The Old World: Dark Age of the Empire

[X] Plan The Pack Survives
-[X] United Behind Wissenland
-[X] Insist on Raab
-[X] The Maria Stokes Whittlers
-[X] The Howling Wolves
-[X] An Imperial Winter
-[X] Storm Wurtbad
-[X] Engage with an Elector (Write-In which Elector) Cost: 1,000 Marks per Die Must Beat: 150 3 Dice
--[X] The Moot - Discuss the threat of Vlad Von Carstein and propose a defensive alliance. Ask as well how might Wissenland increase trade ties and support the Moot as well how to better insure the rights of it's halfling citizens.
-[X] The Officer's Academy Cost 500 Marks per Die Required Effort: 0/100 1 Die
--[X] Form the detachment system, wherein the foot Iron Companies are trained to be deployed in flexible ad-hoc combined arms formations in order to shore up their weaknesses; melee infantry supports ranged infantry and vice versa. Make provisions for an expansion of the program so that a greater integration of the foot Iron Companies' formations happens at a later time with more field experience.
-[X] Re-equip the Great Company Cost: 3000 Marks and 400 Materials per Die Required Effort: 0/240 2 Dice
-[X] The Wissenland Road Network Cost: 1,500 Marks and 400 Materials per Die 1 Die
--[X] Wissenburg-Wurmgrube Road - 0/400
-[X] Establish Agents Cost: 1,000 Marks and 200 Food per Die Must Beat: 100 3 Die
--[X] Sylvania
-[X] The Stirland Crisis Must Beat: 50 1 die

Total Cost: 22500 Marks, 1600 Materials, 600 Food

Here's a plan for you all.

Key considerations in this plan are our lack of dice, Sylvania's silence, building a wider net of alliances in the Empire as well as starting our reforms for the Iron Companies.

On Tech (and the lack of of it):
The most important research we can make this turn is the shot package for our cannons. Grape shot, as I've remarked before is bonkers, With our Great Cannon even more so. Sadly, if we want to make sure we beat the DC and not waste dice with a failure, we'll need 6 dice. That's more than half of our dice pool. Steam engine would be nice as are the other stuff we got from Miragliano, but again we have a lot to do and I want to devote dice to other things until we get more dice with the Marienburg alliance and ending the Stirland Crisis. Either works.

On the Spy Network in Sylvania:
I think we should at least try it this turn. This becomes more and more important every turn we don't get info from Vlad. I think we have a good chance now between the religious orders in the Empire knowing about Vlad's vampirism and the support of the Ranaldians. The extra dice should help do it.

On the non-die actions:
Going for broke on both the Marienburg and Averland choices. Obtaining Marienburg as an ally helps bankroll our anti-Sylvania efforts and gives us an extra die. It also denies Reikland a shot at swaying them over, always good imo. Averland needs strengthening as they're going to be our main military ally for the foreseeable future. Giving them an extra state troop company + fortifying Grenzstadt will really help in making them a more capable military partner.

As for the Ulricans, I chose to support the building of a temple of Ulric in Wissenland for two reasons: the supply of guns that the Imperial Gunnery School can produce is not infinite, having a chapter of White Wolves will give us some heavy cavalry. What cannons we can provide them could be better spent on allies closer to Wissenland or ourselves. The Ar-Ulric is closely entwined with the Middenland Emperor so even if the Ar-Ulric wants to march out in support of us, the Middenland Emperor might block him from doing so, especially with the three-way faction battle they're currently on. Any increase in influence the Ulricans get in Wissenland is marginal at best, they're only one of many cults that reside in Wissenland, not to mention our province is majority Sigmarite as well. We're very multi-faith right now, and another one isn't going to hurt us. A new knightly order would be a great tool to have. Who knows, maybe this will get the Sigmarites to start arming up for us more.

On the Middenland Emperor, I think we shouldn't commit to either of the other options. Swearing fealty takes away all the diplomatic gains we have made this turn, and supplying a war against Reikland would be majorly unpopular amongst our Sigmarite population and allies (even if the Reiklanders are bastards).

Moving on to Wurtbad, I think it's time we pump up the pressure and storm it. I don't like seeing all these failures and without attacking the convoys of supplies into Wurtbad, we're likely to be stuck here when Vlad makes his move. The fact that Vlad isn't moving gives me concern. We should be able to make the DC given the strength of the Iron Companies and the reduced defenses of Wurtbad. Once we besiege the Eagle Castle directly we'll be in a much better position to move as we please.

Lastly, I picked the Maria Stokes Whittlers over the night service because while the Night Service might be more reliable in the long run, it will take time to actually set up. Something we don't have given our intrigue concerns.

On the Army reforms:
We start the Militarstutz reforms, try to get the Iron Companies up to at least tabletop standards and create the detachment system. We can do more to get pike and shot formations once we get a pike Iron Company set up with some help from Trantio but I think this should be a logical improvement given the circumstances. Other stuff we can start experimenting on is to start equipping the Elector's Own with pistols or carbines and turn them into light skirmish cavalry but that can wait for when we get the Great Company sorted with the new rifles. Speaking of, I feel getting that new contract for the new matchlock guns is vital so that we can start upgrading our free companies and up our passive replenishment.

On everything else:
The last piece of the puzzle for our Anti-Vlad alliance is to come to an understanding with the Moot. Even if we have negative relations with them, securing their cooperation would make the defense of the Aver river much easier. They're the very soft underbelly to the southern Empire and a prime target for Vlad. The only other option for us to reach out to is the Ottillian Empress, but she's going to get into conflict with Vlad anyways over Mordheim and the supply of warpstone he needs.

I've chosen this turn to dedicate our locked province improvement to the road network, particularly the Wissenburg-Wurmgrube Road. While we could keep doing port improvements, I think it's time we start looking at bigger improvements to our infrastructure. Once we complete the Wissenburg-Wurmgrube road, we can expand the road network and do the actions for the Wurmgrube-Meissen, Trulben-Wusterburg and the Wusterburg-Weilerburg road. That should create a road network that mostly covers the Nuln-Wusterburg-Kreutzhofen axis along the River Soll. That connects most of the province and should allow massively increased trade and better movement. Should allow smaller merchant companies without access to river-going vessels an easier time getting to the centers of industry in the province.
 
Last edited:
[X] Plan The Pack Survives
-[X] United Behind Wissenland
-[X] Insist on Raab
-[X] The Maria Stokes Whittlers
-[X] The Howling Wolves
-[X] An Imperial Winter
-[X] Storm Wurtbad
-[X] Engage with an Elector (Write-In which Elector) Cost: 1,000 Marks per Die Must Beat: 150 3 Dice
--[X] The Moot - Discuss the threat of Vlad Von Carstein and propose a defensive alliance. Ask as well how might Wissenland increase trade ties and support the Moot as well how to better insure the rights of it's halfling citizens.
-[X] The Officer's Academy Cost 500 Marks per Die Required Effort: 0/100 1 Die
--[X] Form the detachment system, wherein the foot Iron Companies are trained to be deployed in flexible ad-hoc combined arms formations in order to shore up their weaknesses; melee infantry supports ranged infantry and vice versa. Make provisions for an expansion of the program so that a greater integration of the foot Iron Companies' formations happens at a later time with more field experience.
-[X] Re-equip the Great Company Cost: 3000 Marks and 400 Materials per Die Required Effort: 0/240 2 Dice
-[X] The Wissenland Road Network Cost: 1,500 Marks and 400 Materials per Die 1 Die
--[X] Wissenburg-Wurmgrube Road - 0/400
-[X] Establish Agents Cost: 1,000 Marks and 200 Food per Die Must Beat: 100 3 Die
--[X] Sylvania
-[X] The Stirland Crisis
Must Beat: 50

Total Cost: 22500 Marks, 1600 Materials, 600 Food
 
[X] Plan The Pack Survives
-[X] United Behind Wissenland
-[X] Insist on Raab
-[X] The Maria Stokes Whittlers
-[X] The Howling Wolves
-[X] An Imperial Winter
-[X] Storm Wurtbad
-[X] Engage with an Elector (Write-In which Elector) Cost: 1,000 Marks per Die Must Beat: 150 3 Dice
--[X] The Moot - Discuss the threat of Vlad Von Carstein and propose a defensive alliance. Ask as well how might Wissenland increase trade ties and support the Moot as well how to better insure the rights of it's halfling citizens.
-[X] The Officer's Academy Cost 500 Marks per Die Required Effort: 0/100 1 Die
--[X] Form the detachment system, wherein the foot Iron Companies are trained to be deployed in flexible ad-hoc combined arms formations in order to shore up their weaknesses; melee infantry supports ranged infantry and vice versa. Make provisions for an expansion of the program so that a greater integration of the foot Iron Companies' formations happens at a later time with more field experience.
-[X] Re-equip the Great Company Cost: 3000 Marks and 400 Materials per Die Required Effort: 0/240 2 Dice
-[X] The Wissenland Road Network Cost: 1,500 Marks and 400 Materials per Die 1 Die
--[X] Wissenburg-Wurmgrube Road - 0/400
-[X] Establish Agents Cost: 1,000 Marks and 200 Food per Die Must Beat: 100 3 Die
--[X] Sylvania
-[X] The Stirland Crisis
Must Beat: 50
 
[X] Plan The Pack Survives
-[X] United Behind Wissenland
-[X] Insist on Raab
-[X] The Maria Stokes Whittlers
-[X] The Howling Wolves
-[X] An Imperial Winter
-[X] Storm Wurtbad
-[X] Engage with an Elector (Write-In which Elector) Cost: 1,000 Marks per Die Must Beat: 150 3 Dice
--[X] The Moot - Discuss the threat of Vlad Von Carstein and propose a defensive alliance. Ask as well how might Wissenland increase trade ties and support the Moot as well how to better insure the rights of it's halfling citizens.
-[X] The Officer's Academy Cost 500 Marks per Die Required Effort: 0/100 1 Die
--[X] Form the detachment system, wherein the foot Iron Companies are trained to be deployed in flexible ad-hoc combined arms formations in order to shore up their weaknesses; melee infantry supports ranged infantry and vice versa. Make provisions for an expansion of the program so that a greater integration of the foot Iron Companies' formations happens at a later time with more field experience.
-[X] Re-equip the Great Company Cost: 3000 Marks and 400 Materials per Die Required Effort: 0/240 2 Dice
-[X] The Wissenland Road Network Cost: 1,500 Marks and 400 Materials per Die 1 Die
--[X] Wissenburg-Wurmgrube Road - 0/400
-[X] Establish Agents Cost: 1,000 Marks and 200 Food per Die Must Beat: 100 3 Die
--[X] Sylvania
-[X] The Stirland Crisis Must Beat: 50 1 die

I can't believe I confused Stirland with Sylvania...
 
If we 'Re-equip the Great Company Cost' dose that mean all the old guns are already given to the free companies? If so, would equipping free company actions just equip them with modern flintlocks?
 
Last edited:
If we 'Re-equip the Great Company Cost' dose that mean all the old guns are already given to the free companies? If so, would equipping free company actions just equip them with modern flintlocks?
Good point. @Warkeymon would it be right to say that if we equip our Iron Companies with the new stock, our surplus of the old guns would be able to go into a bonus for upgrading the Free Companies? I assumed that would be the case.
 
Last edited:
Good point. @Warkeymon would it be right to say that if we equip our Iron Companies with the new stock, our surplus of the old guns would be able to go into a bonus for upgrading the Free Companies? I assumed that would be the case.

Yes, the Militarstutz will pile up old guns in a warehouse and if you decide to improve the Free Companies then there'll be loads of Nulner Rifles ready to hand out.
 
Can't they just be upgraded with the new lock?

It doesn't seem to be that hard to pull off and it will save us a lot of material.

The Free Companies aren't organised, most of them are made of weekend militias and they're not going to send someone to Nuln to pick up spare guns. The Militarstutz doesn't even know how big the Free Companies are.

It takes effort to distribute the guns.

Edit: I think I've misunderstood your point. You can upgrade the Free Companies all the way to Flintlock but you'd not get the bonus from the spare guns.
 
Edit: I think I've misunderstood your point. You can upgrade the Free Companies all the way to Flintlock but you'd not get the bonus from the spare guns.
Now we're talking.

Yes, this is what I had in mind. When the percussion cap started to be introduced in the first half of the XIXth century, many armies simply converted their old flintlocks to the new mechanism to save time and money.
 
[X] Plan: Turn failed siege into genius strategic move
-[X] United Behind Wissenland
-[X] Insist on Raab
-[X] The Ar-Ulric's Faction
-[X] The Howling Wolves
-[X] An Imperial Winter
-[X] The Maria Stokes Whittlers
-[X] No New Orders
Diplomacy
-[X] Engage with a Noble, Notable or Cult (Write-In which Person of Power) Cost: 200 Marks per Die Must Beat: 50
--[X] Ask Cult of Morr for help against vampires/necromancers/undead. Knights of Morr in army/Cultist searching for vampire infiltration ect. 1 Action
-[X] Unveil the Vampire 1 Action
Martial

-[X] Call up Free Company (Select a Free Company) Cost: 200 Marks per Die
--[X] The Wissenlander Reserves Must Beat: 50 1 Action
-[X] The Stirland Crisis Must Beat: 50 1 Action
-[X] Re-equip the Great Company Cost: 3000 Marks and 400 Materials per Die Required Effort: 0/240 4 Actions
Stewardship

-[X] The Wissenland Road Network Cost: 1,500 Marks and 400 Materials per Die
--[X] Trulben-Wusterburg Road - 0/200 2 Actions

Cost: 15,400 Marks 2,400 Materials

The idea here is that Sylvania is surrounded right now.
Talabecland army in Mordheim, Stirland army in Raab, Averheim ready, Keep our army where it is and call up reserves while announcing Von Carstein is a vamp.
 
Last edited:
I've been sick for the past two days so I can't reaction post but I would still heavily caution against doing anything to Sylvania at the moment, even to make spy rings there. The risks are still too high if our cover are blown, for instance. Also, @Warkeymon, would it be possible on the Invest in City Institutions action to list out what the narrative expansion results would be? I recalled you posting some of the results like increasing output of the Gypsum Fertilizer to actually become a trade good outside the province but having them list in the turn would be better for ease of planning.
 
I've been sick for the past two days so I can't reaction post but I would still heavily caution against doing anything to Sylvania at the moment, even to make spy rings there. The risks are still too high if our cover are blown, for instance. Also, @Warkeymon, would it be possible on the Invest in City Institutions action to list out what the narrative expansion results would be? I recalled you posting some of the results like increasing output of the Gypsum Fertilizer to actually become a trade good outside the province but having them list in the turn would be better for ease of planning.

I've updated the activity as below. I don't want to bloat the blurbs of activities and if an institution hasn't got a particular improvement in mind you can write-in that there's something you think the expansion should focus on.

Invest in City Institutions (Select an Institution)
Dedicate your efforts to expanding and improving the facilities of a City Institution.
Cost: 1,600 Marks and 300 Materials per Die
Effort Required: See List of Options
The Industrielplatz - 0/600
- An expansion of the City's industrial district can be a great economic boon if the forges can be fed.
Imperial Gunnery School - 0/400
- An expansion of the School's manufacturing departments will allow for the manufacture of more of its products quicker.
The Bank of Nuln - 0/250
- Partnering with the Bank of Nuln on one of their own investments can open up opportunities throughout the Old World or perhaps even beyond.
College of Engineering - 0/250
- An expansion of the College's commercial departments will allow their civilian inventions to boost the economy. Of note the College is looking to build a Fertiliser Manufactory Wing to supply the huge quantity of Gypsum Fertiliser needed to improve the Wissenland's arability.
 
I'm pretty firm on getting a spy network on Sylvania, we lack so much info on Vlad. There's a fair chance he already knows we know about his secret given our high profile actions recently. I think he's at least smart enough to realize somethings up given we just hosted a conference of religious orders in the Empire headed by Van Hal, then shortly after attended the Middenland Emperor's wedding and the Marienburg election, two factions we aren't even aligned with. Even if he knows about one of these things happening he has a fair chance of thinking we know about his secret.

Think about it, if we were playing a Vlad quest right now we'd be ringing the alarm bells and doing stuff behind the scenes if any one of these showed up in the rumor mill.

His passivity also concerns me. He was quite insistent beforehand about the viability of the heir and getting us to leave. Now that we've locked him out of Stirland he hasn't moved an inch to help us or at least negotiate passage for his troops to help the siege. That screams shenanigans to me. I'm very much afraid he's already held the Totentanz and is already mustering his undead army. IOTL the only reason the wider Empire found out was because a single survivor managed to get out.

Edit: I don't know if this is a hint or just my paranoia but the Vampire Wars started with the battle of Essen Ford between Sylvania and the forces of the Ottillian Empress. Guess who's started marching on Mordheim now...
 
Last edited:
I didn't really expect the plan to win any voters, but now that three have already voted for it, I want to say something.

The idea here is that Sylvania is surrounded right now.
Talabecland army in Mordheim, Stirland army in Raab, Averheim ready, Keep our army where it is and call up reserves while announcing Von Carstein is a vamp.

That was the logic behind the plan "Turn failed siege into genius strategic move" and it brings to mind a strangely fitting reference:

"All I am surrounded by is fear. And dead men." Darth Vader

The last time Imperial factions fought the undead on a large scale if I remember correctly was during Sigmar's time against Nagash and that was a long time ago. Even warkeymon said we first have to find out what is effective against the undead. If we send 3 armies against Sylvannia now, they will probably be overrun quickly and Vlad will thank us for the new troops. As tempting as it sounds, we will not spawn kill Vlad.

I admit I haven't thought about the plans much yet, but did anyone also notice the following in the update?:

On the Sylvanian front nothing seems to change, the camp outside Raab is still there. The Averlander Ambassador brings notes from the frontline that the Sylvanian State Troop have certailny been doing something, there's plenty of coming and going from their camp but they haven't moved an inch. In fact since they raised an embankment and a palisade around their camp, about a year into their stay outside of Raab, they haven't even launched patrols to keep the Stirlanders hemmed in. The ambassador remarks at one point that the Averlanders are doing more to keep the Stirlanders at Raab than the Sylvanians are.

If I may speculate, I don't think many in the Sylvanian State Troop are still alive. The first battle of our vampire wars will probably be in Raab. I fear that if we insist that Averland protects Raab, they will probably lose a good part of their army there and it would be really bad for us if Vlad then decides that he can go through the south if he wants to go to Altdorf. But I don't have a good counter-proposal (Apart from let sirland die). Sirland is so weakened that Vlad will probably overrun it with part of his army anyway. We'll probably have enough to do for most of the war just keeping ourselves and Averland alive. If we have plenty of time we may be able to consolidate a position in Stirland, but we cannot do it in Raab, it is too close to the front line.
TLDR: I think that Stirland is dead, I hope Averland doesn't lose to much at Raab
 

No offence, I don't agree with that.
Vlad has 1 army we know about, possibly 2 armies if he is hiding 1.
He might beat the Combined armies at Raab, while we move our army to Mordheim to meet up with the Talabeclanders and then head South to Vlads castle.
At that point Vlad has to turn around or reveal his 2nd army.
Once word is out that he uses undead you can expect the entire empire to come marching out to cleanse them, Vlad would probably lose the Wolf emperor as an ally as well.
 
Once word is out that he uses undead you can expect the entire empire to come marching out to cleanse them, Vlad would probably lose the Wolf emperor as an ally as well.
Nope.

Didn't happen in canon, won't happen here.

He beat the Ostermark and Talabecland troops utterly, in his first canon-outing, went on to ravage the northern provinces for literal decades and then eventually failed at the walls of Altdorf by a mix of heroic sacrifice to kill him and almost-divine intervention to steal his ring.

The idea that the entire Empire will come together for a big threat because it is self-evident that it is a big threat absolutely needs to die.
The Empire won't re-united until the coming of Everchosen Azavar Kul, and even then only by the diplomacy and obvious divine blessings of Magnus the Pious.
It certainly won't suddenly jump together for the previously-unknown threat of Vlad von Carstein.
 
Nope.

Didn't happen in canon, won't happen here.

He beat the Ostermark and Talabecland troops utterly, in his first canon-outing, went on to ravage the northern provinces for literal decades and then eventually failed at the walls of Altdorf by a mix of heroic sacrifice to kill him and almost-divine intervention to steal his ring.

The idea that the entire Empire will come together for a big threat because it is self-evident that it is a big threat absolutely needs to die.
The Empire won't re-united until the coming of Everchosen Azavar Kul, and even then only by the diplomacy and obvious divine blessings of Magnus the Pious.
It certainly won't suddenly jump together for the previously-unknown threat of Vlad von Carstein.

I stand corrected on that part.
At-least Marienburg and Ostland will send troops to help as we have alliances for this with them.
As for the Wolf emperor, I highly doubt he'd be able to keep his alliance with a vampire using undead.
 
No offence, I don't agree with that.
Vlad has 1 army we know about, possibly 2 armies if he is hiding 1.
He might beat the Combined armies at Raab, while we move our army to Mordheim to meet up with the Talabeclanders and then head South to Vlads castle.
At that point Vlad has to turn around or reveal his 2nd army.
Once word is out that he uses undead you can expect the entire empire to come marching out to cleanse them, Vlad would probably lose the Wolf emperor as an ally as well.

No offence taken at all
I just don't quite understand it, the first vampire war lasted about 50 years and in the end Vlad was only defeated because of Mannfred's betrayal. In our timeline Vlad is even better off. It's going to be really hard to survive if he targets us this time, he's the main villain of this quest, comparable to the White Walkers in GoT. Everyone thinks it's all about the throne until death itself knocks on the door.
 
I think there's a fair chance we're not his number one target. I believe he's trying to neuter the other Imperial Candidates.

As of now, our little coalition is basically us and Averland. We've also shown no ambitions to become Emperor. Right now he's got Middenland in a sort-of alliance. Marienburg is likely to bow out of the race. Reikland has been hamstrung by Middenland's war against them. That leaves the Ottillian Empress.

She's currently the strongest Imperial Candidate by number of provinces and votes. She's also been bleeding troops trying to retake Mordheim. Ostermark as well is a prime target to take over. It's already partially corrupted by the warpstone in Mordheim.

If my guess is right he could start the Vampire Wars like otl by taking out Ostermark. It's a short jaunt from his borders, and the dhar corruption around the city would allow his undead to move without attrition. He also really needs that warpstone.

That and given that his mortal state troops near Raab are fortifying their position, I think he's content to keep us at Wurtbad. We can't leave Stirland without leaving it undefended from himself and the other Electors. Averland might be up to it, but if he decides to wheel around and fight Averland while we're off marching to relieve Talabecland and Ostermark they're going to be outmatched. The combined borders around Stirland and the Aver River are too large for Averland alone to watch. Aside from us he could also attack the Moot, which would compromise the river crossings into Averland.

Edit: I think we pushed him to take the canon route, which is a good/bad thing. Good in that by blocking him from Stirland, he would have had much more land to corrupt. Bad because now we have to babysit the Stirlanders until they get their act together, which could take quite awhile.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top