An Abyssinian Ending

[Napean]

Just gave up on an Abyssinian game. I'd managed to unite all de jure counties, convert all populaces to Miaphysism. Tried several times to take Nubiaand southern Egypt (the Fatimids had some succession issues), but could never pull it off, even with the help of a still-intact Byzantium (I was sure that we could have begun the decline of the Fatimids). I stopped playing in 1200 when the Imgazi Caliphate (Seljuk heirs) DoW'ed me. I abdicated, Abyssinia was dissolved, and I was reduced to the lowly count of Gondar.

Fun times, but the Fatimids seem to play by different rules. Several times they had succession crises, but it never seemed to matter much. For example, Alexandria would rebel, and they're sitting right next to Cairo, but never bother to invade, or invade halfheartedly. As soon as I DoW on Alexandria to get Nubia (fabricated claim), both Alexandria and the Fatimids come after me. What the heck were they doing before?

That said, it was a blast. This was my seventh attempt or so at forming de jure Abyssinia, and it finally worked. Next game, I'll send my Spymaster to the Fatimids to see if that levels the field...or causes an unexpected invasion

 

[Lord Finnish]

As you see the red text when declaring war on a revolting vassal, you will be at war with their master as well.

But still, Abyssinia is unnaturally hard to play and AI can't hold the Fatimid tide for more than a few years.

 

[Accrsd]

You gotta be carefull with the Fatimids when playing as Abyssinia. I was able to pull off a conquest off the Egyptian sultanate by starting as Axum and swearing fealty to Abyssinia, claiming the throne, and cultivating strong relationships with France, HRE ERE Hungary Rus and Croatia.... granted it was only the French and ERE which really mattered.. HRE's kaiser was a racist prick to me. I did so much breeding into the ERE though that their entire monarchy are now Ethiopians pretending to be greek.

 

[BigHamster]

Seven attempts is like nothing for that region

Small advice use constant payed assasinations on Egypt sultan.

 

[NoobRage]

Fun times, but the Fatimids seem to play by different rules. Several times they had succession crises, but it never seemed to matter much. For example, Alexandria would rebel, and they're sitting right next to Cairo, but never bother to invade, or invade halfheartedly. As soon as I DoW on Alexandria to get Nubia (fabricated claim), both Alexandria and the Fatimids come after me. What the heck were they doing before?

Thats simple. Keep your spymaster on Alexandrian territory to see when they raise the levies or just sit tight until you spot some holding occupied. Thats when you attack. Try to occupy as fast as possible as their doomstacks will still come to you periodically to stomp yours but most times they dont bother sieging the holdings you got. And kill Sanaa. They can and will grab Harer when they develop their holdings to the max (and their max is much higher than yours as ethiopian tech is none).

Dont rely on the Byzantines. They usually have too much internal strife or the Muslims are Jihading/invading them. Crusades, on the other hand are much more reliable, and dont hesitate a second if the HRE joins in.

 

[unmerged(68578)]

You probably already know, but the Fatimids have a unique mercenary force that gives them a huge advantage. It's really no wonder they do so well considering that force is cheap and the size of most kingdom's armies early in the game. Granted, I have no idea why they're not fighting each other during succession wars. In my experience, however, attacking during independence or succession means they'll still focus on you. While they're normally weaker because some troops are dead and they don't join up, they'll likely still have most of their troops. What I almost always do, because they'll all attack me anyways, is try taking land from everyone involved. Then again, I normally play Empires and my goal is to destroy any kingdom or empire who is a treat. Of course in your situation it's much more complex than that, but...

I have to say, with the Fatimid bonuses, no coastal connection and poor land, that has to be one of the most challenging places to start in the game.

 

[Trunting]

The problem for Abyssinia arent only the Fatimids. In my last game, the Fatimids were weakened by inner problems and the Seljuks took Abyssinia after they had conquered the Arabian peninsula.

The Ethiopians and Nubians weren't ever a central part (cause the central aspect are crusader kings) of the game, nor is the Miaphysite religion that elaborated. So it isn't that important in my view to have them survive longer than 1120. It would be nice though, but I'm not sure, how much work that would be and, more important, how to implement structures to have them survive longer. Perhaps, the region in Abyssinia could be made more difficult to reach, by increasing the number of days you need to travel from Egypt to the lands south of it. I think (I'm not sure, nor have I a good eye for that) on the actual map the proportions of the land between the horn of Africa and the Mediterranean Sea aren't accurate compared to the proportions of western Europe. At least, there aren't that much provinces like regions of a similar size.

So increasing the time you need to travel south of Egypt may be an option, although the Ethiopians aren't that central for me, as I have said above.

 

[Comradebot]

Alliances, timing, and when you start are typically the keys. If you want, start in 1076 or later, as the Caliphate has dwindled then to a more manageable, less likely to blob, steamroller. They'll still kill you five times before you hit the ground should they declare war early on, but at least with a couple of allies you can now stand a chance at actually winning. I've got a game with Nubia going now into the 1200s, and the Fatimids are just a memory of a rougher past.

If you want to start in 1066, though, avoid Nubia and go with Abyssinia or Axum. Abyssinia can quickly unite all their de jure territory and then holy war for as much of Arabia as they can. Just keep the Caliph loving you (send your diplomat and regular gifts, and hope he's never zealous) and there's less chance of you getting a war declared on you. Hopefully they won't blob too much, and a civil war will let you push into Egypt. If you go with Axum, you can be super cheesy and swear fealty to the HRE or ERE for protection, and use that protection to eat away all the land you want. Odds are, the Fatimids will leave you alone at the start (though, as my current game in Navarra is proof, they'll even go for the HRE once they get their murder train rollin'.)

It's not an easy place to play, whatsoever. No amount of strategy or even execution of said strategy is enough to guarantee you survival as an Ethiopian state. All you can do is try to play flawlessly over and over until luck is finally on your side. For me, it came in the form of the Seljuks holy warring the Fatimids, and then in the Fatimids Jihading for Galicia.

 

[Sarenarass]

In my pre 1.07 game as Abyssinia I survived easily but not like how I wanted to. I was keeping up marriages to the Doukas family so I could keep an alliance with the Byzantines to help me repel the Fatamids from my lands. All was well until the next Emperor in line died of a disease and my wife became the new Empress. All her children became the heirs to the Empire.. I quickly converted to Orthodoxy to attempt to lessen the effects of a foreign ruler but there were still many rebellions. So now I am no longer Abyssinia but Byzantine which I don't like anyways. If I could I would just make them manage themselves because I liked being just Abyssinia.

 

[Accrsd]

In my pre 1.07 game as Abyssinia I survived easily but not like how I wanted to. I was keeping up marriages to the Doukas family so I could keep an alliance with the Byzantines to help me repel the Fatamids from my lands. All was well until the next Emperor in line died of a disease and my wife became the new Empress. All her children became the heirs to the Empire.. I quickly converted to Orthodoxy to attempt to lessen the effects of a foreign ruler but there were still many rebellions. So now I am no longer Abyssinia but Byzantine which I don't like anyways. If I could I would just make them manage themselves because I liked being just Abyssinia.

In theory you could land a member of your royal family who isn't high in line of sucession with abyssinia, save, and switch to his side of the line directly

 

[Bigheeed]

Yeah its a general issue that the ai tends to hold some troops back and then prioritise wars against the player over rebellions or other ways. Kind of annoying but i guess that's the way its hard coded!

 

[LarryLeica]

Having just finished a Scandinavian game, I went back to the region but instead of yet again losing hair over Nubia/Abyssinia etc I played the Fatimids (actually 1076 custom count in Sinai start but anyway). My goal was to play as peacefully as possible and expand through vassalisation, diplomacy, and marriage as much as posible. To this end I ignored the South except for reforming Aswan. The Caliph did not DoW southwards at all during his reign as he was constantly under border strife from the Seljuks and Almoravids, as well as internal issues (lots of assasinations). Eventually the Fatimids collpased on succession and I found myself Caliph after a particularly brutal war. In this time, the Abyssinians expanded south taking the lonely muslim enclave, then united the kingdom. At present they are actually making inroads into Arabia and it looks like I may need to race them to Mecca very soon. They seem very capable to expand against the Seljuks who have been suffering one faction war after another and are starting to completely break up, each time the Abyssinians grab a little bit more.

As for the Fatimids/Egypt in general. The Mamluks are seriously OP early game, and it would be far better if they gradually increased in size over time via a recruitment event or something similar. For example, they could start with 1000 lt. cavalry and 500 horse archers and gradually expand based on how large the Caliphate is, or just through date based events, so every 25-30 years they get an extra 500 troops. Once I took over, I wasn't even raising my levies as I had the Mamluks raised all the time for only 6 gold/month out of my 50 gold/month income, combine that with a 4000 strong retinue force of bonused camel cavalry, that 10k stack of doom that will see you through to the mid game just on it's own.

Take the Mamluks away and it isn't much different from playing someone like France.