Taking his own medicine -- Der Drakken's Venetian Campaign
On this thread I'll chronicle the weekend's DLV1.9 campaign where I too will taste the sweet/bitter offerings that are the good, bad & ugly of what I have wrought. I will be playing the part of Venice, the AI all other parts including Falstaff. I have selected Venice because navies are the bomb in DLV1.9. With my galley-borne armies, I will be able to quickly seize the regions on both sides of the Adriatic. Then I shall build up a trading empire from which I can launch my assault on the dried out husk that is Byzantium (with full Papal support natch) and from there, the world!....Mwhahahahahaha...let's begin:
1080 Alliances struck with HRE and Milan to guard our royal backside
1081 Gathering up all the available forces from our northern Adriatic towns and castles we strike at Zagreb and storm it the same year (2 turns per year). We ally with Hungary
1082 Alliance with His Holiness the Pope (remind me to send a Christmas ham to our diplomatic corps)
1083 Our brave lads, the champions of Zagreb, led by Councillor Bartolomeo now land on the heel of Italy and besiege Brindisi, storming it the following turn. The Greeks attempted to storm Durazzo but have been repulsed...that shall be our next target...to snatch the pearl of Durazzo before the Greeks arrive with more reinforcements
1084 Religious complications...as a former Greek colony, Brindisi is seething with rebellious Orthodox peasants. Councillor Bartolomeo will need to remain as governor while Captain Hugo takes 10 companies across the Adriatic to besiege Durazzo. I'll bring in a proper general to lead the forces via galley after I drop off Hugo and the army...the siege of Durazzo begins...
1084 Dogs! Traitors! Swine! Hugo rebels and takes the whole of my campaign army over to the enemy. Now there are 14 rebel companies in Durazzo...good luck taking that without spending a fortune doing it. Hopefully the Greeks will wear them down. For my part I'll need to rebuild the army from scratch...all I have left are the 2nd line garrison forces...
Oh look, that used to be my army.
[At this point my Graphics Card dies...no kidding...but 3-ish hours and $300 later, we're back in the game; yay Best Buy!]
1085 Well, with no army the treasury is in good shape...7676 Florins
1086 Our Sicilian cousins declare war, besieging Brindisi and heir to the throne Councillor Bartolomeo
1087 The Pope calls for a crusade on Cairo...we send a warm letter of support. Our newly re-built army led by Knight Banneret Cristiano Selvo (4Star) brings in a relief force from the sea and defeats the Sicilian army besieging Brindisi...the survivors head north to Bari. Sicily accepts a cease-fire. Meanwhile a Sicilian army of 19 companies (at least 5 pretty depleted) besieges Durazzo. I plan to attack Kerkyra and direct Bishop Oliverio to head there via galley to start converting the unfaithful, but a freak storm strikes mid-year sending Oliverio and 160 sailors to a watery grave. France and Milan join the crusade declaring war on Egypt. Hungary declares war on the Byzantines. Cristiano Selvo and the army board the galleys for Kerkyra.
1088 After some modest concessions we strike an alliance with Sicily. Kerkyra falls to Cristiano's army and the Sicilian siege of Durazzo fails miserably...they don't appear to have even dented the defenses there...do I have to do everything myself?
1089 Cristiano and Squire Benasuto Selva (son of Councillor Barolomeo) take up the cross and set out from Kerkyra with the army. France and England are at war. The Sicilians keep battering away at Durazzo...they are beginning to wear down the defenders. Later that year the Venetian army lands in North Africa west of Alexandria.
1090 Benasuto has fallen ill (I'm testing my Misery and Misfortune script) and is left behind on the galleys. Cristiano marches the Doge's army southeast and besieges Cairo. Inside is Sheik Nasser and four spear militia. Hungarians join the crusade.
1091 Milanese crusaders arrive as Egyptian relief forces close in on the besiegers. Benasuto has recovered but remains with the navy for now.
Someone make a move...
1092 England & Denmark join the crusade...sure now that I have Cairo under siege, join on in. Cristiano falls ill...it's this accursed desert and the black flies! The Sicilians finally overwhelm the defenders at Durazzo, may the Devil take them. Egypt attacks...four armies totalling 2100 men, one led by Nasser vs. the Venetian army of 2200 men led by KB Cristiano and a Milanese army of 2700 men led by Count Puccio. As events unfold, the Milanese are no shows and the Egyptians are defeated in detail...Cairo falls and the population is put to the sword. The First Crusade ends in a blood soaked victory.
1093 Newly minted Knight Benasuto leads the bulk of the army north to take Alexandria. Most of the Egyptian army (that remains) head east for Gaza (bad AI...they should have fallen back to Alexandria to protect the city). Benasuto besieges Alexandria which is held by the Egyptian Caliph and one company. Byzantines beat me to the punch, blockading Iraklion and declaring war.
1094 Alexandria falls and the populace is exterminated, the Caliph is killed when the city is stormed. Byzantines escalate hostilities by blockading Brindisi. With the treasury at 30,000 Florins, I'm going to build a second navy and army and strike back at the Greeks...
1095 Ragusa is besieged by rebels. Young Squire Gerardo Selvo leading the new northern army destroys them. The Mongol expeditionary force (faction) is destroyed...their secret underground base must have been discovered
1096 Alliance with France. Byzantines land on Crete west of Iraklion.
1097 Our beloved Doge Domenico dies, Bartolomeo is elevated to Doge. The Byzantines besiege Iraklion, Antonio Selvo, Lord of Iraklion sallies with his forces but is killed and his garrison falls back inside the city. Meanwhile, Gerardo marches south into Thessalonica and catches the Greeks with but a single company garrisoning the city...the siege of Thessalonica begins. The Byzantines assault Iraklion but are repulsed. Their navy driven off by the Venetian galleys, the Byzantine survivors melt into the Creten countryside...
The Doge is dead, long live the Doge!
1098 England is excommunicated. The Byzantines bring up an army of 20 companies to relieve the siege of Thessalonica. Gerardo assaults the city, and the Greek relief force fails to arrive in time...Thessalonica falls. Gerardo marches his force east and destroys the Greek relief force, then continues east and destroys a second army led by Mauros of Macedonia. The people of Thessalonica are riotous...their Orthodox faith prevents them from accepting their Venetian overlords (I should have put them to the sword...I'll be sorry). Barbus the Mad, Governor of Corfu sails for Crete with reinforcements since the city is near revolt after the loss of so much of its garrison...things are getting hairy...the treasury is falling fast, now down to 3000 Florins. The Byzantines land a second invasion force on Crete but Barbus arrives in time to route them while the Venetian navy chases away the Greek galleys.
1099 Our forces in Egypt have been stalled since the fall of Cairo trying to keep the population in check. I've been cranking out priests from both Cairo and Alexandria each turn to convert the masses but its not enough. Cairo rebels and throws out the Venetian garrison of 20 companies. Thessalonica also rebels and tosses out Gerardo's army. I can't afford to keep my current military forces with two less cities. I disband most of the former Cairo garrison and have the veteran survivors huddle with the garrison in Alexandria. All my North African priests are concentrated in Alexandria area as well...we mustn't lose our last foothold in Africa. A third Byzantine invasion force lands on Crete and is destroyed by Barbus the Mad. Treasury is down to 900 Florins...
1100 Just to cap off the century, a Jihad is called to take Antioch.
1101 Pope Gregory is dead. Pope Villanus of Hungary is elected thanks in no small part to the Venetian block of four votes (you're welcome). England is reconciled to His Holiness. The Jihad takes Antioch. I blockade Nicaea to make the Council of Nobles happy (not really) and pick up 1000 Florins (that's the reason).
1102 With the cashiering of all extra companies, the treasury is back up to 5500 Florins. While I've been saving up, the vile Sicilians have slipped in a sizable army to besiege Thessalonica...grrrrrrrr! The Thessalonican garrison sallies, and my army is pulled into the fray. Despite not lifting a finger in support of the Sicilians, they win a narrow victory and take the city. I sink the Byzantine fleet to feel better, and send my army south via galleys to Athens...I also send my holy-roller-corps of three Cardinals there as well to convert the masses...the Sicilians can take care of themselves in Thessalonca...here's wishing them a revolt of the city. Sir Gerardo falls ill, so I'll need to sail the now completely insane Barbus the Mad up from Crete to take charge of the army (the men love him). I'm not having any captain-led armies revolting and leaving me in the lurch again. In Africa, Crisitiano takes most of the southern army (less the garrison in Alexandria led by now-Councillor Benasuto) to Cairo. He provokes an attack by rebel forces which pulls in the Cairo garrison which is annihilated...since he wasn't besieging Cairo, the city is still in rebel hands but down to a single company as garrison.
Second battle of Cairo reveals *cough* "undocumented feature"...
1103 Cristiano besieges Cairo and it falls the next turn. The population is again put to the sword for their treachery. Cardinal Donatello arrives via galley from Brindisi and sets about purging the rampant heretics...three are burned at the stake over the next few turns. Two Egyptian armies containing 22 companies march in from the east. In Greece, Barbus the Mad besieges Athens and it falls the same year.
1104 A recovered Gerardo, now a Knight Banneret, leads the northern army in a siege of Corinth, while the balance garrisons Athens under Barbus. The main Egyptian army falls on Cairo but is destroyed in a sortie led by Knight Commander Cristiano...a thousand Egyptians are ransomed for 3300 Florins...thank you, Egypt. Corinth falls to Gerardo's forces...Byzantine commander Isaac Comnenus (3Star) slain in the assault
The double-wide family Selvo, circa 1104
1105 Egyptian navy blockades Iraklion harbor, but the Venetian navy arrives and sinks the Egyptians. King Rufus of England is excommunicated.
1106 A second Egyptian fleet blockades Corinth and is sunk in turn. Treasury is at 3200 Florins, we may soon be able to return to the offensive. Ooops, spoke too soon, an Imperial navy blockades Iraklion and we are at war with the HRE. This is definitely not good. An Imperial army sits astride the road out of Venice, income is down to 3000 Florins from 5000. The Republic lives or dies by the commerce out of Venice! Our diplomat Guido Batlle is send racing north from Brindisi...but as he's "Feeling his Age" and 55, its going to take 2 more turns to reach Balogna to sue for peace. At the end of this turn the HRE army threatening Venice besieges the city...this is gut check time. Gerardo boards the galleys south of Corinth and races for Venice...it will take two more turns to make landfall...
1107 Treasury is bleeding red...now -1400 Florins with Venice under siege. Can't wait for Gerardo and the northern army. Alessandro sorties with 8 companies of militia infantry vs. 8 companies of mounted sergeants and militia spears (6&2). In a close battle, Alessandro drives off the German besiegers. Scotland and England are at war, and we secure an alliance with England when their diplomat stops by to say "hello." In the second turn, another HRE army besieges Venice...treasury is at -3500...the nobles will revolt if things aren't soon set to rights. This force is 160 Mailed Knights and 600 Armored Sergeants...in anther nail biter, the Germans are driven off. I disband companies everywhere, sell military buildings at my castles...if I had crown jewels I'd hock those too. I get the treasury back to zero...it will go negative once I hit next turn since I have Gerardo at sea paddling hard for Venice. Guido Batlle (6I) reaches Balogna and negotiates a cease fire...hooray (2 hams for Guido this Christmas). In other news, Pope Villanus is dead and Pope Benecasa of Venice (Yay!) is elected by the college of Cardinals (four of which hail from the Serene Republic). England and France sign a truce and the English King is reconciled with Rome. The Byzantines land a force on Crete...I think this is the 4th invasion...and it is destroyed.
1108 Admiral Paolo with Gerardo and the northern army reverse course and head for Crete. We'll use that as a jumping off point to hit Anatolia. Treasury is at 3500 Florins. Disaster strikes, however, when the Byzantine fleet crushes Paolo's. We outnumbered them and had a 2Star admiral...but sometimes the best laid plans go awry. A 5th Byzantine invasion force lands on Crete...Anthes Chalkites (2Star) leading 6 Byzantine companies. HRE and Constantinople strike an alliance...not good. The wrecked shambles of the fleet reach the south shore of Crete (but not the safety of Iraklion harbor). Gerardo rides toward Iraklion raising mercenary troops to oppose Chalkites' force. The army remains with the fleet (no more movement points this turn). During their turn, Chalkites lays siege to Iraklion and the Venetian fleet is smashed by two Byzantine navies...only one half strength galley remains but the transports are still intact (this is how I rationalize one galley carrying some 1200 troops). Just to add to the frenzy, a Byzantine army of 14 companies marches on Zagreb...they're but a single turn's march away. I've got little to defend the city and "oh, joy" I just sold the bulk of the military buildings in my castles to the south...life is getting very complicated.
1109 My shadow of a navy makes it to Iraklion harbor...the army disembarks, joins with Gerardo and destroys Chalkites' force...I've got to go over to the offensive or the Byzantines will keep making life miserable. Raffiano Foscari (2Star) sorties from Zagreb with a scratch force of 1500 men including 500 peasants. But he has 2 companies of mailed knights that I kept as a reserve in case of calamity...and here it is. He routes the 1500 Byzantines marching on Zagreb, and ransoms back the prisoners for 3500 Florins...perhaps enough to get my offensive rolling. There are at least 15 Byzantine galleys in the waters south of Athens...I've been reduced from master of seas to sneaking and skulking. I've managed to scrape together four galleys that transport Gerardo and the northern army (11 mixed companies) to Anatolia. The Egyptians are still sore about Alexandria and Cairo...they blockade Brindisi and besiege Cairo. Concillor Benasuto (I remember him when he was just a squire) rides down from Alexandria to route the besieging Egyptian forces...no go on the ransom demands so 1000 Egyptian captives lose their heads.
1110 Hammer time! Gerardo's army falls on Smyrna. The Greek garrison is led by Stefanos Cerulanicus (1Star) with 4 infantry companies - which won't be enough I'm afraid. Our fleet on the way home to Iraklion attacks a Byzantine galley which has unfortunately parked next to a galley from Milan. As our allies, the Milanes join in the fray, war is declared on Byzantium and the HRE breaks its alliance with Milan...it's a twofer! Cardinal Donatello dies in Alexandria...his good works have put our African colonies on the road to prosperity...Catholic populations have grown to 71% (Alex.) and 63% (Cairo)...and the heretics which plagued this land are...uh, ashes. Gerardo is promoted to Knight Commander and celebrates by storming Smyrna. He then garrisons the castle, hires 3 companies of Armenian Archers and marches north along the coast. This is a completely just war, since as you'll recall, the Greeks threw the first stone.
We are all so proud of Gerardo!
Editorial note: 60 turns in, this has been no cakewalk. I've narrowly averted bankruptcy on at least two occasions which would have led to rebellion by my nobles. My fleet has been smashed, the AI is using naval invasion, Sicily has stolen a city out from under me TWICE (they'll pay), and I've lost two cities to rebellion, one of which I have no prospect of recovering. I've had to sell buildings and disband companies to stay afloat more times in one game than in all my previous MTW, RTW & M2TW experience combined.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by hravatskopravo
