Ye Olde Hegemony

[Seraphi]

Oh hey.

 

Rocco and Icu, do you want to form an anti-khan pact? Seeing as we're all neighbors, we should face the common enemy.

[Nero]

Half of it's French so really it's only 44,000

[Nero]

Good foresight.

[Retech]

Continental-Scandanavian War

 

Since the war between the Holy Roman Empire and Denmark started several years ago, the conflict has blossomed to historical proportions, involving troops from eight countries. On the continental European side, fought France, the Holy Roman Empire, elements of Leon, Iceland, and Kiev. On the Scandanavian side fought Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, as well as some Finnish mercenaries.

 

The new stage of the war began with two massive invasion fleets under the command of Generals Conrad and Thomas set sail from the HRE towards their targets in Norway and Sweden. Such a large fleet could not have been easily hidden, and the Norwegians immediately sent their fleet towards their targets in the Holy Roman Empire. The Swedes had sent their troops with the Norwegians on the few ships they had remaining, while the other half of the Swedish army had to wait for the fleet to return. Soon after, Kiev sent its troops marching overland towards Sweden.

 

Norwegian Theatre

 

The HRE force under General Conrad of France landed in Norway during a snowstorm. Despite the strength of the winds, the entire army disembarked with only a few dozen casualties. They moved under the cover of the snow and swiftly captured the Norwegian capital city of Oslo. After interrogating the local citizenry, they discovered that the Norwegian nobility had fled northwards. In quick pursuit, the continental army ventured northwards. However, their supply trains began to exceed them, and the cold claimed many lives.

 

There they met the armies of Norway, composed primarily of Huscarls and axemen. The main Norwegian army had disappeared from Norway, but the nobles had received adequate warning and gathered their troops as they fled north. The Norwegian force composed of five thousand Scandanavian axemen, along with a thousand Huscarls. By then, the continental force had dwindled to four hundred pikemen, 800 longpikes, 400 spearmen, 2500 men at arms, 2500 archers, 2500 swordsmen, and a thousand peasants. Unlike General Conrad and his forces, the Norwegian King was well adapted to fighting in blinding blizzards. His men were heavily clothed, and they frequently fought in the snow.

 

The battle began with a massive flanking action by the Norwegian army. The five thousand Scandanavian axemen and the thousand Huscarls had snuck around to the side of the continental army, the snow muffling the clanking of their armor. However, they had miscalculated and instead of appearing at the backs of the continentals, they engaged their right flank. The force engaged the swordsmen, men at arms, and knights of the HRE, using their large axes to great effect. Meanwhile General Conrad tried to regroup his men into a solid fighting force. Finally he rallied his soldiers behind his knights, which were holding their own against the axemen. The longpikes were used to great effect, as they could simply march forward and impale the enemy on their weapons. However, the Norwegian King withdrew his Huscarls and ambushed again, engaging the continentals on two fronts.

 

General Conrad ordered a general retreat, and the remainder of his army bumbled back to the coast where they had landed. Meanwhile, the Norwegians recaptured Oslo and began raising their militias for the next bloody round.

 

Casualties

Holy Roman Empire

 

2500 Men at Arms

1300 Swordsmen

500 Knights

600 Longpikes

2000 Peasants

700 Archers

 

Norway

2800 Axemen

300 Huscarls

 

Result: Crushing Defeat

 

Swedish Theater

 

The HRE army under General Thomas landed in Sweden, quickly reaching the outskirts of Stockholm. However, there was a sizeable garrison of Swedish troops inside, though General Thomas could only estimate for the moment. The garrison quickly formed itself into battle lines outside the city, seemingly to try and save the city from the damage a battle could bring. Thankfully the snowstorm encountered in Norway had drifted northwards, and the sky was crisp and clear. By now General Thomas could tell, the enemy army consisted of eight thousand Scandanavian axemen, two thousand Huscarls, two thousand Norse archers, and a thousand militia axemen.

 

The Swedish General reasoned that his troops were less heavily armored, meaning that his forces would suffer more casualties than the enemy in a predominately ranged battle. He told his soldiers to march forward, and they marched forward with great fervor. Several hundred meters away, they broke into a run. The knights and huscarls on both sides had dismounted, because the snow on the ground made it unsuitable for a mounted charge.

 

The Scandanavian axemen reached the enemy lines first, and threw them against the 2000 longpikes and 2500 spearmen in the front line. The axemen proved very effective against them, and began driving them back with their fury. The first line almost broke when the Huscarls reached the line next, their skill unmatched in combat with the axe. General Thomas immediately sent his macemen and knights forward to stabilize the line, while he swung the thousand men at arms around the side with his archers. The archers fired arrows at extremely close range at the backsides of the Swedes, damaging them severely. They began to flee, almost stampeding the archers which were still firing.

 

The Swedish King and fifty knights hastily set off northwards towards the northern regions of Sweden, when he encountered ten thousand men at arms en route from Kiev, which promptly captured him.

 

Casualties:

Entire Swedish Army in Sweden

 

Holy Roman Empire

2000 Spearmen

1800 Longpikes

1000 Peasants

2000 Macemen

700 Knights

 

Continental Theater (HRE and Denmark)

 

Soon after the invasions of Norway and Sweden, the Norwegian and Swedish invasion forces landed near Antwerp. It was composed of five thousand Scandanavian axemen, two thousand men at arms, two thousand Huscarls, a thousand Calvaliers, and two thousand Norse archers. They began their march towards Denmark, marching in a swinging door pattern to conquer the northern stretches of the HRE. At the same time, another HRE army marched into Denmark, finding the cities defenseless. The troops spent a fun-filled day in Copenhagen looting, burning, raping, murdering, and generally causing mayhem.

 

Meanwhile, Denmark's army of three thousand Scandanavian axemen, a thousand Huscarls, and the King himself had traveled by boat around the invading army, and landed in Denmark closer to the Holy Roman Empire. As they neared the border, they spotted a massive defensive force of the Holy Roman Empire. The main component of the army was the contingent of five thousand crossbowmen which lined the ridge. The Danes charged, before being repelled by the sheer number of crossbow bolts in the air. Soon after, the Swedish-Norwegian invasion force had reached the battle site, but on the other side of the ridge. The armies of all three Scandanavian nations charged at once, finally reaching the top of the ridge. The HRE army could not hold against the combined onslaught, and was promptly destroyed.

 

Casualties:

Lots of Danish citizens

 

Scandanavians

4500 Axemen

1500 Men at arms

500 Huscarls

500 Calvaliers

 

HRE

Entire defensive force

 

 

French Invasion of Sardinia

 

The Sardinian Queen surrenders, but the populace is not that happy about it. Expect revolts ahead. Meanwhile the Pope has condemned your actions, especially attacking such small countries without Causus Belli.

 

Scottish Raids on England

 

Those darned Scottish vagabounds run around having a fun time, and manage to bring back dozens of herds of sheep, numbering over a thousand. England has almost burned itself out from its civil war, and it seems that the barons are close to deciding a new government.

 

+ to Economy

 

[Seraphi]

Hey Rocco, need a bit of help there?

[Retech]

Sure. Here is where they are currently located:

 

Denmark:

2000 Pikemen

3000 Knights

2000 Men at Arms

3500 Macemen

2000 Heavy Horse Archers

2000 Axe Riders

2000 Crossbowmen

 

Norway:

500 Men at Arms

1700 Swordsmen

300 Knights

400 Longpikes

2300 Archers

500 Pikemen

 

Sweden:

500 Spearmen

200 Longpikes

500 Macemen

1300 Knights

2000 Archers

1000 Peasants

1000 Men at Arms

 

----

 

You got 5 million from Denmark, 6 million from Sweden, and lost 3 million from their conquests in HRE. Currently Sweden is occupied by both Kiev and HRE, so I just gave you the entire budget of Sweden, but you have to work it out with Dungeonal. Note that Denmark and Sweden were mostly mostly broke, so you only got a portion of their budget for this five year period.

[Nero]

Hey Rocco, need a bit of help there?

I already offered, he seems to think France's help is all he needs. Though, I suppose my troops were also calculated in that battle? Hm.

[Retech]

There has been quite a stir in the royal courts of Europe after a richly decorated Chinese man's corpse was sent to Kiev. Speculations are that Kiev is working with the Mongols, but no one can really be sure.

 

----

 

Troops in Norway retreat to Sweden. I'll calculate the push back against Denmark this evening, or if I'm busy, then tomorrow.

[Seraphi]

Dungeonal is plotting with the Mongols, eh?

[Nero]

Why would the crusade re-route to help you?

[Seraphi]

Well, the pope should still be informed.

[Earth]

... major offensive attack on england! they must not regroup as a government! i send my entire army of 6000 SB's, 4000 axemen, 1000 knights, and 1000 well trained peasents for this campaign. also.. how big was the economy boost?

[Nero]

... major offensive attack on england! they must not regroup as a government! i send my entire army of 6000 SB's, 4000 axemen, 1000 knights, and 1000 well trained peasents for this campaign. also.. how big was the economy boost?

That's what I told you to do in the first place.

 

I meant with Dungeonal... seeing as he may be the largest threat to Europe now.

 

No.

[Earth]

welll... i didnt have over 1000 troops before. how could i do anything? other than get myself killed.

[a_bert]

A message has been sent to your royal court, lodged inside the skull of a richly decorated Chinese corpse. The message inside reads:

 

We have defeated the Chinese and Persians, while enslaving the Indians. You are next.

 

If you do not want the fiery sting of our arrows, we demand a tribute of one million every year, some knights to aid our conquests, and the rights for our armies to pass through your land.

 

Kiev stands resilient against the Mongolian threat. Messengers are sent to every country in the land, spreading the message far -

 

Kiev stands tall. Kiev will not surrender, tribute, or in any way concede to the Mongols. Kiev is glory. Christ is glory. Europe is glory.

 

And Asia is the prize!

 

Kiev! Kiev! Kiev!

[Retech]

With the message back, the Mongol war machine moves westward. Expect them sometime in the next five years. Scouts report that the first wave will consist of roughly 30,000 soldiers.

[Nero]

Leon starts breeding light, fast horses like crazy and starts producing big tower shields as well.

[Earth]

will i have to wait until tommorow for me next battle report?

[Seraphi]

Righto. Retech, do the scouts have any intel on where exactly the mongols will strike? (Like, say, a map of the nearby terrain and such?)

[a_bert]

No, the Crusade was called against Cordoba and it shall fight Cordoba.

[Nexaduro]

That didn't go as well as I'd hoped.

 

Can I get a summary of surviving forces?

 

EDIT: Also how much cash did I score from Denmark and Sweden?

Lol. And my SpecOps took out half their fleet with no losses.

You can keep using them for now.

[Nexaduro]

And me? I want the small islands.

[Seraphi]

Simply outnumbering them will not do. Retech has already said that Khan is a great general.

 

We need to abuse the terrain and take any advantage offered.

[Grim_]

You forget byzantium... Retech how much do skirmishers cost?

[a_bert]

The Danish islands, Nex?