What do you think, Arm Chair Generals, accept defeat or continue to the war?

[JusticiarIV]

Just looking for some input on if there's any way to salvage this war into a victory, or if I should call it and accept defeat.

Some background: Out of no where the mamluks rivaled me, breaking our alliance. Since they had alot of AE with me that was covered up by our excellent relations they quickly joined the coalition and declared. They are two military techs ahead of me, so I haven't been able to beat their armies in the field.

Tunis has already separate peaced out. Hungary will do so shortly, Haasa is my vassal. As of right now the mamluks will accept me releasing theodoro and dukaldir, plus ceding a province from haasa. 4 provinces total. I think I accept it. But if anyone has an awesome war strategy, I'd love to hear it!

 

[DanubianCossak]

I prefer to peace out, even at the cost of losing land, than to drain myself out of manpower and get loans, all of which can take a decade to get out.

Edit: of course unless im playing as Russia; in that case i fight until the very last drop of peasant blood, as is Johan(bbhn)-pleasing.

 

[DarthDanMan]

As Danubian said it's probably better to just peace out now for those four provinces and come back later for revenge. I bet you could "win" the war by engaging in a war of attirtion with the AI but it's not worth it as there are other AIs out there waiting to pounce.

 

[Celdur]

"Its better to have a bad peace than a bad war"

 

[Orkonkel]

How did you fall 2 mil tech behind? Never fall mil tech behind. :O

 

[Rusky]

Keep fighting only if you think you can with without Hungary. Sense he's on Medium , its likely that he will peace out whenever he feel like it.

On the positive side, You have no loans, some cash, and you still have some manpower. Don't see why not keep fighting if your troops can fight them in the mountains or something when defending.
Just dedicate your self to a set amount of loans that your willing to deal with and act as if you have all that money now then base your strategy around that. The Earlier you kill the bigger player next to you the better off you will be later IMO.

But you might want to peace out if your truce with the Ottomans or Persia is about to end and they want to kill you.

 

[tapewormlondon]

With the potential of other big players pouncing that price of peace, for now, is a snip.

You can come back from that. Not if separate parties declare.

Take the peace. Dedicate all resources to a future war to get it back.

 

[bradles0]

You can probably get away with very minor concessions at +21% warscore. Release Trebizond as an OPM and give them like 500 ducats and you'll be good.

Remember you can always use ducats instead of giving stuff to the AI. If you go ham enough with it you can just give AI you don't want to fight 100 warscore worth of it and they'll accept the peacedeal. (my favorite way to deal with German Coalitions as rich countries like France and Spain). Obviously that strategy works best if you use it ASAP, because the longer you take to peace out with it the more you lose.

 

[Sfan]

Wait? But you can win it... You may be behind in miltech but you have more men, you're human and that's a show superiority war. Win a few battles to get ticking warscore by sticking near Hungary and reinforcing them, you can get ticking warscore, and then around 40 warscore Mamluks will white peace. But I wouldn't stop there. You still have money and manpower. I don't see a single loan icon, just break Mamluks. If Hungary peaces out that's quite good actually, even easier to get ticking warscore in a show superiority full human vs AI. Merc up, go over FL, and fight it out.

 

[Horn and Ivory]

I agree with people above - better off losing a couple of provinces and coming back later than throwing money and manpower at a two mil tech disadvantage. Try to manoever for a little bit of extra clout - one more battle won before Hungary peaces out, say, and then negotiate terms.

One small thing is that it looks like your fleet is keeping the Mamluk navy pinned there - do you have transports? If you can ship a stack to besiege Cairo (you needn't have any intention of taking it) that'll probably let you keep an extra province.

 

[JusticiarIV]

How did you fall 2 mil tech behind? Never fall mil tech behind. :O

Institution lag got me behind the mamluks. I was equivalent to everyone I was actually warring with and winning quite easily, so the surprise of the mamluks going from ally => rival caught me off guard and behind.

 

[makaramus]

as a dip note: if you lose land your cores still exist so you can take it back

 

[Ultima_Ratio]

You certainly can win, and do it in style. Perhaps a bit late to say now that letting Hungary get sieged by rebels was a poor idea as they would otherwise probably keep going for a long while, but I would still try and go clear those rebels.

 

[Nirmara]

You could win this, but the cost would probably be too high.

Considering that your manpower pool is rather low, that you are lagging in military techs, that you barely have any fortification close to the front and that you have very few ducats in reserve to hire mercenaries you should take the peace offer from the Mameluke. It's a great deal anyway.

Edit: If the Mameluke get mil tech 15, you really have to peace out.

 

[herrhals]

Get out now. Being 2 techs behind was a bad move. Honestly, if you've gotten that far with Hisn Kayfa, you should have known better.

Good luck

 

[KubiG37]

What are your relations with Persia/Ottomans? You took lot of land from Ottoblob, so it's clear, but what about Persia? Is it willing to declare war on you if you continue current war?

If not, I'd surely continue the war, avoid direct confrontation, at least until Mamluks' war desire drops to average/low... white peace shouldn't be that difficult to achieve then.
Seeing the two 30k stacks happily walking through deserts, I think it won't take long until the AI kills itself, without your involvement.

 

[JusticiarIV]

What are your relations with Persia/Ottomans? You took lot of land from Ottoblob, so it's clear, but what about Persia? Is it willing to declare war on you if you continue current war?

If not, I'd surely continue the war, avoid direct confrontation, at least until Mamluks' war desire drops to average/low... white peace shouldn't be that difficult to achieve then.
Seeing the two 30k stacks happily walking through deserts, I think it won't take long until the AI kills itself, without your involvement.

Persia is hostile. Luckily mamlucks started the coalition war before they joined it. I messed up and forgot to send an alliance offer to austria before they declared as well, so I was below my max diplo relations as well.




I ended up taking the peace offer. shortly after peace was declared I was able to embrace the current institution, I purchased a tier 3 mil advisor and set it as national focus, and got caught up on millitary techs before the truce timer was over. I've now been munching on the mamlucks regularly.


Thanks everyone for the advice!