Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader let you down. Rather than titilating you all (his loyal minions) with a fun and exciting update yesterday; he opted to spend time with his family - and then waste the better part of the night playing Medieval Total War.

This particular game of Medieval Total War started out poorly for your Maximum Leader. He was playing the Byzantines in this game. (He generally plays either the English, Byzantines, or Holy Roman Empire. He’s dabbled in the Italians and the Spanish; but generally sticks with those first three.)

Early on the Byzantines are hampered by really only “producing” military units in Constantanople. Your Maximum Leader caught an early break by expanding rapidly into the Balkans and around the Black Sea. The early nemisis of the Byzantines, the Turks, we warring with the Egyptians over Antioch and Syria. This allowed your Maximum Leader to build up Anatolia as a military production center. But, eventually the Turks and Egyptians settled their differences, and the Turks decided to attack. Your Maximum Leader caught more lucky breaks and held his own. (Mainly by executing prisoners and not ransoming them back.) An uneasy peace began. Then, after a few years, the Turks attacked again. Then, in a masterful display of defence on unfavourable terrain, your Maximum Leader’s Byzantines captured the Turkish Sultan and killed a number of his heirs in one battle. The Sultan was ransomed for a huge sum of money. And your Maximum Leader’s spys informed him that the Turkish Sultan had only one heir. Your Maximum Leader went on offence and in one glorious battle that ebbed and flowed, the Byzantines were triumphant and killed th Sultan and his heir in battle. Of course, this victory was followed-on by grabbing formerly Turkish provences.

Then your Maximum Leader was attacked by the Scilians in Naples. He lost Naples. Then the Egyptians decided to pile on and attacked into Syria. The Byzantines forced the Egyptians back and took Antioch and Tripoli from them. Then there were many years of peace. Your Maximum Leader’s Byzantines bided their time and built up his military infrastructure. Then the Scilians got greedy and attacked into Greece from Naples. The Byzantines replused the attack and ransomed back to the Sicilian king 3 princes of the blood and two dukes. With that handsome sum, he was able to build up cavalry and then with his Emperor (Michael VIII) at the head of the army, he attacked and retook Naples.

Then his leader, Emperor Michael VIII died (young - 60) and his 16 year old heir became Emperor. Constantine XI ascended. This was the big turning point for the Byzantines. He was attacked (in Bulgaria) by German and French Crusader armies bent on taking Constantanople. He crushed them both.

Then the Sicilians attacked Naples again. Using the young Emperor (aged 20 now) at the head of his armies, he counter-attacked the Sicilians and eventually eliminated them as he had the Turks.

Then the Egyptians declared a jihad against him and tried to retake Tripoli and Antioch. The Egyptians took Tripoli by stalled there. Your Maximum Leader moved his Emperor and armies by sea and invaded Egypt itself. After a few years, the Egyptians were eliminated.

Now the Byzantines control most of the Balkans (except Wallachia and Croatia), all the provences around the Black sea. All of Asia Minor. All of the Middle East. Egypt. The islands of Sicily, Malta, Rhodes, Cyprus, and Crete. And Naples on the boot of Italy. His young Emperor married an Italian princess and his producing heirs at the rate of one every two years (as well as daughters in the off years that he will use to cement alliances). All the major factions have sued for alliances with him (the only unallied factions are the Pope; the Holy Roman Empire - which is being gobbled up by neighbours; and the French). He is awash in cash, and is able to both improve his economy and trade while supporting massive professional armies consisting of many elite units.

And that dear minions is what your Maximum Leader did instead of blogging.

It did help clear his mind a little.

And the game isn’t even done yet!

Carry on.