Blood and Iron campaign

From Warbirth Wiki

Start date: 900 BC End: ~600 BC

Almost 3 centuries have passed since a great catastrophe - bringing famine, drought and invaders - laid low the ancient powers of old. The chariot-driving Hittites and Mitanni are no more, their are but memories on desert winds.

Now a new age is upon us - an age of blood and iron. New peoples have emerged from the mountains of the north and the east, and from the deserts of the south, greedy for more lands and more glory. They ride not on chariots, but charge into battle on horseback, or march into battle, bearing arms of iron.

The great clash of bronze versus iron is about to break loose...

Changes:

  • Most western nations cover only single territories.

BUT....

  • Celts, Iberians, Germans and Euskaldunak cover vast swathes of territory.

The Middle East, again is divided into several alliances:

  • Assur + Iranians, who control the territories of Sagarta (capital) and Scythia
  • Phoenicians - they control Phoenicia, Cyprus and Zeugitana

The main gist of the campaign is the struggle for resources, both military and economic. Overall,

Supply Centres and Armies[edit | edit source]

  • There are 14 supply centres:
    • Ta-Mehw, Egypt
    • Ta-Temehw, Africa
    • Sahun, Eastern Asia
    • Shu and Ba, Eastern Asia
    • Bengal, Central Asia
    • Irawaddy Basin, Central Asia
    • Aram, Buranun
    • Purattu, Western Asia
    • Moenon (West Germany), Northern Europe
    • Raition (Switzerland), Northern Europe
    • Laketanion, Southern Europe
    • Pindian Range, Southern Europe
    • Dardania, Southern Europe
    • Kottinon (Slovakia), Eastern Europe

Iron Ore[edit | edit source]

  • There are 13 iron mines:
    • Eastern Asia: Nanyue, Min, Taedong Basin, Serindia
    • Central Asia: Khwarzmish, Kuru
    • Western Europe: Pelignon, Astura
    • Northern Europe: Eluetion, Etunorikon
    • Hayasa, Western Asia
    • Etruria, Southern Europe
    • Bastarnia, Danubia

Because there are sixteen Supply Centres, and you are tasked with controlling at least eight of them, this can result in some pretty fierce warfare. Four of these are located in Europe within close proximity of one another so it means that depending on your strategies, either outright warfare, diplomacy or political interference is the name of the game. Four factions - the Thracians, Greeks, Germans and Celts - will forever be a danger since once they seize the four southeastern European Supply Centres, they are then capable of forming their own empire, moving westward to seize control of the remaining two European Supply Centres, and possibly marching south and east - either to take the two Supply Centres associated with Egypt, or further east into Western Asia to seize the northern Mesopotamian Centres at Purattu and Aram.

In contrast, Iron Ore deposit distribution is weighted in favour of Asia - 4 in the Eastern Asia region, 2 in Central Asia and one in Western Asia. So as a result, it is often meet for an Asian faction (Choson, India or Bach Viet) to launch a pan-Asian campaign to cartelise the Iron Ore market, first by controlling all of Asia, and then buying off the various Middle Eastern or European powers to control the global Iron Ore supply. Any powers located in the western half of the map, such as the Phoenicians or the Euskaldunak, will have to travel further to obtain access to their eight Iron Ore sites than Asian factions in the east, who have access to all four of them right off the bat.