CUMANS (Cuman-Kipchak Confederation)

[Mr Sneeze]

Hi!
I've started a campaign with the Cuman Khanate (first time playing with them). Difficulty : H/VH.
I'm around turn 50, and so far it's going rather well: I took Kiev and Smolensk from the Rus (starting at war with them), and really weakened them.

The big advantage of this faction is of course Horse Archers.

The challenge that I see going forward is to anticipate the arrival of the Mongols. On that regard, I've already moved to the West, and I expect to lose the huge Eastern provinces later in the game.
The thing is though: if I want to be crowned, I need some of those Eastern region (most notably the big region on the north-east corner of the map. Bulgaria?). Being crowned is probably important for that faction, as the potential size of our empire is huge (it is already! huge steppes regions): unrest and loyalty of generals is surely more of an issue with this faction than for more 'compact' factions, don't you think?

So it seems to me I should try to get crowned BEFORE the mongols arrive, and then get out of there , defending from towns in central europe mostly. And that's where is the challenge: to be crowned I need to take 2 rebel regions with full stacks (very well defended). I also need to take one region from the Byzantine empire, and one region from Hungary.
All the while maintaining security on my north-west border, namely with Poland and Novgorod (for the Kievan Rus, I don't worry, they're very weak now).
Seems like it's not gonna be easy!

Anyway, just felt like sharing

If someone has some experience and advice for the Cumans, your input is welcome!

[Jurand of Cracow]

Hi!
I've started a campaign with the Cuman Khanate (first time playing with them). Difficulty : H/VH.
I'm around turn 50, and so far it's going rather well: I took Kiev and Smolensk from the Rus (starting at war with them), and really weakened them.

The big advantage of this faction is of course Horse Archers.

The challenge that I see going forward is to anticipate the arrival of the Mongols. On that regard, I've already moved to the West, and I expect to lose the huge Eastern provinces later in the game.
The thing is though: if I want to be crowned, I need some of those Eastern region (most notably the big region on the north-east corner of the map. Bulgaria?). Being crowned is probably important for that faction, as the potential size of our empire is huge (it is already! huge steppes regions): unrest and loyalty of generals is surely more of an issue with this faction than for more 'compact' factions, don't you think?

So it seems to me I should try to get crowned BEFORE the mongols arrive, and then get out of there , defending from towns in central europe mostly. And that's where is the challenge: to be crowned I need to take 2 rebel regions with full stacks (very well defended). I also need to take one region from the Byzantine empire, and one region from Hungary.
All the while maintaining security on my north-west border, namely with Poland and Novgorod (for the Kievan Rus, I don't worry, they're very weak now).
Seems like it's not gonna be easy!
Anyway, just felt like sharing
If someone has some experience and advice for the Cumans, your input is welcome!

It seems you're recently the only one taking up the challenge . I'm very interested how it will go.

@Macaras has prepared a special mechanism for dismantling the Mongols' realm once it's big, but it'd kick-in later in the game:

;===================================================================================================
;---------- Mongol Decline Script (MDS) : counters set-up
;===================================================================================================
;Depending on this counters some regions will rebel at the same time
;It is to simulate the struggle for power after the Mongol empire is established and the leader dies,
;otherwise Mongols just continue conquering the world .
;Regions: 1- Baghdad, Al_Wasit, Al_Basra
; 2- Tbilisi, Kutatisi
; 3- Kiev, Charno,Pereyeslaw
; 4- Merv,Nishapur,Konikala
; 5- Halab,AlRaqqah,Edessa
; 6- Angora, Caesarea, Konya
;There is only 17 cities where potentially the revolt may start.

My plans for tweaking the Mongols are as follows:

** 1: 1218-1230 : 2 armies assault Merv, 2 assault Urgench [currently 9 armies + 5 if Merv not taken, what was rather inevitable].
** 2: +3 : 2-3 armies assault Ray or Alamut
** 3: +3 : 2-3 armies assault Tabriz or Baku or Tbilisi or Ani
** 4: +3 : north of the Causacus and east-Black Sea (2 armies near Azaq, 2 near Kiev) [currently none].
** 5: +3 : second wave: 3 armies either at two of those cities: Merv/Urgench/Konjikala (if the player is Cumans), or 3 at Bulgar and Sharukan (if player Abbasids, Turks); or both - if player none of those factions [currently 4 armies at Merv]
- instead of 3 additional groups of 2 armies, there'll be historical invasions:
** invasion of Iraq : if Mongols hold Nishabur/Merv, Ray/Yazd, Isfahan, spawn 2 full-stacks near Baghdad (otherwise spawn them next to Merv)
** invasion of Syria : if Mongols hold Nishabur/Merv, Ray/Yazd, Isfahan, Baghdad, spawn 3 full-stacks near Damascus or Aleppo
** invasion of Anatolia : if Mongols hold Nishabur/Merv, Ray/Yazd, Isfahan, Baghdad, spawn 3 full-stacks near Ceasarea or Sivas
** invasion of Zalesye : check cities against Cuman/slave/Mongol ownership then spawn 2-3 full-stacks at the first: Bulgar, Ryazan, Suzdal.
** invasion of Kiev : check cities against Cuman/slave/Mongol ownership then spawn 2-3 full-stacks at the first: Sharukan, Pereyaslav, Kiev
** invasion of Poland/Hungary : if Mongols hold Kiev/Pereyasla/Sharukan/Azaq/Iasi, check cities against Cuman/slave/Mongol ownership then spawn 3 full-stacks at the first: Halych, Krakow, Esztergom
** invasion of Bulgaria : if Mongols hold Azaq, check cities against Cuman/slave/Mongol ownership then spawn 2 full-stacks at the first: Iasi, Tarnovo, Nis

[minhnd6789]

I like the Cuman, too. I playing several campaigns.
In my experience, it seems to be a challenge, especially in manage the cities/castles you taken.

From the beginning, with good general’s excellent traits, you can expand your kingdom well, and you can feel it easy. However, from year later, especially since the Mongols, it will be hard.
The city need more troops, or I have to say need more veteran troops and good general to guard, or the rebel rate will be very high and you lose your cities/castle.

Anyway, Cuman has good point is that you can recruit many general from particular cities/castle with Headquarter nomad.
One more thing, I usually attack south (Georgia, Turk, Byzantine) since they have good high income and balance settlements and the distance between them is short, so you can control them well.

I hope you have good campaign!

[Khevsur]

Kypchaks units would be good if with historical weapons-Armor and according to periods. There are many illustrations of them on the Internet.

David IV the builder brought the Kypchaks to Georgia and settled them in the border areas . They were nomadic archer horsemen and were a good force against the nomadic Seljuk Turks. Many Kypchak Warrior were in the Georgian Monaspa unit in the 12th century. Then they returned to the steppes. But the Georgians hired them several times in the 13th-14th centuries. Once the Kypchaks abandoned and betrayed the Georgian army in the battle against the Khwarazm Army

Kypchaks had long helmets In 13th-14th centuries.This is Kypchak Warrior from a Georgian fresco



13th-14 th century


10th-13th century


........................................................................................
https://www.twcenter.net/forums/show...-Volga-Bulgars


https://www.google.com/search?q=cuma...h=625&biw=1366


https://www.pinterest.ch/pin/693484042592615311/

[Holigan223]

Hi all. I played SS 6.4 before mainly Scotland and I found this submod when my urge to medieval came. I gone VH for campaign thinking yay more mechanics and choose Cumans. Now I maybe stupid but Cuman starts with negative income so I disbanded some units and bunkered down on my cities.Got 6 or so trade agreements and alliences. In 32 turns I managed to upgrade one castle to city 3 farm upgrades only to got 600 or so florin positive income. Then Rus brought 3 half full army and Hungarians hit me with one full stack. Here I was sting struggling to pay for militas while Rus cameto party. Can someoene enlighten me I am perfectlyfinewith slowgoing steppe khagnate but this absurd.What did I done wrong?

[Jurand of Cracow]

You've chosen a wrong factions. Cumans, Rum or Portugal are probably there most difficult to start with (Scotland perhaps as well, I don't know). Ofc, Poland or Hungary will be difficult if you don't care for good relations with HRE or Romaioi, but you should play Cumans once you've played other ones. Plus, admitedely, they are not so upgraded in the SSHIP.
Try Hungary, I've spent a lot of time upgrading them in the Summer.

[Marble Emperor]

It also helps to start aggressively as Cumans. Consolidate your initial units and push outwards immediately into rebel territory. That’s how I played them, and it worked pretty well.

[Marble Emperor]

Cumans are a very tough faction. They have very good units, but they are very spread out and have many enemies.

[Zeflute]

thank you! Then I'll just give up at it

[Sllhouette]

great video by kings and generals, just recently uploaded. for a faction that probably doesn't get too much love for most M2TW players. i always thought how fascinating these people were, for me, these are who i think of when i think about turkic peoples who spread far and wide. they became elites in hungary, they became elites and rulers as mamluks in egypt, they became rulers in northern india, they were great enemies of the mongols and yet became one of their most powerful groups in their empire and fought in china, they fought for the byzantines and against the byzantines, they even have a hand in bulgaria. how insane that one ethnic group can be so widely influencing on countries in every direction.

anyone who is fascinated by steppe peoples like the mongols will enjoy this video. if i ever try another SSHIP campaign, i might try to play as the cumans and survive the mongols and rus

[Sllhouette]

btw total war center forum's interface is very antiquated...it took me 4 tries to successfully embed that youtube video. if anyone is wondering how to post videos, look at these links:

https://www.twcenter.net/forums/show...-on-this-forum
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/misc.php?do=bbcode