BALANCE OF POWER: 860
The ravens fly across Ægir's wine dark sea, as Norsemen gather their ships in fleets of masts as thick as forests, and set sail for plunder and land upon the farthest horizons. Armies march, crows gather, and the green land cries out for the blood it shall soon receive: the Viking Age is about to reach its height, and the plague of coastal raids of the past are about to be forgotten as the Norse look to conquer and settle for good. Meanwhile, to the East, the Magyars ride to the gates of Europe, seeking wealth and a homeland of their own at the expense of the soft settled folk of the West, and the Khazars rule a massive empire of the Jews upon the steppe made rich on the wealth of the Silk Road. The Mediterranean is wracked by storms of war between Christians and Arabs who have brought the crescent to the fields of France and the walls of Rome, with the great prize of Sicily yet to be won. And the Empire of Charlemagne, once heralded to be the promised return of the Western Roman Empire, now divides itself among his squabbling grandsons, and the dream of the Carolingian Renaissance perhaps proven but a brief interlude in the Dark Ages of Europe. But all are to be overshadowed by the titanic conflict between the superpowers of the Age in Asia Minor, where a golden age of Islam and the Byzantines preludes renewed war between the Byzantines and the Abbasids for the right flank of Christendom.
Before the wrath of the Norsemen, however, all must give pause in fear, for as the year of our Lord turns to 860 AD, the Viking Age has come.
World Map:
The Map of the Known World, 859 AD (Open in a new tab!)
Link to the BoP Tool: https://tw.greywool.com/bop/
The Player List
Teo: Kingdom of Vestfold
BenKenobi: Papal States
Curio: Khazaria
Fredelios: Hastein's Band
Angelsachsen: Strathclyde
Sarado: Aquitaine
Moose: Cordoba
Alfred: Wessex
Mahud: Byzantines
Rocco: Connacht
Ev: Freyja's Band
Pixel: Magyars
Grikiard: Vikarr's Band
Grimmend: Jarldom of Hålogaland
Dago: Republic of Amalfi
Blacktide: Abbasid Caliphate
Bluehawk: Rurik
Hark: Sons of Ragnar
Draorn: West Francia
Cowdude: Emirate of Sicily
Mechanics:
Link to the BoP Tool: https://tw.greywool.com/bop/
The Player List
Teo: Kingdom of Vestfold
BenKenobi: Papal States
Curio: Khazaria
Fredelios: Hastein's Band
Angelsachsen: Strathclyde
Sarado: Aquitaine
Moose: Cordoba
Alfred: Wessex
Mahud: Byzantines
Rocco: Connacht
Ev: Freyja's Band
Pixel: Magyars
Grikiard: Vikarr's Band
Grimmend: Jarldom of Hålogaland
Dago: Republic of Amalfi
Blacktide: Abbasid Caliphate
Bluehawk: Rurik
Hark: Sons of Ragnar
Draorn: West Francia
Cowdude: Emirate of Sicily
Mechanics:
Politics:
In Balance of Power: 860, in lieu of strong centralized governments and national identities, politics is reflected in a relatively simple yet elegant system of the Ruling House and its interactions with Factions: powerful parties in the court or country who exercise a considerable influence on the politics of the realm. They can be a House or coalition of nobles, religious institutions or sects, exceptionally powerful provinces or cities, conquered ethnicities, or even the common people themselves, if sufficiently mobilized. Factions need not be merely groups of discontents (though they certainly can be, if your reign and rule runs contrary to their interests), but powerful social groups symbiotically aligned, allied, or intermarried with the ruler for their collective benefit. Their motivations, beliefs, and goals are nearly infinite, as are your means of dealing with them by means peaceful or violent, directly or indirectly, but the formula of calculating their threat to your reign, and thus their importance in your plans, is simple: the Faction’s Influence in the country, subtracted by the Faction’s Happiness. If it matches or exceeds the Authority of the Ruling House, there is a potential for revolt.
Thus, for example, consider an Influence score of “Dominant” for a Faction with a Happiness level at “Feud”. With happiness as its lowest possible level, it subtracts nothing against the Faction’s influence: even with a royal authority of Almighty, this Faction’s Threat will be Medium. In simple numeric terms, the lowest score is a 0, while the highest is a 4. If the score matches the Authority of the Ruling House, the threat will be Medium. If it exceeds the House’s Authority, the Threat will be High, and there is a potential for open revolt.
Each country will also have a unique Culture Bonus: which will give a variety of powerful bonuses to each realm that may influence its individual flavor and style of play. The Cultural Bonuses are listed below:
Norse: 1 Extra Merchant, Recruitment costs for ships halved
Vikingr: No upkeep costs on Armed Levy
Nomadic Confederations: Half upkeep on cavalry, Horse Archers don’t require Wood
Anglo-Saxons: Armed Levy upkeep a quarter of recruitment cost (instead of half)
Celts: The Total Levy can be summoned for Raids, Religious Factions with positive Happiness give bonuses to Court Upkeep (+5% per positive level)
Franks: Each level of Authority reduces the number of Factions by one (Minimal = 5 Factions, Almighty = 1 Faction)
Arabian: 1 Extra Merchant, Access to extra “Silk Road” Entrepots
Byzantines: Controlled Entrepots receive the full value of incoming foreign trade routes
Andalusians: Religious/Ethnic Faction happiness cannot go below “Angry”
Republics: Faction Unhappiness does not add to Court and Government Expenses
Vikingr players, representing the unlanded “sealords” of the Norse, have an additional optional bonus. If they decide to lower sails to settle down and claim land of their own, Vikingr may choose to adopt the local culture of their conquered territory to replace their previous culture bonus, or even possibly adopt that of previously encountered cultures. Otherwise, if settled into a kingdom of their own, their Vikingr bonus will default to that of the Norse.
In addition, Factions have another factor correlating to impact on your realm’s economy. Each level below “Ambivalent” for each Faction’s Happiness will incur a 5% increase to the Government and Court Expenses. For unlanded Viking Adventurers, the Authority section and thus the Government and Court Expenses tab is a little different. For them, they possess “Fame” rather than authority, and instead of Government/Court Expenses they have a “Division of Plunder” section: as opposed to drawing a percentage from the Tax/Tribute Income in upkeep, it is drawn from the funds stored in the Treasury.
In Balance of Power: 860, in lieu of strong centralized governments and national identities, politics is reflected in a relatively simple yet elegant system of the Ruling House and its interactions with Factions: powerful parties in the court or country who exercise a considerable influence on the politics of the realm. They can be a House or coalition of nobles, religious institutions or sects, exceptionally powerful provinces or cities, conquered ethnicities, or even the common people themselves, if sufficiently mobilized. Factions need not be merely groups of discontents (though they certainly can be, if your reign and rule runs contrary to their interests), but powerful social groups symbiotically aligned, allied, or intermarried with the ruler for their collective benefit. Their motivations, beliefs, and goals are nearly infinite, as are your means of dealing with them by means peaceful or violent, directly or indirectly, but the formula of calculating their threat to your reign, and thus their importance in your plans, is simple: the Faction’s Influence in the country, subtracted by the Faction’s Happiness. If it matches or exceeds the Authority of the Ruling House, there is a potential for revolt.
Thus, for example, consider an Influence score of “Dominant” for a Faction with a Happiness level at “Feud”. With happiness as its lowest possible level, it subtracts nothing against the Faction’s influence: even with a royal authority of Almighty, this Faction’s Threat will be Medium. In simple numeric terms, the lowest score is a 0, while the highest is a 4. If the score matches the Authority of the Ruling House, the threat will be Medium. If it exceeds the House’s Authority, the Threat will be High, and there is a potential for open revolt.
Each country will also have a unique Culture Bonus: which will give a variety of powerful bonuses to each realm that may influence its individual flavor and style of play. The Cultural Bonuses are listed below:
Norse: 1 Extra Merchant, Recruitment costs for ships halved
Vikingr: No upkeep costs on Armed Levy
Nomadic Confederations: Half upkeep on cavalry, Horse Archers don’t require Wood
Anglo-Saxons: Armed Levy upkeep a quarter of recruitment cost (instead of half)
Celts: The Total Levy can be summoned for Raids, Religious Factions with positive Happiness give bonuses to Court Upkeep (+5% per positive level)
Franks: Each level of Authority reduces the number of Factions by one (Minimal = 5 Factions, Almighty = 1 Faction)
Arabian: 1 Extra Merchant, Access to extra “Silk Road” Entrepots
Byzantines: Controlled Entrepots receive the full value of incoming foreign trade routes
Andalusians: Religious/Ethnic Faction happiness cannot go below “Angry”
Republics: Faction Unhappiness does not add to Court and Government Expenses
Vikingr players, representing the unlanded “sealords” of the Norse, have an additional optional bonus. If they decide to lower sails to settle down and claim land of their own, Vikingr may choose to adopt the local culture of their conquered territory to replace their previous culture bonus, or even possibly adopt that of previously encountered cultures. Otherwise, if settled into a kingdom of their own, their Vikingr bonus will default to that of the Norse.
In addition, Factions have another factor correlating to impact on your realm’s economy. Each level below “Ambivalent” for each Faction’s Happiness will incur a 5% increase to the Government and Court Expenses. For unlanded Viking Adventurers, the Authority section and thus the Government and Court Expenses tab is a little different. For them, they possess “Fame” rather than authority, and instead of Government/Court Expenses they have a “Division of Plunder” section: as opposed to drawing a percentage from the Tax/Tribute Income in upkeep, it is drawn from the funds stored in the Treasury.
Economy:
In this age of Vikings and Silk Road caravans, the road to wealth follows two paths: one of raids and conquest, and the other discussed here, of trade. With many people living off subsistence agriculture in the aftermath of the fall of Rome, and much of Europe’s governance divided between petty chiefs and nobility, many players will depend on these two paths for disposable income, and unlike other BoPs where trade is more of a passive element of diplomacy, in BoP: 860 it will take a more active and adventurous hand. Otherwise, the standard running of economics will be relatively straightforward: Taxes and tribute refer to the proceeds of the land and peoples under your control, and Trade Income the combined yearly proceeds of your trade routes and controlled entrepots. In general, Taxes and Tribute can be expanded by increasing the size of your realm and influence, and by land improvements, though for many with the state of technology in the Dark Ages the returns may be modest. Expenses are registered in two categories: your Military Upkeep, where you pay your retinue and your Armed Levy as well as for the maintenance of your ships, and the Government and Court Expenses, which covers the wages of your officials and clerks, which will vary depending on the complexity and size of your state; Petty Kingdoms require 5% of your overall revenue, Kingdoms 10%, and Empires 15%. In addition, discontent Factions in your realm will increase the expenses of the court by 5% per negative Happiness level per Faction to placate the notables of the kingdom with gifts and impress the wealth and power of the ruler upon them. Proceeds from raids, meanwhile, are deposited directly into the kingdom’s treasury.
If you run out of money, in this age there is no “national debt”: though some can appeal to Jewish moneylenders if they have the connections, if your treasury runs out there may be serious domestic repercussions as factions take it as a reduction of your power or ability to rule. With good enough relations, a silver tongue, or good old strongarming by force, you may be able to obtain funds willingly or not from certain factions (obviously impacting their happiness), but if this fails, the happiness of all factions will drop by one level. Strategic goods are not stockpiled: the amount available represents the total annual production of your country available to be bought or requisitioned by the state, and all that not prioritized for the production of arms is thereby used for the making of tools and implements for the common folk. They can however be bought from other countries by direct diplomacy, however, should you require a faster buildup of arms.
Trade on the other hand is where real fortunes can be won, on the road and high seas following the adventures of merchant caravans. Contrary to previous BoPs, trade deals aren’t done by direct player-to-player diplomacy, but by sending your Merchant parties by order to Entrepots far and wide. Entrepots are major international marketplaces, and to establish trade deals, merchants must be sent to brave the dangers of the unknown. Each player has a limited number of merchants that can be sent out each turn, and each country possesses trade goods with which to trade with the outside world. Sending out merchants is relatively simple, ultimately requiring just the destination and they will handle the negotiations, but success is not guaranteed. Many dangers and pitfalls await on the road, and their chances can be improved by attaching Retinues, supplying funds for gifts and bribes, and charting their route yourself to avoid the worst of the perils of the world of the Dark Ages. If successful, they will earn 100 Silver per turn for every trade good in the deal, and 200 Silver for each good from the Emporium that you do not possess.In addition, all Entrepots are ranked by size, from smallest to largest: Regional Trading Post, International Marketplace, and Grand Emporium. Regional Trading Posts have a x1 bonus to trade deals; International Marketplaces give a x2 multiplier; and finally Grand Emporiums provide a x3 modifier. Once established, the merchant will then be available to embark on another trade mission on the following turn: or if killed, captured, or lost, will be replaced by a new commercial representative. Already established trade routes will remain persistent until cancelled or disrupted. Sending missions to more distant Entrepots entail higher chances of failure safely reaching the markets and making a deal, as well as greater risks of raiding on overextended trade routes: thus while they possess greater reward, it may be worth proliferating trade contacts to smaller, neighboring market Entrepots on more defensible routes!
In-Game Example: For an example of a trade deal, to calculate the earnings from a potential trade route a merchant sent from Great Moravia, which produces Amber, Furs, Dyes, Linen, Antler, Hides and Leather, Feather Down, and Ale; sent to the Entrepot of Dorestad in Germania, which produces Wine, Gold, Furs, Antler, Dyes, Amber, Hides and Leather, and Ale; would simply add up the number of total trade goods involved in the deal from both sides, and the number of trade goods produced in Germania that Moravia does not: IE 2 unique goods from Moravia and 6 Shared goods (2+6x100), and 2 unique goods in Germania (2x200). The sum would thus be multiplied by three due to Dorestad's status as a Grand Emporium. The resulting trade route would thus yield an expected profit of 3,600 Silver per Turn!
Of last note, controlling an Entrepot as its owner not only gives you the income from your own established trade routes, but half the income from every foreign trade route destined for that Entrepot. Control of Entrepots is thus a potentially very lucrative source of income, and worth the competition for control! The Entrepots of the world are listed below, and will be reflected on the world map:
North Sea:
Kaupang, Hedeby, Visby, York, London, Dublin
Russia:
Novgorod, Kiev, Atil, Bolghar, Chersonesus
West Europe:
Paris, Narbonne, Aachen, Dorestad, Regensburg, Frankfurt, Rome, Verona, Naples, Palermo, Cordoba, Seville, Barcelona
East Europe:
Wolin, Nitra, Riga, Prague, Belgrade, Polotsk, Pliska
Balkans and Anatolia:
Constantinople, Thessalonica, Iconium, Athens, Antioch
The Orient:
Fez, Kairouan, Alexandria, Fustat (Cairo), Jerusalem, Aleppo, Damascus, Baghdad, Basra, Jedda, Sanaa, Isfahan, Shiraz, Ani, Ardabil, Merv, Samarkand
The Far East:
Turfan, Khotan, Chang’an, Guangzhou, Gyeongju, Heian, Kabul, Kannauj, Mansura, Pataliputra, Kanchipuram, Anuradhapura, Palembang
Africa:
Axum, Dongola, Kumbi Saleh, Njimi, Zeila, Kilwa, Ilé-Ifẹ̀
Beyond(?):
???
The list of trade goods is listed below:
Amber, Sea Ivory, Pitch, Furs, Hides and Leather, Antler, Seal Fat, Grain, Ale, Fish, Cattle and Dairy, Horses, Swords, Feather Down, Salt, Copper, Tin, Silver, Gold, Gems, Dyes, Wool, Cotton, Silk, Spices, Incense, Sugar, Honey, Wax, Wine, Perfume, Musk, Olives and Olive Oil, Marble, Dates, Pistachios, Glass, Porcelain, Tea, Ginger, Saffron, Pearls, Coral, Ivory, Ebony, Cedar, Sandalwood, Coffee, Paper/Parchment, Slaves, Hunting Dogs/Birds, Isinglass, Iron [Quantity], Wood [Quantity]
In this age of Vikings and Silk Road caravans, the road to wealth follows two paths: one of raids and conquest, and the other discussed here, of trade. With many people living off subsistence agriculture in the aftermath of the fall of Rome, and much of Europe’s governance divided between petty chiefs and nobility, many players will depend on these two paths for disposable income, and unlike other BoPs where trade is more of a passive element of diplomacy, in BoP: 860 it will take a more active and adventurous hand. Otherwise, the standard running of economics will be relatively straightforward: Taxes and tribute refer to the proceeds of the land and peoples under your control, and Trade Income the combined yearly proceeds of your trade routes and controlled entrepots. In general, Taxes and Tribute can be expanded by increasing the size of your realm and influence, and by land improvements, though for many with the state of technology in the Dark Ages the returns may be modest. Expenses are registered in two categories: your Military Upkeep, where you pay your retinue and your Armed Levy as well as for the maintenance of your ships, and the Government and Court Expenses, which covers the wages of your officials and clerks, which will vary depending on the complexity and size of your state; Petty Kingdoms require 5% of your overall revenue, Kingdoms 10%, and Empires 15%. In addition, discontent Factions in your realm will increase the expenses of the court by 5% per negative Happiness level per Faction to placate the notables of the kingdom with gifts and impress the wealth and power of the ruler upon them. Proceeds from raids, meanwhile, are deposited directly into the kingdom’s treasury.
If you run out of money, in this age there is no “national debt”: though some can appeal to Jewish moneylenders if they have the connections, if your treasury runs out there may be serious domestic repercussions as factions take it as a reduction of your power or ability to rule. With good enough relations, a silver tongue, or good old strongarming by force, you may be able to obtain funds willingly or not from certain factions (obviously impacting their happiness), but if this fails, the happiness of all factions will drop by one level. Strategic goods are not stockpiled: the amount available represents the total annual production of your country available to be bought or requisitioned by the state, and all that not prioritized for the production of arms is thereby used for the making of tools and implements for the common folk. They can however be bought from other countries by direct diplomacy, however, should you require a faster buildup of arms.
Trade on the other hand is where real fortunes can be won, on the road and high seas following the adventures of merchant caravans. Contrary to previous BoPs, trade deals aren’t done by direct player-to-player diplomacy, but by sending your Merchant parties by order to Entrepots far and wide. Entrepots are major international marketplaces, and to establish trade deals, merchants must be sent to brave the dangers of the unknown. Each player has a limited number of merchants that can be sent out each turn, and each country possesses trade goods with which to trade with the outside world. Sending out merchants is relatively simple, ultimately requiring just the destination and they will handle the negotiations, but success is not guaranteed. Many dangers and pitfalls await on the road, and their chances can be improved by attaching Retinues, supplying funds for gifts and bribes, and charting their route yourself to avoid the worst of the perils of the world of the Dark Ages. If successful, they will earn 100 Silver per turn for every trade good in the deal, and 200 Silver for each good from the Emporium that you do not possess.In addition, all Entrepots are ranked by size, from smallest to largest: Regional Trading Post, International Marketplace, and Grand Emporium. Regional Trading Posts have a x1 bonus to trade deals; International Marketplaces give a x2 multiplier; and finally Grand Emporiums provide a x3 modifier. Once established, the merchant will then be available to embark on another trade mission on the following turn: or if killed, captured, or lost, will be replaced by a new commercial representative. Already established trade routes will remain persistent until cancelled or disrupted. Sending missions to more distant Entrepots entail higher chances of failure safely reaching the markets and making a deal, as well as greater risks of raiding on overextended trade routes: thus while they possess greater reward, it may be worth proliferating trade contacts to smaller, neighboring market Entrepots on more defensible routes!
In-Game Example: For an example of a trade deal, to calculate the earnings from a potential trade route a merchant sent from Great Moravia, which produces Amber, Furs, Dyes, Linen, Antler, Hides and Leather, Feather Down, and Ale; sent to the Entrepot of Dorestad in Germania, which produces Wine, Gold, Furs, Antler, Dyes, Amber, Hides and Leather, and Ale; would simply add up the number of total trade goods involved in the deal from both sides, and the number of trade goods produced in Germania that Moravia does not: IE 2 unique goods from Moravia and 6 Shared goods (2+6x100), and 2 unique goods in Germania (2x200). The sum would thus be multiplied by three due to Dorestad's status as a Grand Emporium. The resulting trade route would thus yield an expected profit of 3,600 Silver per Turn!
Of last note, controlling an Entrepot as its owner not only gives you the income from your own established trade routes, but half the income from every foreign trade route destined for that Entrepot. Control of Entrepots is thus a potentially very lucrative source of income, and worth the competition for control! The Entrepots of the world are listed below, and will be reflected on the world map:
North Sea:
Kaupang, Hedeby, Visby, York, London, Dublin
Russia:
Novgorod, Kiev, Atil, Bolghar, Chersonesus
West Europe:
Paris, Narbonne, Aachen, Dorestad, Regensburg, Frankfurt, Rome, Verona, Naples, Palermo, Cordoba, Seville, Barcelona
East Europe:
Wolin, Nitra, Riga, Prague, Belgrade, Polotsk, Pliska
Balkans and Anatolia:
Constantinople, Thessalonica, Iconium, Athens, Antioch
The Orient:
Fez, Kairouan, Alexandria, Fustat (Cairo), Jerusalem, Aleppo, Damascus, Baghdad, Basra, Jedda, Sanaa, Isfahan, Shiraz, Ani, Ardabil, Merv, Samarkand
The Far East:
Turfan, Khotan, Chang’an, Guangzhou, Gyeongju, Heian, Kabul, Kannauj, Mansura, Pataliputra, Kanchipuram, Anuradhapura, Palembang
Africa:
Axum, Dongola, Kumbi Saleh, Njimi, Zeila, Kilwa, Ilé-Ifẹ̀
Beyond(?):
???
The list of trade goods is listed below:
Amber, Sea Ivory, Pitch, Furs, Hides and Leather, Antler, Seal Fat, Grain, Ale, Fish, Cattle and Dairy, Horses, Swords, Feather Down, Salt, Copper, Tin, Silver, Gold, Gems, Dyes, Wool, Cotton, Silk, Spices, Incense, Sugar, Honey, Wax, Wine, Perfume, Musk, Olives and Olive Oil, Marble, Dates, Pistachios, Glass, Porcelain, Tea, Ginger, Saffron, Pearls, Coral, Ivory, Ebony, Cedar, Sandalwood, Coffee, Paper/Parchment, Slaves, Hunting Dogs/Birds, Isinglass, Iron [Quantity], Wood [Quantity]
War:
In the era of warriors after the fall of Rome, permanent standing armies are few and far between, and are hosted only by the wealthiest of empires. Beyond the chosen retinue surrounding the kings court, most warriors are part-time soldiers, their lives dominated by cycles of farming, crafting, and raiding. The manpower of the kingdom is thus divided into three: the Total Levy, representing all fighting men available to be raised not in the standing retinue; the Armed Levy, constituting warriors who split their time seasonally between fighting and agriculture; and the Retinue, who are full-time professional warriors. The Armed Levy and Retinue are recruited from the Total Levy pool, and in lieu of standardized regiments, each unit recruited representing a single soldier. Manpower left over from the Armed Levy and Retinue will bring their own arms if called for war: some with varying kinds and quality of armament, and the rest with whatever implements they have on hand. Nonetheless, they can still be valuable to fill out the ranks of your armies, and to draw every hand available when the future of your kingdom is on the line. Armed Levies incur only half their recruitment cost in silver for maintenance, however, while Retinues require their full recruitment cost in maintenance. A fourth category represents your realm’s ships: all ships require half their recruitment silver cost in maintenance. Keep in mind naval vessels represent only the ship itself, and must be assigned soldiers for crew.
Warfare also has its differences, and can generally be divided into three categories based on your goals; Raids, Seasonal Campaigns, and Prepared Invasions. Raids are purely for plunder: raiding can be very lucrative, and are a good way to pay for the upkeep of your army/state or earn disposable income, but you can only summon your Retinue and up to a half of your Armed Levy on raids, and cannot permanently acquire territory. Seasonal Campaigns are a balance of plunder, conquest, and military commitment depending upon their objectives, and can summon up to the entire Armed Levy, but are limited to a single season of campaigning, and returns are also more limited overall, usually restricting conquests to trade-offs of border territories. Prepared Invasions are year-long campaigns that can summon from the Total Levy from across the land, and have the greatest payoffs in victory, but also the greatest risks in defeat, and if not adequately rewarded the levy will become discontent from time spent so long from the fields and harvest. These campaigns can nonetheless see the raising of new kingdoms, the seizure of key provinces, and even the total destruction of kingdoms. Each level of engagement has a corresponding likelihood of counter-engagement, with raids the most likely to get away without armed interception, and Prepared Invasions the most likely to see a climactic engagement.
The available unit cards presented below represent only the base units: some cultures may not have access to some cards, while others may have unique units not shown here. Custom units and unit cards can also be created and recruited by players during the game! As a general rule, units recruited and ships built during the turn can be used that turn by approximately mid-year. Also keep in mind that while troops can be raised relatively easily so long as you have the funds, materials, and manpower, disbanding them is a more delicate task. Most are not salaried soldiers of the state and once given weapons are loathe to give them up, and even those who are under the ruler’s direct employment are quite jealous of their privileges and prerogatives. Reducing the burden of military upkeep is thus a drastic step in many cases, requiring them to be settled in new land grants whether by conquest or appropriation, exile, or forced disarmament by loyal elements of your army.
Notes:
1. It is possible for those seeking to raid multiple targets in a turn to do so, and can be done by confirming your plundering objectives in your orders, keeping in mind that the army limits per Campaign Scale still apply, and you can send no more than the standard Raid army size cap per each raid. A standard Raid attacks a single target, a Seasonal Campaign can target up to two countries, and a Prepared Invasion can target up to three kingdoms. Keep in mind the risks of splitting your forces though! In the latter cases, greater plunder payoffs are substituted instead of seized territories, but they still bear the gradated risks of interception and decisive engagement.
2. Units can be upgraded or downgraded between like-kinds, aka light cavalry to heavy cavalry, or horse archer to archer, but not between infantry into a cavalryman, due to training and divides of social class. If upgrading, you will have to pay the difference in recruitment cost for silver/materials: if downgrading, you will not receive a refund.
In the era of warriors after the fall of Rome, permanent standing armies are few and far between, and are hosted only by the wealthiest of empires. Beyond the chosen retinue surrounding the kings court, most warriors are part-time soldiers, their lives dominated by cycles of farming, crafting, and raiding. The manpower of the kingdom is thus divided into three: the Total Levy, representing all fighting men available to be raised not in the standing retinue; the Armed Levy, constituting warriors who split their time seasonally between fighting and agriculture; and the Retinue, who are full-time professional warriors. The Armed Levy and Retinue are recruited from the Total Levy pool, and in lieu of standardized regiments, each unit recruited representing a single soldier. Manpower left over from the Armed Levy and Retinue will bring their own arms if called for war: some with varying kinds and quality of armament, and the rest with whatever implements they have on hand. Nonetheless, they can still be valuable to fill out the ranks of your armies, and to draw every hand available when the future of your kingdom is on the line. Armed Levies incur only half their recruitment cost in silver for maintenance, however, while Retinues require their full recruitment cost in maintenance. A fourth category represents your realm’s ships: all ships require half their recruitment silver cost in maintenance. Keep in mind naval vessels represent only the ship itself, and must be assigned soldiers for crew.
Warfare also has its differences, and can generally be divided into three categories based on your goals; Raids, Seasonal Campaigns, and Prepared Invasions. Raids are purely for plunder: raiding can be very lucrative, and are a good way to pay for the upkeep of your army/state or earn disposable income, but you can only summon your Retinue and up to a half of your Armed Levy on raids, and cannot permanently acquire territory. Seasonal Campaigns are a balance of plunder, conquest, and military commitment depending upon their objectives, and can summon up to the entire Armed Levy, but are limited to a single season of campaigning, and returns are also more limited overall, usually restricting conquests to trade-offs of border territories. Prepared Invasions are year-long campaigns that can summon from the Total Levy from across the land, and have the greatest payoffs in victory, but also the greatest risks in defeat, and if not adequately rewarded the levy will become discontent from time spent so long from the fields and harvest. These campaigns can nonetheless see the raising of new kingdoms, the seizure of key provinces, and even the total destruction of kingdoms. Each level of engagement has a corresponding likelihood of counter-engagement, with raids the most likely to get away without armed interception, and Prepared Invasions the most likely to see a climactic engagement.
The available unit cards presented below represent only the base units: some cultures may not have access to some cards, while others may have unique units not shown here. Custom units and unit cards can also be created and recruited by players during the game! As a general rule, units recruited and ships built during the turn can be used that turn by approximately mid-year. Also keep in mind that while troops can be raised relatively easily so long as you have the funds, materials, and manpower, disbanding them is a more delicate task. Most are not salaried soldiers of the state and once given weapons are loathe to give them up, and even those who are under the ruler’s direct employment are quite jealous of their privileges and prerogatives. Reducing the burden of military upkeep is thus a drastic step in many cases, requiring them to be settled in new land grants whether by conquest or appropriation, exile, or forced disarmament by loyal elements of your army.
Notes:
1. It is possible for those seeking to raid multiple targets in a turn to do so, and can be done by confirming your plundering objectives in your orders, keeping in mind that the army limits per Campaign Scale still apply, and you can send no more than the standard Raid army size cap per each raid. A standard Raid attacks a single target, a Seasonal Campaign can target up to two countries, and a Prepared Invasion can target up to three kingdoms. Keep in mind the risks of splitting your forces though! In the latter cases, greater plunder payoffs are substituted instead of seized territories, but they still bear the gradated risks of interception and decisive engagement.
2. Units can be upgraded or downgraded between like-kinds, aka light cavalry to heavy cavalry, or horse archer to archer, but not between infantry into a cavalryman, due to training and divides of social class. If upgrading, you will have to pay the difference in recruitment cost for silver/materials: if downgrading, you will not receive a refund.
Starting off, after reading the report your first priority should be to review your CC: though some prosperous countries start with a financial surplus, most will have to embark on raiding or trading to break even. Looking over your political lay of the land is the next most important step, identifying which factions are your friends to be ingratiated, and which are troublemakers or enemies. Handling these discontent factions can be done in a great variety of ways, whether by attempting to undermine their influence to reduce their threat, reconciling them to the throne by gifts and diplomacy to increase their happiness, granting them land and privileges (the most surefire way of increasing their happiness: but also their influence), or engaging them more head on by cowing them with displays of military strength, eliminating their leadership by arrests and assassinations, or even attempting liquidating the faction wholesale by oppression or a swift crackdown! Even relatively simple acts, such as feasts, invitations to celebrations and holidays, or letters sent between the ruler and the faction leader (so long as they can read!) can help improve relations. Factions can be eliminated, but naturally this bears the most risk of cries of tyranny and sparking open rebellion as factions are pressed with their back against the wall. New factions can arise as well through the course of the game, whether naturally or by your active promotion, and those factions you wish to patronize with greater influence can be uplifted by just as many means, from granting public offices to marriages into the royal family.
Boosting your authority is another major consideration, which takes into account your successes in all the above fields in war, diplomacy, economics, and politics, but can be influenced by more direct means through programs of enhancing your ruler’s prestige. This can include the construction of palaces, temples, and fortresses, the acquisition of new crown jewels, legendary artifacts, or holy relics, to the commissioning of chronicles, runestones, or translated philosophical works by scholars. Lastly, in improving the economics of your realm, besides international trade routes or raiding (which provide the fastest way of raising money), while oft a slower way of raising funds, public works to improve the cities and lands can raise your annual income in trade and tribute, so long as you have the means and know-how, which in these Dark Ages is not be taken as a given! These can manifest in infrastructure like roads and ports, sanitation public works like wells or aqueducts, land improvement via the introduction of new crops, new agricultural methods, or canals and reservoirs for irrigation. Or, more indirectly, you can endeavor to introduce the production of new trade goods, or patronize your owned Entrepots to expand their facilities and prestige to eventually raise its trade level.
Otherwise, if you have any questions on mechanics or still lost on where to begin, feel free to hit up your host, and I’ll be glad to help!
Boosting your authority is another major consideration, which takes into account your successes in all the above fields in war, diplomacy, economics, and politics, but can be influenced by more direct means through programs of enhancing your ruler’s prestige. This can include the construction of palaces, temples, and fortresses, the acquisition of new crown jewels, legendary artifacts, or holy relics, to the commissioning of chronicles, runestones, or translated philosophical works by scholars. Lastly, in improving the economics of your realm, besides international trade routes or raiding (which provide the fastest way of raising money), while oft a slower way of raising funds, public works to improve the cities and lands can raise your annual income in trade and tribute, so long as you have the means and know-how, which in these Dark Ages is not be taken as a given! These can manifest in infrastructure like roads and ports, sanitation public works like wells or aqueducts, land improvement via the introduction of new crops, new agricultural methods, or canals and reservoirs for irrigation. Or, more indirectly, you can endeavor to introduce the production of new trade goods, or patronize your owned Entrepots to expand their facilities and prestige to eventually raise its trade level.
Otherwise, if you have any questions on mechanics or still lost on where to begin, feel free to hit up your host, and I’ll be glad to help!
The Country Card:
The Royal Court:
Country Name: (The name of your empire, kingdom, or ethnic group)
Culture: (Your Cultural Bonus: Norse, Vikingr, Nomadic Confederation, Anglo-Saxon, Celts, Franks, Arabian, Byzantines, Andalusians, Republic)
Ruling House: (The reigning dynasty of your kingdom)
Ruler: (Your monarch or chief elected representative)
Heir: (The chosen heir and successor to your state)
Authority/Fame: (How much legitimacy and power you have within your realm, organized from; Minimal, Weak, Average, Strong, and Almighty. Viking Adventurers instead have Fame, organized from Unknown, Rumored, Respected, Celebrated, and Legendary. These will determine the overall share of the plunder given to your followers, with, respectively, 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, and 5%)
Claimants: (The alternatives to you and your chosen heir; can be other sons or daughters, powerful relatives, or influential nobles/neighbors)
Factions and Claimants:
Faction Name: (Factions can take many forms, from powerful noble Houses, ethnicities, religious groups/sects, or court political parties)
Leader: (The most prominent leader of the faction)
Influence: (How much support and power they have in the kingdom, organized from; Irrelevant, Weak, Moderate, Influential, and Dominant)
Happiness: (How content they are with the ruler and reigning House, organized from; Feud, Angry, Ambivalent, Content, and Harmonious)
Threat: (Threat is calculated by Influence subtracted by Happiness: if it matches or exceeds the score of the authority of the ruling house, there is a potential for revolt. Likewise, claimants compare their combined influence/happiness against the authority of the ruler themselves. Organized from Low, Medium, and High)
The Treasury:
Tax/Tribute Income: (The regular income you receive from the farmers, fishers, herders, craftsmen, and nobility in your realm)
Trade Income: (Income received from your trade routes and controlled entrepots)
Military Upkeep: (The expenses incurred from the maintenance of your Retinues and Armed Levies)
Government and Court Expenses/Share of Plunder: (5% of your income for Petty Kingdoms, 10% for Kingdoms, 15% for Empires, and +5% for each unhappy faction in your country)
Stored in Treasury: (Coin, treasure, and loot stored from surplus from previous turns: Plunder gained from raiding is deposited directly here)
Available to Spend This Turn: (The total available to spend after expenses and prior surplus)
Merchants:
Merchant Parties and Caravans: (How many merchants are available for trade missions this turn)
Controlled Entrepots: (Major international trade hubs under your control)
Goods Produced: (Strategic and trade goods produced by your kingdom)
Trade Deals: (Your currently negotiated trade deals with other kingdoms)
Council of War:
Total Levy: (Total population available for recruitment)
Armed Levy: (Part-time warriors, they have half the full maintenance cost of their units but can only be raised for Seasonal Campaigns without potential discontent)
Naval Levy: (Fleets available to be raised: Ships require half of their recruitment cost in maintenance)
Retinue: (Full time professional warriors, they have a full maintenance cost but can be used freely in any campaign as well as providing protection for your ruler)
Base Unit Cards:
Light Infantry: Lightly equipped infantry, usually armed with spear, shortsword, or axe, and defended only by a shield and helmet.
2 Silver per Warrior + 1 Iron
Archers: Ranged infantry wielding bows, crossbows, javelins, darts, or slings. Typically lightly armored or un-armored.
4 Silver Per Warrior + 1 Wood
Heavy Infantry: Armored infantry, armed with longswords, spears, or heavy axes, and armored with reinforced leather, chain, or lamellar.
5 Silver per Warrior + 3 Iron
Light Cavalry: Horse riders equipped with swords, axes, or spears and either unarmored or in light armor such as cloth or leather.
8 Silver Per Warrior + 5 Iron
Horse Archers: Cavalry specialized in archery from the saddle, typically lightly armored.
10 Silver Per Warrior + 1 Wood
Mounted Infantry: Heavy infantry mounted on light horses for faster traveling and maneuver: cannot fight on horseback in battle, however, and must dismount to engage.
10 Silver Per Warrior + 5 Iron
Heavy Cavalry: Well-armored cavalry on larger horses, they wield swords, axes, or lances, and are armored in chain, scale, or lamellar.
20 Silver Per Warrior + 10 Iron
Cataphracts: The heaviest armored warriors in the world, these mounted soldiers are girded in combinations of the finest chain and lamellar armor for unparalleled protection.
40 Silver Per Warrior + 20 Iron
War Elephants: Hailing from the savannas of Africa or the jungles of the Far Orient, these fearsome beasts are the most terrible weapon of war in the pre-modern world, equivalent to tanks of the modern day, and often heavily armored. Nonetheless, they require painstaking (and expensive) training from birth to be tamed for war, and are prone to run amok if spooked.
1,000 Silver Per Elephant
Ship Cards:
Coracle/Currach: [Crew of Two] The smallest of all boats, these simple boats are lightweight frames of interlacing wood stretched over with leather to form a vessel. They are suitable for riverine or coastal voyages, and for those brave enough cross-strait crossings, and can be easily carried overland by a single person, but they can only hold two people afloat per boat.
5 Silver per Boat + 2 Wood
Karvi/Knarr/Galley/Dhow: [Crew of 26] Oft designed and destined for trade, not war, these ships nonetheless are capable of filling in the battle line when called upon for war. They are steady troop transports and supply ships, but are not the best handling when it comes to the tight turns and heavy jostling of ships in battle.
100 Silver Per Ship + 10 Wood
Snekkja/War Galley/War Dhow: [Crew of 42] The mainstay of many fleets, these ships can carry a respectable crew of warriors, and their sailing characteristics are better suited to swift maneuvers and steady platforms in battle.
200 Silver Per Ship + 20 Wood
Skeið/Dromon/Sambuk: [Crew of 80] The center of any naval battle line, these are the true warships, capable of carrying large crews of armed soldiers and holding their own in the crush of battle as well as weathering the storms of long voyages.
350 Silver Per Ship + 35 Wood
Drakkar/Imperial Dromon/Baghlah: [Crew of 150] The pride of any chief, king, or emperor who owns them, these are the largest ships afloat, capable of carrying in excess of a hundred men across great distances and through terrible battles unscathed. They are often richly decorated, and serve as the flagship for the commanding lord or admiral.
800 Silver Per Ship + 50 Wood
Turn 1 Order Deadline:
Sunday July 28th, 11:59PM EST
Sunday July 28th, 11:59PM EST
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