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I thought your choice of naval in day of decision in keeping with the aims of the AAR, but I think it has been incorrectly coded. Why would you invest 500 in land technology, when you've chosen to go naval?
Fighting the French is much easier than natives!
Fighting the French is much easier than natives!
Chief Ragusa said:
Actualy he was pointing in going for North Africa. The bug was in naval technology gaining 2 and in Decentralization gaining 1.
Fixed two or three days go.
Lord Duke, BBBD316, Lordban, safferli, isca, ubik, VILenin, merrick, Capibara: thanks for your continuing support and kind words!
coz1: Indeed. the English alliance is rather annoying, since their continental territories keep sparking wars and dragging us along, but I wanted that for fun and a challenge.
ChiefRagusa: Indeed, as ubik said: I was pointing to the alternative, to make clear how attractive that proposal was. Sorry for the confusion.
Will post an update within the hour.
coz1: Indeed
. the English alliance is rather annoying, since their continental territories keep sparking wars and dragging us along, but I wanted that for fun and a challenge.ChiefRagusa: Indeed, as ubik said: I was pointing to the alternative, to make clear how attractive that proposal was. Sorry for the confusion.
Will post an update within the hour.
III.
Now, where was I? Oh yes. That war with France. Let me see. My enemies have mustered almost 90,000 men. We have a grand total of 14,000. But let’s not panic, as there is some good news too: almost all of those are ours. Yes sir. England has a staggering army count of 2,000 men.
So. With the English economy still in tatters after the Hundred Years War and our own realm plagued by noble opposition, I should probably say something to inspire the men. Something Churchill-esque. Something like “arm yourselves and be ye men of valour.” Yes, that would do. Or maybe “we shall fight on the seas and oceans.” Indeed. We shall not, I hope, fight on the beaches, the landing grounds, or the fields. Anyway, if the enemy doesn’t get military access though Iberia – and let’s pray for that – all I need to do to fend off invasions, is watch and destroy approaching ships. Simple. The more so because my alliance with Aragon allows me to see into the Mediterranean. Brilliant.
When the war starts, my entire fleet lies anchored in the port of Madeira. I hire an admiral, Garcia da Fonseca (1 fire, 2 manoeuvre – not exactly gifted, but let’s not be fickle) and set sail to the Gulf of Cadiz, where I immediately intercept and destroy two French carracks. To gain sea superiority, I order the construction of three more ships. In March, after some minor battles with small contingents of French and Scottish fleets, I capture my first enemy boat, the carrack La Victoire. Then I spot a large French transport fleet, commanded by Gaston du Fournay, apparently sailing to the unprotected Azores with a small army. Before I can engage them, however, I am attacked by a Norvegian flotilla led by Tollak Torsson. I drive them off, pursue and finally destroy them near Finisterre Bay. In the homeland, meanwhile, my new king has to deal with yet another rebel uprising in Algarve. Now, where did that Fourniret chap go?
There he is. The French dog has disembarked his troops on Madeira and is already on his way back. Spiteful, I confront the culprit before the coast of Morocco.
Fournay is clearly the better admiral, so it is only by strength of numbers that I am able to sink one of his carracks and five of his transports, while capturing one cog. Before I can ship a relief force to Madeira, my inbound fleet is attacked in the Gulf of Cadiz by another French admiral, Simon de Caumartin. I defeat him, capturing another cog. When the newly constructed vessels sail out of my shipyards, the Portuguese Armada totals sixteen ships: ten carracks and six cogs. Somebody stop me!
In the following months, after breaking the siege of Madeira, there is a temporary lull in hostilities. My funds are rapidly dwindling though, and disbanding any of my ships would be rather silly. The situation becomes acute when the Barbary pirates attack Porto and I don’t have another dime to spend. There is some good news too, however: Norway and Scotland have signed a truce.
Then the odds turn again. In October 1462, an enemy army of more than 12,000 men, led by Philippe I of Orleans, lays siege to the fortress of Bragança in northern Portugal. No love from the Canary-Coloured-Kingdom. I guess this is Henrique’s moment to rise and shine. So I send him north, at the head of the 6,000 strong Iberian Guard, to confront Philippe. The kings clash in November. Needless to say, the battle opens rather ominously. I take a loan, hastily recruit some mercenaries and send them on their way to reinforce Henrique.
Then the strangest thing happens...
… but it is not Henrique’s army that retreats. Instead, the French coalition army withdraws into Castile. The battle has been broken off, but why? Divine intervention? Metal fatigue? Fleas? Or was it the simple fact that Lorraine signed a truce with England? In any case, the regiment of Lorraine starts to march home, soon followed by the troops of Orleans and Auvergne. Before I can breathe a sigh of relief, the remaining troops of Provence attack. They are defeated in a bloody battle, and a few days later the last rebel nobles in Portugal surrender. Henrique is finally acknowledged as the legitimate heir to the throne.
In January 1463, a Milanese army arrives in Bragança. Simultaneously some English reinforcements reach our shores.
Yes, they like to watch. My Iberian Guard, more confident than before, defeats the Milanese invaders and wins two more (minor) battles against Provence and Orleans.
In October, we receive word that our newly built fortress on the Azores is besieged by the French, but before I can set sail, England and France declare a white peace. Ha, just when I was starting to enjoy myself.
Even though the strange happenings in Bragança almost made a believer out of me, I embrace secular humanism a few months later. Behold, the dawn of the Renaissance Man.
The following year, some chaps with maps require my attention.
Timbuktu has a rather ridiculous ring to it, anyway…
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It's back!!
The war is going to cost you money and men,so if you're able to grab a province or two from the French vassals it would be great, meanwhile concentrate in colonizing North Africa.
The war is going to cost you money and men,so if you're able to grab a province or two from the French vassals it would be great, meanwhile concentrate in colonizing North Africa.
Never trust a Canary - but congratulations on a well-conducted war.
Looking forward to the Age of Exploration.
Most likely the last. There's a well-known bug that hits when forces from three alliances are present in the same province - in this case if Lorraine made peace mid-battle the battle would have been interrupted and the bug would have caused all invading forces to be booted instead of just booting the Lorrainers and restarting the battle.Jestocost said:
Looking forward to the Age of Exploration.
Capibara said:
Thanks for the advice. War is costly indeed, but my expanding trade can compensate a bit (when the barbary pirates don't meddle with my trades lines, anyway). I don't think I will conquer any territories from French vassals though: I could not defend them long, and they would only provide the Frenchies with one more excuse to come after me.
I will concentrate on my colonial efforts of course. merrick: Ah, good to know about the bug, sir. A sort of fleas, after all, then. I look forward to the exploration part too, but first there will be more explosion parts, I'm afraid. Burgundians, Milanese, French and oh... more French.
Jestocost said:[...]I don't think I will conquer any territories from French vassals though: I could not defend them long, and they would only provide the Frenchies with one more excuse to come after me.
Wise choice!
Concentrate on the business of colonizing.
I agree with your decision to avoid lands in France. Focus on building an overseas colonial empire. If you feel the need to add some land in Europe you can always wait for the oppertunity to steal some from those Portuguese hating Canaries next door.
Lucky for France that they surrendered, I was sure you were about to counter attack through the low countries....what no. Oh well, well done anyway.
That war's conclusion was quite anticlimactic
A nice use of your naval power here; probably saved you quite a few headaches
A nice use of your naval power here; probably saved you quite a few headaches
Portugal seems popular nowadays. Anyway, that war with France didn't go too bad, it seems. Now it's just a matter of revenge... on Castille.
ubik said:Wise choice!
Concentrate on the business of colonizing.
Yes sir. Now, If only England's enemies would allow me some spare time.
VILenin said:
The Canaries will feel my Parakeet Wrath some day, but not in the immediate future ...
BBBD316 said:
Thanks!Yes, I would have liked something more dramatic too, but they will give an encore soon.Lordban said:
Charle_88 said:
They are, aren't they? Well, I'm glad I went for it: they have a lot to offer (in MM anyway), a wonderful ride full of twists and turns.
Everyone's heard of Timbuktu. It's famous.
Fancy not guarding your colonies. In future wars, your enemies may target your colonies and it would be a terrible waste of resources to lose them.
Fancy not guarding your colonies. In future wars, your enemies may target your colonies and it would be a terrible waste of resources to lose them.
About Timbuktu. Let's just say I don't like it being next to such a vast amount of sand. And copious amounts of Tuareg too. That, and the hinterland is quite difficult to colonize. My colonial range is 240 at the moment, that would not nearly be enough to actually reach said fabled riches (you probably need 2000...?)
As a matter of fact, I was -- and am -- guarding some colonies (notably Arguin), but if I spread my forces too thin, I'm sure Castile will strike in Iberia.
As a matter of fact, I was -- and am -- guarding some colonies (notably Arguin), but if I spread my forces too thin, I'm sure Castile will strike in Iberia.
Timbuktu presents a very good oportunity. You'll own a Cot with very few competitors there, all of them technological backwards. Given the right NIs it is possible to have the CoT mainly for yourself.
Jestocost said:
You should put Castille in respect by always keeping some 10000 troops in mainland Portugal. Mint as necessary.