William, the duke of Normandy: 1048 to 1060

Maine is a whole lot closer to Normandy than Anjou is. And there are unconquered Angevin holdings all over Maine. That is why young count Herbert wanted your help, after all. By-passing Maine in order to attack Anjou directly, only proves that you need a better grasp of military strategy: you may get another chance at it, if you are lucky (again?). You should be getting the idea by now, that anytime you have to do this, you have made an almost fatal error in judgment: we hope that this is the last time you find yourself tossing a coin: heads you win, tails you lose. If you lost the toss, it means that before you could get back to Normandy, a combination of enemy forces cut off your retreat, consisting of (you guessed it): the Angevins of count Geoffrey, the Franks of king Henry, a contingent of vengeful Ponthievins, Bretons and angry Manceaux. Your army is utterly outclassed, and you die in the bitter battle.

If you won the toss, go back. (And don't pick this option again.) By the skin of your valiant teeth, and the terror of your prowess, you managed to win the one-sided battle. Keep winning like this, and history will wind up calling you "William the (lucky) Conqueror." (But my word, what a way to go about it.)