I love this game

[Arryn]

Just when you think you've got a handle on things, the game will surprise you and make you sweat.

It's turn 40 in my test game with Potatoman's excellent Ashikaga Shogunate mod on the Orania map, with 14 difficult AIs and indies at 5. After wiping Ulm off the map circa turn 30, the Jotun AI and I were content to peacefully stare at each other while we each had smaller fish to fry. (Jotun is the #1 military and economic power in my game; I'm the #1 scientific and #2 economic power, and about #10 militarily.) So I left my northeast front to be "guarded" by my ally-of-convenience Jotun while I concentrated on wiping out some of the stronger indy provinces I'd bypassed as I annexed the lands of the pretenders of Marignon (extinct back at turn 15) and Ulm, and to nibble on some almost unguarded provinces to my southwest that Pythium was leaving as it took on the task of munching on some of those aforementioned tougher indies. Well, lo and behold I no sooner get "mired" in the southwest gobbling up easy provinces from Pythium than Abyssia comes out of nowhere and on this Last turn blows Jotun out of three provinces on my northeast border. Yikes! Somehow, I don't think Abyssia will be content with just the Jotun lands and will continue on into mine. Of course, the declaration of war by Abyssia 20 turns ago (when they were nowhere near me) may have a bit to do with it ...

The lesson for now? Don't get complacent.