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5
The mountain road to Isfahan
1455-61
The mountain road to Isfahan
1455-61
The decision is made, Persia must be DoWed. However, when I'm still finishing the preparations and dealing with a new rebellion in Alexandria, Persia DoWs my ally Khorasan in January 1455. Well, it saves me a stab hit. I gladly join and become the war leader, along with Khorashan's allies Kazakh and Kashmir.
All the Persian forces are concentrated in the east, storming Khorasan's unfortified provinces, so I tentatively set sieges in Al Hasa and Khuzestan.
With a small army and no forts Khorasan doesn't last long; the country capitulates in 6 months, ceding Herat, Kandahar and 340 ducats. That leaves the 3 allies against Persia.
Persia has a high proportion of cavalry compared with other nations, so this looks trickier than the infantry-heavy Mamluks. Luckily Kazakhs and Kashmiris seem to keep Persian forces busy in the east while I continue my sieges.
In November 1455 al-Afdal dies (after an unusually long reign), al-Mu'azzam II ascends to the throne with a reasonable adm 7, mil 4, dip 6. That same month Al Hasa falls to Syrian forces. Early in January 1456 Khuzestan falls, just in time to regroup and welcome the first big Persian stack coming west, a 7K cavarly plus 7K infantry army.
I win the battle comfortably, probably thanks to my better general, and chase and destroy the stack eventually in August.
Which leaves a 5K/11K stack as the only remaining dangerous Persian army. As you can see Kazakhs and Kashmiris are making sure the stack is busy
That gives me one more year to set more sieges, but eventually the main Persian army comes west in early 1457. Again, I regroup in Fars and meet the Persians, but this time I lose. However the Persians suffer larger loses and retreat to Laristan to recover instead of going after my defeated army...
While my army recovers morale two more Persian provinces fall, Luristan in May and Ajam in November. Another powerful reason to destroy Persia and the Mamluks is their annoyingly similar sandy colour
I go for Fars again, and the Persian stack meets me there at the beginning of 1458. I lose again, this time with more casualties, but once more the Persians retreat to recover giving me the chance to do the same.
Kazakhs have occupied 2 provinces in central Persia, and Kashmir keeps nagging in the east. The Persian AI doesn't handle very well this multiple front offensive. When the Persians eventually push west again in August I stop them in Khuzestan, at a high cost for them.
This victory seals the fate of Persia as their last large army is finally routed a few months later.
They start sending peace deals, which I refuse as I spread my infantry in new sieges during 1459.
Taking advantage of the situation Khiva declares war on Persia in November 1459. Time to finish the war. In December I take Hormuz -their capital- and reach 91% WS, enough to exact a pretty decent 99% value peace deal, accepted in January 1460. This time I've managed to end the war with only 3.60 WE!
Dash-i-Lut is a rather poor province but it fitted nicely in the peace deal and leaves Persia split in three, ensuring it remains crippled until I can deal with the rest.
I spend the rest of 1460 and first half 1461 burning off war exhaustion and reputation, sending missionaries to my new collection of Shia provinces and even a few merchants to Alexandria!
I also push the policy slider toward centralisation once more, to the limit my current form of government allows. It only results in a large revolt of Byzantine patriots in Cyprus, easily handled with the help of my transport fleet
A view of the fledgeling Syrian Empire and Arabia...
In the east a badly beaten Persia and a bunch of nations ready to take the spoils...
In the west an internecine Christian war rages between Castille and Portugal-Aragon, while Algiers tries to recover Castillian gains in Africa...
And finally in the north my biggest threat: a mighty Ottoman Empire that has been too successful... they've recently vassalised Candar and annexed Armenia and Kaffa. Their current mission is 'Bring down the Mamluks', so I need to deal with Egypt urgently before they do. My hope is that also-successful, also-scary Austria comes knocking at the OE's door soon.
_________________
Syria in 1461
Provinces: 18
At peace.
Allied with Korashan, Khiva, Golden Horde. CB on OE, Mamluks.
Stability: +3
BB: 3.05
Monarch: Sultan al-Mu'azzam II (7a/4m/6d)
Army: 22 (10/12/0)
Navy: 13 (0/0/6/7)
WE: 0 --At last!--
Neighbours
Mamluks: Allied with Tunisia, Oman, Swahili, Najd. CB on Syria. Guaranteeing Yemen, Haasa, Hedjaz, Candar, Iraq, Algiers. Warned by Syria.
OE: Allied with Bosnia, Serbia, Golden Horde, Nogai and Candar. Guaranteeing Yemen, Haasa, Candar, Najd, Hedjaz and Iraq.
Persia: Allied with Haasa. CB on Khorasan, Qara Qoyunlu and Khiva. Guaranteeing Haasa, Khorasan and Qara Qoyunlu and Khiva. Warning Haasa, Korashan and Qara Qoyunlu.
Najd: Allied with Mamluks, Tripoli. CB on Haasa, Oman. Guaranteeing Iraq. Guaranteed by Algiers, OE, Oman, Yemen and Fez.
Iraq: No allies. CB on the OE, Syria. Guaranteed by OE, Yemen, Hedjaz, Oman, Najd, Candar, Algiers, Fez, Tunisia and the Mamluks. Warned by Syria.
Haasa: Allied with Persia and Qara Qoyunlu. CB on Najd and Syria. Guaranteed by OE, Oman, Algiers, Fez, Persia and the Mamluks. Guaranteeing Iraq, Hedjaz, Tunisia. Warned by Syria, Mamluks and Persia.
Khorashan: Allied with Syria, Kazakh and Kashmir. CB on Persia and Delhi.
Qara Qoyunlu: Allied with Nogai, Haasa and Kazakh.
Crete: No allies. Guaranteed by Georgia.
Kami - I watched the attrition even more this time, but Persian provinces are bit more gentle to armies that the Egyptian dessert anyway.
Sweboy - Persia
CSK - Done
Brandenburg III - I know, I used to think Med islands were more trouble than they are worth, but seeing your Algiers game I couldn't resist. Crete is next in my list
Hitmanalex - Italy would be a bit of a detour right now, but who knows in the future
Athomahawk - Welcome!
Sweboy - Persia
CSK - Done
Brandenburg III - I know, I used to think Med islands were more trouble than they are worth, but seeing your Algiers game I couldn't resist. Crete is next in my list
Hitmanalex - Italy would be a bit of a detour right now, but who knows in the future
Athomahawk - Welcome!
Good AAR! *Subscribes*
This Syria certainly have a future. You should try to recreate the Syrian Seleucid Empire, from Syria to the Indus!
However, your flag is too modest and too similar to your neighbor's- this is my humble suggestions:
It should be more inspirating.
*Subscribes*This Syria certainly have a future. You should try to recreate the Syrian Seleucid Empire, from Syria to the Indus!
However, your flag is too modest and too similar to your neighbor's- this is my humble suggestions:
It should be more inspirating.
Rather nice going in the war. But yes, those Ottomans do look like a genuine threat. Definitley worth keeping an eye on.
Good result! Persia will struggle to recover in a hurry.
Looks like the way forward is a straight DOW on the Mamluks. You're right about WE, there's no easy way of fighting the Mamluks down into Ethiopia (Land Tech 53 solves the problem with the Improved Foraging NI). All I would suggest is sit in Cairo/Alexandria and let them come to you for the first few months.
Looks like the way forward is a straight DOW on the Mamluks. You're right about WE, there's no easy way of fighting the Mamluks down into Ethiopia (Land Tech 53 solves the problem with the Improved Foraging NI). All I would suggest is sit in Cairo/Alexandria and let them come to you for the first few months.
down with crete! it's my pet hate, now i always edit out this revolter, my reasoning: if anyone wants to get it out of venetian hands, hey come and fight venice, as OE did; and those silly peace treaties: AI always releases crete (or corsica for the matter), preying on crete then is sort of gameyCrete is next in my list
(was even crete ever an independent entity at the time frame?)
congrats on your success! persia seems a threat no more
i'd consider going after the mameluks now rather then annexing that pesky crete though (OE's mission, bb you'll accumulate for annexing)
I agree with Gabor. To paraphrase Cato (or Cicero, cant remember who said this) "And to end my speach I think Crete should be destroyed. It will be an excellent spearhead for your holy war against the Pope. And after Crete I think you need to deal with the Mameluks so you can join Alexandria to the rest of your realm.
Too bad about Persia. They would have been a good ally against the Ottomans but now that you’ve taken them down I think you need to deal with the Mamluks before someone else starts grabbing their provinces. In my games in the Middle East the Ottomans have the irritating habit of guarantying the countries I want to attack.
Joe
Joe
WE is still low, so DOW Haasa and go claim the rest of Persia. Mamluks can wait. Just close down MA with OE if they get into a war (and let WE for OE rise with the war taxes .
And Austria is scary. Gold and north Italian universities!!!
.And Austria is scary. Gold and north Italian universities!!!
Great job so far! Nice expansion eastwards. Just wait until all those 8 year old kids start making u carpets!
