	@tutcam.name
War Ruse Tutorial
	@tutcam.description
When playing this campaign, you will learn how to control your forces and your economy as well as understand stratagems and military art. You will find out more about various methods of assault and diversionary tactics and will be able to organize an effective defence. Naturally you already have knowledge that will allow you to gain brilliant victories, but it can never hurt to discover new war ruses and use them to crush previously invincible enemies.
	@auscam.name
Becoming a Generalissimo
	@auscam.description
Service to the Holy Roman Empire is never boring. The Empire always has a plenty of enemies to satisfy the most ambitious commander.
For many years, Europe has been living in the shadow of Turk menace. Countless times the militant Sultans have tried to conquer Hungary and expand their European holdings. But now Ottoman power is waning, it is time to stop their aggression against Austria once and for all.
To the west, France under Louis XIV is grasping for European hegemony. This, too, makes a conflict imminent.
If you prove yourself a capable commander, you'll have an opportunity to teach a lesson to the Turks and show them that the Emperor is not someone to make an enemy of. Next you'll have to knock the French a notch down and secure Austrian domination over Italy. Your adversaries are the most powerful states in Europe. Prevailing over their armies will bring you the glory of the likes of Alexander, Caesar and Turenne.
	@engcam.name
Roundheads vs Cavaliers
	@engcam.description
Something is rotten in the state of England. Only a few years ago you have praised the King who has saved England from the horrors of Thirty Years War that ravaged Europe. While the restless adventurers went to the continent, everyone who wished for peace could stay in the safety of their homes.
But the war is over now, yet the bloodlust is apparently not. With continental Europe tired of fighting, the conflict is brewing in a land hitherto peaceful. For some reason, the King and Parliament have decided that strife and conflict are more entertaining than working on the problems facing the state. Shakespeare himself could not imagine the passions flaring. No one can stay away from the events to come. Those who blew their chance to take part in the war in Germany need not despair, for an equally blood civil war is to ravage England.
	@fracam.name
Dawn of the French fleet
	@fracam.description
This campaign tells how the French have become the main rivals of English navy, making France the great naval power. This is a history of struggle on high seas, against the Berbers, against the Spaniards, against the English. You are about to face the most powerful navies of the world. Here, by the coasts of France, desperate sea battles will decide who is to reign over the waters. You will gain immortal glory and your name will become a part of French naval history. The generations to come will name the most powerful battleships of France in your honor. The golden age of French navy awaits!
	@ruscam.name
In distress and cold, on the Tsar's employ
	@ruscam.name.alternative
On Alexei the Most Quiet's service
	@ruscam.description
It is difficult to overestimate the role of Alexei Mikhailovich's reign in the history of Russia. Make no mistake about his nickname, "the Most Quiet", for his rule was a time of great troubles, wars and reforms. It is time for another war against Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. You will be assigned to command a regiment for your efforts to protect the southern reaches from Tatar raids. The Tsar himself will lead his army west to give a battle to the Grand Duchy of Lithiania. The war will be fought over enemy land, so it is crucial to provide the troops with all necessary supplies. The Tsar assigns you to capture and protect strongpoints and to raid enemy territories. You will have to fight the Lithuanians - and the Swedes, if they dare to intervene. Obedience to Tsar's will is mandatory. Complete your objectives at any cost!
	@ukrcam.name
Cossacks gain fame
	@ukrcam.description
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is a huge country, spanning from the Black sea at the south to the Baltic sea at the north. It is ruled by the elected king, and its nobility enjoys privileges undreamt of in the rest of Europe. This unusual state surprises the rest of the world with its wealth, the independence of its magnates, and its victories over its many enemies.
The peoples of the Commonwealth fight together the king's banner, battling the Tatar and the Turk, the Swede and the Muscovite. They fight on the land and at the sea, they fight at the north and at the south. "What coast knows not our blood?"
This campaign tells a story about times when the relations between the Crown of Poland and the Zaporozhian Host were the most cordial. You will see the wide spread of Cossack campaigns, their heroic service, their martial feats and the role they have played in the history of the Commonwealth.
	@tutmis1.name
tutmis1n
	@tutmis1.description
tutmis1
	@tutmis2.name
tutmis2n
	@tutmis2.description
tutmis2
	@tutmis3.name
tutmis3n
	@tutmis3.description
tutmis3
	@ausmis1.name
Disrupting enemy schemes
	@ausmis2.name
The Holy League
	@ausmis3.name
Conquest of Italy
	@ausmis4.name
Saving Turin
	@ausmis5.name
The Siege of Belgrade
	@engmis1.name
The Battle of Edgehill
	@engmis2.name
The Struggle on the East
	@engmis3.name
The Battle of Newbury
	@engmis4.name
Raising the New Model Army
	@engmis5.name
The Battle of Naseby
	@framis1.name
On Hospitaller service
	@framis2.name
Expedition against Gigelly
	@framis3.name
Helping Messina
	@framis4.name
The Struggle on La Manche
	@framis5.name
Stopping the Invasion
	@rusmis1.name
Repelling the Tatar Raid
	@rusmis2.name
The Siege of Vitebsk
	@rusmis3.name
The Defense of Mogilev
	@rusmis4.name
War at the North
	@rusmis5.name
War in Livonia
	@ukrmis1.name
Rebuilding the Zaporozhian Sich
	@ukrmis2.name
War in Inflanty
	@ukrmis3.name
The Fall of Kafa
	@ukrmis4.name
March on Moscow
	@ukrmis5.name
The Battle of Khotyn
	@engmis1.description
In the beginning of year 1642 the King and the Parliament, unable to reach a compromise, had to resort to war. The King went north to gather an army. The Parliament wasn't idle either, gathering its supporters. All over the country rode the messengers, calling people to serve their monarch and protect his divine rights from a pathetic mob of merchants and lawyers - or to rise up against the tyrant and defend the liberties and privileges of citizens.
The king's supporters got to be known as Cavaliers, while those of the Parliament were called Roundheads, due to their common haircut.
You cannot weather the storm in the confines of your castle. Your county has already been visited by the envoys from both sides of the conflict. Worse yet, the King's army is marching in your direction. Against it from London rides the Earl of Essex, the Parliament's best hope. You've made the most important decision in your life and sided with the Parliament.
	@engmis2.description
After the battle of Edgehill the King's army lacked power to capture London. The opponents have disengaged to prepare to the battles to come. The Earl of Essex has quartered at Windsor, while the King was busy preparing a defensive line around Oxford, his temporary capital.
The Earl of Essex wasn't particularly active at Windsor, but there was much fighting at Yorkshire and Devon. William Cavendish, the Earl of Newcastle, sent troops to Yorkshire and drove the parliamentarians out of the county. Then he turned on the puritan "textile towns", such as Halifax. The parliamentarians under Sir Thomas Fairfax came to the rescue, forcing the Earl of Newcastle to leave the towns alone. He marched south then, to meet up with the Queen's sea convoy.
On the west, baron Hopton gathered his militia and drove the Roundheads from Cornwall, then invaded Devonshire. The Earl of Stamford marched to intercept him, but was soundly beaten. Only the large cities such as Bristol and Gloucester have continued to resist the royalists on the west. It didn't too the Earl of Stamford long to gather another army, however.
Despite all these victories, the royalists were unable to deal a decisive defeat to their adversary, and the parliamentarians continued their resistance and prepared for new engagements.
You have proven yourself as a capable general and a skilled administrator. The Parliament has appointed you to command the Eastern Association, the collective militia of Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. You head east, to recruit the local nobility on parliamentarian side and to convince the towns to give you men and arms. Remember, you don't need to take what you want by force, there are always different ways.
	@engmis3.description
Luck was on the royalists' side early in this year. They have taken Banbury, Ofxord and Reading. After the assault and capture of Bristol the Parliament had no field army to speak of. When the King besieged Gloucester, the Earl of Essex was tasked to gather an army and relieve the city.
With supplies in Gloucester running low, Essex suddenly approached the city, taking the royal army by surprise. The King has abandoned the siege and retreated, unwilling to fight on unfavorable terms. The parliamentarian army began its retreat and the King rushed to pursue it. After the series of maneuvers in the valleys of Severn and Avon, the King has blocked the road to London at Newbury. You need to save the army and break through the royal troops.
	@engmis4.description
After many battles the Parliament had to face the problem of the lack of professionalism among its troops. While the Roundhead infantry could often match their royal counterparts, the Cavalier horse was invariably triumphant over parliamentarians. Fighting a prolonged war with a volunteer militia force was increasingly difficult, the Parliament needed a professional army.
That is why the Parliament has decided to raise the New Model Army, one consisting of soldiers wholeheartedly devoted to warfare. The generals commanding it were banned from occupying the Parliament seats, to limit their political influence. But the most important quality the New Model Army need was iron discipline.
Royalist soldiers weren't particularly disciplined either, but their skill and valor helped the royal officers to carry the day anyway. Now the newborn New Model Army has to test its mettle and see if the efforts to raise it were worth it...
	@engmis5.description
For the moment, the King avoided engaging the forming New Model Army. He marched north instead, to join up with the Scottish royalists under marquess of Montrose. Meanwhile, the parliamentarians besieged Oxford, the royalist capital. The plight of the city has forced the King to turn back. On 12 June, there was a clash between the detachments of horse, as the opposing armies closed on. Oliver Cromwell himself has joined the parliamentarian army with a cavalry troop. A council of war held next day has decided to pursue and crush the royal army.
The royalists are running low on resources. The King has gathered his most capable troops, the bravest and most experienced among his supporters. If they are to be defeated, the war is over.
You will take charge of the Ironsides, the Roundhead cavalry. Your troops will face the famous cavalrymen of prince Rupert.
	@framis1.description
By its geography alone, France was destined to become a great naval power. However, during the first half of XVII century its fleet was small and weak. This changed thanks to Cardinal Richelieu - the chief minister was well aware of the importance of navy and invested heavily in its development. The newborn navy was baptized by fire in the war against Spain (1635-1659). The French had a hard time, but the experience they earned was priceless.
The tales of wooden ships and iron men, of deafening rumble of cannons and fierce boarding actions, of wrathful storms, deadly dangers and amazing adventures have driven you restless, making you seek a naval career. You were advised to join the Knights Hospitaller who fought for decades against the Barbary pirates.
The Knights are based on the island of Malta. With the age of Crusades long gone, the Order has sworn to protect Christian trade in the Mediterranean - and to wage a ruthless war against piracy.
The Barbary pirates do not limit their operations to preying on Mediterranean trade - they attack coastal cities, engage in distant Atlantic voyages, raid as far as England and Iceland. They are dangerous and deadly adversaries.
With a bag full of letters of recommendation from your friends and acquaintances, you board a ship heading for Malta...
	@framis2.description
The reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King, heralded the changes in every aspect of life. The greatest minds of his time - scientists, administrators, generals, artists - have helped the king to transform his country. It was the dawn of a new age. France has triumphed over Spain and the Hapsburgs, emerging as a new hegemon of Europe. The reforms proceeded at steady pace, central authority got stronger by year, finances were in order, palaces were built, arts and sciences were on the rise. Now the King set his eyes upon the lands far away. To become a colonial power, the country needed a strong navy. And while the King himself did not fully realize its importance for his designs, his Minister Colbert did.
It is difficult to overestimate Colbert's role in the rise of France at the end of XVII century. In a short time, he created a navy strong enough to challenge any fleet in Europe, which was proven time and again. And the beginnings of that navy can be traced to protection of Mediterranean trade, which was crucial for the well-being of the state. The Barbary pirates were a major threat to this trade.
Although your punitive expedition has cooled the berber tempers, the lesson was forgotten over time. Then Colbert got an idea to build a naval base in Africa, one which could become the center for French trade. It had another purpose as well, a more important one - to keep the Algerian ports in check. To this end, a naval expedition was dispatched in 1664. Its goal was to capture and fortify one of two cities, Gigelly or Bougie.
Naturally, a famous conqueror of pirates such as you just had to take a part in the expedition. It was an excellent opportunity for glory and riches. In July the fleet has arrived at the coast of Africa.
	@framis3.description
Louis XIV was renowned for aggressive diplomacy. Having secured French dominance in Europe, he went on to create a colonial empire. Rather than discover new lands, the French have opted to capture the colonies of other powers. The target of their aggression were the Netherlands, who possessed many rich colonies and immense merchant fleet. Besides, the Sun King hated the Dutch. Thus began a war which dragged all major European powers in. Spain was among those who allied with the Dutch.
When a revolt broke out on the Spaniard-controlled Sicily, Louis has decided to support it, and sent a fleet. Spain, unable to protect the island on its own, asked for ships from the United Provinces, while funding the all expenses. In 1675, a fleet left Amsterdam for Sicily, commanded by the Netherlands' most illustrious admiral - de Ruyter.
You were assigned to command a fleet carrying arms, gunpowder and troops for rebels at Messina. The combined Dutch-Spaniard fleet, based in Palermo on the northwest of Sicily, is on your trail.
	@framis4.description
In 1688 the Glorious Revolution shook England. Wilhelm of Orange, ruler of the Netherlands, has landed in England and dethroned king James II. Few were willing to oppose the usurper, and the coup was almost bloodless. Unwilling to follow on the steps of Cromwell, Wilhelm allowed the former monarch to escape. James fled, but maintained designs to reclaim his throne.
Having secured his reign, the new king began intervening in continental affairs. In 1685, the Count Palatine has died, and Louis XIV was quick to press his claims on his heritage. A coalition was formed to oppose the French aggression, involving England, the United Provinces, Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Sweden, and Savoy.
The French are fighting on three fronts now - in Spain, Italy and Germany, all enemy territories. There were no decisive battles yet, the armies stay on the march and besiege an occasional town.
Meanwhile, James asked the Sun King for assistance. He believes most of the English army and navy are still loyal to him, and reclaiming the English throne would be easy. But first, he needs to return to England. English ships are not a threat, they will not attack their King and allow him to cross La Manche. As soon as he lands, the entire army will declare for him, and he will enter London, victorious. This simple plan pleased Louis, and he asks you to implement it.
You are well aware that the English navy keeps an eye over the shores of Albion and their ships aren't all that keen to let James in, so it is not going to be as simple as the former King believes. Prepare and outfit the Brest squadron, deliver James to England and help his jacobite supporters inland if necessary.
	@framis5.description
In November 1690 the Marquis de Seignelay, naval minister of France, has died. His replacement was the Count de Pontchartrain. During his term the navy went into decline, infested with embezzlement and corruption. Worst of all, the new minister would rather exploit the privateers than invest into a proper fleet. For one, this entitled the state to its share of their booty. Moreover, the battles of regular fleets, as far as the minister was concerned, meant nothing but huge expenses, while the privateers were private entrepreneurs who outfitted their ships on their own. Pontchartrain planned to reduce the navy and send the remaining ships to prey on enemy trade routes. This time opened a glorious page in the history of Dunkirk piracy; the names of Jean Bart, Duguay Trouin, de Forbin and other French privateers were renowned throughout the world.
Naturally, this strategy enraged cadre navy officers, but Pontchartrain had the confidence of the King. Anyone who spoke too openly against the minister, risked to lose his post to a "more capable" officer. 
Battles on the high seas still took place, but the Count did not plan to replace the losses of the navy. There were so few French ships left that the English could safely blockade the coast and hunt the privateers at will. Worse yet, they have designed a system of convoys, with merchant ships gathering into massive, heavily guarded caravans with specific orders and training. This made the efficiency of privateers plummet, heralding the end of piracy.
These are dark days for the Ocean fleet. There are rumors that the English plan a decisive blow on one of three key ports - St. Malo, Brest or Dunkirk. A loss of any of these ports is unacceptable. You need to gather all your forces and defeat the attackers.
	@ausmis1.description
You are a young scion of a princely house. Back in the day you aspired to serve the King of France, and asked him for a regiment - or even a company - to command. But the King refused you, his words being, "The request is humble enough, but the one requesting is not". Upon hearing that, you left France at once, and entered the service of the Holy Roman Emperor. A regiment deployed at the southern borders of the Empire was yours to command. The Emperor is short of men capable of standing against the turkish threat.
A while ago the Ottomans have lost their Grand Vizier. Koprulu Ahmet Pasha was an exemplary leader in almost every way, short of his excess love of wine. Sultan Mehmed has appointed Kara Mustafa in his stead. The new Grand Vizier was a greedy and ambitious man, dreaming of the glory of great conqueror. He threatened to stable his horses at St. Paul's Cathedral in Rome, to capture Vienna, to cross the Rhine and fight Louis XIV in France. When a revolt against Hapsburg rule broke out in Hungary, the Turks took it for an opportunity to attack Austria. In 1683, grand Muslim army was gathered at Adrianople. Kara Mustafa led it straight toward Vienna, ignoring the Christian fortresses left behind the lines.
The siege of Vienna lasted for two months. It ended when the army of Jan Sobesky, the King of Poland, along with units from all over the Empire, approached the Hapsburg capital. The allies fell upon the besiegers "like a flood of oil, covering everything" and defeated Turks utterly. The Ottoman army could never recover from such a blow to its reputation.
Now the Turks are trying to escape pursuit and stop the victorious advance of the Christian army. The Ottomans are still capable of repelling an attack by the infidels and striking back.
	@ausmis2.description
The victory at Vienna resulted in the formation of the Holy League, consisting of Austria, Venice and Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, with Russia joining later. The purpose of the League was fighting the Ottoman empire.
You have proven yourself a capable commander, earning the rank of general. You kept fighting the Turks in Hungary, taking part in the sieges of Buda, Belgrade and other fortresses, and earning priceless experience in the field. Military defeats caused the downfall on multiple Sultans and many Grand Viziers. But the Turks got a relief, with Emperor Leopold turning his attention westward, where France started a war against the coalition of England and the United Provinces. The Empire joined the anti-french coalition, while the Turks focused their efforts at sea. The victories of admiral Hussein against Venice inspired the Turkish hearts. Mustafa II, the new Sultan, gathered a great army and captured several Balkan fortresses, repelling an Imperial counterattack. Newly motivated Ottomans were looking forward to new conquests.
You were appointed to command an army and counter the aggressive designs of Turks. Alas, as the Emperor's attention was focused on Germany, the army in Hungary went into decline. You'll have to strengthen it, raise new regiments and defeat the turkish menace.
	@ausmis3.description
After your victory over Turks the Sultan asked for peace, which was eagerly granted by the Emperor. He was now occupied with Spain and its heirless King.
Charles II of Spain has died in 1700. On his deathbed, he appointed as his heir Philip the Duke of Anjou, grandson to Louis XIV. Were a Bourbon to occupy the Spanish throne, the alliance of Spain and France would become inseparable. Obviously, this did not sit well with the rest of European powers. Emperor Leopold had to claim the Spanish inheritance in the name of Hapsburgs. Soon enough, armies were on the march.
England, the United Provinces and the Holy Roman Empire once again have banded together against the French, while Spain became a theatre of fratricidal war among the supporters of both pretenders. Italy was to become one of major battlefields in this campaign. The Duke of Mantua sided with the French, allowing their armies to pass. Meanwhile, Venice still maintains its neutrality, but watches the events as they unfold, choosing whether to enter the war. You will command the Imperial forces in Italy, and your orders are nothing short of total expulsion of the French.
King Louis XIV has attempted to seduce you into switching sides, offering the rank of Marshal, governorship over one of his provinces and 300 thousands of livres of yearly income. You have refused this generous offer, of course. The oath you have pledged to emperor Leopold is not something you would easily break, let alone for the sake of someone who has spurned you those fifteen years ago. Finally you can avenge this indignity, returning to France with a conquering army in charge.
	@ausmis4.description
After your victory in Italy you were dispatched to Germany to assist your English allies, commanded by the Duke of Marlborough. You two had your share of glorious victories, but the French fought hard, slowly bleeding your forces dry. Eventually your army was bogged down in pointless sieges, with supplies running low, yet Louis stubbornly refused to surrender.
Meanwhile, French corps in Italy was assigned to the Duke of Vendome. This brilliant commander fought to a great success, almost driving the Imperial troops from the peninsula. By the beginning of 1706 the Imperial and allied conditions were critical, and you were revoked back to Italy. Putting some order into the battered army, you march west, where the Duchy of Savoy, a loyal ally to the Empire, prays for your arrival. The French are besieging Turin, its capital, and the overall situation is rather disastrous - the siege lines approach the fortifications of Turin by day, Vendome watches your maneuvers and prevents you from crossing the rivers, and the French army is twice the size of yours even after reinforcements.
At this point Vendome is reassigned to the north, to restore the front after the defeat at Ramillies. The Duke of Orleans, now commanding the French in Italy, is nowhere near Vendome in military skill. You have outfoxed him and broke through toward Turin. Having reconnoitered the area, you have chosen the weakest portion of the besieging force as a target of your charge.
	@ausmis5.description
Your victory at Turin pushed the balance in favor of the Empire, Austrian hegemony in Italy is now indisputable and the French have been pushed beyond the Alps. Soon enough, the Imperial army crosses into France proper. Still, the war rages on for 5 years more. In the end, it was a Bourbon, Philip V, to sit on the Spanish throne - but he had to renounce all claims on French inheritance, making the union of France and Spain impossible. Moreover, Austria added substantial holdings to its territory. Unfortunately, you weren't granted much time to rest in your palace.
The French were desperate to pull the Ottomans into their war against Austria, but Sultan Ahmed III was adamant to not get involved into a war between Christians. Yet against his will the Porta was dragged into the war between Russia and Sweden, resulting in the disastrous Russian Pruth river campaign. This victory has motivated the Grand Vizier Damat Ali Pasha to open hostilities with Venice. Greece and the neighboring islands became the battlefield of the new conflict. The Ottomans had a great success driving the Venetians from Morea - until Charles IV, the Emperor since 1711, intervened on behalf of Venice. In 1716, Damat Ali Pasha led the Turkish army north only to be defeated and killed at Petrovaradin.
In order to end the Turkish threat to Austrian lands once and for all, you decide to capture Belgrade, a gathering point for every Turk army marching toward the Empire. If you take this fortress, it will serve as a breakwater to stop any further Turkish advances.
	@ukrmis1.description
The Wild Fields spread their wide expanses between the settled European lands and the pastures of Asiatic nomads. No authority could establish control over these lands; their endless reaches appeared to be a deserted no man's land. But there was a plenty of men in the steppe - hunters and fishermen looking for game and fish, outlaws hiding from persecution, armed shepherds guarding their flocks, knights seeking for adventure, brigands stalking their prey. The outskirts of the Wild Fields were manned by watchful sentries, ever looking at the horizons for the signs of a coming enemy.
This land of the free became new home to all those who felt stifled in their home states, who found no place at the hand of their king, tsar, or sultan. Over time fortified towns rose on the islands beyond Dnieper rapids, hosting the Cossacks - free people bearing arms. Many compared them to a knightly order, and knights was what they referred to themselves as. They were men of incredible courage and valor. Not all cossacks were warriors, though; there was a plenty of skilled craftsmen and hard-laboring peasants among themselves. They lived on the farmsteads around towns, or visited the steppe during summer.
The cossacks were a serious hindrance to the Tatar hordes out to raid Poland-Lithuania from Crimea. But their strength and love of freedom, coupled with short temper, made them troublesome allies for the Polish officials. Stephen Bathory was the first King to legitimize and direct the cossack power, when he established the Cossack Registry. From that time the Polish policy regarding cossacks was twofold - in wartime, their autonomy was expanded to motivate them into service, yet during peace, cossacks were oppressed and their rights revoked. In turn, the cossacks play a significant role in every war fought by Poland, and loyally serve the kings; but in peacetime they are ever on the brink of uprising whenever their privileges are under threat. This gave Poland a powerful yet rebellious ally.
These are dark days for the cossacks, with Krzysztof Kosinski's rebellion recently crushed with a great loss of life, and the original Sich on the island of Tomakivka razed by the Tatars in recent raid. Still, inspired by the tales about the cossack carefree way of life and their heroic achievements, you have gathered your servants and some noble friends with nothing to lose, and went to seek your fortune in the Wild Fields.
	@ukrmis2.description
Upon Stephen Bathory's death, the Sejm has elected Sigismund Vasa to rule over Poland-Lithuania. In 1594 his father, the king of Sweden, passed away, leaving his throne to Sigismund. Yet the Lutheran Swedes would accept no Catholic on their throne. After long and fruitless negotiations followed by some minor fighting the Swedes have crowned the Duke of Sodermanland as their king, dethroning Sigismund - something Sigismund was very much against. The Polish nobility was unwilling to conquer Sweden, but the king has convinced them to campaign in the Inflanty - that is, Livonia.
By 1600 Poland-Lithuania and Sweden were in all out war. Early on, only the Lithuanian Grand Duchy troops fought against the Swedes, as the crown troops of Poland were occupied in Moldavia. When the hostilities at the south ceased, the Poles joined the northern war. The Ukrainian cossacks were eager to prove themselves, as that was the only way to lift the restrictions placed upon them after the failed Nalyvaiko uprising. They served the Commonwealth well during the Moldavian campaign, and so the government agreed to a compromise in exchange for cossack service against Sweden. Led by the hetman Samuel Koshka, cossack detachments have joined the army of the grand crown hetman Jan Zamoyski.
	@ukrmis3.description
For centuries, the Tatars have constantly raided the Commonwealth. They dodged regular troops and avoided castles and fortified towns, their main target being hapless peasant villages. Relentlessly they pillaged the country, ruined the crops, destroyed everything on their way. They took all they could steal, and broke everything else. Yet their main prizes were human beings. After killing anyone they couldn't take along, they dragged their prisoners to Crimea, to sell on local slave markets. Survivors of this terrible trail had to get old and die in slavery. Women faced a lifetime of hard labor in feudal estates, while the youngest and most beautiful were bought for harems. Boys ended up in janissary and mameluk corps, eventually becoming elite warriors of the Muslim world. And men ended up on turkish galleys, called katergons. Life of a galley slave was torturous and mercifully short.
Kafa was the most important center of slave trade in Crimea. It was called an "abyss drinking rusian blood". Merchants from all over the Ottoman empire gathered at Kafa to purchase slaves.
The Commonwealth tried its best to keep the Tatar raids in check, but since the year 1600 onward its troops were occupied by the Swedish war. Shortly after, there came a man calling himself Dmitry, son of Ivan the Terrible. Gathering a band of adventurers under his banner, this man marched on Moscow in 1604. Thus began the Time of Troubles in Muscovy, a lasting, inconclusive war which is yet to end. The first Dmitry - or False Dmitry - has been killed, with two others rising to take his place. Russian countryside is devastated by foreign armies, peasant revolts shake the Tsardom, nobles and entire towns change their allegiances time and again. The Swedes and the Tatars occasionally got involved into the action, and the Don cossacks were getting restless.
The Polish-Lithuanian nobility was not the kind of people to miss such an opportunity, and jumped headlong into the eastern conflict - giving the Tatars a perfect opportunity to attack the undermanned Commonwealth. But Zaporozhian cossacks rose to stand in their way. Far from sticking to their sentry duty and pursuing raiders, cossacks have raided turkish and crimean cities on their own, fighting deep on the enemy territory. Cossack dugout boats terrified the turkish sailors, even Istanbul did not feel safe.
Now you have raised a massive army, boarded the boats and sailed down the Dnieper into the Black Sea. Your goal is nothing less than Kafa itself.
	@ukrmis4.description
The Time of Troubles in Muscovy rages on for over a decade. In the end, Sigismund Vasa has decided to place his son Wladyslaw on the russian throne. Russian boyars would have accepted that, were Wladyslaw to convert to Orthodox faith, but the prince refused the conversion. This meant he was to be crowned by force of arms.
Poland-Lithuanian army marched toward Moscow, but the years of Troubles toughened the Muscovites. Russian nobility banded together against Wladyslaw, their towns refused to surrender, their army retreated but kept fighting back. In the end the Commonwealth army found itself staying deep inside hostile and thoroughly looted territory in winter, suffering from cold and lacking food and money. The adventurers attracted into the army by the promise of rich plunder were deserting it in scores, shortly followed by mercenaries who were paid no longer. The prince was in deadly danger, as the Russians were gathering forces for a counterattack.
To save his son, the King appealed for help to Zaporozhian cossacks. You've led the cossack embassy to Sigismund, and put forward your demands: increase of cossack autonomy and privileges, and expansion of cossack registry. The King had to accept these conditions. Back among the Host, you gather an army and march to rescue Wladyslaw.
	@ukrmis5.description
Your attack on Kafa, among other brave cossack raids in the steppes by the Black Sea, infuriated the Turks. So did the involvement of Polish magnates into the conflict in Moldavia, and the Commonwealth's support of the greatest Ottoman enemy, Austria. The war was looming.
In 1618, protestants in Bohemia rose in rebellion, which sparked the religious war all over Germany. Believing Austria to be incapable of defending itself, the Voivode of Transilvania declared war and marched on Vienna. He was stopped by the Lisowczycy - a regiment of soldiers first raised by Alexander Lisowski during the Time of Troubles. Soundly defeated, the Voivode begged Turkey for help.
While you were busy fighting the Tsardom of Muscovy, new Sultan occupied the Ottoman throne. His name was Osman II, and he was quite an ambitious and enterprising fellow for a 14 years old. He sent an army against Poland, resulting in victory at Cecora in 1620. Hetman Zolkiewski was slain in the field, his head sent by vizier to Istanbul. Next year, Osman, aspiring to surpass Suleiman the Magnificent, gathered an immense army from all over the Ottoman empire, and personally led it to conquer the Commonwealth.
Poland was desperately raising an army of its own, but it took time, and local sejms were unwilling to part with their money. The city of Gdansk, for instance, has decided that Turkish threat is for the southern provinces to worry about, and it will not part with gold nor with soldiers for the effort. Lacking in troops, the government had to ask Zaporozhian cossacks for help once again.
The Cossack Rada is always eager to fight, particularly when it means expanding the cossack privileges once more. The Poles weren't particularly keen on following their promises after the Moscow campaign - at war, the cossack is all honored and respected, yet at peace, he's treated like a peasant. Still, you have met with the King, signed a number of documents and promised assistance. The King, in turn, entrusts you with prince Wladyslaw again. You have raised an army and arrived at the gathering point - the fortress of Khotyn.
	@rusmis1.description
During the Time of Troubles Smolensk was annexed by Poland-Lithuania. But Moscow was not going to abandon its claim on western Russia, and patiently awaited for a reversal of fortunes.
In 1632, Wladyslaw IV became the new King of the Commonwealth. Europe was entangled in Thirty Years War, and the newly crowned monarch could expect no assistance from the west. The Tsar saw his opportunity. Although his diplomacy failed, resulting in no allies for Muscovy, he declared war on Poland. Thus began the Smolensk war.
Large muscovite army has besieged Smolensk. But the siege did not proceed well - worse yet, the Poles have goaded the Tatars to raid Muscovy. Hetman Radziwill was heard saying, "I am not going to argue the theological issue of setting the heathens loose upon the Christians, but as far as political issues go, it went pretty damn well". Many had to abandon the Tsar's army and return to protect their own estates. Realizing the futility of sitting around Smolensk and receiving dire news from home, so did you.
	@rusmis2.description
1654 marked the beginning of the Second Smolensk War. The war goal was the same, restoration of the lands lost during the Time of Troubles, and maintaining control over the liberties of Zaporozhian Host. This time the Tsar wasn't going to concentrate on Smolensk alone and grant the Commonwealth an opportunity to raise a relief army.
On both flanks of the army marching on Smolensk advanced smaller detachments with orders of their own. The plan for the campaign of 1654 was to take the towns on Upper Dnieper and use the river as a means of communication between troops active in Ruthenia and Ukraine.
You are in charge of the northern detachment, tasked with the capture of Vitebsk.
	@rusmis3.description
Our Lord's campaign of 1654 was successful indeed. Russian army occupied the lands lost during the Troubles, along with the Upper Dnieper towns. The campaign proceeded slowly and methodically, without risky raids deep into enemy territory. Expecting no further Lithuanian resistance, the army was dismissed for winter. But the Commonwealth, weakened as it was after years of warfare, was not finished yet. With the coming of spring hetman Radziwill of Lithuania led an army to Mogilev, hoping to cut russian communication lines.
The Tsar did not expect such a move. The garrison at Mogilev was weak and unreliable. The tsar promptly sent reinforcements to the imperiled town.
	@rusmis4.description
Lithuanian counterattack was a failure, and the Tsar resumed his campaign. Unstoppable russian army kept advancing into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, taking fortress after fortress. As the Muscovites approached Wilno, Janos Radziwill's troops tried to defend the city, but failed. The capital of the Duchy was besieged and taken, followed by Grodno and Kovno.
Yet the Lithuanians keep fighting back in desperation. Unable to engage the main muscovite forces directly, they are placing their hopes on quick raids behind the lines. The troops are supplied along the communication lines centered on a network of fortresses. As the troops advance, these lines are extending, getting increasingly harder to defend. The Lithuanians hope to cut the muscovite communications with flanking attacks. If they succeed, Tsar's army will be stuck without provisions and gunpowder, then forced to retreat or perish. Your assignment to guard our flank is of crucial importance, it proves how much the Tsar appreciates you.
Keeping an eye after Lithuanian magnates is not your only duty, however. Russian successes attract the attention of neighbors. The Swedes are watching the events in Lithuania, watching and pondering what might they gain out of this war...
	@rusmis5.description
1655 will be forever remembered as the year of the Deluge. Swedish armies quickly overrun the Commonwealth, taking Warsaw and Krakow. Hetman Radwizill of Lithuania, eager to save his fatherland from thorough destruction (and to satisfy his own ambitions in process), volunteered to be crowned as a King of Poland-Lithuania and enter Swedish vassalage. The Swedes were all too happy to accept this outcome; the Poles, not so much. The Commonwealth was split between the supporters of John Casimir the reigning King and of Radziwill the Sweden-backed pretender.
Meanwhile, the Swedish successes and their excursions into Livonia troubled tsar Alexey Mikhailovich. He desired a stake on the Baltic coast, and signed a truce with John Casimir to battle the Swedes together. Russians went on the offensive, the Tsar himself led the main body of troops toward Riga, while smaller detachments were active elsewhere in Livonia and Ingria. The campaign of 1656 was successful, then Sweden began a counteroffensive. After a string of battles, count Magnus de la Gardie - the swedish commander in Livonia - won a decisive battle at Walk, crushing the army of the voivode of Pskov, who died from his wounds a day after. Northern regions of Muscovy stood defenseless against swedish invasion. You were appointed as a new voivode of Pskov until the situation is stabilized and the Swedes are driven back. You must stop their invasion at any cost.
	@tutmis1.name
Peace
	@tutmis1.description
This tutorial mission will teach you to produce and control units, to build your city and collect resources, to research and develop upgrades.
	@tutmis2.name
War
	@tutmis2.description
This tutorial mission will teach you tactics and combat orders, introduce you to different kinds of troops and how to use their advantages for the common good.