Chimu - the gutsy natives!- Animism vs. the world
Last time we were considering the fact that we would have to launch into some slow, painstaking colonization of South America in order to expand and increase our manpower. I'm not sure how much of a burden being Animist will be, as it gives a colonial conquest casus belli to all non-pagan nations on you which the AI seems keen on using. Anyway, with our borders secured and our navy strong it's time to concent...
So Britain wanna try their luck, eh? We'll send them and their puny allies packing. They only have 11 ships in their fleet currently so we should be able to stop them even landing. Bring. It. On.
By August 1619, there's no sign of Britain yet. Charcas becomes self-sustaining and we build a fort there. We're having to mint quite a lot again now - even with Charcas self-sustaining and war taxes, we're having to increase inflation by .17 each yeah to stay afloat, as we're putting full maintenance into our navy. In the meantime, we have managed to give military access to Sweden, Genoa, and France. Those guys will take a big stability loss if they wanna attack us, though of course they're so desperate to attack us that they usually don't seem to mi...
Yeah, now this could be a Game Over event. I'm waiting for their allies France, to weigh in.
The good news is that France didn't join Portugal's war against us. The bad news is that they declared on us independently...
France and Portugal are now at -3 stability. Morons.
It's now April 1620, and all's quiet on the Western front. No doubt the AIs are loading their troops and are coming. I'll have to use the same tactics as with Cast...
The Europeans really like a good colonial pile-in. Not looking good. Our leader's up for election, and we pick the military candidate. His military credentials leave a lot to be desired.
By May 1620, another slider change is available - we switch to maximum Quantity to max out our manpower, in desperation. In August 1620, Holland are the first to turn up with their fleet, which we spot and intercept.
Dutch ass kicked in Septmber 1620. We also take out a solitary British big ship that was lurking in the area. We're keeping all captured ships, despite the maintenance cost. Ships go into dock for quick repair. Next?
Shortly after in December 1620, we spot a small French fleet and seize the opportunity to chase it and take it out.
... and we capture a small ship. We're way over our force limits now but damnit, we're keeping all these ships and throwing everything we have at the enemy. The small ship goes into dock to repair, to join the main fleet later.
June 1621 - As predicted, France roll up an undefeatable fleet. Time to withdraw our ships and move our land troops into place to greet them. Meanwhile, we've accepted a white peace from Milan (unfortunately, not the leader of any of the 4 wars against us).
The French are landing in Atacama, one of our colonies. Alas, the natives there will probably be killed. We have land tech 21, Les Francais have land tech 23. Corsica, too, offer a white peace, which we accept.
In July 1621, the Chichas and Chiquitos colonies become self-sustaining. The French seize Atacama, and their fleet pulls away. We max out our land maintenance, and march our entire army to take them on. We'll probably get a nasty terrain disadvantage, but we can't just let them hold on to our colony. In the nick of time, I realize that
they've started marching to Arica now, so we wait there. They will hopefully get a -4 terrain disadvantage because it's hilly territory.
They do indeed have a -4 terrain disadvantage. Fight, fight, fight!!! But, we lose the battle anyway on morale grounds. Sigh. They are now following us to where we fled, Puno, but we'll have a couple of months to recover.
By November 1621, they catch us and we again engage the French, and get trashed on morale grounds. I did max up that land maintenance, didn't I...? Yes. I should've use scorched earth tactics. We lose the battle to France on morale again, and they follow us to where we flee - Arica. Again, we'll have a couple of months to recover and their unit is down to about 16k. They seem unstoppable, though. Britain offer a white peace, which we accept. 3 wars left.
Shortly after in December 1621, too late I notice a Galician fleet pull up and land troops in Copiapo. Unsurprisingly, the natives get involved and killed. Great, no natives to boost my colony size when it becomes self-sustaining. I rush my fleet to attack theirs anyway. We win that battle, and capture a small ship.
Yet again in January 1622, France beat us on morale grounds, but our army lives to fight another day. They are now down to 10k troops. They go to Atacama to recover, but we beat them there and seize the colony back. Our manpower is dwindling a bit now; down to 23k from 28k max. On the 23rd March, they arrive, and 10k of their troops face 27k of ours.
Now THIS is looking more promising... I've also just realized we don't have Military Drill as a national idea anymore, which might have something to do with our bad morale. In desperation, I replace Superior Seamanship with Military Drill, losing 3 stability. Doesn't look like we'll be taking France on much in the sea for now, anyway.
Oh hell yes! First good news of the war, and the French unit is finally defeated! Now we wait for the inevitable next one... and the next... and the next... and the next...
War exhaustion is now up to 3.22, but "National Defense" is keeping our revolt risk at zero. We send out a splinter unit to recapture Copiapo from Galicia, which succeeds. We've reclaimed our 2 colonies.
In May 1622, we offer a white peace to Holland, which they accept. We're whittling down the wars.
Just after in July 1622, land tech 22 allows us the Latin Caracole Cavalry. We upgrade immediately. We're just 1 land tech behind France now. One or two other minor allies of France and Portugal are starting to make peace offers where we have to pay them, which we decline. We also discover that Copiapo is to have fish as its trade good, just like Atacama.
It's December 1622, and Norway, part of the French war alliance, offer a white peace, which we accept. No sign of invaders for a few months now. Maybe France is starting to have problems with that -3 stability? Magdeburg, part of the Portugese war alliance, offer a white peace in January 1623, which we accept. France are also offering peace, but the arrogant bastards want us to pay them so we decline. They wanna lose more troops, we're happy to oblige. Shortly after, Norway, part of the French war alliance, offer a white peace, which we accept - ditto for Cornwall. In February 1623, it's Galicia's turn to offer us a white peace, which we accept... and shortly after, Wales. Now it's just France against us in one war, and just Portugal in the other.
And in May 1623, we are heralded this:
Apparently, France didn't feel like losing any more troops, for now! We accept their white peace offer...
... and Portugal's. Looks like being able to defend yourself as a pagan doesn't deter them from warring with you... but it does make you able to defend yourself. So the wars are over, for now. It's going to be annoying building colonies on the coast, because it makes it easy for the enemy to swing their troops in and kill off the natives there, as well as seize the colony. I guess all we can do is try to get those coastal colonies self-sustaining and with a fort built as quickly as possible. Land and naval maintenance is immediately lowered right down so we don't go bankrupt. Inflation's back up to 4.6.
By August 1623, naval tech 22 has come along, allowing us to build galleons, but I doubt we'll have much money spare to build them any time soon. We also successfully colonize Picunmapu and assign a "colony babysitter" ship to sit in its dock, increasing the chances of native accomodation events. The natives there are pretty aggressive.
Not much time passes before, in September 1625:
Ah well, we're getting used to this now. We raise war taxes and naval maintenance. Hopefully we can manage to beat their fleet before they land, as it's smaller than ours. I'm gonna get building drydocks where all my docks are, to increase our naval force limits. Money is tighter than a clam and inflation is rising, but at least we have no loans.
Sweden DoW on us in February 1626. Down to -3 stability for them. So, 2 wars now! Their fleet is tough and we might not be able to beat it. How exciting...
Although by November 1626:
... we accept Austria's white peace without any battles having been fought. Why did they bother declaring war?
In April 1627, repeated colonists being sent to the colony of Picunmapu pay off as the colony becomes self-sustaining, integrating the 2000 natives and getting a 3000 population. It produces gold, by the way... a common good in western South America, it would seem. A fort is built immediately. With Sweden being stubborn and still at war, we decide to go on the offensive and seize their South American colony in Banda Oriental. This may or may not be a good idea as it's a nice target for any would-be attackers.
As it's still a colony, we flip it to our religion and culture by sending a colonist.
May 1627 - Our old leader dies, and I go for the military candidate. He's great at administration and diplomacy. Go figure.
Uh oh... Sweden mean business in capturing their colony back. They pull up their whole fleet and start to land troops in December 1627. Let's try and "concede defeat".
It worked! We "lost" by capturing their colony. Haha. I now think a war with the Hansa is shortly on the cards. We need to cut through their colonies and join up Banda Oriental (which produces grain, sadly) with the rest of our territory. Hanseatic South America is still made up of 4 colonies, as well as a few full provinces. We decide that some heavy minting, building of more soldiers, and a blitzkrieg attack of Hanseatic South America is needed, so we get to work on that immediately. Inflation may reach 8% to 10%, but we really need to seize South America as soon as possible to boost our power against the Europeans. Capturing self-sustaining Hanseatic provinces will also mean the first work for our Animist missionaries, who must have been getting bored for over 200 years. Well, they would have if we had any. Being at max innovation, we have zero missionaries and that could take some time to change. I guess we know where the next slider changes are going.
But of course, before we can do this, the endless tide of European bastards DoWing on us continues in June 1628. Holland and France both DoW, in 2 separate wars. I decide to delay the blitzkrieg on The Hansa; we need to devote all our resources to surviving these two wars. As I feared, Banda Oriental is a sitting duck and we will probably have to cede that to Holland or France (neither of whom we can match in naval combat). However we should be able to hold on to the rest of our territory, as we have before.
I get the feeling that this is going to become a familiar sight, and that this game will be one long struggle to the end - certainly if we stay as pagans, whom Europeans love to hate. We're still a couple of government levels off our next national idea, which has got to be National Bank to try and get inflation down. I think we can hold off the French and the Dutch, and then attack Hanseatic South America and hopefully make some big territorial gains. But that's for the next instalment.