My Thirty Years War AAR vs Rangerkgbooboo

[jim pfleck]

ok, I am a bit behind the infamous KGbooboo in getting started, but here I am.

Starting situation: My protestants are in revolt.  I hold Prague and start with Pilsen under siege. I have good leaders and good troops but am outnumbered and will face numbers and resource problems for the foreseeable future. My goal is to survive the first few years. 

First few turns--the Holy Roman Empire (HRE), basically Austrians at this point, come out after me faster than I expected.  I get pushed back from my siege of Budweiss and have to raise the siege of Pilsen, which will hurt because I need its resources. Budweiss would also have given me god stuff.

I eventually stabilize my situation, with my main army falling back on Prague, my capitol and send an infantry unit with a supply unit to siege Pilsen for the winter. I eventually capture it and now get more money over time.


The first full year 1619: My army is strengthened and I feel like, while I am still outnumbered, I am no longer at a huge disparity. I screen the HRE force in Budweiss and prepare for a new region to open up, to the east, with Brunn as the key city.  I then move some cavalry into Brunn immediately in order to trigger the creation of a few large Protestant infantry units.  The HRE cavalry moves in and wins.  Over the next few turns I fail to take Brunn.  Then I use some EP to get a large force of Hungarian cavalry and in July I destroy the HRE cavalry force and take Brunn.  But it is too late to fire the event to get the troops.  On the other hand, my main army delivers to crushing defeats to the main HRE force. My cohesion is too low to risk pursuit of a force that I now only barely outnumber.

Currently, it is October and my main army is taking on replacements and troops activated by the King of Bohemia event in Prague and I think the HRE main army is in Budweiss licking its wounds. BUT, the Hungarian's have moved to take Vienna under siege...

[jim pfleck]

We just played July 1620--
My feint in the fall of 1619 drove the main Imperial Army back to Vienna and spared me from attack through the spring and summer.

I have finally taken Budwiess in July 1620, but the main Imperial Army is now on my flank in Brunn and another army is sitting next to me to the south. The Hungarians are screening Tilly to the east but they are worn down. I think I can beat the Imperial armies in detail but nor together..

[jim pfleck]

Just finished 1621. The Protestants won victories in the Palatinate and have Frankfurt and Heidelburg under siege-capturing these two will really help me raise more cash. My main army in Bohemia won some victories although the HRE captured Pilsen, a blow to my revenue collection. On the other hand, my Hungarian cavalry is riding around Bavaria pillaging (raises money for me and hurts the HRE revenue collection).


My main challenges now are keeping the two large HRE armies in Bohemia separate-one in Pilsen and one south of Prague, falling back to Budweis. My other large challenge is money. In the past year I was not able to raise many troops (in this case hire Dutch mercenaries) because I had to spend on replacements for my Bohemian army and for monthly costs. I finally have a little cash but need to be really careful so I don't run out and then lose troops to wastage...My fear the Habsburgs raising a lot of cash and a lot more troops this winter.. .


Overall, I am in a good place but still on the strategic defensive..