The Seljuk Revival

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

It was not a very good time for Seljuk rulers. The Seljuk domains of even a century earlier were hopelessly splintered. Only two major centers of Seljuk power remained--the Seljuks in Rum, and the Seljuks centered around the city of Hamadan. The rest of their former lands were gobbled up by other groups, or remained as tiny Emirates of increasing irrelevance. This story concerns the Seljuks clinging on to power in Hamadan.
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Table of Contents
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Tragedy and Hope
Chapter Three: The Push For Kermanshah
Chapter Four: The Battle For Kermanshah
Chapter Five: Retreat
Chapter Six: The Battle For Hamadan
Chapter Seven: Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures
Chapter Eight: I Don't Even...
Chapter Nine: A New Homeland!
Chapter Ten: Building
Chapter Eleven: Waiting
Chapter Twelve: The Best Laid Plans...
Chapter Thirteen: Revival
Chapter Fourteen: A Rayy of Hope
Chapter Fifteen: Here We Go Again
Chapter Sixteen: Battles and Battles and Battles
Chapter Seventeen: Battles and Battles and Battles Pt 2
Chapter Eighteen: Onward!
Chapter Nineteen: Upward!

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Chapter One: Introduction

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The year is 1220. Much has changed in the Middle East since the Seljuks were powerful. In the wake of their fragmentation, the Romans have gained much of their former lands. The Khalifa has inspired his own people to reassert their old independence and power. The Franks have captured the Holy Places.

And from Samarkand, there come stories of conquerors from our ancestral home. The stories are not pleasant. They involve cities being destroyed so throughly that nothing remains but mortar and charred bones. And they've arrived. No one can guess their aims beyond general destruction.

Of course, closer to home, things are not well. The Sultan and his son are Shi'a, which has turned much of the population against them despite past successes. The economy is crumbling owing to the armament of troops to prevent neighbors from perceiving the true weaknesses of the polity. The rulers are old, and soon they will leave this earth--no one can guess what impact that will have on the standing of the state.

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The presence of so many Shi'a in the realm not only lessens support for the ruling family. It also attracts enemies that smell blood in the water. It attracts those of piety and fervor. It attracts the Khalifa.

Throughout the empire, tensions are rising. The army is stationed in Qazvin to dissuade the Georgians from invading. Scattered troops occupy posts near Gorgan. Can the Seljuks of Iraq fend off the Abbasid invasion? Will its neighbors refrain from taking advantage of its weaknesses? Will the Mongols come just as the war is being won?

....I don't know. This is a hopeful title.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Chapter Two: Tragedy and Hope

Isfahan is indefensible as it stands. The small garrison cannot hope to defeat the veteran Abbasid army. The only hope can come from the Azerbaijani garrisons, or a relief force from Hamadan. But it seems Hamadan too is needing all possible troops...

This means it is up to the acclaimed general Husam Duqaq to defend the Seljuk lands. As he was gathering troops outside of Qazvin, it will take some time to reach the beleaguered city of Isfahan.

Husam cannot travel far before the Abbasids decide to end the siege now. The defenders of Isfahan are resigned to their fates, but the governor Taj is determined to put up a fight before the city falls.

It was a foggy morning, but the Abbasids had no missile troops so it meant little. From the battlements, the enemy's movements were obscured. All Taj could see was a few ladders - no rams, no siege equipment. There was a chance yet, perhaps.

As the ladders reached the walls, the Abbasid cavalry moved towards the gatehouse - no doubt waiting for when their foot soldiers could reach the gate mechanism. But then the gates swung open, and the Abbasid cavalry charged in, unhindered, and caught Taj off his guard. A spy! It was at that moment that Taj knew the battle would be lost.

The only saving grace in the moment was the comically-oversized ladders. The troops dropping down from that height were easily cut to bits, but with cavalry pressing at the gate, more help was needed.

All of the Seljuk troops fought bravely, but their numbers were simply too small to hold off the heavily armored and experienced Abbasids.

With all of his troops committed, Taj was powerless to stop a small contingent of cavalry from entering through another gate. They moved to secure the square.

Slowly the Seljuk troops fell back. First to die were the macemen at the gate, then Taj's bodyguard succumbed. Finally Taj was killed, and the macemen fighting on the walls surrendered.

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In the north, Qazvin was also besieged. But this time, the Seljuks could do something about it. Husam moved his troops to relieve the city, and attacked. The battle could go either way, but it was in his favor.

Husam arranged his troops in the classic formation. In the front were the infantry, with Daylami infantry bringing up the left wing to counter any flanking maneuvers. On the right flank were the cavalry groups and Husam. Hurrying from the momentarily relived city came more cavalry and the all-important trebuchet.

Husam's strategy was to pepper the enemy with arrows until they moved to attack or they ran out of arrows. They circled around the largely light infantry enemy, killing many. They suffered too, but their experience in the wars in Azerbaijan meant they killed more than they lost.

The Abbasids began to realize that they were in trouble, and moved to charge. But just as their general gave the order to charge, the trebuchet were ready to fire. The veteran engineers quickly routed the first line of attackers.

At this point, enough Abbasid troops had died as to allow a flanking of their entire army. The cavalry reinforcements moved to the left flank whilst Husam moved to prevent the Abbasid heavy cavalry from destroying his best infantry.

The lighter troops were already in flight at the first sight of the flanking maneuver. Husam moved to chase down the routers whilst the rest of the cavalry focused on the Abbasid general. Isfahan had fallen, but this army would get its revenge.

Before long, the Abbasid troops were mopped up and destroyed. The few that survived chose to slink into the woods rather than fight another day. The Khalifa's diplomats indicated no interest in his captured troops, so they were killed.

The victory changed the course of the war, at least for the present. Husam used his victory to propel himself into Kermanshah territory, which caused the Abbasid army near Hamadan to pull back to defend its city. Kermanshah is the citadel of the Abbasids and the source of their best troops. If Husam can do what his Sultan could not decades earlier, and capture Kermanshah, the war may be won yet.

The grand plan is to take Kermanshah and move on Baghdad with the intent raze the city and retain the citadel. From that point, the loss of Isfahan could be swallowed, but if the Khalifa refuses to treat, the war will continue.

Of course, this is all conjecture. First Husam needs to defeat a series of strong Abbasid armies, and the outcome is far from certain.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Chapter Three: The Push for Kermanshah

The Abbasids moved more quickly than Husam had anticipated, and rather than a march on Kermanshah filled with coalescing armies, he found opposite his troops a fully-formed, dangerous Abbasid army. The fate of his Sultan and the Seljuks of Iraq depends on Husam's army, and in turn this battle.

As he surveyed the field, Husam realized much of the Abbasid force was made up of lighter troops and cavalry. This worked into his plans, as his infantry could be held back whilst the horse archers harassed the enemy.

They were largely successful, running around the flanks of the Abbasid force.

But then the battle became very worrying. The mid-range cavalry fielded by the Abbasids was faster than the tiring horse archers, and caught the tail end of the retreating group. Other Abbasid cavalry rushed to their aid in the hopes of wiping out Husam's horse archers. The closest infantry on the right flank ran forward to engage the Abbasid cavalry while Husam himself moved to take them on the flank.

As the drama unfolded on the right flank, the entire Abbasid army moved in to engage. The trebuchet kept on their attacks on the approaching enemy.

Sadly, an accident claimed the lives of a portion of Husam's elite Askari and their use had to be ended for this particular battle. The battlefield gradient simply was not suitable for such artillery.

Soon the horse archers were able to extract themselves from melee and the Abbasid cavalry turned to face Husam's infantry.

It was a poor decision on the Abbasid commander's part.

At this point, Husam was in a position where he could sweep up the entire enemy army with a well executed maneuver. The Abbasid cavalry was engaged and being destroyed, and the strongest Abbasid troops were between their light infantry and Husam's best infantry.

Husam charged at the right flank, causing the Abbasid irregulars to lose heart and flee in terror.

Soon the entirety of the Abbasid force was running, and Husam cleaned up the cowards. Once more, the Abbasids balked at the high ransom request, and as such their biggest army lay dying or dead in the hills near Kermanshah.

A smaller force attacked Husam's army as it was reforming to march on Kermanshah. It was small, yes, but it included many elite forces that had likely seen combat against the Georgians.

Luckily, Husam's trebuchet were accurate and his infantry hardened. With such an advantage, this Abbasid force was mainly a delaying one and not one sent to inflict much harm.

With that speed bump out of the way, Husam looked to Kermanshah for needed reinforcements and money.

But, as always, the Abbasids had other plans. In the time Husam was engaged in battle, they moved a strong army to Hamadan. The garrison there was too small to guarantee victory, so Husam was forced to move away from Kermanshah and engage. It would likely be a tough battle, but the real concern is if Husam can make it back to Kermanshah before the Abbasids bring more reinforcements...

To be continued

[Grouchio]

Isn't this when the Mongols arrive?
Anyways awesome AAR! +rep!

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Mhm, they're mucking about in Khwarezm somewhere. Hopefully they ignore me. And thanks!

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Chapter Four: The Battle For Kermanshah

Husam had two goals in this battle. First, to preserve his troops, and second, envelop the enemy with Malik Shah's reinforcements.

It was hard to keep all of formations in order due to the enemy's high number of cavalry and light troops. The battlefield quickly became a mess.

Husam found he had to commit his cavalry much sooner than he anticipated, and found himself struggling in a melee as his infantry pushed on, clearly winning.

His men realized too late their general's danger. Husam fell to a ghulam's sword.

Enraged, the rest of his troops attacked the enemy general and the scattered remnants of his troops. There would be no quarter.

The battle was over, but the future was in doubt. Their general, their charismatic leader, lay dead on the field.

Now it was up to Nur ad-Din from Hamadan to take the place of Husam. Nur was an experienced general, though without the charisma of Husam - and certainly without the same kindness. But he was the best general in the region, so he would have to do.

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Typically, the Abbasids were one step ahead. They moved and besieged Yazd and Qazvin before anything could be done.

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But Nur only had one option: Kermanshah. With that citadel taken, the Abbasid war machine would be weakened greatly. It was the only way they could hope to win the war. A small army lay in his path, and he engaged it.

The Abbasid general was a poor tactician, though he managed to catch the Daylami soldiers out of formation.

But while the Abbasid general toiled, Nur routed the Abbasid infantry.

It was not long before the Abbasid general lay dead in the sands and Nur was one step closer to Kermanshah.

Meanwhile, at Yazd, the Abbasids pressed on. The defenders were staunch but aware only a miracle would save them. Of course, a miracle did not occur and Yazd joined the other Seljuk lands taken by the Abbasids.

[IMG][/IMG]

But as the Seljuks were ruing their misfortunes, Nur pressed his advantage and attacked Kermanshah. He was outnumbered, but with Abbasid reinforcements nearby, this was his only chance to take the city. Even looking at such a powerful center of Abbasid rule was breathtaking.

The enemy had a very strong cavalry force--too strong, in fact. If they manage to break the lines, the battle would end before it started. As the trebuchet disrupt the infantry forming in the distance, the cavalry are already attacking.

The line checks its location as Nur's cavalry get themselves into formation to prevent any flanking attempts.

If the enemy can be contained, perhaps they can be destroyed before their walls -- if not, the trebuchet can force a way in, surely.

The Abbasid's renowned general attempted to force his way in a flank, and it was up to the Turkoman horse archers to hold him until Nur's arrival.

As the Seljuk like bent with the force of the cavalry and infantry assaults, Nur desperately attempted to keep the Abbasid general from taking control of the right flank.

Far too many of his cavalry died in the process, but Nur was successful.

But the battle was looking grim. Some of the Abbasid bodyguards killed most of the trebuchet engineers. For the city to be taken, the enemy would have to die before the walls and surrender the center themselves.

After a tense final moments, the last of the Abbasid troops fled. Nur ad-Din pressed his advantage and drove them deep into the first level of the citadel. The first defenses were breached with the handful of veteran troops the Seljuk commander had left. Both of the combatants had forces no more than 40 each.

Nur as his few me chased the Abbasid troops to the very last gate of Kermanshah and were caught on the wrong side as it closed. They may have to turn back, defeated.

However, the Abbasid troops evidently were scared. They surrendered the city to the Seljuks.

Kermanshah was taken, but at such a cost its value to the Seljuks was lessened. There would be no mass recruitment, at least here. The city needed to be razed and abandoned. It would prevent any usefulness for years to come, though the cost of victory was so great that just leaving the conquest seemed like a bitter pill to swallow.

Nevertheless, the money from the sack afforded reinforcements and construction projects. The Seljuks would live to fight another day. Nur would lead them.

[Irishguy]

I really like it!

[tavix]

Keep up the good work and good luck!

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Chapter Five: Retreat

In Ardabil, the northernmost citadel, recruitment was increased due to the loss of most of Nur ad-Din's army. Some Turkmen troops were rushed down to Hamadan, where they met with Malik-Shah. Husam Duqaq's son came of age, so he is learning to command with the rest. This skills need to mature very quickly--the Abbasids are already attacking. Nur ad-Din and his Turkmen troops are a few day's march from the city.

The battle is winnable, though tough. The strategy for Malik Shah was to wait with his cavalry for a breach in the gate, and then charge with all his cavalry from three sides. Such an action should prevent any Abbasid push.

But luck was on Malik Shah's side today. The ram burst in flames mere yards from the gate. Only the ladders and siege tower remained -- if the infantry could be killed, perhaps the Abbasid cavalry would turn back.

But the battle for the walls was fierce. Crack Abbasid troops spilled onto the wall, and only the experience of the Seljuk defenders averted disaster. But still things were grim. Then the young Duqaq boy had a brilliant idea...

...there was a trebuchet in the city center. It was moved up near the walls to attack the siege tower. The Seljuk troops were horrified at the sight of massive boulders striking the tower above their heads, but it worked. The tower collapsed, killing hundreds of Abbasid troops waiting to disembark on the walls.

Malik Shah rode out to finish off the routers and destroy the fleeing cavalry. Today was a great victory, surely.

Meanwhile, the most experienced Abbasid diplomat has been making his way up from Abyssinia to the Georgians. He is in negotiations with the Georgians to attack the Abbasids. So far there has been little head way, but with luck and perhaps some money, the Christians may yet be turned. Oman has already turned on its former ally and are pushing up the Persian Gulf.

Qazvin, though, lies defenseless...

The defenders are outnumbered and hopeless. But hopefully the battle can inflict much damage.

But it was not to be. The defenders were too small a force, and immediately after breaching the gate and the wall all the Seljuk troops were engaged. A contingent of Abbasid cavalry took the square before the defenders could even defend their city properly. It was a dark result compared to the jubilation after Hamadan.

It became even more grim. Even if retaken, Qazvin would be a shadow of its former self for years to come.

At the same time, word from the north indicated the Mongols were pushing. The Seljuks can only hope the Khwarezm military can put up a proper fight because an invasion from the north would be disaster.

Nur ad-Din, though, was able to bring the remnants of his army into Hamadan, along with the Turkmen reinforcements. It was just in time, too -- the largest Abbasid army to date moved and besieged the city. Surely this battle would be the most important yet...

And the world in 1225. Maybe the Romans will trouble the Abbasids before the Georgians.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Chapter Six: The Battle for Hamadan

The stakes had never been higher for this battle. Malik-Shah, Nur ad-Din, and young Malik Shah Duqaq needed a victory that would preserve their troops.

The troops quickly moved to take up formations outside of the walls, but due to M2TW pathfinding stupidity it took ages.

The Abbasids charged into the holes left in the line due to the Seljuk troops inspecting cracks in the wall whilst apparently also running to join the rest of the army.

Malik-Shah and friends joined the melee to prevent a catastrophe.

The charge worked, and the Abbasids pulled back to reform the line while the Seljuk line finally properly formed--though this time with about half of its original strength.

The Sejluks cautiously moved forward. If the attack of infantry and cavalry was not coordinated, the battle might be lost. The Abbasid general did Malik Shah the favor of charging him, and he was quickly killed in melee.

Battle was rejoined in earnest.

Malik-Shah timed the charge perfectly, and caught a large amount of Abbasid troops between hooves and spears.

Soon, the Abbasid heavy infantry began to falter.

Once one unit of heavy infantry routed, the rest followed. Malik Shah and the other generals rounded up the rest, but despite a clear victory, the losses were far too many.

To make matters worse, the fall of Qazvin meant the back of the empire was open to attack. Rayy, home of the faction heir, was first to be besieged.

So the Seljuks are reeling. Rayy will likely fall in a year. Ardabil may hold for years owing to its high walls and garrison. Hamadan is soon to be an island among Abbasid territory. It won't be long, essentially, before the Seljuks are trapped between the Elburz Mountains and the Caspian Sea...

But there are two last options for escape. An imam from Shiraz has called for a jihad on Aden in Yemen. It is a long way away, and success is not guaranteed. But perhaps the fervor of a jihad could lead to a territory, any territory in the Arabian peninsula -- and perhaps Soccotra or the horn of Africa.

The other option is perhaps more likely. On the Caspian's north shore lies Astrakhan. With the Mongols laying waste to Khorasan, perhaps a quick expedition would go unpunished. But the Seljuks share a long border with the Khwarezmshah, and an attack from there would end the strategic advantage of the Elburz.

The Seljuk leadership will consider these ideas carefully before taking any action. Perhaps both will happen, perhaps neither...

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Chapter 7: Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

The next few years would prove to be the strangest of the Seljuk's time. As the Abbasids refused to peace terms, the Seljuks were forced to fight on despite the increasing pointlessness of it all.

The battle for Rayy was one such example. The faction heir fought bravely, earning the respect of his
enemies.

----------------------------------

But it was obviously not enough, and Rayy fell to the invader. Abbasid armies were seen near Ardabil and Hamadan.

The Seljuk lands were small indeed. It looked time to try both desperate plans of foreign conquest.

Ardabil was abandoned to the nearby Abbasid army. It could not have held anyway. Ibrahim took his army onto the fledgling Seljuk navy and sailed north.

Meanwhile, Hamadan was surrounded by numerous small armies. Malik-Shah, his son Nur ad-Din, and Malik-Shah Duqaq fought their way out in the path of least resistance. Sadly, in one small skirmish Malik-Shah Duqaq fell to an arrow. Hamadan was likewise abandoned and Malik-Shah and his son joined the jihad on Aden.

Soon, Astrakhan was besieged. The defenders were so few - surely Khwarezm was busy with the Mongols.

As the siege occured on the north Caspian coast, Malik-Shah and Nur ad-Din moved through the Abbasid's Persian Gulf territories. It was lucky that even the Khalifa daren't attack an army with such religious fervor.

As the pious army made its way south, the siege of Astrakhan was won. The Seljuk's survival was guaranteed for a while longer, despite the loss of Hamadan and Ardabil.

Finally, the world in 1230. The Mongols are making quick work of Khwarezm, helped by Ghurid invasions. The rest of the map is to be expected. Hopefully I can color Yemen blue before long.

---------------------------------

Hope the AAR is entertaining so far. Obviously I'm not really trying for a story, but with my faction pretty splintered and the 'revival' seeming less and less imminent, I may have the AAR become more story-driven...or at least spend more time on characters.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Chapter Eight: I Don't Even...

Malik-Shah continues his very exorable march in the general direction of Aden, bankrupting our coffers with every step.

Meanwhile, the Abbasids can't take a hint and decide Amol needs to be the newest addition to the Caliphate.

Then, to further highlight the luck of the Seljuks, the Ghurids take Aden. Probably okay though, as taking a city right next to an Abbasid stack would have negated the whole travel to Arabia to hide from the Abbasids plan.

Damghan's line of sight shows a large enemy stack, so the faction leader hightails it to Sari and Damghan is abandoned to the enemy. Hard to defend with only a faction leader as the garrison.

Despite the jihad being over, Malik-Shah still has a mission so Zafar is besieged.

The trebuchet took care of some pesky archers both for strategic reasons and because seeing the enemy fly off the walls is among the best parts of Medieval II.

There was some mildly difficult street fighting, but the rebels couldn't do much.

The battle ended with a large groups of spearmen routing right next to the city center. Lucky break!

With this city taken, we can concentrate on invading the Horn of Africa and Socotra. Hopefully that'll give me a decent base from which to expand again.

Meanwhile, what are probably the only two surviving Khwarezm units sieged Gorgan.

I was actually quite looking forward to this battle. Said ad-Din was ugly and forgotten.

This was the entirety of the battle.

Nice change, right?

Meanwhile, Amol was hemorrhaging money so we had no choice but to sally forth.

This time the pathfinding was decent, so the battle began okay enough. It would be a hard one, though.

I forgot how pretty the forested regions look in Medieval II. It was nice to play a battle in these conditions.

The enemy general tried to pull some flanking but the Seljuk general put him in his place.

Still, the battle was not going too well, as evidenced here.

Thankfully, the Seljuk bodyguard is amazing and somehow we pushed back.

It was a rough battle, but a victory nonetheless.

Of course, the victory meant the garrison was next-to-nothing, so Amol was abandoned like the rest. We're down to Sari, Astrakhan, Gorgan, and now Zafar.

In editor's notes, I'll probably stick to this sort of exposition. Perhaps less sarcasm and more story, but unlikely. I'm having fun writing a campaign as ridiculous as this one down, though.

[tavix]

Nice , the Abbasids gives you a really hard time .

[Irishguy]

I really really really like this AAR

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Chapter Nine: A New Homeland!

It seems more and more likely that the Horn of Africa will be the new Seljuk homeland. Malik-Shah is sent to Socotra so there's at least one settlement the Abbasids (probably) won't attack.

Unfortunately, this means that Nur ad-Din is left alone in Zafar. There's a unit being recruited (all that can be afforded...) but it seems likely the city will riot.

While we're worrying about that, however, the trebuchet means that Malik-Shah can attack! Let's do this! What up Suqutra!

The trebuchet enabled a fairly easy victory. The spearmen were killed on the walls, and the lumped rebels were easy targets for its stones. The rest were caught trying to sally forth.

Honestly, at this point, the more dead troops the better. I need to get my economy back on track so I can invade...somewhere.

It was decided that Zafar was a valuable territory, so it was made the new capital as to not revolt. Now Suqutra and Zafar are happy, and somehow Astrakhan, Sari, and Gorgan are still content.

Speaking of Sari...

Having four generals means battles are pretty fun if it's just light infantry that you're against.

Still worried at the result, though. I can't afford to have Sari's garrison get too low.

Back at the capital (lolz), the Abbasids have found new ways to annoy me. I half-expect a stack to show up at any time. The stack near Aden seems to have gone the opposite way (thankfully), but it's still annoying that the AI already tracked me down. IS THERE NO PEACE

Here's a map of the world in 1235. As you can see, the Ghurids wasted no time in attacking more of Yemen. I'm hoping, since word came the Mongols attacked them, that these settlements will rebel and I can have a viable economic region to myself. But part of me thinks these are pipe dreams.... Then again, the Ghaznavids are also at war with them - so there's hope yet!

Speaking of the Mongols...there goes Khwarezm. Since they're already at war with the Ghurids, I think that Gorgan is safe from the north.

From the south, though...Sari's the last line of defense.

Like before, it's mainly an all-infantry army - but there are a few Ghulam archers.

They managed to catch my new favorite general off guard and killed him. He was so crazy it was awesome.

The other three generals had their revenge, though.

The very next year, though, we're back at it. I can't survive here for much longer.

I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING. AM I WINNING? HELLO?

Oh. Oh no.

Basically, I didn't lose the battle, but I definitely didn't win it. It says I have 4 men left, but all my generals died (faction leader! no!) and all that were left were 4 routing Kabuli axemen. But the enemy army routed too...?

Anyway with my Shi'a faction leader dead, hopefully the Abbasids won't be so annoyed with me.

And that draw at Sari left us in the odd position of having two destroyed armies. I wasn't about to let Gorgan auto-govern, nor was I going to spend money on 150 light troops that would die in the next turn when the inevitable Abbasid army shows up. So the buildings were destroyed and Sari was left to the enemy. RIP my former capital, after Hamadan and Damghan.

Still, it's an interesting time to be a Seljuk. Taking the Horn of Africa is next on the agenda, and after I get some money I'll see if I can't take Yemen from the Ghurids. Inshallah we will be victorious! And thanks for the encouragement!

[wudang_clown]

Very cool reading, keep it up, I'm really curious if you manage to settle somewhere and reconquer your dominion.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Chapter 10: Building

This is a mini update; it's only a few house keeping pictures. First off, the Mongols are wandering around Gorgan and I'm nervous - it's a settlement I'd love to keep as it could be the spring board for future reconquest. But it's been five years...

....and the seem more interested in ATTACKING THE ABBASIDS! EAT IT CALIPH! Once/if the Mongols collapse (as they often would in earlier BC iterations, I might be in a position to pick up the pieces. Ever the optimist, I.

As my optimism increases, other factions drop like flies.

-------------------

And of course Suqutra would get a plague; the last thing I need is for my last elite troops to get reduced to irrelevancy. On the plus side, I'm gaining around 3000 each turn and once I build up my economy some more I can invade the Horn of Africa.

Finally, a map of 1245. The Ayyubids are resurgent, which doesn't bode well for my Yemen plans. The Mongols are on the cusp of taking three or four other Abbasid settlements - sorry, MY FORMER settlements - and the Ghurids made peace with them to fight the Ghaznavids. The pink Rajputs are likewise attacking the Ghaznavids, so I doubt they'll outlast the century.

I'll update again once I can make my move on the Horn!

[Irishguy]

nice progress

I see already one settlement of the uhm... red guys in yemen (I'm playing this mod since last sunday), has rebelled! I hope the other one will fall soon

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Chapter Eleven: Waiting

A lot of time has been spent waiting for the economy to get to a point where I can support a full stack. Soon! But in the meantime, apparently I'm not the only faction to go and wander.

The world is crazy in 1250

The Ghurids decide that they want to help me and I'm totally okay with that. But it means betraying them will be rough later...but then again, my power is apparently 'Supreme'?? Medieval II must calculate by distance between furthest settlements.

Nur ad-Din got sick of waiting, though, and invaded.

Bring it, Calula!

Trebuchet are seriously the best part of this game.

The trebuchet scared the enemy enough to sally forth....

...and they didn't live to regret it.

And thus the empire expands! Things are looking up.

What up 1255

1260 is even crazier!

Then the Ghaznavids died.

1265.

Basically, I'm massing troops to invade the remaining Mongol territories. The Ayyubids are also on the hit list. A lot of my new settlements are actually growing pretty quickly so I should be able to field a decent army soon. Inshallah!

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

I just found this and enjoyed reading it in one go! Lovely window into your gaming style and I am looking forward to see how this campaign develops.