In dire need of a good military advisor. (Ethiopia beset by heathens)

[Nikolaz72]

The King of the dynasty of Solomon had successfully united the copt majorities either under the centralized kingdom or by vassals. He installed a coptic state religion in a sultanate to the north, promtly vassalizing it afterwards. Annexed the mines to the south and allied and plans to vassalize the Nubians of Alodia to the north using clever diplomatic wiles.

His last conquest was Adal, a large sultanate providing a connection to the arch-rival Yemen. In the war he also got one of the former allies of Adal- Mombasa to swear allegiance.

The rapid conquest, coups and conversion of the true believers was too much for the surrounding heathen states. A coalition of Ajuraan, Yemen and the Mamlukes attacked the New-Ethiopian Empire.

Outnumbered two to one and surrounded on all sides the Ethiopian king decides to place his troops in Tajura and dig in across from the waters separating the Ethiopian territories from that of Yemen with 15.000 men. The Northern Caliphate had sent 11.000 Troops to assist and met with Yemens 10.000 troops before charging at the numerically inferior Ethiopian defensive coalition. The Ethiopians won, 6000 surviving Egyptians flee north and the king orders his own armies to pursue and occupy Yemen.

It seems to have paid off, but the hostile native tribes to the south failed at containing the southern African sultanate that has arrived to assist the northern caliphate with 9000 troops. The Northern Caliphate have reinforced and are now focusing all of their military on invading the northernmost traitorous sultan who became a Christian King at the orders of the Ethiopian Ruler.

Now the King of Ethiopia seeks military advice. Yemen the leader of the coalition is sure to fall, however the treasury is quickly draining and the coalition is outnumbered 3 to 2 in horses and 4 to 2 in infantry. Is there any way to hope for victory? Should he push south and push the Africans to surrender whilst they are busy in the north. Or should he attempt to face the armies of the Egyptians head on with some hired mercenaries? Any clever tacticians here?

 

[MadDjinn]

Coalition wars are now Superiority wars, so yes, head south if you think you can win those fights.

Since Yemen is the leader of the coalition, definitely siege out their capital and the rest of their lands. --- Depending on Hedjaz and Oman's abilities, they'll attack Yemen which will make Yemen more likely to want to peace out.

Pick your battles, ensure to chase down 1-2 regiment new troops to get rolling WS. On this note, go into the vassal screen and set your vassals to follow you, not to do their own thing. Else, they'll get wiped and you start losing.

Once you're done sieging down Yemen, group up then split your stack in 1/2. if the Mamluks are coming to siege your lands, defend in the mountains (Ethiopia has lots). You can still sucker the AI into attacking you in the mountains and let yourself reinforce.

Pushing back the Mamluks helps a bit as they will siege you down, and/or make it south to bother you.

If you're not trying to take new lands and just want to break the coalition, Yemen will want to tap out after you've got them sieged up.

 

[Nikolaz72]

It is not actually a coalition war. Yemen just has The Caliphate and Ajuraan Sultanate as allies and attacked due to the unpopularity earned through the aggressive incursions of the Christians. Advice still works, thanks.

To be honest the King Solomon would find no end to entertainment in breaking the caliphate to the north. It's been a long time coming. We need to regain the lands of Jerusalem!

 

[Mztr44]

Coalition wars are now Superiority wars, so yes, head south if you think you can win those fights.

Since Yemen is the leader of the coalition, definitely siege out their capital and the rest of their lands. --- Depending on Hedjaz and Oman's abilities, they'll attack Yemen which will make Yemen more likely to want to peace out.

Pick your battles, ensure to chase down 1-2 regiment new troops to get rolling WS. On this note, go into the vassal screen and set your vassals to follow you, not to do their own thing. Else, they'll get wiped and you start losing.

Once you're done sieging down Yemen, group up then split your stack in 1/2. if the Mamluks are coming to siege your lands, defend in the mountains (Ethiopia has lots). You can still sucker the AI into attacking you in the mountains and let yourself reinforce.

Pushing back the Mamluks helps a bit as they will siege you down, and/or make it south to bother you.

If you're not trying to take new lands and just want to break the coalition, Yemen will want to tap out after you've got them sieged up.

Just wanted to add that setting your vassals war goals to follow you isn't always enough. Be sure to select an army and put a check in the box for "attach to this unit". That will almost guarantee that your vassals will follow that army, otherwise they may just continue to do their own thing. Just watch out for attrition penalties if your combined armies are too large for the area provinces.

 

[Nikolaz72]

Victory!

A devastating march back from Yemen resulted in the King being forced to take out two big loans to finance the hiring of new mercenaries. However after uniting his forces with that of his vassals he met the armies one after the other outnumbered by both together but outnumbering each separate breaking the back of the Ajuraani/Egyptian forces both of them to suffer the humiliation of defeat at the hands of mighty armies of Ethiopia. The now fully occupied, isolated and friendless Yemen was forced to bend the knee.

King Solomon thanks his trusty foreign advisors for their aid.

There was also something about the northernmost ex-sultan complaining that his lands wouldn't have been throughoutly ransacked if he hadn't been forced to convert. But the king considers such white noise, for if he did not, those comments could have had that borderline heathen loose his head. And that just wouldn't do, for Solomon is a merciful king with as many acts of mercy every day as he has wives.

 

[MadDjinn]

It is not actually a coalition war. Yemen just has The Caliphate and Ajuraan Sultanate as allies and attacked due to the unpopularity earned through the aggressive incursions of the Christians. Advice still works, thanks.

To be honest the King Solomon would find no end to entertainment in breaking the caliphate to the north. It's been a long time coming. We need to regain the lands of Jerusalem!

ah, see, the sentence you used was ' a coalition [...] ' which is different to 'got attack by'.

The advice still fits, get yemen, don't fight against the others unless you have to, etc. But the end game could have been to give your vassals (Adal and Mombassa) the culture related provinces in Ajuraan to get them bigger.

the Mamluks require you to get a bit bigger, or wait for the Ottomans to start their purge.

 

[Nikolaz72]

Funny side note, the king sent a strongly worded letter to the Egyptians demanding better treatment for the Egyptian copts, and the Egyptians apologized and now all the copt vassals love the king even more (Though to be fair, they were undyingly loyal even before this)

 

[unmerged(788416)]

After reading this im in the mood for a Ethiopia game.