EU4 Dynasty - The Re-Reconquista Begins

[Abe Sargent]

Eu4 – The Re-Reconquista of Iberia

Early 711 dawns and with it the change from one era to another in Europe, Africa, Asia, and especially Iberia. The Umayyad general Tariq ibn Ziyad disembarks in Gibraltar in an area later known for him as Jabal Tariq. Tariq’s arrival begins the conquest of Iberia by the Muslim powers and begins a long campaign of push and counter-push over the dominant religious powers in Iberia. Tariq conquers much of Iberia, and in 6 years has established enough of a foothold to invade over the Pyrenees and strike Gaul and take part of southern France as well. It’s ultimately pushed back by Charlemagne, and by 788 the major initial invasion has concluded with Muslim powers now controlling much of Iberia from Lisbon to the Pyrenees and only the small nations of Navarre in the mountains and Asturias remained in the north west to push back.

The Islamic rule of Al-Andalus begins.

This would begin an era of pendulum swinging as first one side would gain momentum and then the other would. There were Muslims helping the Christian nations and Christians helping the Muslim ones.


The initial few hundred years were not seen as Muslim vs Christian with this idea of a holy war write large, and instead merely as a battle between various powers. But then the Crusade era arrives, and a Crusade is called for the “Reconquest” of Iberia which gives the rebellion more of an us vs them mentality for Europe where it previously had none.

It’s not until 1492, after much back and forth, that the nation of Granada is brought under Spanish rule and thus the final Muslim power falls, 781 years later after Tariq arrived at Gibraltar. The aftermath of the 1492 war ended the tolerance in Iberia as all Jews and Muslims remained were forced to convert to Christianity or die by the sword.

But the writing was on the wind for a while, it was not as if Granada’s fall in 1492 was sudden, nor something not foreseeable.


So what would happen if, instead of falling then, Granada was able to foresee the obvious future parabola and then to remove itself from the potential storm by pushing back?


What if Granada had followed the footsteps of Asturias and Leon and instead grew large and strong rough that it was able to take out the rest of Spain?

What if Granada Re-Reconquista’d Iberia?

[Abe Sargent]

I am playing as Granada in 1444 –


My goals:


1. To survive a future war from Spain.
2. To expand in Iberia enough to warrant survival
3. To ally with the nations needed to keep ourselves alive
4. To eventually expand until I have removed every Christian nation from Iberia – Aragon, Castile, Portugal, and Navarra, and then to convert their holdings into the proper faith of Islam.


I do not care if they survive, I just want them out of my peninsula.

[Abe Sargent]

This is the perfect time to pick up Grenada!

Why?

The Golden Century expansion pack was just released with the free 1.28 update. What does that mean?

Here are your changes;

1. The maps - https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...-2018.1122972/

You are getting more provinces in Spain such as the Balearic Isles being split into Ibiza, Majorca and Minorca, as well as the province of Galicia in the NW potion above Portugal now getting four holdings and becoming more realistic for the time. Portugal and Granada also are each getting another province as well. Navarre has moved inland and is no longer a port to better reflect it’s proper place. You also have the Canary islands being split into two parts as well, one of which in Tenerife is uncolonized at the beginnings of 1444.


North Africa, a place that Spain fought in and over, was also a key target for map expansion, and has a few provinces added to places like Morocco, Tunis and Fezzan.

2. The Maps – Colonially

Please note that a lot of additions were made to the Spanish Main, including Cuba and Hispaniola going to 9 provinces each and almost 80 new provinces in the new world across Mexico, Texas, the Caribbean, Colombia, Venezuela, and more.


3. Holy Orders and Colonial Diversity - https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...-2018.1125007/

Spain can now form Holy Orders (Jesuit, Dominican, Franciscan) that are able to grant various bonuses to the location where they are granted.

If Granada recreates Al-Andalus then they have three options for creating Holy Orders as well.

We can now expel local minorities and then send them to colonies.


4. Coastal Barrage – Large fleets can now launch coastal barrages against forts on the water.
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...-2018.1126049/

5. You can build a Flagship for your fleet – These are created using three separate modifications that you choose.

6. The Idea Groups have been rejiggered to make them more balanced. The biggest is probably putting Quest for the New World first before your colonists in the Exploration Idea Group. Which makes flavor sense, and likely slows down early game expansion. Expansion Ideas ae much better as well.

7. New Missions/ideas for Iberia and the Maghreb here - https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...-2018.1126934/ and https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...-2018.1127813/





All of Iberia gets a better slate, as does Grenada, who now has it’s own slate of Missions. This is Grenada’s mission tree. (It’s also the Mission Tree for anyone who forms Al-Andalus)



8. You can play as Pirate Republics –
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...-2018.1129806/

9. Granada can choose the Grand Armada option for naval doctrine, as well as the other Iberian nations.

10. Not that it matters, but Granada have a new set of images for themselves, inc ships, and cavalry.

[Abe Sargent]

Granada –

We follow the Sunni Maliki school of jurisprudence. We can try an invite a scholar of that school to help us but we will need to buddy up with the center of one of those schools.

Granada’s four holdings.

All are Sunni faith and Andalusian culture.


Jabal Tariq – Known as Gibraltar to others, the Mountain of Tariq is Mountains, with a start across the mouth of the Mediterranean to Ceuta (currently held by Portugal) and with 3 development, the fishers here send us 0.14 monthly. Up the coast to it’s east is..


Malaga – Mountains, 7 development, Salt trade, has a level 2 castle to protect Jabal Tariq whom we have turned off to reduce it’s maintenance cost. We get 0.47 from here monthly. Up the coast to it’s east is our capital in…


Garnatah – Mountains, Salt, 14 development, capital, 0.85 monthly, and up it’s coast is…..

Marriya – Mountains, Grain farmers, 6 development, 0.22 cash produced here monthly.

We begin with 6000 troops, 5k infantry and 1k cavalry. We also have 12 ships that include 8 barques which are light ships that protect trade, and 4 transports.

I disband my transports.

I order my diplomats out, and we have allied with Tunis and Morocco.

[Abe Sargent]

Here’s a quickmap:




As you can see, the fire on the left is telling me that we have a disaster soon to hit Granada. Because our Emir is so bad and without an heir, we have a big push against us and the War of Granadan Succession will happen soon,

I have send a diplomat to make nice with the Ottomans one of the schools of my scholars. I also send the other to Morocco.

We enter into a Royal Marriage with Morocco.

I turn over Malaga and Jabal Tariq to my religious Ulema estate, which will now run them. This increases it’s land, reduces the money I’m getting there by 25% each but also opens up one of my missions.

[Abe Sargent]

That is the “Plight of our Kin” mission that our Muslim brethren are fleeing from European persecution to us, and we are building up a infrastructure to bring them to us.

11 Jan, 1445 – We are now married with Tunis as well.

I am now making around 1.1 cash money.

1 June – I now have enough Admin power that I increase our stability to 1.

I turn my Emir into a general and give him our army in Garnatah.

2 Sept – I get an event and choose to import iron from Castile which increases our MIL Power and relations with Castile.

13 Nov – Portugal fabricates a claim against Jabal Tariq from Ceuta

12 Dec – Castile claims it too


22 Feb, 1546 – I get an event and my stability rises if I pay some gold (25). I pay that gold!

I now have enough stability (2) that I can finish my mission, Plights of our Kin. We gain 2 base taxx and 4 base manpower in Garnatah.

I build some more soldiers.

1 Nov – Our mission to get +150 relations and an alliance with Morocco “ Moroccan Ties” is finished. I can get the bonus any time, which is a better land morale for 20 years. I’ll wait until I am at war to do so.

I am at my 9000 troop strong forcelimit.

[Abe Sargent]

1 April , 1547 – The War of Granadan Succession has begun


As a 5/2/3 leader, Yusuf I is much better than my 0/1/1 guy who is really not going to be good at stopping the yellow blob to my north. I want Yusuf to win.

1 Aug – I get an offer from Yusuf I to accept him as my heir. I accept. I gain prestige, stability and cash.

7 Sept – Castile claims our capital

I turn Yusuf into a general and he’s pretty good.

2 Nov – England has entered a big war against France and her allies.

Portugal – allied with England and Castile

Castile – allied with Portugal

I am making nice with Aragon and trying to create wedge between them and castile with us. They are rivals and enemies right now.

5 January, 1448 – Portugal declares war on us for Jabal Tariq.


England is busy in a war of it’s own, and they have not called on Castile yet, but Tunis and Morocco have joined us.


Portugal clearly wants to hit us on its own and grab both sides of the straight. I order my force to Jabal Tariq. I jack up my fort maintenance

22 Feb - We arrive in Cueta after Morocco begins to siege it.

22 Apr – Marriaya falls to Portugal

15 July – A large army arrives in our capital.

13 Sept – Tunis drives them out.

19 Nov – 12k troops from Morocco have arrived in Portugal and are taking on their fleeing forces

12 Dec – Marriya is back under our control after Tunis takes it.

[Abe Sargent]

15 Feb, 1449 – Portugal loses a big battle to Morocco

22 Feb – The Portuguese fleet routs the Moroccan one. We lose a bunch of ships and drop to just 3.

4 April – 4 holdings of Portugal are under Morocco or Tunisian rule.

15 Sept – Portugal retakes Marriya and is moving to our capital

28 Nov – After combining their forces, Portugal breaks off the siege of their capital

5 Jan, 1450 – After a siege of 711 days, e have captured Ceuta from Portugal. I move my force back to hit Marriya

We have a 45% warscore right now.

I thought Portugal was doing this singly to pick us off and take land before Castile could, but maybe they couldn’t ever DOW us.

9 Jan – I take Ceuta and 430 cash to be split among the various allies, and we got around 150 of that cash. We rename it back.


Sebtah – Highlands, 7 development, Sunni, Morocco culture, 75% autonomy, we have a core here, fish, 0.11 ,made here monthly for us, strait to Jabal Tariq. Next to Morocco. My hope is that this ends the Iberian tendency to look at this region for expansion. Level 2 castle that I mothball.


I spend some cash on more ships

My mission of “The Port of Sebtah” is complete it, and I can get a level 1 port in Sebtah as well as +25% local trade power, which I do.


I hire a DIP advisor

[Abe Sargent]

3 May – Our ruler passes at the ripe old age of 54.

We have a pretender rebellion

11 June – We lose to it in Malaga.

1 July – We renew our marriage vows with Tunis

9 July – We do the same with Morocco


12 July – Malaga falls to the pretenders

30 Oct – We have routed the rebels

1 Jan, 1451 – The Renaissance institution has arrived. It began in Brescia

2 June – I claim Cordoba from the filthy Castilians that inhabit it.

22 Dec – We retook Malaga

1 Mar, 1452 – I hire a Natural scientist advisor that pumps up my ADM investment

18 June – I set up a Diplomatic Amir El-Hajj to help create a strong route from Granadan to Mecca

22 July – Malaga claimed by Castile

8 Oct – Our pilgrims made it safely and we score a lot of diplomatic monarch power

[Abe Sargent]

2 March, 1453 – Dip Tech 4 – We gain better trade range and can now build marketplaces. I order one in our capital

1 April – A level 2 judge is found in Malaga and he’s 50% the normal cost for employing him. I hire him. Judge’s help the Admin side of things.

2 May – I now have a claim on Sevilla

1 Sept – Level 4 Mil Tech – better mil tactics and infantry fighting value

1 Nov – After building it up, our fleet is now the size of Portugal’s so we finish our mission. Our ships are now a lot better at protecting trade and winning battles.


22 Nov – France defeated England in the War of the Roses.

1 Feb, 1454 – ADM Tech 4 – I can build Mosques. I do so for Malaga, and will also do one for my capital after the marketplace is concluded.


17 July – We enter into a Royal Marriage with the Turks.

22 July – They offer us an alliance. Hmmmm…. Do I want to? I do.

1 Aug - I claim Cadiz

1 Sept – I invite a scholar from the Ottomans to help us, and he will give us a boost to Admin Tech investment.

[Abe Sargent]

1 May, 1455 – We have finished our mission to rebuild the Qalat al-Hamra. This was done with the Mosque in Garnatah with it having at least a 20 development. We get, permanently, a -2% local unrest there and +50% institution spread (like the Renaissance), as is has the “Jewel of the West” descriptor.


22 June - We celebrate the Eid Al-fatir

11 Aug – In order to drive a dagger into Morocco, Castile surrported the independence of Sus, one of Morocco’s vassals, and herself. She declared independence today.

We join

Battlelines:

Morocco, Granada, Tlemcen

Vs

Sus, Castile

I order some mercs assembled to help out

21 Aug – My navy is halved by losing to Castile.

8 Sept – I arrive and their army is fleeing mine as I have a much better general

21Oct – Cadiz falls to my mercs

30 Oct – Aragon sends me a large amount of war subsidies

22 Nov – I win a huge battle in our captial against their invading force

8 Dec – Sevilla falls to my mercs

4 Jan, 1456 – We win a skirmish in Murcia


16 Jan – Cordoba falls.

I am going to combine my mercs and main army in Toledo and besiege their capital


22 Jan – La Mancha is ours

8 Feb – We besiege Toledo

2 Mar – We have a new heir who is 2/5/3

5 Apr – The combined Castilian army cannot drive us from Toledo

Our ruler is a very good general

11 Apr - Morocco has captured all of Sus.


22 Feb, 1457 – Shifting tactics, Castille combines their forces and arrives in Malaga to besiege us.

3 June -They retake Sevilla

31 July – After 540 days, Toledo falls!

1 Aug – I enact a government reform to curtail noble privileges


4 Sept – We win a big battle in Cordoba as their army moved off Malaga as they saw us move south.

We have a 78% warscore

We were aided by 15k Tlemcen troops as well as Morocco’s main forces after they brought in Sus, we we have around 10k more than Castile has.

[Abe Sargent]

1 March, 1458 – Morocco heads to peace.

Because us and Castile are junior partners, we can’t force what Morocco gives.

This is what Morocco takes:

2 holdings from Sus.
Sus remains vassal
The Canaries from Castile which they captured

Cold hard cash

They give us Cordoba and Cadiz. There was enough warscore for Sevilla as well, or others, but they instead took two Sus holdings instead for themselves. Still, I like seeing the Canaries and Cordoba/Cadiz in our hands.

This is a great time for a map of the area.

I disband my mercs




MAP

Here you can see Morocco and our expansions in the various areas.

I really do see Tunis, Morocco and us as, potentially, a triangle alliance of growing Muslim powers. We have gained three holdings, Morocco three as well as annexed their vassal Marrakech, and Tunis has expanded as well.

Now, why did we win this war? Everything Castile did was by the book. Supporting a four province Sus in the south, near the Canarias? That makes sense. And when Sus goes independent, it’s just a five province Granada, Tlemcen, and Morocco that’s holding you. Why were you unable to win? Why were you unable to throw your weight around? What happened?


Two things. Math, and positioning.

Let’s do math. Here is our main army – 10k – 7k infantry, 3k cavalry. I purchased 5k mercs inntially and then another 5k with Aragonese funding That gave me another 10k.

Just 20k

Castile had two armies of 20 and 20k each. Our general was the….5th best general or admiral we know of according to our ledger, and spain avoiding a head on confrontation early with two 20k armies as they didn’t match up. We got the 15k Tlemcen forces that quickly arrived and joined my combined 20k force to bring us to 35k and then Morocco committed it’s full force as soon as the south fell, and that was just one siege and the rest quick un-forted land. We had numbers.

We had positing.


Our allies could cross the strait despite naval dominance from Castile because I controlled both sides. I had forts in Sebtah in the south and in Malaga in the north that protects Jabal Tariq. You couldn’t cross without loading and landing a navy while we could cross. Positioning helped as well! Without Sebtah, they couldn’t have crossed through enemy territory with Portugal. Sebtah, in Africa, opened up everything else.


Alright, next?

Remember that we will be using the Arabic name for this holding now that they have been returned to Allah’s hand.


Qadis – Drylands, Natural Harbor, Naval Supplies, Andalusian holding, 12 development, Catholic, core ordered here, and 75% autonomy with 31 unrest. 0.09 cash monthly made.


Qurtuba – Wool, Drylands, 10 development, Andalusian, Catholic, 0.07 made here.


I fabricate claims on Jaen and Murcia.

I name Castile as our rival.

Castile minus these three minor areas is not going to be a major loss. But if I can get Sevilla in a future war, then things will change and they will be hurt.

I order more soldiers.

[JonInMiddleGA]

re: the new Pirates thing-y ... your thoughts about that as a challenge?

Granted, my EU knowledge is extremely limited but reading through the description I thought it sounded like it might become almost too easy for an experienced player, a system that's pretty much designed to f. with people.

Your thought(s)?

[Abe Sargent]

10 Jan, 1459 – The rebellion in Morocco is ended.


1 April – I just got an event, and here let me show you some of Islam here in EU4.



This is Islam. There is a content push towards piety and mysticism on one side and unpiety and legalism on the other, and you can push for one or the other with various benefits thereof. There are events and options that you can take. I’ve gone ahead and showed you the legalism bonus as we were moving towards it. Legalism is my preference for the tech reductions.

Now the Dargah event. I choose not visit and I get Admin tech costs -10% for 25 years and better annual legitimacy growth.


1 Dec – Mi Tech 5 – I can get a better infantry and they are a lot better in battle. I upgrade my army.

5 March, 1460 – Our cores in our two new holdings have finished.

1 Nov – I can get both ADMIN and Dip techs, but I want to wait until the 10% institutional tax is gone as I suspect I am about to embrace

1 April, 1461 – I embrace the Renaissance!

I get the new techs:

Admin 5 – We can get a new idea group

Dip 5 – Trade range 20, better trade efficiency


What ideas do I want?

I need to take Iberia. I need to punch above my weight class:

I choose Quality Military Ideas

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

re: the new Pirates thing-y ... your thoughts about that as a challenge?

Granted, my EU knowledge is extremely limited but reading through the description I thought it sounded like it might become almost too easy for an experienced player, a system that's pretty much designed to f. with people.

Your thought(s)?

Good question!

In multiplayer it may have a bit of a griefer role, sure.But I'm not sure that it's powers have enough to push you over the AI nations that are bigger.

Abe

[Abe Sargent]

1 March, 1462 – We put down a rebellion in Qurtuba


5 Oct – I fabricate a claim in Algarve in Portugal.

5 Jan, 1463 – I order Mosques is my two new holdings

1 August – Quality Idea #1 – I get +10% performance from my infantry

2 Jan 1464 – Tunis takes more land in another peace from nearby nations

1 March – I am sharing knowledge of Renaissance with Morocco and they are sending us cash

1 Feb 1465 – Now that there is little unrest, I go ahead and order a Missionary in Qadis


11 Aug = I get an event and have to cancel my missionary work

[Abe Sargent]

1 April, 1466 – ADMIN TECH 6 – I can build workshops, and farm estates,a sort of large manufactory that doubles production of an item, like grain or livestock.


I order a workshop in Garnatah and Qurtuba




4 Dec – I get a Farming Revolution event in Marriya that increases its production by 2.

1 Feb., 1467 – My dip tech adviser passes. I hire a trader that improves my trade income and is a level 1 adviser


9 July – I begin to make nice with England as they are enemies of Castile.

1 Sept – Rebellion in Qurtuba begins

22 Septs – And it ends that quickly


4 Nov – We get Qual Idea #2 - +1 annual army tradition

[Abe Sargent]

1 Feb, 1468 – DIP TECH 6 – I can steal maps and build docks.

I reach out to Portugal and steal maps of North Atlantic with 16 regions, and then West African Sea region. We had 100 spy network built for this, and we continue to build it now

1 June – Workshop in Qadis and Qurtuba

1 April - 1469 – I hire a military adviser who increases our forcelimit. I order some more troops assembled.

5 August

I have enough value saved up in my Age of Discovery that I can get my first ability that lasts until the era does. I take Justified Wars which will decrease how bad it looks when we expand militarily.

4 Dec – I have maximized relations with England

[Abe Sargent]

22 Jan, 1470 – Our truce with Castile ends, and I order my folks assembled. We have defeated Portugal solo. We have defeated Castile (essentially) solo. What about both?

11 Nov – Castile has huge rebel programs. Time to strike.


5 Dec – I declare war for Sevilla

Our allies join.


Battle –

Us
Morocco
Tunis


11 Dec – I get war subsidies from Aragon and spend some cash on mercs again

12 Jan, 1471 – I get subsidies from England

19 Jan – Sevilla is ours

8 Feb – I grab La Mancha

11 Feb – After capturing Murcia, the Spanish fleet is forced out and faces mine in the harbor.

21 Mar – We win a major, month long campaign in the Gulf of Almeria

25 Mar – After helping us in the lower part of Castile, Morocco arrives in Portugal to help take some land there.

3 Apr – We capture Jaen

14 Apr _ We take Albacete


5 May – My army of 12k in the east from mercs funded by money from England and Aragon have rallied I have my heir controlling them, and we will keep them on the border of Portugal to help Morocco if needed or to take Castilian holdings instead.


12 May – All 25k troops from Morocco are in Portugal now, which out smashes it’s 15k force, and I have my army near in case, so I think we’ll be fine on the Portuguese flank of this war

11 June – I can see the Castilian and Portuguese force have followed suit and are moving to Madrid, next to Toledo. I order my mercs to Toledo, where we are besieging their army


19 July – I chased around some of their troops after splitting off my main army from Toledo and leaving behind 10k to siege

22 July – Aragon declares war on Castile while distracted

12 Oct – We capture Toledo

23 Oct – The Castilian Civil War ends – We struck on the right time

15 Nov – I rout the Portuguese army with my combined Toledo force.

22 Jan, 1572 – After more minors fell, the fort of Evora in Portugal falls to Morocco

8 June – After many more minor holdings fall, Lisbon falls.

Peace with Portugal –

I force them to send us War Reparations, Humiliation, give up claims with us and Sebtah, and then some cash

[Abe Sargent]

And now Castile.

I take: La Mancha, Jaen, and Sevilla

Now I could take their capital, Toledo, or something that connects us and Aragon with Murcia or Albacente.

Instead I head east to Badajoz




Here you go!

Because I hit Castile during their big civil war, I was able to hit them while distracted.


I also really hurt Castile fiscally with this land grab.

I fabricate claims on Evora and Beja


Our four new holdings. All of these are Catholic and with their proper name restored:


Isbiliya – Sevilla, drylands, Andalusian, centre of trade, marketplace and Mosque here, Wine, 16 dev, 0.46 made here.


Batalyaws - To it’s north is Batalyaws, Grasslands, Castilian culture, 8 development, Livestock, 0.06 made here monthly


Jayyan – Drylands, Andalusian, 9 dev, 0.18 made, and this internally connects multiple places we control.


Al-Mansha – 7 dev, drylands, south of their capital in Toledo, Castilian culture, features gold mines. We get 0.19 here.


Denying them the trade depot of Sevilla and the mines of Al-Mansha is a big financial hit, and once we have developed these, we will be richened by their addition to us.

[Abe Sargent]

1 July – Qual Idea #3 – We get +10% cavalry combat ability.

We unlock to the first Granadan Idea – People of the Book and we get +3 for tolerance of heathens.


22 Sept – I am now making more than 6 cash a month. Breakdown:

Income:

7.15 taxes
2.35 production
3.99 trade
0.21 gold
2.18 war reparations
1.5 institution sale to Morocco


Costs:

4.61 Advisors
0.58 State Maintenance
5.44 Army
1.35 fleet
1.00 fort maintenance


Capturing the trade node increased my trade income from it a lot. I am now the strongest trader from it

11 April, 1473 – After cutting my mercs off I turned to making some of my own and I now have 17 troops which is my landlimit.. I could make more, but it would cost a ton and would have spiraling costs.


1 Aug – 13k rebels leap up in Al-Mansha where my 17k army is…

And they are defeated 9 days later

1 Nov – The knowledge sharing with Morocco ends as they embrace the Renaissance

11 Nov – Tunis is now knowledge sharing with us instant

19 Nov – Jayyan and Isbiliya are now cores.

[Abe Sargent]

18 Jan,1474 – We are now cored the other two holdings

I send a Missionary to Batalyaws

16 May – Aragon takes four provinces from Castile in the north. Vizcaya, Rioja, Burgos and Soria.


11 Aug – Castile is claimed my recent captures

1 Jan, 1475 – We expel spies from Castile

2 Feb – I fabricate a claim on Huelva


1 Mar – I could invest in another Idea but I’ll save it for tech instead

1 Oct – Batalyaws converts to Sunni. Next is Qadis


11 Nov – I invest a new scholar from the Ottomans with the same benefit as before

1 Dec – Mil Tech 6 – We can build barracks, I can build better cavalry and I improve them, and we can get better infantry fire too.

[Abe Sargent]

11 June, 1476 – My navy is fully updated and I send it out to help protect trade.

1 Aug – I get an event that increases my ADM power by 100.

1 Oct – Our Admin power increases to 7 which gives us another Group of Ideas…


HM….


Options

1. Exploration – Invest in the first level, sent out an Explorer immediately. I can colonize Tenerife next to Morocco already and when get my stuff.


Now this makes sense. Iberia was the best for colonizing due to it’s location. Both of it’s nations, due to the advantages they had due to their location, are strong. We’ll I have the trade node of Sevilla, so it would make sense that after I captured it, to begin to explore. On the other hand, I don’t want this to become my Athens dynasty where I was constantly colonizing everywhere. I do see Granada out there exploring, but not necessarily yet.

2. Trade – Invest in the first idea to get +20% global trade power, and by the time I have finished, we’ll have two more merchants and tons more trade value.

Again, this makes sense given that we just brought a trade node into our dominion. We want to push it’s value

3. Economic – This is an Admin idea group and fights against my ADM tech development, but this will grow my taxes, build costs, and more.

Again, it’s a solid idea.

4. Admin – This loves mercs. Another Admin idea group though.

Right now I’m feeling Dip groups.

Maritime? Dip? Influence? Espionage? There are a number of solid Diplomatic Idea Groups to push.

I choose Exploration. Not because want to Athens, but because I need to know when Castile/Portugal and such are to take them out.

I grab idea #1 Quest for the New World, fire my current Admiral, and then hire an Explorer.

31 Dec – Tunis expands again

11 Feb, 1477 – I choose a centralized bureaucracy that increases my autonomy attrition rate.

1 June – Our first expedition has finished and the next heads out.

1 Sept – I fabricate a claim on Toledo

8 Oct – I can see Portuguese colonists in Tenerife

18 Oct – Qadis converts and my next target is Al-Mansha

1 Nov – Another mission heads out

8 Nov – We purchase a Farm Estate in our trade depot of Isbiliya


26 Dec – At the age of 71, our monarch passes.

His heir, Is’mail III, 21, is a 2/5/3 successor with a tactical genius mentality. He has no heir yet.

[Abe Sargent]

7 Jan, 1478 – Another expedition heads out

20 Feb – We have a new heir who is 5/4/3.

1 Apr – We get Idea #2 and get colonists. I send them to Cape Verde which has no natives

I choose a Native Repression Idea. This will increase our colony growth.

I also choose my 2nd Golden Age ability and this one is Higher Developed Colonizes.


1 July – Rebellion in Al-Mansha from our conversions.


22 July – Defeated

28 Nov – More claims claimed by Castile on us

15 May, 1479 – Our major expedition to the Caribbean returns. It heads out again

1 Aug – Al-Mansha converts. Next is nothing (they won’t work right now)

15 Oct – I steal maps from Portugal

1 Nov – Tunis has embraced the Renaissance

[Abe Sargent]

6 Jan, 1480 – We send out another expedition and We know of many places in the Caribbean and Colombian coast now.


1 June – Qual Idea #4 -+5% Ship Durability

This unlocks the next Granadan Idea - -15% core creation costs

29 Sept – Expedition finished, we have explored everything we can right now…


1 Jan, 1481 -Castile claims Sebtah

15 April – Exploration Idea #3 – We get +50% colonial range

5 Oct – Jayyan gets a new Madrash as part of an event

22 Dec – We get an event that brings in Marriageable Women into Cape Verde

1 Jan, 1482 – Cape Verde is good for Fish

12 April – Portugal claims Jabal Tariq

2 Nov – I order 3k more forces after my army forcelimit had risen to 20.

I send a diplomat to make nice with France

[Abe Sargent]

1 March, 1483 – I choose naval boarding parties to be my naval warfare strategy which will increase the chance of capturing ships in battle

1 April I lost my claim on Murcia


11 June – Castile claims Qadis


1 Nov = Qual Idea #5 – We get +10% Naval Morale

1 Mar, 1484 – Our truce with Castile ended. I begin to prepare for the next war.

I order a Workshop in Isbiliya


1 Oct – Our diplomatic advisor passes, and I pick up a Navigator who increases our colonial rage


1 May, 1485 – Cape Verde – 8 dev, coastline, Fish, Sunni Andalusians, 0.54 made monthly here for us. This opens up new exploratory missions from Cape Verde as a home base as well as new colonies near us.

Next target? Barbados


1 Sept – Dip tech 7 – we get an additional 115 colonial Range and better naval morale


My goal in the next war is to take Murcia, Huelva, Albacete, Algarve and Beja.

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1486 – I fabricate a claim again for Murcia

16 Mar – I declare war on Castile for Huelva


I had been shadowing their navy, and mine was bigger.

29 Mar – We defeat the Castilian navy. I capture 3 ships.

4 May – I won a big giant battle against Castile.

9 May – Murcia falls

17 May – Huelva falls

17 June – Albacete falls to us

5 July – Algarve falls to us from Portugal

27 July – Beja is ours.

We have three sieges going on – Toledo, Evora, and Lisboa.


2 Dec – They retake Murcia

22 Mar, 1487 – They take Marriya.

11 May – I rout the Portuguese army

9 June – We lose a battle to Castile

15 July – Toledo falls to us


11 Sept – Marriya is back under our control

1 Oct – Aragon declares war on Castile.

22 Oct – Murcia is ours again

19 Nov – Lisboa falls

27 Nov – Evora falls

1 Dec – I take all five targets!

[Abe Sargent]

Here we are!

None of these five holdings are valuable. Instead they are what we need to restore us


Huelva – Grasslands, livestock, 8 dev, Catholic, Andalusian, 0.22 cash monthly.


Shilb – The former Algarve is here, Grass, fishing, 008 made here, 8 dev, Catholic, Portuguese.


Baja – Also Portuguese, south of Lisboa and Evora, 0.08 made here as well, grasslands, Catholic, Portuguese, 9 dev.


Mursiya – Drylands, 11 development, grain farmers, Catholic, 0.35 cash, Andalusian culture


Albacete – 6 dev, Drylands, grain, Cath, 0.16 cash monthly, Cath, Andalusian folks


And there we are.

Soon I can claim the Al-Andalus throne.


I claim Casares

[Abe Sargent]

1 Feb, 1488 – Admin tech is 8 and I get three more states and Courthouses can be built.


I order a fort in Batalyaws which will protect Al-Mansha, Batalyaws, Huelva, Qurtuba, Baja and Isbiliya – plus it’s on the border of Portugal and Spain.

1 March – Portugal is setting up a colony in St. Martin

1 April _ Barbados is with cotton


1 July – I get a Native Assimilation event in Barbados and we have a population spike.

1 Oct – MIL TECH 7 – We get artillery, I order 2k artillery for my main army


1 Jan, 1489 – We get Jayyan to convert, and next is Qurtuba


3 Mar –

We have restored Al-Andalus!


We are now Andalusia, and we have her Ideas.


New Ideas:


These are the ones we currently have:


Andalusian Idea 1 – Stand Against the Reconquista – Gain -15% fire damage in battle

Andalusian Idea 2 – Taifa Admin - +100% Vassal Force Limit Contribution

We are now working towards ones with tolerance of heathens, bumps to piety, and oh, I can get another Colonist – that’s cool.

I have gained claims on more than 30 provinces in Africa and Iberia

We move our capital to Qurtuba

1 June -I begin building up a spy network in Aragn

6 July – I throw a big end of Ramadan celebration and invite the locals

21 Oct – I put down native uprising in Barbados

[Abe Sargent]

1 Feb, 1490 – We get a Marriage Woman event in Barbados

1 March –

Barbados – 13 dev, coastline, Cotton, Sunni, Andalusian, I make 0.82 here monthly.

Next?

St. Vincent. I move my 2000 cavalry here to there. I can use Barbados as my new exploratory mission home

1 June – Dip Tech 8 – I can build shipyards, and my trade range increases


20 June – I claim Lisboa


30 July – I geet na event where my military advisor has written a book. I can choose to keep it to ourselves and gain 25 MIL power, or to share it, get +100 power, 5 prestige, but 5 adjacent nations get 25 power. I share it

1 Aug – QUAL IDEA 6 – Copper Bottoms – Our ships get -25% naval attrition

We also got:

And Idea 3 – Alh Ulh Dhimma which gives +3 tolerance of heathens


1 Sept – Qurtuba converts. Next? Albacete

5 Nov – I finish a mission as I max my army at 25k with some artillery and such.

I get a strong general, whom I send out to the Caribbean

I have also completed this mission’s follow up, retake Qurtuba, so it gets the Great Mosque modifier for the game that gives it a -3 unrest, -15% dev costs, and I get 100 Admin power


5 Jan, 1491 – After some surprising losses as Castile was able to focus on defending it, Aragon takes peace with just Cantabria.

17 Jan – Aragon has named us their new rival

I reciprocate

1 July -Native uprising in St. Vincent

22 July – We won the battle

[Abe Sargent]

1 Feb, 1492 – Albacete is now Sunni. Next is Shilb

Farm Estate ordered for Jayyan

11 June – One of our artists creates a great National Epic about our restoration of the Andalusian crown. We gain some bonuses like prestige.

15 Aug – We lost 50 Dip power from an event

1 Nov – St. Vincent is going to be a good place to grow Sugar

10 Feb, 1493 – We defeat a uprising in St. Vincent

1 April – Uprising in Murcia with 19k. I am next door in Albacete with 25k.

2 May – Defeated

1 June – Our ADM advisor passes and our new one is a level 1 Treasurer who will increases our taxes.


22 Aug – Shilb converts and my next target is Huelva

Soon I want to try and take my ancestral home of Valencia

2 March, 1494 – Exploration Idea 4 – We get bonus global settler growth

[Abe Sargent]

11 Nov, 1494 –

50 Year Review!!!







Here’s a fun zoomed out map of everything for you


As you can see, we are now in the White. We have the Andalusian flag and symbol. We are doing well, financially, colonially, and more. We have two colonies already to our name and a third almost done, in addition to taking three holdings from Portugal and a ton from Castile, who is now a virtual rump state after getting chomped on by Aragon and us.

We joined with Tunis and Morocco long ago and all three have grown, and you can see both Tunisian and Moroccan growth there.

We have 27k troops with 2k artillery, 14k infantry and 11k cavalry


We have 19 ships including 6 transports and 4 heavy ships.

Ledger Time –

According to our info:

We are 21st in cash made (of nations we know about)

27th in total development

Are tied with 11 other nations for the most techs – including Naples and Navarra, Aragon, Provence and France.


We have the 2nd most ideas after Bremen.

Sunni has the most provinces with 520, Catholic is next at 474.

My Top Ten Provinces by Tax Revenue:

1. Garnatah, 22.50
2. Isbiliya, 13.50
3. Malaga, 11.75
4. Qadis, 11.25
5. Qurtuba, 1.25
6. Barbados, 9.25
7. Mursiya, 7.25
8. Jayyan, 6.75
9. Cape Verde, 6.75
10. Al-Mansha, 6.30


My Top Ten Non-Gold Provinces by Production:


1. Garnatah, 11.68
2. Isbiliya, 9.73
3. Mursiya, 6.73
4. Marriya, 6.64
5. Barbados, 4.76
6. St. Vincent, 3.75
7. Qadis, 3.54
8. Qurtuba, 3.54
9. Batalyaws, 2.73
10. Malaga, 2.55


Very different values, but you can see some of the same names at the top of the lists.

Garnatah is the 11th most developed province we know of, and the 2nd most developed in Europe.


We have 19 provinces, which is fewer than castile, half as much as Aragon, but a little more than Portugal

We have the 7th best general.

Our army has the highest morale.

We have the 9th biggest army in the world and are just 1k behind Aragon at 8.

We have the best naval morale in the world

We only have the 32nd biggest navy


We’ve lost the 12th most people in the world at over 100,000 troops in our wars have died!


Current Value of Trade Goods:


5.00 Gems
4.50 Copper
4.37 Paper
4.0 Silk, Cocoa, Dyes, Ivory
3.00 Glass, Tobacco, Sugar, Cotton, Salt, Iron, Spices, Coffee, Chinaware, Cloth
2.75 Incense
2.50 Tea, Fish, Grain, Wool, Wine
2.00 Livestock, Fur, Slaves, Naval Supplies, Tropical Wood


Great Powers:

1. Ming
2. Muscovy
3. France
4. Ottomans
5. Austria
6. Mamluks
7. England
8. Timurids

With my colonial and missionary upkeep I am making just around 1 cash monthly, so we’ve sort of stagnated.

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1495 – Portugal is colonizing Hispaniola



I do want to do something to ease back Portugal as I don’t want a fully expanded Portugal still in Iberia as it would be hard to tell them to knock it off. I want to emphasize Portugal next in my expansions. I’ve hurt the biggest nation, now it’s Portugal time.


1 April – Qual 7 – We get +10% artillery ability in battle.

I finish the Qual line and we get +5% discipline for my forces


1 Jan, 1496 – Native uprising in St. Vincent

15 Jan – Finished

1 Dec

St. Vincent – Coastline, Sugar, Sunni, Andalusian, 14 dev, 1.15 cash monthly, I order a Workshop here.


My next target is St. Lucia




Baja is my next target for conversion


1 April, 1497 – Exploration Idea #5 – bonus to global tariffs and -20% envoy travel time.

We get Andalusian Idea #4 -10% Idea cost.


1 June – Batalyaws converts.


1 Oct – Mosque in St. Vincent

15 Oct – I invite another scholar from the Ottomans.

[Abe Sargent]

24 March, 1498 – Baja converts.

Next? Isbiliya


3 July – We get a Haji pilgrimage raided and lose 80 cash.


1 Mar, 1499 – MIL TECH 8 – I get a better Camp and can get better infantry.


1 Jan, 1500 – Colonialism institution has arrived, and it began in Portugal so it’s nearby.


Admin Tech 9 – The Scythe - +2% production efficiency


Aragon is currently deep in a war with France and Savoy. They are distracted. But our Truce with

16 Feb – Exploration 6 – We get -25% minority expel rate.




I could declare war on Aragon as it’s a perfect moment, but I need to hit Portugal hard. Hard. Hard.


23 June - I can enact a new governmental reform, and the question is, from where do I want to recruit my administration. My options are clergy, nobility, or meritocratically. I choose clergy which gives me a bonus +1 admin reform, and they’ll like me more moving forward


6 Aug – Aragon sends us an insult

1 Sept – Sugar in St. Lucia

1 Oct – Current Iberian Alliances:

Portugal + France

Castile + Provence

Aragon + Naples, Savoy, Florence



Current wars of note:

France and Genoa vs Turks and Tunis

Aragon, Savoy, Florence vs Genoa, Ferrara


I can take out Castile/Provence and it’s remnants with just myself and Morocco.

But Portugal? I need to ensure that France won’t be a problem.

Let’s me see what I can do.

1 Dec – Aragon took Genoa in peace

[Abe Sargent]

15 March, 1501 – Isbiliya converts

Next? Mursiya, our final Catholic holding

I have finished a mission and I take it –

Restore Qurtuba – this requires me to have captured and converted all of the 5 provinces of Lower Andalusia, Qurtuba, Jayyan, Isbiliya, etc. This gives Qurtuba a Restored benefit of +1 tolerance of heretics and bonus monthly prestige.


I finish a mission, which I’ve been sitting on waiting for the next war with Iberia as it’ll help.


Restore Al-Andalus – I get -25% warscore cost against other nations for 20 years if they are of another religion, and I gain a bunch of claims on Iberian holdings.

1 April – My navigator advisor passes and I hire a diplomat who will increase our diplomatic reputation

22 May - I want to bring Tlemcen into my oeuvre. It only has five provinces left after being eaten by Tunis and Morocco. I offer it a Royal Marriage.

23 June – We enter into an alliance with Tlemcen

1 Aug – I proclaim a guarantee on Tlemcen

My goal is to hurt Portugal for my upcoming war. I could split my time with smaller wars, but nope. I need to take Perifungal out. It’s invested deeply in both Expansion and exploration. It has multiple colonists each with more than 100 annual growth and almost a 40% chance monthly that it’ll grow. I have to hit it now. If it gets to bee too big, then grabbing a few lesser local continental iberian places ain’t going to be anything.

In fact, Portugal is actually better off now that when we started and took three of its holdings! I grabbed Sebtah, Baja and Shilb from it, with a combined development of 23 and three low level trade goods. Since then? It’s colonized Tenerife (5), Bani (9), St. Martin (10) and has two more on the way in the Caribbean. So it’s got better trade goods and development already.

If I don’t hit Portugal, hard, right now, then we are going to find it very hard to take it out later. It’s powerful commitment to colonialism means that it will have enough money to be virtually unassailable on the continent. I have to punch it hard right now.

Here my upcoming goal:

1. Raze (or capture) Portuguese colonies on Hispaniola
2. Capture former colonies abroad that I can try to take or add to my warscore
3. Give Tenerife to Morocco in peace
4. Take all major ocean holdings that make sense (such as Madeira, the Azores, St. Martin and Bani).
5. Try to take out Lisboa and more mainland Portuguese holdings to smash it so hard it cannot recover.

If I can hurt it’s naval bases enough to dial back it’s colonial leapfrogging, then I hope to dial it back to the pint that I can end it.


Here is what I have ready:

Caribbean – 3 Heavy Ships, 6 transports, 2 units each of infantry, cavalry, and artillery ready o hit the Caribbean.

Us – I have my main army of 25k with my general in Baja, ready to move next door to Lisboa and siege.

I have a merc army of all infantry ready to hit Evora, next to us, to siege and take that fort. As Evora and Lisboa are adjacent, I should b able to support each other.

Now my scouting only shows around 15k troops here on the mainland, so my goal is to make them beatable with my domestic army, and then to get victories by capturing naval assets as well.

I also killed the natives in St. Lucia so I can leave without worrying about getting smashed by them when away.

Ready?

[Abe Sargent]

1 Sept – Our truce is over with Portugal and Castile.

18 Sept – My boat of 6k is off the coast of St. Martin. My main navy is in the Gulf of Cadiz to blockage Lisboa.

Ready


I declare war with Portugal for Lisboa, and Morocco, Tunis, and Tlemcen join me

England, despite being deep into an internal conflict, does join Portugal. I’m not sure how much help they’ll be though.


I order my forces in

29 Sept – The siege for Lisboa has begun

1 Oct – Evora too

26 Oct – Because we attacked it before the defenses could be raised, Evora fell to us quickly

22 Nov – St. Martin is ours. I order my fleet and army west to Hispaniola


12 Jan, 1502 – With almost 65k troops assaulting Lisboa, it’s siege is progressing very nicely.

1 Mar – We take Bani

26 Mar – Lisboa is ours!

5 April _ I defeat and capture two ships from the Portuguese navy that fled the capture of Lisboa into my waiting navy.

9 April – We capture Maguana on Hispaniola

8 May – Two minors fall to me

11 May – I capture and seize Ciguayo, but I forgot to do that to Maguana so I order my troops back. I want to take it for me permanently.

22 May – We win a big battle in Porto and rout Portugal.

9 June - I seize Maguana

I order my forces to load and I want to send them to the Azores

21 June – Porto falls

10 July – Every mainland Portuguese holding is ours

22 July – I defeat a small English navy that was exploring on the ocean with my own exploratory one

25 July – England lands a minor army in Portugal of 15k

19 Aug – My army defeats England.

22 Aug – I disband my merc army as it served it’s function.

17 Oct – I lose a big ship but beat the remaining Portuguese navy.

26 Oct – I take Madeira

I offer a white peace to England, and we have a +8 warscore with them, so they take it.

9 Dec – The Azores are ours

[Abe Sargent]

1 Feb, 1503 – We take in peace:


Tenerife for Morocco

Azores, Madeira, St. Martin, and Bani (On Hispaniola) for me



And then… Lisboa, Coimbra, Aviero, and Porto. This will leave Portugal with just three, internal provinces, and no ports!

This is obvious going past my normal gains and makes me a seriously loathed badboy.

But it’s worth it!






Here’s your map!

No longer PORTugal, just Ugal.

We have basically removed Portugal as a threat from the board and years later, I can finish it off at my leisure. Now I went past my normalbadboy and Aragon, Castile, France, Provence and others are all pissed at me. But it was worth removing Portugal as a threat.

Right now, with two more colonies to upkeep, we are at -3.4 cash monthly, but two are very developed and that will ease back on my treasury dependence for now.

Let’s take a deep, deep deep dive


Let’s begin at the Ocean:

All of these are Catholic faith and Portuguese culture unless otherwise stated. I wiped all of my ADM to help make cores for my many additions as well.

Madeira – Sugar is grown here, coastline island, port, 8 dev, 0.11 made here monthly

The Azores – 7 Dev, Fishing, coastline, 0.08 made here

St. Martin – Cotton, 10 dev, 0.14 made here, coastline

Hispaniola -

Bani – Jungle, Harbor, Fishing, on Hispaniola next to my other local fun folks. 9 devm 0.11 made here.


Colonies:

Maguana – West of Bani, hills, Coffee,


Ciguayo – Grasslands north of Bani and Maguana


Mainland (IN new name)


Lixbuna – 22 dev, coastal, fort, Natural Harbor, Tagus Estuary, grasslands, 0.58 made here monthly

Qulumriya – North of Lixbuna on the shore, Woods, Grain, 14 dev, 0.14 made monthly

Aveiro – north of Qulumriya on the shore, grasslands, 10 dev, 0.12 made here, fishers


Burtuqal – The former Porto, Wine, grasslands, 19 dev, natural harbor, Dauro Estuary, 0.22 made here monthly


And there you have it! We took four mainland and 5 ocean provinces, one of which went to Morocco.

Nice!

[Abe Sargent]

Aragon is now our major threat. They are powerful and strong and growing. I have to hit Aragon next, but they are my growing threat in a linear way whereas Portugal would have been geometric. I can’t hit them now due to too much badboy and such, but I do want to smash them once these holdings are under our control and my army rises.

Unless Aragon stupidly thinks they can take me out and attacks me first, but I suspect to come back with a big Aragonese / Andalusian War in about ten+ years when I’ve gotten closer to the end of my warscore bonus versus Sunnis.

1 Nov – Exploration 7 – We get +25% Naval Force limit!

For finishing this, we can get fabricate claims overseas.

I exact the Superior Supply Systems policy that requires me finishing Quality and Exploration Ideas. The benefit? -25% land attrition and +10% manpower recovery speed.


4 Nov – I de-rival Castile and then proclaim a guarantee on them. Aragon has used our wars to make themselves bigger, and with Castile currently in a minor war, I suspect they might look askance at Castile, so I declare a guarantee on them so that Aragon, if they decide to push against them, will have us to deal with


6 June, 1504 – I have four cores on the mainland.

1 Sept – All of our other provinces are now core-d.

13 Sept – I send a Missionary to Qulumriya


15 Sept – Aragon declares war on Castile, and I Declare war back on them for Valencia. All of our allies join us Turks, Tlemcen, Morocco, and Tunis

[Abe Sargent]

I raise War Taxes

29 Sept – I defeat the Aragonese army of 29k with my main army on the border


8 Oct – We embrace Colonialism.

11 Oct – We take Alcante

17 Oct – We take Xativa

1 Feb, 1505 – Ciguayo is a good place for growing Sugar!

23 March – The Turks captured Naples

31 March – Valencia falls to us

22 May – 3 more minors fell to me

1 July – Mil tech 8 – my tactics are better, and after the war, I will get better infantry

19 Sept – The Fort of Burgos falls to my siege

1 Oct – St. Lucia is now a full province, and we now have a Colonial Nation we name Garnatah Isles


I send these colonists to Ciguayo to help speed them up and to reduce the cost of the colonists.

5 Jan, 1506 – We capture the Fort of Huesca


22 Mar – Every province of Naples, under the command of Aragon, has been captured by the Turks.

We now have a big warscore with Aragon. We have about 80% of their land, all of their Junior Partner in crime Naples, and more.


8 May – We win the siege of Roussillon


10 July – I rout the Aragonese army.

Our warscore is enough to end this.

I could take a lot more. But to overextend is not something I want to do overly much.


Here’s what we are doing. And this will end the war with Castile as well.

1. Aragon ends it’s relationship as the Senior Partner with Naples
2. I take the four provinces of Valencia
3. I get War Reparations and dole out some cash



Captured – All of these are Catholic, Coastal, and Catalan culture


Medina Laqant – Mosque, Shipyard, Farm Estate, grasslands, 11 Dev, 0.22 cash monthly – This was Alicante on the map and in the corner. Winer makers

Xativa – North of ML, paper makers, drylands, Mosque, 10 dev, 0.14 made here

Balansiyah – Valencia, the old home of the old nation before it was taken centuries ago. 21 dev, natural harbor, castle, the former capital of Aragon, Cloth makers, shipyard, Mosque, and marketplace, makes 0.36 monthly.

Castello – North of Balansiyah, Grasslands, Wine makers, Mosque, 10 dev, 0.12 made here.


12 August – We have become one of the world’s great powers!

[Abe Sargent]

1 Sept – We now have the effect, “Trading in Sugar”

24 Oct – I name Austria my new Rival

22 Dec – I embrace Shamshir Infantry

1 Jan, 1506 – We’ve had around 11 nations thus far want to join a coalition to smash us for being “bad”


1 Mar – Dip Tech 9 – I can now build better ships for Carracks and Caravels

17 Mar - Qulumriya converts

22 April – I get an event that gives me DIP power and bonus production in Balansiyah

1 Sept –

Maguana – Tobacco, on Hispaniola, Catholic, Portuguese, Hills, 8 dev, handed to my colonial nation, we are getting 0.23


5 Sept – The coalition declares war on us It’s mostly a bunch of smaller nations and bigger ones further away.

Battle Lines:


France
Florence
Brittany
Austria
Hungary
Munster
Lorraine
Switzerland
Milan
Mantua
Alsace
Venice
Baden
Holland
The Palatinate

Vs

Andalusia
Tlemcen
The Isles
Morocco
The Turks
Tunis


Save for France, it’s no one nearby of size. France is in a war with others already.

This is my first “Slap Abe on the Wrist” war for expanding too quickly since EU2.

So let’s see how it goes!

I currently have 20k under a two-star general in Balansiyah and 16k under a 2 star general in Al-Mansha.

Let’s get this started!

I just upgraded my army too.


This is a punitive war led by Florence

My war goal is to show superiority – win battles etc

[Abe Sargent]

15 Nov – My Valencian holdings are now finished coring.

I finish my mission to retake Balansiyah, and I get bonus unrest reduction and Missionary strength in the region for a few decades

I am currently making around 1.7 cash monthly from two Missionaries and 1 colony.

5 Dec – Milan has landed 15k in Malaga and has begun a siege there.


22 Dec – My combined force takes out and defeat a single French army. Bloody, but victorious



23 Jan, 1508 - I remove the Milan threat


17 Feb – Again bloody, but my combined army defeats the entire Venetian one


I order a few mercs to supplement my forces

They have been assaulting near Balansiyah

15 April – After the Turks won a big naval battle in the East Med our warscore is not +14 us.

1 May – Castile announces Tlemcen as a rival

I chase their forces and in Navarre I defeat Venice again. Soundly

20 Aug – I win a big battle against France after combined armies lose around 5k troops

22 Aug – More battles won by my allies and the warscore is +39 us

We force a White Peace for nothing


Now this was my first, “You’ve been a naughty badboy and we’ve come for your spanking” conflict since EU2. After the war, nothing changed. They are still seeking to join a coalition to take me down. But, for now, we’ll be fine.


I disband my mercs.

Here want to see?





Here we are, after we won our battle and just defended my reputation. I am moving my two armies back to Balansiyah to defend my people against potential rebels.

[Abe Sargent]

1 Sept – If had realized it, Brittany was colonizing out by Brazil and I would have seized it just now.

19 Feb, 1509 – Lixbuna converts! Next is Aveiro

25 May – The Azores converts. Next is Medina Laqant

1 June – Rebellion Medina Laqant

12 July – Put down.

1 Sept – I am now making around 7 gold per month (6.94)

26 Dec – One of my generals has passed.



1 Mar, 1510 – I order a Farm Estate for Mursiya.

29 Aug – ML converts. Next is Balansiyah!

[Abe Sargent]

10 July, 1511 – Alviero converts. Next is Castello


20 Sept – I send colonists to Arguin. It’s near Morocco, in North Africa, and will help to keep others, like England, from heading out to our areas.

21 Oct - By now we have removed the major bugbears that are pushing. France? Friendly again. Savoy? Neutral. Milan and Papal States are neutral. Venice and Florence and Hungary as well.


29 Nov – I order this Farm Estate from Albacete.

1 Dec – I order a few culture shifts to Andalusian in my captured territories

Maguana – Coffee, Hills, Catholic, Portuguese, 8 dev, and then

4 Jan, 1512 – We get the Triangle Trade event and get some cash and prestige.

8 Feb – Balansiyah converts!

1 Sept – I send Missionaries to Madeira and Xativa

1 Feb, 1513 - Admin Tech 10 – Idea Group #3.

Now I have enough DIP saved up for two Ideas. I could get Trade or I could do a MIL tech and get one, and then I could save my Dip for a tech upgrade in a few moths

I choose Offensive Ideas – and unlock Idea 1 - +1 land leader shock


We get:

Andalusian Idea #5 is Jund Settlements with -15% core costs and +15% manpower


14 Mar – I order a Workshop for Medina Laqant

1 July – DIP TECH 10 – Trade Range 20, I get some bigger ships

[Abe Sargent]

1 Feb, 1514 – We convert Xativa.

Aug 22 – I hire a Court Painter

1 Nov – I send a Missionary to Burtuqal

1 March, 1515 – Arguin is with Slaves

1 April - Madeira converts!

1 Aug – Right about now I am making around 15 gold per month

I start to get ready for my next war.

1 Nov – Off Ideas #2 -10% Recruitment Time.


1 April, 1516 – Our truce with Portugal ends in January 1, 1518 which gives me two and a half-ish years to wage battle with them and their guarantor, Castile, one final battle before my mission benefit ends on Marth 15, 1521, and that should be more than enough time.

8 July, 1517 – Our ruler passes at the age of 50. Our new ruler is 6/5/4 and 33.

12 July – I renew our vows with Tunis

22 July – I renew our vows with Tlemcen

2 Oct – Workshop for Castellano

9 Oct – We renew our vows with the Turks

[Abe Sargent]

6 Feb, 1518 - I declare war on Portugal. Castile joins them

I do not bring in the Turks, just us, Morocco, Tunis, and Tlemcen

15 Feb – I catch and rout the entire Portuguese army.

18 Feb – I have arrived in Toledo with my main force. I invest some MIL power to launch a barrage to open up the walls it should help to speed thangs up

21 Fe – We capture a minor in Portugal

1 April – Another minor falls in Portugal

10 Oct – I take Toledo

16 Oct – The capital of Portugal falls

9 Dec – We have multiple provinces falling from minors.


2 Feb, 1519 – We have a new heir with 3/2/6 stats.

30 May – We have won the siege at Leon, and that gives us a 99% warscore!

Time to go shopping

I take four provinces from Castile and then focus on Portugal. I get Toledo, Caceres, Avila, and Cuenca.

Then I annex Portugal

[Abe Sargent]

Map for you

Here you can see the removal of Portugal from the world as well as our own inexorable climb north and east.

All of these are Portuguese, Catholic, internal and Wine making

Evora – Level 1 fort, connects El-Belat, Batalyaws, Lixbuna, and more. Grasslands, 10 dev, 0.25 made here for us monthly.

Al-Adna – Highlands, 14 dev, 0.44 made here for us

Braganga – Hills, 13 dev, 0.33cash


All of these are Castillean, and have different stuff

El-Belat – Grasslands, 6 dev, Glass Making here, this is east of Evora.


Tulaytullah – Iron mines, 11 dev, former capital of Castile, grasslands, level 2 fort, Mosque, has an inland center of trade (called an Emporium) here, 0.63 made here


Qunka – 11 dev, Cloth making, south of Madrid and west of Aragon, 0.33 made here.


Avila – North of my stuff, just Livestock and 7 dev, and 0.11 made here


I suspect we might get another badboy war so I move my forces to the border, and then order some more.

Right now my armies have 11k inf, 6k cav, and 4k art. I am going to bring that number to 25k each from 21k each.


I destroy the castle in Evora, as it is between two castles of mine and protects nothing.

[Abe Sargent]

13 June – Morocco declares us their new rival and then breaks their alliance with us.

I do the same and declare them my rival.

1 Oct – I bring in the Hanafi scholar from the Turks again

1 Nov – By now around 8 or 10 nations have joined a coalition against us

7 Nov – I proclaim another guarantee for Castile as I know that Aragon is looking for war as they have moved their army to the border. Castile is my meal, not yours!

18 Nov – Austria declares a punitive war on us:

Them –

Austria
France
Hungary
Switzerland
The Palatinate
Milan
Trier
Baden
Savoy
Venice
Mantua
Gelre


The mains are Austria, Hungary, France, and Venice

We have all of our allies (with Morocco now gone) – The Isles, Tlemcen, Tunis and the Turks

They are going to try and drive us from our own lands, which they stole from us once before. We will now hold them again, no matter the cost.


I have my navies camped in my harbors, away from multiple potential fleets. As a reminder, these punitive wars are driven by the victors.

5 Dec – The Ottomans fleet defeated the Austrians

16 Feb, 1520 – My combined armies defeat a French army of 30k.

2 Mar – Our truce with Aragon ends

25 April – Baja is now Andalusian

11 June – I begin a siege of France’s Labourd

15 July – Many of the cores were finished. I can finish a mission. We bring in and end Portugal and for the next 20 years we get huge bonuses to colonial range and settler growth.


1 Aug –

Arguin – Slaves, 7 dev, in the Cap Verde state, coast of Africa, coastal desert, .54 made here monthly, I order a Workshop here


I send colonists to Paraiba in Brazil.

11 Aug – I defeat a Venetian army.

19 Aug – The Turks have taken three provinces from Hungary.


15 Sept – We defeat the French assault on Labourd

22 Sept – Aragon declares war on us.

[JAG]

Fun dynasty Abe.

[Abe Sargent]

28 Sept – I send Missionaries to El-Balat and Avila.

9 Oct – My combined armies rout two combined armies that assault the Labourd.

24 Oct – They capture Qunka from us.

7 Nov – Labourd falls.


28 Nov – With our victories in the Med, with the Turks, and captured Labourd, we have a positive warscore again.


3 Dec – Peace with the Punitive War, now the Aragonese attack on me. I pull my army from France into the rear of Aragon. They are in our nation and sieging Tulaytullah.


22 Jan, 1521 – We remove the Aragonese siege after driving it back


1 Feb – Shilb is now Andalusian

18 Feb – We capture the capital of Zaragoza


1 March - We have captured 3 other provinces from Aragon


1 April – Our advisor passes and we hire a level 1 advisor Inquisitor who will increase our speed of Missionary conversions.


19 Aug – We siege Huesca from Aragon

28 Sept – We siege and take Burgos as well


20 Nov – We rout one of Aragon’s allies – Brabant, forces.


1 Dec – Native uprising in Paranaiba


11 Dec – Put down

7 Jan, 1522 – More minors fall to us.


3 Mar – We defeat a much bigger Aragonese army that was assaulting our final siege in Roussillon. It had a weak general to our really good one and a Mountain-crossing penalty as well.


19 Mar – Roussillon is ours. Every Iberian Aragon holding is mine. We have a decent warscore, but not that big on Italy or the isles in the Med either, so I can’t take too much.

Time to go shopping!


I only get three holdings


We get Soria, Zaragoza, and Teruel.


I order a Farm Estate for Braganca


Madinat Salim – 5 dev, Highlands, 0.13 made here monthly. Wool growers.


Tirwal - Highlands, Cloth-making, 9 dev, Mosque, Workshop, 0.13 monthly.


Saraqusta – Drylands, 13 dev, Iron making, Emporium, Masque, Workshop, Marketplace, Regimental Camp. Makes 0.22 monthly.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by JAG

Fun dynasty Abe.

Thanks JAG!!!