I must say I look at Sokoto in a far different light than I used to, along with the rest of Africa. I'm used to France and the UK grabbing it all, and yes, I recall excessive soldier Pops in Africa when I played France in 1.1, but sheesh. What an army you can build in there. Sokoto has proven to be what I was hoping to get from Zulu, which I have long since forgotten. Between stealing Chile's industry and recruiting Sokoto's soldiers, Argentina is poised to do something stupid!

Here's the World Map. China is holding together well, Italy has formed, but not Germany. Mexico has held onto the Southwest, and Austria is doing well. All in all, aside from Argentina, this looks more like 1836 than I usually see.



Next chapter: actual things actually happening!
 
150 brigades, eh? I say go for all of SA! Is that the kind of stupid you were looking for, or was it more of a "try to attack to ottomans again" kind?

Edit: and what happened to Persia/ Central Asia? How on earth did France get territory there? o_O
 
I see that Korea's still up for grabs, although it's probably been SoI'd by Russia.

Rapid unemployment does seem to be more of a problem than I remember it being. In my Japan game I've hit 50,000 unemployed in one province just three years into the game. Thank goodness for State Capitalism.

Doing something stupid sounds... interesting.
 
Chapter Fifteen: Into Europe

Vaya con Queso The Ottos are looking to be a bit small for a truly stupid attack now. Central Asia got to be weird, Italy blends with Russia borders France and the UK. It's the one part of the world that's abnormal.

Dewirix Hopefully I hold off unemployment with all my pre-building. Yeah, I'm hoping stupid turns out to be interesting. My normal gameplay is to grab what's relatively safe and build off that. I plan to take big risks.

Last chapter was an overview of Argentina and the world, let's see if we can't make this more interesting. What did I take screenshots of to allow me to make this exciting? I see a screenshot of a new core, and here's another new core, and some rubber being found. We can do better than that. Ah! A financial screenshot! Sorry.

In June 1893, frustrated with my troubles in taking control of the Ottoman Empire diplomatically (I want to knock down all suitors, but not sphere the OE), I start in on the Commerce Techs which grant more diplomatic clout. In September I get to kill my first Commie rabble, always satisfying. Later in 1893 I make the last move needed to seal off a big chunk of Africa from the rest of the world.



Things progress slowly now, as you can tell. I have poor relations with many neighbors, but none grant me a Border CB, and I am near the maximum Infamy. In December 1894 I am granted a second National Focus, and apply that to colonizing. My craftsmen seem to be growing in number without using an NF, my clergy are in decent shape, and my Admin was 81% last time I saw a screenshot, so colonizing seems to me the best use of both NFs. The second one is used to grab more of Africa outside my own preserve. February 1895 sees another Diplomatic Tech boost: Market Regulations. In August 1896 I discover Cheap Iron, late, I know, and I also invent telephones. It will be nice to have factories on line before those are actually needed. August 1897 shows Argentina reach 2.5 million Platinean pops, so we're racing to our next NF, even if we're not doing much else. I've decided to stop relying on sailing ships to drag my troops around, and we invent Steam Ships just in time for the new Century. In 1898 we send a man to the North Pole, or at least in that general direction. In April, we invent electric gear, and colonize two more areas of Africa. I work on Navy tech, at least the ship building portion. I also build up my army, 1899 sees Argentina fielding the third largest army on earth.



July 1899 brings Integral Rail System, and in September Argentina begins building some of the first Aeroplane factories in the world. The start of the new century (using the popular date of 1/1/1900) brings Argentina a third NF, which I foolishly waste for 18 months on Clergy in my capitol. Sure, clergy are nice, and my literacy isn't maxxed, and I do get clergy to 3.6%, but it's a bit late in the game, and craftsmen would have been better. Our North Pole Expedition seems to have gotten as far as Burbank, so we send another one. A month later we outfit a third expedition, apparently assuming the second one would fail as well. In December we spend the holiday season killing commies. We sing, "Oh, come all ye unfaithful", then shoot them. In April 1901, the North German Federation finally forms. Prussia had been reduced to a tenuous hold on the final GP spot. Later in the year I gain the ability to construct Cruisers, which I do, and we lost a North Pole Expedition, though I am not told which one. In summer, I colonize Mombassa and Uganda, the last areas of Africa I can colonize outside of the area I sealed off. So I begin work on the interior. Note that Argentina is now the #6 Ranked Power.



France DoWs Italy for Savoie, but I never find a way to make this work for me. Italy has taken enough of Persia to allow her to blend in with Russia in that part of the world, like a clownfish snuggling with a sea anemonie. Sort of. Excellent strategy!



The end of 1901 brings us the final +100% Research tech. We now get 52RPs per day, and even high end techs rarely take more than a year. I have to say that I found this stage of the game somewhat frustrating. I've promised to do something stupid, and I will, but opportunities for something which is sufficiently difficult and yet not totally pointless are limited. Too many targets are protected by, for me, as yet unreachable powers. So I build my army, work on an actual navy, and wait impatiently for something to present itself. Sorry. With this frustration in mind, I came back from a break with a new strategy for action - make something happen no matter what! In preparation, I recruit half a million men into Argentina's army.



I realize, however, that even if I build Argentina's army up to 1.2 million men, I'm going to need a place to put them. Where do foreigners put their armies? Well, I am nothing if not a traditionalist.



Belgium has one ally, Denmark, and no GP is friendly to her. In fact, she has a truce with three of them. From Belgium I can become involved in any Great European War. If there is no Great European War, I can start one! With supply the way it is in 1902, I can fit nearly 100,000 men in each province. A nice four province Belgian state costs me 10BB, and allows me to put 400,000 men in the heart of Europe. This is not my big war, but this does allow me to get to my big war. I'm not sure how many world wars I can manage in the next 34 years, but I'll see what I can do. On June 1, 1902 Automobile factories go up all over Argentina! After I get barrels, even a Laizzez Faire government won't faze me. Before the war starts, I check the ledger and see Belgium sporting one brigade and two ships. I've been signing up for every meaningful alliance offer I get, Mexico jumps in before the war, but I will not need any help here, obviously. My ships arrive off the coast of Belgium just as Argentine scientists discover Electrical Power Generation. That RGO boost will help pay for this war. I demand the four province State of Friesland, and DoW Belgium. 66,000 Belgian farmers take up arms, and I attack. To save space, I'll post the battle result in the same image as the battle detail. The battle against the main farmers goes well, duh.



The second battle was even easier, so I'll skip it. Also, I had no general. Hey, war is complicated! The final battle wasn't exactly strenuous.



I February the consequences of my offensive behavior begin to show (or seem to), when the UK cancels my military access. In March Portugal breaks their alliance. In September the USA breaks their alliance. Occupying level four forts is time consuming, even with Hussars. The Sitzkrieg drags into October, and the map of Belgium is so condensed that if I need to take them all, it'll be a while, since I missed a small province for months.



Our Naval research is progressing faster than our occupation, we discover Steam Turbine Ships at the end of November. Mid-December, Antwerp falls after 11 months. By February I've only taken two more, when Argentina invents both Dreadnaughts and Direct Current. Three provinces fall in March, then we sit until May, when another three fall, all taking over 500 days. Two more states fall in June, and Belgium finally sees the light.



So the War of Preparation is over, and I wait for something to come up, while preparing to make something happen if it doesn't. Hmm, those Germans don't look so tough.
 
So the War of Preparation is over, and I wait for something to come up, while preparing to make something happen if it doesn't. Hmm, those Germans don't look so tough.

Actually, I'd tend to agree with that. Based on what happened in Belgium, I'd estimate that the NGF (who formed mid-way through this update by the look of things) can mobilise about 100-150 brigades tops. I'm not sure what their standing army looks like now, but it's probably not much higher than the 68 brigades Prussia had. You, by contrast, have 387 regular brigades, can build over 100 more and could mobilise another 74.

As long as you can keep naval dominance (and knowing the AI's love of ship building that's a big if), then you should have no problems.

Regardless of the outcome, I'm looking forward to the war!
 
Actually, I'd tend to agree with that. Based on what happened in Belgium, I'd estimate that the NGF (who formed mid-way through this update by the look of things) can mobilise about 100-150 brigades tops. I'm not sure what their standing army looks like now, but it's probably not much higher than the 68 brigades Prussia had. You, by contrast, have 387 regular brigades, can build over 100 more and could mobilise another 74.

As long as you can keep naval dominance (and knowing the AI's love of ship building that's a big if), then you should have no problems.

Regardless of the outcome, I'm looking forward to the war!

Glad to see you're developing a navy. The army wins the war but the navy gets you there and keeps the enemy from bringing it to you.
 
Chapter Sixteen: Argentina Outnumbered

I try to avoid spoilers, but I will say this much about the future:

Dewirix Prophetic words about the AI and navy :( But much fun ensues, I believe.

brycef Too true, especially on the "gets you there".
But both of those comments pertain to the future, for the present, I develop enough problems on land, thank you very much.

Previously on "Last Tango": I took a chunk out of Belgium. When the Dutch try to take more, I think "that's mine", and subsidize Belgium, my old foe.

I know you've all been waiting, and at the risk of spoiling the major suspense of this AAR, here's another look at the future: I do succeed in getting France and Russia down to hostile with the Ottoman Empire while I myself am friendly! Tada! The next border event will be a real winner. My Army tech research continues, and in September of 1904 I discover Army NCO Training. I am also nearly done with colonizing. Here is a view of what I'm doing.



Here is a view of what I've already done.



France finally acquires Savoie from Italy, and I take some time to look over some products, and Argentina's place in the world market, because it's more impressive than I had expected, in some areas, anyway.



In November 1904 I ally with the USA again. We'll see how this one works out. NCO Tactical Training gives me the +50% Morale invention, and there is much rejoicing. January of 1905 shows me that I have only pensions and Work Hours left in the social reform tree, so I ignore them. Oh, look, my financial screen. How'd that get there? Hmm, my Buros all quit again, half anyway.



In June 1905 we discover Bolt Action Rifles, in March 1906 Argentina hits Rank 4 in the Great Power chart, but we're still 1.1BB away from demanding a state from anyone, and it'll be 1909 before our truce with Belgium is up. Which is too bad, because a look at the national comparison chart shows us ready to roll. Only the UK and China have more brigades than Argentina's 400, and the powers below us all have fewer than 200.



Abu Dahbi went bankrupt, gave us a CB, and in my quest to fulfill my promises to you, gentle readers, I did something stupid. Unfortunately, what I did that was stupid was take screen shots of the war with Abu Dahbi. It was pretty much what you'd expect. During the prosecution of this trivially easy and utterly pointless war, something interesting did happen.



So, a Place in The Sun CB against Russia, huh? We have 400 Brigades, they have 150. We're modern, they, hopefully, are not. The bad part is that only colonial states can be claimed under this CB, which leaves me with a choice between landlocked Persian territory or bits of Korea. Hmm. Korea also borders China, at least in the north. In February 1907 we discover Barrels, woot! Well, we won't have any for this war. All systems are go, Argentina will invade Russia! What could go wrong? Well, Russia is protected by France, Netherlands, Spain and some lesser powers. As you can see from the portion of the image below which I label "After", the major powers all bail. Fear of The Argentine Death Star (tm) keeps all those systems in line.



The CB was set to run out before all my fleets could get into position with their loaded troops. So the DoW took place when I had troops waiting to land around the Crimea and some on the way to Korea itself. Not exactly the optimal start. Also, I knew in the abstract that Russia would mobilize, and that they'd have, you know, a bunch of guys. However, I admit that I did not expect this:



What those simple numbers tell you is that I now face TWO MILLION SCREAMING RUSSIANS!
 
400 brigades?!? Well, you've done much better than I managed to do; I never bother going after Africa (or any colonies for that matter) as a South American nation.

Oh well, don'y worry too much about those Russians; as I say, there's no such thing as a superior Russian force. Getting your guys over there may be your biggest concern.
 
Looks like you can reform some in the last couple of screenshots; is nothing appealing or is this just an RP-type decision.
 
On the plus side, they have a useless navy and very big borders to defend. You can probably rack up the 18 warscore you need from battles and blockades. Attacking them in East Asia (which is also where your wargoal is) should keep them on the back foot for long enough to convince them they're not winning this one.
 
Chapter Seventeen: Two Million Screaming Russians

Vaya con Queso Yeah, I have recruited many soldiers in Africa. Hopefully they fight far better than the Russians.

Omen Glad you like it :D

Avindian I generally do take reforms until all I am offered is 14h workday and the more expensive end of the pensions reform list. I can't recall now what the situation was there, probably I took a reform but didn't mention it specifically.

Dewirix I hope you're right. The trick is to convince them I'm winning while it's still true.

Previously on "Last Tango" - having been frustrated in her previous attempts to do something stupid yet interesting, Argentina declared war on Russia.

We have 400 brigades, the Russians had 150, but of course they can mobilize a few more. In the event, they mobilize nearly 600 brigades, yielding approximately 2.2 million screaming Russians. My plan was to set up in defensible choke points and ferry troops into position to fight the Russians. Before I knew what they'd come up with I actually saw myself pocketing Russian troops and adding a second state to my wargoals. Facing 2 million enemy changes that a bit, though I do have 1.2 million myself. I land troops in the Pyongyang province I demanded (I let Charlie Sheen name the army, but I misspelled "Bi-Winning").



In the Odessa region I had transports ready for the start of the war, and the men I unloaded are already seeing action. I do not expect to see Russian strength with pretty red backgrounds like that for too much longer.



The early battles in Odessa go well. On the one hand, I want to kill some Russians while the killing is good. On the other, I want my armies to be mutually reinforcing here for the inevitable onslaught. If I lose an army it means a lot more than if the Russians do. So I keep them to a pretty small perimeter in Odessa. My Navies are mostly dispatched to get some more troops.



Thinking that I might have stepped in it, I cast around for things I can do to make this war work. Weirdly, or so it seems to me, the USA is ready, willing and able to join the war. I ask, and she says yes. Later, Portugal does as well, though Mexico runs off. I'm not sure how much they can do, aside from provide navies, but I'm hoping that if the world sees Russia being DoWed by everyone, that Austria, Germany or the Ottomans will Dow (Russia has China SoI-ed)(there's an unpleasant thought). To keep track of my progress, I note that Russia has 735 brigades at the start. By raising taxes slightly on the poor, I'm able to keep positive cash flow. It's good to be rich. I win the two Odessa battles quickly, but not decisively. I follow them into the one cut-off Russian province.



I had hoped to pocket some troops, but Russia turns out to have access to Wallachia [ed - you mean Moldavia? me - whatever], which I lack. So I settle in to take what I can and defend when the time comes. Argentina invents Armor. I hope our next war will feature mass quantities, I want to hear "Mars" whenever my armies move. Meanwhile, in Korea my life is complicated by Russian access to their minion, China. This is no big surprise, but it means that I have to defend the natural Korea-China border before I have taken control, which in turns means when I have poor supply there. I leave small armies to occupy the mountains and have the larger forces on nearby plains.



Here you can see me winning the battle of Izmail, and the escaping Russians. Note that I split my each of my occupying armies in two so that I could send half into the battle with instructions to return when it was done. This seems like it was a good idea.



In Mid-September, more troops arrive in Korea, but I'm still below 100,000 in that area. On the 19th I switch strategies on the Ottoman Empire, and add them to my sphere of influence. Let's face it, war with the OE isn't looking very exciting right now, and Turkish troops would be a welcome distraction for Russia, in my view. On the 20th, the next day, something happens which has never happened to me, and which seemed like a glitch.



Not only do I "lose 200 influence" with the Ottomans, which I chose, but my relations go from "In Sphere" to "Hostile" overnight. In any event, I'll be fighting this war without Ottoman troops helping me, and without access to the OE [Ed- this happens again later, though not mid-war. When you SoI a nation you're very hostile to, the natives kick you back out, the ungrateful bums. WAD]. In October I win the battle in Pyongyang, and successfully occupy Odessa. Hurray for Level 0 Forts! I pocket the survivors of Pyongyang, all 16,000 of them, though more Russians are arriving from the north. I kill 8000 in Pyongyang, and 8000 surrender. Russia is down 11 brigades! Only 724 more to go. Since I have 400,000 troops in Belgium, I decide to open a third front in Riga.



A few days later, I take my second fort-less province captive, Chisinau. So far, the Russian Horde seems thin on the ground in the Odessa area. Perhaps with landings near the Capitol in St Petersburg I can induce a little X-Com shuffle in the Russian troops. We colonize the Libyan Desert in celebration. I pocket the small army which the Russians had sent to Korea in mid-November, leaving only 719 brigades left in the Russian quiver. I check the negotiating table and see a warscore of 12 with 18 needed. Well, 18 sort of, I assume Russia won't concede at 18. Frankly, if they prove that easy, I'll add Odessa or Riga to my wargoals. I do not expect that. The AI seems hard coded to ignore early losses and see how the war goes later, when it starts to seriously fight back (which is usually a good thing, but sometimes results in the AI doubling down on an unwinnable war). As November comes to a close, I spread out around Riga and continue to funnel Belgian-area troops there. I also see that the US is contributing some naval forces.



I take a third province in the Odessa area, but I am loathe to spread out until I get more troops there. Russians walking through China engage my small armies in the border provinces, and I send in my bigger armies. I win two meaningless battles there, with casualties in the hundreds. Meanwhile, I quickly reach 250,000 men in the Riga area.



Jacobin rebels rise at home, and they'll actually kill 4-5 brigades of new recruits, but they are the least of my troubles now, with under twenty South American provinces in revolt. I take control of my first Korean province. Unfortunately, the ones I've asked for in my wargoals, which would really count in the warscore, have forts. The Korean provinces I can take quickly count for not much at all. Christmas in Korea sees the beginning of the expected Russian wave, with 135,000 troops in combat or about to be.



I take a Riga-area province on the 27th. I love 56 day occupations. In Korea, my prospects begin to dim, even though I have a good general and the Russians do not.



I take Izmail on the 30th, but the Russians pour 135,000 soldiers into the battle in Kimchaek, and I'm racing men there while holding on with 30,000. I get my local forces into the battle, and hope that the Russians just have 100,000 men watching each side fight with 50,000.



I January I grab Riga after a two-month siege, then a fourth province near Odessa. The Russians near Odessa cannot quite match my 200,000 men, and seem content to contain me. The Russians in Korea outnumber mine badly, though I do take Pyongyang in late January. Near Riga, the Russians appear to be massing for a counterstrike, and you know that this is just the start...

 
Exciting stuff! Three separate invasions (Korea, Crimea and the Baltic) should keep the Russians on their toes, but you risk being strong nowhere. Don't be afraid to simply pull troops out of an area if there are too many enemy brigades for you to handle.

Does Russia hold all of Korea? If they do, then occupying everthing and forcing them to come south to retake should give you the chance to surround more armies. You can use you navy to land blocking forces behind the Russian spearheads cutting them off.

The outcome of the Battle of Kimchaek could prove crucial.
 
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