Topic: Crisis in Marienburg Update!

[McKnight]

Don't... nobody reads stickies 


I had seen it when it was a standard post but when it was made sticky i couldn't find it and thought they had been taken down for revision...

[GamesPoet]

I have some questions:

1) Is Averland ALLIED with Marienburg, or does it just have a trade deal with them? Why would they Ally with them and piss off ALL the neighboring provinces?

Looks like it is according to the background and timeline that has been provided.

2) Why would Averland make a deal with a city some ~550 miles away from them? We're talking the distance from Washington DC to Detroit. That's a LONG way to march/send food.

I believe what's been provided mentions a trading pact of some kind.

3) Why wouldn't the other breadbasket southern provinces join them?

I'm guessing Averland has been allied with marienburg via their connections to Tilea and Estalia via the Border Princes through the Black Fire pass.  I question how ise Averland's leadership is regarding this, and yet with wide spread famine, I suspect they obtaining food by providing soldiers for the upcoming fight.

Also, my understanding is the bulk of the campaign will occur in the Marienburg area.


(GP's fluff only ... although I can see how Orc's could create problems for the trade route through Black Fire Pass (particularly since I just bought the 6th edition Empire Orc box and have begun painting  ), not to mention the Sigmarites being just a bit annoyed when they discover Averlanders fighting in the Marienburg area.  Hopefully Averland will have enough sense to keep a few troops home for the defense of their borders, just in case the Sigmarites decide to make a thrust in the Averland direction. )

[GamesPoet]

Averland is very Sigmarite according to fluff, so I can't see why they wouldn't partner up with the other Sigmaritic provinces. As far as survival goes, it would be suicidal for Averland to set themselves at odds with the provinces. They would be pounded from three sides by three provinces including the powerful armies in Reikland (the capital). The nearest support from Marienburg would take MONTHS to get anywhere near Averland, not counting the horrors that lurk in the forests. Averland is very similar to the surrounding southern provinces, so I really cant see why they would act outside of the norm.

I'm guessing that the focus of the Sigmarites is on the offending Marienburgers, yet I wonder how Averland was able to stay out of making an agreement with the Sigmarites.  The trading agreement between Averland and Marienburg might be troops for food?

(More GP fluff only at this point ... Averland can save money to recruit more soldiers for it's own defense if need be, by buying food with troops rather then with money.  Plus they have the food through trade to feed them.  Where as the rest of the Sigmarites have chosen to attempt breaking the trade embargo by going directly for the heart of the problem militarily, and ignoring the smallness of the Averlanders decision, particularly since the trade route that way might not be able to supply enough of the Sigmarites anyway.)

[GamesPoet]

It would be sort of hard to make the months long forced march through provinces that want you dead, so you can fight around Marienburg ... in a swamp 

I'm (again, GP's fluff ideas only) sensing this could have been purely an economic choice.  Be permited to keep their own trade routes open in return for troops being sent to Mareinburg, and Marienburg makes out by not having those same troops fighting them with the Sigmarites.  The Middenlanders and the League are probably happy the Averland forces won't be part of the Sigmarites, too.

Unless Averland thinks it's Germany in WW2 and can conquer or annex their way north to Marienburg, then I can't see why they would abandon their neighbors and start such a fuss - especially with the long term side effects of Reikland Stirland and Wissenland  surrounding Averland during the campaign not to mention Nuln which is right on the Border of Averland and certainly has a powerful army - When we should be guarding Black Fire Pass and assisting the Emperor's Army.

I doubt Averland would have any plans to invade Reikland, Stirland, Wissenland, nor Nuln.  Instead, they get to keep some folks at home for the next seasons planting, and maybe even trade horses for money with the other Sigmarites to keep them happy while their "mercanaries" are off around the continent fighting for food. (obviously more of GP's speculation only.  )

[GamesPoet]

It would be sort of hard to make the months long forced march through provinces that want you dead, so you can fight around Marienburg... in a swamp 

Unless their troops hopped on Estalian ships and went by sea .............

I'm only guessing, but the sea route seems to make the most sense, and through Black Fire Pass, not Wissenland.  The food shows up by boat and then overland while the boat then leaves with the "mercenary" troops.

[GamesPoet]

They'd have to go through Wissenland first, then the mountains, then Tilea, then all the way around Estalia to land a Marienburg. The Border Princes are just as unfriendly as the forests of the Empire. Unless The Reman Legions can spare a Warhammer version of Hannibal, it'd probably be safer for Averland to fight are way north through our neighbors. Walking there alone is 500+ miles, and that would take months. Sailing would be safer but still take longer.

...

Either case its going to be a rough time getting Averlanders to Marienburg through Reikland, Nuln, Wissenland and all her allies.

One thing is for sure, grape vines can very often grow well when other things aren't, so perhaps the wine is being used to buy safe passage through the Border Princes lands for both the food and the "mercenaries".  Although if any Orcs get wind of the trade going on through the Black Fire Pass, this could present the need for Averland's soldiers to go into action there as well.