Heimskringla- A tale of Norway's rise (SS6.3 BGR/VH-VH)

[Radzeer]

I'm still very impressed by your campaign.

[Ichon]

I'm still very impressed by your campaign.

LoL well thanks... its actually one of the easier campaigns I've done recently but still fun and some interesting battles with BGR. I think next I'll try a Turk or Portuguese AAR as those have been my favorite all time campaigns along with Genoa. Trying to pick some factions that haven't alot of AARs done.

[Ichon]

The new naval building program leads to victorious battles that would have been quite a challenge without the new ships.



Haflidhi Haakonsson was impatient to lead a battle again and advances into lower England hoping to hold a crossing over the river Thames against possible English attack and avoid War Council edicts.

The English do move his direction but are advancing towards London, not trying to cross the Thames. Before Haflidhi can order a halt, his soldiers attempt to ambush elements of the English force but give themselves away. The English draw up for battle and Haflidhi is forced to engage.



The English have more Longbowmen and many dismounted Knights along with some Feudal Knights and other infantry.

Haflidhi attempts to draw the English out of the forest and is only partially successful while losing nearly all his bodyguard to arrows.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Playing with no time limit on battles creates some situations like this which is more realistic- despite the English having a larger army the AI waits, even if Haflidhi had been the one attacked rather than a spoiled ambush the AI might have chosen to wait.

The English Longbows have range that frequently surprises enemies. Some Border Horse come under fire where they had thought they were safe but this attack draws counter volley fire from the Longbowmen and Welsh mercenaries the Norwegians have recruited.

The English captain leading a company of Feudal Knights charge and rout a company of Norwegian levy archers and press on towards the Longbowmen.

The Border Horse company gets out of the way...



The levy archers fulfill their function and slow the Feudal Knights enough that the 2nd line of Longbowmen are mostly able to avoid the charge.



Huskarls charge the English Knights and exact a toll with their armor cleaving axes.



The Longbowmen meanwhile retreat out of the melee and are able to launch a single volley of arrows before the remaining English Feudal Knights escape the Norwegian infantry when their own infantry move up in support and chase down the Longbowmen. The Border Horse ride to the aid of the Longbowmen somewhat reluctantly. However tardy their charge leads to the death of the English captain.



The Border Horse carry forward that momentum and continue a charge onto the right flank of the English infantry where 2 companies of Light men at arms rout pinned between Huskarls swinging large two handed axes and a fierce cavalry charge to their rear.



The Border Horse spend a few minutes chasing down fleeing Englishmen while the Welsh mercenary bowmen edge round the ongoing battle and begin loosing volleys into the rear of the English infantry. The Longbowmen employed by the Norwegians meanwhile focus fire on the English archers whose arrow fire has hit many of their own infantry.



Finally as the Norwegian infantry begins to bend beneath the onslaught of the English dismounted Knights the Welsh mercenaries switch to fire arrows as the Border Horse charge the rear of the English Knights... the combination proves too much for the English who have also suffered grievous losses both to the melee and to the arrows of both their own and the Norwegian archers.

Haflidhi and his single remaining bodyguard join the Border Horse on final charges against the English Longbowmen in the trees...



The battle is won but cost more than Haflidhi calculated it should have. The difficulty of advancing first into English arrow fire and then having to meet the English charge head on rather than forcing them to advance into the Norwegians arrow range in clear terrain is mostly responsible for the extra casualties.



With Haflidhi mostly out of the battle after the opening engagement the Border Horse company performs the role of cavalry admirably and even finishes off the Feudal Knight heavy cavalry with few losses.



The English deny ransom for their prisoners and Haflidhi ties the prisoners up and weights them down with the armor of their own slain Knights and tosses them in the Thames.



Ulrik Skovgaard arrives by ship to Konigsburg from Oslo and finds force of Polish dismounted Knights camped near the walls. A quick attack costs little casualties and earns some renown for the young general.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Such opportunities are perfect to train up young generals

Ulrik gains an intimidating reputation as a result of the battle and draws the King's attention.



Ulrik gathers some Pechenegs newly arrived by ship from Turku and leads an attack on a Polish army on its way to Hrodna. King Burislev and Snorri Haakonsson command a 2nd army as reinforcements in this battle.



Ulrik sends the Pechenegs forward to harry the Polish mounted crossbows and a 3rd company attempts to get close enough for a shot at the Polish general.



Ulrik personally leads a charge against a company of Pavise crossbows which have prevented the Pechenegs from approaching close enough to fire their arrows at the Polish general.



The Polish army has 6 companies of cavalry though 2 of them are remnant units of previous battles against Lithuania. Some Polish Knights are met head on by King Burislev and Snorri while Ulrik returns races back to help out and a company of Mercenary German Knights hired just before the battle charges in- the combined attack completely wipes out the Polish Knights.



A company of Polish retainers slips by while the Polish Knights are being dealt with and charges a Drengjar infantry company moving into position to engage the oncoming Polish infantry.



A young Norwegian noble adopted by Snorri just the season before leads his bodyguard in a charge against the Polish retainers before they can kill more of the outmatched Drengjar.



His charge completely shatters the Polish company...



The Polish commander had attempted to ride to the aid of his cavalry but was repulsed and chooses to withdraw- his entire army turns and heads for the edge of the forest.



Several companies of Polish infantry are overrun in their withdrawal but the process remains orderly and the Poles reform in the trees protecting their commander.

The Pechenegs circle around behind but their arrows are ineffective in the trees. One company is ambushed by an earlier routed company of Polish retainers who had reformed and hidden in the woods- their fellow Pechenegs ride to their aid but too late to prevent significant casualties.



The Norwegian cavalry attempts to eliminate a company of Light men at arms deployed ahead of the rest of the Polish infantry but are frustrated by the trees and a few scattered Polish spearmen who break up their charge.



Ulrik orders a halt to let the cavalry horses rest while the Norwegian infantry catches up. Meanwhile the Pechenegs empty their quivers and then charge the Polish commander who is only protected by 2 bodyguards- the charge sets the commander fleeing for his life and he is ridden down and captured by the Pechenegs.

The rest of the Norwegian cavalry and just arrived infantry charge and the remaining Poles rout nearly instantly.



The Drengjar and Pechenegs suffer higher than anticipated casualties the result of Polish cavalry charges.



The Polish commander is a noble and begs for his life- Ulrik had reveled in his dreadful reputation from his earlier battle and chooses to enhance it by executing all the Polish prisoners.



Snorri adopts a 2nd time as he knows Norway needs younger men ready to take the reigns of Empire when the current generation of powerful nobles pass on. Currently the majority of high nobles in the Kingdom are over 50 years old with King Burislev, Prince Sighvat, Erik Trygvaasson, and Snorri himself all over 70 years old.



The Pope calls a new Crusade- this time to Gaza. Prince Sighvat is personally ordered to join. When King Burislev receives the news he decides it must be a conspiracy. Have the rumors of his lecherous behaviour prejudiced the Pope against him despite his devotion to the Church? Or is it that very devotion and the success Norway has enjoyed under his leadership that has led to the Pope abandoning one of his most devoted Kings?



When reports of a large Teuton army nearing Reval reach King Burislev he is disheartened. He had planned to give Hrodna over to Poland as a bulwark against the advancing Mongols and forge an alliance as well. Now Hungary is at war with Norway and has dragged their ally Poland into the fray. The Teutonic Order appears ready to join as well. All are staunch allies of the church and the recent battles have lowered Norway's standing with the Pope nearly to the point where rumors abound that Norway and King Burislev might soon be excommunicated.



King Burislev has become slightly senile and the knowledge that his life's work- Norway reconciling with the Church and claiming new lands from the pagans and heathens is being overturned by jealously and envy leads him to disregard his normal caution and travel without a large escort as his advanced age has led to a slower rate of travel. Polish forces take advantage of this situation and capture King Burislev...



Due to recent economic fluctuations and diplomatic tributes and the naval building program Norway's treasury is subsisting on loans. The demands by Poland for ransom are met with a stony silence by many Norwegian nobles who never approved of King Burislev's plans for eastern expansion and religious conversion for the Church. King Burislev dies in Polish captivity...



King Sighvat is crowned in Caernarvon where he convenes a meeting- only 3 of the high nobles in England are able to attend on short notice. Haflidhi Haakonsson is named heir finally discharging the regency Burislev was appointed to nearly 40 years previously. Sighvat passes on his professional training staff and gives Haflidhi War Council authorization to conduct his duties as Heir. Haflidhi can finally freely conduct the war against the English in the way he has wanted and perhaps even see the last English resistance crushed. Erik Tryggvasson is given titles to lands and additional advisors to help his recruitment duties at Nottingham.

King Sighvat mourns the passing of Burislev though it has been over a decade since he had seen him in person. Sighvat has grown accustomed to family late in life and has added a son and daughter to the Norwegian nobility with his French wife.

King Sighvat is unaware of the contempt Burislev had begun to feel for the current Pope though his devotion to the Church never wavered. To honor his passing King Sighvat joins the Crusade as the Pope ordered. However in a calculated insult to the Pope he bring only a few lowly companies with him...



Role Play Spoilers

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I wanted the Haakonsson's to resume the throne and avoided adopting in hopes that more Haakonsson children would be born but Haflidhi is still umarried and his older brother Haldor was just recently married. Snorri has never had any of his own children despite being married for 40 years. Finally I began adopting when it seemed clear that Haflidhi would be most likely chosen heir, luckily that turned out ok. Now if I can marry Haflidhi to a princess from a subdued Poland or one of the Italian states for an alliance that would be optimal.

My original goals for this campaign were to complete the short campaign for Norway- 25 regions, defeat Denmark and England- plus my own additional goals of controlling every port on the Baltic (still need Hamburg, Stettin, Thorn, Riga, and Novgorod). The war with Poland should let me accomplish much of that as it looks like the Teutons will soon DoW and Novgorod is already converted to 70% Catholic. Hamburg is reserved for the final battle- but!

Suggestions solicited- Hungary and Poland DoWing was annoying and I might expand my goals to the eradication of Poland, or should I focus on Hungary or expand to the east to fight the Mongols? I don't want huge new goals as this AAR is nearing the end but something fun and that won't take forever. Could even turn on my allies France and Sack Paris or something for the final few battles.

[Jambat]

Vikings vs Mongols, how can you even ask if we want to see it?!

Go get 'em!

[english crusader]

Nice AAR Those Mongols are huge

One tip: You should crop the pictures. makes them look better without the HUD

[Ichon]

Vikings vs Mongols, how can you even ask if we want to see it?!

Go get 'em!

Well it will be quite alot of cavalry most likely though if I can get enough crossbow I will use them against Mongols with more infantry... if I do a few battles with France it will be armor vs armor.

Both have their interests. The cavalry battles are just much harder to chronicle for an AAR since there are usually so many pivotal moments as a Mongol army is worn down.

Nice AAR Those Mongols are huge

One tip: You should crop the pictures. makes them look better without the HUD

Yeah, in a few turns I will toggle_fow and see what is going on. Last time I was surprised that the Turks were holding out so well. Checking faction rankings they still appear to be but Mongols have a huge amount of armies so I don't imagine that will last.

I really thought Mongols would have made it past remnant Novgorod and Kiev by now but those factions are still alive somehow. I was depending on Mongol presence to maintain the peace with Hungary and Poland. I think I'll just do a few punishment raids on Hungary but Poland I really think I might exterminate and then give their lands to HRE.

Cropping the pictures- I almost did that but sometimes there is information I want to show that is displayed in HUD and I prefer a consistent look, it flows better that way.

[Radzeer]

Nice updates, Ichon. You should consider nominating this story to the MAARC.

[Ichon]

Nice updates, Ichon. You should consider nominating this story to the MAARC.

Can you do that? Nominate your own AAR? lol I thought it was left up to others... anyway- I think that because I post full screen shots alot of people don't read this due to the time it takes to download. I never realized that was a problem until I recently tried to access this from a friends house who has slower ISP than I do. I have so many screen shots though that I don't want to make people click on spoiler for every single one. Not sure what a good solution is for that.

[Ichon]

King Sighvat leaves Ireland but not before spreading the plague to Dublin. Sightvat is suffering from the sickness himself but he hopes to survive long enough to assist other Crusader armies capture Gaza or raid the Moslem coast somewhere and hopefully gain some possessions to trade to Venice or Genoa for the hand of a princess in marriage to Haflidhi who is now an unmarried Heir.



Snorri Haakonsson adopts yet another son...



BGR info

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

BGR decreases loyalty of FMs as a faction expands. This is about the minimum loyalty its possible to accept without having problems with rebellion in a few turns.

Hungary has majority control of the College of Cardinals with 7 Cardinals. Norway was reduced to 3 with the deaths of previous Cardinals while Poland and Teutons have 1 each. This pretty much guarantees the next Pope will be Hungarian unless something changes soon.

[IMG]file:///C:/Users/HomeS/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-18.png[/IMG][IMG]file:///C:/Users/HomeS/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-19.png[/IMG]

With reinforcements to Reval and an army near Riga the Teutonic Order decides to send its armies elsewhere. King Sighvat is on his way to Gaza and Prince Haflidhi is recovering from the plague in Nottingham. There is no worthy leader available to send on foreign invasions at the present moment and with the high inflation finally ending the treasury needs some turns to recover. A 3rd war with the Teutonic Order could happen in the future as they are the only remaining threat to Norwegian control of the Baltic other than Poland, but it doesn't need to happen just yet.



A recent adoption into the ruling nobility manages to get a friend accepted as well... King Sightvat and the War Council are primarily concerned with loyalty to the Crown as there were several challenges to King Burislev's authority which narrowly avoided setting Norway into civil war.



Knud Beleson is the last remaining Norwegian who came with the initial invasion of Scotland. He has lived to see Scotland vanquished and England nearly so. Yet he feels the honors he has received from the Haakonsson royal line and the late King Burislev were not enough. This kind of greed is what worries King Sighvat- if someone as loyal as Knud Beleson can feel it- what about all the recently promoted high nobles?



A Polish army has advanced into Prussia and Stenkil of Vojens goes to meet it. Stenkil has taken the professional training staff of Snorri Haakonsson who died of old age over the winter. Whether he will also receive War Council authorization remains to be seen. Stenkil is as yet unproven in command and was promoted and given title to Konigsburg for his administration skills- not his abilities as a warrior. The forces are evenly balanced with Poland having several heavy and medium cavalries and crossbowmen but relatively few infantry. Norway has only medium and light cavalry and paltry missile units but many infantry companies skilled in forest battles which the terrain of Prussia favors.



The battle opens with most of the Norwegians hidden in the trees and only a few exposed to the siege artillery the Poles bring forward and let loose. The artillery is inaccurate and causes only a single casualty before the Norse archers are sent forward to loose a volley on some Lithuanian archers the Poles have sent forward to do likewise. The Norse fire first and the Polish captain advances his men nearly to the forest edge.



Stenkil waits until the Polish archers deploy stakes and then he orders the Drengjar and Woodsmen hidden in the trees to advance at a charge onto the right flank of the Polish lines. Huskarls and Landsmenn are ordered to advance at a slower pace on the Polish left flank while several companies remain hidden in reserve.



The Polish cavalry remains still aside from a single Strezyl company moving forward. The Woodsmen rush for the Polish lines quickly hoping to avoid being caught by a heavy cavalry charge. The forest terrain is not favorable to cavalry however and the Drengjar and Woodsmen are accustomed to fighting in the woods.



Stenkil orders the company of Merchant cavalry to charge some Pavise crossbows which have edged forward of the rest of the Polish lines to fire on the slowly advancing Norwegian heavy infantry.



The right flank of the Polish army begins to waver as the Woodsmen and Drengjar tear through lightly armored archers and crossbowmen. A company of Strezyl charge into the fray but are ineffective against Woodsmen. The prospect of a cavalry charge rolling up the flank of his infantry worries Stenkil enough that he orders the hidden infantry reserves forward at a walk... giving the Woodsmen time to make an impact and the Polish heavy cavalry is still uncommitted which means Stenkil cannot commit his limited cavalry either aside from allowing the Prussian auxllaries to launch a single volley of javelins at the Strezyl breaking their charge on the Woodsmen.



On the Polish left flank the Merchant cavalry have routed the company of Pavise crossbowmen and now turn towards the rear of the Polish infantry line- however the Polish Knights and Retainer cavalry on that side of the battle head their direction and the Merchant cavalry obey their orders to draw out the Polish heavy cavalry but not engage them.



On the right flank the Strezyl cavalry have been routed and Stenkil carefully walks around the stakes he saw planted earlier by the Lithuanian archers and charges the wavering Polish infantry on that flank. The Polish Knights on that side of the battle attempted to follow the failed charge of the Strezyl with one of their own but the Prussian auxillaries had been waiting for that and their javelin volleys devastate the ranks of those Knights who then break and flee when under combined attack by both Svennar cavalry and Stenkil and his bodyguard.



The Polish right flank collapses and rolls toward the center held by the siege artillery. Stenkil leads the charge there but is careful not to advance too far ahead of his infantry as the majority of the Polish cavalry is still sitting back behind the Polish left flank just past the artillery crews.



A company of Polish Knights has chased the Merchant cavalry out into the open field and growing tired of pursuing their flighty quarry forms for a charge on the advancing Norwegian reserve infantry who break into a charge at the sight to close the distance as quickly as possible.



On the Norwegian right flank the Landsmenn crumble when their Merchant cavalry support is chased away by the Polish Knights and the Polish Foot Knights they are fighting refuse to give ground. A charge by a company of Polish Retainers breaks the Landsmenn who run for their lives...



Back on the Norwegian left flank the Merchant cavalry turn and charge when they see the Polish Knights lining up for a charge on the advancing Norwegian infantry. This charge into a much heavier opponents costs the Merchant cavalry many casualties but gives the infantry time to close the distance and pin the Polish Knights in place and begin a terrible slaughter of men and horse alike.



The Polish Knights cannot face their swift defeat with honor and turn to run...



Stenkil has moved past the Polish infantry line and targeted the remaining Polish crossbowmen and cavalry. The Polish Retainers who had earlier routed the Landsmenn rush to the aid of their comrades and a deadly melee between cavalry companies ensues.



With the Polish Retainers and Knights cleared away the field is open for the reserve Norwegian infantry to charge the remaining Polish infantry...



With the fresh Norwegian reserves pouring into their right flank and more reserves smashing into their front the Polish infantries morale shatters.



The battle is a complete victory for Stenkil and Norway. A few handfuls of Poles escape to report the destruction of their army.



Stenkil praises the entire army for victory belongs to all.



Stenkil offers the Poles the chance at ransom but their foolish King has declared one war too many and their treasury is empty.

[Ichon]

Dire news reaches Norway- King Sighvat has died of plague on the voyage to the Holy Land.



Prince Haflidhi is crowned at Nottingham still on his sickbed. His brother Haldor who has been patiently waiting at Turku while recruiting armies for King Burislev's war on the heathens is named Heir and immediately gathers and army for an assault on Lithuania and the rich city of Novgorod...

Norway badly needs to riches of that city as the growth of the realm necessitates an even larger growth of the military to defend the realm. For several years recently the finances of the Kingdom have been in flux. The need to expand the nobility and some marriage dowries also play a role.

BGR Info

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Every marriage, adoption, and coming of age has a cost to give the new noble starting money. Depending on the status of the noble this money can range from 2,000 up to 8,000.

King Haflidhi's advisors insist that the King must soon wed. He is a virile man and has no doubt sired many bastards throughout England yet Norway needs a Queen. A search that was already begun by King Sighvat for a suitable bribe is intensified.

King Haflidhi is a Haakonsson- considered by most of the nobility to be the rightful King and has already proven a successful war leader. There are few who question his authority and even fewer who dare speak such questions aloud.



Spies report another Polish army on the move... King Haflidhi has never fought the Poles and cares little for this unexpected war. His brother Haldor has never been on campaign against them either and has turned his attention to assuring Norway's financial future while taking his well deserved chance to gain some loot for himself. The Poles must be dealt with somehow... but perhaps there is a way besides war that solves 2 problems at once? The Polish King has completely refused any marriage negotiations so that is out of the question without a considerable dowery of land such as Hrodna which King Haflidhi is unwilling to consider.



Stenkil has been swept away by notions of grandeur after his heroic victory and his troops rally around him. However this causes some to question his loyalty and the War Council orders Stenkil to sail for Turku to presumably take up the recruiting duties which Haldor has left behind in his hurry to capture Novgorod. However the War Council has already dispatched someone else for that task and merely wants Stenkil removed from temptation and a base of power long enough for him to come to his senses.



Diplomats dispatched by King Sighvat have located a potentially suitable match for King Haflidhi that more than answers the present difficulties presented to Norway...

The Hungarians agree! As Poland's allies the Royal Marriage with Hungary forces the Poles to agree to peace and King Haflidhi gains a potentially powerful ally not only militarily but within the Church. Not only is this a great match, but the Hungarians accepted without demanding a rich dowery. Apparently they are consumed with their war on the Seljuk Turks and perhaps are beginning to worry about the Mongol invasion which seems to have only slightly slowed in recent years.



Soon after the grand Royal Wedding at Nottingham word arrives that the English have taken the bait and attacked a Norwegian army... (albeit a small army which was in England's territory but the Norwegians have come far since first leaving their small homelands and now play politics against others just as the invading Scots attempted to do decades ago).

The King of England is excommunicated and a reluctant Polish Pope is forced by Norway and Hungary to issue orders for an attack on England in addition to the excommunication. King Haflidhi swiftly begins preparing to finish the Conquest of England he swore to accomplish in his youth.

[Ichon]

Prince Haldor arrives at Novgorod where spies sent ahead manage to open the gates. There is an army of reinforcements a bare weeks march away but Haldor decides he can achieve victory with the forces he has... mostly cavalry though he does purchase the services of a mercenary axemen company.



The Norwegian cavalry races through the open gates and some Pechenegs smash into a trebuchet crew who ran out of time maneuvering their siege engine.



A Lithuanian Prince awaits in the central square... Haldor orders his boydguard to try and first concentrate on the Lithuanian infantry which is retreating back towards to central square. A company of Feudal Knights he instructs to guard his back from the Lithuanian Prince.



Haldor and his men smash into the first group of Baltic spearmen who attempt to reach the square...



The Lithuanian Prince begins to form a charge into the rear of Haldor's bodyguard but is met by the Feudal Knights in the center of the square.

Haldor turns and races back to aid the Knights and his charge kills the Lithuanian Prince and all of his bodyguard.



With the square secure for the time being the Feudal Knights charge back towards the oncoming Lithuanian infantry.



The Knights retreat to make room for Haldor to charge... alternating charges break the first 2 companies of Baltic spearmen but then a different challenge arrives.



A company of Lithuanian Noblemen prove to be made of tougher stuff and Haldor misjudges the ferocity they attack with.



The mercenary axemen charge to try and relieve the Feudal Knights but nearly the entire company of Knights are slain before they can retreat. Haldor loses half his remaining bodyguard in the melee but does manage to withdraw when the Lithuanians pause after breaking the mercenary axemen's morale. Svenner cavalry have attempted to charge down streets and break the retreating Lithuanians but a company of Halberd militia end that notion.




Haldor decides to let the remaining Lithuanians enter the square if they wish... no point in fighting them in the narrow streets where his cavalry is at a disadvantage, it will also be a good chance for the Pecheneg companies to get some target practice. A single company of Halberd militia stays out of the square and attempts to circle through the streets and arrive behind a company of Svenner who wait patiently knowing they can easily outrun the slow Halberd militia.



After the Pechenegs exhaust their arrows Haldor directs the mercenary axemen who have rallied to enter the square hold the Lithuanians attention while his remaining cavalry repeatedly charge the Lithuanian ranks. The Halberd militias and remaining Noblemen prove hard to kill yet eventually they fall through exhaustion and their inability for form a defensive front against cavalry charges from all directions.



Haldor wins the battle and captures Novgorod- the mercenary axemen are paid off and dismissed. The mercenaries earned their pay though their temporary retreat forced Haldor's cavalry to take more casualties than otherwise. Examining the wounded after the battle indicates that dangers of close combat with archers firing into the same ranks. The Pechenegs killed nearly 30 Norwegians at some point in the battle. Almost 15% of the losses... still it was a necessary risk to win the battle.



The Pechenegs and their point blank arrow fire did the most damage to the Lithuanians... if only there were more Pechenegs available.



Novgorod instantly brings needed wealth to Lithuania and earns Haldor quite a bit of money in the occupation.



England has sailed a fleet of Holks all the way into the Baltic- who knows what their intent was but after chasing Norwegian fleets for a season they are finally caught and sunk.

Game Info

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

One of the most active naval games I've ever experienced. Actually needed nearly all the fleets I could build several times and had to keep updating and repairing them. Over half the defeats in this campaign are due to naval battles where enemy fleets cut mine by surprise or even a couple times won victories against overwhelming odds.

Back in England King Haflidhi arrives outside Winchester and meets an English army in the field. The English Heir will arrive to the battle with a reinforcing army....



For the first time Norway has overwhelming advantage in archers versus the English. Haflidhi elects not to order the archers to plant stakes as he intends to demonstrate to the English that stakes aren't necessary to defeat heavy cavalry.



The smaller English force charges without awaiting the English Heir and after enduring several volleys of arrows they break under the charge of the Norwegian cavalry.



Nearly half the English are killed with less than a dozen Norwegian lost in exchange. However the English Heir approaches with 2 companies of Men at Arms heavy cavalry and several companies of Heavy Billmen whose weapons would murder the light Norwegian cavalry and cause heavy losses to even King Haflidhi's bodyguard.



The single company of English Longbowmen are run over in a charge by Haflidhi that nearly carries him into the English Billmen- retreating quickly Haflidhi intends to lure the English cavalry into pursing him.



The plan appears to work at first but then the English cavalry turn towards an easier target- the Norwegian archers had neglected to retreat behind the protection of their infantry when the heavy cavalry approached and will now suffer for that mistake as well as Haflidhi's previous orders not to plant obstacles or stakes.



Nearly 150 archers are slain in a few seconds and though Haflidhi manages to charge the rear of one of the English heavy cavalry companies and kill them to a man the English mounted Men at Arms are a force to be reckoned with and kill many of the charging Norwegian Huskarls even as they fall.



The English Heir forces his way through the Norwegian heavy infantry and charges a small group of Longbowmen who escaped the earlier charge.



Haflidhi and the Border Horse companies surround and charge the Men at Arms successfully clearing the field but not without large losses to the Border Horse light cavalry. Even a few moments contact with Heavy Billmen cause further losses...



The English Heir kills gets caught up in a brief melee with Huskarls before a remnant company of Border Horse races to stop him- the Border Horse are quickly joined by Huskarl cavalry as the Border Horse are only slightly more effective than the Longbowmen in fighting heavy cavalry in melee which is to say hardly at all.



The Heir is a beast of a fighter and manages to kill 20 cavalry in a vicious fight before the Border Horse company moves away and forms a charge that takes the Heir in the back just as he kills another Huskarl cavalryman.



The battle is won but the ferocious charge of the English cavalry nearly doubles the expected casualties and Haflidhi will also need to replace many of his light cavalry companies after this battle.



King Haflidhi's own veteran bodyguard with the help of the Huskarl and Border Horse cavalry win this battle- the Longbowmen brought in such numbers contribute but little to the fight. In future battles Haflidhi is likely to bring fewer archers- afterall, Norway defeated England with hardly any archers so why would they want to replicate the losing English tactics?



The few English prisoners are offered for ransom which has become typical of the English the offer is refused.

[Ichon]

Next up- The end of England, the arrival of the Mongols, and the breaking of the Teutonic Order.

[Lord Lancelot]

Very Good Aar. I will fallow this. + Rep

[Ichon]

King Haflidhi moves his army to London where the English had recaptured it from the French years before. It is a shame that Norway must fight for lands its ally could not hold but King Haflidhi is eager to meet the English King on the field and put an end to the upstart dynasty.



Duke Alfred commands a large relief army that meets Haflidhi on the fields outside London. King Edmund waits inside commanding the small garrison.



King Haflidhi charges ahead of the rest of his army to smash some Sherwood archers before they can turn their deadly bows on his army. Several other English companies get caught in the charge as well...



Duke Alfred leads his bodyguard and a company of Feudal Knights to the left flank of the Norwegian army and attempts to circle that flank but is met by Svenner cavalry and Huskarl infantry.



Small companies of Huskarl cavalry and Border Horse charge Duke Alfred and destroy most of his bodyguard but are forced to retreat when the Feudal Knights arrive.



The Huskarl cavalry pursue Duke Alfred while Huskarl infantry engage the Feudal Knights in a fierce melee. A company of Longbowmen sprint for higher ground to provide better line of sight to fire on the Feudal Knights without as much danger of shooting the Huskarls in the back.



The English infantry have rushed the Norwegian lines while King Haflidhi and a company of Border Horse try to stem the tide.



King Haflidhi takes advantage of the undefended English Longbowmen and moves to disperse them with the help of smaller companies of light cavalry.



As soon the the English Longbowmen break King Haflidhi races down behind the English infantry line searching for Duke Alfred... he does not know that the Huskarl cavalry chasing the Duke caught and killed Alfred but Haflidhi does spot the Feudal Knights forming for a charge on the Huskarls they had been fighting minutes earlier.



Game Info-

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Game bugs again anytime get near walls... Haflidhi pursues the knights to the walls but is then unable to capture or kill them. Meanwhile the rest of the cavalry is incapable of capturing nearly 100 fleeing English, some weird pathfinding bug I've seen a few times before.

With Duke Alfred slain and the English heavy cavalry defeated it is a brief matter for the Norwegians to break the rest of the English army- most of the casualties come in the pursuit of fleeing English when Norwegian cavalry and a company of Huskarls are unable to catch the men and walk within range of archers on the walls. The Huskarls suffer 20 needless casualties and the cavalry suffer another 20 spread between several companies.

King Haflidhi reforms his army and orders them to rest while the siege artillery breaks through London's walls...



Once the wall is breached the Norwegian infantry moves to enter the city but is met by King Edmund, a company of Fyrd spearmen, and a company of Sergeants.... the fight is vicious and quite long with King Edmund and his bodyguard fighting with everything they have and with no quarter given.



A small company of Highlanders break through the gates while the fight around the breach rages and ascend into the gatehouse to kill a small group of English bowmen.



King Haflidhi enters London through the breached wall and then circles to charge King Edmund and his remaining bodyguards- the King is spitted on the end of a lance and so ends the English royal line and the Kingdom of England.



King Haflidhi and his men then fight through several English units most of whom were survivors from the battle with Duke Alfred and finally reach the center of the city where only a small group of Feudal Knights remain of England's once mighty military.



The battle is won- not without casualties but it remains a Heroic victory and will immortalize Haflidhi and the men who gained this great victory for Norway in the Heimskringla which Norse skalds in far away Iceland will compose and the legends which will grow around this battle in years to come.



King Haflidhi and his bodyguard killed more English than anyone but the entire army was responsible for this great victory.



Game Info-

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This is officially the end of the Short Campaign in SS 6.3 but my goals go on a bit past that. I contemplated making England vassals but decided it wouldn't fit into the campaign with Haflidhi seeking an end.

Prince Haldor is shocked when spies report a large Mongol army just outside the walls of recently captured Novgorod. This army is led by an unknown Uighur tribesman promoted to command by the name of Mamai.



Norway is well positioned to withstand a siege but that Mongol armies are already so far north and in such strength changes the political situation drastically.

Messages are dispatched to King Haflidhi who had been contemplating assembling an army to join the still ongoing Crusade against the Fatimids near Gaza.

BGR Info-

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

With the death of Sightvat the Crusade tax is reimposed on all nobles... several recently adopted nobles will run out of money shortly unless the FL joins the Crusade- however its a tough choice as those armies could be important against the Mongols.

The coming years will be critical for the future of Norway, King Haflidhi might be recalled as the vanquisher of England or perhaps for even greater feats...

[Ichon]

The Kingdom of England's navy refused to surrender when the kingdom was ended and must be hunted down fleet by fleet.



Prince Haldor is unsure of the Mongols intentions and departs Novgorod in case the Mongols lay siege... there is already a capable commander present and there is still a small risk that the siege defense might be lost. Prince Haldor tours the countryside establishing a network of outposts and watchtowers to lookout for further Mongol activity. Spies report that Novgorod and Kiev are still holding out in the south but the Mongols have captured the Crimea and have armies marching to Smolensk the Novgorod military citadel.

Mamai and the Mongol army apparently decide to either wait for reinforcements or they heard that Prince Haldor was roaming the countryside without an army. The Mongols turn back towards the east but Prince Haldor has little doubt that they will return.

Game Info-

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Received a council mission to assasinate Mamai, the general leading that Mongol army and recruited a low level assassin in Novgorod mostly out of the hope he would get lucky and receive some good ancillaries. An experienced assassin which had been working over Lithuanian and Polish missionaries and a few merchants is on the way but still 2 seasons travel at least to Mumai's present position. The odds are never very reliable with agents and mostly to get rid of the incompetent assassin I sent him after Mumai with 10% chance of success... and he succeeded! lol- and the even funnier thing... no traits or ancillaries for completing such a tough mission.

The following season on Prince Haldors return journey to Novgorod he is ambushed by rebels as he detours around the Mongol army and a battle commences which never seriously threatens the Prince though the Pecheneg cavalry could have caused serious difficulties if its commander hadn't decided to engage Prince Haldor and his bodyguard in melee combat.



Haldor clears the field and uses the victory as propaganda to proclaim his valor and skill as a commander. Things which are necessary for the support of the local Rus who dislike the Norwegians but at least have more in common with them than either the Pagan Lithuanians or the barbaric Mongols. Prince Haldor has so far led only the battle to capture Novgorod and is only now setting out to prove he is the equal of his brother Haflidhi.

Game Info-

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

With BGR the default movement is set lower than basic SS but can still be made quite high with combination of the right traits and ancillaries. In every recruitment castle that will have a War Councilor present I make time to build a library and school to increase chances of beneficial traits and ancillaries. Haldor currently has advanced military education +40% movement, drillmaster +10%, and received Master of the Horse shortly before departing Turku after Knud Beleson the previous holder of that title died. So that is about +75% movement which only Haldor can use fully though the drillmaster gives forced march. It is very handy in late era BGR campaign to make watchtower network in a couple turns and move Kings and Heirs more quickly around a large Empire. Advanced military education requires sitting in a citadel for some turns though so its rare opportunity that can afford King or Heir that luxury of time to acquire it. Since Haldor was named Heir late in his life it worked out well.

The city of Gaza- the Fatimid capitol and target of the current Crusade is under siege... King Haflidhi has decided that embarking on a Crusade just now is imprudent and has set about recruiting and training an army that can defend England and secure Norwegian claims in the Baltic and fight the Mongol incursion. After Haflidhi ensures his orders for England will be obeyed he departs by ship for Oslo and thence to deal with the Mongol threat.

Game Info-

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The plague has actually struck down 2 generals in England... a young general newly adopted and an older FM close to death anyway. However that leaves only a single War Councilor to lead recruitment. Really only the Longbows and Men at Arms are desired recruits at this point and its a long journey to the eastern Baltic. When that War Councilor dies its doubtful worthwhile to send another FM to England except to administer Edinburgh.

Some Norwegian nobles are on the brink of bankruptcy with the crusade tax levy and the treasury must soon extend loans or face open rebellion. Attempts to bribe the French at Vilnius have failed and open war with Norway's main ally is not prudent so there may be few options for some Norwegian nobles facing debt except for victorious battles with enemy armies and capture of the loot that such defeated armies offer. Lithuania and Novgorod are 2 such possible contests though both have surrounded their nearest cities with 3 full strength field armies and the city garrisons. It will take at least 2 Norwegian armies working together to have a chance winning such a battle.

Prince Haldor had earlier received instructions from King Haflidhi to attempt all means to get the Teutonic Order to part with Riga... that port is considered essential to Norwegian control of the Baltic but unfortunately is the Teutonic capitol... if force is required Haldor has been given authority to use it. The Teutons have few resources or allies that are reliable and will likely accept peace if the offer is sweet enough. However the presence of a Mongol army outside of Novgorod and reports of further armies approaching Smolensk just to the south put any such plans for the Teutons on hold until further reinforcements arrive.

BGR Info-

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Hopefully the Mongols will attack relatively soon as several Norwegian generals are near bankruptcy having been unable to fight any battles since being adopted due to War Council edicts banning foreign incursions and not having any local enemies. Attacking Lithuania or Novgorod is problematic as both have at least 4 armies + garrisons clustered together and would waste soldiers likely needed to fight the Mongols. Perhaps with the Crusade over it will give enough time for Haflidhi to arrive with veteran reinforcements as so far only 1 noble has been forced to take loans.

The news reached England that the Crusade has been victorious! The Hungarians fought a massive battle with Fatimid forces and won a heroic victory while the French led a siege assault and captured the fortress.



Information pieced together from many sources by King Haflidhi's spymaster shows that the Mongol invasion has greatly slowed while some other European Kingdoms are still more powerful on the field than the forces Norway can muster.



Meanwhile the Pope has excommunicated Venice and seems set to lead an army in the field against Venetian forces personally. This throws the balance of power in Europe into question... France wars with nearly all its neighbors aside from Norway while Hungary will surely come to the Pope's aid and attack Venice whose armies are scattered all over the world defending their far flung trade interests.



The Turks are mainly responsible for slowing the Mongolian invasion and it took nearly 20 years for the Mongols to defeat the Turks in the mountainous terrain of Persia. The Turks appear ready to rebound with the Fatimids to their south weakened by the Crusade and a war with the Moors who captured Jerusalem in a great Jihad and a distracted Hungary soon to be at war on a 2 wide fronts against Venice and the Mongols.

[Radzeer]

Great battles again! I especially liked the Novgorod one: Pechenegs can indeed be dangerous.
It is also interesting to follow the minimap...

[Ichon]

1314 dawns brightly for the Kingdom of Norway. England is peaceful and becoming more integrated into Norway as fortresses are torn down and cities and trade built up. The plague which has taken so many lives has finally ended.

In Rome a Congress of Cardinals is held to determine a new Pope. Norway is privileged to have one of its own Cardinals in the running. A man who worked hard to convert western Ireland to Christianity. Ulf Burmeister has been among the preferati the past 2 Papal Congresses and each time risen in esteem. Norway has also steadily gained seats in the Congress as the zeal of its many missionaries expanding Catholicism into pagan and Orthodox lands around the Baltic has been recognized.

Norway has 7 seats including Ulf's own vote and the Teutonic Order and the Crusader States both lend their support to Norway. Celebrations are subdued however as the situation in Russia is growing more tense. Mongol armies are on the move again but this time heading north towards Novgorod and the Norwegian holdings there.



King Haflidhi has received word of the vote and missives on the purported movements of Mongol armies. Given the Teutonic Order's vote for Norway in the recent Papal elections and the uncertainty regarding the intentions of the Mongols, Haflidhi orders the fleet to weigh anchor and rather than sailing for Konigsburg there to pick up an army meant to capture Riga and enforce recent diplomatic demands on the Teutons- the fleet sails towards Novgorod.

The Teutonic Order will be given 1 more chance to meet the obligation they were given dominion over Poskov to meet. The understanding was that they would fulfill their Order's mission and convert the pagans, and if that failed fight the heathens into submission. Instead the Order has built up its strength and posted armies on Norway's borders while not fighting a single battle against Lithuania.



The King also has to figure out why the treasury is depleted for several years running now.

In the year 1316 the Mongol armies break the truce established 20 years previously when they shared common enemies with Norway and lay siege to Novgorod with Prince Haldor trapped inside. Reinforcements from Turku are near enough to launch an attack but they have no commander. Niels is yet a seasons journey away after leaving Hrodna under a lesser captain and the Mongol army besieging Novgorod is larger than Prince Haldor wishes to confront with the army he has inside the walls of Novgorod.

BGR Info-

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

1 coming of age, 2 adoptions, and normal nobles expenses of 8,000 per turn have been crippling finances. There is still some extra money missing that I can't quite figure out where it is going but that is normal with BGR and its only a couple thousand.

Prince Haldor receives word that more Mongol armies are on the way and while the Mongols can withstand a lengthy siege any long siege will put Haldor and Norway in a worsening position.

The problem is that the Mongol army is full of veterans who have fought their way across the steppe defeating armies which had held the Rus principalities at bay for centuries. However Prince Haldor has no reliable reports of Mongol fighting power- only the fact they have defeated the same foes as Norway has and they are sitting right outside the walls after traveling thousands of leagues.

Gambling everything Prince Haldor orders Captain Eystein to move this season and initiate the attack on the Mongols- Ulrik Skovgaard will lead the garrison out of Novgorod to attack the Mongols simultaneously.



The battle opens with Captain Eystein drawn on a slight rise over looking the Mongol army which is drawn up in a compact formation. Ulrik and Prince Haldor enter the field on the Mongols left flank and move towards Captain Eystein. Henrik Skovgaard is old enough to fight and has followed his father onto the field. Normally he would be sent against some rebels or other weaker foes first where he might survive a few mistakes but Norway requires every able bodied man for this battle.



The Mongols allow Ulrik and his army to close most of the distance to Captain Eystein and then suddenly charge! Ulrik, Haldor, and Henrik meet the charge of the Mongol heavy cavalry head on.



The Norwegian infantry accompanying Ulrik charges into the fray and Captain Eystein quickly orders a charge as well... the battle soon becomes chaotic as swiftly moving Mongol companies dodge in and out of melee.



Most of the Mongol companies focus on Ulrik's more dangerous army and Captain Eystein is able to charge most of his infantry into the Mongols rear unimpeded...



Somewhere in the chaos the Mongol captain is killed- its an incredible stroke of luck for the Norwegians in a battle that was teetering on the brink.



With the Mongol captain dead and the heavy Norwegian infantry taking enormous casualties but slowly and steadily killing the Mongol cavalry caught between the Huskarls and the advancing spear infantry of Captain Eystein most of the Mongol army fights to the death... but a few, a very few break and run- just enough to allow the Norwegians to keep the pressure on and not give room for the Mongol horse archer cavalry to run freely.



The battle is finally won- not without cost however. Both Ulrik and his son Henrik die in the battle nearly wiping out the Skovgaard line. Luckily Henrik's younger brother was not old enough to fight and will have a chance to seek vengeance on the Mongols in a few years.

Prince Haldor survives the battle and immediately takes control over Captain Eystein's army which is too exhausted to move from the field of battle.

Ulrik and his army proved that the Mongols may be fought and defeated in the field but... Prince Haldor wonders how many such battle Norway can afford. Outnumbered 2 to 1 the Mongols still killed more than they lost. The only bright spot for Norway was that performance of Prince Haldor's bodyguard and the fact that the Norwegian veterans from the campaigns in England are on their way and should be more effective than the relatively untried army that fought the Mongols there on this day.



Huskarl infantry and Pecheneg horse archers appear to have been the most effective of Norway's forces. Prince Haldor makes sure to mention that in the missive he sends King Haflidhi.

A state funeral with as many honors as Prince Haldor can think up is given both Skovgaards.



The few Mongol prisoners are offered for ransom but the great Mongol Khan decrees that no ransom money shall be paid and the prisoners are given over to the country folk whom they had terrorized during the siege. Some are said to have survived days of torture but none live longer than a week.



Spies report that the next closest known Mongol army is smaller but also has many veterans and is better prepared for a siege with artillery and specialized assault infantry. Prince Haldor integrates the survivors from both armies into a new force and prepares for another siege- this time the siege is unlikely to be long one way or another.



Reports filter in from the spy network Prince Haldor setup in previous years of movements of Mongol armies all pointing towards a large concentration of Mongol armies to Novgorod. Prince Haldor has never been a particularly religious man though some of King Burislev's fervor had rubbed off on him but now he finds himself wanting to pray nearly daily. If King Haflidhi arrives soon enough, if the veteran armies from England arrive soon enough... there are many ifs but the one certainty is that the Mongols are coming. And if not enough of the ifs occur fast enough in Norway's favor then Novgorod and perhaps the eastern Baltic will be lost.

Prince Haldor also sends missives to the Teutons who stand on the border with several armies and send a diplomat towards Lithuania with the offer of peace... unfortunately that diplomat dies of old age and the mission is abandoned- the consequences of that failure likely spell the end of Lithuania for King Haflidhi intends to hold Novgorod at all costs. That requires a more stable and enduring base in the eastern Baltic and the Lithuanian city of Polotsk has much to offer in that vein.

[Biggles]

Very nice, very very very nice.

I can't really understand how you can cope with -florins all the time, I'd go berserk (on the game...)

[Ichon]

Very nice, very very very nice.

I can't really understand how you can cope with -florins all the time, I'd go berserk (on the game...)

Thanks- these Mongols are going to be toughest enemies yet. It took them about 10 seconds of combined HA fire to waste any single unit they wanted- if I have a battle where I can't engage the majority of the HA and make them switch weapons I'll probably lose badly. Norwegian heavy infantry can win if get the Mongols in right situation but that is quite hard to do when taking the fight to Mongols on campaign map.

When I first played BGR it was frustrating but it does teach you to not worry about getting everything done right away and to make priorities.

I usually put units that need to be retrained or recruited into the que even when -money and they will often be trained/recruited if the -money is not huge as BGR minus money AFTER new money is added... so units in que if there is still positive cash flow that turn get built. In early game there are usually several turns in -money so from turn to turn there is no positive cash flow. However here in the late game the swing is about 20-25,000 and BGR doesn't take that much every single turn so on the turns where it was negative before but new turn cash would push into positive territory then the ques are built which makes it seem negative. There were only 2-3 turns that were truly negative but catching up with the ques is going to take awhile now to have enough positive to pay off what BGR takes away and repay the ques. You can see in the last few screenshots the negative amount changes- its because I canceled Abbey from que in Visby and added lower cost building. If I canceled all buildings in progress I could definitely be in positive cash but its not necessary yet. If I see cash go down to -20,000 or more the place where it would take more than 1 turn at this point in game to recover from then I'll cancel buildings like crazy. So right now it looks worse than it is but my income IS declining right now as several of my best merchants recently died so I lost about -4,000 income plus with Novgorod under siege instead of 3,000 income there only getting a few hundred. If every battle with Mongols cost me 1,000 dead elites then my financial position will get bad.

When things get really desperate I cancel buildings or even destroy some of the less important buildings. So far I haven't had to do that more than a couple times this campaign. Some of the more difficult campaigns I've had to do that nearly every turn until my settlements have nothing left except church, barracks, and markets and also sack every single city which I haven't had to do this campaign.

[Ichon]

King Haflidhi finally arrives and meets outside Novgorod to confer with his brother Prince Haldor. A 2nd Mongol army is encamped a short distance beyond the walls and appears to be readying for a siege.

Niels commands the garrison inside Novgorod and presses Haflidhi to order an attack. Haflidhi is wary having seen the reports on the last battle but the policy of the Haakonsson's has been to be to take the fight to the enemy whenever possible and King Haflidhi gives Niels permission to lead the garrison out and attack the Mongol army in the field.

Game Info-

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Trying to get a Heroic victory against the Mongols is quite risky... come with less than equal numbers and unless its all heavy cavalry there is not guarantee the battle will be won. For now I'll try and win with a combination of cheaper militia and a few cavalry units and leave the better elites in the cities where they have a chance to win a siege even if a field battle goes badly wrong and is lost. I still have a chance to withdraw Haflidhi or the remnants of valuable units if a field battle is lost and fight again from inside the nearest city.

The battlefield is covered in snow and a cold mist which masks the Norwegian approach. However the Mongols have enough time to array themselves for battle.



Niels orders the Pechenegs to climb a ridge on the Norwegian right flank and soon the Pechenegs are receiving arrows from the left most Mongol companies whose bows out range anything the Pechenegs are carrying- the distance is swiftly closed and the Pechenegs own arrows answer in reply.



Niels orders most of his infantry companies into schitrom formation while the staff militia wait in pike formation with crossbows arrayed behind with the ridge and the Pechenegs covering the right flank. King Haflidhi and Prince Haldor approach the battle at a walk from their camp along with a few Feudal Knights on foot an another remnant infantry company from the previous battle against the Mongols.



The Pechenegs take a toll on the enemy but despite having superior position on the ridge and firing down onto the Mongols the Pechenegs take equal or greater losses. The Mongols are not only superior archers but also wear better armor.



The Mongol commanders orders small companies of light cavalry forward to test the Norwegian infantry who easily repel the first attacks.

Meanwhile the bulk of the Mongol archers move forward and take a serious toll on the Norwegian infantry.



The Mongols artillery also begins firing though most shots miss, even 1 hit can prove devastating.

Haflidhi and Haldor arrive and charge up the ridge to protect the Pechenegs from harassing Mongol Turhagut heavy cavalry companies. The Mongol generals spot the Norwegian royal family and see an opportunity to cause a huge loss to the Norwegians if they can kill both the King and his brother. The Mongol commander and their bodyguards charge across the snowy field toward King Haflidhi while a general advance is ordered for the rest of the Mongol army.



The opposing commanders clash on the slope of the ridge and blood soon turns the churning snow crimson.



The Mongol Turhagut cavalry charges the Norwegian infantry who hold steady...



Niels waits close behind the infantry to make sure their nerves are steady and to catch any Mongol cavalry which manages to fight through the Norwegian lines... a small remnant of a Turhagut company which had already engaged King Haflidhi flanks the Norwegians at the same time another Turhagut company fights through the center of the Norwegian lines.



King Haflidhi and Prince Haldor duel with the Mongol commanders and manage to send several small Turhagut companies and 1 Mongol commander into a tactical retreat but the 2nd Mongol commander and some of the Mongol light cavalry ensure that King Haflidhi cannot engage the lighter Mongol horse archers.



Niels attempts to kill or rout the Mongols which have managed to pass the Norwegian infantry in order to preserve the armies morale. If they see unchecked Mongol cavalry behind them they are likely to rout.



King Haflidhi is sorely pressed and when another company of Turhagut cavalry join the melee directly after one of the Mongol commanders is slain most of his bodyguard is slain in defense of their King.



Finally both Mongol commanders are slain but King Haflidhi and Prince Haldor have lost so many of their bodyguard they dare not risk engaging the large Mongol companies still pressing the attack on the Norwegian infantry. Niels has done his best to stem the tide of Mongol cavalry but soon the sheer ferocity of the Mongol attack overwhelms many of the Norwegian infantry units and their nerve shatters.



When Niels charges a company of Mongol Nukeri horse archers engaging some Norwegian infantry he is nearly caught and killed by some Turhagut heavy cavalry...



A charge by the few remaining Prussian auxillaries allows Niels to press forward right through the scattered Nukeri and escape. Haflidhi charges the Mongol artillery engineers while Haldor charges decimated Mongol horse archers who are too scattered to offer serious resistance.

The remaining Norwegian infantry and crossbows concentrate on the Turhagut cavalry while the Pechenegs rain arrows from their position on the ridge into any Mongol unit they can find.



Prince Haldor has finished those closest Mongol horse archers and chooses to charge the artillery and aid Haflidhi whose bodyguard is down to a single veteran warrior rather than waste time pursuing much faster Mongols who scatter out of his way...



Finally every single Mongol on the field is slain except for a Turhagut cavalryman who escapes to tell the tale of the battle to his fellow Mongols.



The battle is hard fought and King Haflidhi considers the outcome- even more men lost than the first battle but most of the soldiers this time were easier to raise levies and militia. Of course such soldiers seem not very effective against the Mongols but they can put up enough resistance that the few units of Pechenegs and Norwegian cavalry can have a chance to win the battle.



Niels has proven a capable commander but the large losses on the Norwegian side prevent any notions or glory. The Mongols nearly all fight to the death and on examination of their corpses very little loot is found. Niels barely manages to eke out a 300 florin profit on the entire battle. Not nearly enough to pay off his 2,000 florin debt anytime soon.



Magnus Haakonsson, the son of Prince Haldor is sent out from Novgorod when he publicly criticizes his father. Hopefully he will gain some respect for his elders removed from the action studying at the nearly completed university at Aarhus.

His ship sails past several Norwegian fleets who are finally nearing their destination and are loaded with veterans from the wars in Britain. None too soon can they arrive either as more Mongol armies are reported to be moving towards Novgorod.



Prince Haldor promotes a young man named Christoffer Hvass soon after his son Magnus is sent away. The wars in the Baltic are likely to consume Norway for years to come and reliable men are needed.



News reaches King Haflidhi through contacts with his Hungarian allies that the Turks have called a Jihad on Constantinople. It is an interesting development as the Hungarians already envelop the city and are advancing into Anatolia.



Hamburg yet remains under the banner of the HRE though France has laid siege for nearly 2 decades on and off.



With several Norwegian priests members of the College of Cardinals the developments in Italy are closely followed. Under the leadership of the Norwegian Pope the Papal States have struck a decidedly warlike pose and seem to be swiftly winning the war against Venice. Ancona and Bologna have already fallen and Genoa appears to be next. Meanwhile the city of Venice is protected mostly by its natural defenses and Papal armies are moving towards Vienna and other Venetian possessions further inland.



Gunnar Haakonsson does not follow his older brother's outright contempt for their father but neither does he show proper respect. For the time being his is left in command of Novgorod as his skills appear to be oriented toward governing and less towards being a warrior. In fact greatly similar to his father though he might not recognize it yet.



Prince Haldor leaves his brother with an army newly arrived from Konigsburg and takes command of the first group of newly arrived elite soldiers gathered from the garrisons of Kalmar and Turku. King Haflidhi may dispatch Niels to take command and join the fight against Lithuania but for now Prince Haldor is ordered to move south and observe only- the Teutonic Order has finally shook off its lassitude perhaps due to Norwegian diplomatic demands it attack and has fought several battles against the Lithuanians at Polotsk.

If the Teutonic Order manages to capture Polotsk King Haflidhi might well leave the question of Riga for a later date- however, it the Teutons fail to capture Riga the first task of the soon to arrive veterans will be to capture Riga and Pskov and support the Norway's war against the Mongols in better stead. King Haflidhi is reasonably sure that the Teutons would accept an offer of peace if Hrodna and Smolensk is given over to the Order. Perhaps they might demand more such as Kiev which Haflidhi might consider if the war against the Mongols progresses well enough forces can be diverted towards crushing the remaining Rus who have managed to hold out against the Mongols for all these years. Haflidhi is old enough to remember the many battles Norway fought against the Rus until a truce was called when Hungary and Poland temporarily allied against Norway.