You're choosing, I'm playing

[Rozmarzony]

Chapter 15
867 - 887
Sawdan

Starting screen.

And some overall ss for war against Karlings. In most cases I recommended to surr at start to them, but 2.0 overpowered mercs, so why not go for easy win?

Like always.

Only West Francia came for help, but it still was nothing in compare to my reinforcing mercs.

After beating those armies and some assaults, getting gold for future campaign.

Then just holy war on everything. Yes, they are calling their brothers in faith to help, but most of them didn't even managed to arrive at war zone.

Only got small problem with Amalfi, but AI didn't formed one big doomstack and my conquest was successful.

At this point I banished everyone. (but still no NK mode, mercs are enough) My gold went from ~50 to ~1000. I didn't wanted to wait until taxes would give me around 500 money, especially that almost all my holdings were having flags "recently conquered" and "new administration". After I conquered Papa, crusades got unabled... but he didn't called any. (very probably because of lack of holdings, if he would declare crusade, it would be probably instantly 100%)

I played it at night, really wanted to do it as quick, as possible.

Had to take another ~4k mercs, cause Francia hired Templars.

After some assaults got entire Italy.

Banished every vassal, which I gained thanks to invasion. In Mu'nis game, I could just convert them, but this time it wasn't so easy and I decided to do it.

What's better, my gold went from 1k to 10k.

Poor Byzies, appeared after I got 100% thanks to assaulting. (at this point, I was using all possible mercs)

Then I sent some of my forces to conquer entire Croatia by holy wars. (you know, req. for creating Italia)

Now you have clear answer why in my opinion Canaries are the hardest start - no mercs to abuse.
​

 

[Rozmarzony]

Playing as Erik the Heathen (the Pagan Duke in Sweden in 1066); how quickly can you re-Paganise Scandinavia via reforming the religion and an Empire consisting of Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland?

Thanks! Added.

Play as Kola.

I am at a loss for words right now! I didn't really expect Mu'nis to be even possible to be successful with, but you were going with some crazy starts (like the dutch guy in england) and i just had to suggest this. As for the next one, i'm gonna put my vote on the chief of Kola Sami.

I also vote for you playing Kola Sami, preferably in 867.
Btw thanks for this thread. Really entertaining.

Kola also.

So Kola in next game.

 

[Divilly]

After Kola, could you try Kartid Satrapy, 100 years' war start?

 

[Bones96]

Note: You've also broken the record for formation of Italia by over a decade.
I cast my vote for Petty King Edmund of East Anglia.

 

[Rozmarzony]

Chapter 16
867 - 891
Kola Sami

In theory hard start, but not really.

All holdings from my state. Couldn't be worse.

My demense limit is 3, so banished him to hold all lands.

Picked amibition for Finland and first subjugation war went for Kvens. Won, while avoiding the the battle. After getting him as vassal, banished.

At this point I hired cheapest mercs band. Using it (1500 troops) and my personal levies (800) conquered entire Finland.

13 years and first objective accomplished.

I'm being attacked by Norway for subjugation for Norway, but in following months I got white peace.

Personal subjugation used for Russia. Their troops crossing river and not seeing my reinforcements (second mercs band), something delicious.

Everything under control.

Now it's time to reform my faith.

Killed priest vassal from Novgorod, it's my holy site and new one will be generic suomenusko, giving +5% to authority.

When I was conquering green-marked prov, got civil war.

After beating their armies and conquering one prov, they surrendered. Revoked their titles and granted to suomenusko rulers.

In next years I did 3 successful county conquests.

Overall for laws, retinues and income.

2 new conquests. One to border holy site, and second to gain it.

I'm having 3 holy sites, so reforming in process.

Religious map.

End screen like in previous chapters.

Bonus:

Spoiler

You will see it often, because next patch is going to:

Strengthened 867 starting positions for Rurik, Dyre the Stranger and the Khazars

​

 

[Rozmarzony]

After Kola, could you try Kartid Satrapy, 100 years' war start?

That's what I wanted. Seems like hard, at least for start. And there are Timurids in near future! Thanks, while I gonna do it, not now.

Note: You've also broken the record for formation of Italia by over a decade.
I cast my vote for Petty King Edmund of East Anglia.

Ooo, posted it in hall of fame, thanks, as for suggestion, added.

 

[Divilly]

I cast my vote for Petty King Edmund of East Anglia.

I guess Northumberland should be harder. 32k vikings under sons of lodbrok, ready to smash you.

 

[GreatUberGeek]

I would agree, so I think Northumberland would be cool.

 

[rageair]

I'm very impressed, you make conquest look like art!

For a challenge, how about any of the Icelandic counts?

 

[Rozmarzony]

Chapter 17
1072 - 1078
Roussel de Bailleul


Rules:
-Staying catholic.
-No messing with Byzzies. (no swearing fealty/marriages)

Great and in theory challenging start. Surrounded by 2 blobs. Even if I will be able to defeat them, then truce limiting me is happening. So no way to make fast cash/conquests in total, something what I wanted.

Bigger picture.

At start, classic moves. Revoking lands from my only count-tier vassal and getting some gold.

What's better, both blobs got civil wars.

Immediately trying to take advantage of it.

Wonder when I'm gonna run out of luck.

Next target - Edessa.

During war within few months got 2 claims for Cilica.

So used them without thinking too much, considering Cilicia got civil war too.

Third claim for Cilicia lands, suspiciously too easy I'm getting everything.

And then, death from nothing. Three months before I got my first offspring... probably ruler of Cilicia created plot, cause by doing it he could end the war.

Well, I will need to take break from that norman. Why I even posted such short game? Mainly because everything was going excellent until assasination happened.

​

 

[Rozmarzony]

I would agree, so I think Northumberland would be cool.

I guess Northumberland should be harder. 32k vikings under sons of lodbrok, ready to smash you.

Ok, added with better personal rating. Thanks!

I'm very impressed, you make conquest look like art!

Thanks! But now imagine how difficult it's for me to take pleasure from the game. Always just blobing and blobing... and even more of it, always coming to me so easy cause I know every trick/all mechanics. I wish for roleplay focused DLC or some challenge, not basing on "your troops*2=event rebel troops" or something like this.

For a challenge, how about any of the Icelandic counts?

Well, norse isn't challenge at all, but added it. (unless you was thinking about catholic icelandic counts)

 

[Forster]

Man, this is amazing.

 

[Rozmarzony]

Chapter 18
1072 - 1095
Roussel de Bailleul

Beginning of the new game was pretty same as in the previous one. Three holy wars on east and one for Cilica, but for 3 claims.

In the meantime got better specialization.

Had to give up one prov to emperor.

How Sejluks looks in all their majesty. I did screenshot instantly after they got new ruler, so after loosing all the wars. In most cases they have at least 1 civil war all time.

West:
Usurping Cilica - war for de jure.
Surrendering to Byz for second prov.

East:
Holy war.

At this point Roussel died. You can see how he looked like before.

I managed to switch to elective, so my new girl is having all lands.

Some random prince-bishop is plantagenet. Nice.

Also, jihads got actived. Don't know why, but it happened.

​

 

[Rozmarzony]

Chapter 19
1095 - 1123
Roussel de Bailleul

Another successful holy war.

Jihad against powerfull Antioch. Better they than me.

It was reduced to one prov, which got annihilated by me.

At this point created kingdom.

My laws.

Character. Got cash from money and from Jews (expelled them second time in this game).

Jihad against me + conquered marked prov.

Happily only few emirs joined to it.

There was few battles like this, each won by me. Also, I managed to conquer one holding held by caliph.

Winning streak didn't lasted forever and I lost my entire army.

However, mercs saved me.

White peace is enough.

My conquests in following months.

What i've been waiting for!

By the way, kids of my heir are going to inherit Georgia for me!

Yes, killed via plots all his other children.

There was some problem. Papa didn't liked me and didn't wanted to do crusade for Jerusalem for my request, so killed him via plot too.

Giftem him gold, when he was cardinal.

Tora tora tora!

Hired both orders + my levies and I got 25k army in total.

Start of the crusade.

End of it.

I had to merge all stacks to beat few armies of caliph.

This! Major aim of entire game. That's why I wanted so much crusade for Jerusalem.

In theory, I could just wait from the beggining, not conquering anything and waiting for crusade, cause after getting 2 holy orders I can roflstomp every muslim on the map.

Cause all his armies were defeated, got Sinai in easy way.

Me and my heir at the end.

My lands.

It's probably the end. My first 2.0 game was OPM Breton -> Jerusalem -> Latin Empire so it would be too boring for me to just repeat holy war, holy war and so on.

Spoiler

But who knows maybe I will play some decades to create empire, but in overall, I did what I wanted. Became admittedly major power in the middle east, without converting to other religion and messing with Byzzies.

​

 

[rageair]

Thank you for this very interesting thread!
I've started applying a lot of your tactics in my own games, they make me able to perform some incredible turnarounds when I pick weak random nations!

 

[Rozmarzony]

Chapter 20
1123 - 1153
Roussel de Bailleul



Ok, I wanted to fulfill my personal plan, so I played a little more as Armenia, still having shia (caliphate) Egypt and sunni (with vassal caliphate) Persia as rivals, both of them having larger armies than me.

As you can see, I got two wars from each blob, however, using holy orders I semi-easily defeated them. However, during those 30 years I didn't declared any war, I was just sitting there waiting for...

Crusade!

After defeating their armies twice and getting 3 provs, crusade was won.

Here we are, I did what I wanted. Now I could create Persian Empire (but I like my colour more). Also, I gained Georgia in meantime by inheritance.

​

 

[Divilly]

Now I could create Persian Empire (but I like my colour more)

Don't sweat it! Go common/landed_titles/landed_titles.txt/e_persian.../color :happy:

 

[drSandworm]

Huh, Crusade for Persia. You know that the Christians are doing good when you see that.

Impressive work, especially with defeating 2 simultaneous Jihads. Been following this for a while and I look forward to seeing more.

While I'm at it, I might as well throw my 2 cents as for another character:
Rustamids, the Ibadi Emirs in Mauretania. Surrounded from both sides by hostile Sunni and Shia sultans. Your goal would be to replace the Sunni as the orthodox faith. MAybe not as impressive as some of the others, but here you go

 

[unmerged(3523)]

I guess I don't have all the right expansions, because I don't have the 500 gold options...

 

[Rozmarzony]

Man, this is amazing.

Before starting this AAR I asked myself. What people want? I can't give them some nice plot, story and writing, and playing the hardest possible start (canaries) isn't enough. (or rather is too boring).. so I decided: fast CONQUESTS!

Thank you for this very interesting thread!
I've started applying a lot of your tactics in my own games, they make me able to perform some incredible turnarounds when I pick weak random nations!

Thanks. It's nice to see that someone can learn something new from it. However, considering how fast you're playing & recording and how slow I'm watching, I'm not going to see it in the early future.:laugh:

Don't sweat it! Go common/landed_titles/landed_titles.txt/e_persian.../color :happy:

Well, I know about it but thanks. Basically, it's the final end for this game so no need to mess with personal mods. I played de Bailleul game on 2.0, then beta patches and now 2.0.2 so game got little bugged. (semi-reformed Suomensko etc)

Huh, Crusade for Persia. You know that the Christians are doing good when you see that.

Impressive work, especially with defeating 2 simultaneous Jihads. Been following this for a while and I look forward to seeing more.

While I'm at it, I might as well throw my 2 cents as for another character:
Rustamids, the Ibadi Emirs in Mauretania. Surrounded from both sides by hostile Sunni and Shia sultans. Your goal would be to replace the Sunni as the orthodox faith. MAybe not as impressive as some of the others, but here you go

Thanks and added suggestions! To be honest, jihads weren't simultaneous and all 4 wars showed by pics happened in 30 years break between crusades.

I guess I don't have all the right expansions, because I don't have the 500 gold options...

It's from SoA, borrowing money from Jews (300) and expelling them (200). Ideal for fast starts/abusing the mercs.