Despite the wars that the Noyyau Kingdom found itself involved in, and in spite of her own pregnancy, Queen Pantea adamantly refused to rest until absolutely necessary.
Upon learning of the fantastic possibilities that the new Steam Engines opened, the Queen formed a council of leading architects, merchants and administrators.
In a few intense weeks, it was determined that Queen Pantea's wishes to finally resettle the vast areas of Noyyau lands emptied by wars of the past were, in fact, feasible.
A series of prospective city sites were chosen, only the funds lacked.
To make these Steam Cities a reality, the Queen called for the great Noble Houses, commercial organizations, and even private donors, to invest in this venture and allow the Noyyau Kingdom to grow, even in these trying times of foreign aggression.
Steam Cities 1 and 2: Eastern Pictland
Spoiler:
Steam Cities 3 to 7: Moroccan Peninsula (3 and 4 require the relocation of Diyarbakir and Neapolis, while 7 needs diplomatic talks with Assyria regarding borders)
1. Such belligerence from the Holy Roman Empire against the Noyyau Kingdom cannot be allowed to go unpunished. While House Florentanius recognizes that the Kingdom is currently engaged in a multitude of wars and thus resources and military power that can be expended against Holy Rome are limited. In order to balance the scales in favour of Rome House Florentanius proposes that excess resources be sold to the Romans at a discounted price. With Her Majesties permission House Florentanius will begin shipping surplus raw and finished materials to Rome to assist in their war effort. In addition, House Florentanius will provide escorted merchant ships at a steep discount to transport surplus materials and resources from willing and loyal Noyyau merchants and Houses to allied Rome.
2. House Florentanius would like to congratulate House Caterpillar in its successes in mining. Surely such discovers shall benefit the entirety of the kingdom.
3. House Florentanius is pleased with the successes of the Third Army and the Noyyau-aligned mercenaries.
4. House Florentanius would like to express discontent with the failures of the mercenaries in the wilderness of Holy Rome, but recognizes that not every battle may result in a Noyyau victory.
5. House Florentanius is pleased with the successes of the Felix Doctrine and the Noyyau naval supremacy in the Apache Strait.
6. House Florentanius wishes Her Majesty well in her pregnancy and the birth of her child.
Novice Security and Intelligence Service agents, sent to Aachen to facilitate the mercenaries' conquest of the city, did manage to successfully spread chaos among the defenders... though with far more losses than planned.
Spoiler:
With superior weaponry and the prospect of substantial bonus pay for the conquest of the Holy Roman capital, the Noyyau mercenaries eagerly assaulted Aachen's fortifications. After a short and brutal urban battle, the city fell.
Spoiler:
As soon as the port area had been secured, even more mercenaries disembarked, establishing full control over the city.
Spoiler:
With Aachen safely in Noyyau hands, the mercenaries ventured south, following the path of their unfortunate predecessors. This time, tough, the Noyyau mercs were ready for a fight and avenged their comrades.
Spoiler:
The recent Pakistani victories had cut a sizeable dent in Ottoman revenues, forcing them to terminate the import of Noyyau foodstuffs.
Ever resourceful, Noyyau merchants managed to secure a new deal, more in line with the current Ottoman budget (and their lack of seafood due to Pakistani coastal raids).
Spoiler:
Having received orders to join King Felix in fighting the Hurrians, the Third Army quickly left conquered Lithuania, leaving only the Fast Swords of Siam (and other assorted mercenaries) to oversee the transition from occupied enemy to loyal Noyyau protectorate.
Along with the Third Army, part of the mercenaries (the most disciplined and combat effective) were also getting ready to depart, their services required on the Lower Continent as well.
Many in Noyyau questioned the decision to have the Third Army leave with such haste, as the mercenaries had already been accused of excessive looting and violence towards the Lithuanian civilians.
Spoiler:
Seeing the Third Army and a sizeable number of mercenaries leave in such a hurry, many among the subjugated Lithuanians thought they could dare to make demands of their conquerors.
They thought wrong.
Spoiler:
Noyyau-sanctioned piracy continued as usual against Canadian shipping, the corsairs' profits from these “acquisitions” now taxed to fund the mercenaries operating against Holy Rome.
Spoiler:
Finding Canadian waters too crowded with piratical competition, a flotilla of Noyyau corsairs attempted to venture into Hittite trade lanes, only to discover that the Hittite Navy was more than capable of defending its nation's merchant vessels.
Reports from sources in Hattusas confirmed that the Hittite victory over the corsairs left no survivors.
Spoiler:
The Assyrian Navy continued its bloody attrition war against Noyyau corsairs, taking heavy losses in each engagement but inflicting enough damage to the corsairs to force them to retreat and repair, an expensive and time-consuming necessity that allowed Assyrian merchant shipping to resume their operations, albeit only for a limited time before the pirates would return.
Spoiler:
The Hurrians became aware of Noyyau vessels approaching their coasts, their patrols exchanging a few long-range broadsides with the Noyyau Royal Navy escorting the King's Own to the Lower Continent.
A Hurrian Frigate cruising near Tyre happened to notice the merchant vessel that had transported the Mercenary Conquistarores, and promptly attacked the Florentanius-owned HFMS Strong Wind.
Spoiler:
Having detected the approaching Noyyau Royal Navy convoy, the Hurrian Navy tasked one of its squadrons with intercepting and delaying the Noyyau vessels, while more reinforcements were on their way.
Despite their size, the Noyyau Ships of the Line escorting the Royal Fist demonstrated their superior speed and maneuverability, engaging and sinking the Hurrian ships while the rest of the convoy safely sailed ahead.
Spoiler:
Corsair ventures against Assyria incurred higher losses as time went by, the Assyrians putting cannons and armed crews on each and every of their ships, sacrificing cargo space for a chance at surviving yet another pirate attack.
Spoiler:
Having left Aachen, the Conquistadores marched south towards Prague, where they were met by the increasingly desperate Holy Romans.
Meanwhile, Sedai Engineers disembarked in Aachen and began repairing the local roads and other infrastructure, damaged by the recent fighting and previous Roman incursions.
Spoiler:
A corsair Man-o'-War squadron that had sailed towards the southern Hurrian coasts was unfortunate enough to happen upon the Hurrian fleet that had been assembled to stop the Royal Fist's approach.
Suddenly surrounded by the Hurrian Navy, the corsairs charged against their foes, firing broadsides at point-blank range and engaging in vicious boarding actions, knowing that their fate was sealed.
Taking with them many more than their number, the corsairs' sacrifice was not in vain, the scattered and delayed Hurrian fleet unable to intercept the King's convoy.
The scant few Noyyau survivors of the battle, stranded on barely seaworthy rowboats, opted to navigate the wreckage strewn across several kilometers of sea and hide out in the frigid southern Hurrian wilderness, as it was only a matter of time before the Hurrian Navy would come looking to finish them off.
Spoiler:
While the corsairs met their fate against the Hurrians, delaying their fleet, the Royal Fist finally reached the Hurrian shores without further distractions.
King Felix had decided that the ground war against the Hurrians would begin where their conquest had ended: at Nidaros, the former capital of the Vikings.
Unimpressed by the Hurrian troops present in the area, King Felix had the Royal Fist make landfall in sight (though out of range) of the Hurrian garrison of Nidaros.
Spoiler:
An eerily calm few days followed the King's landing on the Lower Continent, as the Hurrians refrained from attacking the Royal Fist head on, instead opting to recall all forces within marching distance to Nidaros.
Unfortunately for the Hurrians, the Royal Fist completed its deployment into attack formations before the bulk of the Hurrian Dragoons and Musketmen had reached the city.
Spoiler:
As King Felix gave the order to attack, he personally led the glorious Cid Raynor's Warriors into the first breach of the Hurrian fortifications, supported by the dangerously close volleys of the Viking Mercenary Cannon batteries, eager to finally liberate their homeland from the Hurrian yoke.
In an unlikely coincidence that many would later interpret as a fateful omen sent by the Spirits, back in Noyyau Queen Pantea gave birth, on that same day, to Princess Amad, “hope” in the ancient Farsi language. Hope for the safe return of King Felix, hope for more peaceful times for the Princess to be raised in.
Spoiler:
While the Royal Fist marched into liberated Nidaros, the Conquistadores engaged the Hurrians on the other bank of the Nid river, soon joined by the main force of the Royal Fist.
Spoiler:
The mobile Mounted support of the Royal Fist flanked what remained of the Hurrian forces, cutting off their escape routes and obliterating their Bombard batteries.
Diyarbakir-based pirates began to threaten Noyyau shipping in the Western Ocean, forcing the intervention of passing Coast Guard vessels, sailing towards their permanent assignments.
Perfectly aware of their fate should they engage Noyyau warships in a straight fight, the pirates' agile vessels attempted to escape, only to be intercepted by another Coast Guard ship, awaiting them on their most likely escape course.
Spoiler:
House von Caterpillar answered the Queen's call for reinforcements against the Hurrians, ordering the Caterpillar Schutzmänner to board the world's first steam-powered ships.
The long oceanic voyage would serve as a demonstration of the new steam engines applied to ships, a concept many still considered dangerous if not outright insane.
Spoiler:
With mounting tensions between the native Lithuanians and the remaining mercenaries attempting to keep control over the conquered territories, the formation of a new Noyyau client state was rushed forward as fast as possible.
The reins of the new state were taken by Matthias, self-proclaimed “leader of the Lithuanian opposition all along”. While his background remained dubious, he did seem to be able to command the support of a decent portion of the (remaining) most influential factions in (former) Lithuania, though rumours spread quite quickly that he was no more than a puppet at the command of as yet unknown backers, interested in gaining covert control of war-torn Lithuania. House Florentanius was a popular choice as ever for all manner of conspiracy theories, though Pakistan, Siam, and India also had their supporters.
Spoiler:
In formally establishing the new Hungarian state, Matthias chose his native Klaipeda as his capital city, rather than the old Lithuanian capital of Vilnius.
Klaipeda was not only the Judaist holy city, but also a much busier port, and suffered overall less damages than Vilnius, making it easier to return to a semblance of normality and economic activity.
Spoiler:
Resources and workforce were subsidized to the new state, as had been the case with Denmark, and Noyyau advisors worked to reform the old Lithuanian institution into a modern, Noyyau-like state.
Spoiler:
While Matthias was busy with rallying support and establishing his power over the new state, the Watch of House Florentanius quickly deployed across all of Hungary, to fill the law enforcement void created by the departure of most mercenaries. The WHF began investigating accusations of abuses and war crimes in earnest, often clashing with mercenary companies that refused to collaborate and hand over their employees to face justice. Despite being seen by some as a tool to project House Florentanius (and Noyyau) power in Hungary, the WHF did in time earn the grudging respect of the Hungarian population, thanks to their discipline and the results they obtained in investigations and day to day police work.
Spoiler:
While tensions rose between Siam and their Incan neighbours, Denmark continued to face pirate raids near Trier.
Unexpectedly, Margrete announced that Denmark would be run as a Republic, abdicating from her throne, but winning the first popular vote with a large margin.
House Greek did not comment on this change, while a Noyyau Royal Spokesperson clarified that, as long as Danish obligations towards the Noyyau Kingdom were fulfilled, Denmark was free to oversee its internal organization and affairs as it best saw fit.
A passing Ottoman Frigate captured the raiders' vessel, while the political reforms and the fighting against the raiders began forming the core of the new Danish national culture.
Spoiler:
Pakistani efforts to quickly upgrade as many soldiers as possible with the new Rifles bore their fruit, as the Ottoman fortress of Samsun, that so far had resisted a long siege, finally fell to a new Pakistani assault.
Spoiler:
The Holy Romans attempted, without any success, to drive the Conquistadores away from Prague.
Spoiler:
Despite their recent victory at Agade, the Roman economy had contracted due to the prolonged war, thus the Romans needed to cut part of their imports.
As a sign of good faith and continued Noyyau support to the Roman people, Aachen was formally gifted to Rome, though in practice the city was still under the control of Noyyau mercenaries.
Spoiler:
In Hurria, the Conquistadores, still out in the field hunting Hurrian survivors, suffered the brunt of the Hurrian counterattack and were wiped out almost to a man. Only a handful of survivors managed to find refuge in the impervious mountains, separating the fertile Nidaros valley from the Lower Continent Central Desert.
Spoiler:
The Royal Fist sortied from Nidaros and engaged the Hurrian forces, scattering or destroying them utterly. The massive Hurrian military machine, it seemed, was not as effective as feared, unable as it was to stop the elite Royal Army of the Noyyau Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Sedai Military Engineers moved to the mountains, to build forts and observation posts in these strategic and defensible locations.
Spoiler:
A Watch of House Florentanius operation was conducted in the Moroccan Peninsula, ostensibly to capture and bring to Noyyau justice fleeing criminals, though the WHF had never before moved in force against the independentists of Diyarbakir. Despite the lack of any official confirmation, it seemed likely that the operation was only a cover for the infiltration of Noyyau agents in the rogue city.
Spoiler:
On their way to Hurria, the Shinto Volunteers made a detour in Holy Rome, disembarking near Tarquinii with the support of Shadows of Hell Cannon batteries.
Spoiler:
Conflict in the Northern Catfish Continent flared up yet again, though not between Siam and Inca as many expected.
Yet another (Noyyau-supported) Siamese revolt in Pak Kret was put down particularly harshly by the Indian occupation forces, which seemed to finally reach the breaking point in Siamese patience. Officially rejecting the old peace treaty that assigned conquered Pak Kret to India, Siam declared war with the stated intent of liberating Pak Kret, though the northern Indian territories of Tula and their new settlement there were surely another reason for the renewed conflict.
Spoiler:
SIS agents instigated disorders in Prague ahead of the planned Conquistador attack.
As a note, the Roman Navy had so thoroughly destroyed its Holy Roman counterpart that Noyyau Galleons could cruise in Holy Roman waters unescorted.
Spoiler:
Having quickly recovered from the birth, Queen Pantea gave the order to proceed with the “Steam Cities” plan, despite being unable to personally be present at the various foundation ceremonies.
The first to be founded was Nibelheim, high in the Iranian Zagros Mountains, dominating a scenic river valley covered by forests.
Spoiler:
In the Moroccan Peninsula, Quadrupoli was built on the ruins of old Tripoli, while Bordemar was sited a short distance from the historical El-Djazair.
Spoiler:
In Northern Pictland, Novyplov occupied the place of ancient Plovdiv, while Dolina was established as a border post to keep in check Assyrian demands in the area.
Spoiler:
To resettle, after such a long time, the depopulated Pictish lowlands, the mining town of Corel was founded in the northern sector, while Saraksha in the southern, to lay claim to the still wild jungles that historically separated Pictland from Iran.
Spoiler:
Finally, nested in the impervious mountains that separated Western Pictland from Assyria, Fort Condor was established to assert Noyyau control on the disputed borders.
1. House Florentanius is pleased with the successes of the SIS in Aachen, though saddened by the loss of so many loyal agents and operatives.
2. House Florentanius is pleased with the successes of the Noyyau mercenaries in Aachen.
3. House Florentanius is saddened by the losses in Ottoman trade, but is pleased by the successes of Noyyau merchants in making alternative arrangements.
4. House Florentanius is pleased with the successes of the Noyyau pirates near Canada, though is saddened by the losses in Hittite territories.
5. House Florentanius is pleased with the successes of King Reinhard and wishes him all the best in his campaign.
6. House Florentanius would like to congratulate Her Majesty Queen Pantea for giving birth to such a beautiful child.
7. House Florentanius is pleased with House von Caterpillar’s contributions to the war effort and is curious to see how effective their steam ships are.
8. House Florentanius would like to express some concern with Matthias, though if he can effectively lead the Lithuanians and is loyal to the Noyyau House Florentanius sees no issue in him maintaining his rule.
9. House Florentanius is gently shaking its head and rolling its eyes at the continue conspiracy theories surrounding them.
10. The deployment of The Watch of House Florentanius to Hungary is not a means to project Noyyau power. They are present at the request of the Noyyau and Hungarian governments, both of whom wish for a trained, experienced and expert policing force to be present.
11. House Florentanius is curious about the political reasons for the change in Denmark’s government, but would like to echo the sentiments of Their Majesties, so long as their legal and diplomatic obligations are met there should be no issue with their internal runnings.
12. Neither The Watch of House Florentanius, nor the Leadership of House Florentanius will make any comment on the operation in the Moroccan Peninsula other than that the operation was a resounding success and that the targets of the operation were captured.
Against all expectations, the Dutch did manage to conquer the Siamese isolated colony of Phitsanulok, though doubts remained about their ability to keep the city under control, and defend it against Siamese attempts to liberate their colony.
Spoiler:
After having been successfully applied to mining, construction, and even shipping, the next logical step was to adapt the powerful Steam Engine to land transportation.
As soon as a workable prototype of a train was demonstrated, wild plans emerged to cover the entirety of the nation with these new Railroads, and even more outlandish ideas to create a rail line across the Catfish Belt, the war-torn Ottoman-Pakistani frontline, to ferry Noyyau troops to Hurria without having to endure the long naval voyage around Pakistan.
The fact that this endeavour would cut right across an active warzone did not deter its spirited proponents, and Sedai Military Engineers were sent to evaluate the terrain and conduct preliminary studies of a route through the region.
Spoiler:
A detachment of Caterpillar Verteidigers from Jelgava were seen by Latvian fur trappers marching north, towards the icy nothern wilderness. While no official explanation was given by House Caterpillar, the rumour mill quickly linked the marching Verteidigers with the recent (and unconfirmed) story of a group of Schutzmanner deserters, that escaped from their barracks after refusing to be shipped to distant Hurria, though the rumours couldn't agree what the deserters feared more: the Hurrians or the new and untested Steam ships.
Spoiler:
Noyyau Privateers harangued Incan shipping, undeterred by the Incan warships patrolling the seas.
Spoiler:
Another Hurrian army approached Nidaros, and King Felix decided to engage them in a proper field battle, rather than waiting for them to approach Nidaros' still damaged fortifications.
Caught while marching through inhospitable desert, the Hurrian forces had nowhere to hide and were routed in a battle that would become a textbook example of successful tactics.
Spoiler:
On the other side of the Lower Continent, Noyyau mercenaries made short work of Prague's few defenders, easily conquering the city, especially after its population had been riled into rioting by the Security and Intelligence Service.
Spoiler:
Meawhile, the Swift Chargers disembarked in Karakorum, Mongolia's capital, from where they would travel across Mongolia and Egypt, to hit the Hurrians from the west with lighting raids from friendly staging points in Hittite territory (and from Egypt as well, the Hittites' vassals).
Spoiler:
Soon after independence, Hungarian culture began to establish itself, separate from the old Lithuanian traditions.
Spoiler:
Fighting intensified in and around Pak Kret, the flashpoint of the recently restarted Indian-Siamese war. The city itself, still recovering from the damage of the previous war, became a battleground once again.
Spoiler:
On land and sea, the Hurrians skirmished with Noyyau forces, without posing any serious threat.
Spoiler:
The Florentanius Watch unit patrolling the southern end of the Moroccan Peninsula stumbled by chance upon a Bombard battery. After a quick firefight, the outlaw crew were dispersed and the outdated artillery pieces seized and destroyed, though the provenance of such ordance in the hands of the Diyarbakir independents was left as a matter to be investigated by the SIS.
Spoiler:
The Caterpillar Vertidiger expedition reportedly fought against “outlaw elements that threatened Latvian security”, though it was hardly believable that simple bandits could have inflicted the losses that the Verteidigers suffered that day, lending credit to the “deserting Schutzmanner” theories.
Meanwhile, more confusion was created when unnamed “sources inside House Florentanius” revealed that a ransom note had been sent to House Florentanius, allegedly offering to deliver the deserting Verteidigers into Florentanius custody, for a sizeable sum of gold.
Spoiler:
The Swift Chargers traversed the whole of Mongolia, across scorching deserts and through windswept mountain passes, finally reaching Samarqand, the last Mongolian outpost in the Shifting Desert (so named for the disputed and often shifting borders across it, often nothing more than literal “lines in the sand”).
Spoiler:
Mercenary artillery batteries bombarded Tarquinii's fortifications, allowing the Shinto Volunteers to assault and conquer the city.
Spoiler:
The Sea Raiders began their assaults on Hurrian coastal cities in Baghdad, inflicting heavy losses to the local garrison in daring amphibious attacks.
Spoiler:
To further aid Hungarian stability and avoiding a descent into lawlessness, House Spirictum sponsored a far-reaching missionary expedition, bringing the wisdom of the Spirits to the Hungarian Protectorate.
Spoiler:
From Samarkand, the Swift Chargers scouted across the Shifting Desert, discovering that nominally friendly Egypt was in fact bristling with Hurrian troops, their purpose there yet a mistery.
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Against All Odds: The Struggles of the Noyyau!
(Does anyone even remember this story?)
First and foremost, I want to make it clear that this is a one-time thing, don't expect regular updates. Or any at all.
I just wanted to show off how glorious a modern era military is, and sort of give closure to this story, I did leave it unfinished in the middle of a war, after all.
Or at least, that's how it started, as a spur of the moment thing. While writing, it evolved into... this.
Brief background and preamble:
This Interactive AAR began in march 2015 and went on reasonably regularly for about a year and a half.
Unfortunately at some point multiple factors contributed to my stopping the whole thing, mainly lack of time and the constantly increasing size and complexity of each turn and post. (My previous, and completed, story, was on a smaller map and virtually without interactivity. I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this one, though it was great fun while it was going on.)
The game is played on the Rise of Mankind: A New Dawn mod, starting with Rev.942, then got upgraded up to Rev.994. I did not upgrade further, to avoid any potential problem with some of the major changes made in later Revs.
In late 2016 my free time ran out, and the story stopped there... until about a few weeks ago, when I began playing the game again, just for personal use now, out of a wish to bring it finally to a conclusion.
Here is how the world looked like at the time of the last post (a V means Vassal of the Noyyau):
Spoiler:
And the Lower Continent specifically:
Spoiler:
What happened to the Noyyau (and the rest of the world) since then?
The invasion of Hurria was successful, and after a period of occupation and reconstruction, the former Hurrian cities were given partial independence, becoming the English. (The "liberate overseas colonies to form a new vassal" mechanic.)
While undergoing industrialization, the Noyyau invaded Assyria, annexing their territories and eliminating Assyria as a civilization. Finally the whole of the Noyyau continent was united.
Later on, the Noyyau invaded the Inca on the Catfish Continent, forcing them to capitulate, thus obtaining yet another vassal (I also discovered that you can only "grant independence" to a single new vassal per landmass).
Various conflicts flared up around the world, in which the Noyyau often meddled with espionage and mercenaries.
Meanwhile, the Noyyau entered a long Golden Age, during which many civics were changed, technologies discovered, and wonders constructed. It was a period of peace and great growth. It is also when most of the world's modern corporations where founded, and began to spread and compete around the world.
At the end of the Great Golden Age, a wave of nationalism spread across the Noyyau nation, and the decision was made to once again intervene directly in international affairs. No more would the Noyyau simply forge commercial deals and influence events from the shadows (for example, a magnificent long term SIS espionage success was the regular stagnation and sabotage of Pakistani research, as otherwise they would have quickly overtaken the Noyyau.)
The time had come for the Noyyau Manifest Destiny to be made into reality.
How the world looks now:
Spoiler:
Lower Continent:
Spoiler:
The Invasion of the Lower Continent
Brief Background of the war
After a surprising long period of peace following the Noyyau conquest of Hurria, and its eventual reshaping into what is now the loyal and prosperous vassal state of England, tensions on the Lower Continent flared up into two main theathers of war: an on-and-off inconclusive conflict between Rome and the Dutch, and the invasion of Mongolia by all of its neighhbours, who, at different times during the protracted Mongolian war, were also fighting each other as well.
The Noyyau, nominally uninvolved, intervened subtly with espionage and, more visibly, by providing mercenaries (i.e. by gifting units) to all sides, in accordance with whatever geopolitical objectives were considered achievable at the time.
Eventually Mongolia was dismembered, gobbled up mostly by the Hittites, and the southern territories by Rome and the Dutch.
First note of interest: initially Noyyau "mercenary" aid was given to Mongolia on the Canadian Coast front, then a vassal of the Hittites. When Canada was virtually no more and Mongolia was about to invade the Hittite heartland, aid was provided to the Hittites, who slowly pushed back the Mongolians, reconquered Canada, now kept under direct Hittite rule, and then pushed into Mongolia proper.
Second note of interest: Egypt, Mongolia's diminutive vassal, resisted Hittite attacks for a long time, mostly because the Desert War in the Mongolia-Egypt-Hittite border area was fought mainly by Mongolian troops. The harsh terrain, limiting movement and damaging units, was a major factor for the prolonged and inconclusive bloodbath.
Ultimately Egypt succumbed peacefully: seeing that the Desert War had no end in sight, the Noyyau government sent its Security and Intelligence Service operatives to undermine Egypt from within. After a prolonged and masterfully executed propaganda campaign (repeated spread Culture espionage missions until Noyyau culture in the targeted cities was >90% ), the Egyptian cities were easily bribed into changing allegiance, without war ever being declared. The remaining Egyptian troops, suddenly expelled from their own territory (canceled Open Borders) and without any support, did not last long against their enemies.
While Mongolia was being dismembered and its countryside devastated, the Noyyau-Administered Egyptian De-Militarized Zone (Noyyau troops never set foot in Egypt during the occupation) became a showcase of Noyyau reconstruction and development. To this day the former Egyptian cities, now part of England, are among the most prosperous on the Lower Continent.
With Mongolia gone, the Lower Continent was divided into three geopolitical areas: the Hittites to the North, England (vassal of Noyyau) to the South East, and the South West shared by the intermittently fighting Romans and Dutch.
Thus we finally reach the present day: the Noyyau decided that the status quo, unchanged for a long time, was not satisfactory, and direct intervention was necessary.
The last wars directly fought by the Noyyau were the invasion and annexation of Assyria, and the vassallization of Inca, back in the time of Riflemen, Cavalry and Cannons (these wars themselves were a long time after the invasion of Hurria). The Noyyau armies, now bristling with Tanks, Mechanized Infantry, Mobile Artilleries, and aircraft, itched for action.
The long term objective was straightforward: bring the whole of the Lower Continent under benevolent Noyyau supervision.
The first nation to be enlightened was to be the Dutch: its relatively small territory and lack of modern weaponry was perfect for a quick invasion, which, though largely successful, highlighted where improvements needed to be made, especially in the organization of Bomber air support.
The next target was to be the Romans, and a much more thorough planning and preparation phase was put into action, the movements of troops masked as garrisons for the occupied territories.
Popular revolts to rejoin the (capitulated) remnants of the Dutch state arose much quicker than expected, and in the short time since the invasion only the most basic infrastructure had been rebuilt. The demonstrators were granted their wishes, as the Noyyau had no intention of maintaining an occupation force nor the inclination to fight an insurgence. Returning the occupied cities under Dutch control had always been part of the plan, just not so soon.
This political decision had an impact on military planning, however, as the envisioned airbases along the Roman borders now could not be built.
Luckily, the recently Noyyau-founded town of Robertdam had yet to revolt (the Dutch town of Rotterdam had been located nearby, but in a position deemed "unsuitable for long term development", and being a fairly recent and small settlement, the Noyyau had no qualms in razing it during the brief war), and, being located ideally at the center of the South-Western "lobe" of the Lower Continent, was a perfect place for an air base.
The town's garrison was immediately reinforced to stave off possible revolts, and all available Workers sent to the area (not that they had anything else to do now).
Right on the Roman border, on the shores of the Mare Internum, a series of airfields and hardened hangars was rapidly built and garrisoned. Soon, swarms of Noyyau Bombers converged (roughly half Noyyau-made and half bought from the vassals that had the technology to build them), cruising over the Roman territories that they would be bombing in the near future.
Spoiler:
War is in the air... and on the ground, and sailing the seas as well.
The Noyyau Overseas Military (NOM) is composed of 6 main Land Army Groups (LAGs), their dedicated transports and escorts of the Sea Escort Auxiliaries (SEAs), 5 Aircraft Carrier Groups (ACGs, a punny acronym eluded me on this one), each normally providing air cover for one LAG, and a dedicated Marine Assault Detachment (MAD), with its own transports, escorts, and aircraft.
The 1st Land Army Group (1LAG in military shorthand) is the most storied of the modern Noyyau military formations, tracing its origins to the medieval Royal Fist of the RANK (Royal Army of the Noyyau Kingdom).
As all LAGs, it is formed by an armored core of Main Battle Tanks and Mechanized Infantry units, extensive Mobile Artillery support, two SAM Infantry regiments, and a Field Medical Corps.
Spoiler:
1LAG's armored core has a high proportion of units with a long and distinguished history, often dating back to the legendary times of the Conquest of Pictland.
The Main Battle Tank divisions started out as Mounted units, and maintain their unique abilities to keep on marching and fighting without the need to stop for rest or repairs.
The Mechanized Infantry regiments include descendants of the famed Noyyau Vanguards, keeping their tradition of aggressive tactics and unstoppable assaults, among them the Giacola Misfits, who to this day draw recruits from the institutions of the Giacola Foundation.
1LAG is led by none other than Cid Raynor's Warriors, the world's single most experienced military unit, its origin told in legends dating back to the beginnings of the Noyyau as a civilization, predating even the invention of writing. All available records do confirm that the Warriors have never been defeated in battle. Their reputation is such that often their mere presence is enough to make the enemy surrender or flee in terror.
The Warriors recruit only the best of the best, and so gruelling is their training that it is said that more injuries are sustained by Warrior trainees than by the enemies they will eventually fight.
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Individual units of 1LAG:
Cid Raynor's Warriors: this unit is the most long lived and the most experienced I've ever had, period. Almost 800 XP, and with a Charismatic leader! Some battlefield promotions as well, from when he actually had a chance to die. It is easier to count the promotions he doesn't have. I don't think anything can kill him at this point. A nuke maybe?
Why do I say "most long lived"? Because originally this was the starting Warrior, hence the name. Let that sink in. The starting Warrior. Survived up to the Modern Era (and let's face it, he'll live until the end of the game). About to reach 800 XP, and with a series of wars on the horizon, might even push to 900. This guy, back when Axemen ruled the world and he had just received his Great General, single-handedly (single-unitly?) eliminated an entire civilization! (The Czech, a barb-spawned civ who lived where now is the Noyyau East Coast, whose only legacy is a single worker captured from them.) Without him, all of the Noyyau's wars would have been much harder...
Viking Mercenary Warlord: originally a Bombard, this unit was presumably spawned already General-led when the Vikings settled from being barbarians into a full civilization (this is an assumption on my part, as I have seen barb civs and rebels get GG-led unit at spawn, but never seen an AI willingly attach a GG to a siege unit). And siege being tradeable units, I couldn't miss the chance to obtain an extra elite unit! There's actually a couple more such GG-siege units, one Mongol and one Dutch, part of 2LAG and 3LAG.
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The 2nd and 3rd Land Army Groups (2LAG and 3LAG) are quite similar to 1LAG, both in unit composition and in traditions. Both formations share 1LAG's ancient and glorious history, their famed leaders being mentioned alongside Cid Raynor's Warriors in all of the Noyyau legends and written documents.
2LAG is led by Duke Michael Greek, named after a legendary leader of the ancient Noble House Greek. The so called "Greek's Finest" still enjoy a special relationship with the Greek Group, one of Noyyau's major conglomerates, with sizeable stakes in everything from mining and industry, to shipping and finance.
It is also no coincidence that the Danish capital (Denmark being part of the Noyyau-led "happy family") is named Greek's Landing: it was here that Lord Greek first set foot on what was then the hostile Batavian Kingdom, at the start of the campaign that would see the Batavians utterly defeated and the Danish state created, with its first ruler being Queen Margrete of House Ut-Greek, a cadet branch of the main Greek lineage.
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3LAG is led by the First Axes of Noyyau, according to the ancient legends the first warriors who repurposed the newly invented axe as a weapon, and the forerunners of all future Noyyau who gleefully charged their enemies head on, revelling in the bloodlust.
The invention of the war axe was a major factor in the ancient Noyyau's expansion, at a time when most of their neighbours had nothing more than bows and javelins.
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4LAG is formed around a core of Caterpillar Schutzmanner, formed by Noble House Caterpillar during a tumultuous time in Noyyau history, their origins marred by strange events and mysterious murders. Despite their difficult origins, the Schutzmanner proved themselves valiantly in combat against the Hurrians, and in all subsequent conflicts they upheld their reputation as a honorable and effective fighing force. Nowadays the Schutzmanner still recruit mostly from Latvia, Robertia, and other territories once under the direct dominion of House Caterpillar.
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5LAG, codename "Breachers", is the most recently formed LAG, its focus is on city assaults and urban combat.
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6LAG is the modern incarnation of what in medieval times were the Royal Knights: a fast moving force, most effective in lightning strikes in open ground, and somewhat suffering when attacking cities.
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Gameplay: For this game I used a 50 unit-per-tile limit, and the LSTs carry 7 units each, so with 7 ships the carrying capacity adds up to 49 units, which is the reason each LAG is made up of 49 rather than 50 units.
Units common to each LAG:
Mobile Artilleries, 10 of them, 2 with Accuracy promotions to bring down city defenses, and the rest with City Raider and assorted Drill and Chemical promotions.
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1 Medic 3 Jeep, combining that +1 sight range with something actually useful. I like the Jeep, and virtually all of the world's land tiles are in sight of a Noyyau Jeep (or a Motorcycle, its predecessor). In a main military stack, however, it doesn't have much to do.
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2 SAM Infantries, to provide some AA cover. They have yet to be tested as they have just been unlocked, and their predecessors, the AA Halftracks, also did not really get a chance to be useful, as the Dutch aircraft got all shot down by Carrier-based Noyyau Fighters (or the Noyyau Bombers they attempted to intercept).
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Mechanized Infantries, all of them are upgraded previous units, with all their promotions and experience. Virtually unstoppable against Infantry, Marines and Paratroopers (as the Dutch had), and should have no difficulties against Modern Infantries as well (which the Romans have).
Neither the Dutch nor the Romans have any tanks to speak of (only a few Light Tanks, gifted by the Noyyau during the Mongolian war), so it is unknown how the M.I. would fare against armored foes.
Main Battle Tanks: a recent addition, also yet to be tested in battle. Most of them are upgraded Mounted units of various origin, while the most recent ones began as some variety of early modern tanks (Light, Medium or Heavy), which had actually performed somewhat underwhelmingly against the Dutch cities, though did their job well in the rare open field engagements. Those originating from Mounted units have kept their "can heal while moving" Shinto (religious) promotions, a big help to keep the army moving and the pace of city sieges up.
LAGs 1,2,3 each have a Special Forces Regiment, to give that opening surprise that the enemy won't see until it's too late.
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It has been for 6LAG that a new kind of vehicle was developed, to recreate for the modern battlefield a perfect fast attack unit: the helicopter.
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Naval, Air and other units:
The Marine Assault Detachment, MAD in military parlance, includes some of the most deadly soldiers in the world: Noyyau Vanguards who specialize in ampibious attacks. Recently they have been joined by some of the graduates of the Breacher Program.
The MAD's naval forces are 4 Fast Battleships, 4 Missile Cruisers, 1 Heavy Cruiser (with Seaplane) and 4 Carrier-Cruisers with a total of 16 Seaplanes. Despite the usefulness of Carriers and their Fighters, the MAD has none, as the ponderous Carriers are slower than even LSTs, and speed is of the essence for the MAD's deployments. Their Seaplane wings are usually enough to soften targets for the troops to take out, and where enemy air forces are present, there probably already is an ACG on station in the area to deal with them.
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Each SEA has 7 LSTs (with a total cargo capacity of 49 land units), 2 Fast Battleships for primary combat duties, 5 Missile Destroyers to spot those pesky Submarines and for secondary combat duties, 2 Heavy Cruisers to complement the Battleships, and one Cargo-Cruiser for added naval air power.
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Landing Ship Tank, Conveyor class, Maeatae pattern: the workhorse of the Noyyau Navy, the LST is a dependable transport vessel, with ample cargo holds and decent speed. Beyond the standard engine upgrades and enlarged cargo holds, a variety of additional improvements are available.
The Maeatae pattern, the most recent to be introduced into NN service, is furnished with state-of-the-art medical facilities. Originally developed for the MAD, it quickly gained popularity with all branches of the armed forces.
The basic Conveyor class LST, without any additional upgrades, is also extensively used by the Noyyau Merchant Marine and private shipping companies. It is so ubiquitous that, when needed, civilian vessels can and often are chartered for military use, with no delays due to compatibility or logistical issues.
Gameplay: Navigation 3 (+3 Move) and Cargo 2 (+2 cargo space) are standard on all cargo ships. Cargo 3 is avoided because of the -1 Move penalty, the LST is already slower than the warships it follows, and it needs all the speed it can get.
Maeatae, with the Red Cross NW, gives Medic 1 for free, making Medic 3 obtainable (enough GGs have been settled in Maeatae for this purpose).
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Each ACG has a total of 3 Carriers (Early and "intermediate"), carrying a mix of piston-engined Fighters and recently introduced Early Jet Fighters, 2 Carrier-Cruisers with 4 Seaplanes each, and their escorts are 1 Fast Battleship, 3 Missile Destroyers and 1 Heavy Cruiser (also with a Seaplane).
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The new Carrier is fundamentally an improvement over the old Early Carrier in virtually all characteristics, except speed.
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Seaplane, Anatidae class, Model B, modernized: the Seaplane is an odd beast, the result of experiments to create a shipborne bomber. Touted as an engineering marvel in the era of biplanes and early fighters, it is now almost an anachronism, though no viable alternative has yet been developed.
Its airframe basically unchanged since the time when it was just a Cruiser's recon plane, its avionics and payload have been often upgraded, allowing the Seaplane to operate even in today's battlefield, despite its archaic appearance.
The Seaplane's limited maneuverability and unarmoured airframe, inevitable consequences of its stringent size and weight requirements, make the Seaplane extremely vulnerable to enemy interceptors, meaning it can safely operate only after air superiority has been established.
Still, despite all its limitations, the Seaplane is the only aircraft capable of delivering heavier ordnance with the strategic mobility of a ship, bypassing the range limitations of land-based "full size" Bombers.
During the Dutch invasion, the Seaplane demonstrated its usefulness, vindicating the years and costs of its development. While the troops of the LAGs were disembarking on the Dutch shores, out of range of the Bombers based in Roman and English border cities, the Seaplanes bombed and scattered several Dutch troop formations, allowing the landings to proceed unopposed.
Gameplay: the Seaplane is indeed an odd beast, a pocket-sized early bomber able to be loaded on Cruisers and Heavy Cruisers.
Despite its fragility (Fighters can easily intercept them and inflict significant damage), the ability to deal collateral damage anywhere a Bomber can't is fantastic, especially against the massive stacks typical of AND.
Load them on a Cruiser with Cargo promotions, and you've got an effective Seaplane carrier, able to travel with the expeditionary forces and deliver close air support wherever needed.
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Cruiser, Nidus class, Maeatae pattern: Originally proper warships, cruiser-class vessels were the testbed for the seaplane carrier experiments, and evolved into the specialized vessels of today.
Equipped with cranes, hangars, and maintenance shops, a Nidus class Cruiser can independently operate up to four Seaplane flights, at the cost of most of its original armaments, meaning they are always used as part of a fleet. The newer Maeatae-pattern vessels also sport additional medical facilities.
Gameplay: the Cruiser, with Cargo-3 promotions, is a wonderful 4-space Seaplane carrier. Being 1 Move faster than an LST, it can afford the Cargo-3 promotion and its -1 Move penalty, while still keeping pace with the troopships it escorts.
The Strength penalty from the Cargo promotions renders the Cruiser useless for direct combat, though that is hardly a problem as the cruisers only operate as part of a fleet, escorted by dedicated combat warships.
With added Medic promotions it can also heal the Seaplanes that get intercepted and damaged, putting them back into action in only a few turns.
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Carrier-based Fighters and Early Jets have been optimized for Interception missions, their primary duty being to establish air superiority and allow the Seaplanes and Bombers to do their job unmolested.
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Bombers: too big to fit on Carriers, the Bombers are limited to land bases to operate from. Despite their longer range and increased payload compared to Seaplanes and Fighters, some targets are simply out of their reach. Where they can strike though, their power is unmatched, and no enemy stack can survive sustained bombing followed by a mop-up ground attack.
Roughly half of the Bombers currently in use are Noyyau-made, the rest has been bought from the vassals that are able to make them, with the requirement that they have at least four promotions.
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Paratroopers have been part of the Noyyau military for a while now, though it is only now that they will be able to properly perform their duties: the Mare Internum seems to be the perfect obstacle to be crossed with a Paradrop.
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Garrison-occupation troops: awaiting in LSTs just behind the main combat troops, there units are Iranian Revolutionary Guards (replacing the standard Modern Infantry), partially upgraded to Mechanized Infantries for the frontline cities, and the rest unupgraded to save on unit maintenance costs. The Rev. Guards come with a free Patrol I promotion, which helps reduce revolt chances in newly conquered cities. And Patrol II gives also +1 Movement, which easily leads to 3-move Mechanized Infantries at the cost of a single promotion.
Side note: Circei Island is a 1-tile island with a Roman colony, off the Western Roman coast. An ACG has been supplemented with some Amphibious troops and tasked to conquer it.
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Side note: Virtually all of the world's oceans are under the watchful sensors of a total of 35 Sentry 3 Missile Destroyers, stationed around the globe. They have a sight range of 5 tiles.
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Side note: The Sentry 3 Destroyers also act as spotters for the Noyyau Submarine flotillas, one of the most unethical and top secret branches of the Noyyau Navy. The modern equivalent of Privateers, any and all non-Noyyau vessel are a target for them.
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Meanwhile, on the Catfish Continent...
While the Noyyau were reconstructing conquered Hurria, and later on enjoying the Long Golden Age and meddling in other nations' affairs, on the Catfish Continent a major war unfolded: Pakistan relentlessly advanced north and conquered and eventually assimilated the Ottomans, their northern neighbours. After a while, tensions rose along the new Pakistan-India-Siam border, and a major war erupted, with Pakistan conquering several Indian cities as well, until an uneasy ceasefire was signed after some truly massive losses on all sides.
Since then, both Siam and Pakistan have been training units non stop and stockpiling them near their borders, though no one has yet dared attack, in a Cold War that has fueled the curiosity of Noyyau analysts and novelists alike. Who will attack first? When?
Siamese troops on their southern borders. India, vassalled by Siam, acts as a buffer zone, though it so behind in technology that its military is neglibible compared to either Siam or Pakistan.
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Pakistan for now seems to have a slight advantage over Siam, both in numbers and in technology, though with continued Noyyau sabotage of their high-tech research efforts, it is unknown how long that advantage will be maintained.
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