Need some feedback for my Vijayanagar game

[vranasm]

I need a little bit of feedback as I said... hopefully high quality, I have quite interesting situation.

First and foremost, I am very close to the first idea group (I have admin 3, close to admin 4) and the plan obviously is to get one of diplomatic idea groups and from what I saw I will basically decide between diplomatic and influence. Both have some good short term and long term benefits. I kinda am on the side that in the short run (like next couple 10ths years) the diplomatic will be better, but influence eventually could be better.

Now to the overal diplomatic picture... I have 1 vassal (Orissa) and couple alliances biggest is Bengal, Mysore (which won't help me in anything since they are afraid of me) and one useless royal mariage :-(.
My rivals are Bahmani, Malwe and Gurjarat (or something like that...it's the country directly at my north west border which I will have truce for like next 7 years so not important).
To my bad Bengal has alliance with Bahmani and Malwe too... and that is really fricking big complication, I have around 5 claims on Bahmani land and I can't find out any way how to break in...
But now there is maybe some opening possible, but would need some rules clarification (esp. in this new patch, since it's Ironman game i don't want to screw it).
There is some non-important OPM which would offer me alliance that is in defensive war against both Malwe and Bahmani, but not Bengal (and that is the important part imo).
I am thinking about taking the alliance from them, wait if they call me in and if so, could I could I not call in Bengal? I mostly think I won't be able, since I will be not co-beligirent in the war...

Maybe some small information about military tech... I am level 5, Bahmani and malwe level 5 too!, some bigger dudes (Bengal included) level 4, smaller nations around the India level 3.

So I really really need bengal's help.

some pictures

 

[Moridin997]

Are those Bahmani claims really your priority? If I were you, I'd try to first conquer those OPMs surrounding the Bahmanis and Malwa. Assuming they don't have big allies...

Also, how many troops do Malwa and Gujarat have? Can you tip the scale with mercenaries?


And what's the mod you're using? xD

 

[Junuxx]

- Warn Bahmanis and Gujarat. Never hurts.
- Try to Diplovassalize Khandesh and other OPMS?
- Or maybe drag your rivals into war by declaring on one of these OPMS, so that you wont have to fight Bengal too?

 

[vranasm]

Are those Bahmani claims really your priority? If I were you, I'd try to first conquer those OPMs surrounding the Bahmanis and Malwa. Assuming they don't have big allies...

Also, how many troops do Malwa and Gujarat have? Can you tip the scale with mercenaries?


And what's the mod you're using? xD

we are pretty big all military wise... Bahmani has 20k with solid manpower, Malwa 17k with a bit lower manpower. Bengal has like 28k troops, don't remember manpower

I have pretty good manpower, but only 23k soldiers. have solid money (around 5 gpm), still I think even with mercenaries I wouldn't match, Orissa has around 10k soldiers.

The claims are really not that much of priority because basically 4 of them were quests so I got already paid by some monarch points ;-). But free provinces and cutting down biggest rival wouldn't be bad ;-).

conquering OPM's and eating Gujarat was initial plan and obviously waiting for some good opportunity or Bahmanis making mistake (aka declaring on me bringing Bengal against them).

the mods are to be found here and through another links in the description http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=297339191
I installed 3 of them, the thick borders, white font and transparent political map

 

[vranasm]

- Warn Bahmanis and Gujarat. Never hurts.
- Try to Diplovassalize Khandesh and other OPMS?
- Or maybe drag your rivals into war by declaring on one of these OPMS, so that you wont have to fight Bengal too?

Khandesh is still vassaled by Gujarat... didn't paid enough attention to this when fighting Gujarat and didn't free them (was kinda hurrying the war and when I got 3 provinces - 2 for Orissa and claim for me, I ended the war with minimal sieging/attrition)
I eventually plan to vassal one of those OPM's because of culture, the Malwi one is high priority on the list, because big chunk of territory up there is Malwi

thanks for the tips

 

[vranasm]

just a small update for the interested... I vassaled 2 OPM's next to Malwa and then Malwa made absolutely tragical mistake when they declared war on someone and Bengal decided to defend that someone.
That basically left them with only Bahmani as allied partner (the vassal is not important).

So it was absolutely nice and clear opening for me and I declared war on Malwa with no co-beligirent for those pesky Bahmanis, that costed me a bit in the peace since I couldn't cut the Bahmanis as I would like to, but feeding vassal strategy continues.

The Malwa ended non-existent with me changing occupation to vassals

I only made there one big mistake... and that is coring distances.... so be sure if you feed your vassals with territory in wars so you give them continuous land, I am afraid the Baglana won't be able to core those 2 provinces ever :-(.
What works is selling cored province (I made it with the land which holds Orissa on west part of continent which couldn't be cored), since when you sell them province you also sell them core, so I sold them the land right bellow and they started to core, they are a bit short on the admin points though now (they could core one more and don't do this, so i suppose the points are no more).

I hope similar strategy for Gurjarat (after I get rid of the horrible regency I falled into... and to piss me off the new leader will be even 0/5/1...)

I helped a bit my vassals with rebellions against them, but no rebellion against me yet .

i even left a gift for Malwa with 17k Hindu zealots stack on separated province (head of it can be seen around the accept peace window).


The dialog probably lies about the aggressive expansion though... all those numbers got I instead of supposed subjects.

 

[unmerged(2833)]

Well, hope you get India under your boot come 1600s and unholy British-Spanish-Portuguese alliance dow on you :laugh:

 

[vranasm]

I think I made a small mistake while feeding my new vassal, whoopsie

not sure if this is gameover, played a bit further and cleared a bit, but no manpower left and the rebel timer is so small :-(

 

[Moridin997]

You may have made a "small" mistake, yes...

 

[vranasm]

You may have made a "small" mistake, yes...

I got it under control though... the second wave was smaller with 28k stacks.

luckilly those peasants were really really behind on military (i thought with 5 morale against 2.5 and 2.1 tactics against like 1.7)

 

[haltabush]

Try the support rebel thing, I'm not sure it still works in this patch, but it used to remove vassals rebel if you supported them. Probably not anymore, but it's worth trying
If not, only the buddist zealots are really a problem, you shouldn't bother about the peasants, they'll only increase autonomy.

 

[vranasm]

supporting rebels doesn't work anymore, I consolidate the empire though (for those insterested)

Sarig, Kham, Assam, Sadiya, Miao, Lan Na are vassals.

now considering options... I have problems expanding north east, because of locked coallition and strong enemies. More suitable looks west against timurids with creating new vassal out of timurids land. I hope to wipe out south east asia in next 20 years (but that will depend if khmer joins or not coallition etc)
Have biggest army in the world so crossing fingers no AI will be fool enough to attack, lag a bit with military tech (have level 17 while Castille, GB have 19)