Notes on Small Nations, Part 3: Wallachia in 1809.
Nov 19, 2020 0:10:20 GMT
ππ³π°π΅π΄π¬πΊ, Hannibal Barca, and 1 more like this
Post by pathdoc on Nov 19, 2020 0:10:20 GMT
Wallachia 1809.
Wallachia is one of the nations in the game that comes and goes with the year. It is located in the real-life Eastern Europe and would form part of Rumania.
In 1809, Wallachia begins the game as a two-star nation with 0 gold, 0 metal and 800 food. If you play it, you are BLUE.
BORDERS/GEOPOLITICS:
The eastern and southern borders are with the Ottoman Empire, which is your BLUE ally.
From north-northeast to west, your border is with Austria, RED, enemy.
From west to southwest, your border is with Serbia, RED, enemy.
There is a very short border (one hex) in common with Moldavia, RED, enemy. Beyond this lies RUSSIA (enemy).
GEOGRAPHY:
Wallachia is mostly flat ground and forest; there seems to be some hidden obstruction to mobility here, and both artillery and cavalry may not move their full distance. Much of the northwest border with Austria is mountainous. A river (the Danube) marks almost the entire Wallachia-Ottoman border, curling into Wallachian territory just south of your capital, Bucharest. It then turns roughly north-northwest and parallels the border with Serbia, one hex into Serbian territory.
There is a single bridge near the western end of the Wallachia-Ottoman border to allow unrestricted passage in this area.
Wallachia is nominally landlocked; however, there is a short strip of Ottoman territory between one and two hexes wide separating Wallachia from the Black Sea.
ECONOMIC ASSETS:
CITIES:
Bucharest, Level 4, Trading Centre (south centre). (+20 gold, + 2 metal, -12% to all damage.)
Unnamed City, Level 1, on Western border. (+3 gold, -3% to all damage.)
STABLES:
Clujnapoca, Level 2, one hex from the northwest border. (+4 Gold, -6% to all incoming damage).
ARTILLERY:
Unnamed facility, Level 1, in the easternmost hex. (+4 Metal, -3% to all incoming damage.)
PORTS:
None.
FARMS:
Wallachia has two farms at the start, fully developed (+40) and undeveloped (+15)
FORTS:
Wallachia has a small fort on the hex immediately SW of Clujnapoca and a second in a salient at the junction between Wallachia, Austria and Moldavia. There is a medium Fortress immediately southwest of Bucharest.
MILITARY ASSETS:
Infantry:
In Bucharest - Triple Grenadiers commanded by CARADJA (74HP, 3nob) with bayonet, 1* inf, 2* trade, skill DISGUISE.
In the unnamed Western city - Single Militia.
These consume a total of 19 food per turn.
Cavalry:
In Clujnapoca, 1 x Double Light Cavalry.
Near Bucharest (1 hex west of the Bucharest fort), 1 x Double Light Cavalry.
In the north-east (just SE of the fort there), 1 x Single Light Cavalry
These consume a total of 35 food per turn.
Artillery:
In the east, in the artillery factory, 1 x Single Light Artillery.
This consumes a total of 5 food per turn.
The forts do not consume food.
Fort capabilities: Wallachia is capable of constructing small forts (120G 10M) and Coastal batteries (60G 60 M).
ECONOMY AND LOGISTICS:
The total economy of Wallachia in the starting condition is 27 gold, 6 metal, 55 food per day.
The total consumption of Wallachia in the starting condition is 59 food per day.
On the third day, there is enough gold to research the second farm, which thereafter puts Wallachia in a positive food balance with its starting population. If Wallachia were able to remain neutral, it would be in a very good economic position.
DISCUSSION:
Wallachia is fortunate in having a Trade Centre and a starting general with a modicum of training stars. This enables it to optimize its rather parlous economy and make troops to defend itself from early rushes by Serbia and Moldavia, and later by Russia. The presence of Ottoman troops on the territory between Wallachia and the Black Sea is also of assistance here.
If one is fortunate, one may seize a substantial amount of arable land from the Ottomans, far outstrip necessity in food production, and trade it back for gold and/or metal.
Wallachia has the disadvantage of being surrounded by enemies to its north and west, and the advantage of being cradled by a fairly major power to its south (Ottoman). If Russia were not an issue, Wallachia could easily turn on either Serbia or Moldavia and destroy them.
THE POSITION OF WALLACHIA'S IMMEDIATE ENEMIES.
Both Austria and Russia should be treated as having effectively unlimited resources.
Serbia begins with a level 3 city (Belgrade) with a Tavern and a Level 1 Artillery Depot, a fortress to the southeast of Belgrade, and no cavalry or seaport. Its starting economy is 12 gold, 4 metal, 59 food. There is no Trade Centre in Serbia to exchange excesses. It has enemies to its west (Italy), south (Ottoman), and east (Wallachia), and is in an extremely parlous position. Belgrade's Tavern yields Milinovic (2* artillery) on turn 15 and Nenadovic (2* inf, 5* trade) on Turn 37.
Moldavia begins the war with a level 3 city (Kishinev) and a level 2 artillery factory (Iasi) which is also a trade centre. This is guarded by siege artillery, and is potentially open to a cavalry rush. Its starting economy is only a little better than Serbia's, and both its farms are undeveloped. However, Russian units will soon either overrun it or come to its aid.
SUGGESTED STRATEGY:
For the beginning player, if you have a good cavalry general (e.g. Dumouriez) and a good artillery general (e.g. Kutaisov), you can put Dumouriez on the cav in Clujnapoca and have him take the Level 1 Austrian city just north of him early. You must improve the artillery factory by 1 to give the artillery general a double light artillery (to keep it moving at 2 hexes/turn over good ground) and use this plus Caradja, the existing artillery and the fort to defend against Russian attacks, and perhaps wear down Mourousis and take Kishinev early.
Steal what you can from the Turks until they go neutral. Be aware that turning them hostile early will have unpleasant consequences for you, but if you can turn them neutral and then take all their farms, they will soon be paralyzed and then they can be flipped to enemy and their larger cities can be taken at leisure.
Be sure not to do this too early or they will be unable to help you defend against the Russians or destroy Serbia for you. I found that once I had held off/defeated Bennigsen and/or Barclay, the Russians didn't try too hard to invade me any more.
Wallachia as a two-star nation allows you to use up to SIX generals or princesses from your academy, and makes an interesting choice for the player who has unlocked slots or has a four-general endgame line-up and is tired of playing major nations all the time. If you deploy the right ones, your starting advantages (position, a Trading Centre) can make you very powerful.
DISCLOSURES:
I have played Wallachia with three generals (Emil, Dumouriez, Kutaisov) and a selection of useful items, and conquered the whole map in under 160 turns. The deliberate decision to turn France no doubt lengthened this substantially.
Wallachia is one of the nations in the game that comes and goes with the year. It is located in the real-life Eastern Europe and would form part of Rumania.
In 1809, Wallachia begins the game as a two-star nation with 0 gold, 0 metal and 800 food. If you play it, you are BLUE.
BORDERS/GEOPOLITICS:
The eastern and southern borders are with the Ottoman Empire, which is your BLUE ally.
From north-northeast to west, your border is with Austria, RED, enemy.
From west to southwest, your border is with Serbia, RED, enemy.
There is a very short border (one hex) in common with Moldavia, RED, enemy. Beyond this lies RUSSIA (enemy).
GEOGRAPHY:
Wallachia is mostly flat ground and forest; there seems to be some hidden obstruction to mobility here, and both artillery and cavalry may not move their full distance. Much of the northwest border with Austria is mountainous. A river (the Danube) marks almost the entire Wallachia-Ottoman border, curling into Wallachian territory just south of your capital, Bucharest. It then turns roughly north-northwest and parallels the border with Serbia, one hex into Serbian territory.
There is a single bridge near the western end of the Wallachia-Ottoman border to allow unrestricted passage in this area.
Wallachia is nominally landlocked; however, there is a short strip of Ottoman territory between one and two hexes wide separating Wallachia from the Black Sea.
ECONOMIC ASSETS:
CITIES:
Bucharest, Level 4, Trading Centre (south centre). (+20 gold, + 2 metal, -12% to all damage.)
Unnamed City, Level 1, on Western border. (+3 gold, -3% to all damage.)
STABLES:
Clujnapoca, Level 2, one hex from the northwest border. (+4 Gold, -6% to all incoming damage).
ARTILLERY:
Unnamed facility, Level 1, in the easternmost hex. (+4 Metal, -3% to all incoming damage.)
PORTS:
None.
FARMS:
Wallachia has two farms at the start, fully developed (+40) and undeveloped (+15)
FORTS:
Wallachia has a small fort on the hex immediately SW of Clujnapoca and a second in a salient at the junction between Wallachia, Austria and Moldavia. There is a medium Fortress immediately southwest of Bucharest.
MILITARY ASSETS:
Infantry:
In Bucharest - Triple Grenadiers commanded by CARADJA (74HP, 3nob) with bayonet, 1* inf, 2* trade, skill DISGUISE.
In the unnamed Western city - Single Militia.
These consume a total of 19 food per turn.
Cavalry:
In Clujnapoca, 1 x Double Light Cavalry.
Near Bucharest (1 hex west of the Bucharest fort), 1 x Double Light Cavalry.
In the north-east (just SE of the fort there), 1 x Single Light Cavalry
These consume a total of 35 food per turn.
Artillery:
In the east, in the artillery factory, 1 x Single Light Artillery.
This consumes a total of 5 food per turn.
The forts do not consume food.
Fort capabilities: Wallachia is capable of constructing small forts (120G 10M) and Coastal batteries (60G 60 M).
ECONOMY AND LOGISTICS:
The total economy of Wallachia in the starting condition is 27 gold, 6 metal, 55 food per day.
The total consumption of Wallachia in the starting condition is 59 food per day.
On the third day, there is enough gold to research the second farm, which thereafter puts Wallachia in a positive food balance with its starting population. If Wallachia were able to remain neutral, it would be in a very good economic position.
DISCUSSION:
Wallachia is fortunate in having a Trade Centre and a starting general with a modicum of training stars. This enables it to optimize its rather parlous economy and make troops to defend itself from early rushes by Serbia and Moldavia, and later by Russia. The presence of Ottoman troops on the territory between Wallachia and the Black Sea is also of assistance here.
If one is fortunate, one may seize a substantial amount of arable land from the Ottomans, far outstrip necessity in food production, and trade it back for gold and/or metal.
Wallachia has the disadvantage of being surrounded by enemies to its north and west, and the advantage of being cradled by a fairly major power to its south (Ottoman). If Russia were not an issue, Wallachia could easily turn on either Serbia or Moldavia and destroy them.
THE POSITION OF WALLACHIA'S IMMEDIATE ENEMIES.
Both Austria and Russia should be treated as having effectively unlimited resources.
Serbia begins with a level 3 city (Belgrade) with a Tavern and a Level 1 Artillery Depot, a fortress to the southeast of Belgrade, and no cavalry or seaport. Its starting economy is 12 gold, 4 metal, 59 food. There is no Trade Centre in Serbia to exchange excesses. It has enemies to its west (Italy), south (Ottoman), and east (Wallachia), and is in an extremely parlous position. Belgrade's Tavern yields Milinovic (2* artillery) on turn 15 and Nenadovic (2* inf, 5* trade) on Turn 37.
Moldavia begins the war with a level 3 city (Kishinev) and a level 2 artillery factory (Iasi) which is also a trade centre. This is guarded by siege artillery, and is potentially open to a cavalry rush. Its starting economy is only a little better than Serbia's, and both its farms are undeveloped. However, Russian units will soon either overrun it or come to its aid.
SUGGESTED STRATEGY:
For the beginning player, if you have a good cavalry general (e.g. Dumouriez) and a good artillery general (e.g. Kutaisov), you can put Dumouriez on the cav in Clujnapoca and have him take the Level 1 Austrian city just north of him early. You must improve the artillery factory by 1 to give the artillery general a double light artillery (to keep it moving at 2 hexes/turn over good ground) and use this plus Caradja, the existing artillery and the fort to defend against Russian attacks, and perhaps wear down Mourousis and take Kishinev early.
Steal what you can from the Turks until they go neutral. Be aware that turning them hostile early will have unpleasant consequences for you, but if you can turn them neutral and then take all their farms, they will soon be paralyzed and then they can be flipped to enemy and their larger cities can be taken at leisure.
Be sure not to do this too early or they will be unable to help you defend against the Russians or destroy Serbia for you. I found that once I had held off/defeated Bennigsen and/or Barclay, the Russians didn't try too hard to invade me any more.
Wallachia as a two-star nation allows you to use up to SIX generals or princesses from your academy, and makes an interesting choice for the player who has unlocked slots or has a four-general endgame line-up and is tired of playing major nations all the time. If you deploy the right ones, your starting advantages (position, a Trading Centre) can make you very powerful.
DISCLOSURES:
I have played Wallachia with three generals (Emil, Dumouriez, Kutaisov) and a selection of useful items, and conquered the whole map in under 160 turns. The deliberate decision to turn France no doubt lengthened this substantially.
