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Just a quick tip: a lot of information of this kind is also on the wiki, it might be useful to look there if you have any questions about a specific mechanic
The Wiki has always been a bit tricky in knowing what is up-to-date info and what is not. So I have learned not to depend on it too much.
Yay for crushing Provence! And now for Burgundy!
As for the pictures, I don't really notice when I'm reading AARs, unless there's considerable effort put into the formatting. But when posting my own, I prefer centered.
As for the pictures, I don't really notice when I'm reading AARs, unless there's considerable effort put into the formatting. But when posting my own, I prefer centered.
I prefer them centred, but it's a matter of personal taste 
Try another browser next time, just in case it is a factor.
Try another browser next time, just in case it is a factor.
I prefer them centred, but it's a matter of personal taste
I think it should have the text and the pics at roughly the same place in the width so I don't have to constantly look somewhere else
As far as Burgundy goes, a couple of things can go horribly wrong. I'll go into more detail in the actual update, but Brittany and Burgundy combined have more men on the ground than France and her combined vassals. I have 1 tech level advantage and about double the spare MP. However, if thngs go wrong, and the coalition gets triggered, that would bring in England. I haven't checked their army yet, but who knows? exciting times ahead for sure, especially with Ironman. In a standard game, you can afford to have a couple of dry runs first. here what you see is what you get.
I prefer them centred, but it's a matter of personal taste
Try another browser next time, just in case it is a factor.
I prefer centered myself too. I think it just looks more precise, but I wanted to try something different.
In the last update, things went a lot more smoothly as far as lag is concerned. Who knows? Maybe the Imgur server was undergoing maintenance and I was just unlucky? That being said, I had a problem the other day with it too, when I was trying to download Podcat's latest exe file for HOI 3. Instead of making it a ".exe" it made it a ".php". Some people also suggested a different browser to help me solve it. I will look into it.
Subbed! nice to see you moving into EU4, misterbean.
Welcome! I figured it was time to move out of the HOI 3-AAR corner. I have about 300 hours into EU 4, so I hope I'm ready for it. If not, well, then it's the AI's fault, of course
Welcome, Sprites! I plan to play sometime in the next couple of days. Maybe tonight. Update should come a day or two later.
edit: I have played and written the update. Tomorrow I will edit and upload the pics. So expect the next chapter sometime tomorrow.
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Chapter 3: Vengeance!
Something I forgot to mention in last chapter, is that I am over my diplo limit. I don’t want to give up the alliance with Hungary, however, in case I need some bodies to throw at Austria at some point. So I have started to annex Orleannais. The city that heralded France’s comeback in the Hundred Years War will belong to the crown once more!
There is a small matter of Picardie rightfully belonging to the French people. So here is the situation.
Brittany is allied to both Burgundy and England. England is in a coalition against me along with Burgundy. However this plays out, I am bound to run into the three of them sooner or later.
I do a little math.
Brittany has mil tech 4 and 8,000 men.
Burgundy, also tech level 4, has 41,000.
England, a paltry tech level 3, has 19,000.
Together, they could bring 68,000 men on the field.
France (39,000) and our combined vassals (14,000) can get up to 53,000. For a moment, I consider allying Scotland (8,000), but decide against it. Chances are they will just get killed and end up costing me warscore. And there would be no sane way that I could hope to reinforce them if needed against England.
So I need mercs. But with only 15 ducats in the bank, I need to save up first. Grudgingly, I wait, praying that Burgundy doesn’t pull even in the tech race. I do use the time constructively, however, by fabricating a claim on Artois.
2nd of January, 1458. I reach admin level 5. Temples and Constables mean more money and a larger force limit.
Aragon gets caught fabricating a claim on Toulouse. Now is that any way to treat your neighbours? You don’t see me doing that, do you?
Oh, wait…
Aragon wins a war against the pope. Avignon? That’s interesting. Within days, they are allied to Castille and Savoy, who are allied to a bunch of HRE minors. If I am going to do this, I will need to secure my back first, however.
Some time later, England, Brittany and Savoy are all caught fabricating claims on my provinces and I loose patience. Time to show them who’s boss around here!
I take out 3 loans of 75 ducats. Just enough to hire all 12 mercenary companies at my disposal.
Now who was it that betrayed France, and ended up costing her a century of bloodshed? Oh, yeah. Now I remember.
England. Brittany. Burgundy.
I have to move quickly. Losing 15 ducats a month is no laughing matter. Let’s just hope I don’t end up bankrupting the French treasury.
The goals are quite simple: I want Picardie, Franche-Comté and Calais. Picardie because Flanders has a core there. I can use it to release Flanders and feed them in later wars. Calais for obvious reasons. Franche-Comté because it is an HRE province. If the duke dies, it goes to Austria, which would only make things more complicated.
The initial game plan. The mercs will take care of Brittany, led by Denis d’Ornano, a shock-3 general, while Charles VII takes personal command of the main army with his shock-5 rating.
When Charles arrives in Picardie, I see Burgundy assembling its entire army in Calais. All 41,000 come charging in. Remarkably, they are led by an inferior general. The duke (fire-4,shock-4) is not in charge. That should make things easier, provided I win the battle.
It’s a massacre. My morale is still surprisingly good, in comparison with that of the Burgundian army, so I follow them, first to Antwerpen, then to Bourgogne.
Stupidly enough, I only now remember to raise war taxes.
England lands a sizable force in Normandy, forcing my vassals and mercs to stop sieging Brittany for a moment and deal with the threat first. They will lose the rest of their invasion force in Armor.
Charles, still chasing the main Burgundian army, is only momentarily held up by a siege stack in Caux.
From Hainaut, ploughing through a secondary force in Nevers, to Nemours. They cannot run. They cannot fight. They cannot hide. No escape for Burgundy.
December 1459. I think I am winning
After that, it is just a matter of waiting for the sieges to finish.
March 1461. Brittany goes first. Losing Armor means that I could force-vassalise them in a next war.
I had completely forgotten about Cleves. Luckily, my vassals didn’t. In July, they beg for mercy. I am feeling magnanimous, so I let them get off easy.
November 1461. The war is over. We have won. I wanted to release Brabant instead, which would have cost Burgundy half their ill-gotten land, but that would have brought me to 101% warscore. I opt for releasing 2 minors instead. As a side note, did you know that releasing Holland, all by itself, costs 58 warscore? A testament to the province’s wealth.
After the war, I end up with 8 loans, for a total debt of about 450 ducats.
And of course, everyone and their dog suddenly gets scared. Half a dozen embargoes in 2 days time, Utrecht and a couple of other minors joining the coalition.
And Austria demands the return of Franche-Comté, as expected. Unfortunately for them, I have allready started coring the province and I decline ever so politely. So now they too have a CB.
Guess I won’t be going to war anytime soon.
I do hit a snag, though. For some reason, I can’t release Flanders from Picardie. I don’t understand. It’s one of their core provinces. Why can’t I release them?
Oh, well. It’s not going to be raining on my parade, that’s for certain. France has annihilated the armies of England, Brittany and Burgundy.
See you next time, for a (hopefully) peaceful chapter.
An solid performance by France. I presume the mercenaries have been released since the conflict is over, how does your balance look now? 450 is no small amount of loans, and if they start rolling over inflation will creep up.
Thank you. I think that the war would have gone totally different had it not been for the tech difference. Hard to believe what a difference 1 level makes.
Yeah, I started releasing the mercs as they ended sieging provinces in Brittany. I had already started paying back the loans. The money I gained in the peace treaties certainly helped. Right now I only have 4 more to go. Barring some catastrophical random event, I foresee no problem in repaying them. Plus I have a master of the mint as advisor, so the inflation doesn't really bother me right now.
The only thing I would suggest is vassalising Holland, and then diplo-annex them. In my Friesland game, holland generates about 1/4 of my income and I have 9 provinces, so its definitely pulling its share. I am in to around 1490, and I am making 15 ducats a month, so its definitely worth grabbing if you can.
Great win.
Unfortunately, Flanders has to be released from a Flemish province, which means that for it to work, you should have gotten either Antwerpen, Ghent or Vlanderen.
You could still give them Picardy in later peace deals, and they will have both Picardy and the Flemish province if you release them as vassals after a second war.
Unfortunately, Flanders has to be released from a Flemish province, which means that for it to work, you should have gotten either Antwerpen, Ghent or Vlanderen.
You could still give them Picardy in later peace deals, and they will have both Picardy and the Flemish province if you release them as vassals after a second war.
Great win.
Unfortunately, Flanders has to be released from a Flemish province, which means that for it to work, you should have gotten either Antwerpen, Ghent or Vlanderen.
You could still give them Picardy in later peace deals, and they will have both Picardy and the Flemish province if you release them as vassals after a second war.
I figured as much after the facts. I should have taken Flanders instead of Artois. Well, you learn by doing things the wrong way. It was still a lot fun beating up on the Burgundian army :laugh:
Chapter 4: Peace And Prosperity In Paris.
It is December 1461. I still have 4 loans to pay off, so I am going to take it easy until my manpower has had a decent chance to recover.
In August, I discover that Burgundy has an heir. If he survives, that means there will be no Austrian Inheritance for the time being.
King Charles VII, with the help of the saint Jeanne D’Arc, revived the nation in 1430. He restored France to it’s glorious self again, fought and won the reconquest of all lands held by the English. He regained Anjou and Provence. He vindicated France against her 3 main enemies and won 3 provinces in the process. He also managed to scare most of his neighbours thoroughly in doing so.
He ruled from 22 Oktober 1422 to 24 Oktober 1462. After his death, his son rose to the throne as Louis XI.
Louis XI is a 4/3/2, perfectly suited for what I have in mind: peace and prosperity. His son, also called Louis, is a 5/1/6.
The annexation of Orleans is finished in August 1463, with Franche-comté being cored in June 1464.
I start on the road to Offesive mastery in 1463.
I begin improving relations with Austria and Aragon because everyone else still hates me.
In March 1465, Milan leaves the coalition against France. A short time later, I get my first cardinal into the Holy See and begin grooming the next one, a 40-year-old candidate from Savoy.
June 1465. France is at last debt-free, as the last loan has been repaid. I only had to extend 1 loan, but now it is time to rebuild.
I check my army limits. A few months later, the glorious French army is bigger than ever: 32,000 infantry and 14,000 cavalry.
September. Armor is cored at last. Without an appropriate advisor, these things take forever.
That’s when I notice that my guarantee to Scotland has expired, leaving me with an opening. Aragon is more than happy to ally France and marry one of the king’s relatives. Everybody else was still too scared to ally me, or had rivaled me. Aragon will hopefully help keeping Castile in check.
On December, 14th, 1466, The Curia is controlled by France.
My old general dies, and I replace him with a 4/5/3/2. I pity the poor fool who wants to go up against him.
I accept the mission to incorporate Auvergne, so that I can make room for Flanders.
Christmas Day, 1468. I have build my fleet up to the naval limits: 4 Early Carracks, 12 Barques, 8 Galleys and 10 cogs. After giving it some thought, I scrap the Cogs, which will allow me to build 10 other ships. I am thinking 3 heavies, 3 galleys and 4 light ships.
The advisor I have been waiting for has finally arrived at court in Paris: Better Relations Over Time. He will be instrumental in helping me break the coalition, that still consists of England, Burgundy, Brittany, Genoa, Savoy, Gelre and Utrecht. England is allied with Portugal, Brittany with Castile, Savoy with Austria. Too many uncertain factors to my liking.
If they will just leave me alone for a year or so, I can have temples in every province in France. That should bring my Force Limit up to at least 50. Then, I will…
…never mind.
Austrian Succession War???
Oh, this will definitely be interesting to see.
Attachments
I think it's in your best interests to make sure neither of them succeed, a Hungary with Austria will eventually gain the HRE and will rival you, a Poland-Lithuania with Austria will do the same.
I say break them both.
I say break them both.
I was thinking along the same lines. Only question: How to go about it? One final little problem: I free Austria, and they end up rivaling me. As I write this, I am thinking to let someone win, then DoW the winner and break Austria up into its composite parts. Should take a couple of wars. And if I am careful not to take anything in the treaty, that should keep AE to a minimum.
Or am I talking crazy?