After reading the 1.17 patch changes, I became convinced that hordes were once again top-tier WC contenders. This AAR is intended as a proof of concept for this. 'Gamey and ahistorical' play will abound, as well as tag-switching when strategically expedient. I do hope that someone finds my explanations of some gameplay tricks useful.
Here are some reasons I think 1.17 hordes are significantly more powerful than in 1.15/1.16:
The Kazan idea set is almost perfection. Excellent tolerance of heathens, early religious unity, the ability to unlock reduced coring cost with the first idea group, and an amazing morale finisher that rivals what most tier 1 nations get. It loses the +1 shock of classic / Manchu horde ideas but gets quite a bit in return.
The starting position is a bit dicey, being surrounded with initially stronger opponents, but sitting at the crossroads of three religions - Catholic, Sunni, Orthodox - is an incredible opportunity, and not just in terms of AE distribution.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Steppeland Voltron
Chapter 2: Catholic Zealot Demolition Derby
Chapter 3: Razing for Charity
Chapter 4: The Protestant Deformation
Chapter 5: The Fourth Elector
Chapter 6: The Shadow Princes
Finale: Always Settle For Greyskin
Here are some reasons I think 1.17 hordes are significantly more powerful than in 1.15/1.16:
- With the removal of conquest CB AE reduction on claims, there is now no general AE-discount CB against nations of your religion. Conquering same religion clay is useful - you often don't have to raise autonomy on it to prevent a revolt, but a practical increase of 33% AE on claimed territory makes it a lot harder to manage aggressive expansion when taking these nice provinces. Hordes of course don't have this problem, as they have tribal conquest / tribal feud.
- Religious unity impact on corruption reduced. Hordes naturally start in religiously diverse areas, which can be a large problem under 1.16 rules, as taking wrong religion clay threatens to totally destroy your net income. That's no longer the case. Of course for other reasons we want to reduce religious disunity, but at least in the short-term it is not crippling to the treasury.
- If you want to reform, reforming as a Christian now turns you into Eastern techgroup. This is not only a 20% difference in tech penalty (when compared with Muslim) - it also allows the very powerful Western Focus decision, which allows you to practically skip most of the hassle with Westernizing in exchange for having to beat down some irrelevant countries like Austria or Poland.
The Kazan idea set is almost perfection. Excellent tolerance of heathens, early religious unity, the ability to unlock reduced coring cost with the first idea group, and an amazing morale finisher that rivals what most tier 1 nations get. It loses the +1 shock of classic / Manchu horde ideas but gets quite a bit in return.
Traditions:
−10% Aggresive expansion impact
+2 Tolerance of heathens
Steppe Tolerance
+25% Religious unity
Tribal Legacy
−25% Core-creation cost
Warrior Society
+20% Cavalry combat ability
Legacy of the Great Horde
+25% National manpower modifier
Steppe Warfare
+1 Land leader maneuver
Settle Down
+15% Fort defense
End Western Domination
+10% Trade efficiency
Ambitions:
+15% Morale of armies
−10% Aggresive expansion impact
+2 Tolerance of heathens
Steppe Tolerance
+25% Religious unity
Tribal Legacy
−25% Core-creation cost
Warrior Society
+20% Cavalry combat ability
Legacy of the Great Horde
+25% National manpower modifier
Steppe Warfare
+1 Land leader maneuver
Settle Down
+15% Fort defense
End Western Domination
+10% Trade efficiency
Ambitions:
+15% Morale of armies
The starting position is a bit dicey, being surrounded with initially stronger opponents, but sitting at the crossroads of three religions - Catholic, Sunni, Orthodox - is an incredible opportunity, and not just in terms of AE distribution.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Steppeland Voltron
Chapter 2: Catholic Zealot Demolition Derby
Chapter 3: Razing for Charity
Chapter 4: The Protestant Deformation
Chapter 5: The Fourth Elector
Chapter 6: The Shadow Princes
Finale: Always Settle For Greyskin
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