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I have taken a few days to read this AAR. Brilliant! This convinced me to order EU IV. The mechanics of the game seem quite different from the last version that I've been playing. Thanks for all the effort and time to play this and write it up for us.
Normaly I would say that you have taken a bite to big to swallow, but this is crazy enough to actually work. If the Ottoman forces are bound by the Russians long enough for the Spanish to ship in their full wight, your alliance might have a chance. We need a soundtrack! Like this one!
[video=youtube;JSsgf8waQoI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSsgf8waQoI[/video]
[video=youtube;JSsgf8waQoI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSsgf8waQoI[/video]
Haha, yeah attacking the Ottos seemed like the perfect idea 
although with that alliance and Spain actually helping you may help wreck the Ottos, especially if Russia gets their act together.
although with that alliance and Spain actually helping you may help wreck the Ottos, especially if Russia gets their act together.
A gutsy move, attacking the Ottomans, especially as you'll be relying on the AI to share the burden! Hoping that you get a good few turns with Hungary, this looks like it could be a promising mini campaign.
“That may seem like a heavy peace. Perhaps you're right, but we had no land connection to the Ukraine anyway.”
I’ll have to admit that wasn’t what I was expecting but it is a clever way of handling the problem of a split country. Still just as I’m thinking you’re a master of strategy you turn around and declare war on the Ottomans! Me thinks you are going to have to be very very lucky to pull this one off. Bought any lottery tickets lately?
I’ll have to admit that wasn’t what I was expecting but it is a clever way of handling the problem of a split country.
Still just as I’m thinking you’re a master of strategy you turn around and declare war on the Ottomans! Me thinks you are going to have to be very very lucky to pull this one off. Bought any lottery tickets lately?
He's tried the "easy" option. He is now going for the "hard" one. This war he has the help of Spain and the Russians have bled ottoman manpower white. This move may prove to be stupendously successful or ... that's a nice padded cell you've got there Mr CatKnight.
Just hope Portugal don't make enough trouble in the Iberia so Spain don't need to call back the armies to home...
It sure is a gutsy move (and thankfully one that has paid off with Spain rampaging through the Balkans - for now). I'm kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop: the Ottomans make a quick peace with the Russians, their full-strength armies return, Spain decides that it has more urgent business conquering the Portuguese colonies in the New World, and all of a sudden you're left holding the line all by yourself.
Granted, there's not a whole lot else you could do (well, unless you count hunkering down for the duration of your Hungarian stint), but I have a hard time seeing how you can pull this off. Now go ahead and prove me wrong, with the Spanish assaulting their way into Constantinople.
Granted, there's not a whole lot else you could do (well, unless you count hunkering down for the duration of your Hungarian stint), but I have a hard time seeing how you can pull this off. Now go ahead and prove me wrong, with the Spanish assaulting their way into Constantinople.
Warlord Skorr: That's true! The Mughals stayed out of it. I guess they had other things to do.
Athalcor: Exactly! It reminds me of the Ninth Doctor (Who):
Doctor: ...And then, just to finish it off, I'm going to wipe ever last stinking Dalek out of the sky.
Dalek: But you have no weapons, no defenses, no plan.
Doctor: Yeah, and doesn't that just scare you to death?
Andre Massena: Ulm's in the next AAR over.
juckil: Yeah, let's go..uhm..wreck the Ottomans!
Chief Ragusa: I'd love for Russia to properly exploit the situation. And Yemen. And even Spain!
Athalcor: It did, didn't it? I wonder if Svip knows.
ar_confederate: The mechanics evolve with each DLC. It's definitely far different than the earlier versions.
McGrey: Thanks. Love that song!
tnick0225: Yep, if Russia and Spain do their part this could be sweet sailing.
Seelmeister: Yep, if the AI does its part this could be sweet sailing. :X
Storey: I have horrible luck with the lottery. Little Ukraine's back on the map, but for how long?
Chief Ragusa: Hm, that IS nice padding isn't it?
GunthiHrod: So do I! I've been playing RPGs since the early 80s
Hiryuu: I don't think Portugal's in a position to be more than spoiler.
Stuyvesant: You, sir, are a --- prophet!
Athalcor: Exactly! It reminds me of the Ninth Doctor (Who):
Doctor: ...And then, just to finish it off, I'm going to wipe ever last stinking Dalek out of the sky.
Dalek: But you have no weapons, no defenses, no plan.
Doctor: Yeah, and doesn't that just scare you to death?
Andre Massena: Ulm's in the next AAR over.
juckil: Yeah, let's go..uhm..wreck the Ottomans!
Chief Ragusa: I'd love for Russia to properly exploit the situation. And Yemen. And even Spain!
Athalcor: It did, didn't it? I wonder if Svip knows.
ar_confederate: The mechanics evolve with each DLC. It's definitely far different than the earlier versions.
McGrey:
Thanks. Love that song!tnick0225: Yep, if Russia and Spain do their part this could be sweet sailing.
Seelmeister: Yep, if the AI does its part this could be sweet sailing. :X
Storey: I have horrible luck with the lottery. Little Ukraine's back on the map, but for how long?
Chief Ragusa: Hm, that IS nice padding isn't it?
GunthiHrod: So do I! I've been playing RPGs since the early 80s
Hiryuu: I don't think Portugal's in a position to be more than spoiler.
Stuyvesant: You, sir, are a --- prophet!
CHAPTER XXI: HUNGARY II
Part 2: Hungary for Turkey
(1735-1740)
Part 2: Hungary for Turkey
(1735-1740)
More Than We Can Chew
It is January 1735, and I'm feeling pretty good about our chances against the Ottomans. I have no idea what's happening with the Russians, but at least it's not getting worse over there. Spain has invaded the Balkans in force, and I even have the remnants of our army sieging Maros.
Later that month the Ottos try to sneak another army into Marmaros, some 14K strong, but the Spaniards send 28K and annihilate them. Maros falls in April and we're at +19% warscore.
I should have sued for peace.
Instead, our armies marched to Ruthenia, Lublin and Sandomierz. Together they form the thin Ottoman line dividing Hungary from Spanish Lithuania, and I wouldn't mind taking those in the peace.
Meanwhile, the tide's beginning to turn. 59K Ottomans cripple 20K Spaniards in Tarnovo in July, while the Turk seizes Kiev. They march their army into Ruthenia to meet our front line troops.
Uhoh.
Still, there is that large Spaniard force in Krakow. I move our un-routed armies (Lublin and Sandomierz) to the latter to meet up. Spain keeps on going into Lithuania. The Ottos don't. Both armies cease to exist.
Uhoh.
By now there are 17K Turks in Hungary itself to our 5K, while the army in Sandomierz - who thankfully heads into Lithuania - is up to 81K. Where are they getting all these men? I thought the Russians bled them white!
They did. Then they peaced out. I don't know the terms, but now the Ottomans can focus on us.
Uhoh.
Sensing weakness, the Austrians declare us rivals in February 1736. Their declaration (something about our pus filled corpses) impressed our diplomats so much they refined their tactics and took Diplomacy-26 (East Indiamen). We may need one of those ships to run after the war is over.
This becomes more apparent when the Ottomans catch our remaining army that April.
So, once more, we have zero army. We also have only 1,500 or so manpower, so zero point in raising another unless I want to buy mercs. With this many hostiles running around, there's not much point in that either.
In Krakow the last(!) large Spanish army, some 53K strong, slams into 23K Ottomans. The Turk call on reinforcements boosting their army to 80K. Spain loses. Badly.
The ledger doesn't give me much reason for hope.
Code:
Nation Army Manpower
Ottomans 121.3K 5.3K
Spain 144.5K 55.0KYet, if Spain still has so many men, where the heck are they? I find 103K in the Portuguese homeland.... and they're not interested in peace. Great.
Through the summer of 1736 the tide turns in earnest. Most of the border provinces are under siege. The same can be said for southern Lithuania. Provinces begin surrendering. I have no army. The Spaniards have nothing in the region worth talking about. The Ottos have 101K scattered between Lithuania and Hungary.
This is ridiculous. Fortunately the Portuguese agree.
The two provinces are in what we'd consider Texas, inland from the coast. Spain has no land connection to it, but at least it's something.
Now something peculiar happens. Portugal is out of the war, but Mexico, Caraibas and Brazil are NOT. In this particular fight it means nothing, but if I were the Spanish player I see a massive exploit here. The homeland is out of the war, so I could get 100% warscore against each colony and take A LOT of land.
Perhaps that's the intent: In the real Seven Years War, the British were able to take A LOT of land. Still, it seems buggy.
Regardless, my hope is that with Portugal subdued, the Spaniards will send their massive armies east to deal with the Turkish threat. Nope. Krakow falls, which oddly gives us a claim on Bohmerwald in Bohemia. Zemplen falls. By March 1737 our experts fear the country is entering a decline.
No crap, Sherlock.
By April I'm convinced Spain isn't coming. I see one small army MARCHING through the Italian Alps towards us. We're at -20% war score, and I need to end this before the Turk AI becomes completely unreasonable. Since Spain failed to hold up its end of the bargain, I think they should pay for the peace. Don't you?
Rebuilding
Well then.
Our trading ships survived in port, so they immediately go out to bring some money in. Our largest priority, especially now that Austria and it's 40K army has declared us rivals, is to rebuild. Fast.
Our army tacticians use this opportunity to renovate and modernize our army. (Military-26) This means White Coat Infantry and Uhlan Cavalry. Our force limit is 34, so the plan is 17 Inf/8 Cav/9 Art. We have plenty of money - manpower is the issue, so we start by building the more expensive units.
This also gives us a chance to reform our finances. (-1 Stability, now at 0. -5 Inflation) Those reforms are virtually undone in November 1738 when we ignore calls to reform our currency. (+3 Inflation)
Modernization worries our nobles. They fear that hiring competent officers instead of incompetent noble sons weakens the kingdom. They're right, of course. (-5 Army Tradition). It won't always be this way though, so we convert to an Absolute Monarchy (-1 RR, +5% Discipline).
1739 is...quiet. Peaceful. Well, except for our slowly growing army, which stands at 2 Inf/8 Cav/9 Art by the end of the year. We do get the opportunity to annoy Austria in a boundary dispute, claiming Ostmarch and giving them a Diplomatic CB.
Honestly, I'm not sure where we go from here. We've proven we can't beat Bohemia. Austria's even stronger. We can't challenge Venice without a navy. The Turk have officially won this game. OK Johan, let's go somewhere else.
Johan's Dice
Reign: 10 years
Needed: 3+
Roll: 6
Continue?: Yes
Oh. Uhm...okay.
Spain was more interested in gaining lands from Portugal. Figures. Hungary will be really popular with Spain for ceding its land. It could have gone better. It could have gone worse. Oh, you're still there, so it did go worse. I think if you could get Bohemia on its own, Hungary might be able to make some gains. Perhaps becoming a member of the HRE as a first step, would help.
I got it almost right? Dang, that never happens - I'm scared now... These fingers, with which I type these words, they hold terrible power...
Anyway, you got run into the ground comprehensively by the Turk, but at least you managed to make Spain pay the price rather than you. That's worth something. Not a whole lot, considering your hostile neighborhood, but something. Let's see if you can continue to drive events in the next 5 years, or if you'll be reduced to the role of nearly impotent bystander. My money's on Austria being the next to want a piece from you. Perhaps if you let them come to you, instead of going out of your way to get them, you'll be able to make them regret that decision.
Anyway, you got run into the ground comprehensively by the Turk, but at least you managed to make Spain pay the price rather than you. That's worth something. Not a whole lot, considering your hostile neighborhood, but something.
Let's see if you can continue to drive events in the next 5 years, or if you'll be reduced to the role of nearly impotent bystander. My money's on Austria being the next to want a piece from you. Perhaps if you let them come to you, instead of going out of your way to get them, you'll be able to make them regret that decision.
Classic AI allies completely fucking you over with an early peace. Thanks Russia!
That seems to be more of a problem in Vicky, though.
That seems to be more of a problem in Vicky, though.
Sad about Hungary's defeat, but like you alluded to, it's pretty cool to see a blobby AI Ottoman Empire capable of sending Spain packing at the tail of an exhausting war with Russia.
Ok, new soundtrack...
[video=youtube;ZnHmskwqCCQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnHmskwqCCQ[/video]
But letting Spain pay for the peace was a nice touch...
Thinking of options here, the map of Hungaries surroundings wasn't that big but is there an options for a campaign in Italy? It looks like there is a peace of Tuscanies coast, depending on the strength of your navy (transport capabilities) or your diplomatic standing (military access rights) that could be an option. Or even somewhere overseas, if you can get a CB. Of course there is the problem what happens if Austria chooses that moment to attack.
[video=youtube;ZnHmskwqCCQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnHmskwqCCQ[/video]
But letting Spain pay for the peace was a nice touch...
Thinking of options here, the map of Hungaries surroundings wasn't that big but is there an options for a campaign in Italy? It looks like there is a peace of Tuscanies coast, depending on the strength of your navy (transport capabilities) or your diplomatic standing (military access rights) that could be an option. Or even somewhere overseas, if you can get a CB. Of course there is the problem what happens if Austria chooses that moment to attack.
