Chapter Four
Anjou, Provence’s second province is Cosmopolitaine cultured. Patriot rebels should cause it to defect from Occitain Provence to Cosmopolitaine France without any BB.
Rebels with X-Wings (i.e. the right sort)
England has more troops than France and a much bigger navy. While I know how I intend to take them down the lack of strategic mobility once I land troops means I need to remove any continental threats first.
Burgundy first, they have five French cores. I can win a significant peace deal without picking up any BB. After that I’d like one or two more rounds of war in Iberia before ‘Sealion’.
Papal Controller – March 1415
While Papal Controller is hugely useful due to the extra 0.25 annual BB burn I don’t try for it this early. Cardinals come and go too fast and I don’t hold enough provinces to catch sufficient free replacements.
The available decision is ‘Imperial Administration’, meh.
Control of the Papacy lasted three months.
Anjou defects – April 1417
I also inherit the rebel army 8,000 men (1 cav / 7 inf) and a general (1/2/2/1).
July 1417, with BB dropping below 5 I send warnings to Portugal, Castile and Aragon to go with the existing warning on Burgundy. My only other significant neighbour is a heavily armed England. The potential exists for a ‘the war situation has developed not necessarily to France’s advantage’ moment.
Land Tech Level 5 – April 1418
I choose Longbow for the additional offensive shock.
By October 1418 time has run out, with BB down to 3.48 / 16.00, it’s time for…
War with Burgundy
Interesting enemy third in that list
BB jumps to
5.48 / 16.00 but the war objectives are not heavy on BB. I’ll probably need to go straight into another war to keep my BB growing.
December 1419 just as I decisively gain the upper hand in the war against Burgundy recently warned Castile DOWs Navarre! French Iberia has rebel problems perhaps Castile’s rebuilt armies can help me…
War with Castile
Western Europe
Brittany is at war with England, I’m hoping for cores and cash – ideally England will then vasselise and that’s one less minor to worry about.
Peace with Portugal – May 1420
Portugal is vassalised, I’ll diploannex as soon as I can. Even as a vassal the COT means Portugal can afford colonies, an undesirable outcome. Shortly after this Vendee falls and Brittany peaces out for cores and 25 ducats. War Score against Burgundy is in the 70s but I have several sieges still to complete while this enemy has no field forces left.
BB is
4.68 / 16.00
October 1420 England annexes Tyrone to control all of Ireland and vassalises Brittany. Days later England declares war on Armagnac, they annex after a long siege.
Peace with Burgundy – March 1421
This deal is no less than four core provinces so no BB. It also isolates Burgundy’s capital, a cored French province.
BB is
3.73 / 16.00
I’ve possibly been a little overzealous; Burgundy is being gangbanged and is quite likely to be ‘minored’ in this war. I don’t treat this as quite the disaster some people have suggested. There’s lots of time and someone will consolidate Germany. Hesse did it in my test game.
December 1421 –
Provence accepts annexation
BB is
3.87 / 16.00
The new mission is ‘Reclaim Calais’, essentially a 5 prestige bonus for reclaiming my core in Calais, already on the medium term agenda.
Peace with Castile – January 1422
BB is
6.78 / 16.00
My BB burn is unchanged at 1.15 per annum; a Diplo 6 monarch and 11 stars of diplomats at the court.
Iberia is nearly sufficiently under control to permit the focus to switch to England. Preparation is already in hand, 12,000 cavalry are being shipped to Scotland. This could be a do or die mission as there’s no escape. My navy isn’t even road kill when faced with the English fleet. I’ve also secured military access from Utrecht as somewhere to hide my ships once the Scottish force is in place.
