EU4 - Strive for Pskov!

[Abe Sargent]

Hello all! Yes, it’s time. It’s time for me to brush off some EU4 loving and head back for another dynasty. Whom am I taking? What will I do? Part of that depends on whom I have played in the past! I have dynasties as various nations:

EU2-4


Wallachia – First dynasty, lost, Orthodox
Wallachia – Second dynasty, lost, Orthodox
Wallachia – Third dynasty, lost, Orthodox
Trebizond – Fourth Dynasty, won, Orthodox
Oldenburg – Fifth Dynasty, won, Catholic/Protestant
Mataram – Sixth Dynasty, won. Still my favorite EU dynasty of all time, btw. United all Hindu nations from SE Asia. Created a love affair between me and the Indies that still lasts to this day.
Granada – Seventh Dynasty, survived, Still my 3rd favorite dynasty of all time. Used events made for hypothetical resurgent Granada that included a new Crusade against the Muslims on Iberia and an attempt for another Reconquista.
Naxos – Eighth Dynasty, won, formed Italy, Catholic
Songhai – Ninth Dynasty, won, took over Africa for Islam
Bar – Tenth Dynasty, lost very quickly
Bar – Eleventh Dynasty, lost very quickly
Connaught – Twelfth dynasty, won, formed Ireland, Catholic
Utrecht - Thirteenth Dynasty, Catholic, lost
Lorraine – Fourteenth dynasty, won, took over HRE title, Catholic
Oman – Fifteenth dynasty, won, became Muslim Portugal
Kamchatka – Sixteenth dynasty, won, my 2nd favorite dynasty with the fun Pagan nation.
Mysore – Seventeenth dynasty, won, formed Bharat as the Muslim India.
Huyla – Eighteenth dynasty, won, my 4th favorite dynasty, formed Inca Empire
Kongo – Nineteenth dynasty, won, merged Africa into a mostly Catholic state


CK1-2:

Halsingland, First dynasty, won, formed Sweden
Salerno, Second dynasty, won, formed Italy, fought off Mongol Invasion
Sligo, Third dynasty, lost to bigger Irish powers
Glamorgan, fourth dynasty, lost to England
Suenik, fifth dynasty, lost
Suenik, sixth dynasty, lost
Suenik, seventh dynasty, lost
Lubek, eighth dynasty, won
Yegorlyk, ninth dynasty, won
Aragon – Tenth dynasty, won Reconquista


Now, there are a few different dynasties I’ve done.

So it’s time for my 20th dynasty. Going in, you’ll note that I’ve done dynasties in places like Africa, Asia, the Indies, Europe, and the Americas.

Not counting CK or ones I’ve lost:

Africa – 2, Songhai, Kongo
Asia – 4, Kamchatka, Mataram, Mysore, Oman, Trebizond
N. America – 0
S. America – 1, Huyla
Europe – 5, Naxos, Granada, Oldenburg, Lorraine, Connaught

Adding in CK wins:

Europe – 5
Asia – 1, Yegorlyk

I have not done some major sort of iconic options:



China

Japan

Russia

Ethiopia or another Christian nation on the East Africa area

N. Africa – Take a nation and capture European nations across the Great Sea.

N. America tribe. Take a tribe, unify some stuff, and then beat back those invading Colonial nations!

Middle East – I think taking a classically placed Muslim minor power and turning it into a dominant local power in Turkey or the Levant would be pretty cool.

[Coffee Warlord]

Japan would be an interesting one.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'd also have to say either Japan or China

(I'm unclear how fractured / whole "China" is at the start of play, so it could either be hella hard OR too easy)

[Abe Sargent]

Japan would be an interesting one.

Yeah, it begins splintered which is good. And they added a lot to make it feel real in various DLCS and updates

[Abe Sargent]

I'd also have to say either Japan or China

(I'm unclear how fractured / whole "China" is at the start of play, so it could either be hella hard OR too easy)

Yeah. In real life, I like China more than Japan, but the Japanese Challenge in EU4 feels better and more genuine.

[Abe Sargent]

Got it!

[Abe Sargent]

Now I know where I am going.

I am doing a Russian challenge. I want to take a lesser power, and fight off the local powers, like Lithuania, Muscovy, and the Great Horde and then form Russia. A few additional Russian states were recently added, both smaller powers. Additionally, we have had some new territories added here as well.

Now some recent additions to the game have added lots of new territories. We just had a ton of new provinces out down in the Middle East, and an entire expansion rooted down there in the Cradle of Civilization patch. But I have not run an Orthodox nation in EU since my Fourth dynasty in Trebizond, so I have only once had a successful run in EU with an Orthodox nation. I’ve had a few Catholic nations embrace Protestants early too.


It’s also been a while since I had a central Asian power as well either. Arguably, my only other CA nation was Trebizond as well, although I don’t really think of it as such. Yegorlyk in CK sort of resonates as that role for me.


So what I would love to do is to take a minor power in Russia, win and expand, and then grow into a major local power, become Russia, and then push from there against other major powers.

[Abe Sargent]

Now the big bad of the area is Muscovy. They are the big winners of the post-fall of the Kievan Russian nation. The Kievan Russia was a big alliance and federation of tribes that stretched from far north very far south that was around for centuries. It’s fall began around 50 years before it was finally ended in 1240 to the Mongols. After it fell, Novgorod grew into one of the major powers in the north, and Muscovy in the middle. Many other principalities, republics, and tribes populated the region.

Slowly but surely, Muscovy exerted it’s influence. It brought together many principalities, but not often through war. It would buy land. It would let people retire in wealth and luxury in the regional capital of the area while they continued to administer the land for them. They had marriages and alliances and wove people together. They warred and took lands from local tribes and former Mongols. They grew slowly but inexorably.

When the game begins in 1444, we are really at the beginning of the major expansion of Muscovy from multiple angles. By 1478, Novgorod itself was annexed fully by Muscovy despite being at the height of its power in 1444. They went to war with Novgorod in the late 60s, and then won the war decisively.

To help demonstrate the Muscovy might, two new vassals were added, small nations, in the Principality of Beloozero (officially annexed in 1487) and the Principality of Rostov (integrated in 1474). In order to help stave off the threat, more provinces were added to the Novgorod Republic, bringing it to 22.

An entire expansion was aimed here, and updated the map for Lithuania, as well as added in special rules for the type of republic we have here (Veche Republics) as well as new governments rules for the Tsardom and Principalities.


Veche Republic

This is a new republic form, which works like a merchant republic and have access to the Russian abilities as well. They are always duchy rank, and their bonus is +1 merchant. Novgorod and Pskov start as Veche Republics. It also gives +3 to states.


Principality

This is the new monarchy government form, which all Russian monarchies start with. It has access to the Russian abilities, and while they are locked to duchy rank, they have a bonus of -1 unrest and +5% Tax Modifier. It also gives +3 to states.


Tsardom

This government form is given when forming Russia, and is automatically empire rank. Besides giving +10 to amount of states and access to the Russian abilities, it gives the following bonuses. +20% Manpower, +0.1 Yearly Absolutism & -0.05 monthly autonomy.


The Russian abilities work like this. All actions have a bar to fill up before they can be used. Bar fill up from 0 - 100, increasing yearly by the ruler’s monarch point in the category, and a base +3. The actual bar can hold 150, so you don’t lose by not using it immediately.

The Administrative ability is called Reform Sudebnik, and reduces autonomy by 10% in all provinces you own.
The diplomatic ability is called Support Oprichnina, and reduces progress of all your rebel factions by 30% each.
The military ability is called Raise Streltsy, and reduces war exhaustion by 2, and raises 20% of your forcelimit as Streltsy Infantry in your capital.

So what is Streltsy units? Previously we had three categories of units, with regulars, mercenaries & banners. There are two more categories added, and one of those is the Streltsy.

Streltsy arrive at full strength, but low morale, and do not cost manpower nor gold at recruit, but otherwise works like a regular unit, if not for two distinct differences. First, the amount of streltsy compared to your force limit increases your stability costs, while each streltsy regiment provides +10% fire damage.


The other category is Cossacks, which is there for everyone that bought the “The Cossacks” expansion. Cossacks work like regulars, except they do +10% extra shock damage.

Cossacks are recruited as an estate interaction, where each province assigned to the Cossacks estate will give you 1 cavalry Cossack regiment.

Of course, fittingly for the focus on this update, we have added three new interactions to the Cossacks estate.
Conscripting Elites: gain army tradition, lose loyalty
Supply Arms: lose MIL, gain loyalty and influence
Permit Self Governance: give autonomy to cossack lands, gain loyalty and influence


Orthodox changes?

Orthodox world at large: Metropolitans and Icons.


Patriarch Authority has been a game concept for Orthodox nations since time immemorial, or at least since release. While it's effects have been tweaked a little over the game's lifespan, sadly it has remained somewhat stale in that you wait for events to push it up or down. We've decided to revisit this mechanic to give it more life.


Patriarch Authority will still grant meaty bonuses to Unrest suppression, Missionary Strength and Manpower but it can now be spent to commission new Icons for your nation. Orthodox nations across the globe will be able to make a call against the long-lasting effects of high Patriarch Authority against a strong temporary bonus granted from commissioning an Icon.


Commissioning an Icon will cost 10 Patriarch Authority and will grant that icon's bonuses for your nation for 20 years. You can at any time switch your Icon out for another at a cost of a further 10 PA, or just wait for them to run their course.

Sources of Authority were, however, few and mercilessly random, so we have added a new State ability for followers of the Orthodox faith: Consecrate Metropolitan

In any well developed (30+) State where your religion is in all provinces and cultures are accepted, you can Consecrate a Metropolitan. This will permanently grant a reduction to Devastation at the cost of slightly increased State Maintenance, but when used will bestow +5 Patriarch Authority. Any Orthodox nation can do this, but it plays particularly well into the Tsardom's hands with their increased State limit, allowing them to have more Metropolitans and boost up their Patriarch Authority further.

[Abe Sargent]

Now there are three other major expansions for the game, in addition to this recent Third Rome, that will play heavily into changes in the game’s systems we’ll in and around Russia and with these merchant republics:

Res Publica – 3rd expansion, added many new options for Republics, and really fleshed them out independently, such as factions in the Republic to satisfy, updates to how leaders work, and so forth.

The Cossacks – 7th expansion, added many options and powers for Central Asian powers, including Horde Unity, razing, etc. Gave the tribal nations a lot of new options to help make them both more realistic, and different than simple European powers, as well as more challenging rivals.

Mare Nostrum – 8th expansion. Added many naval options, powers, and abilities. More espionage, pirate hunting, etc. The single most important addition in this change was the ability for a merchant republic to make a trade league with other nations, as long as they are one-province big.


With these additions, I was led to playing Novgorod, as the great anti-Muscovy. It’s wealthy but weak internally, with major issues militarily, and developed ports, but weaker inland holdings. It has a bigger navy than army.

[Abe Sargent]

Now, I’ve never played a republic, nor have I played a Russian nation. These feels like the perfect time to do both, with the nearby Orthodox nations being stronger, post-Cossacks, etc.


Let me show you how a Veche Republic works, because most of its rules are just Merchant republic with a few additions, like Russian options.


The Veche Republic was very different to other medieval republics. In places like Novorogod, the Veche is a ruling council that was elected and had seats for different classes of people, and represented all different sorts from laborers to merchants. This ruling council decided all legislative matters as well as judicial and heard, collectively, major cases from their home. There were some noble Princes in the Veche Republic who were elected to serve as the leader at any given point in time, and their job was to execute the edicts, both legislative and judicial, of the Veche. It’s a very compelling form of government, and the power of the Veche as the top of the ruling class is very interesting. Due to the collective ownership of the people here, profits were shared and invested in architecture. One of the major reasons Novgorod pushed against Muscovy when other’s liked joining the powers for prestige and power was the lack of wealth. They didn’t want their hard earned money to go enrichen some Duke, but instead to the local merchants and such, which were a huge part of Novgorod’s success.

Here are the rules for a VR.

• +1 Merchant
• Election cycle: 4 years.
• +3 Number of states
• Can construct a trade post for 50 ADM giving +10 trade power, in one owned province per trade node (except your primary node).
• Can lead a trade league and create trading cities.
• Without penalties, only 20 provinces can be states. For each state province over the limit republic loses -0.1 Republican tradition.
• Can't switch governments normally (but can become a dictatorship through event with low republican tradition)
• Fixed rank: Duchy
• No Royal Marriages
• Much harder to Dip-Annex
• Bonus goods production in non-owned provinces in a controlled trade node, equal to percentage of trade controlled (e.g., non-owned provinces produce 50% bonus goods if the republic control 100% of trade in the node).

(The term state refers to a holdings not with a Colonial power, or local territories, the world is divided into larger states with the provinces under them)

Republic mechanics:

Republics have republican tradition instead of legitimacy. In some republics the ruler rules for life, but in others there is an election cycle. When the cycle ends, you get an event in which you can select the ruler:
• Re-elect the current ruler. The country loses -2.5 republican tradition per election cycle year, but the ruler gains 1 of each skill. This is to represent the fear that the ruler is becoming entrenched and despotic, more like a monarchy.
• Administrative candidate (4/1/1)
• Diplomatic candidate (1/4/1)
• Military candidate (1/1/4)
If the ruler dies in office, a similar event occurs but without the possibility for re-election. Compared to a monarchy, one has much more control over who rules, and there is no stability loss when he/she dies (except if he is killed in combat and / or a lifetime dictator in Bureaucratic Despotism or Republican Dictatorship). However, a freshly elected ruler is usually not very good, and (except for Dutch Republics) one can't make royal marriages. Republican leaders can be used as Military leaders like their monarch counterparts. If their leader is killed in action, the republic suffers -1 stability.

All non-tribal republics have a small bonus that helps mitigate the penalty to non-accepted culture provinces. It’s not applied to cultures belonging to the same culture group. The bonus consists of:
+10% Local tax modifier
+10% Local manpower modifier
+5% Local sailors modifier
−0.5 Local unrest


Republican tradition

Republican tradition is the republican counterpart of how legitimate the ruling power is perceived by the general population. It's also a way to show how "true" the government holds up to republican ideals (i.e. if a country elects a new ruler in every election). This property ranges between 0 and 100.
New republics will start with 100 tradition, unless the nation in question was formerly a monarchy and enacted the Adopt Plutocratic Administration or Adopt Oligarchic Administration decision, in which case it will start with 50. Each year republican tradition increases by a base of +1. Various events can make a player choose between sacrificing tradition or suffering another negative consequence. Like legitimacy, republican tradition has linearly-scaling effects based on its level:

Variable 0% 50% 100%
National unrest 0 −1 −2
Stability cost modifier +200% +100% 0

Republican government with low tradition can collapse into despotism, with noble rebel factions becoming increasingly likely below 66 and 33 tradition. Below 40, the ruler may declare himself the ruler of a republican dictatorship (or, for revolutionary republics, a revolutionary empire). This is more likely to happen with lower tradition, and also happens immediately if the ruler is re-elected with tradition below 20. When the ruler of a republican dictatorship dies with republican tradition below 50, it becomes a monarchy, of the most advanced type permitted by admin tech (except Constitutional Monarchy). Republican tradition does not normally increase during a dictatorship, but if it's above 50 when the ruler dies, the government reverts to whatever type it was before the dictatorship.

Those are the interesting rules about running a Republic. So, note a few breaks here. No RMs, rougher dip-annex and dip-vassal and breaks on the size of the Republic and having one good ruler for a long time are all major breaks on what you can do moving forward.

[Abe Sargent]

However, Novgorod feels way too powerful. Taking over a 22 province power under the V. Republic feels like I am getting a major power that is already dialed in for a win. Just insert a spoon and stir. But there is another Veche Republic who is not in such a good place.


Pskov

2 provinces

Stuck between Novgorod, Lithuania, and the Livonian Order.

Vassal of Muscovy


Pskov was a Principality under the control of Kievan Russia. Then in 1230 it was moved to under the control of Novgorod, where it remained after the dissolution of Kievan Russia. It retained it’s rulership under Novgorod, and moved to the Veche Republic fully. It became more important, and won victory for Novgorod in a war against the Livonian Order in the Battle of Rakvere, and won it with distinction, helping to bring that war to a close in 1268, and won their virtual independence from Novgorod as a thanks and farewell, although not technically ratified until 1348 (not dissimilar to other European holdings, such as France). They kept the Novgorod method of rulership with them.


They kept their ties to Novgorod while also cozying up to Muscovy to help ensure their survival, after they defeated the Teutonic Knights in a war that ended in 1380 and Lithuania began agitating for their removal from the map. In 1399, Pskov allowed themselves to become a vassal of Muscovy in order to keep themselves safe. They allowed Muscovy to appoint their rulers, which nonetheless still took order from the Veche. They would remain under the Moscow crown until 1510 when they were finally annexed by the burgeoning nation in its ongoing power-grab. Pskov was declared the personal territory of the Grand Prince of Muscovy, and just annexed without any chance to stop it.

A song written in 1510 commemorating the Story of the Taking of Pskov is considered one of the ten best epic works in the history of Russia, and it depicts Muscovy as they are depicted as leisurely pushing for it and moving things just a little bit at a time, and around 111 years later, it happened. The spider will gobble the fly however it wants to, and there is nothing the fly can do to prevent it.

So Pskov survives longer than Novgorod does, and it feels a bit like Trebizond to me, frankly. It was a successor state of the Eastern part of the Roman Empire in Turkey along the Black Sea, and it lasted for long after its parent was pertinent, until it was taken out in 1479 by the Turks, and even after the runt Byzantine Empire is finally snuffed out in 1453.

Now, in 1444, Novgorod is the big state and Pskov the runt, but that will switch. And what if some long-range person came in, and saw who Pskov was and what they could be, and wanted to turn them into a Neo Novgorod? Someone who cherished their independence enough to seek to wrest themselves from out under the Yoke of Moscow to a brighter day?




My Goals:

1. Remove the Muscovy Stranglehold on Pskov
2. Ensure long-term survival by early and immediate expansion
3. Create a Pskovian Trade League
4. Push to Become a Thalassocracy
5. Push Trade to the Point that my economy strengthens considerably
6. Establish Trading Posts, Cities and Expansion as needed
7. Build Smart Not Big – Create vassals as needed
8. Challenge the powers of the area, including Novgorod, Muscovy, and Lithuania to survive
9. Grow big enough to form Russia.

[Abe Sargent]

Here’s a picture!


https://s8.postimg.org/c9fbymsut/Pskov_1444.png

Now there are some issues here. Note we are not next to water, well, not the Baltic Sea, I mean we are next to Lake Peipus. So we only have 3000 inf to begin the game.

Another issue you will note is that there are no small, nearby nations to try and gobble up. The Livonian Order, as the obvious example, is huge compared to me, and Riga is pretty far away, as are all of the other nations out there of small size that are inland and far, far, to the east. Being here on the edge is not easy.

[Abe Sargent]

So this is not going to be my normal start-fast dynasty where I can launch a war in a year or two, take some territory, and then use that to push forward, like I have from everything from Songhai taking Timbuktu to Yegorlyk or even Naxos. There are no expansion opportunities overseas, because I don’t have a port to launch troops from.

Pskov – Novgorodian Culture, Orthodox Religion

We have the Pskov Idea:

+1 Merchant, +15% Caravan Power

So that’s pretty good. We begin with four merchants, one more than Novgorod, and two more than most other non-Republics. That’s a good start on trade.

My provinces:

Pskov – Development level of 14, woods, northernmost holding and on the western shore of Lake Peipus. It has a level 2 castle for fortifications, 0.62 monthly support for our nation, as well as livestock trading good (we have five new trading goods added recently in the patch on Nov 16th – glass, gems, livestock, paper, and incense).


Ostrov – South of Pskov, 0.25 made here in the Woods here making Naval Supplies. The folks here are west of Novgorod, north of Lithuania, and east of the Livonian Order and rock a development of 6.



We have a liberty desire of 45%.

I make Admin Power my national focus, given that it helps in everything from stability to helping issue edicts of various sorts.

I take a mission to build our prestige.

With a 40% of the influence, the Aristocrats are in top influence, with Guilds and Merchants each at 30%.

I send out my four merchants out


Not expecting war anytime soon, I drop my army maintenance in half.

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1445 – There’s really no legitimate rival out there. Nothing that reaches out to me and speaks.

I order the merchant I sent to the trade depot in Kiev to begin, instead of maximizing trade, to work on building local communities. As a result, everyone who trades at Kiev will slowly, over time, see improved relations. Other options are to work on building my spy network or to maximize trade received. Kiev is the weakest of my options.

2 Feb – I turn off my fort maintenance, which will save us 1 gold a month, and that should give me about 1.5 gold monthly.

14 April – My first event occurs. Merchants Call for Increased Imports. My decision here will basically move my supported factions. I agree and my Merchants move +10 and guilds -10, and we get some nice trades bonuses for a few years.


The traders have gained the dominant position, and we get these bonuses: -5% taxes, +10% trade, -10% build cost for naval vessels. So right now, it’s not a good swap. After I build up my trades it will be though, which is nice.

1 May – As of right now, my trade is great. Here my current financial ledger:

Tax: 1.05
Trade: 1.98
Prod: 0.29



I have my Kiev merchant transferring trade to Novgorod, where my merchant is already taking 1.48 a month.

Now I normally would not do what I am about to do. This is how unusual it I, but I don’t have anything to spend a lot of money on right now, so I am going to invest in an Advisor.

I hire Semen Tsyplatov, a person who gives me a big bonus to stability improvement as well as giving me more admin investment, for the cost of 1 gold monthly. I’ll still be making 1.06 after that investment.


1 June – I raise my stability

6 Nov – Muscovy declares a conquer CB on Tver, and we are now at war with them.

[Abe Sargent]

In case you haven't studied much Eastern European history, Lake Peipus was the site of one of the most famous battles in military history in 1242 with Alexandr Nevsky beats the Teutonic and Livonian Orders on the frozen lake, known as the Battle of the Ice. It ended the Eastern crusades against the Orthodox Christians.

http://www.estonica.org/media/files/images/03/0360150970296-peipsi_jpg_690x518_q100.jpg

https://static1.visitestonia.com/images/3002859/12764702_1234964539851359_129150283335919472_o_.jpg

http://lol54.ru/uploads/posts/2009-04/1238913700_ledovoe_01.jpg

[Abe Sargent]

5 May, 1456 – I have not joined the war, I am not able. I get an event and choose disloyalty to Muscovy and our liberty desire raises 15, but it had dropped a bit so now its 55.

6 June – In a move I totally would have done myself, the adjacent Kazan declares war on Muscovy to help push against it while it’s occupied already.

1 Aug – I raise my stability to +2

12 Sept – Novgorod joins the battle and declares war on Muscovy. Wow. That’s different.

20 Oct - I get an event about minting new coinage, and I choose not, and lose Republican Tradition rather than choosing to and getting inflation.

22 Dec – My 3000 troops are routed by 16000 troops of Novgorod.

10 May, 1457 – I gain prestige from an event and now have +5.

16 July – I have fabricated a claim on the coastal province of Narwa from the Livonian Order.

[Abe Sargent]

10 May, 1457 – I gain prestige from an event and now have +5.

16 July – I have fabricated a claim on the coastal province of Narwa from the Livonian Order.

1 Feb, 1458 – I raise our stability to +3.

11 Nov – I choose an Administrative ruler with 4/1/1 in the new elections from the Guilds. They take over and we now have: -10% construction, -10% manpower, +10% production

Our chancellor has the Well Connected trait, and that gives us -20% maintenance costs for my advisors

I hire a DIP advisor.

19 Dec- Great Horde DOWs Muscovy

I would have done likewise. Four fronts now for Muscovy. Only Poland/Lithuania hasn’t taken a shot.

10 Nov, 1459 – As an update, all four wars are going poorly, save for the first one which went Muscovy’s way early, but they have equalized by recapturing sieged territory and is now even. Novgorod has captured a few provinces and won a battle against some vassals and us. They have three CBs vs us. I am still making a ton of cash without my army to maintain.

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1450 – The Renaissance begins. Our Liberty Desire has risen to 67.

1 Sept – I have been working behind the scenes to get Poland to guarantee our independence. We maxed our relations and they need a little more. So I have ordered some troops built, which should give us enough military strength to back.

9 Jan, 1451 – White Peace with Ryazan.

18 Jan – I take a mission to take Narva from the Livonian Order.

15 Mar – Poland is now guaranteeing our independence

Can I declare independence right now? It would be early to do so. But they are in a few different conflicts. This could be the right time.

I declare war, our stability drops, and I invest in raising it twice back to full.


Poland joins us. She is the upper sibling in the Poland-Lithuania marriage, so Lithuania joins our war as well.

I offer relations improvement with Novgorod.

This is basically going to be on our allies and the war exhaustion in Muscovy. I am growing my army to 6k and then giving my ruler the leadership and moving out to help. But hopefully we’ll win with war exhaustion and our Lithuanian/Polish ally. Our allies have around 60k in troops total moving toward the east towards Muscovy. That’s a lot of troops normally, especially now fighting for our independence.

1 June – Lithuania just routed a Muscovy force

10 Dec – Sieges are ongoing and my 6k strong army is now out and taking outland holdings.

5 Jan, 1452 – We capture a minor province

4 May – Poland routs a Muscovy force

7 June – After more than a year, a siege of a major Muscovy holding falls to Poland/Pskov army, I move my army to bolster the adjacent siege of Moscow proper.

27 July – Moscow is in our hands.

I am the leader of this war. I only need a 23 warscore to win independence. We now have a 37%.

Can I go shopping?

Poland and Lithuania helped me win. Anything for them? Anything for me?

4 Aug – Tver took a province from Muscovy and forced them to cancel their subject Beloozero,

[Abe Sargent]

8 August -

We get:

Independence
War Reparations for 10 years
We free their vassal Yaroslavl

https://s8.postimg.org/lhqehrpud/Now_Free_Pskov.png

I move our troops back home, and then I will cut our army maintenance and fort maintenance costs to help bring my spending back up.

We are now in the Polish-Lithuanian alliance and within their hegemony. This was a huge win for them, they basically wrested two vassals free of their rival, and within a year.

[Abe Sargent]

16 Aug – Yaroslavl agrees to an alliance with us.

22 Aug – I have announced The Livonian Order as our rival. It’s the only major route of expansion, it’s only allied to Riga and the Teutonic Order. We are one of their enemies already.

20 Sept – Peace with the Great Horde and Muscovy

2 Nov – I get an event and choose to help the church and gain 5 Patriarch authority

15 Nov – I choose to change our leader in office and we keep the ADM one (4/1/1) and he’s
a lot younger as well.

18 Nov – Peace with a few folks here locally is declared

25 Nov – Tver’s ruler has died, the new ruler is in a Junior Partnership with Muscovy

26 Nov – Ryazan has declared war with Muscovy for a Succession War.

1 Dec – Our new ruler is also well-connected, and we get the -20% advisor costs as well. That’s good because I was about to fire one of them. Our margin of cash making, with both advisers, is the difference in that cash-making.

I make our new ruler a general and give them the Pskovian army

10 Feb, 1453 – Peace with Kazan and Muscovy, and the vassalage of Perm transfers to Kazan.

16 Aug – The Great Nation of Poland has started to influence me. This is an ability of Great nations, and some of the results are better tech and better relations over the next 10 years

[Abe Sargent]

4 Feb – 1454 – I get an event where I get some free DIP power. I spend it to increase one of my holdings a bit in production.

1 Jun – Novgorod is having major rebel issues, and right now 7 of their provinces are under rebel control. Too much war exhaustion?


3 Nov – I get a Guilds Cooperating event and we get prod and trade bonuses for a few years


3 Jan, 1455 – For no reason that I can tell, the Livonian Order has guaranteed our independence.

10 Jan – I have gained a claim on Dorpft, a Livonian holding.

30 Mar – Muscovy ceded four provinces to tribes.

1 Apr – Austria moved to great Power status

1 May, 1455 – Our first tech increase:


Admin 4 – I can now build temples

I order one built in Pskov, our capital

23 May – Peace with Ryazan. They lost two holdings to Muscovy.

7 Aug – With the heavy rebels, Muscovy have taken out the sieging army from Novgorod and are now back to square one.

[Abe Sargent]

Quick updated map?

https://s17.postimg.org/59206nfvj/Pskov_1455.png



You can see the loss and expansion of Muscovy, as well as the expansion of the Great Horde at the expense of M, and then the Nov rebs as well

We’re just sitting peacefully. I “won” a war by not really doing anything and just sitting on the sidelines. So what now brown cow? I am working on building up some spy networks in Nov, and my main target there would be Ingermanland, which is the coastal province north of Pskov.

[Abe Sargent]

11 Aug – Nov fabricated a claim on Ostrov, one of my holdings.

26 Nov – White Peace with Novgorod and Mus.

1 May, 1456 – Our truce with Novg/Tver etc is over

5 June – I get a Gift to the State of 50 ducats

1 Aug –

MIL TECH 4 – Pike Square, Bonus tactics and morale

18 Nov – I lose 10 Repub Trad but choose to keep my leader and he gets +1 to all stats

I have fabricated the claim on Ingermanland



1 Jan, 1457 –

DIP TECH 4 – More trade range, can build marketplaces

I order a marketplace in...Pskov. I order some DEV in our capital as well

11 Jan – The War of Succession ends with no change of land. Peace now lingers in East Slavia. For now.

27 June – After spending time building up our relations, Ryazan is now agreed to be our first Trade Partner in the Pskovian Trade Union!


I am currently making around 1.3 ducats a month.

[Abe Sargent]

5 Jun, 1458 – Our ruler dies and is replaced by a 58 year old 4/1/1 replacement

1 Jul – Our replacement is righteous and we gain Repub Trad regularly

15 Aug – I get an event that Pskovian Ideals are running rampant. Our people are known to uphold the typical codes of morality and honor, and even Pskovians abroad are appointed to positions of power and trusted. We net some prestige.


13 Dec – I get an interesting event. Basically, behind our backs, the guilds have pushed themselves to various places of power. Now they want to secure their places of power with bribes, and this comes from one of my advisors. Options? Lose my advisor and some of my creditability with the guilds, or gain some cash and corruption and guild loyalty. I choose the cash. I order a Temple in Ostrov and raises its dev some

15 April, 1459 – Poland declares war on the Teutonic Order for Kolm. I join our allies!


18 Aug – I have been leading the enemy forces on a wild goose chase all over Lithuania chasing my army and I have arrived at the Black Sea, while the main armies of Poland and Lithuania are out there doing something relevant.

22 Aug – We capture Narva from the LO.

29 Sept – We recapture a Lithuanian province from Livonia.

9 Jan, 1460 – I capture Dorpt from Livonia

18 Jan – I join the Polish army to break the large Livonian siege of Smolensk.

16 Feb – We defeat them, but it took too long and now the main Teutonic army of the main is about to arrive and protest our presence


26 Mar – After a long and bloody battle, the combined Polish/Pskvion forces (they have 13k, us 6k) we manage to win in Smolensk against the Teutonic army.

1 May – I join my small sieging army in Livonia with my main army

10 Aug – Two Livonian and two Teutonic provinces taken by allies

23 Oct – A 24k strong Polish combined army arrives to do more battle here

[Abe Sargent]

24 April – 1461 – A 456 day siege in Lettgallen is finished and we captured it. I head inland

2 May – I rout a small Livonian force

4 June – I take Wenden from Livonia

11 Aug – I dodge away from a large 15k strong Teutonic Army coming near me

22 Oct – They have retaken three provinces in Livonia from me and then moved on.

11 Nov – The Livonian capital falls to Poland

28 Dec – I recaptured all three and move to renew my siege.

14 Mar, 1462 – A combined forces army of 63k just routed the Livonian 10k army.

4 April – The Teutonic capital falls to Lithuania

23 May – An event pushes the Merchants back in power in our court.

6 June – We vote in a new ruler, another Bureaucrat (the 4/1/1)

This one is 38, and I could see us keeping him for a while


9 June – Poland rewards us! They negotiate terms with the Orders. The Teutonic Order loses three provinces to Poland. And we get two from the Livonian Order, the provinces of Narva and Uriev, which brings us to the sea.

We also got 39 favors from Poland for helping out

Both of these are Estonian and Catholic:

Narva – Coastal and Grasslands, 5 dev, I spend 25 ADM power to make it a core, 75% autonomy, grain growers, north of Lake Peipus, and next to our holdings in Uriev and Pskov, and then with 18.3% rebel feeling.

Uriev – West coast of Lake Peipus, next to Narva and Pskov, woods, dev 9, naval supplies, I spend 43 ADM power to core it up, 75% auto, 18.6% unrest as well.

My forcelimit is 9000k troops, so I leave my army at that.

We finished our mission to take Narva.

[Abe Sargent]

Now that the war is over...


ADMIN TECH 5 – Get a National Idea!

I kept my ADM power that I had assembled open in case I needed it for coring my new states, but we did both.

What Ideas do I like?

MIL – Quality – Don’t have big armies, so improve what I do have

DIP – TRADE – Duh

DIP – Diplomatic

I do TRADE IDEAS!

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jul – Our ruler is an architectural viceroy and we get -10% for building stuff.

4 Jul – I take a mission to make nice with Novgorod.

23 Aug – I got a diplomatic insult from Livonia, and that came with some DIP power and such

30 Aug – I invest some MIL to increase the DEV levels of two of my holdings in Pskov and Ostrov

1 Mar, 1463 – IDEA #1 – Shrewd Trade Practices - +20% Global Trade Power

13 July – Novgorod declares war against Muscovy

5 Nov – We finish our mission to make nice with Novgorod. Next?

Convert Narva to Orthodox

23 Nov – I fabricate a claim on Reval, a Livonian holding

30 Nov – We join an alliance with Ryazan

1 April, 1464 – About a year into the war, Muscovy has around 10 Novgorod holdings, to their 2 in Muscovy territory

If I wanted to, I could declare war on Novgorod and try to take Ingermanland.

13 June – I declare war for Ingermanland, and then send my army over

24 July – Ingermanland is ours

22 Sept – Kholm is next

7 Nov – I spend some MIL to handle rebels as I am not in the country

[Abe Sargent]

1 Mar, 1465 – They lose a battle to Muscovy.

12 April – Uriel and Narva are now cores. I send a missionary to Narva

22 May – The Siege of Luki is concluded and we are the victors.

3 Aug – I begin a siege of Novgorod proper

I built 2k more inf to help siege their capital

31 Mar, 1466 – We win a major battle in Novgorod and our leader gains the Glory Seeker trait

24 Apr – I fabricate a claim on Wenden in Livonia

8 June – I keep my leader in the elections

7 Aug – I get an event and I choose to lose some ducats over some stability

1 Dec – My manpower is almost wiped, and dropped below 3k

15 Dec - I put down more rebels with MIL power

21 Jan, 1467 – After a siege of a year and a half, we capture Novgorod. That will basically let us name what we want, I have a 69% warscore

The three holdings I took that are next to me – Ingermanland, Luki, Kholm are all mine with a 26% warscore. I could add in Novgorod proper, and then some financial concessions. But that gets me a whole of badboy and would likely piss off everyone because of how powerful that land is. How about this?

Ingermanland
Luki
Kholm
Neva
War Reparations
They renounce all claims on Pskov
Some gold


That’ll do it. Heavy BB, but not as bad.

[Abe Sargent]

Alright, here’s a map

https://s8.postimg.org/wlsuprbbp/Pskov_-_war_against_Nov_1.png

I zoomed in so you could see our latest acquisitions

[Abe Sargent]

All of these are Orthodox and three out of four are Novgorodian. All have 75% autonomy, and 15.6 unrest.


Ingermanland – Coastal, Fur Trade is good in this Woods, 8 development, directly east of Narva and north east of Pskov.



Kholm – Naval Supplies, Woods, 7 development, directly east of Pskov, north of Luki, south of Ingermanland. It’s next to Muscovy



Luki – Naval Supplies, Woods, has a level 2 fort, 4 dev, directly east of Ostrov, south east of Pskov.



Neva – Coastal, Development 11, Fur Trade, Grasslands, Marketplace. Now this is the best holding I took. It gets bonus trade here from the Neva Estuary. Karelian culture. Adjacent to Sweden, and up the coast from Ingermanland.


My ADM power drops to 619 after I invest in cores for these four holdings


Now, don’t forget that in this take I can’t be some war-mongering dope with a merchant republic. I have limits. Right now, I have 8 holdings, which is not bad. I drop my fort maintenance for Pskov and Luki.


Right now I am losing a little money each money, but I suspect the war reparations from Novgorod should help.

I turn my two Estonian province holdings into states.

I choose Novgorod and Riga as my new rivals, now that I am big enough for that to matter.

New nations that I am now next to include Muscovy, Sweden,

[Abe Sargent]

9 Feb – Novgorod and Muscovy are now at peace. Novgorod lost, and had to give up some cash, war preparations, etc. No exchange of land.

1 Nov –

ADMIN TECH 6 – We can build Workshops and Farm Estates

9 Aug, 1468 – I fabricate a claim on the capital of Livonian Order - Liefland

1 Sept – Ingermanland now a core. It’s revolting drops to 8.8% and we have a 0.12 gold made here now monthly.

11 Oct – I am close to getting my next MIL Tech so I don’t want to spend it needlessly. I am about to let a rebellion happen instead

1 Dec – Neva, Kholm, and Luki now cores.


8 Jan, 1469 – 8000 rebellion in Narva, Catholics rebelling against us. I had my army here, as the Missionary here causes that to spike

22 Jan – We win in Narva

20 June – I get an event of a foreign quarter of folks from Muscovy in one of our provinces, and they have been flourishing. Two choices – 1 encourage it, some minor economic benefit in that province, +50 relation boost with Muscovy. Or push our own instead, better economic benefits and then the obvious -50 with the big bad. I do the first with no disadvantages for me.


I promote South Karelia to a state. This is the region of Ingermanland and Neva. This increases my production for those two holdings to 0.30 and 0.23 in reverse order.

16 Nov – Novgorod announces us as a rival.

2 Dec – The Livonian Order announces us as a rival

15 Dec – I send a gift to Ryazan

30 Dec –

MIL TECH 5 – New Eastern Militia available, bonuses to shock and width.
We update our forces

[Abe Sargent]

27 Feb, 1470 – Kazan took five provinces from Great Horde

11 Mar – I declare a guarantee on Ryazan

1 Apr – I get the next Idea in Trades – Free Trade – We get +1 Merchant

Did you know that?

Muscovy views us as natural allies and is very friendly?

Do I still need Yaroslavl as an ally? Not near us, small, two province, army of 4k. Nah. I break that alliance. It was one of my first, but now we’ve grown past it.


I spend some of my Russian Power to Reform Sudebnik. This will cut autonomy safely in my various holdings.

10 June – I keep our leader. He gets +1/+1/+1. We lose some Repub Trad

So I try to vassalize Ryazan to see what happens. We get a -10 to vassalization as a Republic. We don’t have enough strength anyway.

12 June - After making nice with them, we ally with Odoyev

15 June – Ryazan is forced to become a tributary state of Kazan. This breaks the Trade league.

1 July – With our new Trader we are making, monthly:

3.84 Trade
1.15 Prod
3.41 Tax


With my armies at 50% maintenance, I make 2.88 monthly. With my armies at 100%, it’s just 0.25 I make. We’re almost there, by the way. I am trying to get to 400 gold...


14 July – Muscovy DOWs Great Horde. Not a bad plan

10 Dec – I max relations with Odoyev

2 Jan, 1471 – I build a Farm Estate in Pskov. This is a manufactory that will increase my value here a lot with the Livestock trade good here.

I dissolve my alliance with Ryazan

14 Jan – Odoyev joins our Trade League!!!

27 Jan – We take a claim against the capital of Novgorod, Novgorod.

16 Mar – Muscovy took a holding from Great Horde in peace

7 Sept – Claim fabricated on Pskov by Livonian Order

I order some ships built

8 Jan, 1472 – I fabricate a claim on the Nov province of Ladoga.


2 June – Our ruler gains Midas Touched and we get bonus tax income

11 July – Two Barques are finished and I order them to protect trade and head out. I order two more.

24 Nov – We have converted Narva. Our mission is complete. I send our next Missionary to Uriev

Next mission – Build a Proper Fleet

[Abe Sargent]

2 June, 1473 – Our artist dies. Our new advisor is +1 prestige. I also hire a MIL adviser. We are currently at +2.14 cash monthly with all three advisers now hired.

14 July – I now have five Barques and send them out more

16 Nov – I get a fun event. Our leader’s son is corrupt and been found out. The trial is occurring. Bribe and cajole folks? Or lose some prestige and gain Repub Trad to let the trial find him responsible. I choose that one

27 May, 1474 – War declared by Muscovy vs Beloozero. This will also include Novgorod as their ally.

10 June – I keep my guy and reelect him again. He’s 6/4/4. Lots of investment in tech right now!

1 July – Our badboy had faded


2 Aug – I invest some tech in Pskov to raise it’s dev levels 3x

2 Sept – Riga is no longer a valid rival.

1 Jan, 1475 – Do I want to invest in the next Idea? Yes!

Trade Adventures - +25% Trade Range

We unlock Pskovian Idea #2 – Veche of Pskov. We get +1 adviser.

1 Feb – We get one more adviser in each of the three areas, and we’ll get an extra option each time. So my MIL adviser saved me some cash because I was over my land forcelimit and paying more to upkeep them. So I want to keep him. Anyone else I like?

I reform the Subdenik again to slash auto by -10% in 6 of my holdings

1 Mar – I embrace the Renaissance. This cuts our tech penalty, and we get -5% construction and dev costs.

This gets me past the place to get another tech.

I was needing like 1200 for my next ADM tech, but I had around 1060. The next level drops to 856, so I go ahead and do it!

ADM TECH 7 – Renaissance Thought...another IDEA!


For getting this ahead of time, I get some bonuses to trade and production for 15 years

What do I want? Not another DIP tech. I can’t afford both. Has to be ADM or MIL.

MIL – Plutocratic? 3 in you get another Merchant. Quality or Naval?

ADM – Expansion? The 1st one is just a dopey colonist, not of value, but the rest are +1 merchant, +1 dip relations, bonus trade income, etc.

I do Expansion

12 June – I now have 8 Barques and 1 Early Caravel

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1476 –

Expansion IDEA – I get some colonists. Nowhere to send them. I get 12 ADM power monthly right now. Tons of power here

What is going to be my native policy? Native Trading

6 May - We finish the navy building challenge. I added another Early Caravel and 2 Galleys.

I take a mission to make nice with Denmark

With my full navy, I still am making almost 4 gold monthly after payments. I have my navy out protecting trade n Novgorod and that drives up my trade results nicely.

1 Aug – I order a Workshop in Pskov

11 Sept – I maxed relations with Poland

17 Sept – Muscovy captures the Novgorod capital in their ongoing war.

23 Oct – Peace with Muscovy and Novgorod. Novgorod totally lost. Beloozero is annexed, and four Nov holdings head to Muscovy

1 Jan, 1477 – I jack up my army maintenance. I order some troops built and another General created.

3 Mar – Lithuania embraces the Renaissance. I hire two units of Streltsky with my Russian ability,

9 June – Our truce with the Orders ends. I DOW the Livonian Order for their capital. We are now at war with Liga, Novgorod, Livonian Order and Teutonic Order.

[Abe Sargent]

12 July – We arrive and begin a siege in Livonia

14 July – We begin the siege of Novgorod

16 July – We win a battle in the Gulf of Finland against Livonia and capture two ships

5 Aug – We capture a minor province.

22 Oct – An army 11k strong from Livonia is besieging our capital

15 Nov – We beat Novgorod’s army in Neva

22 Nov – Brandenburg, at war with a lot of the same people we are, requests military access, and I grant it. Take them down and out.

21 Jan, 1478 – Uriev converts.

19 Mar – Poland brings their allies into the war.

13 June – We keep our leader

18 June – After sending out some cavalry from my sieging army in Novgorod, I hit a few troops in their territory and capture it.

3 July – We get our mission successful after making nice with Denmark. Next mission is naval race vs Novgorod

18 Aug – I get a great Jewish trader immigrated to my area. I hire him to be my new DIP adviser at 50% off due to the event

25 Aug – 10000 Novgorod forces are sieging us in Luki

17 Sept – After 445 days, we capture the Livonian capital

5 Nov – Novgorod falls to us

18 Nov – I rout the Riga army in their capital.

We have a strong warscore with our victories in Novgorod and Livonia. Right now we are at 52 warscore. Can I go shopping?

I can’t take Novgorod land without getting double badboy and war cost. Have to keep on going. I just want their capital. Don’t have enough for both.

25 Dec – We capture a minor holding

30 Dec – We defeat another Rigan army

9 Jan, 1479 – Another minor heads to us

I offer to negotiate with just Novgorod.

10 Jan – I take Novgorod province, get a ton of cash, hundreds of ducats and War Reparations. Now we have just the folks on my eastern flank. I order my Novgorod army to assemble and head to Pskov to relieve that siege


I order a core made here

5 March – We oust their army and win the battle of Pskov, relieving the siege of our capital. That’s their last hope, really

I don’t want most of Livonian territory right now. I mean, if I was a warmonger, then sure. Let’s maximize it. But just their capital and revel interest me. The rest is low developed and low trade goods.


4 April – I capture another Livonian holding

11 April –

I take:

Liefland
Reval
They release Estonia as a free country (Osel goes free)
They give up their cores on our stuff
War Reparations
128 ducats


That’s basically the end of Livonia as a threat I hope. I thought about continuing the war, capturing Riga, and then vassalizing them separately. But this is fine.

[Abe Sargent]

https://s8.postimg.org/q73h3t2ud/Pskov_1479.png

I have gone ahead and invested in some cores for the good provinces we took. I gained a ton of cash in my victories, and I have two sets of War Reps coming. My second army has a few mercs in it I will want to slowly replace. I still have some good manpower,



Estonia joins our Trade League

MIL TECH 6 – Lots of combat bonuses, can build new cavalry and barracks


Pernov – Former capital of the Livonian Order, Catholic and Latvian. 15 dev, woods, coastal, livestock. 23.2% unrest, 75% autonomy, east of Uriev and Narva, south of our new holding in Reval.


Reval – Coastal, woods, corner of the territory, north of Pernov, west of Narva, strait to the west where Osel is as the capital of Estonia. Grain farmers, Catholic, Estonia, level 2 fort, 14 dev, 20.8% unrest, and 50% autonomy.


Novgorod – Novgorod and Orthodox people work the fur trade. It’s an inland center of trade with 23 development. The woods here have a level 2 castle, church and marketplace. 40% autonomy, 15.1% unrest, already making 0.56 monthly here under duress. Home of a trading center. Next to three Novgorod holdings, Muscovy. Novgorod is very important as it’s one of the two cities that has to be in your possession to form Russia, the other being Moskva. Then you have to have one of each of these pairs – Tver or Yaroslavl, Ryazan or Smolensk, Vladimir or Nizhky Novgorod.

I Support Oprachna, a Russian ability to lower rebellion factions by a bunch.

Taking Novgorod was huge.

I order some more ships built, and then a Farm Estate in Narva, and slowly swap out my mercs. I’m out of naval manpower (sailors) so the ships may have to wait for a while.

[Abe Sargent]

1 May - I cannot choose the Livonian order as my rival anymore. Next? I choose the Teutonic Order instead. I choose not to do Sweden or Muscovy

23 May – Estonia is now our ally. They announce the LO as their rival

7 June – I choose to get our iron from Muscovy in an event, and we get bonus DIP power and relations with Muscovy

9 June – We enter into an alliance with Muscovy. I don’t want to deal with an angry neighbor yet

1 Dec – I choose not to increase my next Trade Idea as we are nearing the next Trade Tech.


13 June, 1480 – One of our holdings is fabricated a claim by Livonia

20 July – Novgorod now a core.

1 Oct

DIP TECH 5 - +20 trade range, +5% trade efficiency

Expansion Idea #2 – +1 Merchant

18 Oct – I accept offers of military access for Denmark and two others warring with other powers.

The addition of this merchant in Kazan steering trade to Novgorod is big.

17 Mar, 1481 – We win the naval race vs Novgorod after a few transports I ordered arrive

I begin sending my troops out to do military drills, which drops their current morale massively for a few months while it rebuilds, but increases our Military tradition.

I take a mission to increase my trade revenue

I Reform the Subdenik and cut autonomy again

15 May – I order a Workshop in Novgorod.

16 Dec – We get a fun event:

Byzantine Refugees

Byzantium has fallen to the Turks. The last bastion of the Roman Empire, Byzantium, is gone. Byzantine refugees flee. We have a few choices. I invite them, and we gain prestige, get cheaper tech costs for 20 years, but lose some MIL power in the meantime while we try to reframe our knowledge with theirs

[Abe Sargent]

2 Feb, 1482 – White Peace between Poland and her Teutonic Order war.

1 Mar – I give access to Poland

8 June- I keep our ruler, and he is now a perfect 6/6/6

21 June – Pernov is now a core. I send a Missionary

19 Oct – Reval now a core.

2 Feb, 1483 – I invest 100 MIL in some harsh treatment to drop rebels

11 Sept –

Expansion #3 – Faster Colonists, improved colonial speed

We also get this Pskovian Idea:


Legacy of Daumantas, +5% army recruit speed

12 Oct – Sweden announce us as a rival, so I do the same. They have a weaker navy and army than me.

1 Feb, 1484 –

TRADE Idea #4 - +10 trade efficiency

1 April –

MIL TECH 7 – We can now build artillery.

I mothball my forts. My cash-per-month rate is around 4.9 cash

[Abe Sargent]

14 Dec – My Splendor is high enough to purchase an ability. Here I’ll show you this new mechanic...

https://s8.postimg.org/7uc2kip2t/Pskov_1484.png

The game is divided into four Eras. We begin in the Era of Discovery. We have a number of things that, if we do, can get us splendor points. This is one of the main reasons I upped my DEV in Pskov over time as you may have noticed.

When you get 800 splendor points, you can spend them on an ability. If you have three goals, you can move to a Golden Age. Each of these abilities are really cool.

I can allow the Edict Feudal DE Jure State Law, which will give you -5% unrest

Feudal De Jure Law Allow Edict “Feudal De Jure Law” ( −5 Unrest).

Justified Wars −10% Aggressive expansion impact
Transfer Subject Transfer subject peace treaty at half cost, and allow fabricating claims bordering existing claims.
Improved Wartaxes −100% War taxes cost
Cavalry Armies +20% Cavalry to infantry ratio
Higher Developed Colonies Gain +1 base tax, +1 base production, and +1 base manpower in a colony when it becomes a city.
Adaptative Combat Terrain Gain +1 combat bonus in provinces with the same terrain type as the capital.

The ones I like the most, in a normal dynasty, would be Justified Wars or Higher Developed Colonists.

I do really think that the Adaptive Combat Terrain and Transfer Subject strike me as really good right now as well. These bonuses last until the start of the next age.

I do justified wars

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1585 – By now I am making 6 gold monthly

11 May – We arrest a spy from Novgorod

10 Nov – I fabricate a claim on Riga

3 April, 1586 –

Expansion IDEA – Organized Recruitment, -10% recruitment time

9 June – I keep our leader

1 Aug –

DIP TECH 6 – I can build docks

3 Dec – I order a Church in Neva

13 Dec – I spend some MIL to put down rebellions

1 Mar, 1587 – I fabricate claim on Novgorod holding.

25 April – After another loss, the Great Horde is almost extinct

1 Aug – I order a workshop in Narva.

6 Nov – Novgorod no longer considers us a rival

16 Nov – I spend some MIL to drop another potential rebellion

8 Dec – I order Docks in Ingermanland

[Abe Sargent]

24 Feb. 1588 – Frankfurt agrees to join our Trade League after I made nice with gifts and other goods. They have wealthy Paper industry.

Our badboy appears to be gone

We are get 7.98 gold/month these days, by the by

1 April – I consecrate the Metropolitan of Pskov

I select the Icon of St. Nicholas which will give me better relations and badboy costs

I Consecrate a Metropolitan in Novgorod

19 June - Poland declares war on Teutonic Order. I accept it.

I jack up maintenance

8 Oct – I help the Lithuanians win a battle against Livonia.

5 Nov – Muscovy embraces the Renaissance

2 Dec – Two minor Livonian holdings are ours

29 Dec –

NEW Expansion Idea - +1 Diplomatic Relations.

Pskovian Idea

Balt Mercenaries, -20% merc maintenance

I order 2k more Streltsky

20 Jan, 1589 – We win a battle in the Gulf of Riga and defeat a Livonian Navy

22 July – We capture the Livonian capital

15 Aug – Our ruler passes. We elect another 4/1/1 gentleman.

28 Aug – Poland wins against the Livonian Order with a 100% warscore. They give us two provinces from the Livonian Order as a thanks for us fighting for them. The main war continues

I order cores

1 Sept – My new ruler is well-connected and we get -20% for advisers


26 Sept – We take a holding in the Teutonic Order

1 Oct – We finish our trade mission and get bonus trade for a few years.

28 Dec – We defeat their force in Danzig and begin a siege

10 Jan, 1590 – We take Danzig

14 Feb – We have a Diplomatic Faux Pas event and our reputation drops for the next decade

1 Mar – Peace with the Teutonic Order. Poland took three provinces, and the Order is mostly finished.

I have been making nice with another one-province for my Trade League

9 March – Luneberg brings its tasty Salt to our Trade League



All of our new provinces are Latvian and Catholic, are undergoing cores, are Woods, have 7 DEV, 40% autonomy and have Livestock.


Wenden – South of Pernov and Uriev, inland, and has a 16% unrest right now.


Latgalia – South of Wenden, has level 2 fort, 12.7% unrest, south of Pskov, west of Ostrov.

[Abe Sargent]

1 June – I mothball my forts

1 Sept – I spend 100 MIL on dropping more rebellions

26 Dec –

TRADE IDEA #5 – Overseas Merchants - +1 Merchant!

14 May, 1591 – I fabricate two claims on Novgorod and Livonia

My trade income is 18.02.

I turn Latgalia into a Trading City. They join my Trade League

I take a mission to increase my relations with Latgalia

30 Oct – Kazan took 4 holdings from Uzbek

30 Dec – I order a Farm Estate in Reval

3 Mar, 1592 –

EXPANSION TECH #5 – Improved Shipyards, -10% ship build time


20 Apr – Truce with Novgorod ends.

7 May – I fabricate a claim on the other Livonian holding

[Abe Sargent]

12 May – I declare war on Novgorod

Novgorod is entrenched in two wars, might as well make it a third. I did not call on Poland. Livonian Order joins Nov.

1 June – I get an event we get a major gift from Lubeck and I accept, and I get some ducats and good relations.

25 June – Minor naval victory

8 July – I take a Nov minor holding

21 July – Then a Livonian

28 Jul – Two more Novg holdings are mine

20 Aug – Another follows

22 Sept – One more

3 Nov – Another

3 Jan, 1593 – I finish our mission to make nice with our Trade City.

18 Feb – After cracking it open early in the siege, I assault the capital of Novgorod and capture it

11 April – I capture the capital of the Livonian Order



25 April – The Livonian Order becomes my vassal, gives up their cores, and then removes Estonia as a rival.

1 May – I have a mission to make nice with Denmark

15 May – Wenden is now a core

12 June – I have a peace offer from Novgorod. I decline.

I have a few options here with my 86 warscore:

1. Remove Novgorod mostly from the map. Take the three remaining provinces around the lake Ladoga, as well as Tikhvin and Vyshny Volochnyk. That would get me three Furs, 1 trading post, 1 iron, and 1 naval supplies. It would remove Novgorod from the area
2. Go slow. Grab just Tikhvin and Ladoga, two decent provinces next to each other, humiliate them, take some economic punishment, such as war reps. The combination of cash, humiliations, and two decent holdings is not a bad addition.
3. Go full death. Maximize what I can, and take holdings with the goal of taking every valuable holding I can. I can get 7 separate holdings including their new capital, I could let go some of those into Trade Citys, like the 3 DEV White Karelia with its Salt to help me get that.


Humiliating a rival does get me the ability to go with a Golden Age, so let’s ensure that I can do that. Financial recompense is not necessary so...


I get:

Humiliation
the three remaining provinces around the lake Ladoga
Tikhvin
White Karelia


I release White Karelia as a Trade City

I invest in the making of cores

I reform my Subdenik to drop autonomy



I’ll be showing you a map in a bit with the 50 Year Review, so you can get that then.

[Abe Sargent]

All of these are Orthodox and have cores ordered and 9.3% rebellion.

Tikhvin – Iron Mines, Woods, 13 dev, east of Novgorod province, Church here as well, Novgorodian culture. Next to Russia, Novgorod the nation, east of Ladoga province.

Ladoga – Fur trade. East shore of Lake Ladoga, between all of our stuff – Olonets, Tikhvin, Novgorod the province, and Neva. There is a church here. Novgorod culture and 40% autonomy. 12 dev, Forest


Olonets – Northeast shore of Lake Ladoga, Fur Trade, south of White Karelia, west of Novgorod the nation, north of Ladoga, Tikkhvin. This Forest province has a Trading Post in it and thus gets bonus trade. 9 development, Karelian people, 75% autonomy.


Priozersk – On the west shore of Lake Ladoga, and north of our holdings of Neva, east of Sweden, west of Olonets, and south of White Karelia. 5 development, Forest, Karelian culture, 9.4% autonomy, 75% autonomy, ,(Karelian is a partly accepted culture vs the ones we take from the Livonian Order west.


1 July – I can’t have Novgorod as my ally any more

We enter a GOLDEN AGE

This lasts for 50 years:

+10% morale of navies and armies
-10% Power costs
+10% goods produced
+5 maximum absolution




MIL TECH 8 – Regimental Camps can be built, bonuses to troops

[Abe Sargent]

16 Aug – We elect a new ruler from the 4/1/1 line. Our new one is 32, expect him to stay for a while

25 Aug – Odyvev is now a tributary of Kazan and no longer our ally or in our Trade League.

1 Sept – Our new ruler develops the Entrepreneur trait and we get more trade

3 Sept – I break my alliance with Muscovy. I had initially done this for survival. They looked highly on us as friends when we were both chumping on Novgorod, and I used their war vs Novgorod to get me these additional pieces. But I can’t be Russia without taking them down. The Poland-Lithuania alliance has done wonders by me. They helped me win my freedom, got my first set of land and coastal territory and more. They didn’t mind. They were looking to the Teutonic Order as places to expand, and me expanding into the Livonian Order’s territory was not a big deal. And none of us like Muscovy either, so that’s an obvious route of expansion in the future as well. I declare Muscovy as a rival







11 Nov – Novgorod gave two holdings to Sweden and another to Muscovy in peace

27 Nov – Sweden no longer considers me a rival

18 Dec – I pay off the Livonian Debts to help decrease their liberty desire

13 April, 1594 - I agree to Support the Florentine Arts in an event, and we spend some cash and gain some prestige.

10 Sept – Pernov converts! I send my Missionary to Wenden. I order culture changes in Narva and Uriev to Novgorod.

I order a Early Carrack built and two more transports

1 Oct – We lost one of our MIL advisers. I hire a level 1 guy to help the cause

7 Oct – This time when I get the even for Muscovy traders flourishing I choose to go with my own instead and, get better economic bonuses at the cost to losing relations with Muscovy

14 Oct – Ladoga and Tiskvin are cores

19 Oct – I concentrate a Metropolitan in South Karelia

[Abe Sargent]

50 YEAR REVIEW!!!


Let’s begin with the big pic zoomed out of the area. From here you can see the expansion of Kazan, Sweden, us, England and Brandenburg. Perm is under the control of Kazan.

https://s8.postimg.org/hew5r1ikl/Pskov_50_year_review_big_pic.png

You can also see my two armies, and navies and such. You see my heavy trade income at 21.15 monthly and my total income is 33.68, and we are getting 7.14 gold monthly extra coming our way. Alright, now let’s zoom in:

https://s8.postimg.org/873xacqxx/Pskov_50_year_review_small_pic.png



Here I have zoomed into my area. Here is Pskov zoomed in a bit. Both of my armies are drilling to increase our professionalism, which will have various benefits as our score rises.

[Abe Sargent]

We currently have 16 holdings, and have expanded more aggressively that I had initially expected. Poland-Lithuania have been great to get me my freedom early, and then some land quickly. I am looking at a few underperforming provinces to get rid of or let go.

Vassals – Livonian Order – Currently two provinces, I might give it a third

Trade Cities – White Karelia, Latgalia

Allies – Poland, Livonian Order technically, Estonia

Pskovian Trade League – Pskov, Estonia, White Karelia, Latgalia, Frankfurt, Luneberg

I expect to do something soon with Riga, the Archbishopric. I might force-vassalize it, although I expect I’ll force annex and then release so I can Orthodox that thing up, although the land isn’t that bad.

My naval forcelimit is 19 and I am working up to that. My land forcelimit is 24 and I am well past that, but as I am swimming in cash, it’s fine right now.

Because of our high Power Projection (97), we get another +1 in our three tech developments each month. Right now, as an example, with a 4/1/1 leader, my tech development monthly is 11/7/5. Not bad, right? And as my leader levels up ever four years, we’ll be looking good soon.

Ledger time:

We are the 4th richest country that we know of, behind the Ottomans, France, and England.

The Ottomans have 24 techs, we are pretty far back with just 21

With 11 Ideas, we lead the next higher, The Ottomans at 9, and then the next are 7 and 6.

Our 97 power projection is, by far, the best, after 57 for Brandenburg

We have the 11th highest score in the world

With 74, Catholic has the most nations in the world, then Sunni with 65. There are only 16 Orthodox.

Our top five provinces by...


Tax:

Pskov – 19.50
Novgorod – 13.44
Neva – 6.75
Ladoga – 6.49
Ostrov – 6.00


Production:

Pskov -13.77
Novgorod – 8.63
Narva – 8.48
Tikhvin – 3.99
Neva – 3.48

The #1 and #3 have manufactories, Narva is just a grain farming province.


Pskov is the 11th most developed province we know of. Novgorod is 18th best.

With 29000 in our army, we have the 6th biggest army we know of. France has 55k at the top. Muscovy is 27k, Poland 31k, and Lithuania 17k

When our current builds are finished, 19 ships will put us 15th in navies we know of.

We are 87.5% Orthodox, 61.7% Novgorod culture,


Top Five Trade Nodes by Value (We know of)

Genoa
English Channel
Lubeck
Novgorod
Wien


Current Value of All Trade Goods:

5.0

Gems

4.5

Copper

4.0

Dyes
Silk
Cocoa
Ivory

3.5

Paper

3.0

Glass
Iron
Tobacco
Sugar
Coffee
Cotton
China
Salt
Cloth


2.5

Incense
Fish
Grain
Wool
Wine


2.0

Livestock
Tropical Wood
Naval Supplies
Fur
Slaves
Tea


So as you can see, the stuff of the great north is not a major hit right now. I have nothing higher than 3.0 in my nation, and that’s my single Iron mine. We captured and released White Karelia with a 3.0 Salt, but that’s it. My Trade League includes Grain, Paper, Glass, Salt,


We are the world’s production leader in Furs with 17% of the trade

We dominate in trade, and have the most trade of any nation we know of by far, the Ottomans are 2nd.

We have more than twice the trade of traditional trade powers like Lubeck, Venice, Holland and Genoa

I have never had a nation do this well in trade before.

[Abe Sargent]

Now let me show you my Russia goal...

https://s8.postimg.org/5d0rwwh1x/Pskov_50_year_review_goals.png



I need to take these four central provinces – Tver, Moskva, Ryazan, and Vladimir, and the land in the middle connecting them. Take that central holding, core it, and then with Novgorod already mine, I have all of the various requirements to form the nation.

It’s at least three wars away from starting to hit that area from Muscovy and Tver, but it’s a beginning.

Alright, next 50 years we go!

[Abe Sargent]

16 Dec – Olonets and Priozersk are now cores


7 Jan, 1495 – I spend some MIL to cut down the rebellion in Livonia

I order a marketplace in Olonets

I fabricate a claim on Muscovy’s Rzhev

20 Jan – Luneberg was annexed by Lubeck

2 May – We finish our mission to make nice with Denmark. Next? Free a province in Muscovy on the border that is frustrated in their management. I gain a claim on that province via that mission

12 June – Novgorod is now a tributary state under Kazan

15 Sept – Riga laid a claim on us

24 Oct – We catch a Swedish spy

I try to make nice with Nuremberg as my Luneberg replacement

1 Jan, 1496

IDEA – Expansion #7 – Competitive Merchants, +20% Global Trade Power

This finishes Expansion. I get a -25% state maintenance (the larger provinces that smaller holdings are in, such as South Karelia.)

Pskovian Idea – National Charter - -2% national unrest

A lot of stuff from one Idea!

7 Feb – I order a church in Pernov

16 May - I get an event and I choose to invest in some army professionalism and gain +2.5% from it

11 Aug – We get an event of the death of one of the wealthiest merchants in Pskov, who died without an heir who was a well known patron of the arts and religion. I choose to invest the money from him into the local province rather than just add cash to our treasury.

4 Oct – I fabricate a claim on my 4th Muscovy province and that is the most I can do.

14 Oct – Nuremberg brings that Paper riches to our Trade League. Their value rose last year due to their increased usage to store records from large nations, such as the Ottoman Empire

21 Oct – I have a ton of rebels, and not enough MIL to deal with them, plus I want to save it for techs and such. So I Support Oprichrina and lower rebellions across the board

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1497 – After the Farm Estate was finished in Reval, I order a Workshop here

11 Jan – I support the church’s Great Synod and gain 5 Patriarch Authority

12 Feb – I order a Farm Estate in Pernov

1 July – I end my army drilling and order some more troops built

23 July – Marketplace in Tikhvin

18 Aug – I keep my ruler in office and we are now 5/2/2


1 May, 1498 – I order a Workshop in Neva

30 May – Wenden converts! I give it to the Livonian order

I send a Missionary to Reval

I force the Livonian Order to convert to Orthodox

9 June –

Trade Idea #6 – Trade Manipulation, +25% Trade Steering

Remember that in our Golden Era, these Ideas are 10% off, so just 360 each


4 July –

Admin TECH #8 – +3 states, can build courthouse

This was just 388 with all of my bonuses


1 Aug – I have enough Splendor to purchase another ability with the Age of Discovery. I choose the ability to make claims next to claims and get 50% off transferring a subject

[Abe Sargent]

2 Oct – I can now declare war on Muscovy

I built a third army of 10k and another general for it. I also have 2000 troops to the side to capture lesser territory. I have three armies on the edge of Muscovy, my two big ones of 15k each with 2k artillery each, and those are going to hit and move deep. Then I have my 10k army with a lot of inf and artillery to siege and be available as a third unit to give myself the needed flexibility,.

I am going to win this war:

1. I have a bigger military by far
2. I have a better economy to support an army bigger than my force limit. Right now, with my military additions, I’m at +1.1 annually
3. I have better allies
4. I don’t declare a war I don’t intend on winning


I declare war for Rzhev

I call Poland to battle, and they willingly accept for 10 favors. I have bunches from helping them out a few times.

The Battle:

Muscovy
Tver
Rostov
Yaroslavl

Vs

Pskov
Poland
Lithuania – Poland’s Jr. Partner
Livonian Order - Our vassal
Mazovia – Poland’s Vassal
Moldovia – Poland’s March

I chose not to call in Estonia. But the Russian Steppes is about to run red with the blood of the defeated!

6 Nov – My besieging army arrives in Tver, the capital of, well, Tver.

12 Nov – I take Rzhev

24 Nov – Vishy V is ours

27 Nov – One of my main armies begins a siege next to Moskva

29 Nov – Another province is ours

6 Dec – A siege of Rostov begins by one of my mains

23 Dec – Two more minors are ours

25 Dec – Poland arrives in Moskva and begins a siege

16 Feb, 1498 – Muscovy choose to chase my minor armies and routed one.

Poland is moving her 35k strong army at our foes

29 Apr – Poland defeats the main Muscovy army

11 July – A huge bloody battle commences in the province we are besieging as 32k combined Muscovy and vassal forces arrive to send out my 15k strong army. Three days into the battle, the large Polish force arrives, and we win and force them away.

31 July – We capture Tver

Next? Moskva!

2 Aug – We capture Mozhaisk, the province we were besieging

22 Aug - Rostov falls

Next? Yaroslavl

4 Oct – Lithuania routs the Tver army

I spend 45 MIL to breach the Moskva with my forces (I have 4k artillery here, one more than the fort’s defenders) to open a breach for me to assault with these two armies

22 Dec – We assault and capture Moskva

Now I have a few options. We have a huge warscore, and I can do this, but it looks weird on a map:

Tver
Moskva
Rzhev
Mozhaisk

Now that pisses off a lot of folks, Novgorod, Sweden, Odoydev and Muscovy would consider that enough to put me past the point of no return in terms of badboy.

Now if I wanted to be funny, I could transfer their three subjects to me and then force them to release Beloozero.

I have it

I take:

Tver
Moskva
Rzhev
Mozhaisk
War Reparations

Too bad I couldn’t take the holding that my mission wanted.

It looks odd on the map, but Mozhaisk is the better grab with its level 2 castle

[Abe Sargent]

MAP

https://s17.postimg.org/c44s9e1sf/Pskov_Peace_1499.png

I tried to move stuff around for you so you could see the four province tail I have that licks into Tver and Muscovy. This is the end of Muscovy as a major player. I took their best province, and then two really goods ones from them fiscally.

And again, Poland is the best ally ever. They helped to keep the Muscovy army from being a major threat and reduced that war by about a year or two to win


All of my provinces are Muscovite culture, Orthodox religion, and have cores ongoing


Rzhev – 14 dev, Woods, grain farmers, 5% unrest, 75% autonomy, Rzhev is south and east a bit of Novgorod and Kholm, and next to Lithuania.

Mozhaisk – 8 dev, woods, grain, level 2 castle, 10% unrest, 75% autonomy, next down the Lithuanian border from Rzhev and connects it with Moskva


Tver – Former capital of Tver, with a 21 development, grasslands, 10% unrest, 75% auto, grass farmers. In the center of Tver. It has a church and workshop


Moskva – The crown jewel! 29 Dev, grasslands, iron miners, it has a marketplace and level 2 castle, 5.4% unrest, 75% auto. Inland Center of Trade with 13 MIL upgrades to make a ton of manpower.

[Abe Sargent]

16 Jan, 1500 – With my big badboy, I move one of my armies next to Sweden, just in case they are feeling a little frisky

17 Feb – I mothball my forts.

I embrace State Firearm Regiments. This increases my land maintenance but increases the speed at which I gain professionalism with me drilling

8 May - I have a rebellion of 8k in Olonets

13 July – Put down

1 Feb, 1501 – Workshop in Tikhvin


1 Apr – One of my adviser passes. It was my Admin adviser

I hire a level 1 bum that can also increase our Missionary strength by +2

12 May – Tver fabricates a claim on Moskva and the Novgorod culture is now accepted in Narva. I order a Regimental Camp there.

29 May – Rzhev now a core

29 July – The other three are now cores as well

12 Aug – I promote Moscow and Tver holdings to a state.

21 Aug – I keep my King and we’re now 6/3/3

I order a Church in Moskva and a Regimental Camp in Tver. These Camps will raise my forcelimit.

30 Dec – I hire my 3rd army, one of the main ones, out to the Teutonic Order for their war with Brandenburg

Now without paying that upkeep my monthly prices shoot back up

2 Jan, 1502 I noticed that all three provinces of the Livonian Order are now Orthodox.

I designate the Livonian Order as a March, not a vassal. Marches cannot be vassalized, and emphasize military growth, and don’t give you cash. As a Merchant Republic, I still get it’s trade though.

1 July

MILTECH 9 – I get Pike Infantry, and bonuses to combat

I swap over

11 Aug – Sweden claims Neva

15 Aug – Peace with the Teutonic Army


1 Oct – I get an event and choose to put a great piece of art into ADM tech. I now have enough for...

ADM 9 - +5% production efficiency

We were early and got some good results.

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1503 – In Cyprus, the Protestant Reformation begins.

The Age of Discovery is ending in 121 months!

DIP TECH 7 – Max Colonial Range, 110, +0.30 naval morale

This just cost 334 since it was late


16 April – I fabricate a claim on Kolomna in Muscovy

1 Aug – My leader gained -10% construction costs

I spend some ADM to increase DEV in some places

17 Nov – Uriev is now embracing Novgorod culture. I order a church built here

12 Dec – Rebellion of 13k in Rzhev

29 Jan, 1504 – Put down

I was saving my Mil for the tech, and don’t have a bunch now

1 July – Reval converts! That was our final non-Orthodox holding. I order a Church here to celebrate her change to the correct way!

Denmark is fighting Sweden, so I offer the army on the border with Sweden as a Condottieri. They accept happily.

Good luck Denmark!

27 Feb, 1505 – Cyprus brings that sweet wine to our Trade League

21 Mar – After a breach and assault, Viborg is captured by our Condottieri

18 Aug – I keep my guy and our leader improves

29 Oct – All of what might normally be called Finland was captured by us

15 Nov – Regimental Camp in Uriev

10 Dec – A bunch of English troops arrive off Stockholm and protest the presence of Denmark in the Swedish capital


22 Dec – I catch a spy from Yaroslavl

[Abe Sargent]

15 Jan, 1506 – England wins and pushes back their war

1 Feb – We take the title Defender of the Faith

28 Feb – In order to cut autonomy and drop rebel risk, I use both of my Russian abilities


22 June – I fabricate a claim n Viborg, the adjacent Swedish holding

30 Aug –

TRADE Tech #7 - +25% Caravan power

We finished it and get +1 Merchant!

1 Jan, 1507 – The next institution, colonialism, has arrived.

7 Jan – Tver claims one of my provinces

22 April Workshop in Pernov, Farm Estate in Mozhaisk

15 Aug – We have the Condottieri sent back


24 Oct – I claim Vladimir

18 Nov – War won by Denmark, they got four provinces

22 Nov – Claim by Sweden

6 Dec – I claim another province in Sweden

5 Jan, 1508 – We are making great draperies in Pskov, and our relations with Lithuania improve, one of our major clients, and we get some local bonuses

I can claim another Age of Discovery with my splendor but I skip it

4 April – The power of our Icon of St. Christopher expired. I go with the Institution spread of the Icon of St. John Climacus

2 May – Our truce with Novgorod expired. But I don’t care

15 May - I sell my army out as Condottieri again.

19 Sept – Sweden claims Narva

2 Oct O I get an event for fracturing merchant. I choose to support local trade over global and I get +5 in one and -5 in the other

12 Dec - With the bonuses in cash own an army and the influx of cash, I order a Farm Estate in Tver

[Abe Sargent]

11 Feb, 1509 – I hit the max in ADM at 999 power, but the next tech is 1012. Wow.... I spend a little for DEV. Eventually the cost will come down to a normal level

16 Feb - I fabricate two claims in Sweden after we get a Spy Network event

18 Aug – I keep my leader and he rises 6/5/5

1 Sept – I claim Ryazan. Now I have claims on every one of those territories. I would not have been able to claim them without the ability I took in from The Age of Discovery

DIP TECH 8 – Trade Range +10, +0.20 Naval Morale Can build shipyards

I order a Farm Estate in Rzhev. These are pretty cheap with my multiple reductions to building, by the way.



1 Jan, 1510 –

ADMIN TECH 10 – We can get another Group of Ideas!

Hmmmm.....what makes sense?


I am going to wait and see what the next Age wants before making this play

Right now my monthly tech gains are 12/9/8.

21 Sept – We get an Agricultural Revolution event. Narva gets +1 tax

1 Nov – I lost the CB against Riga

10 Jan 1511- I order a marketplace in Priozersk

2 Feb – Tver claimed another of our holdings

10 July – We capture Yarosavl trying to spy on us!

18 July – I get a Reform the Military event. I choose to put it all in navy, and we get +200 DIP power, and bonus naval build and maintenance for a few years

1 Oct –

DIP TECH GAIN 9 – We get some new ships and max colonial range. I update my navy.

This just cost 388, so the 200 I just got was heavy good! We’re about to level up MIL anyways

[Abe Sargent]

15 May, 1512 – Marketplace in Ladoga

1 Aug – My fleet has finished updated and repairing and I send it back out again to protect our trade


1 Sept – Another claim by us vs Sweden

1 Nov – I cancel our drilling

10 Dec –

MIL TECH 10 – We get Eastern Hussars and better artillery. I order them replaced

1 Feb, 1513 – The Era of Discovery Ends!!!

Next is the Age of Reformation

Here are my goals:

Convert another nation’s religion by force – We already have!
Change to Protestant or Reform. No thanks
Fully embrace either Humanist or Religions Idea Group. No thanks
Convert at least ten provinces to your faith. I have 5
Have 5 colonial subjects. That’s not me this game. Not yet
Gain the trade bonus for one of Spices, Silk or Chinaware
Unify all provinces of my culture group

We have different abilities as well. If we get there, I’ll take a looksee

I activate my forts

2 April – I fabricate a claim on Riga. Again

11 May – I begin the process to move two provinces to Novgorod culture

I choose Plutocratic Ideas in MIL Ideas

26 May – We capture a Swedish spy

22 Aug – I keep my leader. 6/6/6 baby! And he’s just 52, could be here for a while.

1 Nov – Our peace treaty with Muscovy ends...

I have max manpower – 23k

I have my three armies in Moskva, Tver, and Mozhaisk all ready to go, with our new military cavalry and artillery all updated.

Ready?

The first time it was for a foothold. This time it’s for glory!

I declare war with Muscovy for their province, Ryazan.

I call Poland again. Our eternal ally!

[Abe Sargent]

20 Nov – I rout the Rostov army in their capital and begin a siege there

12 Dec – Two minors are mine

22 Dec – I begin a siege for Ryazan

23 Jan, 1514 – We take Rostov surprisingly early.

27 Jan – After a breach and assault, I take Ryazan

3 Feb – I begin a siege of Yaroslavl

9 Mar – I capture two minors including Vladimir

30 Mar – After a long 3 month battle that involved everyone throwing in reinforcements, including my detaching a army from Yaroslavl, we win in Mologa.


17 Apr – Another battle won by our side. Poland won against a very inferior foe

5 May – We begin the siege of Nizhy Novgorod.

27 Aug – I assault and take NN. We move to their moved capital

29 Nov – After a second army converges, we take their capital

27 Dec – Yaroslavl is ours

26 Jan, 1515 – We have more minors coming under our sway

5 April – I have an 88% warscore but I want to push. I want every Tver, Yaroslavl, Rostov and Muscovy province under my control.

25 July – Every one of the 33 provinces is mine. Now, hold up, we have one last battle ongoing...

21 Aug – We rout their army

Alright, peace time with a 100% warscore

Time to go shopping

[Abe Sargent]

I have to get my key three provinces, the two I need and the one to get me there.


If I do a max land grab of value, here’s what I could do:

I could do 8 provinces. There are a few valuable provinces to the far east – Nizhy Novgorod is Copper Mines, I could dig to it, and then build up around what I have and spread out so my mass is not such a tail. Here let me show you what it would look like in my war negotiations. Now that would cost an epic amount of badboy, like 56 badboy. A ton of bad boy. And some wouldn’t like it. But that would end Muscovy, give me a value NN plus eight territories and everything I need to become Russia.

This is what I would do if I was a conqueror. But I am a merchant republic. That’s a huge addition of territory beyond what we could do. But I would leave that behind soon when I take on Russia, we’d get their government type, Tsardom, as well.

So...what now brown cow?

Now, if I were to do Merchant Republic stuff –

Take the key three, and the salt province next to them
War Reps
Release Beloozero and Ryazan
Etc

Now if I skip Kolomna and instead unite with the wealthier Yuriev, and don’t get the holdings that flesh out my stuff I can get both Copper Mines, and even toss in mission. Here, pipcs

https://s8.postimg.org/l666whktx/Pskov_Potential_Peace_1515.png

https://s8.postimg.org/8di2x2ot1/Pskov_Potential_Peace_1515_2.png

I do NINE Provinces instead!

I took:




Belooozero:

Beloozero
Ustyuzhna

Yuriev
Ryazan
Vladimir
Tula
Pronsk
Murom
Nuzhny Novgorod

I grabbed some more valuable ones instead of ones that look pretty on a map. I intend to release Beloozero soon.

This completes my mission

I spend around 340 ADM to order cores on them all

I mothball my forts

My next mission is to make nice with Denmark

All of my holdings are Orthodox and have a 75% autonomy


Beloozero – Novgorod culture. Forest, 5 dev. 9.8% unrest, Naval Supplies

Ustyuzhna – Novgorod Culture. Forest, 7 dev. 9.8% unrest, Naval Supplies



Tula – Iron mines, steppes, 9.8% unrest, 8 dev, Ryzanian Culture. South and west of the above holdings.

Pronsk – Same as above but with 7 dev.


Ryazan – Same as above, but with wool, level 2 fort, and 13 dev


Murom – Woods, grain farmers, connects NN below and Vladimir. On border with Kazan. Muscovite Culture, 12 development

Nizhny Novgorod – East of Murom above, next to Kazan, Copper mines, 15 dev, woods, Muscovite culture. Level 2 fort here


Yuriev – Salt is harnessed here, next to Moskva, Vladimir, and such. Muscovite culture, 8 dev, woods, church built here

Vladimir – 12 dev, woods, iron mines, Muscovite, next to Kazan, Ryazan, Murom, Yuriev, etc.

[Abe Sargent]

2 Oct – We become a Great Power.

12 Jan, 1516 – I declare Kazan as our new rival

13 Feb –

DIP TECH 10 - +10% trade efficiency, bonus trade ranges, and new ships

7 Aug – We befriended Denmark. Next? Reduce overextension

I really want to get to the 11s in each of the next techs. I am 10/10/10. 11s are where manufactories can be found

11 Dec There is a Local Fortification expect discovered at Novgorod. I use him locally and the defenses there increase.

25 Jan, 1517 – Ryazan, Vladimir and the two Beloozero holdings are now fully cored.

1 Mar – Our army’s level of professionalism is now at the point where I can refill garrisons

I am now officially too big, and I have a message telling me that I am now losing Republican Tradition


22 Mar – The last cores are done, and we won a mission

I choose to recover manpower as the next mission

I reform Subednik to drop autonomy

1 May –

Plutocratic Ideas #1 – Mercenary Pay – We get bonus options for Mercs, and their discipline.

Pskovian Ideas:

Knight’s Guard - +25% Mercenaries Available

12 June – I order a church in Ryazan

[Abe Sargent]

20 June –

I can switch to Russia anytime. A lot of things change when I do




Tsardom

This government form is given when forming Russia, and is automatically empire rank. Besides giving +10 to amount of states and access to the Russian abilities, it gives the following bonuses. +20% Manpower, +0.1 Yearly Absolutism & -0.05 monthly autonomy


For 50% more Spynetwork cost, the Tsar may lay claim to an entire area, rather than settle for claiming individual provinces.


Here let me show you a pic of what would happen in game:


https://s17.postimg.org/91ncru94f/Russian_change_screen.png


I get more manpower, tons of more states, auto Casus Bellis on everything ever dreamed of by man, and for 20 years we have some shifts. Now I would love a third diplomat, but I would lose two merchants by leaving behind my Vache Republic. I keep my Russian abilities, and that’s nice.

Notice that my capital doesn’t change. It’s not moving to Moskva nor to St. Petersburg (Neva). So Pskov would remain the central city of New Russia, which I think is pretty cool.

Absolutism is a new value, like army professionalism, that increases over time with certain uses and gives you useful abilities. It starts in the Age of Absolutism, which isn’t for a while.

Now note the key here is the New Traditions & Ambitions event. I have the ability to swap my Pskovian Ideas for the Russian ones whole sale. Here is the Pskovian ones, again, for your benefit:



https://s17.postimg.org/mikbap40f/Pskvoian_ideas.png



Of them, the best are the -2 national unrest and +10% global trade power, +20% trade steering, and +20% goods produced you finish you with. But Russia? Get ready to hold onto your butts

https://s17.postimg.org/uo2d8uzz3/Russian_Ideas.png


We have a bunch more manpower, a full +50% force limits, -10% bad boy, but note the second ability there. You get an ability to colonize the Siberian frontier just by being next to them automatically.

So I have to make a choice. Do I want to Tsar this thing up right now? I think yes, I need to. I need to be able to have all of my current provinces not get all upset and pissed off at me. We’re losing tradition now anyways.

I become Russian!

I Raise Streltsky and create 12 units in my capital.

Tsar Daniil Naryshkin rules, 6/6/6. My tech growth each month is 13/11/10

I issue an edict to create the Russian Patriarchate

I reform Subdednik and cut autonomy

I have four different factions to balance – Boyers, Cossacks, Clergy, and Burghers.

I give to the Boyers – Luki, Kholm, Mozhaisk

I give to the Clergy – Ustinzha, Beloozero, Murom

We end our trade league

I am making around 20 ducats a month right now


I invest some tech into DEV in a few places

[Abe Sargent]

1 July – RM Poland

4 July – RM: Estonia

12 July – RM: Denmark, and it brings a new queen for our ruler

I order a Workshop in Rzhev

14 July – RM: Brandenburg

29 Sept – I stop drilling and move my armies around. What I want to do is to take Perm from Kazan so I can begin to move towards colonizing Siberia.

23 Oct – I start upgrading my military. I have a forcelimit of 79k but just 59k under my auspices. I start, slowly, building up for a war against, well, anyone. Particularly Kazan

2 Feb – I order a Church in Beloozero

17 March – In Holland, the Reformed branch of Christianity begins.


According to the Ledger, Kazan has an army 27k strong. I am now at 67k

22 May – White Karelia was force-vassalized by Sweden

4 Aug – Our ruler is now Midas-Touched

1 Dec – I am thinking about declaring war on Novgorod and then naming as co-defendant their liege Kazan as well as their ally Odyev, so I can take land from all three at the same cost. They are currently at war with Mongolia and the Oirat Horde, so this is good timing.

10 Dec - I declare war on all three

I send in armies to Novgorod, Odyev, and Kazan

22 Dec – I take out the army of Odyev and begin the siege there

19 Jan, 1519 – I have captured a few minors. I begin a siege of the capital of Kazan, on the border with us.

3 Feb – I crush the Novgorod army in their capital and begin a siege

28 Feb – I assault and capture Odyev

1 Mar – My ADM tech adviser passes and I hire another who bumps my production a bit

12 Apr – I take the Nov capital

17 Apr – I get a peace offer from Novgorod only for three of her provinces. She only has five left. I could annex her out of existence. I keep the pressure on

11 July – I have every holding of Novgorod’s.

15 July - I take the 3 holdings of Novgorod that are next to me. Then I force-vassalize the other two that I can’t annex

I spend around 75 ADM power to core those three holdings. They are pretty weak and I’ll likely give some away to my estates later

Now we are just at war on two flanks. I move that army into Perm, a vassal of Kazan with whom we are also at war.

17 October – We capture the capital of Kazan

20 Nov – Kazan is now at peace to the east and is moving their armies back to face me

3 Apr, 1520 – I capture the capital of Perm

11 May – We defeat the Kazani army after I combine two of my forces to hit it from either side in a pincer movement

4 June – Rebels bust up and we have to put them down

I hit my max power in ADM so I spend it on some DEV here and there

23 June – Our siege of Astrakhan is concluded and we take it

22 July – We finish the rebels

3 Aug – We finish the siege at Bashgird.

28 Aug – Poland defeats Kazan

I am moving east into territory I don’t know, because we have taken tons of their land. I have had a 99% warscore, but I want to push east to see what lands I can find.

1 Sept –

Plutocratic Ideas #2 – We get +10% land morale with our troops!

17 Sept – We finished cored the three provinces I took from Novgorod. I hand one to my Boyers. We’ll look at them later.

13 Dec – I have revealed and taken three more Kazan provinces and I am pushing east more.

5 Feb, 1521 – I get a peace offer from Kazan for nine provinces. No thanks, I’m still exploring east. I’ve found like 6 or 7 and taken them all so far.

[Abe Sargent]

4 April – Peace with Kazan. I am taking a TON of lands from them and basically denuding them as a threat from here out.


https://s8.postimg.org/gbuvhedj9/Russia_Kazan_war_9_April_1521.png

I’m taking the highlighted provinces in war. I pay for some cores. It’s only like 250 for everything, these are not that wealthy.

Next is Odyev, which I have a 100 war score for.

I annex it, and their home of Oka is now ours.

[Abe Sargent]

Orthodox:

Oka – Ryzanian, Grain farmers, west of Tula, woods, workshop, church and farm estate already here, 15 dev,


Onega – Far north and was formerly under the control of Novgorod. Their culture, fur, gave to Boyers, fully cored, forest, 9 dev (now it was 6 when I took it)


Kargopol – Forest, naval supplies, southwest of Onega, Novgorod culture, 11 dev. I hand it to the Clergy.


Soroka – 16 dev, Docks built here, fur trade, forest, Novgorod culture, north of Kargopol.



Sunni:

Assume these are Kazan culture unless I tell you otherwise, with 75% auto and 25.5% unrest


Alatyr – Muscovite, 4 dev, Grain farmers in the woods, south of Murom, NN, and Cheboksary. Very poor, was a throw in as my last province I added to the peace tables. Weak land. I’ll give it away after coring it and building it up a bit


Cheboksary – On the border with Muscovy, connects NN and Alatyr with Kazan and Tetyushi and other holdings to the east. Grain farmers, 10 development, Steppes.


Tetyushi – Small province tucked away between Cheboksary, Kazan and Bolgar. Taken to make the map look nice. 8 dev, steppes, grain farmers,


Kazan – The former capital, 17 dev, Steppes, grain, level 2 fort and church are here, has the Inland Center of Trade boost. It's the home of a Center of Trade, and our 2nd one after Novgorod!


Bolgar – South of both Kazan and Tetyushi, the steppes here have iron mines. 7 dev


Glazov – East of Kazan is this grain farmer province, woods, and 6 dev. Uralic culture. South of Ishkar, connects Kazan with Perm, my key military target for this war.


Ishkar – North of Glazov, this iron mining province is in the woods with Uralic people. 5 dev.


Perm – My primary war target, due it its wealth and adjacency to Siberian holdings is this former capital of Perm to our north. In the forests here we have 13 dev and copper mines. The Uralic people here are also north of my final province.

Zlatoust – This Mountain province is south of Perm and next to Siberian holdings as well. The Bashkir people here have a 6 development but something really important as their trade good – gold.

So I took from Kazan their COT and capital, two iron mining areas, one copper, and one gold. What do they have left? Other than grain, wool, Livestock and fish, just six iron mines left of value across their entire nation Nothing else at all.


Using my cool power, I take the Siberian province next to me in Perm. We can take them without using a colonist using that power. Now it will grow on its own, without any colonial cost to hit my treasury. We call this land Ekaterinburg

[Abe Sargent]

MAP TIME!!!


https://s8.postimg.org/ro7gz6eid/Russia_1521.png


I put my mouse cursor over our Siberian colony.

[Abe Sargent]

19 June - Crimea is now at war with Kazan and I grant them military access. Feast away my friends, feast away

1 Sept – We get a natives suffering a disease in Ekaterinburg event and I spend some gold to help them out!

2 Jan, 1522 – I mothball my forts

30 Mar – We get an Adventuring merchant event and bonus trade

9 June – RM: Novgorod

12 July – Alatyr a core. I send over a missionary and give it to the clergy

17 July - Oka now a full on core. I am already getting a 0.85 monthly cash from it. One of the good things about being Russia is that every East Slavic culture is right at home, whether it’s Novgorod, Muscovite, Ryzanian and so forth. So Oka is all in

31 Aug – I get an event – Prospering Times for my Leader. Which tech do I want to invest it in? Dip. We are almost at the next level for ADM already

5 Oct – I get an Excellent Minister event and a bunch more free development

3 Mar, 1523 –

Plutocratic Ideas #3 – Bill of Rights, -2% unrest

2 June – After a while of making nice with Portugal, we now are married to them. I am hoping that marriage to the place that started the Colonialism will help me get there a little faster.

My missionary isn’t going anywhere so I pull him back


18 Nov – All of the rest of the cores are completed.

I can’t get any Missionary to take....hmmm....

I pass the Blasphemy Act, which gives me +1 Missionary STR and -1 tolerance of heathens. Is that enough?

That should do it. I send a missionary to Ishkar

1 Jan, 1524 –

ADMIN TECH 11 – We get bonus production, can build Textile Manufactories.

DIP TECH 11 – We get more colonial range and trade and can build Naval Equipment Manufactories

I have the cash saved for two manufactories. I hold off for now for the next manufactory. That’ll be a big boon to my mining areas



2 Feb – I get a Queen is Heretical event. The common people are upset that she is still a Catholic. I could try for a divorce, but no, I’ll stick with her and we get +2 revolt risk for a few years

21 April – Demand for fish plummets as more and more Protestants don’t eat it as much during Lenten season

17 June – I hand Tetyushi to the Boyers

1 July – My military adviser passes and I hire a new one with a bonus to manpower

25 Aug – The Ottoman empire is trying to expel our traders from Constantinople, but we viciously reject.

18 Oct – We get a big rebellion of 21k in Kazan.

29 Dec – After combining two local armies, we put it out. I’m trying to save MIL for the next tech there.

[Abe Sargent]

17 Feb, 1425 – I get an event as a wealthy family wants to help fund our colony out in Siberia. I saw yes and a few things immediately happen:

1. Our colony there gets 1000 people and a fort as well to protect it, so it will be a fully colony
2. I get a few hundred gold for my treasury
3. We begin a colony in the next two provinces to the north.
4. My current colony gets 30 years where it won’t make anything as it is used as a base of operations by these merchants.


Ekaterinburg – Mountainous, now has Naval Supplies.

The other two are both Fur provinces

24 June – A new heir is born! Whew! He’s 3/3/4

22 Nov – Pernov is now Novgorodian culture

16 July, 1426 – I steal maps from Kazan of central Asia

15 Aug – Another rebellion occurs

29 Sept – Finished

24 Oct – Diplomatic Move even gest me some DIP power

30 Mar, 1427 – We get +10 Patriarch Authority from an event

11 May – I get a Burgher rebellion in Reval after I force them to give back land they took there for 15k. Troops. Luckily I have an army next door, waiting to declare war on Riga

1 June – Rebellion over.

21 June – While I’m here, I declare war on Riga

10 July – I rout the Riga army and begin a siege of their holdings

17 July – Reval is now Novgorodian culture


10 Dec – I get a Sunni uprising in the province I am trying to convert. I usually have my army there because it’s common and we put it down immediately.

[Abe Sargent]

22 Jan, 1428 – Ishkar converts. Next is Bolgar

30 Jan – Muscovy annexes Yaroslavl

1 Feb – We take Riga. I annex them with a few hundred gold and then order a core

Riga – woods, 21 dev, although 11 of it is MIL, Catholic, Prussian, coastal, Daugava Estuary here increasing trade, Naval Supplies. It has a level 2 castle, docks, church and marketplace


22 Feb – I take a mission to make nice with England

4 Mar – Native Assimilation event


21 April - I get an event for The Russian Orthodox Church Declares Independence

1. Lead the true faith from Pskov. Gain a ton of ADM Power, P. Athu, +25 relations with every Orthodox nation.
2. Help our brethren reclaim Constantinople. Gain your typical temporary claims on 9 provinces, including Constantinople proper. Lose a little PA
3. It is our destiny to free Constantinople from the Turks! Get permanent claims, and lose some more PA

So what I want? ADM power and PA and great relations? Or a permanent CB on 9 holdings I’m likely to never use? I go with the first.

14 July – I put down some Muscovite separatists in Alatyr


10 Aug – France declares us a rival. I do the same back.

1 Dec – Scholars have found documents that we are descended from Julius Caesar. I use it to gain legitimacy

6 Dec – I finish my quest to make nice with England.

1 Feb, 1429 –

MIL TECH 11 – We get bonuses to infantry, and can build Weapons Manufactories

I order them in:

Nizhny Novgorod (NN)
Perm
Vladimir
Tikhvin
Pronsk



17 Apr – My colony in Komi is now fully up and running!

Komi – Forest, 5 dev, fur trade, north of our colony in Serov, northwest of Uzbek, west of the opening province of Berezhov and Obdorsk

I Siberian move to Berezov.

I send my colonists to Obdorsk – it’s a coastal province up here in Siberia

5 June – I put down some Bashkiri Separatists

14 June – Muscovy declared war on Kazan...

Is this my chance to hit Muscovy?


7 Mar, 1430- Our colony in Serov is now fully self-sustaining


Serov – Fur trade here south of Komi and north of Ekaterinburg. Forest, 3 development


1 June – I lose an advisor in DIP and my next a level 2 trade advisor

I am moving my armies around. My truce with Muscovy ends in October.

24 June – Native Assimilation in Berezov

7 July – Riga now a core

21 Aug – I hire Streltsy!

[Abe Sargent]

1 Oct – I declare war against Muscovy and I don’t bring in Poland

My five armies, along with the Streltsy one I just hired at 21k, are ready to go and invade


Russia
Novgorod
Livonian Order

Vs

Muscovy
Rostov
Teodoro



8 Nov – Two minors falls

15 Nov – Another 2 are ours

19 Dec – Another falls

1 Jan, 1431 – Fur in Berezov

15 Jan – More minors are ours

19 Jan – Their capital falls

15 Feb – Another 2 fall

13 Mar – Rostov is ours

28 Apr – Yaroslavl is ours

10 Dec – After chasing them for a while, all four of my major armies in the area manage to capture and take out the Muscovy force

13 Jan, 1532 – Muscovy won their war with Kazan. I move into the areas they took

20 April – I get a Queen of the People event and we reduce unrest in the nation

27 April – I get a growing taxbase in Perm event

9 July – I beat their main army and our warscore rises to 99.

10 July – I get a peace offer from Muscovy that offers me 9 of their holdings. But I’m not sure if it contains the key three I need, so I build my own

[Abe Sargent]

I take 8, including all of the ones I need to – Rostov, Yaroslavl which have forts and were developed, their capital of Galich, the copper mines of Viatka, etc

I spend around 350 ADM to core them

Orthodox:

Yelets – South of my holdings in the southeast beneath Oka, Tula and Pronsk, this Mishar culture group of people have 7 development, Steppes, livestock, and a church here


Viatka – The last major prize Muscovy had. Copper mines west of Perm the nation, north of us at Kazan, Glazov and Ishkar. 15 dev, Muscovite, woods, and south of our new holding in Ust-Vym


Ust-Vym – Total throw-in. Just captured by Muscovy from Perm about a few months before we took it. Forest, fur, church, 3 dev. East of Novgorod. Uralic people here.


Rostov – The former capital of the nation, 11 dev, grasslands, Muscovite, farm estate, workshop, church all here, grain farmers. Connects our holdings in Yaroslavl to Yuripev


Yaroslavl – Former capital. Grassland, livestock, 16 dev, workshop, level 2 castle, Muscovite. Connects Rostov to Kostroma


Kostroma – Cloth is made here in the woods, 9 dev, Muscovite, in the center of the area that connects Yaroslavl, Galich and Vologda


Galich – Former capital of Muscovy. Salt, woods, 13 dev. North of NN, south of Kostroma


Vologda – Iron mines here in this forest that connect our two holdings in Beloozero to Kostroma


These are all of the remaining good places in Muscovy. The next war likely ends them.


https://s8.postimg.org/3yw9zcgqd/Russia_1532.png


There you are!

[Abe Sargent]

11 Feb, 1533 – I take on Defender of the Faith so I can get another Missionary. I send it to Zlatoust

22 Mar – Bolgar converts. Next? Tetyushi

25 Mar – The great Tsar passes at the age of 66. Our child is just 7, so the Queen is regent until he is old enough to take over, limiting our actions.

I invest in a stability gain back to +3

5 June – I am reconfirming various marriages like Poland and Estonia

13 October – We have most of our cores from Muscovy completed today

I order a Weapons Manufactory in Viatka, and Naval Equipment one in Yuriev


15 Oct - Poland has declared war against Bohemia and asks for my aid. I send over two of my five armies to help. It’s only fair

22 Feb, 1534 – We have won a few battles in Bohemia and I lay siege to the capital

7 Apr- I am now the trade leader in copper

31 May – Kazan lost 9 provinces to Transoxiana

24 June – I capture the capital

19 Aug – Another province falls under my siege

9 Oct –

Plutocratic Ideas #4 – Free Merchants, +1 merchant!

Russia Idea: Table of Ranks, +0.5 army tradition, -10% adviser upkeep

15 Dec – Another siege succeeds

25 Jan, 153 5 – I give Ust-Uym to my Clergy


28 April – I can get my first ability from the Age of Reformation

I take an institutional spread +50%

1 July – One of my colonies has Naval Supplies

7 Oct – Now a full province:

Berezov – Fur, forest, 3 dev,

I move into two adjacent provinces – Surgut and Mangazea.

24 Nov – I take another holding

[Abe Sargent]

5 May, 1536 – The truce with Kazan is up

I move my stuff back to get ready for the next war.

4 Oct – I declare war on Kazan

14 Oct – Kazan lost their war, and had to free some land and give up others

22 Dec – We rout the only Kazan army and it’s now just capturing these provinces.

2 Jan, 1537 – I take their capital. Still only had like 100 people in it from the last war

9 Jan - Poland won her war. We got some more favors stored for the future

13 Mar – Native Assimilation

3 May – I get a peace offer from Kazan at 99 warscore. I push to the last province

22 June – 100%

[Abe Sargent]

Here let me show you:

https://s8.postimg.org/nkyzk66th/Russia_Kazan_done_1537.png


We just have a few provinces to finish up and then we’re done

Highlighted stuff is green

I spend some ADM to core them.

[Abe Sargent]

I am thinking about doing something I rarely do. Pushing further.


Here let me show you:

This is the Uzbek Horde


https://s8.postimg.org/ubfgtm9et/Russia_target_1537.png

There’re just seven provinces there, and I might be able to take it out in one war. Two tops. I have an army of 25k there beside them. Allies? They are a tributary state of Kazan. Now there’s just one province here of value, a copper mine, but I could take it out without batting an eye.

I am not normally a warmongering, person. But why not? Let's play a little differently today!

[Abe Sargent]

8 July - I declare war on the Uzbek Horde. Kazan joins and I am at war with them again.

23 Aug – Once again, the Kazan capital falls quickly.

8 Sept –

DEP TECH 12 – We get a big naval morale boost

30 Mar, 1538 – We capture the capital of Uzbek.

20 Jul - I take three more holdings of Kazan. I can’t get that 4th under my warscore. I also get war reparations and cash

1 Sept – Surgut is fur

4 Sept – We convert Zlatoust, next is Alatyr

12 Sept – We capture the final Uzbek province

I annex the 7 provinces of Uzbek.

After the war I move into two adjacent Siberian provinces into Ket and Narim

[Abe Sargent]

MAP!!!

https://s17.postimg.org/m94v8gyrj/Russia_1538.png

Wow. You can see us beginning to look a little bit like Russia. You’ll note that to my east are some unclaimed provinces. Five colonies and I just captured 20 provinces down here in Central Asia. Lots of pressure.

My major hit was manpower, which I have exhausted, and I would need to wait some turns to refill. Well, not really. I could hire a bunch of Strelsky to keep the war machine going. I have a force limit of 132k but just 102k under my army. I could immediately have 26k more in my capital.

But still, it’s time for cooling down, and getting these cores under control and run.

[Abe Sargent]

15 Sept – I steal the Mongolia maps from Kazan.

Let me do a quick ledger check for you, now that I have Ming on my maps:

We have the 2nd largest army currently, at 97109. Ming is the biggest with 111k. After rebuilding my armies, I’ll be bigger. My force limit is 8 better. I am the 3rd richest after Ming and the Ottomans, both of whom have more holdings

1 Nov – A rebelling unit from Muscovy has rebelled and taken the name Rostov. I could just war and take them.

18 Dec – I put down some rebels

1 Feb, 1540 – Mangaeza will have Naval Supplies

I pay to move into two more Siberian colonies and that puts us at 7!

11 Mar – 2 separate rebellions break out

27 Mar – We have a boundary dispute with Novgorod and we take one of their provinces. Not a claim on it, we just took the whole thing.
 
4 April – TONS of rebels are popping up. I have 7 provinces with rebellions

Here I’ll show you

MAP!!!

https://s8.postimg.org/us5qct0t1/Russia_Rebellions_1539.png

11 April – One defeated where the battle was ongoing,

2 May – Another rebellion springs up here


25 June – 5 of my holdings have been captured, but we have defeated another army today

12 July – We take out another army, another province falls to rebellion

5 August – A third army is gone

29 Aug – I recapture one province

15 Sept – Another prov falls to them

22 Sept – We capture another back

29 Sept – Another is recaptured

Luckily, two armies moved to Kazan and are besieging their capital

25 Oct – I retook another province

1 Nov – I beat another army

3 Nov – Another province is reclaimed

1 Dec – We recapture another

Now the biggest news is that I still have some rebels but they left the country for now, and if they come back, I have to pounce on them . This also delayed rebuilding my armies considerably.

[Abe Sargent]

19 Jan, 1540 – Tetyushi converts, next in line is Glazov

12 June – I give the territory I got from Novgorod to the Boyers.

1 July – A few things happened:

1. Our leader has taken over the throne, as he is now of age. He s 3/3/4
2. His heir is his son with a 6/2/1 look.
3. Our Tsar has a negative trait and is greedy and our taxes will suffer with him at the helm
4. We have a group of pretender rebels that we have to put down.

Isn’t it annoying not being a republic with its smooth transition?


10 Oct – I have taken out the rebels and recaptured both provinces they had gathered

22 Oct – Discovery in our colony – we gain DIP power

1 Dec

Plutocratic Ideas #5 - +10% Goods Produced from Free Subjects.

1 Jan, 1541 – I hadn’t given you my provinces yet I captured in war, all 20 of them. Here we go:


We’ll do this fast, because of how many I have. I’m just writing their name, faith, culture, trade good, type of land, development, and buildings in the province, without any conversation about location or anything like that.


Ar-Chally – Steppes, 7 dev, grain, Kazan, Sunni,

Bashkorostan -Bashkir, Sunni, Steppes, Wool, 10 dev


Berezhnye – Steppes, Sunni, Kazan, 11 dev, grain

Chelabinsk – Steppes, Grain, 9 dev, Kazan, Sunni

Iglino – 11 dev, grain, Steppes, Kazan, Sunni


Kurgan – 6 dev, woods, fur, Ostyak, Sunni

Kustanay – 3 dev, steppes, Iron mining, Sunni, Kazakh

Orenburg – 11 dev, iron mining, Steppes, Bashkir, Sunni

Pokrovsk – Steppes, 7 dev, Astrakhani, Sunni, iron mining

Samara – 7 dev, Steppes, livestock, Kazan, Sunni

Saratov – Steppes, 12 dev, livestock, Mishar Sunni

Simbirsk – 3 dev, iron mining, Kazan, Sunni, steppes

Syzran – Steppes, Livestock, 6 dev, Kazan, Sunni




Uzbek:

Atbasarask – Copper mines, Kazakh, Sunni, 6 dev, steppes

Omsk – Steppes, Siberian, Sunni, church here, 6 dev, fur

Yugan – Woods, 3 dev, Fur Trade, Ostyak, Sunni,

Kemerovo – Woods, 6 dev, Fur, Ostyak, Sunni

Variegansk -Woods, 5 dev, Fur, Ostyak, Sunni

Tobolsk – Woods, Fur, 11 devel, Fur, Ostyak, Sunni – This is a Sufi Shrine and it has bonuses to unrest and taxes, but it’s autonomy rises with time, not drops.

Beloyarskiy – Woods, Fur, 9 dev, Ostyak, Sunni



Whew!

[Abe Sargent]

15 Jan – Four provinces are now cores

22 Jan – I get another Great Draperies! Event

2 Feb – Rebels in Yelets.

5 Feb – Two more provinces now cores

22 Feb – I discover a Muscovy spy

I fabricate claims on two of the provinces under the control of the Oirat Horde

I order a workshop in Viatka

1 Mar – They capture Yelets

5 Mar – I send a missionary to Beloyarskiy

15 April – We take them out

26 April – Most of my cores are complete

2 May – We retake Yelets
19 June – The last of the cores are done. We are fully cored

I hand Glazhov to the Boyers

I am currently getting more than 30 gold a month in my treasury, for a total of around 1 manufactory and one lesser building/year.

13 Dec - I pass the Conventicle Act which increases my Missionary Str by 1 but -1 tolerance of heretics

I am working to build up my spy network in the central Asian horde areas where I don’t have cores already

1 Jan, 1542 –

I order:

Workshop in Perm, Vladimir, Yuriev, Pronsk

Weapons Manufactory in Bolgar, Ishkar, Tula

Farm Estate in Kazan


5 Mar – I put down the rebels from before that crossed into other territory. They came back

1 Apr -I get a an event to improve our manpower considerably by taking “cannon fodder” from the Livonian Order. I do and I get more than 20k manpower! But relations worsen and their liberty desire rises. I spend 20 prestige to make nice with them and drop it back to lesser levels


With my huge investment in manpower, I move my armies around subtly, preparing for a potential war with the Great Horde. They are allied to the Transoxiana and a vasal state of Crimea. I want to get the trade node of Astrakhan on the Caspian Sea. That’s one of the few real targets back here


29 Sept – All five of my armies are on the border with our foes.

27 Oct – I get an excellent minister event. There is a level 3 adviser in ADM I can get for 50% now and 50% off for his monthly cost, so I hire him! He gives me -2% unrest. I also take a level 3 MIL adviser in the same event for 50% off now and later! I get +10% manpower

My tech investment is now 12/8/10

[Abe Sargent]

1 Feb, 1543 – I fabricate a claim on an area

ADM TECH 12 - +3 states, allows some new gvnt types

I give Iglino to the clergy

I order a Weapons Manufactory for Moskva

6 May – I have finished fabricating claims and am ready for war to our south

According to the ledger, my expected three enemies are:

Crimea – 13k
Great Horde – 7k
Transoxiana – 28k

I think I can take ‘em solo

I have five armies that are 25k, 23k, 19k, 18k, 18k. I put my biggest two armies on the border with Transoxiana as well

I declare war for Astrakhan

Crimea did not join her allies. Smart.

28 June – Four minor holdings have fallen

1 July – The Golden Era of our nation has ended.

3 July – Surgut now a full colony:

Surgut – 3 dev, Forest, fur, north of Uzbek.

19 July - I rout the Great Horde army entirely, and it’s gone

12 Aug – The siege of Astrakhan has begun

23 Aug – I noticed that Astrakhan has just been rebuilt and only had a few hundred people in it from being mothballed. I assaulted and took it

1 Sept – As of now, 10 minor holdings are ours

7 Oct – I assault and take the Great Horde capital

1 Dec – Glazov converts. Next is Perm

I have moved three of my big armies deeper into Transoxiana

31 Dec – I have captured every Great Horde province

5 Jan, 1544 – Muscovy declared war on Rostov

12 Feb – More minors are falling in Transoxiana

26 Feb – I am playing a cat and mouse game with their army. All three of my armies are in adjacent provinces to support each other as I move.

Right now I only have a 9% warscore against Transoxiana them so I have to move cautiously.


1 Mar

Mangazea – This colony, 7 dev, forest, has the Taz Estuary bonus, naval supplies. North or Surgut

I send more Siberian folks east to Troitskiy


31 May – I get an excellent minister event

3 July – After a meat grinder of multiple armies, I finally catch their main one and beat it.

9 Oct – I take one of their lands after a successful siege

13 Nov – After arriving in their capital of Samarkand, I defeat their army again

15 Nov – Beloriskiy is now Orthodox! Next is Tobolsk

27 Dec – I assault and take Samarkand

[Abe Sargent]

2 Jan, 1545 – My warscore is just 72 with Transoxiana so I keep on going. I want to get to enough to take all 7 provinces near me. I can get 5 right now

13 Feb – I finished a siege

17 Apr – I take another successful siege in Merv

26 April – I defeat their army again, this time we rout it

29 April – We capture the final province in Transoxiana


1 May – I can’t get all of the provinces I want under one war. Ah well.

I get 308 gold and most of the provinces to the west and north of the Caspian Sea.

I order CBs on those six holdings:

Guriev
Nivzhy-Embinsk (NE for short)
Kalmykov
Alexandrov-Gay (AG for short)
Gliniskaya
Yaik




Now the good stuff...

[Abe Sargent]

1 June – I claim more provinces in the Transoxiana area


I start peace with Astrakhan which is next to my new additions from Transoxiana.

Peace!

https://s8.postimg.org/kb78rgath/Russia_Great_Horde_additions_1545.png

Here are the provinces I am taking, leaving just two in the middle of my territory for later nibbling.

Kasimov
Tambov
Voronezh
Sarai
Kuma
Astrakhan!
Beljamen
Borisoblebsk

You can see to my east the six I took as well. We often change names when I take provinces.

I declare the Ottomans as my rival


All are Sunni

Kasimov – Mishar, Steppes, livestock, 13 dev

Tambov – Steppes, iron, 9 dev, Mishar


Voronezh – Steppes, 8 dev, livestock, Mishar

Sarai – 17 dev, steppes, wool, Astrakhan

Kuma – 6, Steppes, Astrakhan, iron mines


Tsaristyn – This was renamed by the game after we took it. Happens a lot. 9 dev, livestock, Steppes, Mishar


Borisoblebsk – 6 dev, steppes, livestock, Mishar


Astrakhan – HERE WE GO! 23 development, wool, drylands, Astrakhan culture, Sunni, has a level 2 castle, at the Volga Estuary, and has that bonus, center of trade.

I order a church in Narva and a Textile Manufactory in Kostroma

I hand Ingermanland to my Boyers

[Abe Sargent]

15 July – Many of the mid-Asia powers are entering into a coalition against me. This happens when you overstate your badboy. So far its Nogai Horde, Crimea and Chagatai Horde. That last one is the only one that matters to me

27 Nov – The Ottomans join the coalition

2 Jan, 1546 – I start building up my spy network with the Chagatai Horde

8 Feb –

Barnual - Colony now grown, Steppes, 3 dev, livestock, next to Chagatai Horde, East of my holdings in ex-Uzbek

9 April – The Nogai Horde declares a punitive war on us for over-expansion, Joining them are a ton of people:

The Ottomans
Crimea
Circassia
Mamluks
Chagatai
Wallachia
Guge
Anizah
Hisn Kafa
Dulkadir

These are the allies, vassals or people in that coalition

I call out to Poland and her and Lithuania join me

This is the first War of Aggression I have ever fought in my life.

I am ready to defend Mother Russia to the ends of this earth!


I hire 29k Streltsy in our capital

[Abe Sargent]

19 May – Chagatai Horde has hired an army from Ming to help them


My first two goals are to blitz Crimea and then to hit Nogai hard

16 July – I grab some land here in Crimea, and then I leave this flank to my allies who are getting here to deal with Crimea and the Ottomans and I leave behind one army and move the others east where I am the only one deal with the hordes


28 July – I lose a province to Chagatai

26 Sept – Another province of ours falls

1 Oct – I capture the capital of the Nogai horde

During this war I’ll likely be investing MIL to keep the rebels off me, I don’t have time to chase people down

13 Oct- Another of ours falls

29 Nov – Crimea/Ottomans won a close but long battle with Poland, but it was long enough for my army to army and try to oust them back

1 Dec –

Narim – Colony not ours, forest, 3 dev, fur. I order the land to the east added to our Siberian colonial ways.

3 Dec – I have captured every province of the Nogai Horde

15 Dec – We defeat the combined Ottoman/Crimea/Circassia force in Crimea. I sent my merc army here to mop up, so I now have two armies here

15 Jan, 1547 – I rout their force in Crimea and begin a siege of their capital

17 Jan – One of my armies snuck into the Chagatai Horde from behind their line and is beginning to take minors

26 Jan – They capture another of ours in the east.

11 Feb – They take another

15 Feb – My first of the Chagatai minors heads into our grip.

1 Mar –

Obdorsk – 3 dev, forest, naval supplies


3 Mar – I have a Magistrates Resign event and lose some DIP power

16 Apr – I assault and take Crimea, the capital of their state

In other news, Wallachia has taken over all of Moldavia, so our warscore is dropping because of that

17 Apr – As I near the CH forces, they pull out of my area. I’ll try and recapture the 7 provinces they took

22 Apr – A big battle out the Crimean peninsula is underway

19 May – More CH provinces fall to me. I split my army into multiple pieces and just took another 3.

22 May – I have retaken one province

29 May – Another is retaked

2 June – In a giant battle in Kyzyl-Cyr, we defeated two Ottoman armies and a Crimean one with both of mine, as well as both Poland and Lithuania in a battle that saw almost 100,000 troops on our side and around 85,000 on theirs!

The warscore change on that was incredibly high, and it pushes it to a resolvable level. We have a 16% for the war

We take one state in my territory, the previously-Kazan province of Buzuluk. Now under the control of the Nogai Horde. I also take some gold and War Reparations.

Peace!

I order a core for it:

Buzuluk – Iron mines, steppes, 6 dev, Sunni, Nogai culture, next to our holdings in Bolgar, Samara, etc, and next to the border with Transoxiana

That war ended at least a year or two before I thought it would. It was pretty anticlimactic


I currently have 138k troops, which is 20k more than the Ottomans

This year my truce with Muscovy will end, by the by

20 June – Native Assimilation event

4 Aug –

Ket – Former colony, Naval Supplies, woods, 3 dev

22 Oct – Sunni rebellion in Tambov. I have a main army next door

15 Nov – Put down

8 Dec – Tobolsk converts! Next is Yugan

10 Dec – 7 of my cores are complete.

[Abe Sargent]

2 Jan, 1548 –

I missed my 100 Year Review due to war. Sorry about that!


I am considering calling it anyway. What’s left for me to do? I am colonizing the crap out of Siberia, we know I’ll win again Muscovy this year and take a ton more land from it. I have a big army, with six armies that have a lot of heft and size to them.

Ledger:

2nd best income after Ming
2nd most development after Ming

Most max manpower at 128k by far than anyone else, Ottomans are 2nd

With 35 techs we are tied for the most

With 19 ideas, we are tied for 2nd after Ferrara with 21

We have the most power projection

We are ranked 3rd in Great Powers after Ottomans and France


Top Provinces by Tax Income with at Least 10:

Pskov – 20.80
Novgorod – 16.50
Moskva – 14.40
Pernov – 11.20
Beloozero – 11.20
Tikhvin – 11.20
Murom – 10.60


Top Provinces by Production Income with at Least 20:


Zlatoust – 27.60 (GOLD)
Perm – 24.11
Tikhvin – 22.15
NN 21.95
Moskva – 21.09

I have another 12 with a Prod of 10-20

I have 99 holdings, 4 colonies

We have the highest army professionalism

We have the largest army in the world – 13k more than Ming, and 31k more than the Ottomans

Our navy is the 7th largest


We have four trade nodes – Siberia out of one of my colonies (Tomsk), Novgorod, Astrakhan, and Kazan

Trade Goods:

5.0

Gems


4.5

Copper


4.37

Paper


4.0

Dyes
Silk
Cocoa
Ivory


3.60

Cloth


3.0

Glass
Tobacco
Sugar
Cotton
Coffee
Spices
Chinaware
Iron
Salt

2.5

Tea
Grain
Wine

2.25

Fish


2.12

Incense


2.0

Naval Supplies
Fur
Livestock
Tropical Wood
Slaves
Wool


We are the world’s leader in production of:

Fur (35%) – bonus annual prestige
Naval Supplies (13%) - +20% Naval Forcelimit
Copper (22%) – 20% recruitment time
Iron (16%) - -5% recruitment costs

I’m surprised I’m not grain, but China is 18.8% of the world’s grain, and we aren’t even at 10%.

In case it does become the end of my dynasty

[Abe Sargent]

https://s17.postimg.org/mgyh57glr/Russia_and_the_world_1548.png

There you are!


Vassals – Novgorod, Livonian Order
Allies – Estonia, Poland

Marriages – Estonia, Poland, Novgorod, Denmark

I make 102 gold a month right now, and after the cores come through, that will grow

My tech dev is 12/8/10

[Abe Sargent]

2 Feb –

Novosibirsk – Now a full colony. 3 dev, woods, fur. I order my Siberian colonial folks out east to Kuznetsk


12 Apr – Perm converts. Next target is Kuma down by Astrakhan

9 July – Two rebellions in the former Transoxiana are up

27 Jul – We defeat one

29 Jul – The other captured one of our provinces

15 Aug – Another is captured

21 Aug – I recapture the first

22 Aug – We defeat it before it can leave

12 Sept – We capture the 2nd back

1 Nov – Our leader passes very early, and we have a Regency Council ruling. I have some pretender rebels I need to quell

22 Nov – We defeated them in Nizhny-Embinsk.


31 Dec - All but three provinces are now cored

4 Jan, 1549 – We renew our marriage vows with Denmark. We still had the others.

We boost our stability

13 Mar – Ming announces me as a new rival

2 Apr – I order:

Workshop in Tula, Murom, Kazan, Ishkar
Church in NN, Perm, Astrakhan

Textile Manufactory in Ryazan,


I hand Kasimov to the clergy

12 May – I can’t declare war on Muscovy because I have a Regency Council He’s 12 right now, hope this won’t last too much longer


3 Nov – Even the province I took in the defensive war is now a core

Plutocratic Idea #6 – Free Cities – I get +25 caravan power

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1550 – The Printing Press institution has begun. I am already behind in embracing Colonialism, I don’t want to hit any issues there either

2 Feb –

Tomsk – Now fully self sufficient, this former colony is the home of the Siberian Center of Trade. Forest, 3 dev, naval supplies. I order three more provinces to come under the Siberian call. Those are West Tunguska, Yeniseysk, and Krasnoyarsk


22 Feb – Rostov won four provinces from Muscovy. They also saw the freedom of a nation of Yaroslavl as well, now free from Muscovy

I enter a RM with Rostov

15 April – Rostov and us enter into an alliance


16 May – We send them a gift

20 June – Rebellion of some Great Horde Separatists

26 July - Defeated


1 Aug – I can choose a new ability for the Age of Reformation

I take religious wars which decreases my warscore cost for other faiths by –25%

1 Sept –

I build

Workshop in Galich
Church in Rzhev

Weapons M in Vologda

24 Oct – Yugan converts. Next? Buzuluk!

21 Apr, 1551 – With the introduction of foodstuffs from the New World, the demand for grain has ebbed as people have many more options. The price of grain drops from 2.5 to 2.0. That’s not good.


1 May – The Ottomans have announced Russia as a rival

27 June – Our new Tsar, Yekterina, takes the throne and the Regency Council concludes.

1 July – Our new Tsar is just, and that will drop unrest by -2.0

[JonInMiddleGA]

13 Mar – Ming announces me as a new rival


Watch out, I hear they're merciless.

:D

[Abe Sargent]

I declare war on Muscovy

15 July – Our missionary in Kuma succeeds, next is Guriev

22 Aug – We crush the Muscovy army

6 Nov – Their capital is ours

6 Dec – We defeat their army again

21 Dec – We rout their army

28 Mar, 1552 – We capture their last province. I move my navy to track theirs down and end it.

21 June – I have a Boyer rebellion in Ar-Chally, but I have an army nearby in Kazan that heads over

6 Sept – We have a new 4/4/3 heir!

14 Sept – We destroy the Muscovy navy and now have a 100 war score!

https://s8.postimg.org/e1zgdz2d1/Russia_1552.png


Here is what I am about to take. Almost ready to level my DIP up too.


It fills out the map nicely. I order cores for my 8 new holdings. Only Suzdal, Kashin, has a DEV of more than 10.

[Abe Sargent]

Watch out, I hear they're merciless.

:D

It's true, they really are!

[Abe Sargent]

I feel like that will likely be where I'll call it. I finished doing what I was looking to do, and I have built a powerful platform for success moving forward.

I would pursue a diplomatic annexation of Novgorod next, and then add Yaroslavl, Perm, Rostov, and Muscovy to my allies and vassals slowly, and then bring them into my territory slowly but surely.

In between each of those peaceful annexations (which often can take a decade) I'd see myself grabbing a large amount of land east or south, and expand quickly.

My first major target would be Crimea to my south and a little west of Astrakhan. Right now I get the bonus for getting territories in peace from other faiths, and want to exploit that with the wealthy territory of Crimea. I'd use my great power right now to break their alliance with the Ottomans, and then isolate them, but that creates a peace for 5 years, and then use that 5 years to drop my badboy from Muscovy and then prepare for war here, then wage war and mostly take out all the Crimea Muslim state.

Then I'd want to look at places like the Oirat Horde's five provinces, which is a tributary of Ming, as well as another war with Transoxiana that delves deeply into the central Asia with hopefully a drive that sets up a future war with the Chagatai Horde, and then maybe finish off the Nogai Horde.

So Crimea first militarily, and then look east. I would expect that within 50 years I would have peace vassalized three Russian minors, removed Crimea completely or mostly from the map, had a minor war with the Ottomans, finished colonizing Siberia, taken out the Oirat, Nogai hordes, and won a major amount of land from both Transoxiana and the Chagatai Horde, and be looking at potentially moving to places like Sakhalin, Mongolia, or the pacific for future colonial options. I would expect to be fully Russia as you expect, in terms of the map, roughly around 1600

[Brian Swartz]

I find these remarkably interesting given that I don't know what you are talking about most of the time(i.e. I don't know EU IV acronyms etc.).

[Abe Sargent]

I find these remarkably interesting given that I don't know what you are talking about most of the time(i.e. I don't know EU IV acronyms etc.).

Thanks!!!

[Cap Ologist]

Good job! Always enjoy reading them as well!

[Abe Sargent]

Good job! Always enjoy reading them as well!

Thanks thanks!!!!!!!!!