Hi I am new...

**Kaiser71** · August 25, 2008, 09:09 AM

So yea I'm new here. Been a lurker for a while now, now decided to join.
I've playing SS 6.1 for a couple of days now as the Kingdom of England and I'm enjoying it very much. But before I could get a decent army together, Scotland captured York, Caernorvan, and then shipped an army to France and captured Antwerp and some other settlements. Is this normal that they have me completely sorrounded by the first couple of turns?

**delra** · August 25, 2008, 09:15 AM

You were too passive. Start over and try getting York right away. This city is famous because you can take it using just your king (and get gold chevrons for his cavalry in the process).

What difficulty is that by the way?

**ginger_hammer** · August 25, 2008, 09:27 AM

You will find similar results at the start of the campaign but how it develops is up to you. It doesn't matter if the AI eats up the rebels at the start, they will start the building process so when you take those settlements you will be saving money!

**Mega Tortas de Bodemloze** · August 25, 2008, 09:28 AM

Welcome Kaiser71... I think you will find many wonderful new features here at Stainless Steel.

As delra said you'd be best served starting over and throwing everthing against York in the first couple of turns. Then once you're settled in join the scramble for the rest of the local rebel settlements.

**Kaiser71** · August 25, 2008, 09:40 AM

Its on H/H

**Gorrrrrn** · August 25, 2008, 11:18 AM

I think you might have been a little unlucky.

The Scots often attack York on turn 1 or 2 (stick your spy up there) and fail to take it. So gather an english army on turns 1 and 2 and wait for the scots and see if they take York, if not they'll have weakened the garrison so it should be easier for you to take it.

If they do take it straight off, grab Caernarvon instead.

Then use Caen garrison (with new recruits to grab Rennes) and start building stables and stuff. Bruges and Antwerp have fairly decent rebel garrisons, so again watch for other factions attacking them and failing and have an army ready to pounce.

(Or if you feel devious, make an alliance with Scotland or France, make an army big enough to put off the AI gaarison from attacking you, besiege Bruges (first) and wait for one of the others to join in. As soon as they do, start the asault, get ladders in place and watch them do the fighting for you.)

**delra** · August 25, 2008, 11:31 AM

Northern France is too much mess for a new player. He's better off selling Caen to HRE for an alliance and some cash. Can you imagine how glad the French king will be hearing that HRE has a castle so close to his capital? :-)))

With this cash he will earn on Caen (he will also save plenty of it cause he won't have to garrison it nor upgrade it), he can claim the isles and then go on a trip to Norway and Denmark. It's much more fun fighting Vikings than French early on (you fight against axemen instead of spear militia and also they can't retaliate onto your territory). Plus he can return to France once he reaches Retinue Bowmen level in Notthingham.

Caen should be French by then and built up considerably (more saved cash) and will make a good landing zone.

Now after I wrote it, I think I might play that myself. :-)

I think I haven't played England outside custom battle since 5.0 or so.