The great Challenge: a GC with Knights of St John.
Ok, here you will find a special AAR, as I have add Knight of St john as a 'major' power to other great nation of GC (France, Spain, Portugual, Turkey, Poland, Turkey, England), to see what can be done with a really minor. Difficulty level is Very hard, and AI is furious.
The situation of knight at start is as follow:
possesion: Rhodes (8 Ducats (D)revenu a year, one of the poorest province in the game).
Army: 9000 infantery and 1000 cav
fleet: 14 galleys.
1000 inf cost 14 D, cav cost 40 and artillery 78.
A galley cost 10, a ship of the line 40.
As you can see, Knights are simply a very, very poor country.
Start in alliance with Tuscany, Parma and Genoa,(with Tuscany as leader) wich said that this alliance is simply useless ungainst the potential ennemy of Knight Turkey.
The goal of AAR is to see what can be done with that. As a major nation can't be annexed, I will consider that the AAR is finished, if at a time Rhodes felt and that I haven't been able to keep another territory (Malta for ex).
Playing such a country will require a very, very good strategy and who must be optimized to cost NOTHING (this is simple: Knight don't even have the money to keep their army!).
My first move is to keep the useless alliance, reinforce army with 2000 inf (this way I have two army of 5000 men, wich can be usefull in siege against litle fortification), and create a new alliance wich is more to my interest.
In september, I have manage to made an alliance with Venice, Hungaria and Austria with no cost.
I will now watch for turkey and see what can be done.
Januar 1493: Turkey declare war to mameluk. I wait 4 months, the time for Turkish army to fight with mameluk far away from me, and I declare war on Turkey (Strategy of backstab
).
In june, I land in Morea with my two little armies, and start siege with one, while the other goes for Athens. The goal is to suffer minimun attrition (my ltille army don't suffer) and be just enough to make siege.
In avril, I lack of money, and a loan is automatically taken. With this money, I upgrade fortifications in Rhodes, but I start to thing that I will have the biggest difficulties to repay loan.
In August, I take Cyclads, and in November, my fleet is succesful into protecting Rhodes. Meanwhile, Venetians and Hungarians are battling with majors Turkish army, leaving me quiet.
In januar, Turkey propose a white peace with Mameluk and give me Cyclades (value: 6 a year). With the peace treaty, I am assured of 5 years of tranquility with Turkey.
Januar 1496: the loan is simply bleeding me. All my revenue are not sufficient to paid simply interest. I should take a decision now, or I will remains economically dead for years.
I decide to take a drastic decision: I take as much loans I can, knowing that will conduct me to bankrupcy. But before that I will be able to build a brewery in Cyclades, and sending some merchants in venice.
In march, the Bankrupcy occurs, with some very hard consequences: 0 in stability, my troops loose a lot of moral, and if I take another loan, the interest rate will be monstruous.
To equilibrate budget, I am obliged to let inflation with a very high growth. In my budget, I am obliged to get every 0,1 D that I can (Simply thing that the annual budget of France is at least 300D).
Januar 1497: Annual Income: 5! (with 0 in stability).
This means that I should wait 3 years to buy 1000 men!
Happily, Venitian center of Trade is freely open to my merchants at a very low rate (2d for a merchant). Using all my money, I slowly increase my revenue here, and in 1499, 2/3 of my money come from here. Remaining come from half the brewery, and half from tax. I decide to create the Rhodes bank to manage so much money: a funny pinky box with a fence up will be sufficient. Has anyone a little coin for a poor country?
In 1500, a good news for me, L'isle Adam a very competent general is nominate as Grand Master of the Knight. His speciality: siege. I think it will be useful in the future.
In october 1501, Turkey declare war on Mameluk, and 6 month later, so do I with Turkey. This time, L'isle Adam his agreat appoint, but I still continue to avaoid fight with Turkey, leaving this to my allies.
Result of this war who end in 1503: I take Morea and Hellas from Turkey. In the east, Turkey has given Trebizonde to Persia.
All of this seems good.
In August 1509, Turkey declare again war against Mameluk and Persia, and guess what happend 6 months later?
This time, war end in july 15011. hungary has negociated a separate peace to gain Kosovo, and Knight have gain Macedonia while I give Albany to venice (I don't care about them as the province religion is muslim, and I am looking only for christians provinces).
In 1514, Papal States join our alliance.
July 1517: Turkey declare war on Mameluk, and as a result (Is it necessary to explain what I have done?) loose in 1519:
Bosnia and Smyrne to Hungary (Yes Hungary has now a province in Asia!)
Dobrudja to Papal State (sometimes, funny things happend)
Bulgaria to me (another orthodox province)
Anatolia to Venice
Adana and Konya to Mameluck.
Turkey is now reduce to 3 provinces! (out of the game the turkey).
But now, Mameluck and Persia become very strong (and Mameluck have become vassal of Persia)
So in December 1523, profiting from a war between Persia, Mameluck and some minors (something like Astrakan), I declare war to Mameluck. A current joke in every european court is: 'What has red flag, is little with a little knife, and who is on your back after 6 month? A knight!'
In April 1525, I agree peace with Mameluck obtainning Lebanon for me (I start to regain Holy Land from infidel) and Konya for Hungary.
In 1525, L'isle Adam died, wich is a great loss for knight. He is replace by Lassangle, but this one has no military leadership.
What will be the future, without this big general?
For the moment, I have destroyed Turkish power, but Persia has take the place. My allies are also stronger than me, but I have very good relations with them.
Current annual income: about 50D
Current Victory point:
Spain: 921
Knight: 410
Portugal: 309
France: 294
Poland: 267
Persia: 225
Venice: 206
Ok, here you will find a special AAR, as I have add Knight of St john as a 'major' power to other great nation of GC (France, Spain, Portugual, Turkey, Poland, Turkey, England), to see what can be done with a really minor. Difficulty level is Very hard, and AI is furious.
The situation of knight at start is as follow:
possesion: Rhodes (8 Ducats (D)revenu a year, one of the poorest province in the game).
Army: 9000 infantery and 1000 cav
fleet: 14 galleys.
1000 inf cost 14 D, cav cost 40 and artillery 78.
A galley cost 10, a ship of the line 40.
As you can see, Knights are simply a very, very poor country.
Start in alliance with Tuscany, Parma and Genoa,(with Tuscany as leader) wich said that this alliance is simply useless ungainst the potential ennemy of Knight Turkey.
The goal of AAR is to see what can be done with that. As a major nation can't be annexed, I will consider that the AAR is finished, if at a time Rhodes felt and that I haven't been able to keep another territory (Malta for ex).
Playing such a country will require a very, very good strategy and who must be optimized to cost NOTHING (this is simple: Knight don't even have the money to keep their army!).
My first move is to keep the useless alliance, reinforce army with 2000 inf (this way I have two army of 5000 men, wich can be usefull in siege against litle fortification), and create a new alliance wich is more to my interest.
In september, I have manage to made an alliance with Venice, Hungaria and Austria with no cost.
I will now watch for turkey and see what can be done.
Januar 1493: Turkey declare war to mameluk. I wait 4 months, the time for Turkish army to fight with mameluk far away from me, and I declare war on Turkey (Strategy of backstab
).In june, I land in Morea with my two little armies, and start siege with one, while the other goes for Athens. The goal is to suffer minimun attrition (my ltille army don't suffer) and be just enough to make siege.
In avril, I lack of money, and a loan is automatically taken. With this money, I upgrade fortifications in Rhodes, but I start to thing that I will have the biggest difficulties to repay loan.
In August, I take Cyclads, and in November, my fleet is succesful into protecting Rhodes. Meanwhile, Venetians and Hungarians are battling with majors Turkish army, leaving me quiet.
In januar, Turkey propose a white peace with Mameluk and give me Cyclades (value: 6 a year). With the peace treaty, I am assured of 5 years of tranquility with Turkey.
Januar 1496: the loan is simply bleeding me. All my revenue are not sufficient to paid simply interest. I should take a decision now, or I will remains economically dead for years.
I decide to take a drastic decision: I take as much loans I can, knowing that will conduct me to bankrupcy. But before that I will be able to build a brewery in Cyclades, and sending some merchants in venice.
In march, the Bankrupcy occurs, with some very hard consequences: 0 in stability, my troops loose a lot of moral, and if I take another loan, the interest rate will be monstruous.
To equilibrate budget, I am obliged to let inflation with a very high growth. In my budget, I am obliged to get every 0,1 D that I can (Simply thing that the annual budget of France is at least 300D).
Januar 1497: Annual Income: 5! (with 0 in stability).
This means that I should wait 3 years to buy 1000 men!
Happily, Venitian center of Trade is freely open to my merchants at a very low rate (2d for a merchant). Using all my money, I slowly increase my revenue here, and in 1499, 2/3 of my money come from here. Remaining come from half the brewery, and half from tax. I decide to create the Rhodes bank to manage so much money: a funny pinky box with a fence up will be sufficient. Has anyone a little coin for a poor country?
In 1500, a good news for me, L'isle Adam a very competent general is nominate as Grand Master of the Knight. His speciality: siege. I think it will be useful in the future.
In october 1501, Turkey declare war on Mameluk, and 6 month later, so do I with Turkey. This time, L'isle Adam his agreat appoint, but I still continue to avaoid fight with Turkey, leaving this to my allies.
Result of this war who end in 1503: I take Morea and Hellas from Turkey. In the east, Turkey has given Trebizonde to Persia.
All of this seems good.
In August 1509, Turkey declare again war against Mameluk and Persia, and guess what happend 6 months later?
This time, war end in july 15011. hungary has negociated a separate peace to gain Kosovo, and Knight have gain Macedonia while I give Albany to venice (I don't care about them as the province religion is muslim, and I am looking only for christians provinces).
In 1514, Papal States join our alliance.
July 1517: Turkey declare war on Mameluk, and as a result (Is it necessary to explain what I have done?
) loose in 1519:Bosnia and Smyrne to Hungary (Yes Hungary has now a province in Asia!)
Dobrudja to Papal State (sometimes, funny things happend)
Bulgaria to me (another orthodox province)
Anatolia to Venice
Adana and Konya to Mameluck.
Turkey is now reduce to 3 provinces! (out of the game the turkey).
But now, Mameluck and Persia become very strong (and Mameluck have become vassal of Persia
)So in December 1523, profiting from a war between Persia, Mameluck and some minors (something like Astrakan), I declare war to Mameluck. A current joke in every european court is: 'What has red flag, is little with a little knife, and who is on your back after 6 month? A knight!'
In April 1525, I agree peace with Mameluck obtainning Lebanon for me (I start to regain Holy Land from infidel) and Konya for Hungary.
In 1525, L'isle Adam died, wich is a great loss for knight. He is replace by Lassangle, but this one has no military leadership.
What will be the future, without this big general?
For the moment, I have destroyed Turkish power, but Persia has take the place. My allies are also stronger than me, but I have very good relations with them.
Current annual income: about 50D
Current Victory point:
Spain: 921
Knight: 410
Portugal: 309
France: 294
Poland: 267
Persia: 225
Venice: 206
