EU4 - Kongo Awaits - COMPLETED!

[Abe Sargent]

It's time!

The last two expansions for EU4 have given me the absolute requirement to do something I want to do. Are you ready? Are you not entertained?

[Abe Sargent]

Well it’s time!

If you have been following the dynasties I‘ve been wanting to do for a while, discussions that begin normally before a dynasty starts and I’m uncertain which direction to hew.

I really feel for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It’s arguably the most destabilized country in the world. Due to the sheer richness and wealth of the nation, it continues to be taken advantage of by adjacent nations that are stable, such as Uganda and Rwanda. Meanwhile, the nation is dealing with the instability of civil unrest, and multination companies who needs its valuable minerals and wealth for their cell phones and jewelry get their materials from local tribes, gunthugs, and nearby nations. Rape is used en masse to keep down entire villages by raping the women in front of the men of the village. It’s not great.

Why? What happened to Congo?

During the Cold War, we (the USA) cared, more about allies in the fight against Communism and the Soviet Union that we did about human rights and such. One of our strongest allies was the cruel dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, one of the nastiest people to ruthlessly rule an African nation during the Cold War. But we kept him in power for decades because he was our big ally against the Soviets.

Is that is though? Nope!

During the Race for Africa in the late 1800s, the leader of Belgium, King Leopold II, pushed for a Belgian colony in the division. The boundaries were drawn up an an artificial aspect. And then he uses his time there to viciously destroy and denude the area, from everything from rubber to diamonds. The vile administration by King Leopold II caused more than 50% of the population of the Congo to be slain after around 20 years of his fiefdom, and led to Heart of Darkness being written about it. While all of Africa was deeply injured by this era of colonialism and exploitation, Congo was hurt worse by far.

After reading the history book, King Leopold’s Ghost, that investigates this era deeply, I wanted to play as Congo in this area in Victoria II and oust the Belgians out and to end their unholy reign. But Victoria II did not really do justice in defining and describing the Congolese wealth and economy.

So I wanted to pull back for an EU dynasty instead. Now, Congo has a very interesting history.

[Abe Sargent]

The Kingdom of Kongo began in the late 1300s. It was growing into a minor by real power, with subjects, vassals, and expansions. And then in 1483, a Portuguese explorer made contract with the local power. He opened up diplomatic relations with Kongo, and in 1485, Kongolese Nobles visited the court of Portuesge Emperor Joao II and were greeted as allies. Some of the nobles converted to Christianity, and returned, and newly rechristened King Joao I returned home and began to institute changes. However, he would return to his native beliefs shortly later. Despite this, the Portuguese were allowed to stabling a Roman Catholic Church of Congo. The son of King Joao I was converted and baptized in 1491, Alfonso, and had an authentic, genuine faith. He would take over in 1506 when his father passes away, and he ordains that the Kingdom of Kongo will become Catholic.

The Kongo Kingdom is a major force in the Church, as the first Roman Catholic nation in Africa. It was not created by force, or by colonial conquest, but instead by Portugal treating the Kingdom as allies. There were numerous challenges for the nation, and many tribes and small nations inland of them. Warring against them to bring them under Kongolese rule was important. In fact, both King Alfonso and a later King would be declared the Defender of the Faith by the Pope. These people were fully ensconced in Catholic tradition and history.

And yet, the wars would not be won long term. There were too many tribes, and too many shifting loyalties. They didn’t want to be brought under the yoke of Kongo. So they resisted. And Portugal was dealing with more important things than to help their ally fight these wars.

In economy, the Kongo was the largest source of slaves for the Portuguese. They would sell people they took in their wars off. They were captives of their campaigns. They believed that slavery should be run under their rules, of war captives, not of locals, and should be legally acquired. When Kongo discovered Portuguese illegal slave shipments, they put a stop to it with an entreaty to the Portuguese King, Joao III.


Civil strife, a failure to bring in their vassal Ndongo, and more would keep Congo from seeing their potential reached. After 100 years or so, Portugal killed the king, and installed a son that was more pliable to their interests. The nation revolted, and he was killed by his brother 2 years later, and relations between the states were eliminated for a time. This would lead to the Portuguese-Kongo War of 1622, as Portugal invaded and began a ruthless campaign to take over the nation. But Kongo was not falling. While they had some early successes, Kongo ultimately pushed back and won the war. Then Kongo asked to ally with the Dutch, and they launched an attack on Portuguese territory in Africa. The war was called off before it began because the king died, and his son was more willing to forgive the Portugal Attack, as they had already won.

Then in 1641 the Dutch take the nearby Portugal colonies and renewed their alliance with Kongo. Unlike Portugal, the Dutch actually sent troops to help Kongo keep order and to press their concerns eastward. And they received the lion’s share of the wealthy slave trade as well. 1647 sees another war with Portugal and Kongo arise. Kongo defeats Portugal early on in the battle of Kombi where 8000 mixed troops of Kongo and her allies defeated almost 30000 Portugal troops and their allies. Portugal is ousted from their remaining inland forts. However, while Portugal could not take out Kongo, they did eventually oust the Dutch from their holdings. A cold war ensues.

In 1665 they both invade Mbwila, a mutual vassal of both, in order to divide it. Using that as a proxy war. Portugal wins their first battle against Kongo in decades (since the early battles of the 1622 war) and slay the King at that battle. This sends the Kongo nation into a major civil war which would mire the nation for around 40 years until 1706. After, Kongo was weakened, and the rest of Europe has passed them by technologically while they took steps back. They are a minor power in much of the early to mid 1700s. Europeans, mostly Portugal, would destabilize or fund people to continue to keep Kongo unsteady. They knew who Kongo was. And the abolition of the slave trade hurt the economy even more. So it was easy to absorb by Portugal and Belgium into their fiefdoms.


And that’s where it all started.

[Abe Sargent]

But there was a time when Kongo was a major player in Africa, the Defender of the Faith, the bright and shining star of Africa, and was able to fend off European attacks. It won wars against Portugal. It would have the Netherlands, Spain, or Portugal as it’s ally. It played European powers off against each other. The Kingdom of Kongo was a factor.

So what if that bright hope continued? What if, in the early days of Alfonso I, the realm’s desire to expand east was fully realized? What if the nearby areas were brought under Kongo control and the Catholic Church? How would this change and shape African history? What would a hegemonic Kongo look like? How would it have acted? It was Catholic in attitude too. Would it have followed those with colonies? Crusades against pagans in the continent? What would have happened?


And thus that is the crux of this dynasty.


Welcome to June 2, 1506. The day King Alfonso I Takes over the Kingdom of Kongo.

We have a few major changes today. He announces we are officially becoming Catholic, and Portugal has declared us a Protectorate

[Cap Ologist]

Can't wait!

[Brian Swartz]

I really like the premise here, great idea! This kind of thing could accomplish the mere impossible -- motivate me to actually understand EU4 :P

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

I really like the premise here, great idea! This kind of thing could accomplish the mere impossible -- motivate me to actually understand EU4 :P

That's not a tall order at all

[Abe Sargent]

Meet our ruler:

King Alfonso I Lukeni 5, 3, 4 – a good solid leader. 21 years old.

He is a Charismatic Negotiator, so we get +1 Dip Reputation.

Heir – 6 year old Pedro Lukeni – 2/1/0


We are a:

Tribal Kingdom –

-10% Stability Cost
+20% Vassal Income
-1 Dip Relations



We begin with:


6000 troops, 1000 of those are cavalry – army forcelimit of 9

6 ships, 3 transports and 3 light ships. – naval force limit of 7

112 Admin Power, 84 Dip, and 98 mil

We gain 8, 6, and 7 each month

We have 2 merchants, 3 Diplomats, and 1 Missionary


Kongo accepts Kongolese culture, but not Mbundu


Loango and Ndongo are our vassals

Kilwa is a protectorate of Portugal as well.


0 stability

We bring in 3.41 gold a month, spend 2.22 for a balance of 1.19 monthly


We have a merchant at the Ivory Coast node. I send another to the Kongo one out by Luba, a few nations east of us.




We have 5 Admin Tech, 5 Dip, and 5 Military tech. We have a 106% Institutions Tech Penalty


We currently have Trade Ideas unlocked as our National Idea, but no ideas. We can send it back for something else should I want/.

Our Kongo Traditions gives us:

+10% trade efficiency
-20% land attrition

[Abe Sargent]

MAP

[Abe Sargent]

Alright, so let’s take a look at the good and the bad.


Good –

Let’s do this in order from most good to least:

- We are the largest nation in the area with 8 provinces. This should let us piecemeal other nations to the east.
- We have some provinces that have low development but a good trade good, and others with decent development but lesser goods.
- We have 6000 troops, which is the largest army we can see
- We have two vassals that help us to build up
- Our capital province, Mpemba, is an inland center of trade


Bad –

From worst to easiest

- We are starting in 1506, when European nations and others have already had a chance to explore and expand. That leaves us behind the eight ball, as opposed to the 1444 start. It’s like taking Inca just after Spain lands in Hispaniola. Portugal is already in Eastern Africa in Sofala.
- We have low tech issues, and need to push our institutions
- Many of our neighbors are allies, and each of Kuba, Yaka, and Kasanje have 5000 troops.
- None of our provinces are Catholic, so we have both rebelling issues and a lowered amount of production and taxes
- We are not in a good place to use and abuse our trading strengths
- 8 of our provinces are tropical. 2 are jungle, and hard to do anything with.

[Abe Sargent]

I order a diplomat to Portugal to improve relations



Our provinces:

Mpemba – Capital, inland of Soyo and Mbamba, west of Mbata, north of Mbwila, south of Mpangu. Inland Center of Trade, 10 development, grasslands, tropical, iron mines, 0.45 made here by the Kongolese Fetishists. 3.5% unrest.

All have 3.5% unrest

Let’s head west to the coast:

Soyo – 11 development, grasslands, coastal, tropical, 0.23 gold from the slave trade, fetishist and Kongolese, north of Mbamba , south of Ngoyo, west of the capital of Mpemba. 37% autonomy


Mbamba – Coastal, slaves, savannah, tropical 5 dev, 0.14 gold, fetishist and Kongolese, owned by Nobility Estate, 25% autonomy, north of the unclaimed territory of Luanda, west of Mbwila and the capital, south of Soyo


Ngoyo – Tropical jungle, ivory traded here by the fetishists and Kongolese, 7 dev, 0.20 made, 37% auto, west of Mpangu, south of ally in Loango and one province nation Tyo.

West!

Mpangu – North of capital, east of Ngoyo, south of Tyo, and west of Songo, and north of Mbata as well. Copper mines here make 0.10 with 6 dev, 60% autonomy, fetishist and Kongolese, tropical


Songo – In the northeastern corner of our territory, east of Tyo, south of terra incognita, next to both nations in Kuba and Yaka, and north of Mbata and east of Mpangu. Jungle and tropical, with just 3 development, spices, and 0.10 made, with 10% autonomy, and both Kongolese and fetish folks.


Mbata – grasslands, tropical, 25% auto, grain, 5 dev, 0.1 4made, from fetish and Kongolese. Owned by nobility estates. West of the nation of Yaka’s province of Yaka, and north of our vassal in Ndongo. East if the capital in Mpemba, and north of us in Mbwila.


Mbwila - north of both Ndongo holdings. South of everything we have in three provinces. The people here are not Kongolese but instead Mbundu. And Fetishist as well. 20% autonomy. Highlands, tropical, 5 dev, and grain, must 0.13 monthly for us.

[Abe Sargent]

Great Nations in Order from #1 through #8.

Ming Dynasty
France
Ottoman Empire
Russia
Castile
Austria
Poland
Aragon

No England, No Portugal.


Long Term Goals –

1). Make us a Catholic nation completely and remove the Fetishists from us
2). Get rid of this minor Trade Idea for something more fruitful
3). Declare war on, and begin to absorb, the nearby powers.
4). Expand fast in order to build a strong economy and military in order to keep Europe off.
5). Create a Kongo Hegemony


It’s very possible to start to build, only to find nations like Portugal, England, Castile, Aragon, France, and more all expanding near us. And frankly, what could I really do about it right now?

I have 6k troops and 5/5/5 tech vs, say, Castile at 7/7/7 with 26000 troops or Portugal’s 20k. I’m not anything.


I order 1000 infantry made in Mpangu and my army to move to it. My goal is to take out the one province nation of Tyo soon. I make my King a general. We need the forces for a few reasons, and one is that my 5k force verses my vassals 3k each looks bad, so it will help increase our control.

I choose a mission – improve Papal relations. I send a diplomat to the Papal States to improve relations.

I send back Trade Ideas. You might think I grab something like expansion or question an to get colonists. Nope. Religious.

I send a Missionary to our capital

I drop our army maintenance

[Abe Sargent]

4 October, 1506 – We enter into a Royal Marriage with Portugal.

20 Oct – Portugal declares war against Tapuia.

1 Nov – I order a diplomat to improve relations with Castile.

23 Nov – I get our first event – A Bountiful Harvest. I gain some gold. I use it to buy another 1k infantry.

1 Dec – Portugal is now a great power at #8. It replaced Aragon

Tyo is now allied with Kuba, and Kuba, but not Tyo, is allied with Lunda and Kikondja.

Loango is getting disloyal. They have a 53% liberty desire

I send a diplomat over for them as well


6 February, 1507 – More alliance are coming down the pike here locally

7 Oct – Our next event arrives – United in Prayer



When he meets with other Catholic rulers in person, Alfonso I asks them to pray together for common goals. It creates stronger bonds, and is heading soon to Castile. It’s not the popular way to do it, and we can choose more diplomatic paths. So do I?

Souls not Minds must unite - 75% for Castile to have their opinion raised +40
Practice Secular Diplomacy – Bonus Dip Power


If the first one were guaranteed, I’d rock it. Getting that bonus is nice. But it’s not. So I go with the DIP power instead

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1508 – According to reports, this year something good is about to happen


I change my national focus to ADM. This moves us to 10, 5, 6 growth monthly

11 May – We get a Unity of Faith event and our stability rises one

10 June – We have Tyrannical Nobles in Mbamba. I choose to chastise them and lose some of their loyalty. It dropped to 35.

1 July – Rebels rise up in Kuba, next to us

18 Sept – 7000 rebels capture Nunu, in Kuba

9 Oct – Kuba lost a war against the rebels.

1 Nov – It’s time!

I have 409 Admin power. That’s enough for…our first idea.

So why Did I grab the Religious Idea Group, over many good options?


The First Religious Idea is

Deus Vult –

Permanent Casus Belli against neighboring heathens and heretics!


Nov 3 – I declare war against Tyo!


DEUS VULT!!!

[Abe Sargent]

War #1 –

I order my 8000 troops into Tyo’s lonely province of Anziku to hit their 4000 strong. Remember, their ally is Kuba, who just lost a battle with rebels, and is running around losing.

Kuba joins the war. Our vassals do as well.

12 Nov – We arrive and begin to battle the local troops

24 Nov – Defeated

Our general and leader gained the BattleField Medic Trait, and now has +33% reinforce speed

25 February, 1509 – We convert our capital! I send missionaries to Soyo next

12 May – After fleeing, the Kuban army of 7000 arrives in Songo and head sback to deal with rebels more. I think they are willing to concede Tyo’s loss to us

16 Aug – We take Anziku.

Now I have a couple of options.

1). Finish the war now, and take Anziku.
2). Push and see if we can’t hurt Kuba too.

We’re here, why not push?

[Abe Sargent]

13 Sept – Our forces arrive in Nunu, currently held by rebels, and we begin a siege

25 Sept -Ally forces arrive with us as well

2 Oct – Portugal declare war on Potiguara

13 Oct – We capture Nunu

I order our forces to their capital at Nunu proper

1 Nov - Siege begins

19 Nov – They are moving their main army to Nunu to hit the 6k forces there from our vassals. I leave behind a siege unit and order the remaining 5000 of our forces to assist

24 Dec – After a long campaign, we win in Nunu

1 Jan, 1510 – I maxed relations with Castile

5 Jan – We rout their army and it’s gone in the province of Munene

8 Feb – We take Munene

I start rejecting stupid and simple peace offers. I am pushing

5 May – I spend some MIL power ot reduce a potential uprising in my nation

29 August – Kuba proper falls.

I have a 100% war score, captured all Kuka and Tyo holdings, and defeated all of their armies.


Let’s go shopping

Which provinces are worth the most?

Actually, I can take out both players, so let’s do that now. I also take a bunch of coin as well.

We gain 48 gold, we get a little inflation. We get 0 aggressive expansions with our CB. We gain prestige, and more.


I annex:

All are 20.5% unrest and 50% autonomy

Tyo’s province of Anziku – Jungle, tropical, copper, 6 development, Kongolese and Fetishist, 20.5% unrest, and 50% autonomy, 0.04 made here. South of wasteland, west of Songo, east of our Loango assal, and north of both Ngoyo and Mpangu holdings.


Nunu – 4 development , 0.01 gold, Kuba culture, and Fetishist faith. Tropical wood, jungle and tropical. East of Songo, and south of the wasteland as well. North of both holdings of Yaka, and west of both Kuba and Munene

Kuba – East of Nunu, north of Munenne, south of the wasteland, and west of a the two province Kalundwe nation, this is the former capital of Kuba. 18.5% unrest, fetish, Kuban culture, 0.00 made here, 75% autonomy and 6 dev. Tropical woods.

Munene – Also tropical jungle, with spices, 0.00 here, 18.5 and 75% as well, Kuba and fetishist. 6 dev. South of Kuba, southeast of Nunu, and next to three nations and tribes in the area -west of Yaka, north of Lunda, and west of Kalundwe.

I order cores to be made in all four places

My reasons for taking these provinces and striking fast is simple. I want to build my nation while ebbing my infamy from taking out two neighbors in one war.


We lost 8690 casualties to their 13225. Our numbers include our allies, we only lost around 4k ourselves.

I half my naval maintenance

I order a church built in our capital city of Mpemba

[JAG]

Nice to see you back at it. Reading along.

[Abe Sargent]

30 July, 1511 – Soyo converts. Next target is Ngoyo

4 Oct, 1511 – Castile are dealing with heavy internal conflicts


28 Oct – We start to get a National Epic, and choose to support it. Our prestige rises, but we lose some cash

1 April – 1512 – All lands we took are now cores

6 April – I hand Nunu, Muneue and Kuba to the clergy


27 Nov – Another Bountiful Harvest arrives

2 Dec – Portugal annexes Potiguara.


6 Mar, 1513 – We have had no institutions begin to grow, but next door our vassal in Loango has. So I begin to process to annex them. It should take roughly two years

We finish our mission to maximize relations with the Papacy!

1 Apr - Next mission – Convert Kuba to Catholic

1 Aug – I can get a new idea 0 Missionary Schools, and get another Missionary. I do so, and send it to Kuba

1 Oct – Ngoyo converts! Next up is Mpangu

1 Oct, 1514 – I increase our stability by 1 to 2

I order another 1000 troops to assemble


4 Oct – Rebellion in Kuba – 11000 soldiers rebel. I have troops here already to fight back.

19 Oct – We win but lost 40% of our army. I spend some MIL to cut other rebellions I was expecting to fight


31 Oct – WHOA!

I get a major event:

Into the Unknown

The uncharted territory next to and beyond the jungles may seem threatening to others, but to our tribe who has lived here for a long time, we understand the area. A large group of hunters ask King Alfonso I for permission to explore and settle the whatever place they may discover. They are capable and can get a lot done.

These are our options:

1) Go and claim what you find for Kongo! -3000 manpower, we get 300 settlers in the unclaimed province of Luanda, and it gets +25% settler increase from Used to Tropical event
2) They are needed here. Gain a bunch of Admin power

Duh!

Face the glory for Kongo!


Luanda is now a colony. And we are spending some serious cash on them as well.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by JAG

Nice to see you back at it. Reading along.

Thanks thanks!

[Abe Sargent]

19 Dec – Kuba converts. We finish our mission.

Next target is Anziku


1 Jan, 1515, Our heir, Pedro I is of age and gains the Well Advised trait, which will increase our possible advisors by 1 each during his tenure

3 March 1515 – We finish integrating Loango!



Loango – West of Anziku, and north of Ngoyo, coastal, jungle, tropical, ivory, Catholic already, Kongolese, 0.27 money made, 11 dev, core of us, 60% autonomy. Already in a good place. 52.72% Feudalism, 0 Renaissance, and 98.53% colonialism here for those institutions.

Mayumba – North, west, and up the coast from Loango, south of unclaimed Gabo, and west of the wasteland, Kongolese and Fetishist, 60% auto, 0.11 gold, 6 dev, coastal, jungle, ivory, tropical. Both are nice

We also got 3 ships and 3000 more troops including 1000 cavalry in that list.

[Abe Sargent]

Let me take a map. Here just 9 years in.




I’m zooming in close to give you detailed names and such of everything. You can see the two places we just took from Loango, as well as all the way to Kuba, where our army sits.

Our vassal, Ndongo, is the purple to our south. You can see enemy states in multiple places to our west, and the colony of Luanda is on the coast, south of Mbamba and west of Ndongo.

You can also see cash, manpower, +2 stability, prestige, etc. (We are losing cash with Missionary and colony)

[Abe Sargent]

1 Aug, Mpangu converts! I keep back from sending more right now to keep sustaining my colony

Nah, let’s slash army by 50% instead and I send in Missionary to Mbata

2 June, 1516 – After ruling for ten years, our leader gaines Industrious and now gets +10% goods produced

I set Lunda as a rival

1 July – Anziku converts. Next is Songo

5 Aug – Portugal declares war to conquer Sofala. This is on the far side of east Africa.

9 Sept – I get an event:

Idolatry or Reverence:

Our efforts to bring salvation to the heathens in Mbata have borne some fruit, but I is strange. They accept Christ, but the faith has intermingled with the old ways. Angels and spirits, the true Lord and the old Lord of the Sky, the Blessed Virgin and the Earth Goddess, do these people really believe what they hera or simply call old idols by new names? The local Missionary has come to us for advice:

1) Their faith is pure, and we would be fools to reject it – Kongo gets Animist Syncretism for 20 years, with +1% Missionary strength, +1 tolerance of Heatherd, -1.5 Tolerance of True Faith
2) This is worse that heresy and must be rooted out – For ten years, gets dogmatic preacher and Mbata gets -5% missionary strength


Lets embrace it. Anything to increase our conversion speed right now

6 Dec – Boost stability to 3

[Abe Sargent]

1 Feb, 1517 – Mbata converts! Next – Mbamba.

8 May – Luanda colony will be selling Slaves

17 Sept – Songo converts and next is Nunu

1 Oct – We max relations with Portugal and I recall that diplomat

I send it to work on building a spy network in Portugal

1 Dec – So with colonialism 100% present in Loango province, its spreading to others of ours. Meanwhile we have 9.4% of us embracing colonialism

1 Jan, 1518 – We max relations with our vassal Ndongo

I order us to annex them

10 Apr – Mbamba has converted as well – Munene is next in the Missionary’s queue

25 May – I get an event The Strength of Faith. I gain 10 prestige and clergy estate 10 loyalty

1 Aug – Rwanda was annexed by Karagwe

24 Aug - Nunu converts. Next – Mayumba

5 Oct – We get a investment in the military event and gain some MIL power

2 Dec – Noble Family Requests Aid – I grant it, lose some money, gain some loyalty

1 January, 1519 –

Level 6 Tech – Military, Arquebus

We get+0.25 tactics, +2 combat width, +0.2 infantry fire, +0.3 infantry shock, and we get Somali Light Cavalry, Tuareg Cavalry, and can build Barracks


I convert us to Tuareg Cavalry

1 Feb – We lose Lunda as a rival, and there are no good ones

20 March – Munene converts – next is Mbwila

1 June – We can, if we want, get the next Religious Idea. It would give us Church Attendance Duty. -25% stability cost. And we would unlock Kongolese Tax Exchange and +10% taxes nationally. That’s not worth it yet, I’ll hold off

Loanga has embraced Feudalism as well. Mayumba is Colonialism as well. I’ve been saving cash for the commitment to embracing an institution. Still have slashed military and navy.

1 Nov – Mayumba converts. No other targets for now

[Abe Sargent]

1 June, 1520 -Mwila converts

9 Nov – I get Good Government Policies event. I choose to heavily raise it I power

14 Feb, 1521 – Portugal sent aid to develop Mpemba and the production was raised to drop our freedom desire.


1 April – Native uprising in Luanda

10 April – Put down

I recall our diplomat building spies in Portugal

10 May – Sofala annexed by Portugal

1 Aug – With a current spread rate of almost 20%, I embrace Colonalism Institution. This reduces our trade tech penalty from %121 to %100. We also get +10% provincial trade power.

1 Jan, 1522 – More development in our capital from Portugal

1 April – We now have 10% commitment to the institution of Feudalism.

30 May – Portugal just traded maps with yaka and learned of all of Central Africa.

1 June –

We have annexed Ndongo


Matamba – 0.07 made here in the tropical savannah with 6 dev, Mbundu and Fetishist people, 60% auto, slave trades, inland and east of Mbwila, south of Mbata, and west of Ndongo. West of the nation of Kasanje.

Ndongo – Mbubu Fetishists here too, highlands, tropical, 0.07 made, 7 dev, slaves, 60% autonomy, south of Mwila, east and inland of the colony of Luanda, west of Kasanje.

We also took 4k soldiers as well

I order Missionaries to both provinces


I hand Ndogo to the Clergy and Matamba to the nobles

[Abe Sargent]

13 Dec – We have a grand ball in Mpemba and we fudnd it with some gold and some prestige

27 May, 1523 – Ndongo converts

1 June – Native assimilation in Loanda – it grows by 100

15 Aug – Matamba converts

5 Oct – Maximize relations with Castile

I spend 100 DIP to make Mbundu an accepted culture and Kuba as well

4 July, 1524 – maxed relations with Portugal

9 Sept – We enter into a Royal Marriage with Castile, and they send a lady to be our new queen.

Queen Isabel – 5/4/2, Castillean

1 Oct – If I want, I can invest in Admin Tech 6, but we are nearing getting ready to embrace Feudalism, so I’m holding off for now

15 Dec – I get a shady offer from some dark people, and I decline and raise our prestige.

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1526 – Maxed relations with Kilwa. 1525 was a quiet year


Yaka is at war with Luba and Luanda. I jack up my military maintenance

We begin war. We are at war with Yaka, Kasanje, and Kalundwe.

13 April – I win a major battle vs Kasanje in Matemba

28 May – We take Shinje from Kasanje

10 June – 8000 troops of ours arrive in Kasanje’s capital of…..Kasanje to take it. 6000 arrive in Yaka.

4 Dec - Kuba falls to Kasanje

21 Jan., 1527 – We get a Skills of the Queen vent and she gives us a Royal Efficiency event for 20 years, -10% Admin tech investment

4 Feb - Rebels capture a province in Lunda

14 Feb – Lunda;s capital falls to Yaka

10 July -Yaka is ours

1 Aug – Kasanje, the capital of them is ours

23 Aug – Kumbana is ours, in Yaka as well

1 Sept – I get a peace offer from Yaka. They would give us a ton of gold, War Reparations, and nothing else. No thanks

12 Sept – Melem, in Kasanje, falls to us.

14 Oct – We retake Kuba

I order my force into Kalundwe, the final of these three allies

9 Dec – Songye falls, a province in Kalundwe

Kalundwe offers us a separate peace treaty, and I accept. We get more than 100 gold, and War Rep for 10 years for 10% of their income.

I order our armies to head back

[Abe Sargent]

I use this blood cash to embrace Feudalism.

Feudalism – Leaders without Upkeep +1, and our tech tax drops from 100% more to 50% more


Now the good news is that I now have a 100% war score and captured all provinces of both Kasanje and Yaka.

Full annexation, bunch of gold

I annex all 5 provinces and both nations are off the board.


We lost 10k troops to their 4k

We gained:

Malem – Highlands, tropical, east of Ndongo, north of a wasteland, south of Kasanje, Fetishist, Mbangala, 0.03 made here, from slave trade, tropical, 15.6 unrest, 50% auto,m 3 dev


Kasanje – in the center of Shinje, Matamba, Ndongo, Malem, and just west of the tribe of Lunda, 6 development,Mbangala, Fetishist, savannah, tropical, 0.04 made here, slaves.


Shinje – North of Kasanje, south of Kumbana and Yaka, west of all three provinces in Lunda, east f Matamba, and slave trading, savannah ,tropical, fetishes here too, Mbangala, 0.03 made, 15.6% unrest a nd 75% autonomy

Yaka – Yaka culture, Fetishist faith, grasslands, tropical, slaves, 8 development, 0.10 made her month, 15.6 unrest, 50% auto, and west of Kumbana, eacst of Songo and Mbata, north of Matamba, and south of Nunu


Kumbana - Grasslands here as well, 0.03 made here, 15.6 unrest, 75% auto, Fetishist, Yaka, tropical, slave trade, 5 development, north and west of Mpasu, a hlding of the Lunda tribe, and west of Munene, south of Nunu, etc


I order cores in everything. It cost me around 250 total ADM power.

Okay, tech gain times!


I get:

Diplomatic Tech 6 – Shipyards, May Steal Maps, can build…shipyards

Admin Tech 6 – Workshop – we can build those. And we are close to Admin 7. And that will break everything when that happens. We’re almost at mil 7 s well.

I order a workshop in Mpemba, our capital

[Abe Sargent]

MApppppppppppppppppppppp1

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1528 – Rebellion in Yaka

20 Feb – We defeat them with the combined forces

1 May – We get a Family Ties event with Castile, and get a bunch of DIP power and bonus relations with them

1 July – Declining power of the nobility leads to -10% nobility power

13 Dec – We have a Political Crisis. I choose to resolve it with lessen reputation and lose 25 legitimacy.

1 June, 1529 –

Mil Tech 7 –

The Limber

Tactics +0.25
Artillery Fire +1
Art Shock +0.05
Enables more artillery types

Admin Tech 7 –

Renaissance Thought

And this one is the big one…

Because I get a new Idea Group


Here is what I am ogling…

Exploration Ideas –

Requires DIP to advance, 1st slot gives me Colonists to send out and add to Kongo’s might! Then we can get Quest for the New World and more, and discover Africa elsewhere.

Now what I’d really like is Expansion, to get Colonist first, and Trader second,, and such., But that’s not a need, and it requires Admin to use, which conflicts with my Religious idea group.

So Exploration it is!

And guess who has some DIP power sitting around….


I now have a colonist, and the +10% taxes from the Tax Exchange.

I send our colonist to…Luanda? Nah, it’s almost concluded.

Welcome to the Next Era of this Dynasty…

[Abe Sargent]

Colonial Kongo


A fully Catholic state would likely take advantage of the Catholic way of colonizing and exploration. There are a few options.

Natives here in Africa are nasty, so we choose a live and let live policy, to reduce considerably uprising chances.

Options –

Benguela – south and down coast of Luanda, massive amount of development already here, 5000 pretty aggressive natives

Gabon – North of Mayumba, jungle, tropical, 7000 nasty natives. Lower Dev.


Benguela is the obvious choice

16 July – Four of our new holdings are now cores. I order missionaries to Shinje and Kumbana


1 Sept – Yaka is a core

1 Nov – Luanda is our first colony to city!


Luanda – 5 development, Fetishist and Mbundu culture, 50% autonomy, tropical, savannah, Used to Tropical bonus, slaves here, and we are making 0.19 right now. I order a core made.


5 Dec – Rebellion in Kasanje.

[Abe Sargent]

16 Jan, 1530 – Put down

1 April – I order a Church in Loango

1 July – I max relations with Mombasa

11 July – Kalundwe won the war, and now rocks 7 provinces, and took out a lot of fools.

26 Nov – Portugal finds new ways to make draperies and cloth increases while wool drops

1 Dec - Kumbana converts. Next is Luanda

15 Dec – I get an event on the sale of titles. Basically, do I want cash or ADM power? Power.

20 Dec – Shinje converts. Next is Yaka

4 June, 1531 – Our ruler gained a new trait, cruel. We get +2% unrest while he rules. Yuck

20 April, 1532 – Luanda converts! Our next target is Kasanje


1 May, I can get a new idea if I want. Do I want? Religious Idea? I’ma hold off for now. We should be at level 8 ADM tech in three years

1 June –Yaka converts. Malem lies next

1 Aug – Native assimilation in Benguela increases the population by 100

I order a church in Soyo

22 Dec – I spend money to avert a plague in Mwila

[Abe Sargent]

14 August, 1533 –

We have sad news.


Today, Alfonso I Lukeni passed away. Long may he live! And he had a great reputation to live up to!


His son takes over:

Pedro I Lukeni, 2/1/0. Pretty crappy. 33 years old. Well Advised.


However, his son, Diogo I is a 5/3/3 I 11 and a strong claim

Our current tech growth is 7/3/2. We change our national focus to DIP and move it to 4/6/2.

Our stability dropped. We raise it back up



21 Sept – Kasanje converts-je


6 Oct – Unfortunately Benguela is going to be a…fish province. I was hoping for something more exotic.

Oct 10 – Malem converts as well

1 Dec – Influenza hits Mbamba. We quarantine it.

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1534 – We its time for me to hire some advisers. What is out there that entices?

Level 1 – Cibind Youla, Admin advisor, Philosopher, will increase my prestige annually

8 Mar, 1534 – Our truce with Kalundwe has finished

28 Oct – Portugal declares colonial conquest on Tupinamba

25 Nov – I order a workshop in Luanda

29 Nov – Portugal builds up Luanda

1 April, 1525 –All of the small nations by Lake Victoria have coalesced into three nations – Buha, Buganda, and Nkore.

9 Aug – Our spy was found building a spy network in Kalundwe and was expelled


1 Jan, 1536 – I am staying away from Ideas right now for saving for techs

30 April – Portugal took out Tupinamba

17 Aug – I am consider declaring war against the non-one province minor Lunda, and their single province Lwena. Their sole ally is the two province Chokwe. I moved my army down by them.

I declare a Deus Vult Casus Belli

I order my 16k forces into Lwena to fend off the 4k defenders.

4 Sept – We rout the army

Our leader as a general gained Master of Arms which gives the infantry +10% leader ability

I break off a siege unit and move ot Chokwe

10 Oct – We defeat their army and begin to siege the Chokwe capital at Ishindi.

1 May, 1537 – Ishindi falls to us

15 May – Lwena falls

22 May – We defeat the Chokwe army

22 June -0 We take Chokwe province

100% war score…


We take some gold and all three holdings in the two nations.


We lost 4700 soldiers combined to their 13k. We lost 4058 to attrition.


Chokwe – Fetishist, savannah, tropical, ivory, has a marketplace, Chokwe culture, Fetishist religion, 11.8% unrest, 75% autonomy, and 0.01 made here., They have 4 development, north of the wasteland, west of Ishidi,south of Lwena, and east of Kasanje.


Ishindi – East of both Chokwe and Lwena, south of the one-province minor power Kanongesha, and west of the unclaimed area of Kaonde. The Chokwe ivory traders are Fetishists, 14.7 unrest, 75% autonomy, 0.01 made here. Marketplace here as well.


Lwena – Also ivory, savannah, 5 development, tropical, 13.7% unrest, 50% autonomy, Lunda culture, Fetishist faith, marketplace, south of the Lunda tribe, west of the Kanongesha


I order up a trio of cores. These are all low development and took less than 100 Admin power for all three. – Lwena was 50, Chowe 20 and Isindi 16.

[Abe Sargent]

MAP FUN TIME!!!





I choose a mission to city-ize Benguela

Portugal keeps building up our places. I’m going to stop telling you.

1 Sept – Our heir gained the lawgiver trait, that’ll give +0.5 monthly autonomy.


Like I said, we need to expand quickly! Here you have stuff like 4 provinces from annexing, 1 from colony, another on the way, and 3 wars that led to 3, 4, and 5 holdings to our crown.

As of today, we have 16k troops. Right now Portugal has 15000 troops, and 12000 manpower, t our 20k, but they are in war, and we are not.

[Abe Sargent]

20 Dec – Portugal declares war on Charrua


1 April, 1538 – New Advisor:

Military – Army Recruiter Mutand Song, +10% army morale

We now are losing a slight amount of money monthly – like -0.1. I massage my investments colonially to make up for it

1 Sept – Who’s a new colony?

Benguela – Core, coastal, drylands, 10 development, 0.28 made her by Mbundu and Fetishists, I send a missionary, south of Luanada, and down coast. We finish the quest here and get 1 base production and it grows to 0.59 monthly.

I send my next colonists to….

Gabon, north of Mayumba, upcoast of Cameroon

I take a mission to colonize Cameroon

2 Dec – I get a event:

Excellent Minister –

Reap Admin Benefits – Huge prestige, and power gains in ADm and DIP
Reap Military – Gain traditions and mil power

Or I get a third option because we are well advised. Expand Responsibilities – I get everything combined, both the prestige, and tradition, and tons of power

I now have a prestige of 80, and…


Dip 7 –

Naval Ambitions

Max Colonial Range is now 115 ,and +0.30 naval morale


12 Dec – We get cores in Lwena, Ishindi, and Chokwe done. I order missionary to Chokwe

[Abe Sargent]

1 Mar, 1539 – New Tech

Courthouse, Admin 8,

Can build courtyards
+5 states

15 April – I have been building up a spy network in Ajuuraan, over on the horn of Africa. I have 55, so I spend 50 to steal their maps

We now know of 20 new areas in East Africa

1 May, 1540 – Mil Tech 8 – Pike and Shot, We can build regimental camps, and gt infantry fire +0.25 and cavalry shock +0.8

23 July – Benguela converts. Next up is Ishindi

I order a church for Benguela

13 Aug – Chokwe converts and Lwena is on tap

I pass the Act of Uniformity, which gives us +1% missionary strength

1 Feb, 1541 – Big rebellion in Lwena. I have my whole army here.


19 Feb – Put down

23 Mar – Portugal annexes Charrua

We’ve gotten Benguela upgraded twice by Portugal

14 Aug – Ajuuraan found our spy building a networks and ousted it.

15 Dec – Ishindi converts!

29 Dec – Lwena converts!

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1542 – Post conversion, we’re now making around 2 gold monthly.

1 April – I order a Workshop for Benguela

1 Sept – I withdraw y colonist to Gabon and send it to Cameroon. It’s nasty with 9000 aggressive folks, so I send some troops over

24 Nov – Colony in Cameroon, up coast from Gabon, set up.

14 Aug, 1543 – Kind Pedro is now a scholar, and we get -5% tech costs!

Pedro may not have great stats, but he has good traits

29 Sept –Accommodation with natives in Cameroon leads to -1 ferocity there.

1 April, 1544 – We’ve stabilized and brought in the next layer of fun time stuff easterly. Is it time for the next war?

There is a one province minor to the east of both Lwena and Ishindi. It’s only ally is BBuha, which I am not heading towards right now.

So Let’s grab it!


17 April – I declare war on Kikondja. I order my 16k troops to cross the border and hit their one province capital at Kanongesha where their 6k strong force awaits me.

11 May – I rout their army and begin a siege

1 June – On the battlefield in a siege, our ruler, Pedro has passed!

Our new ruler:

King Diogo I Lukeni, 5/3/3, 21 years old. He has Lawgiver, and gets autonomy changes. . His 15 year old son is Nicolau with Architectural Visionary and 1/0/5 stats.


Our stability drops so I raise it

Tech gains are 8/8/6

3 June, Royal Marriage with Portugal and Castile.

Meet our new Castilian Queen:

Juana, 5/2/4

8 July – We get Quest for the New World.

25 Nov – The capital falls to us.

13 Dec - I spend 50 MIL and recruit a Conquistador. I order 1000 cavalry t leave my army and head to a fleet in the Gulf of Kongo. I will sail them up and down and find some more colonizable areas


15 April, 1545 – I keep rejecting peace offers


1 May, 1545 – I got a bunch of maps unlocked as a Catholic. We can see the Caribbean, andit’s heavy Spanish presence, and places like Brazil, I begin improving relations with France

17 May – I get an event and choose to send some trinkets to Bonny reo reduce the native aggressiveness


9 June – I annex the one province of Kikondja and get 224 gold as well.


We get:


Kanongesha, Fetishist and Luba people, working copper mines, 0.04 gold, 13.9% unrest, 50% autonomy, 7 development, tropical savanna, east of us in Lwena and Ishindi. I order a core here.


With my blood money:

Church for Ndongo
Workshop for Loango

[Abe Sargent]

1 July – Improve relations with Engerland

1 Dec – Our Philosopher passes

I hire:

Munying Lissouba, Treasurer, +10% tax income


1 Jan, 1546 – This year we found three land provinces and four sea

1 June – Gabon will makes dyes for us

23 July – Portugal declares war on Tupinquin

Any time I want I can choose the Counter Reformation, but I’m not I don’t want the 5% tech cost and idea cots

13 Dec – Kanongesha is now a core. Did someone call for a Missionary? I think so!

29 Dec – Bountiful Harvest

1 Jan, 1547 – We discover most of South Africa, 6 land, and 3 sea

It’s time for the big war...

[Abe Sargent]

The only two major powers left here ar eKalundwe with 7 provinces and the 4 of Kazembe. They are allies.

They are at war with powers by lake Victoria. We are deep in that war. I declare war on Kalundwe

I split my armies and send 8k to the capital of Kalendwe and 7k into Lualaba, in Kazembe

19 Feb – We take Lualaba

1 Apr – I take another province, Upembe

25 May – They capture some provinces of ours

1 June – Another of theirs falls to us

26 July – I order 1000 artillery

1 Oct – I maximize relations with England.

15 Oct – I win abattle on the coast in Ngoyo.

10 Nov – I retake Ngoyo

Nov 28 – I take the capital of Kalundwe

5 Jan, 1548 – I beat their army again. We have taken most of the smaller stuff they ar playing with. They begin a siege in our capital with 8k troops from Kazembe

5 Feb – We capture another province

19 Feb – They withdraw their siege as one of my armies was nearing


26 Mar – I defeat their army in our capital, but another army catches us just as that battle ends…

1 April – We take a province from them

17 April – We lose in our capital and that army is down to around 3% fighting strength

1 May – Our Army Reformer dies

We pick up a Master recruiter

11
17 May – Kanongsha converts

31 May – Their other war ends, and we are now facing these two nations solely

1 June – Maximize relations with France

15 June – I reject a peace offer

30 July – We take another province

15 Sept – We take another

1 Nov – Cameroon will be making dyes for us as well

19 Nov – Another holding taken

I have a 99% war score so….

I take all 7 provinces from Kalundwe, I take Lualaba from Kazembe, and 77 gold

We get a ton of prestige and such.

[Abe Sargent]

This is a big one, let me take you a picture! And this is just the end of war 5!





Big gains in this war. 8 total holdings, and we removed the last threat here.


Mpasu – east of Shinje, Kumbaba, south of Munene, and north of Rund, and west of Kalundwe proper. Savannah and tropical, spices, Lunda people, Fetishist faith, 18.1 unest and 50% auto, making 0.06 gold with the 6 development

Rund – South, north of Lwena, east of Kalundwe and Kanongesha, and east of Shinje, Lunda, Fetishist, 0.18 gold, 10 development, tropical savannah with ivory trade. It features a temple and marketplace. 58.7% autonomy, and 18.1 unrest


Kalundwe - Next is Kalundwe proper, the former capital, with 6 development, tropical savannah, grain grown, barracks, 0.05 made, Luba people but already Catholic, surrounded bu Mpasu and Run dot the west, Songye to the north, Kanongesha ot the south, and Luba and Upemba ot the east.

Songye – Marketplace, Fetish, Luban, tropical jungle, grain, 0.02 made with 3 development, and 18.1% unrest and 50% autonomy, Kusu to the east, Kuba west, north is wasteland, south Luba and Kalundwe.

Kusu – 6 development, marketplace, grain, savannah, tropical, Luba, Fetish, 75% auto, 18.1 unrest, 0.02 cash, In the corner, north of the tribe of Kazembe, south of wasteland, and east of Songye and north of Luba….

Luba – This is a major place. Tropical savannah, silver mines, Luban fetishists, 18.1 unrest and75% auto, 0.06 cash, 9 dev, and and inland center of trade, with a marketplace and church. East is the Kazembe tribe. South Upemba…

Upemba – Hills, tropical, 5 dev, 0.01 cash, Fetish, Luba, 87.8% auto, 18.1 unrest, the Salt trade is big here. Marketplace, east is the tribe, and south is…Lualuba


Lualuba – Our final new possession. Next to three unclaimed provinces, west of the tribeof Kazmebe, south of Upemba and east of Kanongesha. 7 development, highlands, tropical, salt, 0.04 made, 75% autonomy, 18.1 unrest,

I order cores for everyone.

I give Songye to the nobles and Kalendwe to the clergy

[Abe Sargent]

2 Dec - We colonized Cameroon well enough to get a colonial enthusiasm event. +25% settler increase for 10 years

Next mission – reduce overextension

1 Jan, 1549 – I use the blood money to embrace the Renaissance

-5% build and development costs, and we lose our investment tech issues

New Dip Tech!


Dip 8 – Docks

+10 Trade Range, Naval Morale gets +0.2 and we can build docks.


17 Feb – In Gabon, we lose 1 ferocity with the natives

23 Feb – I have good news. We just threw off the cloak of Portugal. We are strong enough to not count for a Protectorate.

So here is the question:

Do I want to ally with Portugal instead, as equals?

They will accept if we offer….


I don’t need anyone for my African ramblings, but having Portugal backup for the European powers seems like a good idea.

26 Feb – We are now allies with Portugal

27 April – Portugal wins the war against the natives in Brazil, but no land was swapped.

1 Jan, 1550 – We found a bunch of sea lanes this year

A new institution arises, the printing press

1 April – Portugal found the Spice Trade Route to the Indies, and spices and such increase in value

25 June – Cores dones

1 July – We finish our overextension mission. My next mission is to turn Gabon into a city

Tech Increase:

Military 9 –

Professional Officers

Tactics +0.25, Combat Width +1


I send Missionaries to Lualaba and Kusu.

I then hand Kusu to the nobles

[Abe Sargent]

6 Feb, 1551 – Rebellion in Kaalundwe.

28 Feb – We put it down ,finally, after a battle that took longer than it should.

11 August

The Papacy has called The Council of Trent

Would be like to go as a good Catholic Nation?

Yes please!

29 Nov – Kusu converts =- next target is Luba

4 Dec – Lualaba converts – Songye is next in line


1 May, 1552 – WOW

Are you ready?

We just hit 8th on the list of nations, and we are now a Great Power!!!

What does that mean?


Well in the most recent expansion, they brought the great power mechanic from Victoria to EU. SO basically there are 8 great powers. The 8 strongest nations. And they vie for power with the others, and they get some new actions and abilities:

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...e-2016.944664/


Basically, they are:

Take on Foreign Debt
Influence Nation
Intervene in an ongoing war
Force a lesser nation to break an alliance

Who are the current great [powers, in order from strongest to weakest?

France
Ottoman
Austria
Castile
Russia
Poland
Portugal
Kongo

We are the only non-European nation in the list, unless you could #2 Ottomans.

So there you are!

28 Aug – Native Assimilation in Cameroon increases the population there by 100

[Abe Sargent]

5 March, 1553 – Burundi just declared independence in the Lake Victoria region


22 Mar – I choose Overseas Exploration as the next idea, we get 50% colonial range

7 April – Portugal declares war against Tapuia

Sonyre converts. Next is Upemba

26 May – Luba converts and we head to Rund next

29 July – Robber Barons I Mbamba – I choose to bump up taxes by agreeing with the nobility

1 November – Cameroon is a full province!


Cameroon – Dyes, coastal, 75% autonomy, 0.07 here right now, Fetishist, Sawabantu, jungle, tropical,

I send the colonists to Swellendam in South Africa. Spain is colonizing Cape, the best province in the area, this is not bad, and right next door. I want to cut off Spain here if possible.


Next tech – Admin 9

The Scythe –

Production Efficiency +5%

7 Dec – Our heir dies in a hunting accident

15 May, 1554 – King Diogo is now careful, and gets -10% aggressive expansion impact

24 Aug – Upemba converts and Mpasu is next

30 Nov – Rund converts. Next is Cameroon

18 Mar – 1555 – We build a Church in Kalundwe

6 April – 12000 troopps revolt in Run

2 May – Rund falls

10 Aug – Lwena falls

23 Aug – Rund heads back to us

9 Oct – We crush the rebels but lost a few thousand souls doing so

8 Nov – We retake LWena

1 Jan, 1556 – I get an event. Sleep with a lady who is not my wife, to make a 5/1/5 heir with a weak claim, lose some papal influence? Or skip it? Our leader is 33 and his wife 30. Not bad. And the stats on this one are good, but a weak claim could lead to some problems later. I do it anyway.

Henrique is born

16 Jan – Excellent Minister again. I put it into ADM power

25 Jan – Mpasu converts

1 April – Cameroon converts


I order a workshop in Cameroon

[Abe Sargent]

6 June, 1556


50 year review!!!

[Abe Sargent]

We are 8th in the Great Power List

We only know of 1 country with a 3 stability us

We are the 5th richest country we know of.

We are the 3rd most developed country we know of

(We don’t know of many in Europe, and none in Asia)

We have the 2nd best manpower

We have 9/8/9 tech. By comparison, Portugal is 10/12/11

We have the 11th best ruler

We have the 4th biggest army – 13k infantry, 3k cavalry,1k artillery. I have a forcelimit of 29k so I can load that up if I want.

15th biggest navy with 5 Barques and 4 Cogs. Forcelimit of 19.




All of our non-colonies are Catholic

We are the production leader in Slaves with 14% of the market

Our provinces by highest taxes:

Loango
Ndongo
Kalundwe
Mpemba
Benguela

By production:

Mpemba
Loango
Benguela
Luanda
Ndogo



We have 38 holdings and two colonies in Gabon and Swellendam

The Kongo trade node has 69 trade power, and we are getting 4 gold from it monthly.

Our King:

Diogo I Lukeni, 33, 5/3/3, with Careful and Lawgiver – a great and young ruler

His heir is 515,

Queen – Juana von Habsburg, 5/2/4

Our government, the Tribal Monarchy, isn’t great right now. -10% Stability cost? Who cares? +20% income from vassals? Don’t have any.


So I have finished my first goal, to get this stuff Catholic, and I have mostly finished my second – quick expansion east, hard, no holds barred, to get ourselves to a place where we can potentially fend off European powers

Next is to finish off Kazembe, with a long term goal of grabbing and puling in the Lake Victoria powers, while facing off against European colonization efforts

[Abe Sargent]

1 Jan, 1557 – We get fish in Swellendam. Boring.

3 March, 1557 –

Land of Opportunity, expansion Idea -0 +20% global settler increase

We also get Election of Manikongos, and get +50% chance of new heir – the heir is chosen by a committee of elders who can pick the best in the family.

1 April – Maxed relations with France


12 Aug - I order 4000 more troops, 1k calvary, 1k artillery, 2k infantry

20 Jan, 1558 – I hire a Colonial Governor to be a DIP advisor.

1 June – Our treasurer passes and I hire a Natural Scientist t replace him

1 Aug – Advancement of the Merchant Class event

27 Sept – I get a Gift to the State event. Use it for cash.

Workshop in Ndongo
Church in Mbata

I move Luba to an accepted Culture

I order Cameroon to shift to Kongolese culture

26 Nov – Admin 10

Modern Theocracy

We get Theocracys and another Group of Ideas!

29 Nov – Kilwa agreed to give me fleet basing rights. Perfect. I send my explorer over to the east coast of Africa to keep exploring. Many good provinces like Bourbon and Mauritius are still open


New Idea Group?

I am looking for a few things. Expansion. Military. Here are some options:

Expansion Ideas – Take it, spend 400 ADM and gain another settler. Ten 400 more for another merchant. Both good additions to us

What about Quality troops or Offensive Ideas?

Yup, Expansion it is. Need some time to build it up though

17 Mar, 1559 – Maxed relations with Castile

26 Mar – New Royal Marriage with Castile

13 June – We get another Great Queen event. Military Tech Costs drop by 10% for 20 years. Which…

Military 10

Reiter

Maneuver +25%
Enables Culverin, Pedrero , Mossi Horsies, and Barded Cavalry


I upgrade to Abysinnian Barded Cavalry and Pedrero

[Abe Sargent]

15 Jan., 1560 – Another excellent Minister, a ndI put a bunch of power into Admin

1 Mar – Maxed relations with England

I’m ready for a new war I think…


I have 10k troops in Kusu, and another 10 next door in Luba. I want to hit Lake Victoria folks. Now, Kusu is next to Lega, an unclaimed province. Beyond that is Burundi’s two holdings of Nkoma and Bafuriu. The only ally of Burundi is Buganda, a one province minor around Lake Victoria, and past the 6 province state of Buha. But they are on the far side of the unclaimed Lega. Meh, I should wait on Leg first.

27 April – I pass the De Heretico Comburendo Act. This gives us +0.5 Missionary Strength, +2% taxes, and +0.1 Catholic Reform Desire.


3 Nov – Persia eclipses us in the Great Power race, and we have a few years to regain it.

10 Nov – Portugal has a Coffee Boom – The market is soaring

1 Jan, 1561 – We lose the Colonial Governor adviser, Munga Ndo, a Naval Reformer joins us

1 April – Cameroon is not Kongolese

I order a culture shift in Malem and Kasanje as well

1 July – We get a cool evet:


Queen of the People

Queen Juana is a woman with a heart of gold. Always does her best to help her husband, treats people with unparalleled kindness. After seeing the suffering of the people of Soyo, she has drafted a plan t help the most destitute subjects, but she needs funds to make it happen.

I choose to invest 90 gold into her plan. We get the event Consort of the People, with -1 unrest, until King Diogo passes

13 Aug – Swellenham is now a full province:


Swellenham – Coastal South Africa, next to Cape, where Spain is, and Khosian and Fetishist. Fishing, 6 development, steppes. East is unsettled Graaff-Reinet, and inland are wealthy places. I order a Missionary over, and then send colonists to Graaff-Reinet

1 Jan, 1562 – I order some ships built – two Early Carracks

4 mar – I ge tan event and choose to invest innaval Force, for 10 years we’ll get +10% ship cost but -10% Dip Tech cost


1 Aug – Gabon is now a full city:

Gabon – Kongolese people, Fetishists but a Missionary is sent. On the coast. South fo Cameroon, north of Mayumba, and east of the Wasteland. Dyes, 0.51 made here, 6 development, 2.7% unrest, jungle, tropical, coastal

I pull back my colonists in Graaff and send them to Lega, which connects us with Burundi and places near the Lake Victoria nations

[Abe Sargent]

6 Oct – We get a Prospering Times events. Kind of like a golden age almost. We get +1 base tax in Munene and a bunch of ADM power

1 Nov – After the Castilian Monarch passes I reup our royal marriage

10 Nov – Buha defeated Burundi and absorbed them

We have gained a Holy war CB on Buha due to our colony being right next to them


1 Mar, 1563 – We are back to 8th again and a Great Power once more. We about to add a bunch of land, so get ready

1 July – Swellendam converts. Let’s change the culture

9 July – We get a Colonist Rush and get +25% global settler increase for 10 years

8 Oct – Malem is now Kongolese

24 Nov – Gabon converts. I order a Workshop built there

7 Dec – Our truce with Kazembe expires….

[Brian Swartz]

Impressive blobbing so far! It seems that all of Africa(and perhaps beyond) is bound to submit to the might of the Kongo.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

Impressive blobbing so far! It seems that all of Africa(and perhaps beyond) is bound to submit to the might of the Kongo.

Thanks!

And why not? It is the way of hings for the lesser to submit to the greater!