Three Countries One Goal

[Amric]

I regret to inform you Joe-san, that we are not ready to face the hordes of enemies right across the border.

Why not?

Because we need more men, yet those buggers across the river have declared war on us!

Have our diplomat drawn and quartered! He did a terrible job keeping them distracted while we prepared in secret our invasion.

Who said it was a secret, Joe-san?

What do you mean?

Nobody told us it was supposed to be a secret! The enemy knew pretty quick what we were doing. You can't bring loads of troops to the border and not have them suspect something.

But I'm not ready!

So sorry, Joe-san. Life is full of little disappointments. It is what we do because of them that matters.

This is not the time for fortune cookie metaphors.

We are Japanese, not Chinese, Joe-san.

Oh, yeah. Forget I said that. Well I suppose I'll have to do the best that I can, eh?

Good luck to you, Joe-san.

Um, where are you going?

Way back here where it is safe. I'm not in this war, Joe-san. Again, good luck to you, I think you'll need it.

 

[aldriq]

I’m figuring on another year before I’m ready to stomp on Vijayanagar.

......

I’M NOT READY!

Crap.

I guess you no longer have the choice of attacking Timurid lands directly from northwest India, now you have to eat or be eaten by Vijayanagar. Hey at least you've saved 1 stab point with them declaring war on you, there is always a reason to be cheerful!

 

[unmerged(59737)]

Wonderful. Just Freaking Wonderful.

 

[SerFranke]

So they Dow'ed you with your manpower pool at 238? I can't imagine that Japan wil be as lucky now as it was several decades ago against the three stooges...


(Btw, what happened to Manchu?)

 

[Storey]

Deus - My strategy is to withdraw from the provinces on the border. Then watch and see what the AI does. If I can attack its forces piecemeal I’ll do so. Next I’ll sweep the seas of his navy. Then I’ll move my men by sea and attack his coast. Sounds easy doesn’t it? So why am I sweating?

Duke of Wellington - I think they’ve stayed the same size for the last hundred or so years. I’ll check it out when I start playing, which will be when I finish this post. I didn’t think that revolt event would be too hard but I forgot that my regiments were severely under powered and I lost several battles before putting down the revolts.

Vann the Red - A sliver jug with my name etched on it.

Chief Ragusa - My generals are mediocre and my admirals are average. I view this as a make it or break it turn for Japan. I will either have great success or I will break Japan. With inflation growing and time running out I don’t have any option but victory, which means grabbing some provinces that will help me reach the goal. Wish me luck.


Coz1 - Yes. Half of my regiments are under strength to some degree but the main thing is I can’t take heavy losses in the beginning. If you look at the last economy picture you’ll see how much I have to push my treasury slider to the right to generate money. I’m worried that I am going to run into money problems in this war. I might do something that I haven’t before and dismiss those regiments that drop down to zero men. We’ll have to wait and see.

Amric - Can Joe-san join you back where it’s safe? After all Joe-san is a master at leading from the rear.

Aldiq- Well there is that to be cheerful about that’s true but still I would rather lose that stability point if I could wait another year before fighting.

Fulcrumvale- Ain’t that the truth.

RedBaron1918 - Manchu was devoured. First Korea took a good long big bite out of its posterior and then Ming finished them off for dessert.

Okay I’m strapped into my combat seat. Drink, check. Sunglasses, check. Purring, admittedly temporary, cats, check. Combat boots, check. Devil may care attitude, check. Okay it’s gut check time guys. I’m going in alone don’t try to follow me. If I don’t come back I want you to know you’re a swell group of guys. Yea right.

Joe

 

[Amric]

Hell no...You have to lead from the front...just like I do.... There's no cowering back there! Gird thy loins and set forth on the path to victory. Return with you shield or upon it!

 

[unmerged(58610)]

The Vijayanagar navy is likely to be in the CRT above yours. You will have to have a really brilliant admiral to stand a chance. You have to win naval dominance. That stack has a 100000+ troops written all over it, albeit in several waves. Revolts and attrition will eliminate those men.

Naturally, I wish you good luck.


A white peace with them until you are ready is out of the question?

 

[aldriq]

Now it would be so nice if Ming declared war on Vijayanagar It is a shame that you can't fabricate claims on behalf of a third country, a well placed Ming core on one of Vijayanagar's provinces could be such help in a situation like this...

 

[unmerged(81979)]

Awsome AAR, I've been lurking forever, and finall joined. Keep up the frickin' hilarity!

 

[Storey]

Amric - I'm not sure where I left my shield? Maybe I should go look for it. Why don't you lead while I'm gone?

Chief Ragusa - Why didn't I read your advice before I played the rest of the turn? Good advice.

aldriq - Anyone declaring war would have been great but there was no distractions for either side during the war. Well there were the continuos revolts but they don't count do they?

demokratickid - Glad you're enjoying the AAR. Here comes some more.

Joe

 

[Storey]

Let the battle begin.


The opening moves involved a tactical retreat much like a grand champion at chess trying to draw his opponent in to a trap.

Translation: I wasn’t ready to rumble.



Well I was facing Vijayanagar, Tibet, Gondwana and Orissa so I figured I’d better see what they had to throw at me before I went on the offensive.



The enemy quickly moved an army to Arakan and started a siege. Shortly after they invaded Hsenwi and started another siege. The forces in Arakan were too strong but I decided had enough men to attack Hsenwi if I used most of my defending forces.

I was able to push the enemy out of Hsenwi and launch an invasion of my own into Sagaing that at first went well but it was a premature move on my part.

Translation: Some loose dangling synapse fired and caused a knee jerk reaction.

Arakan soon fell to Vijayanagar and I was barely able to hang of to my siege of Sagaing. I decided that is was time to use my fleet.

At first things went well as I cleared the enemy fleets from the East side of India but when I rounded the Comorin Cape I sailed head long into the main Vijayanagar fleet. Guess what happens when a level 3 fleet meets a level 13 fleet.

Translation: For the fifth or sixth time in the game I underestimated the enemy navy strength.

I lost 50 ships and they lost 9. For the rest of the war I tried to avoid their fleet, Well duh.

So with the 8 ships that survived the battle I limped back to port and joined the few ships I’d left behind because they needed to recover from earlier battles.




Meanwhile back on the main front my invasion of Sagaing was in trouble and there was mounting pressure from the enemy as I was about to be pushed out of my counter siege of Arakan and the province of Hsenwi was put under siege.

And of course the revolts keep coming.




Even when I won a battle in one province the enemy would put more pressure on another province. I started disbanding regiments that dropped to zero, both recruited and mercenary in the hopes that my manpower pool would start recovering and what regiments I had left would recover faster. Still the tide of battle in the early going was against me.

I combined what’s left of my navy, 18 ships, of which seven are transports and send them back to bring some more regiments that were left in Japan to the front.

And still the revolts keep coming.



No matter how many men I managed to put into battle the enemy matched me and more.

Time and again I’d win one battle only to lose another. The enemy was matching my tactics in attacking wherever I was weakest on my front line.

I’m being out played by the AI? That was a rhetorical question guys you don’t have to answer.





In the end I couldn’t match the numbers of men they were throwing at me.

My main army was playing the ping pong routine as it tried to reinforce wherever the enemy was overwhelming my forces. In the end it was a losing strategy.



I started receiving demands for this province or that province for peace. Rude gestures flew from my fingers toward them in ever increasing speed and imagination. And the revolts kept coming.




By 1699 things were becoming uncomfortable.

It was time to change tactics.

I was keeping this army in the rear for them to recover their losses. But I couldn’t wait any longer so I slipped by Vijayanagar’s killer fleet and landed them on to Korales. I won the battle and was soon besieging both Korales and Jaffna.

 

[Storey]

Still things were not looking good on the main battle front. Every time I’d recapture a province they would capture another one. Until they started overwhelming me.

But there is one bright spot. You see that blue army? That’s my good buddies Brunei. Once again they took a very active part in the war. True they were few in numbers but it’s the thought that counts.



However progress was being made as I captured Korales in 1700.

In 1700 I see a message that Sibir declared war against the Teutonic Order. I don’t know if Timurid is still allied with Sibir.

And the revolts kept coming.




All during 1701 the war hung in the balance. I needed another victory. So. . .

I managed to sneak by the main Vijayanagar fleet and besiege the Maldives.




An event on corruption came along and rather than add 3% to my inflation I took a stability hit so I’m down to -3 again. For joy. Just for the hell of it I check out my war score and I’m at +22%. WTF? I try to ask for a province ,12%, but Vijayanagar declines. In September another corruption event and another hit to stability but since I’m at rock bottom it doesn’t matter.



Finally by 1702 the Maldives and Jaffna fall.

This puts me up to +24% war score which is about as worthless as my opinion to ‘she who will not be denied’.



On the main battle front I’m starting to turn the tide and take the fight to the enemy.

And the revolts keep coming.

I’ve pushed the enemy out of Arakan and Monghai and am about to do the same in Kyaurse. I feel the advantage is truly turning in my favor and all I need is a little more time and time has run out. Crap!



I make one last try for peace.

Which is of course denied.




Last look around as we leave.

Only 50% inflation? I must be losing my touch.


I made a decision to leave the peace agreement to the AI. It’s 24% ahead and I think it’s going to keep that lead but will that translate in to a white peace or will it really get something? Who knows but with my starting situation I think I did the best I could.

See you in a week. I'm off to Los Angeles for a little fun.

 

[unmerged(49655)]

Bet you wish you hadn't sunk all those ships the ai kept building.

 

[unmerged(58610)]

After that little excursion into the twilight zone, you need some fun. You've left the ai in a war and go off to take over the Teutonic Order, which is in a war. You'll return refreshed, ready to dig youself whatever hole the ai has dug for the Order. You'd have more success building a fleet and army in South Africa.

Those revolts in the Home islanda were probably the reuslt of Vijayanagar spying activity.

It's looking touch and go as to whether you'll be able to take the province in time or if you do, keep it for a full turn.

 

[coz1]

Enjoy LA, Joe. Sounds like you need a little rest and relaxation (and if so...why LA?)

I must say, impressively fought war. You looked as sunk as that navy at first. But you pulled a little something out of that and in doing so, may see a favorable (or not odorous) peace out of this. Not bad at all. I too am curious what the AI will do in your absence.

 

[Montague]

We patiently await your return....GO SICILY!!!!

 

[unmerged(81979)]

Sweet update, dude! Have fun in LA!

 

[unmerged(81390)]

50% inflation and war with India/Vijayanagar/Whatever


You're dead meat man!

 

[aldriq]

Well done with this war. The poignant thing is that I bet the AI will probably waste your efforts going for a white peace after a couple of months, then Japan will move all its armies to the homelands, Vijayanagar will declare war after the truce expires and sweep Japan off SE Asia. Let's hope I'm wrong.

Enjoy LA. I'm looking forward to visiting California soon. Now that our US offices have moved from Mountain View to Burlingame next time I visit I will have more chances to stay in San Francisco rather than in a soulless hotel in El Camino Real

 

[Murmurandus]

Oooooh, leaving it to the AI to end the war... I hope it turns out well...