Image from the starting date map of Eu5:
View attachment 697812
Paradox capitulated, as it should have done long ago
More likely they wanted a start date before the start of the Kalmar Union. Too often the Danes have dominated the Swedes in EU4.
I see Wales is separate from England (but probably a vassal), the two Sicilies are separate... the Ottomans could be an interesting nation to play. Hmm, or maybe I'll try Epirus first and invade Italy like Pyrrhus.
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I'm up to 194 in
Macedon: Total War. I declared on Pergamon and have reduced them to Cyprus, which is blockaded. Pontus and Galatia have been a bit tougher, and Mazaca (modern-day Kayseri, Turkey; in between known as Caesarea) has been a hot zone. My most experienced surviving general lead his army there, and found more Pontic troops than expected, but besieged it anyway, and took the city. The surviving troops of Pontus launched a renewed attack the next turn, but were repelled. So, their Galatian allies sent an army up, and with the remnants of Pontus, attacked again the next turn.
I knew there might be another attack, and the first defense had already been a close call - leaving the right half of our front line exposed to attacks on our javelinmen, in order to have those troops defend the rear when Pontic reinforcements arrived, and only 7 of the general's on-paper-159 bodyguards surviving along with him; only the enemy's panic after our cavalry charged prevented disaster. Thus, I hired a mercenary hoplite and mercenary horseman.
It was a good thing I'd hired them, as Galatia made up for Pontus's losses. I defended a central plaza, with traditional hoplites defending one side, sarissa-armed pikemen another, cavalry the back side, and the mob of general citizenry armed with knives the last side. Javelinmen and archers, and four ballistae, stood in between. Once again, it was a near-run thing. The hoplites had to run back and forth, helping the mob; the cavalry had to run around and chase off ranged troops, the pikemen once again performed heroically, after inflicting roughly 14:1 losses in the first Battle of Mazaca.
I think the city is fairly safe now, but it will take a few turns for this army to recover.
It's feeling like the tide has turned. While I had to work to win at Mazaca, on the whole, Macedon is on a roll. I'm hoping someone - Armenia? Nabatea, who has conquered all the way past Persepolis? can provide a challenge to spice things up again. It's at the point in strategy games where it feels like I've won or should be on the cusp of victory, but the actual victory conditions - basically, equal Alexander - are still quite far away.
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