1335 - Situation and Response

Time has passed since I last commented on the game mgv of Medieval Dipomacy [agegames.com – free to play].

In the present season, the lands of Roum (modern day western Turkey) have been temporarily secured and (re)annexed to the High Caliphate. We also control Jerusalem, Antioch and Syria. We have annexed a total of seven provinces, and maintain plundering forces in the remainder (Antioch, Armenia and Miletus).

We have a fleet in the East Mediteranean, consisting of six war dohws and one arab war galley. We maintain credible forces of missile troops, protected by guard units, in Armenia and Antioch (from where they can immediately garrison Tarsus and Jerusalem respectively, or act as marines, should the situation require).

The Tarsus garrison busies itself upgrading the defences of the city. We build two more skirmishers and construct two more dohws in the harbour.

Our field army in Iconium sends a detachment of missile troops to reinforce the guards in Armenia, and then marches to Edessa to join the horsed archers and guards already there. In addition, we recruit another horse archer unit.

My alliances hold with Byzantium and Castile, as well as with all my old allies. The emporer has retaken his Anatolian provinces and Angora from the Hungarian, whose smallish army survives only with my permission in Ankara. He doesn’t really threaten the Byzantine, but does tie up forces. The Emporer, though not happy, has not seen fit to cancel our alliance as a result.

Castile continues to build his army on Cyprus. Further, now that he has completed his reconquesta, he has built a large navy. It will take a turn to marshall his troops, and two or three more to ship them over, but he remains a medium term threat to which I continue to devote thought and resources. The Mamluke is his more likely target in the East, I would hope, although he might also join the English and Bavarian should they attack Venice. I don’t think he’s that close to them though.

The Mamluke is a hesitant and barely competent player, who has got involved in public spat with the Kahn as the later fights his last battles. I think he would not be a dangerous opponent, but I have too many other threats to consider this at present.

Venice is in trouble. I think at least Bavaria has declared war, and he also lies exposed to English forces in Arles. He has a large fleet, but is unlikely to use it against the Castilian unless he is attacked.

England and Poland are very close to having enough points to declare victory. Poland is cleaning up the Horde, with a little help from the vassal realm of Lithuania and Bavaria. England has taken the lands of Aquitane, France, Arles, Saxony and Novgorod. Norway lies open to him, or he could assist in the attack on Venice.

I think the strategy now is to get England and Poland over the line, before the middle level powers have a chance to attack those of us minor powers that are left. I have shared these thoughts with my allies.