[SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (COMPLETED 7/24: EPILOGUE)

[TheBard]

I've noticed that there are not too many Portuguese AARs, so here is my attempt at one. I wrote quite a few AARs with RTW years ago, but I haven’t done any in a while. I’ve been playing Stainless Steel for a few months, and I’ve finally decided to write one here. I almost did one for the Aragon campaign that just ended, but I didn’t start taking pictures until I was already 20 turns in, and I didn’t want to start in the middle.

I actually lost in that Aragon campaign, so I’m hoping this is an interesting AAR with some tension and drama about whether or not I will actually be able to survive. The problem with Aragon was the lack of quality spears to counteract the Moorish lancers, plus Genoa’s treacherous assaults from Toulouse. I’m hoping things will be similar, if slightly less difficult, with Portugal.

I’m playing Stainless Steel 6.3 on Hard campaign, Very Hard battles, Savage AI. I’ve got Faster Turn Times, Longer Assimilation, Permanent Watchtowers, and the Next Heir Ancillary submods loaded. (As a sidenote, FTT helps a ton, but only if you have the battle time limit on; I played the Aragon campaign with unlimited battle limits, and the difference in turn times in huge in this campaign.)

My goal is for this to be a very difficult (not impossible) campaign, but I’m hoping that any successes will feel like real accomplishments because of that. I have quite a few house rules that I consistently use: no rushing at the beginning of the game, no overuse of blockades, very little use of assassins, no intentional use of spies to open enemy gates, usually let neighbors make the first aggressive move before attacking them (this could be them blockading my ports, sending troops into my territory, or obviously declaring war on me). I try to avoid tactics that the computer never uses or can’t use. Therefore, I will almost never continue battles after the entire enemy is routing. I will use night battles, and I will use flank charges. I won’t bribe cities, but I may try to bribe armies or generals or agents (I almost never do, but we’ll see). There are probably more, but I just want to give a sense of my style.


I realize that much of the background even when the game starts is not quite perfectly historical; Henriques really was the leader of Portugal in 1100 when the game starts, and his wife really was Teresa, but Portugal didn’t officially become a kingdom until 1139. But since everything after 1100 is fictional anyway, it might as well all be ahistorical.

Chapter 1: Foundations


It is the year of Christ 1100. The Moors, under Yusuf ibn Tashfin, have reconsolidated most of southern and central Iberia under Muslim rule. However, as the Muslims have united, the Christian lands in Iberia have fractured. Henrique, Count of Portugal, has chafed under the Kingdom of León, and has now declared himself King of the new Kingdom of Portugal.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Though young, King Henrique is ambitious. He seeks to first consolidate his lands and then push back against the Moorish Caliphate that dominates the entire region. The Kingdom of León is a wary ally, and while the Kingdom of Aragon to the northeast is neutral, all three Christian kingdoms must balance their rivalries with one another against the need to present a unified front to the Moorish invaders.
Henrique’s wife Teresa, illegitimate daughter of King Alfonso of León, has been at least as ambitious as he, urging him to take greater control of his capital city at Oporto. It is she who convinced Henrique to rise up and declare himself independent from León.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The King’s only son, Afonso, shows promise as both a civil and military leader. He is less ambitious than his father, so Henrique will need to stabilize the Kingdom as quickly as possible. He may not be able to count on his son to aggressively fight the Moors.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The King’s oldest daughter, Urraca, on the other hand, may be ambitious enough for the both of them. Intelligent and spirited, she has a dynamic personality. She takes after her mother and will not likely settle for a secondary role under Afonso’s future reign.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In 1100, Portugal is, quite frankly, a weak kingdom. Surrounded by enemies (and potential enemies), Henrique must expand quickly.


Rankings
Overall:
1. Byzantine Empire.....70,000
2. Seljuk Sultanate......62,500
3. Holy Roman Empire...62,500
4. Moorish Caliphate....57,500
5. Cuman Khanate......45,000
25. Portugal................8,000


Military
1. Byzantine Empire.....31,000
2. Seljuk Sultanate......24,000
3. Holy Roman Empire...18,000
4. Moorish Caliphate....16,500
5. Cuman Khanate......16,000
24. Portugal................4,000

Territories
1. Byzantine Empire.....15
2. Seljuk Sultanate......12
3. Holy Roman Empire...10
4. Moorish Caliphate......9
5. Cuman Khanate........8
22. Portugal................1


Population
1. Byzantine Empire.....42,000
2. Seljuk Sultanate......34,000
3. Moorish Caliphate....29,500
4. Holy Roman Empire...27,500
5. Fatimid Caliphate.....27,000
25. Portugal.................2,000


Recognizing both need and opportunity, in 1102, the King sends his son, and all the troops he can muster, to attack the independent city of Lisbon. With several dozen nights, and a moderate advantage in troop numbers, Afonso is confident.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Expecting little defense, Prince Afonso brings only one ram, one siege tower, and one set of ladders.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

As the ram begins crashing the gate, enemy troops stream out, catching the Portuguese spear militia unawares.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

As the Prince sends his other men forward to support the initial attack, the news gets worse.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

With his men bogged down at the gate, and the siege tower destroyed, the young Prince becomes increasingly concerned. In a desperate move, he sends all his knights forward toward the gates, hoping their momentum will break through and allow the rest of the Portuguese army through.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Though the spear militia rout, the Prince’s gamble initially works. The knights break through the gate and push the enemy back.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Eventually, the rest of the Portuguese army pushes the defenders back to the square, where they make a final doomed stand. In the end, Afonso is victorious, though it is not a victory without cost.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

After the victory, King Henrique orders Afonso to stabilize Lisbon and build up the city’s defenses, while the King does the same in Oporto. He reluctantly accepts a Moorish offer of trading rights after the assault on Lisbon. The King recognizes that the Moors will remain neutral only as long as it suits them; they are almost certainly sizing up this new enemy in preparation for what they hope will be an easy war.


In the meantime, the King’s other daughter, Sancha, comes of age. While she possesses some of her older sister’s charm, she is a bit snobbish. Her life has always been pampered, and she has none of Urraca’s ambition. Still, both sisters go off on diplomatic missions to Portugal’s Christian neighbors.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The two princesses are each warmly welcomed by the various nearby Kingdoms: Aragon, France, England, Genoa. Urraca proves to be a cunning woman, and convinces the Genoese King to marry his daughter Martinella to Urraca’s older brother, Afonso. Urraca herself meets Gaston d’Aquitaine, a French nobleman distantly related to his king. Though love is too strong a word, Urraca feels a certain sort of connection to him, based at least partly on her sense that he could be a powerful man in Portugal.


While abroad in France, Sancha meets a fellow traveling Portuguese noblemen and, unlike her sister, does fall madly in love with him. Sebastiao de Anunciada is also not all that ambitious and seems to be a perfect match for Sancha.



After a decade of building up his small kingdom, Henrique is only mildly surprised when the Moors declare war in 1110 and blockade Lisbon’s port. Whether threatened by Portuguese expansion southward, or simply sensing an easy way to cripple their neighbor’s economy, the Moors intend to go to war.
The Portuguese war admiral manages to break the blockade, albeit barely. Through Henrique’s careful stewardship, the royal treasury has become quite full; however, the decision to neglect the navy may turn out to be a serious error.


[One more update coming tomorrow. I'll also get some pics of Gaston and Sebastiao, though probably a bit later than the initial marriages. Also, if anyone can recommend a better way to show the rankings so the numbers all line up nicely, I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!]