Eastern Europe Guide

[Viking Prince]

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Viking Prince’s

Short Campaign Faction Strategy Guide to Medieval II Total War

Part IV Eastern European

Version 2.0
Date 3.24.2009
By Viking Prince


Unit Cards from the game and unpacked by Honga(http://totalwar.honga.net)
Banners created by: (insert your name here)

Special thanks to Unspoken Knight and the entire team that has created and updated the Retrofit Mod (Custom Campaign/Retrofit mod).

Special thanks for inspiration by Rebel6666 and his incredible threads such as The Great M2TW Information Thread

Contribute to the next version and your name can be here!

I will update each faction as time and opportunity presents itself. This is a work in progress! Do not let this stop you from comments and discussion.

If you want to discuss this region’s factions in a short campaign add your own post to the thread!

I have also opened a moderated social group -- M2TW Short Campaign for those interested in some general chat outside of the threaded posts.
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Introduction

The Eastern European is a mix of clashes between religions. The Russian Duchy is Orthodox Christian, but must battle the expansionary forces of the Pope represented by the kingdoms of Poland and Hungary. The battles will take place on the vast stretches plain and forest of the Eastern European steppes. This is not the world of chivalrous French knights charging with a lance or with English Longbows with powerful volleys of arrows into a cluster of armored knights. These factions rely upon archer and javelin based skirmish cavalry. There are clearly traces to the Viking battle traditions with the reliance upon the axe as opposed to the spear for many units. Play all three factions and develop the skills needed to master the uses of these units.

Index to Eastern Europe Factions

4.1 Russia
4.2 Poland
4.3 Hungary

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[Viking Prince]

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Viking Prince’s

Short Campaign Faction Strategy Guide to Medieval II Total War

Russia

Version 2.0
Date 3.24.2009
By Viking Prince


Unit Cards from the game and unpacked by Honga(http://totalwar.honga.net)
Banners created by: (insert your name here)

Contribute to the next version and your name can be here!
___________________________________________________________________________


Introduction

Russia is on the eastern edge of map. This is a region outside of the jurisdiction of the Pope and the Catholic Church, but expansionary Poland and Hungary are the immediate direct threats to the Grand Duke and the Russian Orthodoxy.

Featured Early Units


Kazaks are a castle trained unit that are more mobile that the basic archer militia and cost about the same to maintain in the field. Kazaks are an invaluable resource to run down routing units in a field battle as well as the basic unit to suppress rebel units in the vast expanses of a Russian empire.


Boyar Sons are the best missile cavalry that the Russians can recruit from the castle in the early portions of a campaign. These javelin throwing nobles are valuable for both skirmish actions as well as a flank charging unit for melee action in the open field of battle.

Joe Friday’s Just the Facts Ma’am

Russia is a single region faction on the far eastern edge of the Baltic Sea. Seaborne trade is possible, but at the moment there are no other ports on the Baltic Sea with which to conduct such trade

A brief bio of the settlements (I am not giving enemy unit information or rebel settlement populations. There needs to be some exploration):

Novgorod – Russia, minor city, pop. 4000

Budapest – Hungary, large town
Bran – Hungary, castle

Krakow – Poland, large town
Halych – Poland, wooden castle

Helsinki – rebel, Motte and Bailey
Stockholm – rebel, village
Riga – rebel, village
Smolensk – rebel, castle
Moscow – rebel, town
Ryazan – rebel, Motte and Bailey
Volga-Bulgar – rebel, Motte and Bailey
Vilnius – rebel, Motte and Bailey
Thorn - rebel, wooden castle
Kiev – rebel, large town
Caffe – rebel, village
Iasi – rebel, Motte and Bailey

A brief roster of starting units for Russia:

Novgorod – Prince Vladimir with 2 spear militia, 2 archer militia
Novgorod region – Grand Duke Ysevolod with 2 archer militia, w woodmen, Kazak cavalry
Novgorod region – Mikhail, family with 3 spear militia, 2 archer militia, Kazak cavalry
No naval units

You also have a bishop, a princess and a spy in the Novgorod region and 2 children not yet of age.

What will it take to win the Short Campaign

The short campaign victory conditions are to hold 15 regions and eliminate Hungary and Poland as factions within the game. You will find that Poland holds a similar perspective on the situation and that Hungary’s interests will be perked with Russian Orthodox intervention into Catholic Poland. This is a great opportunity to learn the subtle use of skirmishing horse cavalry in the open field against similar foes.

A Brief Look at the Initial Situation

You possess no navy. The main potential for sea borne trade is on the Baltic Sea which does not possess any ports for trade at the beginning of the campaign. Another option is Kiev and related ports on the Black Sea as well as merchants controlling the slave trade in both Kiev and Caffe. The Black sea is another sea lacking ports other than the great capital of the Byzantine Empire at Constantinople at the beginning of the campaign. Fourteen rebel regions, mostly sparsely populated with a huge expanse of space, separate Russia from Denmark, Poland, Hungary, the Byzantine Empire and the Turks. No other faction has such a great number of rebel regions or such great distances before contact with other factions.

Examine your initial cash and projected cash flow and you will discover that you have a good cash balance and positive cash flow from period to period. Unfortunately this is off of an extremely small economic and military base. The ability to field an effective army will require a larger economy or the wealth of the treasury will soon evaporate. An expansion of the economy will require the use of the military into rebel regions.

Diplomacy Without Neighbors

This is a short campaign and there is no reason to be at war with any factions other than Poland and Hungary before their elimination victory condition is met, not that there are any really good prospects for such a conflict in the immediate future. A good diplomatic plan is based upon a choice of actions at the start of the campaign. With two children not yet of age and a middle aged Grand Duke, the princess need not marry for the faction to place another general in command of an army, so her primary purpose should be diplomatic missions for trade and alliances. Potential alliances would be with the enemies of your enemies. This would mean the Holy Roman Empire, Venice, and the Byzantine Empire. There is also the prospect to divide and conquer with a relationship with either Poland or Hungary against the other faction. My preference is trade with Hungary, alliances with the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. The Princess should begin a long and lonely hike to Bran. If you still desire another general in the beginning or just more diplomatic activity, Russia will need to first build a town hall to train the diplomat.

How to Approach Such an Isolated Faction Surrounded by Low Population and Expanses of Space

A quick look at the disposition and command strength of your generals is important.

The Grand Duke Ysevolod(6 command stars, 2 dread skulls) is in the region east of Novgorod heading towards Moscow
Prince Vladimir (4 command stars) is in the capital and the minor city of Novgorod
Mikhail (family with 2 command stars) is in the region south of Novgorod and heading towards either Smolensk or Vilnius.

Several aspects are clear:

1) You have two good commanders
2) The Grand Duke Ysevolod is positioned to head east and besiege the town of Moscow where his command capabilities will be wasted.
3) Prince Vladimir, the second best commander, sits as garrison in Novgorod with a potential of joining forces to move south or to strike out towards Helsinki or Riga.
4) Mikhail, the weakest commander, is in the region south of Novgorod and heading towards either Smolensk or Vilnius but with too few units to assault either settlement.

One aspect to improve the local economy is to develop mining or to place merchants to provide trade income. The options for mining do not exist and the slave trade in Kiev and Caffe are the only resources near by for tempting merchant activity.

Some basic timeline ideas for developing a castle and barracks to recruit and train Spearmen:

Motte & Bailey (Vilnius) Mustering Hall 1 turn/600fl and then
Wooden Castle (Smolensk starts as such) 2 turns/1200fl and then
Garrison Quarters 2 turns/1200fl and then
Stone Castle 3 turns/2400fl and then
Drill Square 3 turns/2400fl

So, there are 11 turns to complete the Drill Square after the capture of Vilnius and 9 turns to complete the Drill Square after the capture of Smolensk. Either may be a good prospect to recruit castle based units, but both may not be needed for such a purpose.

There seem to be basic 4 approaches to the campaign:

1) Grow your economy faster --- this would mean grabbing all available settlements (probably Moscow, Riga, Smolensk at first and follow up with Helsinki, Vilnius, Kiev and Ryazan). Build two levels of land, civic, trade, and ports. Convert all but one or two to cities and hope that the cash flow will allow you to put out a much greater quantity of low level military units when war comes at the choosing of the Hungarians or the Poles.

2) Get better military units faster --- this would mean focusing on building to the drill square in Smolensk or Vilnius as a priority (9 or 11 turns after capture) and then using the advantage of better units to destroy the Polish in the field.

3) Strike first and quickly to take out the economy --- this would require consolidating the beginning military units and driving towards Krakow

4) Strike first and quickly to take out military capacity --- this would require a two pronged attack since Halych and Thorn will both be capable of production for the Polish forces.

A potential compromise strategy would be to take Vilnius and then drive to Thorn. Follow up Thorn by filling out the settlement count by taking Riga, etc. with some later production from Novgorod. When ready to strike choose one enemy at a time and hit the principle targets at once. This is the strategy that I usually follow and will pursue in this guide.

Stage One – I want a strong steed, for I am going to the wars. – Brothers Grimm from “Iron John”

Vilnius, Smolensk, and Thorn are the sources for cavalry to build a traditional Russian army for the Duke. My choice is Vilnius and I convert Smolensk to the town line for the revenue. Vilnius is closer to the front lines and only the stone castle troops will be needed initially. With luck and fast horses as well as mercenaries recruited on site it is possible to seize Thorn before the Polish seize the wooden castle, but luck should not be relied upon too early and for too much in a campaign’s opening moves.

The Russian regions with huge open spaces between settlements requires a series of watch towers to ensure that rebels do not create devastation in the regions held by the Grand Duke. Even knowing precise locations of rebel held settlements will require a bit of searching. The initial moves and searches can be performed with the spy and the princess that begin the campaign. At some point a general will need to backtrack and establish some watchtowers, but in the beginning money is scarce.

The initial details to get the campaign started are: Mikhail to Vilnius, the Grand Duke to Smolensk, and Prince Vladimir to Riga. Also, recruit militia units to replace the Novgorod garrison. Use the Princess to spot Smolensk and then head toward the Hungarians. Use the spy to spot Riga and then Vilnius, and then finally to determine the status of Thorn.

If Thorn is free of Polish influence, a race from Vilnius with Mikhail and the remains of the Kazak cavalry unit to Thorn may meet with success. I usually wait a turn and try to use two Kazak units and no mercenaries. Mercenaries will need to be recruited if only a weakened Kazak and Mikhail are used. The Prince can bring the spears plus one archer from Riga leaving an archer for the garrison. With the reinforcements delivered the good prince needs to proceed to Vilnius. The prince should drop watchtowers along each leg to brighten up the landscape for intelligence. These are the first of many watchtowers that are needed. The Grand Duke is in Smolensk and will also need to attend to some watchtowers as well. The Russian budget is tight so some of these towers may need to be delayed.

Stage Two – I Thought Moscow Was the Center of Russia?

Unlike the close in areas further west, I think the Russians need roads before economic and population growth builds. The port facility in Novgorod can clearly wait until you have a trade partner to maximize the use of the port. The same with the third level to the barracks since the militia spears and archers are sufficient for defense at the moment. The economy needs to grow for the Russians to put cavalry on rebel suppression missions. The militia troops are often not up to the task. This is partially due to the weak authority of the Duke. For the same reason as well as role playing purposes, I try to not move too many troops led by a captain early in the campaign.

The obvious outlets for growth will include Moscow. Of the initial settlements with town levels or greater in population at the start of the campaign there are Novgorod, Smolensk, Moscow, Kiev, and Thorn. Russia begins with Novgorod and stage one has Smolensk and possibly Thorn. Kiev will put Russia in the crosshairs of both Hungary and Poland before the economy can support a war. This leaves Moscow. Send a young and very loyal general from Smolensk as well as two Kazaks and a Boyar Sons to siege the rebel held Motte and Bailey at Ryazan. Success with the siege will allow retraining of the units before taking on Moscow. Do it the other way around and the units may not be strong enough for the final sally. The pair will support the castle produced units up keep and the general and still provide a good profit.

I would advise against any more expansion, but Helsinki is always a personal temptation. It probably never pays for itself in the short campaign, but I seem to be a role player first, so I take it.

During this period, there will be rebels popping up to your annoyance. Use these opportunities to get some experience to cavalry units. Keep a force in Smolensk (or Vilnius) and Ryazan. When you have some experienced cavalry in the east, bring a new general and some new cavalry on a sweep into Ryazan form Vilnius and return with the experienced men. This is really a fun part of the campaign even though very few units are in a single mission.

Stage Three – Beginning To Transform Kievian Rus into a Pan Slavonic Empire

The Grand Duke now controls Novgorod, Moscow, Ryazan, Smolensk, Vilnius, Helsinki, and perhaps (hopefully) Thorn. Events will drive the course of action that the Grand Duke should take. Poland is typically going to be in conflict with the Holy Roman Empire, Hungary, or Russia on or about turn 30. With luck the conflict will not be with Russia. If Russia does not control Thorn, this must be a priority. A second strike at Halych is also suggested. If Thorn is controlled, there should be a strike against Krakow from Thorn and against Halych from Vilnius.

The typical Russian army should consist of a good general, two or three Boyar Sons, a couple Kazaks, several Spearmen, several Woodsmen, and whatever militia spears that are available. Two levels of improved defensive upgrades should exist in the castle before recruiting the troops. Retrain those already present as well. This should create a stack of at least 14 units. If the units are weaker you may need more quantity.

The concept is to take the principle settlements, leave a strong garrison and complete the elimination of the Polish as a faction in the campaign. If Kiev is held by Poland is should be one of the follow up regions after the first strike. Use the priest to convert and scout out which regions are held by Poland and where the family members are located. Possible settlements may include Stettin, Magdeburg, Prague, Kiev, Iasi, as well as the original Hungarian settlements if the factions have been at war for several turns. The better your intelligence – the quicker the campaign will finish. This may also be a good time to offer to trade map information, though it seems a bit of a cheat against the computer.

Stage Four – Completing the Slavonic Empire

If Kiev was not taken in Stage Three and still remains in rebel hands, now is a good time to complete the classic Russian position. Kiev cuts off any eastward expansion for Hungary and in longer campaign will prove to be valuable as a port on the Black Sea. If Kiev is in Hungarian hands, the conquest can wait until the Bran and Budapest have fallen. Bran may very well be the finest castle in all of Eastern Europe. This region is the key to domination of the Balkans and Hungary is the Balkans as far as Russia is concerned.

Just as in the conquest of Poland, use the priest to scout out the Hungarian positions and note where the family members are located. Remember, you need to capture all settlements or eliminate all family members to eliminate the faction. Use good judgement and perform the easier of the two tasks.

Reform the two armies at Krakow and Haylch with reinforcements and retraining before beginning a new campaign against Hungary. Send on towards Budapest and the other towards Bran. Once these regions are under Russian control, the final steps to eliminate Hungary as a faction are academic.

Epilogue

There you have it. The basic Russian Short Campaign is now complete. You started with only Novgorod and by the end of stage two expanded to a core of five and hopefully six regions including Thorn. By the end of the Polish campaign you should have 8 and maybe more regions and by adding the final regions with the elimination of Hungary the settlement count should be at least 11 regions. A quick grab at a rebel held village at Caffe and some additional expansion in the Balkans (if not a part of the Hungarian conquest) will complete the count. The completed Slavonic Empire stretches from the edges of the Baltic Sea to the Byzantine Empire, and the Holy Roman Empire and the Danes in the west. The Russians are now in position to face what ever threats may come from central Asia to defend Christian Europe.

Your comments are always welcome. If I update the guide and use your ideas, you will be given the credit! Until next time ---

Regards, Viking Prince

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Viking Prince’s

Short Campaign Faction Strategy Guide to Medieval II Total War

Poland

Version 2.0
Date 3.5.2009
Written by Viking Prince
Unit Cards (Unpacked from the original game) by Honga
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Introduction

Poland is in the edge of Catholic Europe. This is the region where tensions exist. Loyalties to the Bishop of Rome conflict with the Bishop of Moscow. The Polish liege is a loyal servant of Rome, but that does not mean conflict is only with the Russian Empire. The military has more in common with the Russian tradition of light missile cavalry on the steppes than with the German and French tradition of heavy knights with lances. Poland needs to be unlocked as a faction before you can play as them.

Featured Early Units


The Polish Nobles are truly a unit of Eastern Europe. These nobles are more comfortable with a javelin in hand to be thrown than with a lance to be charged into a formation. This unit is the finest of the javelin throwing cavalry that can hit hard up close in a skirmish and also drive a hard charge into a melee.


Lithuanian Archers are no more offensively effective than their peasant comrades, but they have superior abilities to survive attack with the use of a large shield as well as laying wooden stakes to impede cavalry.

Joe Friday’s Just the Facts Ma’am

Poland is two land-locked regions providing a buffer between the Holy Roman Empire to the west and the open steppes. Hungary is adjacent and to the south also acting as a buffer between the Holy Roman Empire and the open steppes. To the east are regions more familiar with Orthodox Christianity than Catholicism.

A brief bio of the settlements (I am not giving enemy unit information or rebel settlement populations. There needs to be some exploration):

Krakow – Poland, large town, pop. 3000
Halych – Poland, wooden castle, pop. 1100

Budapest – Hungary, large town
Bran – Hungary, Castle

Novgorod – Russia, minor city

Stettin – Rebel, Motte and Bailey
Magdeburg – Rebel, Wooden Castle
Breslau – Rebel, Village
Prague – Rebel, Large Town
Thorn – rebel, wooden castle
Riga – rebel, village
Vilnius – rebel, Motte and Bailey
Smolensk – rebel, castle
Kiev – rebel, large town
Iasi – rebel, Motte and Bailey

A brief roster of starting units for Poland:

Krakow –King Wladyslaw the Chivalrous with Polish Nobles, 2 peasants, peasant archer
Halych – Prince Zbigniew with 2 peasants, peasant archer
Krakow region – Boleslaw Herman, family with 2 spear militias, 2 peasants, peasant archer
No naval units

You also have a cardinal, princess and a spy in the Krakow region
No children not yet of age.

What will it take to win the Short Campaign

The short campaign victory conditions are to hold 15 regions and eliminate Russia and Hungary as factions within the game. You will find that Russia and Hungary hold similar perspectives on the situation. This is a tricky campaign to keep from wandering from the victory conditions, but it is a great opportunity to learn the subtle use of skirmishing horse cavalry in the open field against similar foes.

A Brief Look at the Initial Situation

Poland is a landlocked kingdom. You possess no navy. The main potential ports for sea borne trade are on the Baltic sea, however there is the lure of Kiev and related ports on the Black Sea to the southeast. Your empire has the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) to the west, Hungary to the south and Russia further east beyond several rebel held regions.

Examine your initial cash and projected cash flow and you will discover that you have a good cash balance and positive cash flow from period to period. Unfortunately this is off of an extremely small economic and military base. The ability to field an effective army will require a larger economy or the wealth of the treasury will soon evaporate. A first opportunity is to develop the silver mines in the Krakow region. More expansion of the economy may require the use of the military into rebel regions.

Alliance or War

This is a short campaign and there is no reason to be at war with any factions other than Russia and Hungary before their elimination victory condition is met. A good diplomatic plan is based upon a choice of actions at the start of the campaign.

A quick look at the disposition and command strength of your generals is important.

King Wladyslaw the Chivalrous (4 command stars, 6 chivalrous helmets) is in Krakow.
Prince Zbigniew (6 command stars) is in Halych castle.
Boleslaw Herman, family (four command stars) is in the Krakow region.

Three aspects are clear:

1) The best commander is positioned to head either east or southeast from Halych, but he has no substantial military forces under his direct command.
2) The second general, Boleslaw Herman, is in position with a modest force to besiege but not assault the wooden castle at Thorn.
3) Your King is capable of improving growth and is currently governing the only large town possessed by the faction, Krakow.

Diplomacy – Playing the Empire Card

The diplomatic plan that we will approach in this guide will be to ally with the Holy Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Pope. Poland hopes that the emperor does not become excommunicated, though that is always a real possibility. The empires are the natural opponent to the threat from Hungary. Hungary will be walking the tightest of lines with expansion and these alliances may help keep such expansion in check.

The back of the envelope plan is to send the good princess to Vienna and then allow the nature of love to take events from there. The diplomats will be recruited in Krakow for the real deals of trade and alliance. Diplomats will also handle the more trivial matters for the kingdom with Russia if a short term trade agreement is desired. I usually do not pursue such activities, but it is your choice as the player.

Accept trade with a tribute when approached by the Hungarians. What you do with the others is up to you. I do not tend to accept trade agreements unless there is trade to be had with trade routes or merchants. Poland is at the edge of Catholic Europe and tends to be a bit isolated from the action. It also is consistent with my style of play.

Stage One – Closing Avenues for Hungarian Expansion

War will first come with Russia since as an Orthodox power the Pope is not inclined to intervene in the shedding of Christian blood (if it is Orthodox Christian blood being shed, of course). To prepare for the eventual sweep into Novgorod, Boleslaw Herman will redeploy from his starting position in the Krakow region to lay siege to Thorn. The 2 spear militias, 2 peasants, and the peasant archer may not be sufficient to assault the wooden castle, but the army is completely proficient to take the rebels on in an open field battle.

King Wladyslaw and the garrison in Krakow should proceed to lay siege to the small village of Breslau in preparation for the siege of Prague. Breslau is only a small village in a region without significant resources and also without the trade advantages of a port. It will become the key to a solid defense against the Danes and the emperor by conversion to a castle line to train cavalry and spearmen.

After Breslau, the King and the garrisoned forces at Breslau will be reinforced by more militia from Krakow. The combined force should lay siege to Prague. Any rewarded units from the Council of Nobles can be a bonus to the effort if not demobilized. Again develop Prague with an emphasis on the economy. Prague is a large town and can quickly be a valuable settlement with the mines as well as proximity to trade with several regions of the Holy Roman Empire. The reason to seize has more to do with the effect on removal of rebel regions adjacent to Hungary. The wealth is a very fortunate side benefit. There is no direct access due to the mountain range, but this is an adjacent region.

The final piece to the early stage encirclement of Hungary is the Motte and Bailey at Iasi. This simple region will pen the expansionist Hungarians in. Since victory in the short campaign consists of eliminating the Hungarians as a faction, all Hungarian growth will need to be captured by Polish forces eventually. If Iasi falls, then Kiev, and then …. The dominos will not stop. Clearly a smaller Kingdom of Hungary is an easier task to tackle after the Duchy of Russia is eliminated.

The Prince could wait a turn to recruit a decent pair of units for the siege or move out with what is available and recruit a unit as garrison. The choice of leaving the archer behind and using only the peasants and the general is an option cutting things too close with my skills, but go for it if you want. I prefer a compromise of waiting for one unit of Polish Nobles for this task and then moving with all but the archers which is left as a garrison, but the choice is yours. Improve the castle line and return to the castle at Halych with the cavalry. Eventually the castle will also be a port for some trade gains with the Byzantine Empire, but these plans are far in the future at this point. Just build up the castle walls and transfer some better spearmen from Halych to strengthen the defense if Hungary begins to appear preparing for war. Improvements should be limited to land, chapel, and port.

Do not be afraid to take some losses with the better units such as the Polish Nobles so that they can get the action needed to accumulate some experience points. These points will be needed later if the Polish Nobles are going to be effective against the Russian cavalry and generals.

Stage Two – Preparing the Stage for the Polish War of Novgorod

With the economic core now set for the Polish Kingdom, it is time to build up Krakow for spearmen as well as accumulate and preposition any dismounted Polish Nobles. Expect some fireworks from Hungary. Defending a few good siege assaults is part of the campaign. The dismounted Polish Nobles are not headed into Russia though. They will be used to stiffen the defenses in Krakow and Halych and any other likely point of defense. Other settlements are temporarily expendable, but place a garrison that is capable of putting up a good defensive fight. Avoid making it into a two front offensive war though. Be happy that if Hungary attacks since they will likely pay a stiff price and be excommunicated. Develop a second level archery range for the ability to recruit and train Lithuanian Archers. My choice is Breslau since Halych is my barracks choice. At least one Lithuanian Archer should be in each settlement that may be attacked. The ability to place stakes at the gate should prove useful for a defense.

To position Poland for the strike, now is the time to start picking off the rebel held settlements between Poland and Russia. Riga can be taken with a fast cavalry force, but since it is a village, I will usually not take it for positioning moves. The plan is to deny the Russians of a castle so that the Poles need not face any significant cavalry forces. Vilnius is low population Motte and Bailey that will take too long to bring up to production levels for spearmen, but will be useful for recruiting and retraining of cavalry. Smolensk is a rebel held castle and should be taken also. Both of these settlements can be starved into a sally and defeated in the open field with the use of a general and a Polish Noble or two plus an assortment of spears and swords from castles and towns.

The priests should be moving into the Russian territories to both convert and also be several additional sets of eyes and ears for the Polish King. The Polish King needs to know how far the Russians have moved east so send priests to Moscow and Kiev before you attack Novgorod. If you have made a trade deal with the Russians, you will also need to bring a diplomat along to Novgorod to inform the Russians of suspension of agreements if you like to role play the part. This notification is not essential to a win, but it is one of the fine touches that I like to place on the campaign. If the Russians deal a sneak attack against Poland, all the better of a pretext for the moral outrage needed prior to their planned destruction.

Stage Three – The Great Russian Polish War (or How Russia Went Out With a Whimper and not a Bang)

Russians will have a habit of splitting the army into a garrison and a small field army. Most of the army will be militia if the Polish plan of castle denial has been successful. The typical Polish invasion army will consist of two medium sized armies with perhaps 12 or 14 units in each force. Each army is led by a loyal general plus a Polish Noble or two and an assortment of militia and castle spears woodsmen. If you wish to use an all cavalry force to sweep the plains and force Russian surrenders by sallying out, this is fine also. The problem is what you will do with such a fine horse army when finished with the Russians. This type of force is not useful for Catholic factions against Catholic factions. More on this with the Hungarian War.

Attack the field army near Novgorod and then besiege the city. Use enough forces to win a field battle and move the rest onto another Russian held settlement. Keep the priests moving and identify all of the settlements. After Novgorod is besieged the rest is simply a mop up of a bankrupt Grand Duchy.

Stage Four – Hungary, a Possible Mirror Copy to the Polish Kingdom

Hungary will be more fun to take on. First, there is the challenge of the Papal rating. Second, there is the challenge that they may choose to attack Poland and attempt to seize Krakow while Poland’s eyes and ears are diverted towards Moscow. To prevent such problems is why the initial Polish moves were to broaden the economic base so that the fall of Krakow is not the end of the Polish economy. This is also why the dismounted Polish Nobles and Lithuanian Archers were placed on garrison duty. Halych is now a good castle to begin operations against Hungarian settlements. Since Hungary and Poland start as somewhat mirror images of each other, Hungary will not be the militia based paper tiger that you fought in Novgorod. The Polish cavalry is better. The Hungarian Axemen and Pavise Crossbow Militia hold an edge over similar Polish counterparts.

The key is to know what the Hungarians are doing and with what resources they are deploying to do it. If they have attacked Poland, this is an easy set of questions to answer and the campaign may be quick if Krakow holds. If the Hungarians have spent the time and resources to expand elsewhere, the campaign will be a bit trickier.

If Hungary has a low Papal rating and Poland has a strong one, Poland should siege the two original settlements and strike first and hardest at the strength of the kingdom. If there is real risk of excommunication, time will need to be spent on siege equipment (catapults are fine). The smaller settlements will need to be picked off first and then the Papal timeout will need to be honored. And then repeat with the next settlements until finally Hungary is left with the original two settlements for a climatic battle to settle once and for all the supremacy of Catholic domination in Eastern Europe.

Typical Polish armies in the Hungarian campaign can be similar to the Russian campaign, but differences remain when there is a need to assault versus waiting out the siege. The siege assault army will consist of spearmen and dismounted Polish Nobles for the bulk of the foot work as well as several catapaults. Some Axemen can be used to charge the gate defenses and wall breaches to break the enemy defenders as well. The archers are useless on attack and crossbows are also lacking in effectiveness. Walled settlements may be great for missile defenders, but on the attack nothing will replace axes, swords, and spears. Polish Nobles as well as the general is OK, but of limited use. So much for the value of all cavalry forces if the Pope can intervene. Militia with some defensive upgrades can be used to soften up and spread out the Hungarian defenders on the walls, but expect these men to break and run if used. Bran’s Assault may be the highlight of the settlement assaults in this campaign. Enjoy the challenge.

Epilogue

There you have it. The basic Polish Short Campaign is now complete. You started with two regions and in stage one expanded to a core of six regions, adding some rebel held castle regions from stage two, Russia’s regions, and finally the regions held by Hungary. This will probably total to about 13 to 15 regions. A quick grab at a rebel held village or two will complete the count if necessary to fulfill the 15 region victory conditions. The empire stretches from the edges of the Baltic Sea to the Byzantine Empire, and the Holy Roman Empire and the Danes in the west. The Hungarians are now in position to face what ever threats may come from central Asia to defend Christian Europe.

Your comments are always welcome. If I update the guide and use your ideas, you will be given the credit! Until next time ---

Regards, Viking Prince

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Viking Prince’s


Short Campaign Faction Strategy Guide to Medieval II Total War



Hungary

Version 2.0
Date 3.24.2009
By Viking Prince


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Introduction

Hungary is in the edge of Catholic Europe. This is the region where tensions exist. Loyalties to the Bishop of Rome conflict with the Bishop of Moscow. The Hungarian liege is a loyal servant of Rome, but that does not mean conflict is only with the Byzantine Empire. The military has more in common with the Russian tradition of light missile cavalry on the steppes than with the German and French tradition of heavy knights with lances. Hungary needs to be unlocked as a faction before you can play as them.

Featured Early Units


The Croat Axemen are a third level castle based melee unit similar to the familiar Woodsmen of the Polish and Russian orders of battle. Better units of warriors that are more effective on a charge into the armored enemy on melee, the Axemen are a valued component of a well balanced field army to break an enemy and end the battle.


The Hungarian version of the Pavise Archers is a distinctive advantage over the local enemy units of castle based crossbowmen. Perhaps not up to the standards of urban Italian militia, but quite effective in a balanced military force on the steppes of Eastern Europe.

Joe Friday’s Just the Facts Ma’am

Hungary is two land-locked regions providing a buffer between the Holy Roman Empire to the west and the open steppes. Poland is adjacent and to the north also acting as a buffer between the Holy Roman Empire and the open steppes. To the east are regions more familiar with Orthodox Christianity than Catholicism. To the south are rebellious provinces of an aging remnant of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire based in Constantinople.

A brief bio of the settlements (I am not giving enemy unit information or rebel settlement populations. There needs to be some exploration):

Budapest – Hungary, large town, pop. 3800
Bran – Hungary, castle, pop. 3500

Krakow – Poland, large town
Halych – Poland, wooden castle

Frankfurt – HRE, capital, large town
Staufen – HRE, wooden castle
Nuremburg – HRE, town
Innsbruck – HRE, wooden castle
Vienna – HRE, large town
Bologna – HRE, large town

Stettin – Rebel, Motte and Bailey
Magdeburg – Rebel, Wooden Castle
Breslau – rebel, village
Prague – Rebel, Large Town
Kiev – rebel, large town
Iasi – rebel, Motte and Bailey
Bucharest - rebel, village
Sofia – rebel, wooden castle
Zagreb – rebel, village

A brief roster of starting units for Hungary:

Budapest – King László the Honorable with Magyar Cavalry, 2 spear militia, 2 peasant archers
Bran – Prince Kálmán with 3 spear militia, Bosnian Archer
Budapest region – Captain with Magyar Cavalry, 2 spear militia, 2 peasant archers
Bran region – István, general with 3 spear militia, peasant archer
No naval units

You also have a princess and a spy in the Budapest region and a cardinal in the Bran region
No children not yet of age.

What will it take to win the Short Campaign

The short campaign victory conditions are to hold 15 regions and eliminate the Holy Roman Empire and Poland as factions within the game. You will find that the Holy Roman Empire and Poland may hold similar perspectives on the situation. This is a tricky campaign to keep from wandering from the victory conditions, but it is a great opportunity to learn the subtle use of skirmishing horse cavalry in the open field against a similar foe plus experience using a similar force against the standard European mixed force fielded by the Germans. In some ways this is my favorite faction for a short campaign. I was surprised at how complete the game felt when finished and I hope you find it just as interesting to complete.

A Brief Look at the Initial Situation

Hungary is a landlocked kingdom. You possess no navy. The main potential port for sea borne trade is Sofia and related ports on the Black Sea to the southeast. Your empire has the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) to the west, Poland to the north and Russia further east beyond several rebel held regions. There are also threats from the established naval powers. There is Venice to the southwest and the Byzantine Empire to the south. The Byzantine Empire is in control of naval movements through the straits separating the Anatolian Peninsula from Europe as well as the Black and Aegean Seas. Venice controls the Adriatic Sea. Domination of strategic naval regions for seaborne trade appears an unlikely option.

Examine your initial cash and projected cash flow and you will discover that you have a good cash balance and positive cash flow from period to period. Unfortunately this is off of an extremely small economic and military base. The ability to field an effective army will require a larger economy or the wealth of the treasury will soon evaporate. An expansion of the economy may require the use of the military into rebel regions.

Geographic Expansion Comes at a price of War

This is a short campaign and there is no reason to be at war with any factions other than the Holy Roman Empire and Poland before their elimination victory condition is met. A good diplomatic plan is based upon a choice of actions at the start of the campaign.

A quick look at the disposition and command strength of your generals is important.

King László the Honorable (3 command stars, 4 chivalrous helmets) is in the capital and large town of Budapest
A captain led field army is in Budapest region
Prince Kálmán (3 comand stars, 2 chivalrous helmets) is in the castle at Bran
István (general with 4 command stars) is in the Bran region

Three aspects are clear:

1) You have three good commanders which is unusual for such a small initial faction.
2) The Prince is positioned to head east to besiege the Motte and Bailey at Iasi.
2) The best commander (not a family member) is in position with a modest force to besiege the village of Bucharest.
3) Your King is capable of improving growth and is currently governing the only large town possessed by the faction, Budapest. But, he plus the field army in the region (the bulk of the military strength of Hungary) can also move on a variety of potential targets of conquest: Prague, Vienna, Ragusa and Sofia.

One aspect to improve the local economy is to develop mining or to place merchants to provide trade income. The options for the army that is present in Budapest:

Vienna – Holy Roman Empire, large town, silver deposits
Prague – rebel, large town, tin deposits
Krakow – Poland, large town, silver deposits
Zagreb – rebel, village, gold deposits
Sofia – rebel, wooden castle with no exploitable deposits

Prague also has the logistics problem of being adjacent but a mountain range will require transit through the Vienna region held by the Holy Roman Empire. This will mean any military movements to violate the territory of another faction. All regions are either a part of an existing faction or will bring Hungary into the threat of war with another faction. Yet other than Kiev, these are the only population centers and resources close at hand to expand the economy.

Diplomacy – Playing the Venice Card

The diplomatic plan that we will approach in this guide will be to ally with Venice. The natural opponent to both threats, from the Byzantine Empire as well as from the Holy Roman Empire, is to be allied with Venice. Yet Hungary will be walking the tightest of lines with Venice by also occupying Zagreb for the gold and lead deposits to be mined. The back of the envelope plan is to send the good princess to Venice for the real deal of trade and alliance. Diplomats will handle the more trivial matters for the kingdom.

A diplomat will be recruited for the longer duration assignment of a Papal alliance in Rome and eventually other diplomats for Krakow and Constantinople. The first diplomatic assignment will be trade with the Holy Roman Empire if that has not been accomplished by the faithful princess.

The Krakow diplomat will do the honor of informing the King of Poland of the severance of the trade agreement a turn or two prior to war. Of course the Poles may make such niceties trivial with a dark and sinister unprovoked sneak attack prior to you declaration of war. This diplomat will then follow the flow to Russia. In the interim, the diplomat can act as the eyes and ears of the Hungarian King.

Accept trade with a tribute when approached by the Poles and the Byzantines. What you do with the others is up to you. I do not tend to accept trade agreements unless there is trade to be had with trade routes or merchants. Hungary is a bit insular. It also is consistent with my style of play.

Just a side note with the Princess – there is a temptation to marry into the French faction. I would advise against this because the number of alliances will increase and this just tempts fate with the vital alliance with Venice. It is been my experience (1 very good, 2 poor outcomes) that France is usually not of any great assistance in any wars with the Holy Roman Empire and without that assistance, why make the alliance? However, an alliance with the French could result in a two front war against an excommunicated Holy Roman emperor. Could the risk be worth the potential payoff?

Stage One - Defining the Limits of Empire Before Hostilities

Prince Kálmán and the troops in the castle at Bran should besiege and occupy Bucharest. A pair of Magyar Cavalry units should be trained in Bran as the new garrison. One of the new units can join the siege at Bucharest before the troops sally forth to their fate. The army commanded by István in the Bran region should besiege Iasi, occupy and then continue on to Bucharest (leaving a militia behind as a garrison) to be joined by the forces in garrison to continue on to Sofia. Prince Kálmán will remain behind at Bucharest for garrison duty until militia can be trained at which time he should return to Bran.

Occupy and do not sack is my style of play, but use your own style of handling each settlement on a case by case basis. Care should be taken to not lose troops since there are no replacements for any but the Magyar Cavalry. This means no assaults until Sofia and then it does not matter to wait. The Prince can do garrison duty in Bran until the rebels start popping up in the regions held by Hungary.

When approaching Iasi, the Council of Nobles will probably offer florins or troops to take the settlement. Hope for cash, but if you end up with 4 Polish Nobles you will need to determine what to keep and what to demobilize. Again, florins in the bank are much more valuable than a strong military in the field for Hungary at this time.

King László the Honorable with Magyar Cavalry based in Budapest should proceed directly to Zagreb. The two militia and two peasant archers should remain on blissful garrison duty in Budapest. The captain led field army should join directly with the good King. Zagreb is important, but not so important as to take quickly. Get the diplomatic agreement first if possible. Wait out the siege and defeat the weak force that sallies out of the settlement. The entire combat army besieging Zagreb will remain on vigilant duty in the Zagreb region to keep Venice honorable and peace intact on the southern reaches of the kingdom.

By this time, there should be some Slav Levies as well as the Magyar Cavalry for suppression of the rebel units available at Bran. Recruit the units on an as needed basis and demobilize when not needed. This series of conquests will define Hungary’s frontier regions with Poland and the Byzantine Empire. The Magyar Cavalry are really peasants on horses, but this really does reveal the strength of the peasant archer. The cavalry have the mobility necessary to remain out of reach of melee attack and also able to move to the flank and rear of the enemy units. When not firing straight on into shields and armor, the bows are quite effective on the early units.

Stage Two – Building the Economy for War

I tend to take my time to develop the campaign: siege to starve out the enemy, occupy, garrison, and then move on. No mercenaries were recruited. Still the six core settlements and the key alliances with Venice and the Papal States should be in place about turn 15. The kingdom of Hungary now consists of the beginning regions of the capital of Budapest and the castle at Bran as well as the recent conquests of:

Iasi – rebel, Motte and Bailey;
Bucharest - rebel, village;
Sofia – rebel, wooden castle; and
Zagreb – rebel, village.

Sofia and Iasi should be improved to stone castle walls and then converted to large towns. Zagreb should be immediately converted to the castle line of upgrades for the best protection against an ally completely lacking in scruples. The castle will also bring about a quicker exploitation of the mineral deposits that make possession of Zagreb so strategic to the kingdom.

The focus needs to be on the economy. First, a small church and then land improvements should be built before looking to improving the walls. When Iasi and Sofia have large enough castle walls to do so – invest in port facilities and then convert them to large towns. Or, you could choose to convert before building the ports and build the ports later after barracks and markets. The increased money is essential for the kingdom. Castle units from Bran and Zagreb will be relied upon for the better units to defend Hungary’s borders in field combat if the Byzantine Empire or Venice chooses to challenge the king.

This should give Hungary a sound basis for future cash flow with three ports on the Black Sea plus the mining operations in Zagreb.

Stage Three – Grabbing the Mining Wealth of the Holy Roman Empire

The mines in Austrian Vienna and the Bohemian wealth of Prague are not just tempting target, but they also set the stage for a move against Poland. At some point your ally Venice will be at war with the Holy Roman Empire. Offer a gift of attack. Then attack Vienna to honor the pledge. This may actually be enough to ensure peace for the duration of the short campaign. If Prague is also held by the Holy Roman Empire, do not accept a ceasefire until this is also safely secured for the Kingdom of Hungary.

With luck this outbreak of hostilities will not occur before Budapest is capable of producing Pavise Crossbow militia units. I am usually not so lucky. Venice and the Holy Roman Empire seem to raise the tension levels about turn 20 just when the walls are being improved in Budapest and long before the next level of barracks are finished for training of the Pavise Archer militia. When you have them available, three or four crossbow units plus a couple of cavalry units filled out with militia spear with upgraded armor are all that is needed for this series of battles led by one of the best commanders of the kingdom. It is always nice to also have a few Axemen trained and ready for action in melees with the emperor’s cavalry.

A secondary occupation force of a couple of crossbows plus militia led by a general can also perform the duty of keeping reinforcements from arriving at Vienna before it’s fall from control of the emperor.

Care needs to be made to prevent Venice from taking the prize. If war breaks out too soon, place at least a token force in position near Vienna and hope for the best. Keeping at peace with the emperor but aggravating the situation with troops on the ground may provoke a response and maybe even get the Holy Roman Empire excommunicated before the Pope loses all patience with Vienna. An early outbreak should mean that the Pope has not yet called for a Crusade on Cairo. You diplomatic alliance with the Pope should ensure a great Papal rating. If a Crusade is possible, thank the Pope, and build a free of upkeep army to do your Christian duty.

This is supposed to be a short war to seize Vienna and possibly Prague. Prague may also be held and often is by Poland. There is a temptation to move on past the easy siege of Vienna. Be aware that you are moving with militia troops that do quite well in sieges held until the enemy is forced to sally out. There is a risk of taking too much from the emperor and then placing your militia in situations that they were never meant to fight in. An open field battle in the middle of Germany with militia spears and crossbows against the emperor’s castle troops is not a wise choice.

There is another reasonable possibility at this point, however. If Prague is rebel controlled and the opportunity is not best to seize Vienna, by passing Vienna for the prize at Prague can be a reasonable option. This option is best taken if at least some Axemen and cavalry is in the mix with the militia force. This will give some additional options versus a Poland first strategy and leaving Vienna and the Holy Roman Empire unscathed. Recognize that such a choice will mean a stronger Holy Roman Empire to be faced towards the end of the campaign.

The Typical Army of Conquest for the Remainder of the Short Campaign

The typical army should consist of a good general, two Polish Nobles, two Magyar Cavalry, four Pavise Crossbow militia, several Croat Axemen, and enough militia and castle based spears and swords needed to fill out the army. The militia units and the Croat Axemen are cheap to produce and to pay for upkeep in the field. These low level units should be up to the requirements of combat this early in the campaign. They will also be easy to replace as the campaign progresses through all of Poland and then back into the heart of the Holy Roman Empire. If some better units are available and the budget can support the units the composition can be upgraded. I would caution on a weaker force though. The idea is an overwhelming force that can smash the Polish military in the field and assault the critical settlements before the Pope can threaten consequences that the King of Hungary will personally regret.

Many people enjoy building a pure cavalry force to run the steppes as if the Hungarians can mimic the Mongol Horde that later comes from central Asia. I prefer to keep cavalry in a supporting role. The choice is yours of course. For me, my composition allows for the three armies due to the higher recruitment costs of a huge cavalry force, the up keep of a huge cavalry force, and the replacement challenges when occupying cities with cavalry. Also, a pure cavalry army is less effective against the western European mixed force armies.

Stage Four – War With Poland

This is a bit tricky to plan before knowing what the Kingdom of Poland has expanded to before war is declared. The expected would be Kiev, Breslau, Thorn, and perhaps Magdeburg as well as the original regions of Krakow and Halych. Much will depend on how active Denmark and the Holy Roman Empire have been to seize the rebel settlements in the area surrounding the Polish starting kingdom.

Try to plan on three field armies to begin the campaign. The jump off point will be Iasi, Budapest, and Prague. Budapest can be launching of a force to take on the capital of Krakow which should be the wealthiest city in the kingdom. Iasi can be the jump off point to take out Halych which should be the most developed castle. The remaining force that had occupied Prague should be strengthened. March the army to the nearest Polish settlement to begin a series of battles that will be a campaign march toward Thorn. Thorn is the second best castle in the Polish economy. By using three field armies and driving simultaneously, the Polish capacity to recruit new military units will be constrained as well as the destruction of the economy to pay for them.

If you are not strong enough to support the three field armies, you can adjust the plans to what resources you have available. You may also check and see where the florins are going since with mines in Prague, Vienna, and Zagreb as well as trade with Venice and the Byzantine Empire – you should have plenty to support the three field armies if no other buildings are constructed and no other military operations are under way.

This stage also works if Vienna was not taken in Stage two. The same three armies must still be deployed. This is why holding Prague is so important to a successful strike against Poland. The ability to take out Thorn is essential to neuter the Poles. It may even be the best castle the Poles possess for castle based recruitment.

Stage Five – Yet Another War With the Holy Roman Empire

To be honest, the final war against the Germans is a bit of a disappointment after taking out the Kingdom of Poland, but then the attack on Poland is perhaps a bit of overkill. The economy is now a dynamo and the field armies have been recruited and battle tested. The three field forces need to be rebuilt and the move to complete the conquest of Poland and the war against Russia can proceed. If the Polish military was kind enough to build siege equipment factories, you might wish to incorporate some of the equipment into the field armies. In this war all rebel settlements shall also be consolidated into the greater Kingdom of Hungary as well as the remaining pieces of the Polish Kingdom and whatever places that the Russians have expanded to as well.

The newly named Army of the East, the Iasi field army that captured Halych, will proceed on to Kiev and any remaining Polish settlements between Hungary and Russia. This army has the honor of committing the final blow against Poland. When operations are complete, it can be disbanded or dispersed to protect the eastern frontier.

The newly named Army of the South, the field force that began in Budapest and proceeded to Krakow will redeploy to Vienna. From Vienna, the Army of the South will proceed to take on Nuremburg (and Vienna if bypassed in stage two) and the rest of southern Germany (Innsbruck, Bern, etc.).

The newly named Army of the North, the field army that eventually seized Thorn, will proceed to take out the Baltic Sea provinces and then Hamburg if it is German, Frankfurt, Staufen and perhaps Metz (if German).

If this seems a bit like many of the wars Germany has fought against forces on an eastern front, it is. The best means to destroy the Germans is using an army large enough to attack on a broad front. Each prong must be self sufficient since help from the other armies can spell doom to the success of the operation. Minor stacks can be brought up to occupy and to reinforce the main two armies. This is also the reason for the build up prior to the initial attacks on Poland.

Stage Six – Bologna (if needed)

The only remaining issue is Bologna. It may or may not still be a part of the Holy Roman Empire after operations have been completed north of the Alps. One point is worth noting is that Bologna is separated from the northern regions of the HRE. If you have already read the Danish guide you will realize that this problem can be solved in the same manner. If Hungary is successful in conquering the northern settlements, how should the Hungarians plan to take out the last region of Bologna? The Hungarians can get lucky and Bologna may be taken by another faction, but for the purposes of the guide, let’s assume Hungary will need to resolve the problem on their own initiative. You will need to cross territory controlled by other factions and the Hungarians will probably not have access agreements to do so. The simple solution is a Crusade. Crusading armies are allowed passage without creating a diplomatic incident. It is fortunate that Bologna is in the Italian peninsula. The possibility of Bologna being an acceptable Crusade target may be slim, but combined with Venice, Milan, Genoa, Florence, and Naples your chances of getting close to your target without violating access agreements are pretty good. This is a good reason to proceed through the entire campaign and remain on the good side of the man in Rome dressed in white.

Another possibility is that the Holy Roman Empire was successful on a Crusade which is usually against Cairo. If Cairo remains and also holds a family member, you will have an ambitious task to form a naval fleet and sail to the last bastion of the emperor. The one time that this did occur, the Egyptians had the honor of eliminating the faction. The result was a victorious Hungary as well.

Epilogue

There you have it. The basic Hungarian Short Campaign is now complete. You started with two regions and in stage one expanded to a core of six regions, adding the Vienna and Prague regions from stage two, Poland’s 5 or 6 regions, the German and rebel held regions to the west, plus perhaps Bologna. You will have more than the necessary number of regions to fulfill the 15 region victory conditions. The empire stretches from the edges of the Adriatic to the Byzantine Empire, and the French and the Danes in the west. The Hungarians are now in position to face what ever threats may come from central Asia to defend Christian Europe.

Your comments are always welcome. If I update the guide and use your ideas, you will be given the credit! Until next time ---

Regards, Viking Prince

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