Play-along: Total War: Warhammer, The Empire (Karl Franz) (3/3)
Last updated: 06 Jan 2021
The story so far…
In the campaign’s Chapter 1, Karl Franz consolidated Reikland after capturing Grunburg, Helmgart and Eilhart. The Empire Secessionists are destroyed, and Karl Franz can now look to securing more settlements and income further afield.
With public order decreasing and rebellion imminent in Reikland, Boris Furthfidler may be called upon to stay home to put down malcontents.
Uncooperative comrades
If Eilhart and Reikland is to hope to focus on rapid growth, we must meet Skullsmasherz preemptively further afield.
Marienburg has refused to go to war with Skullsmasherz, despite Marienburg’s superior military might that is more than capable of helping to stem the tide of Greenskin aggression. We understand that Marienburg is currently at war with Bretonnia, but Karl Franz leads a strong army at Eilhart and is ready to competently assist Marienburg in stopping both Skullsmasherz and Bretonnia.
Although Marienburg does not give military access to Skullsmasherz through its province The Wasteland, Marienburg nonetheless allows Skullsmasherz to freely trespass through its province towards Eilhart.
We will have to either trespass through The Wasteland to close with Skullsmasherz, or outright take the capital Marienburg to obtain a bulwark against Skullsmasherz incursions. In any case, we cannot hope to keep Skullsmasherz at bay while maintaining any form of cordial relationship with Marienburg. We may have to occupy Marienburg by force, and do so soon.
Game is saved: Turn 6
Blitz into Marienburg
Karl Franz attacks Ruttschel Braun near provincial capital Marienburg. This attack draws 2 other enemy armies, led by lord Emil von Korden and garrison captain Eben Essing, into the fight.
Karl Franz is vastly outnumbered in military strength; the enemy fields 8 pistoliers and 4 crossbowmen, with enough melee infantry to keep ours occupied. Hopefully, what few shielded spearmen we can spare can absorb the shots without too many losses while our crossbowmen cut down their pistoliers.
It is unsure whether our reiksguards can have enough stamina to take down 4 crossbowmen. We might use fast-moving flagellants to close the distance with their missile infantry.
The small initial enemy force led by Ruttschel Braun must be routed quickly. The majority of enemy forces led by Emil von Korden, and a small attachment of melee infantry led by Eben Essing, will be coming in as reinforcements.
Game is saved: Turn 6 Battle 1
The battle is a Pyrrhic Victory (casualties: 570 vs 1570). All battle plans had gone up in smoke when enemy pistoliers and crossbowmen started firing. We took massive losses even as we routed enemy units in quick succession. About the only thing that might have saved us was that we incapacitated the enemy lord Emil von Korden early enough before our melee infantry became exhausted.
Ruttschel Braun is killed, while Emil von Korden seems to have escaped. We Pardon Captives to get more gold from ransom. It is likely we will have to retreat to Eilhart to recuperate. There is no point pushing through into provincial capital Marienburg; the capital has a wall.
Battle replay: Turn 6 Battle 1
Karl Franz merges all swordsmen, shielded spearmen and flagellant units, leaving 3 swordsmen, 2 shielded spearmen and 1 flagellant units remaining, preserving as much combat experience as possible.
Push into the capital
Karl Franz starts the siege on Marienburg. It appears enemy forces are on par with our military might, we may have a chance to win this battle if we can start the attack soon enough before they reinforce.
Game is saved: Turn 6 Siege 1
Karl Franz prepares to build 2 siege towers by Turn 8.
Trouble at home
Boris Furthfidler marches for Altdorf, recruiting a flagellants unit, a swordsmen unit, and a shielded spearmen unit along the way.
Karl Franz will have to keep his expensive army at the siege of Marienburg; there isn’t enough time for Boris Furthfidler to ferry cheaper troops to Karl Franz and still get back home to deal with the impending rebellion.
The Beastmen threat will have to wait. We can only hope that Helmgart’s garrison is enough to stop them for now. Beastmen could be here soon. Already, Montfort is in ruins, possibly razed by Beastmen.
Construction: Eilhart upgrades to Village, which by Turn 9 will give Reikland better population growth and public order. Grunburg builds Cow Pens and Fields to further improve population growth in Reikland.
Provincial commandments: Reikland continues with Imperial Taxation. There is little hope in stopping the impending rebellion, so we won’t try now. We will let the malcontents flow out of the settlements into the battlefield, and hope to drain what remnants of Empire Secessionists are left.
Expansion or Extinction?
The war with Marienburg has started. We will complete the capture of the Marienburg province, or we will face a counterattack that crumbles Reikland from the Eilhart front. Will we secure our western border, and close in on Skullsmasherz? Or will we face the onslaught of 2 enemies, Marienburg and Skullsmasherz together?
End Turn 6.
Marienburg offers to pay 500 gold for a peace treaty. We reject. We had taken heavy losses to start our siege of the Marienburg capital, so we will continue that siege. We must close the distance with Skullsmasherz if we want Eilhart to safely focus on growth. Moreover, Karl Franz’s army is still strong enough to press forward. Boris Furthfidler is ready at home to deal with the impending rebellion.
Game is saved: Turn 7
Fight for peace
Boris Furthfidler marches into Altdorf, recruiting a flagellents, a swordsmen, and a shielded spearmen unit. Without fast and armored cavalry to draw fire from enemy missile infantry units, we will need shields as an effective albeit imperfect compromise.
We will deal with the remnants of Empire Secessionists once and for all by quashing the impending rebellion, and restore public order to Reikland.
Construction: Grunburg builds a Farm, which by Turn 9 will increase population growth for Reikland.
End Turn 7.
Events: The Migration event occurs, bringing refugees seeking shelter from larger threats abroad. We welcome the refugees, gaining for 10 turns -10% in recruitment cost and +15 population growth for all provinces, at the cost of -8 in public order.
Game is saved: Turn 8
Rebels!
An Empire Rebels army has risen near Altdorf, led by Lupio Dogburgler. Boris Furthfidler attacks Lupio Dogburgler. We must try to take out as many enemy artillery as possible; Boris Furthfidler is ill equipped to counter artillery without armored and fast cavalry.
Game is saved: Turn 8 Battle 1
The battle is a Close Victory (casualties: 83 vs 235). Lupio Dogburgler is spared. We Pardon Captives to get more gold from ransom. Only a single piece of enemy mortar remain. Enemy pistoliers forces are halved. Loot: Berserker Sword.
Battle replay: Turn 8 Battle 1
Boris Furthfidler merges the 2 most experienced shielded spearmen units, preserving as much combat experience as possible.
Siege of Marienburg
Karl Franz has 2 siege towers built. It is enough for us to get Karl Franz up on the walls. Karl Franz assaults the Marienburg capital. New enemy lord Helmutt Solmann leads what remains of Emil von Korden’s army (so Korden didn’t survive Turn 6 Battle 1 after all). Garrison captain Eben Essing defends the walls with a much reduced force.
Game is saved: Turn 8 Battle 2
The battle is a Decisive Victory (casualties: 75 vs 640). Both Helmutt Solmann and Eben Essing are killed in battle. Once the walls were taken with Karl Franz leading an explosive charge and flankers closing in from an opening in the side, it was only a matter of carefully negotiating the narrow streets to rain missiles on enemy troops. Walls are as much a choke point for the defenders as it is for the attackers! (Siege defense requires a saturation of the entire length of wall, or attackers can flank, which was what we did!) Loot: Obsidian Trinket, Fisherman.
We occupy Marienburg.
Battle replay: Turn 8 Battle 2
Karl Franz stays in Marienburg to replenish faster; he has no more move range this turn, anyway.
Recruitment and replenishment: Karl Franz recruits a pistoliers unit in Marienburg. Pistoliers will be good for catching fleeing enemy units in battle.
Patience: A deeper approach
Boris Furthfidler stands between the rebels and Grunburg. Rebel leader Lupio Dogburgler might break for Helmgart instead, but we should be fast enough to catch him if he does so.
We allow Lupio Dogburgler to continue drawing out from Riekland’s settlements malcontents still loyal to Empire Secessionists. Empire Secessionists remnants among the malcontents will be harder to weed out if we come down too strong now.
Character skill: Boris Furthfidler puts a skill point into Route Marcher. He will likely be shuttling quickly between Montfort and Altdorf, dealing with Beastmen to the south and rebels back at home.
Lupio Lord of Droners puts a skill point into Pha’s Protection. Light wizards excel in protective magic.
Karl Franz saves his skill point for later use.
Construction: Helmgart builds a Farm, which by Turn 10 will increase population growth for Reikland. Helmgart also builds a Weaving House, which by Turn 10 will increase income for Reikland.
End Turn 8.
Game is saved: Turn 9
Skullsmasherz at Grung Zint
Now that we have taken Marienburg, we come within striking distance to thin out the Skullsmasherz threat stemming from Grung Zint.
Karl Franz attacks Ugrok Craktoof at Grung Zint. Ugrok Craktoof’s army, including a garrison force, has twice our number of melee infantry. We will have to rout their infantry as quickly as possible.
Game is saved: Turn 9 Battle 1
The battle is a Pyrrhic Victory (casualties: 391 vs 1801). Ugrok Craktoof and garrison captain Nagbad Mork’s Chosen are killed. We saved our ammunition as much as possible, forcing Craktoof to keep his distance.
We took advantage of Craktoof’s defensive strategy, and routed every probe he sent at us. Eventually, Craktoof decided to throw his entire army at us. Our melee infantry held, and our missile units emptied what ammunition was left, routing Craktoof’s remaining units quickly enough.
Loot: Hedge Wizard, Razor Standard.
Battle replay: Turn 9 Battle 1
We sack Grung Zint for 652 gold.
We will not raze Grung Zint, preferring instead to keep the settlement intact should Clan Angrund decide to retake it at some point. Clan Angrund should make a good trade partner later on, after we develop a relationship with them. After all, Sigmar’s promise of eternal aid to the dwarfs still stands today. We must never forget that the dwarfs’ military might held back Orc and Goblin warbands to the east, and kept nascent human tribes safe a long time ago.
Skullsmasherz Incapacitated
Grung Zint is nestled within a mountainous encirclement with only one way in. Ugrok Craktoof’s army had no way out after defeat. The entire army, along with Grung Zint’s garrison, was destroyed. That army turns out to be the entirety of Skullsmasherz’s military might.
With no military might left at all, Skullsmasherz is incapacitated for now. Eilhart is safe to focus on rapid growth, until Skullsmasherz raises a new lord and army, possibly in the next 4 turns.
More Rebels!
Boris Furthfidler attacks Lupio Dogburgler, now that Dogburgler has drawn out more malcontents from Reikland’s settlements.
Game is saved: Turn 9 Battle 2
The rest below is being rewritten. Check back later!
The story continues…
Our gambit blitz into Marienburg province was a bold success! Capturing Marienburg capital gave us a strong bulwark against any Skullsmasherz incursions, keeping Eilhart safe to focus on growth.
For now, Skullsmasherz forces seem small enough for Karl Franz to manage. Should we march forth to Gorssel to consolidate The Wasteland? Or must we stay near Grung Zint to fend off Skullsmasherz?
Can Boris Furthfidler march beyond Helmgart to stop Beastmen before they reach Reikland? Or must he stay at home to handle malcontents as Reikland foregoes public order infrastructure (hostelry) to aggressively pursue rapid growth?
The campaign continues at Chapter 2B: Display of Power (Middenland)!
