The Sons of Gus - reforming Carthage EUIV mini AAR

[undercovergeek]

Decided to play EUIV iron man mode. Regular autosaves, 1 save location and no turning back - cant reload when it all goes wrong, and its a mini AAR as i havent the time to do a big one

In doing so it unlocks a huge list of achievements, and in there was Sons of Carthage - Tunisia reforming the Carthaginian Empire

As our Gus has recently kicked Romes ass in Rome II as said nation, im taking up the modern (ish) day torch and rebuilding Carthage for the 15th Century



Thats us in the brown - we've already taken Biskra from Algiers. To their West, Morocco my ally and Algiers kicking partner, to my East Tripoli, also good for picking on Algiers - beyond them the Mamlucks and the Ottomans - also my ally and Algiers too - I waited until they were too busy to support Algiers and then attacked,they never came to help.

Initial goals are to vassalise Algiers and Morocco, move south to Mali to pick up the gold rich provinces down there and then cross the water to Sicily and Spain



Thats Morocco, at some point theyre going to ask me to join them in a war against Castille or Portugal, ill say no, wait for the right moment and back stab them, this is Hannibal 15th century style

[Martok]

Ha, nice!  Love the title (of course).  ;D 

[undercovergeek]

A couple of years later Laghwat is taken from Algiers, and to the west Figuig and Tafilat are taken from the Moroccans in a very quick war. Portugal had destroyed the army of 12000 troops of Morroco leaving them defenceless - as planned we stepped in and took two major provinces. The key here is Laghwat, it gives us a border on Tuat and allows us to drive South through Africa and to the rich gold provinces further inland



After the ceasefire has expired we attack Morocco again - the plan here was to take enough provinces to force a vassalisation but the war score is too high to achieve that - we cherry pick their best provinces and leave again - Tunisia gains Sus to the south, Fez, Casablanca and Tangiers to the north - very rich, but highly sort after land. It will cost us in the future



and here is Tunisias first national idea choice - Exploration is chosen to open up colonists so we can head south into the mainland



Berber nationalists and Morrocan patriots rise up before i can surpress the rebels and gain cores on the land. Over a period of 6 years the rebels take Tangiers, Fez, Lagwhat and Casablanca - our army is equal in size to the rebel army but at their head is some kind of Berber William Wallace with a shock value of 5 (value is between 1-5, 5 being the most demonic, sword wielding bad ass you ever saw) and we dont stand a chance against their attacks.

The only thing to do is agree to their demands which is independent rule for 20 years, denying me tax, goods and gold from these provinces for that long - we'll be ready when that expires in case they rise again



Brave settlers and colonists travel south to Tuat and set up camp, we have 71 colonists there - we need 1000 to build a city and make it a proper province. To the East, Tripoli, the junior partner in a Personal Union between us (as in Rome II) is beset with rebel nationalists too. As a long term junior partner it was only a matter of years before i could absorb them into my state and extend our borders east but the victory terms for the rebels was Tripolitarian Independence - they are now simply allies and we are joined with a dynastic marriage - in time if they wont be vassalised ill have to take them by force



The Ottomans, the biggest ally i can find, who receive regular visits from our diplomats decide to induce us with subsidies - in short, 3 gold a month which is enough to lift us out of the borders of debt and set us on a path to national rebuilding, it allows me to build a market place/dock/armoury every few months in Tunisian provinces

[Martok]

A bummer about the rebels setting you back.  It's good to have friends, though.  8) 

[undercovergeek]

The evil Portugese attack - i could crush them like a worm but for their friends Castille, and Aragon - it really is an unholy Iberian alliance against me



.........and their other friends from Naples attack our capital



I bring my own friends from the Ottoman empire, who smash through the Portugese navy and invade Portugal itself



Two years later Tunisian armies have been decimated and our lands soiled by the infidel, but the warscore is offset by Ottoman gains in Portugal



After another three years of war the Ottomans and the Portugese come to an agreement for peace - it costs us Casablanca



With peace established, rebels put down and money in the bank we decide to teach Tripoli a lesson for breaking the union - it will be total war and forced vassalisation, the intention being to annex them in ten years

[Martok]

Nice.  Anyone you have to worry about in going after Tripoli, or are you pretty much free and clear to wail on them? 

[undercovergeek]

no, they only had one alliance and that was to me and i just cancelled it

to their east are the Mamluks - fairly crazy nation who keep getting nibbled by the Ottomans, a bit like me and the Portugese