The yaroslavl challenge

[atwix]

I started a run with this country in 1.8. This country is an OPM vassal to Muscovy at game start in 1444.

Only Lithuania and Golden horde (if they are enemy to muscovy) will support your independance.

Anyone else trying them in 1.8?

Anyways, how about a little challenge/contest

Form Russia with Yaroslavl as early as possible

and once you got that,

How about "conquer all land required for Great Khan achievement with Yaroslavl" or god forbid, "Yaroslavl world domination?"

note: IRONMAN ONLY and please post screenshots made in the save window, to prove its ironman, just for good measure.


I'm going for it, as it looks like a nice challenge :laugh: The first isn't actually THAT hard, just a nice start.

Note, this is ri-di-cu-lously hard to pull off; even getting independant with an angle to conquer anything outside of muscovy took me 20 restarts :angry:

My Foix run was easy peasy compared to this.

If anyone is willing to give my challenge a go, report here please

 

[ahyangyi]

I had 4 starts so far. I'm mostly learning though, I wasted quite some time doing useless things like improving relationship with Tver or Novgorod...

It seems that the key is improving relationship with Lithuania until the positives is only 9 below the negatives, then hire a +2 diplomatic reputation advisor, get them support independence, DoW immediately to avoid losing Lithuania to the Poland PU.

 

[nicechinos]

I had 4 starts so far. I'm mostly learning though, I wasted quite some time doing useless things like improving relationship with Tver or Novgorod...

It seems that the key is improving relationship with Lithuania until the positives is only 9 below the negatives, then hire a +2 diplomatic reputation advisor, get them support independence, DoW immediately to avoid losing Lithuania to the Poland PU.

Wouldn't they white peace immediately after they fall under PU?

 

[ahyangyi]

Wouldn't they white peace immediately after they fall under PU?

/facepalm

 

[nicechinos]

Nice challenge but why should it be limited to only Yaroslavl? All other Russian minors (except Pskov which is an easier nut to crack) start in quite a similar position. Ryazan is probably even the worst in terms of diplomatic options.

 

[MAHak]

Some countries are just meant to "die".
Like, if it was possible, a May 5. 1945 Germany start in Hearts of Iron.

 

[Karabas1543]

Sounds fun! Might give it a try once I finish my Brunei run

 

[Freudia]

Some countries are just meant to "die".
Like, if it was possible, a May 5. 1945 Germany start in Hearts of Iron.

Yes, but that's half the fun of picking such a nation. Clawing back from the depths of hell and defeat to return to glory is what all true EU4 players strive for.

 

[ahyangyi]

Wouldn't they white peace immediately after they fall under PU?

Good news: no. They keep fighting after falling under PU. Poland won't join, though.

 

[Freudia]

Good news: no. They keep fighting after falling under PU. Poland won't join, though.

That sounds like a bug. I remember seeing Lithuania white peace out of Sweden's independence war routinely in 1.6 and 1.7.

 

[nicechinos]

Good news: no. They keep fighting after falling under PU. Poland won't join, though.

That's interesting. I saw numerous examples in 1.7 so didn't even tried to lure them into alliance in 1.8. Will try next time. Thanks!

 

[ahyangyi]

Anyway, the same Casimir Jagiellon shouldn't be able to retract from the war just because he gets crowned Polish King

 

[ahyangyi]

I tried again and gained independence.

Some keys and hints:
1. change your two merchants to "collect trade", which brings +0.18 more monthly income than default.
2. Day 1 improve relationship with Lithuania.
3. The attitude between Lithuania and Moscovy is important...
The luckiest situation is they rival each other, in which case you probably don't need +dip reputation.
Worse case is Moscovy doesn't rival Lithuania, they might try improving relationship with Lithuania, which may ruin your plan.
Worst case is Lithuania doesn't hate Moscovy at all. Luckily this never happens for me...
4. Build a few more regiments when you almost get Lithuania's support. Your FL is only 4 though, so you can't really build many. I had 6 regiments in my recent game, BTW.
Move your troops to the border between you and Lithuania, or inside Lithuania. Well, anywhere as long as you can ensure you won't be stackwiped.
DoW as soon as they begin to support you to avoid Lithuania being PU'ed too early. use your tiny stack to follow Lithuania's stacks. 6,000 infantry can often be the difference between victory and defeat.
5. Roll for a siege general. Don't waste your point in the beginning though. I wasted 150 MIL points to get shitty generals. Instead, roll after beating the doomstack, at which time you have the most army tradition.
Then siege provinces near you.
6. Keep sieging until you get all the provinces you want. Watch out though, if Lithuania peaces out you will be in danger. (it happened to me) In which case you need to immediately grab whatever you can and peace out.

 

[ahyangyi]

Hmm, forgot to mention: use your second diplomat to improve relation with Novgorod can help a bit. They still hate you, but they will grant military access when you are fighting Moscovy, which is very useful.

 

[TenshiN]

I wonder why noone plays Perm, although it is indeed much easier with their starting ruler and position. It is a lot of fun too, may i say. And sorry for the offtopic.

 

[atwix]

Good news: no. They keep fighting after falling under PU. Poland won't join, though.

err, no they don't. Unless Poland falls in PU under Lithuania. Lithuania won't even white peace, they just pretend their nose is bleeding when they fall in a PU and they just vanish out of the war. Just like that.

I had it happen when i was fighting the doomstack of muscovy, at least they had the decency to fight until the end of the fight. If they did white peace then, i would have been in midst of a battle with just 3k troops vs their 25k. Now that would have been hilarious and ragequit at once.

 

[atwix]

golden horde can be enemy of muscovy too at start, you can get support for independance from both lithuania and golden horde.

You folks think i should make AAR for Yaroslavl? Think there would be interest in it?

Something like "yaroslavl, a world domination AAR with the country of the Russian bear"

Never did an AAR, any comments?

 

[atwix]

Nice challenge but why should it be limited to only Yaroslavl? All other Russian minors (except Pskov which is an easier nut to crack) start in quite a similar position. Ryazan is probably even the worst in terms of diplomatic options.

Cause Yaroslavl is the country of the russian Bear! Fighting under the flag of the bear is more fun. Not to mention Yaroslavl is an OPM, who start with only 3k troops.

 

[ahyangyi]

I wonder why noone plays Perm, although it is indeed much easier with their starting ruler and position. It is a lot of fun too, may i say. And sorry for the offtopic.

I remember someone posted a screenshot in which his Perm is colonizing like crazy while still being a vassal...

Also, Perm has different cultural group and two god rulers in the beginning.

But the Perm bear is less awesome than the Yaroslavl bear, I guess.

 

[ahyangyi]

Anyway, my last game was quite lucky since Lithuania didn't PU at all.

I took Influence, and now I get -53% fabricate claim time

EDIT: Influence seems to be what Yaroslavl should take first. Take three ideas, wham, you have -53% fabricate time; take another three ideas, wham, you have +3 diplomatic reputation.