It is the warm summer of 1242 AD and the Abbasids are under attack from the Queen of Darkness: Theodora the Heretic. The warriors of Allah have crushed the foolish Turks, but in return for growing so powerful the vicious Theodora betrayed us and Hatin has already fallen. It is in these dark times that a young man, son of a brilliant if weak sheepherder comes to the fore. He fought bravely with the armies in the East and is given command of the defence of the empire after the previous general slinks off to Cordova as a common trader to escape the wrath of those with families in Hatin.
Kabuki the III is not an experienced man, but he is clever and he understood the path upon which his father set the country and so he analyses the situation and makes plans. First he looks at the flaws of the previous generals:
1. The unit mix that was established by the historical rulers of the Abbasids was one meant for aggressive counterattacks, and not defence. There is no reason having an Assassin guard the walls of a city, it is not his role. Thus it seems like units have been misused and lost for this reason.
2. We are horribly overextended. We wrap around the Byzantine, giving them interior lines of communication, something that is only partially compensated for with our units greater speed. We were designed for limited wars with small amounts of captures and we have no way to hold our Eastern flank against a concerted attack.
3. The previous general left no units with movement. Thus I was entirely reliant on a plan that was not recognized
and some of those units were left in very exposed positions and it would cost us dearly.
4. With no Turks anywhere resisters can be happily starved, rather than be allowed to mess up our drafting system.
5. Our economy is in the dumps, and I dont know where it went. And Ill need Theology to make it work again. Hopefully I can scrape by without the ability to rush anything for a while.
The Northern Invasion:
Thus Kabuki the third calls up the reserves and clear out all the defenders in the East. If we are to have nay chance we need to concentrate our local forces. All temples in Turkey are switched to Spies, our only cheap defender.
Wake up units all over the place All assassins and Ansars are sent to the front, it doesnt matter of they are MPs or whatever, if they are not in a position to counter attack they are in the wrong place.
At this point the beach vendor (its a lovely clothing optional beach five minutes from my dorm) comes over and I have the opportunity to pick up a beer. Excellent, I am enjoying the beach, the weather, the beer and a thorny mental puzzle. Life is truly good some days.
I start the draft. It is the only way we are going to have a chance, damn the riots and tax men we are going to need. Any city that can afford the production loss is gets a draftee or two. Sidon, Tyre, Acre, Gaza and Jerusalem all draft two pikes (this does raise the time taken on Byzantine Medicine by two turns, but we wont be fighting in enemy territory any time soon). New Mosul, Aleppo, Antioch and Alexandria all draft one. New Antioch is changed to Ansar from Aqueduct and New Baghdad is changed from Library to Pike. Baghdad is on starvation diet to keep production up while still allowing it to be happy. Oh, and war unhappiness from the Byzantine kicked in with the fall of Hatin
Start the long process of shuffling units to the front. Because of the shuffling two pikes up in Baghdad and I can get it back to Ansar in one turn and no starving, whoohoo!
Kabuki, having set up a proper economy for defence
mmm
right, no economy, just units and prayers decides it is time to show the stinking infidels what the Abbasids are made of.
TIME TO ATTACK! None of this sitting around waiting for them to crush us, hurt them first.
An Assassin from New Damascus is sent out to take care of the Cataphract furthest south in our lands. It does so and is covered with a spear. A Veteran Ansar clashes with an injured veteran Cataphract, looses two and is covered with a conscripted pike. An Assassin tries to kill a Cataphract and fails, after injuring it severely. The Chosen Ones destroy two heavily injured Cataphracts (elite and veteran), but in the process looses 6 or 7.
In total there are 32 units attacking us, of which one is a spear and one is a Medieval Infantry.
It was getting chilly at the beach after about an hour or so, so I head home where I can focus more on the diplomacy etc. I take a break and find the proper music
some Warren Zevon will do nicely (Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner is always a good choice). And once the play list is fixed I get back to it.
First I go over the diplomacy:
Trade a couple of contacts to the Poles for WM and 14g (yes we are that desperate).
Medieval Combat to Sweden for Fur and 50g
Give Chivalry to the Magyar so that they can fight better.
Spice to the Bulgars for 5gpt and 70g
Back to combat:
Near Antalya a Veteran Ansar defeats a veteran Spear, loosing 1, and captures a catapult.
Near Tyre:
V. Ansar from New Baghdad vs. V. Cataphract on mountain W/-1
V. Ansar vs. V. Cataphract W/-3 => New Damascus
V. Ansar vs. V. Cataphract Retreats Cat
I then rush a Pike in Tyre.
Theology in 5 @ -5gpt w/34g
I say my prayers
a lot of them.
IBT:
Burgundy declares war on us (ran into an assassin) whatever.
The Byzantine throw what they have at our defences and we get the following results:
We redline 3, Kill 3 and get one promotion
that is the good news.
We loose 3 conscript pikes, 1 assassin, 1 crusader and 6 Ansar. (4 of those could have been avoided if the stack of Ansars next to New Damascus had been one square further S or SE). We also loose Tyre, I had no hopes of holding, but we did ok in the defence.
England complete Knights Templar (We switch to Palace for Notre Dame)
Turn 1 1245AD
The worst shock assault was over, the news was grim, but there was good news: All of the Ansar from the back lines will reach the front to hit overextended Byzantine units. Conscripted defenders will also bolster the weak front-line defences, we just pray that they will make it in time.
Production:
Baghdad: Ansar -> Ansar
Prilep Riots (It is a Byzantine city after all).
New Antioch: Ansar -> Ansar
New Baghdad: Pike -> Pike
Our counters:
New Antioch The Protectors defeat two cataphracts loosing 3. Three Ansar win, but are wounded.
Near Kabuki Basra An assassin defeats a Burgundy sword. We also pillage a key road tile in Byzantine lands.
Antioch An Ansar Warrior defeats a cataphract.
Draft two pikemen in Basra and one in New Damascus which has the unfortunate distinction of being one of our two cities which can be hit without first stopping inside our borders (the other is New Baghdad).
IBT The Byzantine shift their cataphracts to the west (toward Antioch), and they show up with an infantry SOD in the East.
Turn 2 1248AD
New Antioch expands its borders.
VP 20960 vs. 14970
Basra: Catapult -> Pikes
Aleppo: Town Hall -> Temple
The Fronts:
North:
East:
Attacks:
Ani -Our lone Southern Ansar attacks Ani and beats the first spear, loosing 1.
New Damascus The Protectors defeat three cataphracts sitting on the mountains to the northeast in a beautiful charge and some of the survivors are promoted. A single Ansar defeats another cataphract on the mountain. Only two cataphracts remain in striking distance of the city.
New Antioch Loose an Ansar before destroying the Cataphract with the second.
Note: Unless I specify, all units are retreating back into cities or beyond cities after their attacks.
Trade: Sell our WM for gold and send horses to the Magyar. We need the Magyar!
IBT The Magyar SOD are taking on the Byzantine infantry SOD. It is an unequal exchange that the Byzantine get the better of, but they cant afford to loose troops.
We defeat two Cataphracts and retreat two as they go up against our pike and spear in New Antioch and New Baghdad.
Turn 3 1251
Antioch: Ansar -> Ansar
Alexandria: Ansar -> Ansar
Acre: Smith -> Ansar
New Jerusalem: Aqueduct -> Pike
New Mosul: Ansar -> Ansar
New Medina: Aqueduct -> Manor
Attacks:
At Ani our Ansar defeats their last spear and razes the city.
Antioch An Ansar defeats a Cataphract.
New Damascus An Elite and a veteran Ansar defeat a cataphract and a spear.
New Antioch The Chosen (from Antioch) defeat a cataphract on the mountain.
Four veteran Ansar hit the infidels, three of them make it back.
4 Cataphracts can hit us.
VPs: 21555 vs. 15340
Turn 4 1254 AD
Baghdad: Ansar -> Ansar
Samaria: Library -> Smith
New Acre: Spy -> Pike
Bugsy Basra: Town Hall -> Granary
The North:
Attacks:
New Baghdad Our sword wins as do one of our Ansar, another looses before the Chosen kill another two Cataphracts.
Antioch An Ansar defeats a spy (-3), our crusader defeats a cataphract (-3) and an assassin bites it to another Cataphract (-3). A veteran pike covers the crusader.
VP 21920 vs. 15650
IBT: The Magyar capture Antalya. Byzantine vs. New Damascus we win three, only one retreats. Byzantine vs. New Antioch we win one. Byzantine vs. New Baghdad we win one.
Turn 5 1257AD
Theology comes in and science is set to Invention.
Medina: Curragh -> Pike
New Sidon: Aqueduct -> Smith
Finally I realize what I should have been doing and switch New Antioch and New Baghdad to walls.
The Front:
Attacks:
New Antioch Two ansars defeat a pair of spears and promote (-3), our assassin beats a sword and one of our ansars retreats from a spear.
New Baghdad Our sword defeats a spear, The Chosen defeat a MDI and a spear while the Protectors defeat two spear.
New Damascus Two ansar defeat a spear and a pike, our assassin dies to their spy, our injured (1/4) ansar kills an injured (1/4) cataphract and one of our pikes take out their spy, promoting.
Trades:
Cordova traded with the Byzantine last turn (seafaring for Divine Right).
Set our research to min sci.
Cordova: Theology, Dye, WM, ROP (4gpt) and 26gpt gets us Divine Right and Seafaring.
Bulgars: Intelligence Operations gets us 2gpt, 68g and WM
Damascus is switched to Notre Dame
IBT The Magyars take Bolu, Burgundy starts a fight with Cordova and Cordova starts on Notre Dame. The Byzantine also throw an archer at one of our fortified spears and dies. They follow it up by shifting all their troops to our western flank (near Antioch).
Turn 6 1260AD
Sidon: Ansar -> Ansar
New Damascus: Ansar -> Wall
New Antioch: Wall -> Pike
VPs: 23040 vs. 16570
Attacks:
New Antioch Our elite retreat versus a regular pike and The Protectors kill it.
Antioch An Ansar defeats a spear, another defeats a Spy and four ansars retreat to spies
Hurry three ansar and the walls in New Baghdad.
IBT: Cordova pulls in Germany versus Burgundy. Denmark and Germany decide that attacking the Byzantine is a good thing. And the Byzantine attack New Damascus with a cataphract that retreats.
Turn 7 1263AD
Antioch: Ansar -> Wall
Baghdad: Ansar -> Ansar
Sidon: Riots and is given taxmen
Basra: Ansar -> Ansar
Aleppo: Ansar -> Ansar
Prilep: Riots and is given enough taxmen (3) to starve them good and proper.
New Baghdad: Walls -> Pike
New Mosul: Ansar and Riots -> Tax and Ansar
Rubber Basra: Pike -> Pike
The situation on the front:
Attacks:
Near Urfa our Elite Ansar kills a spear.
New Damascus and Antioch see three cataphracts destroyed by our ansar warriors.
Antioch: A fantastic charge by six troops of ansar and a crusader see four spear destroyed as well as a cataphract in return for one loss and one retreat.
VPs: 23295 vs. 16740
IBT: Denmark declares on the Fatimids. The Byzantine attack us with two MDI and two Cataphracts. We defeat one MDI and one cataphract, loosing one conscripted spear and one ansar in the process.
Great job Kabuki! I'm looking forward to my turns 
. Hehe, and apparently it was the DANES that brought them in, not the other way around (How is that Danish city on our Fatimid Border still standing?).
