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| — Description of forming Lan Xang |
Lan Xang is a formable in Southeast Asia 
which can be formed by 
Laos. It requires Laos and 
Thailand to form. Lan Xang is Laos' second formable, after the 
Federation of Southeast Asian States. Historically, Lan Xang did not control all of Thailand, only the northeastern part of it.
Background
The following is taken from Wikipedia which is licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0. You can view the article it was taken from here.
For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The meaning of the kingdom's name alludes to the power of the kingship and formidable war machine of the early kingdom. The kingdom is the precursor for the country of Laos and the basis for its national historic and cultural identity.
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The geography Lan Xang would occupy had been originally settled by indigenous Austroasiatic-speaking tribes, such as Khmuic peoples and Vietic peoples which gave rise to the Bronze Age cultures in Ban Chiang (today part of Isan, Thailand) and the Đông Sơn culture as well as Iron Age peoples near Xiangkhoang Plateau on the Plain of Jars, Funan, and Chenla (near Vat Phou in Champasak Province). The Han dynasty's chronicles of the southward expansion of the Han dynasty provide the first written accounts of Tai–Kadai speaking peoples or Ai Lao who inhabited the areas of modern Yunnan and Guangxi, China. The Tai peoples migrated south in a series of waves beginning in the 7th century and accelerated following the Mongol conquest of Yunnan (1253–1256) into the northern reaches of what would become the kingdom of Lan Xang. The fertile northern Mekong valleys were occupied by the Dvaravati culture of the Mon people and subsequently by the Khmer, where the principal city-state in the north was known then as Muang Sua and alternately as Xieng Dong Xieng Thong "The City of Flame Trees beside the River Dong", (modern city of Luang Prabang). With the rise of the Sukhothai Kingdom the principal city-states of Muang Sua (Luang Prabang) and south to the twin cities of Vieng Chan Vieng Kham (Vientiane), came increasingly under Tai influence. Following the death of the Sukhothai king Ram Khamhaeng, and internal disputes within the kingdom of Lan Na, both Vieng Chan Vieng Kham (Vientiane) and Muang Sua (Luang Prabang) were independent Lao-Tai mandalas until the founding of Lan Xang in 1353. A Vietnamese stele dated 1337 CE, discovered in Eastern Laos, states: "Sixth ruler of the Tran dynasty of Imperial Viet Dai Viet, the Chuong Nghieu Civilized and Sage Great Senior King, Tran Minh Tong [r. 1314–1357], received the favored Mandate of Heaven and grandly held the Central Land, extending across land and sea, so that there is no one within or without who does not serve and submit to us. But now it is very much the case that you, Ai Lao, scheme to obstruct the royal transformation. In the at pig year, late autumn [September–October 1335], the ruler in person led the Six Armies on an expedition to the western region. The states of Champa with its heir apparent, Chân Lạp [Cambodia], and Siam, as well as the territories of the southern barbarian chiefs in the mountains, the delivered Quy Cam and Xa Lac, the newly dependent Boi Bon, and the territory of the southern barbarian chief of Thanh Xa, of all these southern barbarian groups, each presents local products, competing to be the first to meet with us. Only the perverse Ai Lao chief, Bong, obstinately errs and dreads his punishment. He does not come immediately to our royal court..." Historians identified Quy Cam and Xa Lac as Tai-speaking Laotian groups, while the chief Bong was Souvana Khamphong, the grandfather of Fa Ngum. |
Economy and Manpower
Lan Xang generates $944,113 income which come mostly from Thai taxes. Lan Xang has a maximum manpower cap of 342,430. It gains 1802 manpower daily. This formable barely has any resource income. Bangkok is the only city in this formable with 1M+ population.
Cities
Lan Xang has 91 cities, 12 from Laos and 79 from Thailand. Laos' capital is Vientiane with a population of 754K. The largest city is Bangkok with over 5 million people.
Terrain and Biomes
Laos has hilly terrain, and the jungle biome. Thailand also has the jungle biome, but it is only hilly in the northwest.
Strategy
If Thailand is a player:
- Try to ally
China, 
Vietnam, or 
India, but don't depend on them unless you are suffering massive setbacks and a counter-offensive. - Fortify your capital and create artillery on your southern cities. Thailand has many cities they can attack from on your southern border. (Make sure to have some troop divisions with your artillery!)
- Your economy is now most likely begging for mercy. Create an electronics factory, and you will have 24 electronics to sell because you start with socialism, meaning your factories produce +50% more of the goods the factory makes.
- You now have an income of about $1.5 million. Create as many troops as you can, but keep a reserve of 10-15K manpower just in case you need to create artillery all of a sudden.
- Declare war on Thailand. Try to target their eastern cities first, because they can quickly mass create troops using them and counterattack you. After you take the eastern cities, allow your largest troop divisions to entrench properly. This will give them a bonus in fighting the Thai infantry who will have taken a lot of attrition to reach you.
- If you are successful in defeating Thai infantry, keep heading westwards, but now you should launch a surprise attack from the north. Allow your troops to auto-capture the western border between Thailand and Burma.
- Send at least 80K troops to capture Bangkok as it is a large city. If Thailand has created tanks on it, make sure to research "Distribution of Anti-Tank weapons" so your infantry will be effective against the tanks.
- The part of Thailand that is bordering Malaysia should be the last area that you attack, because the player will have a hard time getting troops from there moved onto the mainland quickly.
(It is a wise idea to annex Brunei or Cambodia before declaring war on Thailand, so you have sea access and will be able to create a navy)
If Thailand is not a player:
- Annex
Cambodia before attacking Thailand. This will allow you to create tanks, and it will allow you to create naval units to bombard AI troops onshore if needed. - Attack Thailand’s eastern cities, but make sure to lure the AI troops and destroy them before continuing to capture Thailand.
- Send your troops to Bangkok and conquer it before you auto-capture the rest of the nation. This will ensure that you don't get a division of 5K troops trying to capture a 6.8 mil city.
- Now you can auto-capture Thailand.
(I recommend researching Infantry Mobility 1(sic) so troops can move faster in the jungle biome and hilly terrain. You can also make aircraft, as it helps with enemy infantry reduction). Congratulations! You have now formed Lan Xang.
Threats
Japan requires Laos to form the 
Empire of Japan.
Malaysia, 
Indonesia, The 
Philippines, or any nation that can form the Alam Melayu requires Thailand to form.- Malaysia and
Burma require both Laos and Thailand for the 
Rattanakosin Kingdom. - Burma requires both Laos and Thailand to form both the
Toungoo Dynasty. - Cambodia requires both Laos and Thailand to form the
Khmer Empire. - Vietnam requires Laos to form the File:Nguyen Dynasty Flag.png Nguyen Dynasty.
France requires Laos to form the 
French Empire (RARE).- India or China expanding into Indochina.
- Any Southeast Asian nation trying to form the Federation of Southeast Asian States.
Trivia
This formable was considered by Guangxinationalist on 2021-04-11.
