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Thread: [SS AAR] "Betrayed", Order of the Knights Templar

  1. #1

    Default [SS AAR] "Betrayed", Order of the Knights Templar

    Betrayed

    An 'Order of the Knights Templar' AAR



    Hi everyone!

    I am going to attempt to write an AAR about a new Templar campaign I will be starting tomorrow, I hope you will all find it to be an interesting read.

    Background

    The background to this AAR is rather linear and only requires a pinch of imagination.

    The concept of this AAR is that the Order of the Knights Templar have, historically, established themselves on the coastline of the Middle-east by order of the Pope in an effort to safely escort pilgrims to the holy land.

    As their duration in the holy land lapses, more is expected of them from the papacy, such as the capture and conversion of local settlements of religious significance; Jerusalem, Antioch, Acre etc.

    In order to fulfill these orders, the Templars will require support from the Catholic Kingdoms in the West; but when empty promises arrive time and time again from the Papal States, and no one answers multiple calls to Crusades due to preoccupation with territorial expansion in the home regions, it dawns upon the Order of the Knights Templar that they have been abandoned; stranded on the shores of Outremer surrounded by the enemy with no promised reinforcements in sight.

    Realising this, the Grandmaster of the Knights Templar decrees that whilst the capture of the Holy Land is still top priority, all other so-called 'Catholic' nations, including the Papacy itself are heathens; not quite as dedicated to the cause of God as the Order, and so like the Muslims they're faced with each day, the so-called 'Catholics' must too face the sword.

    This AAR will, after the initial securement of the Holy Land commence in the genocide of the West.

    Modifications Used

    Medieval 2: Total War - Kingdoms: Stainless Steel 6.1 (inc. 6.1 patch version of BYG II)
    Total Combat, by Chimaeira
    Real Recruitment, by Point Blank
    Knights Templar Mod, by Lord Calidor
    Templar Unit Info Cards, by y2day

    Campaign Rules



    Campaign: Early Era Campaign
    Faction: Order of the Knights Templar
    Campaign Rules: Long - Hold 70 regions, including: Judea
    Advice Level: Off
    Difficulty - Campaign: Medium
    Difficulty - Battles: Medium
    Manage All Cities: On
    Show CPU Moves: On
    Battle Time Limit: Off

    Player Rules

    1.) May not engage with, or entertain Muslim, Orthodox, Pagan, or Excommunicated Catholic diplomatic
    representatives at all.

    2.) Must always exercise 'dread' triggers when dealing with Muslim, Orthodox, Pagan, or Excommunicated Catholic factions, for example:

    • Continue Battles
    • Execute Prisoners
    • Exterminate Settlements

    3.) Must always exercise 'chivalry' triggers when dealing with Catholic aggressor factions prior to the decree of genocide, for example:

    • End Battles
    • Release Prisoners
    • Unable to Besiege Settlements.

    4.) Must apply rules 1 & 2 once the Order has decreed that the genocide of the West is necessary; diplomatic relations with Catholic factions will be permitted prior to this point in the campaign.

    5.) Jerusalem must be the faction capital so long as it remains under the Order's control.

    6.) The unrestricted use of spies & assassins is permitted; except upon Catholic factions prior to the decree of genocide.

    Hope you enjoy it!

    - Heskey
    Last edited by Heskey; September 30, 2009 at 09:57 PM.

  2. #2

    Default Re: [SS AAR] "Betrayed", Order of the Knights Templar

    Sounds good. Looking forward to update number one!
    Alea Iacta Est (The Die is Cast) - Gaius Julius Caesar
    An army of sheep led by a lion is better than an army of lions led by a sheep - Alexander the Great
    We will either find a way, or make one - Hannibal Barca

  3. #3

    Default Re: [SS AAR] "Betrayed", Order of the Knights Templar

    Betrayed - Chapter 1

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    As the campaign starts up, I am greeted with the following:



    Firstly, I use Henry the Diplomat to request an Alliance and Trade Rights with The Papal States which they 'Just Accept':



    With the increased favour that has gained me, I use it to my advantage and request a Crusade on Antioch, a large muslim rebel city not very far north of Fort Tortosa (which now has a watchtower on the coast and the Northern frontier). The request is granted:



    (This was done to both prevent the Pope from calling a crusade somewhere too far away, and also to gain some free traits for my generals)

    I instruct Athalwolf the Spy to infiltrate the city of Antioch, and Andreas the Cardinal to become a missionary within the surrounding region, in preparation for the take-over.

    Units from the region surrounding, and from Fort Tortosa itself are rallied together under one banner, held jointly by Grandmaster Hugues de Paynes and Councillor Gottfried, and lead to siege the walls of Antioch, demanding that the rebels relinquish their grasp of the city by choice before it is taken from them by force.

    Some passing religious fanatics living off the land join the holy cause:



    Meanwhile, a group of peasants are tasked to bear arms and protect Fort Tortosa whilst the Order is on a Crusade...

    Over the next few turns, not much happens as the Crusaders continue to besiege Antioch; their supplies dwindling by the day and their bodies becoming weak through malnutrition.

    Henry continued to roam around Italy, obtaining Trade Rights from Sicily, Venice, The Holy Roman Empire, and Genoa before making his way over the alps in the direction of France.

    The council suggested the capture of Adana, a small town to the North West of Antioch; this sits well with the Templars as Adana is their next target:



    The Privy Seal is granted to Gottfried from Hugues, and Gottfried is wed (perhaps this was a mistake, in that such holy men shouldn't be wed, and all my generals should come only from 'adoption', what do you think?):



    After a number of turns, Antioch must be running out of supplies; their troop numbers have decreased vastly, whilst the Crusaders have recieved reinforcements from Fort Tortosa:



    Soon, it all becomes too much, and the rebels sally forth to meet the Crusaders outside the city gates...



    What happens next? Stay tuned for Chapter 2!

    - Heskey


  4. #4

    Default

    Betrayed - Chapter 2

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    The Crusaders brace themselves on the fields before Antioch, as an army of heathens decends upon them from the gates. A bloody battle ensues on the field, fought with determination by the robed fanatics and local peasantry used to shield the sturdier troops.



    Soon enough the course of battle took to chasing the heathens back into the city, and slaughtering them in the streets as they fled to the city centre; the Order claims its first major victory in the Holy Land, and makes the First Crusade a success...



    By exterminating the heathen populace of Antioch, and razing most of the city to the ground, Grandmaster Hugues discovers a holy relic...



    Once the remaining population of Antioch learn to obey their new governers, Grandmaster Hugues and Councillor Gottfried split the remaining troops, and whilst Gottfried heads North-West to complete the Papacy's objective to capture Adana, Hugues takes his men East to capture Aleppo. Capturing these two forts will provide Antioch with a sound defensive triangle.



    Good news arrives as the Sultan of the Seljuk, to the North has died:



    Some days of siege pass, and although weary, Hugues men are first to fight as the gates of Aleppo are smashed open by the defenders who have come to meet the Crusaders out on the open field, no longer able to survive without supplies:



    Hugues commands his men well, and it's not long before a clear path is cut to the centre of the Fort, and the battle is won:



    Once settled in Aleppo, news arrives that Gottfried is preparing for battle, as the same situation presents itself in the North-West settlement of Adana:



    Gottfried takes out the enemy with ease, sending the rebelious standard bearer galloping from the field for his life... Never a moment of doubt, the battle was won, the settlement taken, and the rewards from the Pope, reaped:



    Grim news arrives! The heathens have captured Jerusalem! It will have to wait though; the Order is by no means strong enough yet to take on the Egyptions....



    For his efforts, Hugues is presented with the Seal of the Order, and granted total power over the Order:



    Not long after the ceremony has finished, Hugues has his eyes set further East, on the rebel town of Edessa... Supplies are running low, the coffers are drying up; the Order needs trade...



    To ensure the safe preservation of the Order's borders, small wooden forts are constructed at chokepoints throughout the region and garrisoned with peasants; their purpose isn't to withstand an enemy army, but to slow one down and give the Order a chance to react appropriately:



    More good news arrives as the Moorish Sultan dies:



    It would not be wise to call a crusade on Jerusalem, as the Order then runs the risk of losing it to another faction; however, calling one upon Cairo, the Egyption capital will ensure the Egyption armies are other-wise engaged when the time comes to re-take Jerusalem - If anything, their armies will become significantly weakened... The Pope grants the Crusade, though the Order has no intention of joining it this time:



    God's work can be done in other ways....



    Resupplied and ready for battle, Gottfried takes a ship south and besieges the fortress of Acre to form a staging point for the reclaimation of Jerusalem... Meanwhile to the North-East, Hugues marches on Edessa:



    With some supplies making their way to the armies, and trade picking up, if only slightly, thanks to further trade agreements in the West, things appear to be looking good for the Crusaders; but how will the crucial battle for Acre turn out? What will the Crusaders do next?

    Stay turned for Chapter 3 to find out!

    - Heskey
    Last edited by Heskey; October 01, 2009 at 08:28 AM.

  5. #5

    Default Re: [SS AAR] "Betrayed", Order of the Knights Templar

    Doin good keep up the work.
    Last edited by pericles_plato; October 01, 2009 at 11:59 PM.
    Got nothing...

  6. #6

    Default Re: [SS AAR] "Betrayed", Order of the Knights Templar

    Campaign currently grounded whilst completing [TATW AAR] The Dwarves.

  7. #7
    TemplarLord's Avatar Ordinarius
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    Default Re: [SS AAR] "Betrayed", Order of the Knights Templar

    I like it, since it resembles my current campaign a lot. Keep the dream true Heskey, pursue it

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