BALTIC CAMPAIGN AD 1735

[markleslie]

One can only hope peace and prosperity shall reign over all Christian lands and right thinking Peoples.

[gribol]

Lets now just talk seriously about the map ...

The first one, or this one with fortresses, looks just fine.

[Lysimachos]

A couple of questions;

if we use your new map does that mean that many of the provinces are in contact with 5 enemy provinces at the start of the campaign?

What does the Capital do, I think you had an explanation in the original rules but it was removed when when you changed the rules?

Hi mate!

Your first assertion is only partially correct.
Some borders with 5 foreign Provinces (Eastphalia, Zealand, Pomerania, Scania, Courland, Lithuania)
Some with 1 (Thuringia, Holstein, Prussia, Livonia)
Some with none (the capitals: Saxony, Brandenburg, Mazovia, Smaland, Jutland)
Which, in my opinion, is acceptable, because it allows a direct confrontation between all nations to be kept open, while still leaving 9 provinces out of 15 substantially protected.
The only problem is represented by the fact the two polish Provinces would be over-exposed instead of 1 as the other Nation, but it could be solved by moving forward only one polish Province and back the other two, as I'll show you tomorrow with a different positioning of them on the map.

Anyway I'm open to every solution and, if the majority of players prefers the map you posted below, for me is absolutely ok!

Regarding the capitals they where characterized being worth 2 Internal Stability level so that the player had to carefully defend them, risking to lose 1 leve if the Province was half conquered and 2 if totally lost.
But it's obvious that they can remain in the game only if we're able to put every Nation in the same situation.

[Lysimachos]

One can only hope peace and prosperity shall reign over all Christian lands and right thinking Peoples.

Welcome on board, Mark!

Sweden is in really good hands now!

[awesum4]

With regards to maps I prefer the one Gribol posted most recently with everyone except the bloody Prussians having 3 neighbours. Having possible contact with every single country overwhelms our simple Polish brains, we like things simple direct and with huge moustaches

[Lysimachos]

This is the updated version of the “conceptual” map, where:
1) every nation border with 4 nations,
2) 5 Provinces border with 4 enemy Provinces (Eastphalia, Zealand, Pomerania, Scania, Lithuania)
3) 6 Provinces border with 1 enemy Province (Thuringia, Holstein, Prussia, Livonia, Mazovia, Courland
4) 4 Provinces don’t border with enemy Province (Saxony, Jutland, Brandenburg, Smaland)
5) no capitals are present because it’s impossible to give Poland a totally protected Province.

AD 1735 - III.png (30.37 KiB) Viewed 301 times

In my opinion it’s now a well-balanced, very dramatic map, unlike the “geographical” one, and I vote for it.

[Lysimachos]

Since, at the moment, there are two votes in favor of the "geographical" map (gribol and awesum4) and one in favor of the "conceptual" map (me) it's time for markleslie and snooky 51 to express their preferences.

Before starting, it's also necessary to determine if in battle we prefer to have:
1) 2000 pts. each for the attacker and the defender and the "Garrison" and "Reinforcements" Action,
2) 2100 pts. for the attacker and 2000 pts. for the defender and the "Garrison" action only.

So everyon is asked to take position also on this issue.
In this case I prefer the first solution.

[markleslie]

Gribols so called map is a bald faced attempt to isolate Sweden from the rest of Europe, blatantly ignoring the many centuries of cultural exchange the Swedish People have lavished, LAVISHED, on our neighbours. Sweden demands more neighbours! More so that these time honoured traditional exchanges may continue unfettered.

Sweden is therefore compelled to vote for the, slightly less stifling, "conceptual" map proposed by the Honourable Lysimachos.

As to the minor point, our vote is proposition 1.

[snooky51]

I like Gribol's map - it may be too late since we are voting but pomerania should probably be connected to smaland or gotland to reflect that Sweden once owned Pomerania and it is where Gustavus Adolphus landed - plus gives Sweden a little more in options.

As for battle preference, I vote option 1). First, I think it provides some extra strategic choice. Second, over the long run I think its best to try these kind of small adjustments to see what works and what doesn't. That way, if these campaigns (and similar types) continue, at some point in the future there will be a customary rule set that is balanced and enjoyable - and in this future, when new people join and suggest rule x or y, it can be pointed to how that did not work, was not used etc.

[snooky51]

Gribols so called map is a bald faced attempt to isolate Sweden from the rest of Europe, blatantly ignoring the many centuries of cultural exchange the Swedish People have lavished, LAVISHED, on our neighbours. Sweden demands more neighbours! More so that these time honoured traditional exchanges may continue unfettered.

Sweden is therefore compelled to vote for the, slightly less stifling, "conceptual" map proposed by the Honourable Lysimachos.

As to the minor point, our vote is proposition 1.

The Kalmar Union WILL be restored.

[Lysimachos]

I like Gribol's map - it may be too late since we are voting but pomerania should probably be connected to smaland or gotland to reflect that Sweden once owned Pomerania and it is where Gustavus Adolphus landed - plus gives Sweden a little more in options.

That's impossible, because Prussia is already facing three enemies at a time and a fourth would be an overwhelming task to tackle ...

[Lysimachos]

Gentlemen,
the outcome of the vote shows that the majority of players prefer:
1) the geographical map (gribol, awesum4 and snooky51),
2) the solution foreseeing 2000 pts. each for the attacker and the defender and enabling the "Garrison" and "Reinforcements" Action (Lysimachos, markleslie and snooky51),
so we’re sticking to these decisions.
I’m now going to accordingly modify the rules and the map in the initial 2 posts of the thread and then we’ll be able to start the game!

[Lysimachos]

Having modified the rules and the map is finally time to start!

Gentlemen, the order of action for the 1st turn is as follows:

DENMARK (snooky51)
POLAND (awesum4)
PRUSSIA (Lysimachos)
SAXONY (gribol)
SWEDEN (markleslie)

Here’s a brief reminder of the starting situation and the available Actions.

Internal Stability 6
Treasury 60.000 Thalers

Taxation: +30,000 Thalers / -1 Internal Stability level.
Requisition: +55,000 Thalers / -2 Internal Stability level.
Fiscal Reform: +7.000 extra Thalers for every Taxation or Requisition / -3 Internal Stability level.
Propaganda: +2 Internal Stability level / -15.000 Thalers.
Minor Fortress (1): forbidden in Provinces already under attack / -20,000 Thalers / downgrade a Tactical Defeat to a Marginal Defeat (only conquest aspect) / ruined after a Strategic or a Tactical Defeat.
Major Fortress (2): forbidden in Provinces already under attack / -35,000 Thalers / downgrade a Strategic Defeat to a Tactical Defeat and a Tactical Defeat to a Marginal Defeat (only conquest aspect) / degraded to Minor Fortress after a Strategic or Tactical Defeat / remains in the hand of the defender unless the Province is fully occupied by the enemy who conquers the asset.
Upgrade Fortress: upgrades a Minor Fortress to a Major one / -15.000 Thalers.
Truce: prevents Attacks form a specific Nation (only if it hasn’t yet attacked during that Turn) / -10,000 Thalers paid to the enemy / only once per campaign against the same opponent.
Military Reform: possibility of launching two Attacks per Turn / -15.000 Thalers.
Attack: -20.000 Thalers / offensive operation toward an enemy Province / starting Province mustn’t be already under Attack and, if not fully controlled, can be used only to target the other half of that Province / neighboring Province mustn’t be already under attack or having been used as the starting base of an Attack / if the Province is territorially disconnected from the homeland can be used only to target the other part of the Province itself, if partially controlled, or other Provinces that allow reestablishing a connection with the homeland.
Counterattack: -20.000 Thalers / offensive operation from a Province attacked during that Turn towards the attacking Province.
Reinforcements: -7.000 Thalers / +100 pts. to the army for a selected Attack.
Garrison: -7.000 Thalers / +100 pts. to the army for a defensive Battle fought in the selected province (doesn't apply to already launched Attacks).

[awesum4]

Just confirming that taxation and requisition give you money immediately, there is no delay in it coming in.

[Lysimachos]

That's right awesum4, alle the Actions produce their effects immediately (and that's why, in some occasion, it's forbidden to make some of them).

By the way, I also want to stress that the Reinforcements Action of the attacker and the Garrison Action of the defender apply only to the initial Attack, not to the Counterattack.
Anyway, if the attacker has also played a Garrison Action in the Province from which is launching the offensive, this Action will be taken into account during the Counterattack phase.

And now let's wait the orders coming from Denmark to open the campaign!

[snooky51]

The Kingdom of the Danes chuses:
1) Fiscal Reform
2) Taxation
3) Propaganda
4) Major Fortress in Holstein

[awesum4]

Following extreme provocation from the descendants of the Teutonic Knights the glorious combined Duchies of Poland and Lithuania have decided on the following moves;

1/ Attack from Lithuania into Prussia

2/ Reinforcement of the above attack

3/ Garrison in Mazovia

4/ Fiscal Reform

[Lysimachos]

The King of Prussia observes with amazement what laughable excuses are being used to justify what only remains a hateful attempt to appropriate his possessions.
However, let the deceptive King of Poland and Lithuania know that this serious violation of universal peace will not remain without an adequate response.

That said Prussia, knowing that dark plots are being hatched against her by many powerful enemies, decides to call an Encounter Battle in his defensive stand in Prussia (2100 pts. vs 2000 pts. on a map 26 squares wide and 34 high) and to:

1) Counterattack from Prussia to Lithuania
2) Send Reinforcements to the above offensive action
3) Impose Truce on Saxony
4) Strengthen the resolve of the country making Propaganda

Prussian Coat of Arms.png (47.94 KiB) Viewed 110 times

[awesum4]

The gallant patriotic defenders of Lithuania will fight an open battle against the degenerate Prussian hordes who have dared to show their true colours by perpetrating violence on the peace-loving peoples who live there.

[Lysimachos]

It seems, to tell the truth, that the gallant defenders of Lithuania are nothing more than the cowardly aggressors of peaceful Prussian peasants, intent only on their industrious agricultural activities.

However, there is no doubt that the Almighty will be able to recognize who the real aggressor is and reward him accordingly with the poisoned fruits of anger.