This is my first AAR. I initially planned to document the progress of my Magna Mundi game as Tuscany but there was already another Tuscany thread ongoing but it looks like it has been ended prematurely so I'll go ahead and post what I had already completed and continue to carry it forward.
This is the first real game I've played of the Magna Mundi mod (aside from a couple of test spins to try out some of the differences) and this is also the first game I've tried which is set to "very hard". I want the most difficult game that I can get so that it will still hold my interest beyond the first 100 years or so.
I'm not writing much in the way of a story here... this will just be a fairly straightforward reporting of events as the game progresses. For those of you who prefer an alternative history narrative there are several other superb AAR on these boards that will be much more to your liking.
Goals:
Hard to say right now... not having played on very hard or a real MM game before now I don't really know how quickly it will be possible for a 2-state minor like Tuscany to advance over time. Given that disclaimer, the list of goals (from short term to longer term) will be...
1) to become the dominant power in Italy, eventually leading to...
2) Domination and eventual unification of all of Italy
3) Dominant Naval power in the Western Mediteranean, and ultimately...
4) Domination of the the entire Mediteranean
5) Re-establishment of the borders of the Roman Empire itself!
anything beyond that will be gravy... I won't preclude taking states outside the old Roman borders if they present themselves, but I don't plan on being the aggressor in those cases.
So, without further preamble...
Starting conditions for Tuscany
I am already provided with 3 advisors: Piero (Artist 4), Paolo Uccello (Artist 4) & Luca Pitti (Trader 4). However, Carlo Chiastavelli (Trader 6) was available as an option, so Luca Pitti was replaced by Him as an "upgrade". At the time I thought the immediate stability bonuses furnished my the two Artists would be more useful to try to get stability back up as fast as possible.
The Stability slider was maximized.
Starting leader, Doge Cosimo de Medici, was converted to a very effective general for the start of game: Fire 1, Shock 2, Maneuver 3, Seige 1
Tuscany starts the game already allied with Milan (who are at war with Venice). Additional overtures for alliances were also offered to Venice, Modena and Sienna but all 3 were rejected.
I decided to start out aggressively from the start to try to get a quick growth spurt, so I built 1 infantry and recruited 1 mercenary infantry unit in Firenze and started looking about for a vulnerable opponent to strike against. I soon settled on Urbino (Ancona) as the most vulnerable target (it was allied only with Mantua, which I figured would be kept occupied by Milan).
War was declared on Urbino on July 10/1453 and 2 infantry units led by the Doge (and later followed by the 3rd) marched into Ancona and quickly defeated the 1 infantry unit that was present. The subsequent seige of the city was over by the end of October, 1453 (during which time our first contingent of latin knights was being recruited in Firenze), and the army swung north via Firenze and Modena to beseige Mantua by January, 1454 while their army was being occupied beseiging Parma.
As May 30/1454 approached, I slowed the game to minimal speed and then paused it as that day clicked over to check the list of new advisors that became available -- at this point, both level 4 artists (Piero and Paolo Uccello) were replaced; one with Goncalo de Noronda (spymaster 6) and the other by Giancarlo de Farnese (treasurer 3)...
The seige of Mantua was still ongoing in July of 1554 when Venice suddenly offered an alliance, which was quickly accepted.
The seige finally ended in October and Mantua quickly accepted vassalization (and paid 50 ducats). Once this occured, Ancona was finally offered and accepted annexation, driving BB up to 6.68... I then settled back to work this off and develop Tuscany's trade. Soon after this, Tuscany gains influence over a new Cardinal from Pisa.
a nice quick start with few difficulties thus far... more soon
This is the first real game I've played of the Magna Mundi mod (aside from a couple of test spins to try out some of the differences) and this is also the first game I've tried which is set to "very hard". I want the most difficult game that I can get so that it will still hold my interest beyond the first 100 years or so.
I'm not writing much in the way of a story here... this will just be a fairly straightforward reporting of events as the game progresses. For those of you who prefer an alternative history narrative there are several other superb AAR on these boards that will be much more to your liking.
Goals:
Hard to say right now... not having played on very hard or a real MM game before now I don't really know how quickly it will be possible for a 2-state minor like Tuscany to advance over time. Given that disclaimer, the list of goals (from short term to longer term) will be...
1) to become the dominant power in Italy, eventually leading to...
2) Domination and eventual unification of all of Italy
3) Dominant Naval power in the Western Mediteranean, and ultimately...
4) Domination of the the entire Mediteranean
5) Re-establishment of the borders of the Roman Empire itself!
anything beyond that will be gravy... I won't preclude taking states outside the old Roman borders if they present themselves, but I don't plan on being the aggressor in those cases.
So, without further preamble...
Starting conditions for Tuscany
I am already provided with 3 advisors: Piero (Artist 4), Paolo Uccello (Artist 4) & Luca Pitti (Trader 4). However, Carlo Chiastavelli (Trader 6) was available as an option, so Luca Pitti was replaced by Him as an "upgrade". At the time I thought the immediate stability bonuses furnished my the two Artists would be more useful to try to get stability back up as fast as possible.
The Stability slider was maximized.
Starting leader, Doge Cosimo de Medici, was converted to a very effective general for the start of game: Fire 1, Shock 2, Maneuver 3, Seige 1
Tuscany starts the game already allied with Milan (who are at war with Venice). Additional overtures for alliances were also offered to Venice, Modena and Sienna but all 3 were rejected.
I decided to start out aggressively from the start to try to get a quick growth spurt, so I built 1 infantry and recruited 1 mercenary infantry unit in Firenze and started looking about for a vulnerable opponent to strike against. I soon settled on Urbino (Ancona) as the most vulnerable target (it was allied only with Mantua, which I figured would be kept occupied by Milan).
War was declared on Urbino on July 10/1453 and 2 infantry units led by the Doge (and later followed by the 3rd) marched into Ancona and quickly defeated the 1 infantry unit that was present. The subsequent seige of the city was over by the end of October, 1453 (during which time our first contingent of latin knights was being recruited in Firenze), and the army swung north via Firenze and Modena to beseige Mantua by January, 1454 while their army was being occupied beseiging Parma.
As May 30/1454 approached, I slowed the game to minimal speed and then paused it as that day clicked over to check the list of new advisors that became available -- at this point, both level 4 artists (Piero and Paolo Uccello) were replaced; one with Goncalo de Noronda (spymaster 6) and the other by Giancarlo de Farnese (treasurer 3)...
The seige of Mantua was still ongoing in July of 1554 when Venice suddenly offered an alliance, which was quickly accepted.
The seige finally ended in October and Mantua quickly accepted vassalization (and paid 50 ducats). Once this occured, Ancona was finally offered and accepted annexation, driving BB up to 6.68... I then settled back to work this off and develop Tuscany's trade. Soon after this, Tuscany gains influence over a new Cardinal from Pisa.
a nice quick start with few difficulties thus far... more soon
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