Now, I don't normally like playing east-european states with poor provinces, but not even knowing this country existed before (I tend to select the earliest year 1399 start), and loving playing small and weak countries and attempting to make them in to respectable nations, I couldn't resist trying playing Livonia.
This will be a short AAR since I don't really like playing Russian countries and I only wanted to play it long enough to make it a regional power.
I'm also a hopeless warmonger so as long as my infamy limit allows it, I'm always at war.
In the year of our Lord, 1466, the monastic state of the Livonian Order is formed. To the south lies the union of Poland, Lithuania and the Teutonic Order. To the east Novgorod and Muscowy. And to the North the union of Scandinavian nations. My virtuous nation is bordering the heretics of Pskov, who seem like an obvious target, considering the fact that you start out with the Unam Sanctam national idea. They also have no allies and only one batallion. Riga also seems like a nice city but I'd rather not anger Austria by attacking a fellow member of the HRE without a casus belli.
As Pskov is the only orthodox nation I plan on declaring war on, I switch to Grand Army after I declare the war. The unmodified force limit is so pathetic I can't live without this, and if I go above my limit my worthless economy can't handle it either. Either way, Pskov's one batallion army of eastern infantry is no match for four thousand Men at Arms. The city falls in just two months.
At this point I form an alliance with Denmark, and Muscowy for some asks for an alliance as well, I accept even though they're heretics, as I need strong friends to protect me. Not even a week after the alliance is formed, Muscowy declares war on Tver and I join the war. With military access through Lithuania, I'm actually the first to arrive to the western province of Rzhev. The province falls, and then Tver gives me an offer I cannot refuse:
Not exactly what I had in mind, but it's a relatively good province, and when life gives you lemons...
My efforts to convert the heretics breed success and the province of Pskov embraces the one true faith.
Before my men even have the time to walk home, Denmark gives me an offer I CAN refuse:
Even though I refuse this war in particular, I'm still lucky that this happened. I have the mission to subjugate Riga, and with this war going on, their only ally The Hansa is going to be too busy to help them! I declare war on Riga, and with the conquest casus belli, Austria won't help them either.
Instead of doing my mission of subjugation, I just annex them.
Now, I'm a huge warmonger in this game, but at this point it just gets ridiculous; After annexing Riga, I get the mission to attack Novgorod in exchange for cores inside their country. A few months later Novgorod is in a huge war with Scandinavia, and my army of 15,000 Men at Arms have the perfect chance to attack Novgorod.
Novgorod loses half of it's army fighting Sweden, and my army outnumbers (and out-techs) the ones that remain. Their ally Scotland occupies Kurland, but I occupy half of Novgorod. I annex Ingermanland and Neva to cut them off from the Baltic Sea.
After a second war with Novgorod five years later, I begin to rival Lithuania and Muscowy, and I have become a regional power. Too bad I don't like playing Russian states so this is as far as I'll go. I'm sure you could dominate the world with this country if you wanted since all of this happened in just one decade.
Poor Denmark, picking a war with Austria.
And thus, Hochmeister Dietrich IV becomes bored of his realm and moves to Pommerania.
This will be a short AAR since I don't really like playing Russian countries and I only wanted to play it long enough to make it a regional power.
I'm also a hopeless warmonger so as long as my infamy limit allows it, I'm always at war.
In the year of our Lord, 1466, the monastic state of the Livonian Order is formed. To the south lies the union of Poland, Lithuania and the Teutonic Order. To the east Novgorod and Muscowy. And to the North the union of Scandinavian nations. My virtuous nation is bordering the heretics of Pskov, who seem like an obvious target, considering the fact that you start out with the Unam Sanctam national idea. They also have no allies and only one batallion. Riga also seems like a nice city but I'd rather not anger Austria by attacking a fellow member of the HRE without a casus belli.
As Pskov is the only orthodox nation I plan on declaring war on, I switch to Grand Army after I declare the war. The unmodified force limit is so pathetic I can't live without this, and if I go above my limit my worthless economy can't handle it either. Either way, Pskov's one batallion army of eastern infantry is no match for four thousand Men at Arms. The city falls in just two months.
At this point I form an alliance with Denmark, and Muscowy for some asks for an alliance as well, I accept even though they're heretics, as I need strong friends to protect me. Not even a week after the alliance is formed, Muscowy declares war on Tver and I join the war. With military access through Lithuania, I'm actually the first to arrive to the western province of Rzhev. The province falls, and then Tver gives me an offer I cannot refuse:
Not exactly what I had in mind, but it's a relatively good province, and when life gives you lemons...
My efforts to convert the heretics breed success and the province of Pskov embraces the one true faith.
Before my men even have the time to walk home, Denmark gives me an offer I CAN refuse:
Even though I refuse this war in particular, I'm still lucky that this happened. I have the mission to subjugate Riga, and with this war going on, their only ally The Hansa is going to be too busy to help them! I declare war on Riga, and with the conquest casus belli, Austria won't help them either.
Instead of doing my mission of subjugation, I just annex them.
Now, I'm a huge warmonger in this game, but at this point it just gets ridiculous; After annexing Riga, I get the mission to attack Novgorod in exchange for cores inside their country. A few months later Novgorod is in a huge war with Scandinavia, and my army of 15,000 Men at Arms have the perfect chance to attack Novgorod.
Novgorod loses half of it's army fighting Sweden, and my army outnumbers (and out-techs) the ones that remain. Their ally Scotland occupies Kurland, but I occupy half of Novgorod. I annex Ingermanland and Neva to cut them off from the Baltic Sea.
After a second war with Novgorod five years later, I begin to rival Lithuania and Muscowy, and I have become a regional power. Too bad I don't like playing Russian states so this is as far as I'll go. I'm sure you could dominate the world with this country if you wanted since all of this happened in just one decade.
Poor Denmark, picking a war with Austria.
And thus, Hochmeister Dietrich IV becomes bored of his realm and moves to Pommerania.
