EU IV Portugal AAR Part 9 - 1468-1474

Regency 1468-1474

So, its 1468, and we are sitting pretty. With our finances in order we hire a navigator as an advisor, who boosts our diplomatic power and our colonial range. Nice! We also get a mission to colonise Sao Vicente, which is near to Rio de Janeiro. Not the best location in S America, but it’ll do. In February 1469 our colonists arrive and we complete the mission

Here’s where we make a major mistake. The next mission we take is to become Papal Controller. Easy, right? I mean we’re about as Catholic as it gets! Wrong! The difficulty and randomness of the whole thing becomes apparent over the next couple of years, to the extent that we cancel the mission and accept that we won’t be able to take another one for 5 years!

Not to worry, in April 1469 we take military tech 5, Standardized Pikes. Amazingly, it had never occurred to anyone before that if the pikemen had pikes of different lengths, this would make them less effective in battle.... I mean, come on, Alexander’s phalangites had sarissas of the same length 1800 years ago! More importantly, though, we get longbowmen, because they require pikes of the same... whatever, we get longbows!

We recall the colonist from Sao Vicente and send him to Rio Grande, on the northeastern tip of what will be Brazil... mainly because it sounds nice and our economy can cope with the extra colony...

In November 1470 we get admin tech 6, and future generations of geography GCSE students tremble in fear at the thought of crop rotation!

In 1471, France becomes Papal Controller with 2 cardinals, and 2 more being influenced. Von Howen, the cardinal we are investing heavily in then dies suddenly, and I realise the mission to take control of the Curia is hopeless and cancel the mission.

Fast forward to March 1473, and Rio Grande becomes self-sustaining, due to the influence of the colonist.

We hire a military advisor and decide to improve relations to France... because it’s always nice to have a friend in the Big Blue Blob, especially if we want to turn on Castile/Spain in the future.

November 1473 and we get the ‘Encomienda’ in Sao Vicente, which is essentially a work placement scheme!

The locals are now completely non-aggressive and the colony is growing nicely

In May 1474 our navigator advisor dies, and we hire a new diplomatic advisor of dubious value...

And then, boom! In July our boy King takes over and becomes Joao II de Avis, with his brother as heir. Long live the King!

The Regency was not the most dynamic 12 years of the game, but we did sort out our finances, convert the Kongolese to Catholicism using the magic of Um Bongo, find gold in Pernambuco and cement our position as #1 in the colonisation league.

Portugal at game start, 1444:

Mainland – 7 provinces

N Africa – Ceuta (sold to Morocco before unpausing!)

Island holdings – Madeira, The Azores

Portugal in 1474:

Mainland – 7 provinces
N Africa - Rio de Oro

Island holdings – Madeira, The Azores, Cape Verde Islands

S America – Pernambuco, Sao Vicente, Rio Grande

Next time, we see what our young King can turn his mind to....