Slitherine

We crush AutoGarrison easily for a few XP points. As you see unwalled cities don't fall to Retaliate. I intend to farm at least 1 XP level here while we laundering skirmishers through Vassal and make our economy stronger. Swese lose territory to Rebels, but I won't retake it on principle to prevent exploity play.





Right now my plan is to stop spending Authority for edicts. I will be building generally useful structures I want ANYWAY. No new RGDs. Here's the strutures themselves.

We dumped our Manpower for Metal. Get another Negative token. Honestly I want to go through Fraction state fast before moving off, so passing Unstable is fine. Another reason I need to stabilize my National Authority. Relatiating stack will chill restore Effectivness trying to remove Bandit lair.





Another +1 from Nobles or High Stewardship. Noble edicts Tier 2 roads in my capital. Sacred Alter is another structure for Capital Province. We catch another Great Trades structure. I send last batch of Archers to the Vassal. I hold my fingers crossed that he won't commit them to suicidal charge.



No new RGDs. I must build more and more gold so I can start pulling out Nobles out of Gold.

I have stable +4 Authority gain from events now. Thats why we needed to have 10 Regions as Civ 1 nation with max of 6. Another consideration I laid out in the first episode. Hungary captured Swedens rebelled region. I start requesting Vassal troops. Our relationships for free sends improved to 85 already.



We remove bandits in record time. I move my main stack to fight Wolves. Province 2 builds 2 Rituals to farm Legacy. I use Gift to Pear on 2nd Province Governor we havent buttered up yet. Capital province builds Pigsty and Exchange Post.

Sweden goes crazy again. I have time to devasted them because I have to wait for my Economy build up and Authority stabilization anyway. Vassal grants me access to laundered troops. I will Disband everyone except 12 Massed Archers and Fleet. Hire extra 4 Merc Massed Bows in Province 2. I pulling up my forces to give fair XP to my Heavy Cavs. Main stack still tries to remove wolves and sporadic Unresets. Trying to sell my Claim.













Our first epidemic outbreak. Neighbouring region contained spread successfully. Local Palace destroyed for +25 points. I gain 4 Authority from events again. Provinces build Cattle Ranch, Pigsty and Sacred Altar. No new RGDs.

I will Assault Swden region so I have smth to Pilalge for the money boost. I reshuffled many Priest back to Piety jobs, while pulled all freemans and Nobles to Gold. No new RGDs, so I do my typical Sacred Altar, double Ritual and Cattle Herd. Send fleet so scout Sweden shores. We had 75 Relationships and Full COOP, but they wouldn't accept Alliance because Jihad under way malus.

T70 World affairs review in the end of the post.

We could have destroyed Sweden since they have no fleet or forces to stop us. And I actually gonna do that now because I need quick Authority boost to level up from -32 so I can do mass edicting. They backstabbed us twice, so I can't expect that third will be the charm. My first fleet fight as well. Some deals went through to keep us afloat. I send another Gift to Pskov.









I was WAITING for this event for 70 turns. Finally the first Priest appears in our region. After big combat I get my 2nd Slave Force. Province 2 does Bone Diviner and Crude Smelter. We have Charcoal Burner set up already. Another Small Harbor in Capital Province. Province 3 goes for Traders Borough.








News around the globe:

1) Seljuks wiped out Ghazanavids, Abbasids and Buyids. Started to attack Byzantines.



2) Khazars rampaging against Alans. Georgia absorbed by Byzantines. Kipchaks and Cumans subjugated Tmutarakan and pressure Chernigov and Volga Bulgars. Zichia became Kesog Chiefdom.



3) Byzantines attack Rus. Pechenegs survived and Peaced out with everyone. Dioclea rebirthed as Hungary Vassal. Hungary signed piece with Slovakia. Croatia still holding on.



4) Sweden goes nuts. Thats why you shouldnt ;eave Unwalled cities against AI. Their Seek and Destroy always view them as weak spots.



5) Verona and former Vassal of HRE eaten up all their south territories. HRE has 2 regions left. Maybe I will go after them when I deal with Sweden to clean up for good.



6) England, Scotland and France grow in size. I have dilema on my hand. Do I go after Seljuks or jump on Europe powers..



7) Castile Vassalized Leon and eaten their original Vassals. Jihad makes some progress.



Almoravids pushed back Ghana and nearby empires cleaned up their original territories. So they got a single region left. Only dumb AI Peace treaty can save them



9) Zirids under attack by Tribes again. Byzantines failed to progress in North Africa.



10) Instead of finishing off their former Vassal last region Fatimids went to war with tribes on the south.

I decide to spend more time to hire and gather Utility Peasants, remove Impediments, discover Characters Authority by keeping them assigned as Peers of Realm and Generals before moving on, grind XP and remove Levy status by Bowyers. We Fragmented, so going through Civil War on our territory might be a way before advancing on to major conquests. I will be returning fleet to Vassal too.



+

We force converted Priest that likely be Pillaged away anyway. Capital region Edicts for Worship Place and builds Initiation Ritual. Province 2 builds Salt House. No new RGDs. I sent Gift to Pskov. Their Vassal Status worth 68 BP, which is not that hard to get. I Insult Smolensk and counter Insult their 2 enemies.

Hungary takes away my training region, so I move to the new one. My main stack travels to Pillage region while he failed to remove Wolves for 5 turns. We devasted region to 0 Populations, but locals hire another Priest who will be vanquished soon.. Interesting modifiers for Diplomacy from too many partners and being fragmented that most players wont see,









Oops. Rumors of Cult Site appear in the Capital. So I split Cavalry specifically from the main stack to deal with them. Capital build the last Great Trader structure in region with Dense Forest that I will remove with Decision on the next turn and queues up Burial Ritual. Province 2 goes for Worship Place and Sacred Altar. Province 3 aims to construct Bone Diviner and Warrior Assembly. I will need more Manpower and Gold for sure.

My stacks continue to do their thing. Wolves put down on the last turn. Capital Province builds Traders Borough. Province 2 Exchange tents. Province 3 double Story Tellers. We get +4 Authority as always. I continue Insulting SMolensk, counter Insulting Polotsk, Gifting Pskov.

One stack tries to resolve Cult Site issue, 2 other stacks do Pillaging. I try to Vassalize Pskov until it completely destroyed. Trading our new region to Lausitz. Hope it won't bugged.





Province Capital = bone diviner. Province 2 = Mining Exploitation. Province 3 = Master Hunter.

Good catch from Pillages this turn. We get Negative token. I want to collect 5 ASAP. Cavalry stack removes Cult Site and speeds to the southern border stopping for Pillage on the next turn. Peasants get closer to the south. Vohlynia does daring move that will be punished for XP.





Peasnat Roundup trigger Draft Levies which I sell off. We get Recruit Local Units I intend to play later on during the conquests. Corupt Governor pop us in one of the regions. I play Gift on the region where I assign my future 2-0 General with unknow Loyatly. We will be suing him, so have to boost him above 75. Wood Cutting to fill up extensive wood requirements and Bone Diviner in the Capital Province. Burial Ritual in the Province 2.

Oof. Vohlynia surprised me by intercepting my army. We lost 6 Peasants and 2 Massed Archer Mercs with Improved Equipment. I have to rehire 4 copies in the province so they can Improved equipment. Next turn Province 3 will get 6 more peasants. Pskov accept Vassalage!!! Poland starts Crusade to finish off Pechenegs. Gladly Byzantines don't join for now. My main stack will finish Vohlynia army and Pillage region one more time while Cavalry stack will Retaliate.













My region get besieged, hit by Epidemic and in Unrest. Won't be productive for some time. Vassal contains epidemic. Capital Province = Hunting Party and Feast. Province 2 Sacred Altar. No new RGDs. Our Authority was pushed back by SAU losses and Unit Transfer to Vassalize to -26 again.

Vohlynia attack my stack prompting AutoGarrisons to join. After being defeated they fallback to the region where my other stack finishes them off. I get another Negative token. Harsh Season showcases how much resources my army will cost at the enemy territory during Fair season. So I won't be hiring any more units for now besides 3 Peasants until I gain more regions from my next target.









Another Abandoned palace have been disassembled for +25 Infrastructure. I edict for Traders Borough in the Capital Province, build Sacred Altar. Province 2 goes for Dancing Ritual. Province 3 edicts Worship Place. No new RGDs. Cavalry stack retaliate one last time before embarking on the journey.

I start my journey to Byzantines. Here I showcase proper stack split aimed for Rough and Difficult terrains of 10 frontage and below + Assaulting Cities. Peasants carry potentially Rebelious and unknow loyalty Characters. Its better if they go off not on mine native territory, so I can kill them and go on. I hire 1 Lithuania Merc Horse to fill the last blank. 2 Heavy + 4 Heavy CAV cavalry should be enough to cover 99% of AI armies and cities. Siege Values are 45 and 48 which can be boosted by stack permutations by exchanging Peasants, Supports and Mediums if I have to win Siege rolls. I show Raiding targets on my path to the target, so I can fuel up my economy with extra gold without Pillaging and Extorting!







Capital Province - Initation Ritual and Sacred Altar. Province 2 = Beekeper. Province 3 = Storyteller. I gifted my Governors so I'm sure their Loyalty is above 30. Now I Gift my 66 Loyalty Character to push him above 75 to put in the Capital in the future for anti Coup bonuses. Epidemic has been contained, Corrupt Governor gone. I try Relinquish Objective I received naturally.

Raid didn't go off for some reason. Potentaially our Relationship with Neutrals above 0. Our character Loyalty skyrocket to 90. My short term plan is to build up economy further so I can support 100 CP Vasal stack guarding my Capital from Coups. I receive another Gift to Peer decision which I'm gonna use on 30 Loyalty character. My allies keep swapping territories.. Random event of Noble dying for gold.





Capital Province = Storyteller and Worship Place. Province 2 = Ivory and Tusk Trader. Province 3 = Noble Houses

Nothing really going on this turn. Unrest dissipates generating buggy message. Religious troubles in one of the regions. I play Freeman to Peasant there. I gift my Vassal Metal in exchange for Abandoning bunch of claims. Capital Province = Runner Relay and SotryTeller. Provicne 2 = Feast. Province 3 = Wild Beast Trader.

Raid successfully goes off on Vohlynia for 180 Gold. I start hiring Non Standard Units in Poland since I guaranteed to get Heavy Spears. Abandon Claim in Polotsk for Cooperation.





New epidemics pop up in 2 regions. Origin point is Salthouse region... Religious troubles end. Capital Province = Sacred Altar. Province 2 = have to grow first. Province 3 = Beekeeper.

Our Recruiting campaign successful. 2 Defensive Spearmans look nice with that shiny armor. Deal with Pskov goes through. We get another Negative token. I show my typical Authority gain.





We get another Epidemic in the region where it was healed last turn. Corrupt Governor in different region. Capital Province builds our first mercant. Ivory Tusk variety for Legacy, gold and smuggling in bonuses. Province 2 = Rat Catcher. Province 3 = Mining Exploitation.

When you are Fragmented chances of Suicidal AI to DOW you are high. I tried to get an Alliance, but its very difficult in Unstable or Fragmented when Jihand or Crusade goes on. Yes, they broke Passage Rights, Full Cooperation and 75 Relationships combined with 2 Allies, 2 Vassals, full walls in every region, strong resources, only a single war. I have to request troops from both of my vassals and stick them in the weak spots. But that makes the game more dynamic. Novgorod has roads everywhere, but Big River have to give us more time.

Our avangarde stack gets Regular Fail on Raiding. Lets see what the follow up manages.







Epidemic put down. But we get Loyalty penalties for nearby Rebel Region.. Capital Province catches the first Temple. Province 2 = Hunting Party and Crude Smelter (w Charcoal bonus activated). Province 3 = Initatiation Ritual and Traders Borough. I hire 2 Utility peasants to put them on weak points and assign defensive Characters. with ability to surprise opponent by playing Recruit decision to trigger AutoGarrison.

Our 2nd stack Raid produces fail. Fortification x 3 Value allows them to hold on to the gold. Livonia grants me troops, but Pskov check fails. Flett gonna make a round trip before I return it to Livonia next turn.





We continue our previous projects. I Send Councilor to Ansas whos Loyalty I boosted previously by Gift. He has nice stat, so I can use him as General later on.