interesting way to start with Russia

[mbchudno]

Just started new Russian campaign (note to myself... have to stop restarting...) and decided to do something different. Instead of expanding south/east like i usialy do to take modern Russia territories, i have taken Riga, Vilnus, Smolensk, then loaded all the units i could muster on couple ships (2 stacks) and took out Danes (Arhus, Humburg and Settin) very quickly. Before doing that, i managed to get alliance with Poland, France.

Poland rushed in as they love to do and went after Kiev/Ryazan completely covering my south flank from Mongols and Turmids while getting crappy huge territories that are more nuisance then good.

HRE atacked me around turn 40 on Humburg , lost all of their allies because of that and got their ass kicked, i took their capital, sacked and sold everything there, then traded it to Polland for Thorn (the only Polish port in baltic) to cut HRE off my empire and give Poland something to spend money on. England was HRE allies, with everyone against them (i am allied with Scotts, France, Poland, Papal...list goes on and on), i attacked them and took most of the English islands, but not before getting alliance with Papal States.

To make long story short, i have managed to keep alliance with 90% of catholic countries, gained control of most of the Baltic ports, destroyed Danes, England, neutered Scots (they have 1 of the Dutch cities surrounded by allies, one castle they had on English island i bought from them because they moved their capital to Antwerp) all while being an orthodox faction and still have reliable diplomacy rating. All by turn 70. Love it ))))) weeee... total brag... but could not help it

[Drag529]

sounds to me u got everthing undercontrol

[mbchudno]

major pain to keep catholics happy, they are such a groupies. whoop one's ass and everyone starts looking at you funny....

[TestudoAubreii]

I recently started a campaign with England (I know they are easy) and instead of do the normal expansion, I immediatley loaded up some troops and took some troops on a journey to a new land...ah man I can't think of the settlement but is the one on the south west coast of Africa...and decided to settle there. I built up the isle a bit, but mainly focused on my economy. After a while, I spread the word of the lord across the south of Africa and moved some priests and an assassin to Timbuktu. Most of the army moved out, so I took out the family member at Timbuktu. I waited for the settlement to rebel, and rebel they did. This is where I stand now and when I get home from work, we'll see what happens.

morrisonicus

[Captain Spanky]

I once moved The Turks to the Iberian Peninsula, then gave The Moors all of my lands back home. Turks got the whupping on Catholicism and The Moors were absorbed by the Byzantines.

[mbchudno]

mmm.... Russia on Iberia... you gave me brilliant idea. I don't think Moors will mind to move over. I might even give them Novgorod for a sake of peace once i take things over, see how they going to like russian winter

[mbchudno]

tried to move Russia to Iberia on a weekend, definitely doable, even possible to keep on good terms with rest of catholics (don't marry princess, send her into Europe making alliances with everyone while your forces being shipped over). You can manage to have alliances with most of them by the time you land in Iberia and position to take out Portugal. Quite a large loss of turns though (had all Iberia in 40-50 turns). I found that move into Danes and England is by far the better choice. Plus i like location better and you don't need to give up Novgorod. Nearly useless city if you move to Iberia, too far from you. It was kind of fun to stick Papal States in Smolensk and Moors in Novgorod. They still fighting.

[Drag529]

lol, I start with Scots and wipe England out then I work on my economic with an alliance with France held together by a marriage to my faction heir than I move down to Africa and start wiping them out (no mercy of coarse) and the beuty of it, before I attack a settlement I call a crusade so I will gain favour with the pope and at the same time gaining a settlement.