A Normal/Normal Newbie in Moscow

[unmerged(44386)]

just read all this (that an accomplisment in itself )

- dont disband ANY cavalry, they are expensive to replace, they are fast and in the early game they are a real gem on the battle field. (and it appears you bought some not long after disbanding the others). anyway another time...

- Loved the Golden Horde "Hey guys wats happening lol" :rofl:

- I see that you had YURI, a mighty fine leader with a seige value, not originally in the siege of Novogrod, this would have helped the seige faster, plus his "support limit" is probably higher than the standard of 4 (though Im not sure) and would lower losses caused by the winter attrition.

- Fake o spray....cool!

- "Move along, nothing to see here" I like these small bits breaks up the story nicely

- 0 to treasury is best, inflation is bad...try to only mint when your looting enemy territories - to gain alot more for your inflation.

- try to leaving only a covering force during winter when seiging (if possible) - to lower attrition losses.

- Its abit difficult for me to offer advice on the next victum, because Im not sure of all the particulars...be opportunist - if GH are tied up in a war with someone or racked with rebellion then Id say hit em hard (same really goes for anyone), if Novogrod look weak and the peace pact has ended..hit em....and dont be afraid of anyone, who your soldiers dont kill, the winter will

- another thing, if defeat of a battle is certain....retreat, dead men are of no use to ya.

I dont actually read many aars, but I enjoyed that...alot, good going.

 

[unmerged(32511)]

Thank you very much! You flatter me.

- I see that you had YURI, a mighty fine leader with a seige value, not originally in the siege of Novogrod, this would have helped the seige faster, plus his "support limit" is probably higher than the standard of 4 (though Im not sure) and would lower losses caused by the winter attrition.

Now that you point it out.. I feel rightfully silly! So far I've completely ignored my leaders! I'll be more careful from now on, making sure the leaders are on the front and leading the sieges, while the colonels/corporals (can't remember) deal with controlling idle armies. Thank you for pointing this out!

- try to leaving only a covering force during winter when seiging (if possible) - to lower attrition losses.

This actually raises a question for me. Let's say that I'm sieging Novgorod with 5000~ soldiers (like I did), and I need at least 4000 to maintain and continue the siege; and I mean actually continuing, so the siege-time bar is decreasing. If I only have a screening force, not big enough to continue the siege but small enough to take no attrition, does that mean the damage I've done to the city is undone, and I'll have to re-siege it? I think I remember from another game taking a city to 50% strength, fleeing the winter with a small screening force and then returning, to see the city at 100%.

Is this bad memory, or me doing something wrong, or what?

Again, thanks for the comments! I'm glad you like the little jokes I threw in there. I was scared people weren't noticing them, or just not liking them. o

 

[unmerged(44386)]

This actually raises a question for me. Let's say that I'm sieging Novgorod with 5000~ soldiers (like I did), and I need at least 4000 to maintain and continue the siege; and I mean actually continuing, so the siege-time bar is decreasing. If I only have a screening force, not big enough to continue the siege but small enough to take no attrition, does that mean the damage I've done to the city is undone, and I'll have to re-siege it? I think I remember from another game taking a city to 50% strength, fleeing the winter with a small screening force and then returning, to see the city at 100%.

Is this bad memory, or me doing something wrong, or what?

The damage stays the same...with a screening force (as long as this covering force is never broken - well at least during the end of the month when everything is re calculated)

for a minimal fort you need at least 1000 troops to cover it, I think its 2000-2200? for a small fort. If the amount of troops drop below this limit for whatever reason (attrition / some get killed by the enemy) the siege or cover is broken and the army will retreat

to seige a minimal fort you require at least 5000 soliders


I dont know what support limit you have in Novogrod (playing Muscovy) even a small covering force may suffer attrition during winter, thus you need to watch the number of men in the force at the beginning of each month.

personally I would keep 2000 infantry (because there cheap) in there (during winter), just to ensure that it doesnt drop below 1000.

Another trick is to use cavalry to move in and out of the province to continue the seige during the summer time, so that they can quickly move out when winter or before large allied forces arrive

 

[unmerged(49083)]

I like this AAR

 

[unmerged(58610)]

I like this AAR

Me too! Though the idea idea of cheering on Muscovy is ... er... interesting.

 

[unmerged(58610)]

I like this AAR

Me too! Though the idea of cheering on Muscovy is ... er... interesting.

Make those Russian minors your vassals and allies.

 

[Grundius]

Nice to see you back on track. I'm sorry to hear about your personal situation. I hope it is all not as bad as it seems. Good luck with it.

Well, on with the AAR.

When you have 0 in treasury, you can still keep your treasury slider at 0, maintenance costs will be taken from investments then.

If the Danes are NOT allied to Sweden or any other dangerous neighbour, I say DOW them as soon as possible. That way you can siege the provinces they have taken from Novgorod iirc. The scenario:

1. Dow Denmark
2. Take Karelia and Kola from them with cavalry.
3. They can now only make peace with Novgorod for Ingermarland and if they don't you can take back that province as well.
4. After you resolve a favourable peace with Novgorod, concentrate on white peace or peace for a small sum of cash with Denmark.

Even if Denmark takes anything from Novgorod, those provinces are still your cores, you will not lose them later in the game. Except for Kola and Karelia -which they can transform into Scandinavian culture- having them take any of those provinces is not so bad. You'll get an event later which will move the CoT of Novgorod to Moscow and Denmark will eventually weaken. So focus on keeping the colonies out of Danish hands, and you will be fine.

 

[unmerged(51378)]

Seems an interesting AAR. I will try to catch up on it when I can. Are you playing AGCEEP or Vanilla? Looked like AGCEEP to me at least...

EDIT: Silly me... It was in the first few lines! o

 

[unmerged(58610)]

Are the Swedes asking for an alliance? Are they also at war with Novgorod? What are the Norweigians doing? Can you afford to take the stability hit for going back to war with Novgorod?

Finish off Pskov first; forcevassilise and entice back into your military alliance. check what the Golden Horde and Poland-Lithuania are doing. then make simultaneous DoWs on Novgorod and Denmark. Good luck!

 

[Hastu Neon]

Good stuff, JVega. I love your writing style. If I were you, I would diplo-annex as soon as possible your vassals to eliminate a cause of destabilisation

 

[Yoy21]

Yes, diplo-annex. I have no clue how that works. But do it anyway!

 

[stnylan]

Russia/Muscowy is always fun. I would advocate eventually diploannexing them, and then turn on the Horde. There's always time for Lithuania later.

 

[unmerged(32511)]

Thanks for the comments, everybody! I'm very happy knowing you're all enjoying my AAR! I'll strive not to dissapoint any of you.

I'm just about to continue playing, and I plan on playing throughout the whole Yury crisis; unless it's terribly long, or something horrible happens. o I'd also like to apologize for the poor quality of the update. I've been plagued by headaches caused by the (mild!) medicine I'm on, so things may have slipped my mind. Oops~

But first!

Before I start, I'm gonna write out a small list of goals that I want to fulfill before I finish this update. I want to make this a regular thing, to see if I can live up to my own expectations. If you've got suggestions for my goals as well, please throw them in! These are a bit more fun than the in-game random missions, and I feel that they'll be a bit more rewarding as well.

1) I have no tax collectors. This has to be fixed! Tula is producing the most tax income by far (almost double that of the next one, Ryazan (16 v 8)), so Tula has top priority for a tax collector.
2) Improve relations with my vassals, Ryazan (158) and Tver (160~). All I can afford at the moment is sending them letters of introduction, which costs 8 ducts each. That's 16 out of my meager treasury of 36. Oh, boy. If I manage to build a tax collector, I'll direct the rest of the fund into this thing.
3) Engage in war with either Novgorod or the Golden Horde. I had the idea of taking Denmark on, but she's still allied with Norway and Sweden. The only reason why they haven't force Novgorod to accept some humiliating peace treaty, is because Sweden holds Kola and Denmark holds the rest. Either way, should the Danish drive another nail into Novgorod's coffin, I'll be ready to drive the last one myself.
4) Kill Yury! Kill! KILL!



... and with that said, let's begin.

Interesting start! The liberation of Tver continues, only to be threatened by the Golden Horde's greed. I can't afford 40 ducats at the moment; and even if I could, I wouldn't spend it on them! I feel confident in that I'm ready to take them on and emerge victorious, so I tell them to bugger off in the most polite manner. Any reports of Muscovy troops baring their hineys in a taunting manner is ludicrous and completely untrue!

The Golden Horde shows it's true colours. We refuse to pay them, and they prepare for war. Let them come, I say! Less badboy for me if they do!

Also, three things to notice on that screenshot.

1st) The Golden Horde is stooped! (Oh dear!)
2nd) A small army of Pskovian renegades raided Moscow, but our brave leader kicked their butts right out of there.
3rd) Our brave Pskov-butt-kicking leader, who SHOULD be in the siege, but accidentally got pulled out when those dirty raiders attacked my pretty province.

Anyway! I continue with the siege of Tver and only two months later, the city is liberated and given back to my vassal. Immediately, I send my troops back to join up with the leader, and then send them off to chase down the Pskov raiders (who're now sitting just north of my pretty Moscow).

However, just as Tver's liberated, Lithuania suddenly asks me for military access through my borders! I wonder why.

A quick inspection shows me that they aren't at war with anybody else, but also shows that those damned Scandinavian backstabbers have made peace with Novgorod. They have been reduced to one, itty bitty pathetic little province - and Lithuania probably has it's greedy eyes on it. I don't think so!

I hope this is the right choice, because of Lithuania really wants Novgorod, they might decide to simply go through me. Time will tell!

Soon after, Pskov, being it's adorable little self, offers me peace at the price of 50 ducats. I have to admit, I'm ... tempted. It'd let me buy that tax collector that I wanted, and I don't have to worry about my vassal becoming a two-province state... but I decide against it. At least for now. My vassal is sitting right ontop of them, so maybe they'll decide to offer bigger, better bribes.

Meanwhile, the chase continues after the raiders. Since a river seperates Yuri and the Pskovians, he needs to take the long road around it. It's a ... bother, but it's worth it when it comes to keeping my soldiers alive. Plus, it's winter! The longer we take, the fewer Pskovians we have to kill ourselves.

... those sneaky! Argh! They ran straight to the undefended colony while I was going there was well, so I wouldn't have to face them head on. They arrived seconds before I did and crushed my attack completely, along with actually taking over a province!

This is most embarassing. I assure you, I feel rightly stupid for not accepting their peace offer. I send my men immediately across the river to the north-west. This will NOT continue!

[Meanwhile, some Jacqueline get's lost and costs me -15 in relations with England. Whut? Huh? Okay then.]

... back to our heroes! Two battles cut down 2000 raiders, leaving our own troops with minimal damages. However, we get some bad news from the Golden Horde. A rebel province has defected... to Ryazan, our VASSAL. Dangit! When'll it be my turn? I don't want to have to kick my vassal's butts for it! I can't afford sugaring up to them yet, either.. so diplo-annexing is a distant goal. Oh, crud do that. I continue harassing the raiders. Their army is destroyed proper not long after the dissapointing GH rebellion.

The 1st of February the following year, Pskov offers peace again - prepared to pay 57 ducats in war indemnities. I decide to accept, robbing my second vassal of it's chance to also become a two-province bugger. One two-province vassal is too much already!

With untold glee, I celebrate by beginning the comission of my first tax collector, placing him in Tula! Hurray! Things are looking up for Muscovy!

Following this is a time of relaxation. As peace is finally brought to the war weary russians in 1426. Months pass in a most boring fashion. A welcome change of pace, in my opinion.

But then, on 12th of January 1427... it is proven to me that miracles do happen!

Kazan is born, and with it an opportunity! Sadly, with opportunity comes risk, and with risk comes my paranoiya.

See, I'm not so good with the whole BB system. I don't know how to see how much BB I have, I don't know how to lessen it, I don't know how much it'll increase should I go to war with Kazan, much less annex it.. and I'm not sure if it's worth it. Should I go to war? I have no casus belli, and I believe we share the same state religion, so it'd cost me some (easily regained) stability. The war itself shouldn't be hard. I declare war, grab their southern province, fight back their counter-attack.. build up a second army, and then take out their capitol via an en-masse assault over the rivers; preferably from two or more different directions.

The war, should it go the way I want, would be quick and merciful. But.. then again.. I have to consider other things as well.

Novgorod is now a one province nation and I'm only one year and a few months away from being able to declare war on them once more, and when I do, I'll be able to annex them outright - along with that lovely trade center! But if the war with Kazan is dragged out (which I'm sure it will, to be honest), I don't know if I'll be able to fight two wars on two seperate fronts, no matter Novgorod's pathetic state. We're talking about up to 10.000 soldiers needed to finish them off at least, and that's 10.000 soldiers I may not have. Kazan fields an army of roughly 10.000, I field an army of 8.500 at most. Just to fight Kazan I'd need to build plenty of re-inforcements...

So, I finish this update with this question: Do I fight, or do I wait?

Again, if you see me doing something stupid/wrong, please point it out to me! I'll never learn if my silly mistakes go unchecked, as amusing as it might be.


And.. finally, the goal's I set out for myself:

1) Build a tax collector in Tula! CHECK!
2) Improve my standings with the vassals. I failed this. In fact, I probably made it worse by accepting that peace offer. Poops. FAILED!
3) War with Novgorod or the Golden Horde? I'm adding Kazan on the hitlist, and setting this one as POSTPONED!
4) Yury's a sneaky hiding bugger. This isn't failed, simply because the next Yuri event hasn't popped up yet! When it does, I'll kick his ass though. POSTPONED!

Right! I never quite know how to finish my updates, so.. uhh...

end of update!

 

[unmerged(53612)]

Just read the whole thing! Cool AAR! I'll be following for now on


By the way, also loved the "Hey Guyz what's happening?lol" hehe

 

[stnylan]

I would have agreed to that military access, because while it lasts Lithuania cannot declare war against you, and at this stage of the game she is the most powerful nearby enemy, and one that can be quite expansionistic. After all, you can always recover any territory she takes a few decades down the line as things generally start to turn sour for them.

As for BB, to check how much you have hover the cursor over the bit in the diplomatic mode that tells you your reputation. The reputation itself gives you a pretty good clue. As for Kazan, they ought to be muslim. I would go for it. To some extent BB is not so much of an issue for Muscowy seeing how its Orthodox and most poeple end up disliking you anyway.

 

[Hastu Neon]

I would go for Novgorod. It's a single-province state (with a wonderful centre of trade, your same religion and culture, whereas the GH territories are not) that you can annex before someone other does (those greedy Nordic countries, for instance...). It will cost you some BB, but not so much because it's one of your core territories...

 

[Grundius]

You lose bb gradually over time depending on the diplomatic rating of your monarch (and thus, indirectly, on your aristocracy setting, the higher the better, especially early on for cavalry discounts.)

Your vassals getting bigger is a good thing. Letting Pskov or Tver annex Novgorod and you diplo-annexing that nation later on will cost you much less, bb-wise.

Built tax-collectors at every opportunity. Truly. Without them, your census tax -the money you get on January 1st- is drastically reduced. At least built tcs in every one of your core provinces and in every one province with Russian or Tartar as culture.

Do not postpone the subjugation of Novgorod. Once you've become Russia, in 1487, you will get claims to the provinces of the Golden Horde and Kazan if you control the majority of your current core provinces. If you control Kazan itself by 1550 or so you will inherit the realms of the GH and Kazan. But is all a manner of how you want to play. Bear in mind that it will be easier to recover stability early on, so taking the cores from fellow Orthodox nations should preferably be done asap.

 

[unmerged(58610)]

It's worth DoWing Novgorod early so that the ai does not use the remaining time to build lots of troops. Another reason is that generals do not stick around forever. Your need for income is pressing.

 

[unmerged(49083)]

Another reason to go for Novgorod, is because if you do it too late Sweden, Norway, Livonia, Pskov and Tver might of all bitten chunks of it.

 

[Mr Me]

Go to war vs Novgorod but let one of your vassals annex it. Then when you diploannex your vassal you get Novgorod (the province) for only one BB.