The First Three Turns from the Alamanni Perspective

By: Lord Thanatos 

Initial Thoughts:
The Alamanni kingdom begins in a vulnerable central province. Although this provides plenty of opportunities for expansion, the greater likelihood of invasion is a pressure that settles upon one’s shoulders and becomes a lodestone affecting every initial decision. Invasion WILL come; but from where? The Alamanni kingdom begins with an additional kingdom brigade * this is a large advantage, but requires additional maintenance costs each turn. We have excellent infantry, including Guard infantry (the most skilled infantry in all the lands). Thus, our maintenance costs are less than cavalry heavy kingdoms and we enjoy a martial advantage against pop centers and in constricted terrain. On the plains we are sitting ducks! Our noble court awaits our commands and the military is eager for conquest. The populace is uncertain and most of Gaul remains neutral. The table is set; victory will be ours; we need only determine how to grasp our birthright! 
 

Turn One orders:
The entire nation awaits my will; from the nobles to the peasants, each resource needs to be properly utilized. Of all the regions, Narbonensis possesses the best terrain for my military. Should I force battle in the mountains I can’t be easily beaten. Thus, this region shall be mine! I consider attacking it directly and not even attempting to gain Gaul. My noble court convinces me that the military is out of position and cannot be ready to invade until turn three. Therefore, I dispatch my Prince to a neutral town in the South of Gaul, a Count is dispatched to a neutral village, and a Baron is sent to another neutral village. I also send my Duke to the city to insure that another nation does not control it before I impose control upon all of Gaul. The military is recalled in its entirety to the capital and I command that a brigade of Heruli be recruited. Although I must now pay the maintenance on this new brigade its presence insures that I continue to enjoy a numerical advantage in brigades and allows me to train commanders and make certain that someone is available to recruit from the capital at all times. I order Gaul to be enamored to assist my Nobles. I argue with myself as I want to spend minimal resources in controlling Gaul since I intend to abandon it shortly anyhow. I do order both Governors to be raised to Barons. The Court will love me, even if the peasants don’t! On the diplomatic front I want to create peace with the Thuringians, but am not overly concerned with others as I intend to abandon Gaul at the first sign of trouble. To this end I decide not to build a single pop center improvement in the entire region -- ever; the other kings can pacify the peasants with pretty baubles since I will not. The Thuringians marvel at my obvious might and beg for peace. I accept peace and offer more: a full alliance! The Thuringians are intrigued and suggest either Italia or Germania for possible invasion. After studying the terrain it is apparent that Italia is better suited for my infantry. Also, the mountain ranges create only three available passes and will enable the Thuringian cavalry to plug each of these gaps while I sack the pop centers. The Thuringians will accept sooner or later, I am sure. I order the High Priestess to divine pop centers in the South of Gaul and await the results of my, obviously inspired, planning. 
 

Turn One results:
Everything goes according to plan. Not only have the Thuringians agreed to follow my lead, but the Saxons have also begged for peace. I assure the Saxons we shall not fight until after turn 15 and attempt to guide him into attacking Aquitania. I am eager to see if this planting bears fruit! My Prince assures me that if I send him sufficient quantities of gold the southern Gaul town shall be mine. The High Priestess discovered two additional villages and another town. The Nobles are pleased. My agents inform me that our Baron is alone at the city; this is good news. Although our military is not poised to immediately take pop centers (I usually recommend using the Legions on turn one, but I plan on invading another region immediately and want to position my entire military might into a single Legion so that I may conquer a capital or destroy a smaller Legion belonging to my enemy) it is positioned and now structured for immediate offensive action. I wonder if the Thuringians are similarly prepared to invade? 
Turn Two orders:
Although my Prince assures me the town will be swayed by his rhetoric it is impossible to overlook the fact that he asks for as much gold as two Barons do. Therefore, I order the full military might of the Alamanni nation to move south to the Prince’s town so that it could be attacked on turn three. Yet, my commanders inform me that the three veteran brigades could be led elsewhere by a trusted general. So the military is split in two; the veterans march to a southern village and the remainder of the troops following the King to the town. The Duke at our city, and the Count and Baron are ordered to Usurp control of the pop centers. Another Baron (a Governor last turn) is ordered to relocate to a newly revealed town in Gaul. Funds are tight so there will be no King orders this turn, no recruitment, and, of course, no new construction. The first level agents are ordered to perform reconnaissance, while the higher level agents remain inactive. I am eager to hire a new Provincial Governor, but cannot afford to do so yet. The High Priestess faces potential exhaustion as I order her to divine pop centers in the extreme southern portion of Gaul, although half of her attention is focused upon Northern Italia. The Thuringians agree to attack Italia with me and so my plans to relocate to a different region are proceeding apace! 
 

Turn Two results:
No problems this turn -- all orders are performed as commanded (except the Duke is unable to Usurp the city). Unexpectedly though, four other kings gain control of their regions. Although these kings will have additional gold and supplies I am not overly concerned because this early control assures me that these kings have issued no orders for invasion. I need only worry about five potential invaders now (four expended all their orders to gain a region quickly and two have agreed to peaceful relations with me)! I, on the other hand, will invade Italia in the next turn or two. An additional benefit is that my High Priestess, though weary, did not exhaust herself looking into the astral plane for information. I now know the location of a number of Italia pop centers and have gained the names of three Lombard Nobles, who are located at the city of Milan. 
 

Turn Three orders:
Since I know I am invading Italia next turn I order my veterans to attack the neutral village and then move and join the larger legion, which is attacking a neutral town just on my side of the Lombard*s northern border. My best agent is directed to sabotage the nearest Lombard town/fortress, while two level one agents are commanded to glean information from that fortress and the southernmost town in Gaul (which, unbelievably, is owned by the Lombards and a Lombard division is sighted there). The High Priestess is divining pop centers in central Italia and with this information I expect to move swiftly with nobles and legions in a blitzkrieg into Italia. The nobles which relocated within Gaul last turn are expected to Usurp control and if all are successful I will control Gaul. My Duke is again ordered to Usurp control of the city, although I am not relying upon his success to gain control of Gaul. Funds are exceptionally tight and supplies must be sold on the open market to make ends meet. Expected booty from military operations is also taken into account and spent before it reaches my coffers. The priests and accountants are howling, but a few are beheaded and silence is again a virtue within the priesthood. 
 

Turn Three results:
Every region throughout the land is now controlled - except Gaul! Shameful! Someone must die, who is at fault? The nobles fearfully inform me that a Baron was unable to Usurp control of a neutral town/fortress. This is unacceptable! I don’t wish to dispatch my military there so, instead, I will order my last Provincial Governor to take a message to that Baron and stir unrest the turn thereafter. If successful, I promise the Governor lands and titles. He is eager for a promotion so I do not doubt that turn five will result in control of Gaul. Turn five will also result in a large portion of Italia succumbing to my obvious charms (i.e. skilled commanders and a large military presence = much more effective than gifts and bribes!) because the entire military will be invading, supported by nobles and agents capable of sabotaging defenses and stealing gold. The Thuringians inform me that they are prepared to invade alongside my stalwart warriors and from various messages on the message board I surmise that the Lombards will be surprised. The Franks inform me that the Celts are marching through his lands and all indications are that they are massing on my border for an invasion soon. The Franks and Saxons are at peace with each other and both have promised the Celts safe passage, though they both inform me to prepare. Hah! I will be building my palace in Italia by the time those dim-witted Celts arrive! Negotiations are going well. Invasion plans are going well. My noble court is all Baron and above (with the exception of a single Governor) and this, too, is according to plan. Even without early control of Gaul (which is also according to plan since I have spent heavily preparing for an early invasion and have not been overly concerned with ruling Gaul because I don’t intend to keep it) I know that victory will certainly be mine. The Conquering Hero is my victory condition and I intend my fame to resonate within Valhalla forever!

 
Lord Thanatos,
aka Rick Ghan