• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.

Brandenburg III

A Smooth Operator
25 Badges
Jun 22, 2007
1.343
2
  • Lead and Gold
  • Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword
  • Mount & Blade: Warband
  • Rise of Prussia
  • Pride of Nations
  • Europa Universalis IV: Pre-order
  • 500k Club
  • Victoria 2: Heart of Darkness
  • Victoria 2
  • Rome Gold
  • Europa Universalis III Complete
  • Majesty 2 Collection
  • The Kings Crusade
  • A Game of Dwarves
  • Europa Universalis III Complete
  • Hearts of Iron III
  • For The Glory
  • Europa Universalis IV
  • Europa Universalis III Complete
  • Europa Universalis III
  • East India Company Collection
  • Darkest Hour
  • Commander: Conquest of the Americas
  • Crusader Kings II
  • Hearts of Iron Anthology
Before I start this I want to clarify a few things first. I’m not going to get too historical, the people that come up are going to have random personalities for advancement of the story. With that being said I’ve noticed a lot of people having corrupted saves and such and I’ll admit never having those. Also, when I play a game I tend to finish it and will now that I’ve published the first part of this AAR. So even if there are no comments I’m going to finish it anyway.

I can’t say where I’ll end up but that’s where the fun is, no? I am by no means an expert at this game but here is what I’m playing:
Level: Hard
Version: 1.3 w/ Magna Mundi
Here’s my basic rules and while you won’t know whether I’ll follow them, I will:
- No cheating (kinda defeats the purpose of a strategy game)
- No turboannexing
- I can’t use spies to gain cores
- No giving loans to get a cb; can’t give loans larger than 30 ducats and never more than one at a time.
- And there are a few other house rules I abide by but I’m not going to list them all as I think you understand the point.
- I have no goals right now other than to survive and to create Russia. If you have any ideas for goals you'd like me to take on, be sure to mention them.


The deaths of 1257 were clear yet so much more destruction seemed to be on its way. Now 1453, Yaroslavl sits, stuck between behemoths of many types with few ways to expand. King Alexandr Bryukhatiy seemed to have no way out except clever deception, brutal diplomacy and a strong-willed fist. It seemed it wouldn’t be long before Yaroslavl would be committed to dust but King Bryukhatiy had other plans, plans he instilled in his successors.

EU3_1.png


June of 1453 began with excited, nervous cries as Kazan went to war with Muscowy, Yaroslavl signed an alliance with Novgorod’s leader Doge Yeufimei II, and Yaroslavl sought swift expansion by declaring war on neighboring Tver. Yaroslavl was to see its first action of war with ally Novgorod against newfound and surprising enemies of Tver and Pskov.

Skirmishes erupted between the borders, all too insignificant to mention but bloody nonetheless. Hatreds heated in September when the Yaroslavl 1st Army [0/1/0] headed by its King [2/2/0/1] lost the Battle for Yaroslavl and was forced to retreat, allowing Tver to set siege in Yaroslavl’s capital.

The advancing months only seemed to bring further dire news when on 1 November 1453, Sweden declared war against Novgorod who was having a surprisingly tough time in putting down the Pskov armies. Yaroslavl, completely bare without her ally, felt compelled to aid but could do no more than offer encouraging words while the 1st Army marched to besiege Tver’s capital on 17 December 1453. Before the year let out the Swedes occupied Novgorod provinces of Olonets and Kexholm.

EU3_3.png


By 31 January 1454, it can be seen by recreated historical maps that the war was not going well for either Yaroslavl nor Novgorod. Safety remained in Novgorod’s size and Yaroslavl’s distance but fear still rose whenever Swedish armies began marching in an eastward motion. However, as seen by another map merely three months later, the tides had begun to change... at least for the ailing Yaroslavl nation.

EU3_4.png


The war stagnated with rival families fighting in Yaroslavl/Tver towns and quick exchanges of land between Novgorod, Sweden and Pskov when on July 3 word came from the east stating the Sibir region had declared war on Novgorod. Fearing consumption and the weakness Novgorod was gaining, King Bryukhatiy declined to aid his ally after little more than one year of signing papers of trust.

The following month however, Pskov fell to a small Novgorod army and peace was quickly declared between Yaroslavl and Pskov. King Vasili III Shuiski met a foreign dignitary and agreed to terms of becoming a Yaroslavl vassal and payment of 50 ducats in reparations. Novgorod was now free to set her sights on the troublesome Swedish armies while the stagnant war between Yaroslavl and Tver maintained its mediocrity. All that seemed to be shed was not blood, rather coins from peasant pockets.

EU3_5.png


On 9 September 1454 a stalemate situated itself between Sweden and Novgorod to the point that both sides agreed that a white peace was in order. Quickly signed, both sides laid down their arms but not before Novgorod stole Sweden’s colony of Österbotten. And twenty days later the Tver capital fell to Yaroslavl’s 1st Army, unfortunately Tver had also managed to successfully occupy Ustyug by this time, thus avoiding the threat of annexation. The war continued.

EU3_7.png


1455 proved the start of a very interesting year as Yaroslavl’s 1st Army assaulted Ustyug for an entire week before ultimately failing while the Teutonic Order took advantage of the war and attacked Pskov. With hands so busy in the east, no arms could be spared in the west.

A second assault on Ustyug was carried out between March 3 - 9 yet again failure greeted the 1st Army at the base of wooden walls. Three hundred men were to be buried in the following week yet it was said Alexandr Bryukhatiy was determined and plotted a third assault in the coming months. Whether he didn’t care of soldiers lives, he was stubborn or sought survival by any means necessary was unclear as no personal records were left behind. All that remains of the man are oral reports and the turnout of history.

By 1 July 1455, the 1st Army made a third and final assault at Ustyug, taking victory with them. The week long assault brought 260 more casualties - total for Yaroslavl reaching 1200 men - but all was not lost for in the previous months Novgorod had shoved Tver from the Yaroslavl capital. Unfortunately the Tver Army [0/3/0] though seriously weakened, had besieged its own capital thus disallowing any efforts to make peace. One day after the successful siege at Ustyug, Tver and Novgorod signed a white peace. And two days following, the Teutonic Order annexed the Yaroslavl vassal of Pskov. Two days further Sibir and Novgorod discovered a white peace therefore leaving Yaroslavl and Tver completely alone in war excepting the soon-to-end Kazan-Muscovite War.

EU3_8.png


In late December of 1455, King Alexandr Bryukhatiy the Stubborn died while marching toward the Tver capital. His successor, a radical nephew suffering bouts of depressive tendencies took the reigns of the nation and headed the 1st Army as a General [2/2/0/1].

On 5 January 1456, King Fyodor II failed in his first attempt to retake Tver, showcasing his inability to lead. But just as his uncle, Fyodor II was stubborn and retreated just long enough to march back into Tver and take its capital with minimal losses. By 2 May 1456, Boris, leader of Tver, accepted to be annexed by his conquerors thus doubling the size of Yaroslavl.

EU3_9.png


The trouble now lied with lack of expansion. Landlocked between three giants, Yaroslavl stood at a crossroads of what to do. Attempt to wrest military access from its neighbors? Or conduct cloak and dagger politics. Either way, the road seemed long and virtually impossible.
 
Last edited:
Nyrael - Don’t get too carried away, there’s still many nations to plow through before I get there. If I get there. Anyway, I brought a shovel and should my nation fall, feel free to begin digging.

Valentin the II - Not so much but I don’t like easy nations. Plus, after I posted I discovered there were no Yaroslavl AARs. I notice a lot of people play on normal because they don’t like the game cheating but I up it to hard because the AI is still AI. A roundabout way of answering your question with fragmented sentences :D

Kfijatass - We’ll see.

Capibara - Usually when I try a game I crash and burn a few times so hopefully I won’t become dirt under Muscovite boots. Although failure may be just as interesting as success.

Throne - Thanks for sticking around.
 
Don’t get too carried away, there’s still many nations to plow through before I get there. If I get there. Anyway, I brought a shovel and should my nation fall, feel free to begin digging.

Unless you are annexed or give up, you have not lost. Every wound can be healed.
 
King Fyodor II languished away in a castle for four years, refusing to leave his room as personal assistants attended to his basic needs. He had become a prisoner by choice, suffocated by demons driven deep within his brain while the countryside remained relatively quiet without qualms. That is until a plague hit in 1460 during the beginning of February which cost Yaroslavl most of its savings as all efforts were made to stop the dreaded disease. A second plague hit Tver three and a half months later and all roads had to be sealed, eliminating the possibility of the sickness speeding beyond its borders. As a result five thousand peasants erupted, demanding escape but they were soon put down by a passing Novgorod army as simply as a soldier marches upon a road.

News came slow with the castle sealed and the black plague receding, but King Fyodor II still sat within his room demanding to be left alone in his sadness. Fyodor’s handlers tried taking the alliance of Novgorod and Muscowy in stride as the region seemed to be bulking, aligning itself against the tiny Yaroslavl nation, it was such hard news to read. And in June of 1462, Muscowy expanded, annexing Qasim Khanate. As a result however, Yaroslavl was able to recruit an excellent Land Advisor, Shikh Awliar Koke Qadon and below average, but available Government Advisor, Khalil Qursawi. Yaroslavl could afford the luxuries of more advisors but held off for preparations in the future are always expensive.

King Fyodor II was rustled from his bed an early morning when he heard of war. Novgorod had sent its declaration on 1 February 1463, a callously cold month even for allies who were headed to a colder place known as Sibir. Yaroslavl units moved east out of desperation of either attracting money or land, though the prospects of attaining either seemed unlikely.

By September the 1st Army had reached North Ufa, a Sibir holding and occupied it for nearly a month before being repelled on 12 October 1463. A large Sibir army sitting in Solikamsk predicted that peeling anything from Sibir was virtually impossible. All that could come of further war for Yaroslavl was starvation and a possible loss of her entire army, a loss she couldn’t afford. Within the first months of 1464 a white peace between Yaroslavl and Sibir was signed and the 1st Army headed home.

Peace for the Russian region wasn’t meant to last long though for within the year Kazan and Muscowy went to war again beginning the 2nd Kazan-Muscovite War. While the previous war between the two nations was relatively docile, the new involved Novgorod, Nogai and Crimea, erupting the entire area into flickering flames. To shoulder these new burdens, Novgorod signed a white peace with Sibir and aimed toward her southeastern border while the plague began fading from Yaroslavl lands.

EU3_10.png


King Fyodor II began showing off his extravagant feelings during the year of 1465 when he slowly began dismantling long-standing relations with Muscowy. First, military access was revoked from Muscowy and second, on July 3, Fyodor II claimed Vasily II Temny’s throne. Upon the ending of October, King Fyodor II declared war upon Muscowy with the changing tides in the 2nd Kazan-Muscovite War.

All was not to be favorable as ally Novgorod had failed to come to the side of Yaroslavl and instead opted for the retreating Muscovites. Yaroslavl was completely alone, likely feeling like a lost child locked away in a dark closet with no way out other than to strike at the door with repeated raps. Before the year let out Muscovy had besieged Tver while Yaroslavl’s 1st Army occupied Novgorod’s Olonets.

EU3_11.png


By late January 1466, the 1st Army [0/3/0] managed to bring Kexholm under Yaroslavl occupation before moving on in Olonets, fighting the first battle of the war. Easily won, as the Novgorods were outmatched more than 2:1 the 1st Army strode southward seeking conquerable lands. And as though sighting the prospects of an annoying war, Muscowy made immediate peace with Crimea, stealing away Lugansk and Voronezh from its rightful owners. It was clear to Fyodor II that the war had to end soon with hope of favorable peace. Although such conditions seemed highly unlikely with peace in the east catching on.

May saw the inclusion of Neva and Ingermanland under Yaroslavl occupation while the 2nd Kazan-Muscovite War came to a brisk end, Kazan paying 47 ducats. The fate of Yaroslavl seemed sealed yet campaigning in Novgorod’s western provinces failed to cease. This war which had been struck from Yaroslavl deception was turning into the Yaroslavl War of Survival. But survive would they? On 1 June 1466, all seemed uncertain.

Fyodor II trudged on in the desolate Novgorod lands as news reached him in June of Tver falling to Novgorod while the Muscovites sat upon the Yaroslavl capital. Positive news struck the ears of the traveling Yaroslavl king when during the middle of August Novgorod had agreed to an insane peace. The possibility of such a peace could only be explained due to Novgorod’s war weariness as she had enough troops and few rebels. Novgorod on 16 August 1466 agreed to cede to Yaroslavl the Baltic provinces of Ingermanland and Neva.


EU3_12.png


Celebrations surrendered swiftly when Muscowy proved that they weren’t about ready to settle when on 10 September 1466 they laid siege on Tver. The home provinces of Yaroslavl were being ransacked by the eastern Muscovite muscle as the 1st Army could do nothing but sit and watch the disasters. And by October the Muscovites had captured the Yaroslavl capital. In a slight attempt to find a victory, the 1st Army surrounded Vologda, initiating a siege on the settlement.

With the fall of the Yaroslavl capital the economy fell apart. Both advisors were fired and let loose upon the rest of the world while the government printed more money in an attempt to keep its head above water. Little changed by April when Tver fell to Muscowy; the world of Yaroslavl seemed to be crumbling. Even the few newly gained provinces along the Baltic seemed at risk, along with Yaroslavl independence. King Fyodor II considered a few of Vasily II Temny’s peace proposals to make Yaroslavl a vassal and to cede Tver but it was too much. It would’ve been a blow, a loss to the grandeur existing within Fyodor II’s mind. In the end he declined all offers, instead sending a group of diplomats on horseback to the Crimean Peninsula where the Genoese were busy trading.

Charisma and charm were the rules of the month when Doge Luca Longo, leader of Genoa, was convinced of attacking Muscowy. In June the Muscovites had lost Vologda to the Yaroslavl 1st Army when some Muscovite armies marched southward toward Genoa’s port cities. Although Vologda was returned to Muscovite hands in July of 1467, the 1st Army had moved on to liberate the subjected Yaroslavl capital. All would come to a head on 4 October 1467 when the diversionary tactics gifted from Genoa caused Muscovy to sign a white peace with Fyodor II, exchanging desolate lands for more lucrative Genoese ports. A silver bullet with Yaroslavl’s name carved into it had just been dodged.

EU3_13.png


Yaroslavl soon knew how cold the steppes should feel without allies, without the warmth of comfort and safety. She was alone again and now with hostile nations on all sides, not to mention the inclusion of a tough Teutonic Order and a strong Sweden.

OOC: Excuse the lack of pics, when I get into war mode I forget. I’ll be sure to remedy the fault in future wars.
 
Are you cheating?
There seemed to be alot of luck envolved in your succes.

No. Novgorod had been at war a long time whether it was with Pskov, Tver, Sweden, Sibir (Twice), Kazan, Nogai and me (maybe more than that but I'm not going to reread everything I wrote), quite a bit considering the short timeframe so far. And Kazan isn't exactly a pushover early on.

As for peace, as long as I have a spare diplomat I don't make light peaces. As Yaroslavl I have to make advances and take land, not money. Its still early enough that I'm williing to make such aggressive moves. And why should I give up anything when Genoa attacked Muscowy? It wasn't like Muscowy could reach my new possessions. Thanks for the accusation though.
 
Last edited:
Nyrael - True. Fortunately with every passing update, and many wasted years of sitting around, I think the possibility of becoming annexed or a vassal is declining. Especially thanks to the inclusion of Neva and Ingermanland which will require all nations to cross Novgorod. And Novgorod isn’t too friendly with other nations to allow that to happen. But later there are still dangers with Sweden, T.O. Lithuania or one of the Russian nations so it ought to be interesting.

EU3 - Thanks. This is my first attempt to play a Russian nation w/ MM so I hope I’ll be able to at least achieve my objectives. I was thinking about befriending Sweden but want to wait until I gather up enough money, as for the T.O. well, I don’t think T.O. wants to be my best friend anymore. :D What I’m really hoping for is that Muscowy and Novgorod end their alliance and Muscowy attacks Novgorod. I hate having my provinces cut in half by another nation.

To everyone else: When I wrote the previous update I had already played beyond the following update so you won’t receive a lot of screenshots, but there will be more than before. Rest assured however that more screen shots will be made in other updates.
 
OOC: Before I begin I want to state something. Due to the baseless, defamatory accusation one reader decided on his own that I was cheating, I will stop playing the game momentarily - right now I’m in the 1480's - until the AAR catches up to that date. Once I reach the date, and I’ll let you know, feel free to request screen shots or questions about various situations so I can shed myself from future attacks. Momentarily I thought about suspending the AAR due to this slanderous accusation, but I am someone of my word so I’m going to continue. But if I keep being accused, this may be the last AAR I write. I don’t like it when someone challenges my character without proof. It seems odd that someone would risk their reputation to destroy someone else’s. Now, onto the AAR...

After many laborious months, Fyodor II rested in remission as advisors and those close to him took over the tedious tasks of running the nation. All that could be done to rouse the Yaroslavl king from bed were declarations of war however since Yaroslavl wasn’t built for continual war, he spent many days and nights alone, hiding from the monotony of life. During these tired times, Yaroslavl allowed Muscowy military access after threats of war, while in February of 1469 a small army [0/2/0] dubbed 2'nd Army was created and stationed in newly-conquered province, Neva. And by July it was deemed that the quality of the troops must be raised, and it was made so. Quality infantry was going to be the basis on which the nation would be founded.

On 13 September 1469, the Crimean region erupted into war bringing Crimea and Kazan against the juggernaut Lithuania, Poland and a weakened Hungary. The dangerous war threatened the future of not only Yaroslavl but all Russian regions so it was fortunate when peace was made in 1470 with the exchange of a few ducats.

But before 1469 let out, Österbotten defected to its original owner, Sweden. It was unlikely, with the events unfolding in Novgorod as they had, that Novgorod would ever own another Swedish territory.

Starting a fresh year and decade (1470), Yaroslavl allowed Novgorod free access across Yaroslavl lands in an effort to avoid a possible war. Relations between Yaroslavl’s neighbors seemed to be increasing, but much damage had been done thanks to the brief War of Survival. To further heal, a Novgorod missive was received in March requesting an alliance. Fyodor II’s advisors knew they couldn’t entirely trust Novgorod in the face of war but King Fyodor II managed to make his mark on the paper anyway. At the very least, should Novgorod make war, Yaroslavl would be able to act as vultures and take land or money wherever war may lead.

EU3_14.png


1470 ended for Yaroslavl during May when Venice, a growing entity in and around the Balkans, had annexed Morea. A weak government advisor - Musa Mirza Qudantai - was welcomed into the Yaroslavl government in hopes that he’d be one of many to change the face of the nation.

King Fyodor II buckled from his bed after a declaration of war was received early in the morning of 3 January 1471; the Winter’s War had begun. The Teutonic Order - led by Archbishop Heinrich VI - and her allies - Cleves, Liege and Riga - all declared war against Yaroslavl. And fortunately for the weak nation, Novgorod opted to come to Fyodor II’s aid although it was questionable how much aid Novgorod could bring.

EU3_15.png


Yaroslavl wasn’t completely defenseless with the 1st Army resting in the capital because the 2nd Army had risen its ranks to include two more divisions [0/4/0]. Still it didn’t seem enough for the Teutonic Order had occupied both Ingermanland and Neva within the beginning days of February. The 2nd Army was on the run, seeking shelter from wherever she could find it.

The 2nd Army, fleeing southward while Novgorod confronted Teutonic troops on Russian lands, had begun sieging Riga in the beginning of May just as news had come of Muscowy and Genoa signing a white peace. The situation in the Crimea seemed to be cooling just as the Winter’s War was heating up.

The 1st Army, traveling across Novgorod lands had reached Neva and Ingermanland, lifting the Teutonic occupations by mid June but the news seemed of little importance when Heinrich VI had occupied Novgorod’s capital. Any day it looked as though Novgorod would find peace from the Order, or worse, she would cede Kholm which would place all of Yaroslavl at risk!

Within two months Doge Afansiy Barashev and Archbishop Heinrich VI had agreed to terms of peace. To leave the war, Novgorod had paid 11 ducats, a light escape but it was best for the Order as it wasn’t Novgorod lands she was seeking. Yaroslavl was left alone but at least her home provinces wouldn’t be at risk.

EU3_16.png


The 1st Army, after a few minor skirmishes and lifting the occupations of Yaroslavl Baltic regions, had begun applying pressure in Estland on 9 August 1471 although with the peace between Yaroslavl’s ally and enemy, any occupations were fleeting. This was proven by the 2'nd Army’s attempt to hold Riga, which they ultimately failed on 24 August after losing a two week long battle and 741 men. Retreat was the only option.

Dark days drenched the political maps of generals across the fields for the Order had begun retaking Yaroslavl’s Baltic provinces, and because of this the 1st Army was forced to lift its siege in Estland. Drastic actions were called for and the 2nd Army marched further south, discovered Memel and began another siege; it was hoped that the Teutonic forces would split and a white peace could soon be settled.

EU3_17.png


The 1st Army advanced behind the northward bound Teuton Army, both sides taking and exchanging the Baltic regions. Yaroslavl had no respect for these people so subjugation slammed the populous who allowed themselves to be conquered while occupation under the Order proved to be a minor improvement.

The 2nd Army’s siege in Memel had to be lifted as rebels were soon discovered in the province. It looked as though the Order was going to have a rough time in putting down the upstarts and Yaroslavl hadn’t wanted to make it any easier as the winter saw the continuous exchange of Neva and Ingermanland between the two warring factions.

Little seemed to change as shown by the map of 1 January 1472 below, when King Fyodor II contemplated leaving the Order’s lands for peaceful Yaroslavl homes. The plan to flee was eventually scrapped but only after many months of taxing peasants and recovering lost soldiers.

EU3_18.png


The situation in 1472 looked dismal and was only made worse by peasants threatening to stunt the growth of Yaroslavl innovation. But the peasants weren’t meant to rest and were forced to innovate, inviting new agricultural abilities into the cold position of Yaroslavl. The people were agitated, but refused to revolt.

EU3_19.png


For once, in 1472's November, a rejuvenated 2'nd Army besieged Estland and better news still, an offer of alliance was sent from Boris I of Muscowy which was readily accepted by King Fyodor II’s Yaroslavl. The young Yaroslavl nation needed all the protection it could garner, as proven by the tough war along the Baltic Sea.

EU3_20.png


To further improve matters, the 1st Army at the end of November and beginning of December had brought Ingermanland and Neva back under Yaroslavl rule. They would not fall under the Order’s foot for the duration of the war.

A decisive battle lasting from 24 December 1472 - 4 January 1473 harmed the Order’s pride if it hadn’t already been dismantled by the continuing rebel resistance rising in the Order’s southern - and now northern - provinces. The battle that should’ve been lost, was saved in the last days thanks to the 1st Army’s intervention which left only 108 Yaroslavl men dead with 265 Teutonic men who had either been killed or captured. The 1st and 2nd Army siege in Estland remained in place.

Nine days after the Teutonic loss, the Archbishop agreed to peace spurred by the annoying Yaroslavl armies and the upstart rebels. The Teutonic Order and Archbishop Heinrich VI agreed to pay 100 ducats to end a war which had quickly become a stalemate. It seemed the only nation who could consume Yaroslavl without ally intervention was Novgorod, who was now on the Yaroslavl side.

EU3_21.png


1473 ended peacefully when Yaroslavl agreed with Novgorod over military access so the 1st Army could return home. Plus this would allow King Fyodor II and his armies unfettered access to faraway lands where the home country would be safe from the ravages of war.

The ending of the Winter’s War, while it put many ducats in a poor nation’s hands, is still debated on whether or not it was a good move. The Order had many armies, true, but few soldiers in those armies were found. And while the rebels were losing ground, they were still a major distraction which could’ve allowed Yaroslavl to occupy lands with forts. Whether or not Yaroslavl could’ve made a better peace is to be debated, for while Yaroslavl no doubt needed land and manpower, she also needed peace, and money to fuel a rising nation; a nation still weak, a nation still poor, a nation in search of expanding its borders wherever it could.
 
Last edited:
Don't worry about it

Before I begin I want to state something. Due to the baseless, defamatory accusation one reader decided on his own that I was cheating, I will stop playing the game momentarily

Don't worry about one wild accusation. I'm sure it hurts, but in my experience with the game, the peaces that you have made are totally reasonable when you consider the War Exhaustion the other country is suffering.

So with your alliance with Novgorod, are you now going to consider attacking Sibir? or are you going to be more ambitious and try attacking Lithuania? Whatever you do I am sure you will as increase the size of great Yaroslavl. :p
 
EU3 said:
So with your alliance with Novgorod, are you now going to consider attacking Sibir? or are you going to be more ambitious and try attacking Lithuania? Whatever you do I am sure you will as increase the size of great Yaroslavl. :p

I'm also going to wait until I catch up so I don't get lost in my own story. As for the game, I've decided to take a more vulture-like role for now and hop on whoever my allies are declaring war against since my relations with them are hovering around 0. I do have to sit around and wait for a few years but events do spark; the next update will cover those nations to our east and Scandinavia so it should be interesting.
 
Silence slunk by for three and a half long years with the young Yaroslavl nation was building up its economic resources and resting is military. The wasted time resting was much needed for in the middle of September of 1476, High Chief Islam I of Crimea felt compelled to send a declaration of war against Doge Afanasiy Shestov of Novgorod. King Fyodor II, hoping to gain something from the war came to stand alongside Novgorod and Muscowy. Likewise, Crimea had an ally in Kazan’s Regency Council. The decision was simple. Armies marched.

EU3_22.png


By 1 January 1477 little had changed on the war’s front, although the war barely had a chance to start. The War for Genoese Ports - Novgorod owned Azow from the Genoese Intervention in 1467 - had begun with all sides attempting to pry territories from her immediate rivals.

EU3_23.png


The 2nd Army, with King Fyodor II at the helm had their first encounter 16 May - 7 June against Kazan and their General Khalil Aqcurin at Bolgar. The battle seemed all but lost but within the first ten days extra Muscovite troops [2/3/0] with General Golitzin arrived in an effort to save the day. By 7 June the Yaroslavl/Muscovite forces had won with 211 lost casualties while delivering 1619 to their foes. Oddly enough, Kazan was already weak for her 9 regimented army [1/8/0] contained only 2601 men before the Battle for Bolgar had begun.

EU3_24.png


The Second Battle for Bolgar occurred exactly three weeks later with both 1st and 2nd Armies entrenched against the aggressive Kazan military and still, the Muscovites protected Bolgar as if it were their own. 12 June 1477 revealed that Yaroslavl had won the battle with just over 500 casualties while delivering nearly three times that to the moral-dropping Kazan infantry. The War for Genoese Ports seemed to be going well, but winter was notorious and on its way.

By 1 July 1477 Kazan had allowed occupation of three provinces by Muscowy while Crimea had temporarily lost control over Tambow yet obtained control over Novgorod’s Azow; and Kazan was strong still, if a bit weak by her takeover of Zavolochye and sieging of Viatka. The only question seemed to be, would Yaroslavl obtain anything from the war before it was to end?


EU3_25.png


The 1st Army, sighting a 2nd Army’s abilities in Bolgar, had moved north in order to siege Idnakar during August in spite of the oncoming winter blast. The rate at which Kazan and the Crimea were crumbling, it didn’t seem as though much would be left.

While the war waged however, in the Scandinavian front the dangerous Lithuania had inherited Norway. It looked as though Lithuania were seeking a strong Scandinavian alliance with Sweden already in her hold and Denmark seriously weakened. Troubling times were undoubtably ahead.

EU3_26.png


Back in Bolgar near the beginning of November 1477, King Fyodor II was encouraged with his Muscovite allies that a victorious assault was very probable. A two week long assault was proved to be a victory but at the cost of 1000 Yaroslavl soldiers and an undetermined number of Muscovite men. Still, Bolgar had fallen into Yaroslavl hands and still she was unsure if she would be able to take anything away.

Fourteen days later Kazan and Muscowy agree to peace with a weak Kazan ceding Saratow and Mordvar. King Fyodor II was disappointed, seeing these two provinces as pieces of the future Yaroslavl puzzle. However there were other provinces to puncture and other cities to siege. Unfortunately Kazan received wind of this plan and moved into Bolgar where it soon defeated the stationed army and assaulted the walls, bringing Bolgar back into Kazan hands days before the end of the year.

EU3_27.png


While Novgorod had recaptured Zavolochye, little had changed excepting the loss of Viatka and Yaroslavl’s loss of Bolgar. It was too bad for Yaroslavl as it seemed Novgorod was content to sit on the sidelines and do nothing, perhaps attrition attached its mind but she refused to take advantage of even the weakened provinces Muscowy had just relinquished.

EU3_28.png


Within weeks, the retreating 2'nd Army had occupied Kazan’s southern province, Samara before returning north in an attempt to recover Bolgar. The King carried his soldiers swiftly, fearing that at any moment a seemingly-uncaring Novgorod would declare a white peace thus sending everything back as it was. Every war had to matter at this young stage for to write it off as though it never happened would only add more time to Yaroslavl’s rise. And while the 2nd Army had made it to Bolgar by 2 March 1478, they were thrown from the territory eight days later by the surprising arrival of the Kazan military. The 1st Army taking Idnakar seemed to be of minor importance.

With victory on the 1st Army’s minds, they began marching south into Bolgar in an effort to remove Kazan units from the region. Between 1 - 22 April, war waged against Kazan’s prized General but it was to no avail for at the end of the three weeks, Yaroslavl had come away from the battle on top. While the 1st Army took nearly double the casualties of Kazan - 598 -, the 1st Army did what it could and began setting up a perimeter around the heart of the province.

During this time Kazan had recovered Samara but it was soon sent back into Yaroslavl hands with the aid of the 2'nd Army. Unfortunately this is where Yaroslavl’s lack of manpower and military might came, for she only had two armies and Kazan, on 6 May, had begun laying siege to the weakened region of Idnakar.

EU3_29.png


Both of Yaroslavl’s Armies came together for an assault against Bolgar for five long days on hard ground and strong walls. The only salvation came from the few men still garrisoned within the city. But with Kazan armies nearby there was uncertainty at the time on whether or not the province would remain in Yaroslavl hands for long.

EU3_30.png


Advisors and important members of the king’s court begged for peace of any kind, fearing that with every man Kazan lost, or province taken, that Novgorod would attempt to eke out a favorable outcome for them, thus leaving Yaroslavl in the cold without gains of any kind. “But should she continue her course,” King Fyodor II reminded, “then we will be forced into war after war where we never take what is deserved, what is earned. If we don’t make gains here and now? Then where? And when?”

Within 9 days Bolgar had been returned to Kazan’s control.

Little seemed to change in all the months of warring with the exception of gains in Tambow, Idnakar and Samara. Bolgar seemed to be bloody ground, a place where the armies weren’t able to bury their dead thanks to the cold, harsh climate and so the province stank of rotting flesh. Could metal really be worth so many lives? Or even Genoese ports? Perhaps so.

EU3_31.png


While Kazan was busy with attempts to strike further into Novgorod lands, and Crimea in Novgorod, the 1st Army saw an opportunity when in August it reached and seized Kazan’s province of Ufa. At the very least, should Novgorod grant peace across the land, then Yaroslavl would be able to claim Ufa. But it was so little, so small and so worthless at this point in history.

The 2nd Army, with King Fyodor II at its head, marched into Simbirsk in hopes of bringing yet another Kazan province under Yaroslavl control. Speed for Yaroslavl was the most important thing for if she didn’t claim the two possessions she had aimed for at the start of the war - Idnakar and Bolgar - then the war would be considered a loss. One province wouldn’t be enough even though one province could still supply materials, men and money.

Within days both Kazan’s capital and Pensa had succumbed to Novgorod control and while Bolgar was still under Kazan occupation, King Fyodor II had to test the Kazan resolve. Withholding his strong desire to ask for land and ducats, he opted for an extravagant peace since the only province Kazan still held was Bolgar. In the terms of peace laid plenty of writing but all that mattered was that Kazan had shifted control of both Samara and Idnakar into Yaroslavl hands.

EU3_32.png


The lands weren’t connected which was said to infuriate King Fyodor II who liked to keep things clean but this was one more obstacle for enemies to overcome should they declare war against Yaroslavl. “What if our armies are trapped under Kazan’s clutches?,” “How are we supposed to war with nations in the region while protecting our gains?” and “The inflation is killing us!” were sentences Fyodor II shouted down the long corridors of his home. All answers came in short bursts: “Hope,” “Hope,” and “Yes, it is.” While the gold province brought .5 inflation with it, it was said that the cost of inflation was worth the province however the king couldn’t be convinced. How he had wanted Bolgar so much more...

EU3_33.png


Yaroslavl armies were cut and split into areas of Yaroslavl influence; the 1st Army [0/3/0] heading into Samara and Ufa; the 2nd Army [0/4/0] with King Fyodor II marched until they reached Ingermanland. Yaroslavl was now able to field a reasonable support limit but there were questions to how much she could support. She needed armies large enough to stave off the threat of war and remove rebels from rebellious regions. More regiments would soon join those already standing.

War of Genoese Ports: 8 January 1479

EU3_34.png


War of Genoese Ports: 1 July 1479

EU3_35.png


On 13 October 1479, Novgorod and Kazan would sign a white peace but only after Sibir’s High Chief Ahmad I declared war on the troubled Russian rival. Novgorod immediately sent a request for assistance to both Muscowy and Yaroslavl, but would it be worth it for Yaroslavl to risk her newly acquired possessions? Not to mention her very accessible colony, Ufa...

EU3_36.png