[SS AAR] Ice Cold - The Brotherhood of Watchers (COMPLETED)

[Babagitta]

Made may day. LOL. Your GF is the coolest. +rep for her

edit: Why don't you post this in that thread.

Yes, Annita is really cool and she's a very good M2TW player. That happened back on Christmas in the middle of a battle against Turkey (I was playing as Egypt). I lost the battle because of her but I won even more...
Her order is +rep back to you or else no more "jingle bells" this week.

You're right Old Viking but let it stay as a secret between us. Her shield is really heavy...

[Babagitta]

May 20, 1275 AD.
This is an important day for the Empire. The Great Council of the Brotherhood will decide our future's plans and everyone's here. Five new members are now in the Circle of Thoughts.

Peter Ulsnes: My dear brothers, look at the map... This huge blue area belongs to France and I'm afraid that it's time to secure the western borders.
Baron Richard: I agree brother!
Xelas of East: I'm with you!
Wyandottecaversson: Yes it's time to begin the operations.
Peter Ulsnes: We have the power and the strength to move forward. Nile Delta is a strategic area. We must take it and push the Egyptians back to the desert.
Pericles Plato: I agree but the Teutons are in our lands and we have to do something. And don't forget Hungary! We must destroy them if we have the chance.
Masaky of Rio: Well said brother. They are powerful enemies and the danger is really great.
Welwelwelsson: Yes you're right but what about the Moors? Sooner or later they'll attack. It's better to make our move first.
Xelas of East: Of course! Iberia is on fire and everybody knows that the Moors have plans.
Ciderson: I agree with all of you and I think it's time to learn something about the feelings of the Mongols.
Wyandottecaversson: Please allow me to say that we have to finish Spain too. But, stay away from the Turks. At the moment, we need our allies on our side.
Lita: ...Thank you Watchers... My King?
King Charles: I see faith in your eyes and bravery in your hearts. We are the soldiers of God and we'll fight my dear brothers. It's time to destroy our enemies! City by city, castle by castle, we'll take the lands with no fear!

One spirit, one heart, thousands of swords... The Vikings are going to War!

June 19, 1275 AD.
The Hungarians attacked us so many times and we crashed them each time, but miracles still happen...
The excommunication of Hungary by the Pope was a real miracle! Now we can fight back!


December 27, 1276 AD.
Belgrade falls and this is our message to Hungary. Our forces are moving east and the Hungarians have no other option but retreat.

June 14, 1278 AD.
The 5th Crusade is the greatest one! This is the first time that the target is a Catholic faction, Hungary! The Pope is with us and the Crusaders are moving against Adrianople. Twelve field armies full of suplies are ready to attack beyond the eastern borders of the Empire!

The fortress of Bran was the first target. We took the Hungarian capital but the battle was hell. Feudal Knights killed half of our men.
A second army attacked Sofia with bombards and heavy infantry. The fortress was not guarded well enough.
It was the perfect moment! The Aegean army left Smyrna behind and attacked the Byzantines fast like the wind! Their forces were trying to take Constantinople and the capital was almost unguarded.


To the north, a fresh army with some veterans as reinforcements took back Kiev from the rebels. The ghost town... Nothing but ruins, deads and ashes. We have to build the city from the beginning. The black dogs! They're going to pay...

To the south, our forces attacked Egypt at Damieta. The strategic fortress was very important to secure our positions in Nile Delta and reinforce the army with elite units. The main battle took place on the bridge and after that the road was open.


The heroic army that took Cyprus, attacked Antioch. It was a great surprise to see the Egyptians totaly shocked!
We are in the Holy Lands and the Norwegian flags are the perfect sign that we came for our brothers' revenge!

And finally, the last target Yaroslavl! The temptation was really great so the King ordered the attack. A war against the Cumans! It is in our nature to look for troubles and danger. The steppes, the forests, the Cumans...
We'll take them all!


February 9, 1279 AD.
This is one of the darkest nights but our brave soldiers are holding the light of victory in their hands. The walls of Nicaea are standing there between life and death. The Byzantines know that this is the last battle and their reinforcements are useless in the night.
Like the ancient Greeks, they fought like lions and they died like heroes...


They were under attack from the first day of the war. Hungarians, Turks, Sicilians, Venetians, Egyptians... How much respect do you have to show to these men? Nothing's really enough. The Legends, the Heroes, the History, the Symbols, the Faith... Now, the Gates of Europe are ours but we're not going back. This time WE are the threat!

Adrianople is under siege by our forces but the King decided to attack Constantinople first. The Hungarian King was the leader of the defenders and King Charles was ready to face him in the battle.
A river of axes and lances and the sound of stainless steel captured the Metropolis fast but not easy.


The army from Iasi attacked Bucharest and now there is only one target. Adrianople! A strong fortress full of defences and the last brave Hungarians. Elite forces inside and outside the walls but we had the advantage of darkness.
Night fighters like true Vikings attacked from the northern gates. The artillery support was like thunders on the earth in a battle between Titans and Gods!
We took the walls and then the streets became the arena of death. They fought to the last man...

The Hungarians, a proud faction with great millitary power. The art of war was like a second life for them. Fearless warriors, experts in open battles and very ambitious. They overcame the Byzantines and Venice but it was their fate to meet Norway's soldiers.


April 8, 1280 AD.
200 years of war! Epic battles, great victories and after all this blood, our Empire is alive and larger than ever! It was 200 years ago when we had only two regions, a company of warriors and a dream... To rule the World!
And now, thanks to the Brotherhood of Watchers we have 112 regions and 17 field armies!
We can't forget our deads and our 3 Kings. We lost our families, our friends and sometimes we lost our humanity too, but we are strong and eager to fight for the rest of our lives.

August 13, 1281 AD.
Poland made a terrible mistake! They ignored our troops at Damieta and they attacked Cairo with half of their army! The other half is in the fortress of Gaza and this is what we were looking for!
Now they know their mistake but it's too late. After we took the gates we fortified around them and we crashed the defenders as they came to retake the walls. Poland is over...

Polish armies and Generals were simply fantastic! They were very smart and inventive all the time. When they saw that they had no future in Europe they took Gaza. Poland was a very well organized and balanced faction. Powerful armies, strong economy and excellent strategy. Thanks to them we are much stronger now and ready to fight against the warriors of the east.


January 24, 1282 AD.
We are tired of the situation in Iberia. The Jihad is still in progress and there's no action. Genoa pushed the Moors to the west so it's our turn to help them.
The fortress of Granada is their capital and a perfect target with only 5 units inside. After the Cumans, another new war is waiting for us. The Moors!
We attacked with our huge army and we left two more behind to protect our lands. The bad days are over. Now we are strong in Iberia and our time has come.

The King is unstopable! He took his army and he made a strategic movement. His ships were ready in the port of Nicaea and he was the only one who knew the final destination. Sinop!
Our old enemies, Kievan Rus. They saw our army coming from the coast and that was the last thing that they saw...

They had the power but they had no plan at all. Incompetent Generals, bad tactics and awful strategy. They fought like nomads and they didn't use their elite forces well enough. That weakness was a big surprise to all of us.


July 3, 1284 AD.
The castle of Aleppo was our first priority after we took Antioch. Our allies the Turks were doing nothing but watching. By taking Aleppo, we're closing the doors behind us and the Holy Lands are there in front of us waiting.
The Egyptians have lost their strength and they can't stop our troops.


December 11, 1285 AD.
God is with us again! The Turks lost Ancara and we want this town badly. A few rebels can't stop us. Now, two field armies are ready to move to the east and assist our brothers against Egypt.

Genoa is a true friend and our plan is just perfect. The Moors seem to be very confused us they don't know where to attack or where to defend.
But we know... Cordoba! By taking the city we can block the road and secure the eastern area and our regions. After that, Toledo and Spain will feel our breath.


The steppes are alive! Thousands of Cumans are coming again and again from the forests trying to take Yaroslavl back. Now they're moving to the south too and this means a massive attack against us.
We can't wait, we must strike fast and destroy their plans by attacking first. Azac is the only target close to us and that's our mission. The army attacked from the south but the city was heavily guarded and reinforcements were outside the walls. The battle was epic and we lost a lot of good soldiers.
The city was ours...


July 31, 1287 AD.
Portugal attacked us with no reason! A huge army against Leon but thank God we had our main army there which is also huge. We crashed them but they'll be back. So this is it, a Total War again and we are alone...

But no! God is with us! What a glorious day! What a fantastic victory!
The Teutons, yes the black dogs, made their mistake after all these years. They attacked Vilnius but one of our three armies was close in a small fort protecting the area and waiting. The other two were in Kiev and Smolensk.
When we saw the cavarly we thought that this is the end, we're going to die. We used the old tactic and a barrage fire from the right flank. Then we sent our cavarly straight to their archers. We destroyed them and the heavy infantry came in the field to finish the job. None survived...


February 12, 1288 AD.
This is a tribute to our brothers the Templars. With the power of God this is justice and our revenge for their death. Tortosa is ours and their bodies are safe. We are proud but hate is still in the air. We'll finish them and that's a promise. The Egyptians know that...

Now that the Teutons are over we can send 2-3 armies to the west and prepare our next invasion. As the Watchers said, the time for France has come. This is the ultimate challenge! A war between iron beasts!


Life is short... Who will remember us after all? Our names are like the dust in the wind. Mortals, humans, we're just men, simple men! And our dream, how can it live for ever? Is it the heart? No... Is it the mind? Or maybe the soul?
No... It is the sword! The one and only truth and no one can forget that! It is the sword... and it is ice cold...
King Charles - Sinop (December 17, 1288 AD.)

[stormer]

My lord Bagabitta I was busy for a long time and i was here from the beginning and I am back, better than ever, and I advise you to finish off Iberia as quick as possible then eat france slowly as we have seen on that map before last the French have loads of armies so tread carefully and may God be with you.

[Halvar von Flake]

Hail, King of Vikings!

You should land with your dragon boats on the shores of western mediterranean isles in order to control the sea...

O. V.

[welwelwel]

My Lord,

Great victories are the tribute of a great king. Our soldiers are like the water that flows over the rocks. You can try to dodge them, but you can't stop them. Our current path is a bright one. Iberia will soon be ours. Egypt has had it best days and soon our armies will reach the gates of Moscow. But to there's only one problem, located in the centre of Europe: France. My king, choosing the path of war with France will seriously damage our reputation, but we cannot remain blind about the threat either. My personnal agents have reported that a massive is assembling at Paris. Were they gain the funds to pay this army is unknown, but I suspect that they are supported by the pope, or the infidels! My advice is: strengthen our borders, build a chain of forts and place all troops that can be spared in these forts. Challange them to come out, attack us head on. Let them break the alliance and once they do, attack them with everything we've got. For a long time the nations of Europe have laughed with us, the barbarians, but which nation stands to laugh with us today...

Yours Faithfully,
welwelwelson

[Babagitta]

Stormer! Welcome back my friend!
You're right, France has 12 armies (10 around Paris) and we are sending 4 from the east. Of course we have many veterans but they have plenty of Knights waiting for action. We need to recruit fresh soldiers and use them as reinforcements.
I'm thinking about an invasion from the east with all of our forces (4-5 different targets).

Yes Old Viking that's a good plan but Portugal attacked us and now I'm defending our lands. If I have a chance I'll use the dragons to take controll of the sea.

Really, who's gonna laugh with us Welwelwelsson? Who dares? We can feel their fear!
But France... They haven't fight for over of 120 years and now they're proud about that iron wall. And believe me,they're going to use it against us. Pope will not be happy after the attack but we saw that before.

It's a long long way but our troops are coming. They are the same soldiers who overcame Poland, Novgorod and Kievan Rus. Many of them will die in battle but they don't care.

[Nole4694]

King Charles,

Since before your generation I have been a a watcher, and I have a right to retire. I shall still follow this great and mighty empire but you shall see little to no more advice from me from here on out. I must let the new generattion of watchers take the lead.

Nolesson the retired

[Babagitta]

This is really sad Nole but as you wish. Your experience and advices were really useful.

The new generation must know that Nolesson was the one who said first "unite Norway". His idea to destroy Ireland first and then Scotland was the key of our strategy those years. Also, his plan of the attack against Scotland, his suggestion to push the Germans and destroy them and his idea to attack Venice. Now I can say that he was right when he said attack France. It was 100 years earlier and we could crash them but now it's very difficult.

Nolesson is a very important part of our history. It would be great if he could share with us his plan about France. That invasion was his dream.

Good luck Nolesson and thank you!

[DarthRic]

Great king I have recently been accepted into the watchers and suggest a 3 pronged attack on the french, one from germany, another from south france/italy and another from across the english channel, after this you should hold the forts and citys you take in this attack and fight off their huge armys, once their armys fall before the walls of these settlements you will be free to finish the french
Also on the Egyption frontier i suggest taking Jerusalem, it is the holy city and too long in the hands of our enemies! it must be reclaimed
Your humble watcher Darthric

[Babagitta]

Welcome to the Brotherhood Darthric and of course welcome to the forums!
First post, first +rep for you.

Please allow me to say that your plan is really... sexy! Yes, I think we can take those forts and hold them. The French army will come with everything they got but behind those walls we could be very strong. They'll attack in 4 waves but this time we have serpentines and cannons. It's going to be hell!

[Nole4694]

Oh... well..... if you insist...... first give an overvew of the area so you can help us help you

[Babagitta]

Ok here's the situation.

France has 10 armies around Paris (red star), one at north-east and one more at south-east. The light blue stars are their line of defence and each star is a fortress. Somehow they know (ot it's just my imagination) that we're sending forces on the area, but the center of their line is still unguarded.
Their armies are too powerful and they can destroy us in an open battle.

The yellow stars are our field armies. We have 3 of them in Iberia trying to finish Spain and defend against Portugal and Moors. I think it's difficult to send them to the north right now.
The other four field armies are coming from the east and this is our main force for the invasion. Veterans and all the kinds of artillery (catapults, ballistas, bombards, cannons and serpentines). Also, we're sending about 12 Generals in the area from all sides. Four of them are night fighters and maybe we can use them to avoid French reinforcements

Our King is in Turkey and the Heir is fighting against the Cumans. The Pope likes us and I think he'll stay friendly to us. I can't be sure about his reactions after the invasion in France.
I'm 90% sure that all our borders are secure as we keep pushing the enemies back. In Iberia the situation is more complicated but we can hold.

It's true that if we finish France then Iberia is an easy target and Genoa will be our next problem.

Gentlemen, this is the geatest challenge of the war and we need the best strategy. You're not Watchers this time but Generals of the Empire!

[Xamt]

since you are fighting the french you should follow proven and successful tactics i.e. do what the germans did... outflank them

it seems to me that they have their armies deployed to your borders, so get a ship and conquer brittany (or however that peninsula south of cornwall is called) ... just get an artillery piece or two so you dont have to waste a turn sieging... from my experience it should be lightly defended, alternatively use a night fighter to capture the farthest, most lightly defended settlement..

then once they pull some troops away to recapture it pick their stacks or cities off 1 by 1... should be cake

[ciderson]

M'Lord,
Our demense in western Flanders will be quite threatened when the war will be waged. Maybe we can use Brugge as a kind of bait, so that their forces would leave Ile-de-France to siege the Trading Capital of the Northern Seas and this will make their capital Paris temporary vulnerable to the organized assault. Should their capital fall, they will be overwhelmed by their own grief, and they will become much easier to slaughter.
Strength and Honor,
Ciderson

[stormer]

However Lord cinderson they would not send ten armies towards 1 city.
Lord Bagabitta i advise you to use the tactics of the Germans (Blitzkrieg), because swiftness and strenght win the day.
i would advise you to have 4 pikemen in your armies 2 serpentines if possible, 6 cavalry, 4 normal infantry and 4 archers.
You also need to use the 3 field armies in Iberia to quickly finish the portugese,Spanish and moors.
and best of luck.

[DarthRic]

My lord i also have some more information for you
France is a small country compared to yours, it may be possable to kill all their family members in battle or by other means, this would reduce france to a group of rebel states making them easy to destroy

[ciderson]

However Lord cinderson they would not send ten armies towards 1 city.

Yes, that is true, my friend Stormersson, but still, who really knows these french fools? And besides, the lesser stacks our forces will face in one region the better.

kill all their family members

That is a good guess, I think. Maybe send our field operatives to cut down some of the Capets even before the war

[Leutrim]

I'd say pull you're faction heir back and allow the mongols to destroy the cumans, then go for the killer blow on the weakened mongols before they have time to regain strength but make sure that you can counter their units. As for France, use your nightfighters like you said and try to hold off bridges so on. Keep your four land armies together at all times and try to fight with your weakest general, so that you can AI control you're higher ranking ones.

As for Iberia, even though I havent been following this AAR to detail Im sure your more then capable of handling the situation long enough for your northern forces to come to aid, perhaps only 3 or so, so that you have can send 1 to Genoa.

I think taking only what you need from the Turkish would be wise, atleast untill the Timurids arrive and weaken each other out. This way, you can build up your economy and upgrade your units and cities/castles. At the same time you'd be letting two enemies fight one another, or you could ally with the Turks against the Timurids when they arrive, its up to you.]

Anyway, I wish thou the best of lucketh...

Peace

[welwelwel]

My King,

This his how I see a possible invasion: Take the 2 northern armies by boat to Rennes and Caen. Attack them where they are less protected. Caen is easily defendible and will sureley attract some of the armies around Paris. Rennes can easily be reinforced by sea. The other two armies must march to the border and try to hold out. If there is an opportunity to attack from the eastern then it should be grasped, but not before the enemy try's to retake Caen. This is the view of a simple watcher recently promoted a general (and a proud one)

Yours faithfully,
Welwelwelson

[wyandottecaver]

Great king,

We have 4 armies, they have 12 and many mighty fortresses. I suggest a true Total War strategy. Keep our armies together and go from province to province sacking the cities then selling the buildings that remain. Set the taxes to max and leave..let the french deal with the rebels. So long as you can keep away from the bulk of their army (use spies to open the gates not slow artillary) you can cripple their economy and troop production. Without buildings they cant raise more troops, without cash they cant build more buildings, and after they have spent themselves against the rebels your victorious iberian armies can join you for the coup de gras'