Before I start with the next update, I felt it would be good if you could have a look at some ledger pages. I only kept a few, as the rest is either not quite useful, redundant as I say it quite often anyway, or bound to change within the next month.
Listed by income. I’m first, and I have a vassal on the first page. That looks good. Notice my very high TE for this stage of the game. Also, all my antagonists but one (Lithuania, Bohemia, Bavaria and Burgundy are there, Sweden is not) are also on the first page, though not as rich as I am (and often, not as much as Holland is).
Listed by Trade level. I’m equal with Holland, which is good, as it is the no. 1 tech powerhouse in the game. The only field I’m late in are Land, with Denmark, and Government, with Milan at 13 (not seen), but both are late everywhere else.
Listed by Overall. Just for bragging rights. I have three leaders, all in the top 13. I rarely look closely at this page, I only search for precise enemy generals.
Listed by Total. I already have a large army, larger than many of my opponents. However, this is distorted by the recent Bohemian defeat. Lithuania and Burgundy are ahead of me, however.
Listed by Big ships. That’s very good news. The only nation capable of defeating me is overrun by rebels... Ming (not seen) also has many ships, but only galleys, and it kind of is in China, so it is of little concern for a century at least, and then, only if they messed with India.
As you can see, I’m a trading power. What a surprise! The income from vassals is quite a good addition, it is almost as much per province as in my own provinces, despite the fact that I only get 50% of their income. Obviously, the difficulty level modifier helps them, and therefore helps me.
A lot into Government because I suddenly remembered that the road network needs Gov. 12. My priority would be Land otherwise, but I have already spent enough on it to reach it when I don’t have early research penalty, on January 1st, or earlier if I feel better troops are needed. Naval, with this spending, would also be researched near the start date, within the first year or so. Government should also fall on the right day, if everything goes right.
Lovely, isn’t it? I will continue with Free Subjects, Plutocracy, Naval (+4, for Thalassocracy), Quality, and Defensive, in that order. Innovative will not move, at least for a while. That gives me 11 slider moves, so something like 110-120 years before I can celebrate. Maybe with a few Centralization thrown in, but only if I’m happy with my global RR, or maybe also a few moves toward Land after Thalassocracy. In any case, by the early 1600s, I probably won’t be moving sliders any more.
Back to the game. Obviously, Mecklenburg left my league, once more. There was a clear possibility of a large scale war against several opponents that could threaten Lübeck and Denmark, and certainly will attack my Brandenburgian territories and Prussia. My army was ready, I had troops in Lübeck ready to fall on Mecklenburg, mostly infantry for an assault, a stack with cavalry in Brandenburg, and a small diversionary force in Danzig. Of the first two stack, I would make two new ones, with a better balance between cavalry and infantry. I raised maintenance to maximum. I just had to wait a month or two, and war would start...
... But nothing actually happened in Germany. Sweden left my trade league. And as you might have noticed in the ending screenshot of the last update, it is allied with Mecklenburg. As my only reason for waging war on Mecklenburg was... to be at war with them, I thought it would be better if, instead of fighting them, and Sweden, and Bohemia, and Bavaria, I just attacked Sweden.
And it worked. Mecklenburg joined the war.
I had changed the setup of my army, of course. The infantry stack stayed in Lübeck (led by my ruler, Ergel), the cavalry went to Hamburg to attack Lüneburg (led by Muhl), and the diversion force was placed in Skane to start some fighting in Sweden (led by Adendorf). I won’t surprise you : the armies of both Lüneburg and Mecklenburg were destroyed. They all died. Die I say. Pommerania started a siege in Vorpommern, which is quite funny of them. After the initial victories, I assaulted Mecklenburg, and placed 3 regiments in Lüneburg, the rest of this army heading for Skane. They would be joined by troops from Magdeburg, which is still my ally after 80 years. Loyality, what could I do without it? In Pommerania, I pushed the ducal army until its timely destruction. Poor soldiers. Didn’t it come to the mind of their leaders that they might have started a siege in Danzig, which was farther from my army, and which is more valuable? I guess they like core provinces more than reason... or life, actually. In October, that part of the war ends.
I vassalized them because they have a high income (though mostly from trade, I guess), and too much fighting over them is... too much fighting over them. They have given trade rights to Genoa, and even in my league, they won’t cancel those rights unless . It isn’t exactly a very important part of my trade empire, but I won’t give away free money. A province with a trade value of 10 means, on average, 0.2 more tax in Lübeck, plus my modifiers. Free tax is always good. In addition, I get a part of their revenue. Also, it gives me the chance to get a mission to integrate them, and until then, it’s a free military access to Brandenburg, so I don’t have to put a large army in Vorpommern and a large army in Lübeck, and can send some troops in Skane instead. Some of this thinking is
ex post facto, as I forgot that trade income doesn’t contribute to vassal income while playing. I would probably not change my decision, however: even with the difference in income, I prefer Mecklenburg over Pommerania, as the annexation of the former joins Vorpommern tomy capital, and would increase my naval force limits.
I also assaulted the fortress in Hinterpommern. With all my most important part of the war, obviously, was Sweden, but it was, from the start, an obvious victory. Of course, full blockade, including the Öresund. Because I had forgotten that Pommerania had a fleet, or simply that it existed, I sent only one galley in the Southern Baltic, so it was attacked. I didn’t destroy their fleet when I sent my own galleys from Öresund to deal with it, but I did capture one galley. When the moment I start a new fleet building project, it will be disbanded, so it isn’t much of a gain. I sent 3 regiments to start a siege in Smaland, the rest going to Västergötland, with a planned siege on Bohuslan that never happened, as I was attacked. The first battle was a complete success against a superior opponent, the next, a moral victory: I lost the battlefield, but no pursuit followed, and the enemy suffered more than I did in men and exhaustion. I had, however, to order a strategic retreat to recover morale. Help was, and would arrive soon.
I left a small siege force under Abendorth in Smaland. With the joined forces of Muhl’s cavalry and Ergel’s infantry, going through allied Denmark, I attack the Swedish army in Västergötland. In absolute numbers, it was a difficult fight, but it greatly reduced enemy resistance. I leave a sizeable force to start sieges, and follow the army of Sweden, which is finally defeated in Bergslagen, in January 1484. I separate my troops and start sieges. The army in Skane was already on its way to Stockholm. I won’t go into the details of every siege. Southern Sweden fell first. I took Stockholm in May. I sign peace a bit later, when Poznan is taken by Silesia.
I had already signed peace with Lüneburg in March, but it didn’t blend into the description very wel...
For the next year, nothing much. Elections are held, and I choose to try to get someone else. He turns out to be mediocre, at 6-5-3. I recruit a new general to counter the loss of Ergel, my previous ruler, and it was a good choice, as he has a +5 modifier to shock. In June 1485, only a year after the last war...
That’s a real setback. I lose loads of disposition with my league members and people granting me trade rights. I don’t fear the CB to everyone else, I can fend off anybody, but yeah... I start sending gifts to the nations most needed by my league. Soon after, I learn that Lithuania has meddled with my SoI. As a reflex, I go look at their army, and it is, at the present moment, smaller than mine, for reasons I know nothing about. Then, I remember that they embargo me, so I have the Trade Dispute CB, which is better than Violated Sphere. They build up their forces however, but it doesn’t discourage my stronger, better organized, better led, and more disciplined troops.
I don’t have much of an objective. Forcing Lithuania back in my league would seem a major one, as I can’t take territory from them right now, for BB reasons. Also, it would be fun to get a few ducats. Releasing countries would be fun. In any case, if they join my league, I will get a new CB in five years.
My plan called for two thrusts: one, under Obers, my latest general, would go south from Mazovia, then head for Minsk; the other, with Muhl, was to go north, and then southeast, and start a siege in Vilna. Both would have for pupose to destroy all enemy armies that could be seen. All this while, a smaller group, under Abendorth, would set up sieges in Byelorussia, lending troops to the other groups if need be. This last one, of course, didn’t have as much strength as the other, and acts mostly as a kind of strategic reserve actually doing something in the mean time. As both offensives were completely separate for most of the war, I will describe the opening actions separately.
The Lithuanian army seems to have put most of its effort on the Baltic coast. Sending cavalry doomstacks one over the other, it won the opening battle at Samogitia through force of number alone, but at a heavy cost: more than 6000 losses against less than 2500, even with equal leadership. It forced me to postpone this offensive for a moment. However, I was not followed in my retreat to Ostpreussen: the enemy went to Vilna, and disappeared into Minsk. With later information from my Sourthen Army, I can guess they had to fight rebels. In April, I go back to Samogitia, with more success, ending with an annihilation battle in Riga, and I start sieges.
The South had more immediate success. I leave a few regiments in Podlasia for a siege, and attrition reduction. At the first battle, in Grodno, I annihilate 6 regiments. Podlasia is attacked, but I end up on the right side, with help from Abendorth’s corps. There is a major battle in Minsk going on too, and success is considerable:
This was the first of several battles which will lead to the ultimate victory, one slaughter at a time. The follow up battle in Grodno is a success, and the enemy is destroyed at Trakai. Abendorth starts sieges in several places. Meanwhile, Obers is fighting in Vilna, and it is another rout:
During this period, I sank the allied Norwegian fleet (7 carracks), and the 10 galleys of Lithuania. Nothing was captured. I was already blockading all of Lithuania, but it made my life easier. I also sent a few ships to blockade Norway, too.
Then, I start pursuits. However, the task is difficult, as the enemy continuously pours in fresh troops, and attacks my own position. My losses are heavy, and I have to send reinforcements from my sieges forces to continue the fight with Obers. My siege force in Vilna is attacked by a large force, and I send many troops from neighbouring sieges, but still lose. The enemy follows my shattered army, and I risk the annihilation of more than a dozen regiments. I had taken Podlasia, and my score from blockades and battles was high, so I decide it was enough for now.
I didn’t have much time to rebuild and repair my wounds, as very soon, Bohemia leaves my league. It does need to be in my league, right? I declare war. I have two main armies, one under Muhl in Brandenburg, the other under Obers in Mazovia. Abendorth has the troops required to besiege Poland, and nothing else. I plan to destroy the Bohemian army with my massive 21 regiment hammer under Obers, which is nearly half-cavalry, while Muhl tries to occupy Bohemia proper, while putting up a fight if attacked before Obers can come.
The first part of the plan was accomplished with ease. As in Lithuania, I get a free annihilation, this time in Neumark, by Muhl’s 14 regiments. This eases considerably my advance, and I start a siege right there, and another in Niederlausitz. Obers has less success, but still wins the battle of Sandomierz. However, the enemy army, which still has a high morale, joins forces with another in Ratibor, where the Silesian forces were destroyed. I wait for Muhl, coming through Breslau with some troops. The enemy is dislodged and demoralized, and finally destroyed in Erskejuvar.
The strongest regiments of both armies are given to Obers, the weakest, to Muhl, which is assigned to siege duties. I attack the enemy in his own sieges in Hungary, with total success. The siege phase starts in July, as there is no Bohemian army in existence any more, apart from newly trained mercenaries. By March 1488, Praha is under my hands after an assault, and I sign peace.
Little happened after that. Friedrich the First of Bavaria was chosen as the new Emperor. I discovered how to use gunpowder artillery. I won’t build any yet, as I don’t have any room in my force limits, and it would be useless in battle. But some day, I will, as they provide a lot of help in sieges and assaults, and are eventually killer on the battle field. Also, I obviously chose a new leader, but that goes without saying I guess. He is mediocre, at 4 ADM, 6 DIP and 3 MIL, but it could be worse, namely by his being excommunicated.
On a side note, I was involved, at least in theory, in a war against the Golden Horde, when it attacked Ryazan. The war also involved Novgorod. I signed a white peace, without a single soldier ever setting foot in Russia... Actually, I signed it when I came back to take the map screenshots. Must have forgotten about it... That is the reason it wasn’t really mentioned. Actually, it was during the war with Bohemia. Novgorod also signed a white peace after its army was destroyed. Well, I assume it was: the only time I looked at what was going on, there was a 20 regiment stack with 1000 men chased by 30k Tartars... That doesn’t sound good.
In November, I gained a new core on Altmark through Boundary Dispute. I started preparations, and cancelled my alliance with them, which was useless anyway. Some time afterward, Lüneburg left my league. Then Sweden, which followed with a trade rights treaty for grain with Genoa. Also, the Burgundian army is much, much smaller than it was, since it is at war with Aragon, and a nationalist rebellion has taken Bremen... Hum, that seems a very good moment to leave you on a cliff hanger. And not the usual “3 AM, exam tomorrow, must sleep” kind of cliff hanger, even though there was a part of that: a real, publicity break kind of suspense. Something will happen, a war, be it with Magdeburg, Sweden, Lüneburg and its allies, or Burgundy. But nobody but me knows what will happen. Well, I didn’t even know who I was going to attack at that moment, and even though I’m quite sure what I’m gonna do tomorrow, I wasn’t sure yet when I ended this session, so one could say it is a surprise for everybody. Who do
you think I should attack?
International news now... Castilian rule on France is now over. Orleans has rebelled from England, and has taken Paris in the process, and Dauphinée appeared as an OPM. And of course, it is entirely occupied by Fez in North Africa and Granada in Iberia. “France” has taken Poitou from Sicily, which had it at some point, God knows why. As mentioned, there is a war between Burgundy (with Bavaria) and Aragon. Forgot to mention it in the last update, but Finland was annexed by Novgorod, which, in turn, surrendered Karelia to Norway recently. Venice is at war with Milan, and on its way to annexation, but for some reason, Milan has yet to take Crete. Moscow is now an enclave in Lithuania, though less so since the independence of Ryazan. There is a war between the Ottoman Empire and back-from-ashes Austria, involving the Ottoman vassals, but is yet undecided.
On the trade front... Not many changes for my league, as this update was somewhat short, but I didn’t show you the beautifully coloured Lithuania, and its three CoTs.
Beautiful isn’t it? A genuine rainbow of stupidity. Notice also that Venice is quickly shrinking. It was much larger during the last update, somewhere around level 6 I think. Now, it’s level 3, mostly because of some very rich provinces.
It is possible that this whole account was not perfectly accurate, as I didn’t take a lot of notes. I apparently haven’t written anything about the war with Lithuania, though I do have a lot of screenshots for a short war. There are holes, however, as I remember a lot more fighting than there was. But overall, the end result is the same, whether or not there was another battle of Minsk.
I should be able to play a bit tomorrow evening, and I’ll try to write my next report on Monday, but it should be there on Tuesday.
I'm reorganizing the first post. In the end, I want to put most major events that happened during each report. Right now, it isn't finished, but when I'll be over, it should be quite useful.