Post your Empires!

[Saibot42]

Been enjoying the extended peace, coffers are looking good and I'm frantically trying to cultivate an urban planner to get Hamburg to citadel level. Seems the most reliable way is building walls, even though the source I'm reading says roads, churches, government halls, and ports have a chance of growing it. Mercenary German foot knights just appeared, so I won't be lacking infantry when I go for Bern and Venice, just hope the garrisons aren't too crazy, Bern looks light, so I'm relying on spies, Venice seems more dug in so I'll bring trebs. Righftful heir with 4 stars got a random wife, worthless heir is in his 70s, so might be able to get the succession back how I want it. Stupid crash just happened but luckily didn't do anything important that I can't redo just yet.

[Saibot42]

Have a high chivalry active builder with an overseer. Might not be enough but he has a son with the chivalrous father trait and no negatives to governing, so maybe the next generation can get it. Just need to have him run from city to city building everything.

[rillstooney]

Currently doing my own Crusader States playthrough, VH/VH.
I've been allied with Egypt since the start and they've proven to be worthy allies - I was sure they'd eventually turn on me but they're honourable buggers, hence I have adopted a live and let live policy even though their lands are mighty juicy. I am also allied to the Khwarezmians in the east, a direction in which I have no intention of expanding since the Mongols will show up in not too long.
This is the turn where I declare war on the Byzantines, by far the biggest power in the east. I overinvested in quality troops since it is the first time playing around with some of them so my three-pronged attack westward will have to feature some non-stop sacking action.

Also pictured: three crusades moving for Egypt. There's already an Aragonian one down there laying battling it out, and a decade earlier two HRE crusader stacks were moving through Anatolia when they got banished, so everyone deserted - I like to think that Anatolia is full of these Germanic people now, chilling in the sun.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

38 Turns later:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I keep getting CTD's when doing battles now and I can't be bothered redoing the last couple of turns. I'm at the point now where victory is assured and have the money to just keep pumping Fortress quality troops ad infinitum so it was losing its charm anyway. Since this was my first Crusader States playthrough, I gotta say, I'm incredibly impressed by their roster. Once you get to Castle / Fortress their units are sick and they cost basically no upkeep due to being type religious, pretty OP. They're lacking in skirmishy type units but you can make up for it with regional recruits such as Turkish Javelinmen, Turkopoles and Desert Cavalry. Thinking of restarting as the Genoese or Sicilians.

[rillstooney]

Genoa, VH/VH, Early Era

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Played the "good boy" so far and avoided getting excommunicated, always staying on good terms with the pope, alternating between invading HRE and France in turns as each was excommunicated. It's getting old though, since I lack good opportunities for expansion.

The Byzantines are the biggest power with an apparently huge army according to the rankings. Sicily has carved out an impressive Mediterranean empire, but for some reason they are constantly on the verge of excommunication. Speaking of, maybe I should try to direct events in that direction...

[Sab99]

Holy Roman Empire, H/H, early era.

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I think I lost Bologna pretty quick, damn you Genoa! I managed to consolidate my empire slowly from the start, taking some rebel cities and castles and keeping Norway, Poland, Hungary and Genoa at bay.
Aragon marched up in to France and then eastwards, picking away at Genoa. This let me close in to Staufen and Bern and eventually incorporate both castles. Later on, Aragon had to focus all their power south with the Almoravids and Genoa pissed the Pope off one time too many, so they had to deal with Papal Armies knocking on their door.
France fought a bloody battle with English invaders that wanted another challenge after knocking back Scotland. Norway and Denmark try to best each other who was the most annoying, attacking everywhere where you were not. Hungary tried their best but the Byzantium Empire was simply too powerful to ignore.

So, France couldn't deal with war on two fronts and ended up my vassal. Powering trough, I took over all English settlements and the Almoravids exterminated all Christian factions on their way up. I chose to make Tunis (in Moorish hands) a holy target. That made me their next target, on both sides separated by an ocean.. Don't know if that was the best decision.

Venice played for 60 turns with only their capital and on the verge of extinction and now they took over Genoa and decided it was time to send the beginning of a long line of stacks.

England is a prime target, but holy cow they have a big army on their island!

Denmark owns all of Scandinavia, also a nice target, and is not that strong. Same goes for Norway, who only own Stettin anyway.

Hungary looks east again, now that Byzantium lost Constantinople to the Almoravids and the Fatimids killed of the Crusader States and the Seljuks. I imagine it won't take much time before two Islamic factions are fighting over Constantinople.

Any advice on what to do next? The Almoravids are the biggest threat, I think. England is pretty strong too, but the water makes them a bit better to handle. Not to mention most of my production is concentrated in the area around Britain

Scandinavia and North-Italy can give a big boost to my income and lower the fighting on those sides, but will I have enough time to channel enough forces and florins that way?

[BobRoberts]

http:// upload pics

Alrighty! England VH/VH. I started with William Wallace heart attack and barely made it through. In the process I grew strong! The French allied with the Scots so I became good friends with the Germans. After Wallace died, I managed to take Caen before I made peace with France to recover. Took out France while the Germans were being beat from all directions. After France fell, spies discovered that Venice had taken all of central Europe and Eastern Europe to the Byzantines. Venice were a major power and wanted to be my ally. I stalled and attacked and through diplomacy and bribery turned all the other catholic factions against Venice. After numerous crusades, they merely a shadow on the world. Now, after taking the advice of some of you on these forums and sacking the coastal backbone of Egypt I have a huge surplus of cash. The fog of war is removed so you can see what is happening in the east. The Fatimid is a big worrisome to me. Spain, Noway, Genoa and Denmark all love me. So my question really is how should I attack Egypt? Two pronged North and South, Go Anatolia and then south? What do you j00 guys think?

[Grabbin_Megroin]

If I were you, I would ignore the east and clean up all the factions which are close to your borders one at a time, in this order:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Then go for whoever you want once you have a massive kingdom and a huge pile of cash!

[Starek13]

Hi all,

First time poster, long time player here Here is my overly large and ever-increasingly unmanagable Byzantine Campaign in its full glory: H/H, not that it matters much at this point. I've got something like 60 odd stacks, the majority of whom are on 5+ experience, a few of my newer stacks have a tendency to mutiny in the wastelands of the eastern front however...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Abdülmecid I]

Why didn't you conquer that black-yellow spot in the midde of your purple sea? Did you make the Germans your protectorate, because I always try to do that in my campaigns, but I always fail, even when I encircle their last territory with my own regions.

[Balor]

After long and bloody wars against the Lithuanians, Russians and Teutonic Order the Sigtrygsen dynasty of Denmark achieved unfettered control of The Baltic Sea.


Allied to Hungary, the Papal States and Scotland, the Danes could feel safe in their northern homelands and, in true Viking spirit, looked abroad for opportunities. Turmoil
and chaos reigned in Asia Minor from constant Muslim incursions and the once great Byzantines were being crushed underfoot by the Fatamids. King Ragnar Sigtrygsen sent
the loyal Romer clan marching south with the full might of the Danish military and they took Constantinople, Adrianople, Canakkale, Nicaea and Rhodes for the crown while restoring
the Byzantines to some of their previous glory in Asia Minor by taking and delivering to them the provinces of Isparta, Iconium and Ankara.




Our colony on the Dardanelles is now the economic powerhouse of the empire, our astute merchants controlling every available resource in the surrounding territories. We have fortified the area
to such an extent that it is practically impregnable and from here we can send raids into enemy lands with impunity. From our island fortress of Rhodes we launch
Gun Holks full of Hussarls and Axemen to raid Fatamid settlements while we prop up the Byzantines and Crusader States, isolated in Nicosia, with gifts from our enormous treasury.


However in recent times a new threat has arisen in Iberia. The last decade has seen the Portuguese overtake us as the richest faction as they have spread rapidly through north Africa and
France.




Our king, Ejsten Sigtrygsen, has seen the danger posed by these Iberian upstarts and requested a crusade on their fortress of Toulouse. This has united Christendom against the Portuguese yet
no army has managed to take the fortress thus far. King Ejsten is currently preparing a massive invasion force with the aim establishing a foothold in north western France from which
to drive the enemy back to Spain.

[Starek13]

Why didn't you conquer that black-yellow spot in the midde of your purple sea? Did you make the Germans your protectorate, because I always try to do that in my campaigns, but I always fail, even when I encircle their last territory with my own regions.

I tried to preserve the alliance; I think somewhere along the line they attacked me but I kept them as a protectorate - ah yeah, I wanted vienna so I bought them out or invaded them.. can't remember. Basically they're doing bugger all; they're completely dependent on me financially and support a few huge stacks of low grade militia so they're not really any cause for concern. Russia have a military about a third the size of mine and they're allied. I keep bailing them out though. Kiev was a vassal state but they've since gone rogue and appear to be holding their own against Russia. Norway and England will no doubt attack each other at some point; or maybe they'll have a futile effort to take on me?

[Alexius The UnOrthodox]

The Sicilian Empire, The Kingdom Of Sicily






Some Battle Pictures

[Lifthrasir]

What is the purpose of the huge double line of forts in the desert (North of Kerak)?

[Navajo Joe]

What is the purpose of the huge double line of forts in the desert (North of Kerak)?

Its a Crusader Maginot Line, LOL.

Alexius,

Well done on some good pictures

[Lifthrasir]

Yep, I was thinking the same but if the Muslims do the same as the Germans did, he's in trouble

[Alexius The UnOrthodox]

Hey and thanks. Its my border gives me time to prepare the army.

[Kataphractos]

Did...did Genoa carve a line through central Asia?? :S Also impressive job by AI Portugal.

[General Maximus]

Did...did Genoa carve a line through central Asia?? :S Also impressive job by AI Portugal.

Also, it is very funny to see how England migrated to Ireland while Scotland kicked them out of the main island. And that faction in the steppes, despite being mowed down by Timurids, still has vast colonies in Africa.

[Balor]

Yes, I really like how this campaign has played out...

I initially allied myself with Scotland and, once I had conquered Norway, set about raiding English towns. This allowed Scotland to take the upper hand in their war.

Genoa and Portugal are also interesting. I think they both expanded rapidly over the last 25 years or so.

I'm excited to start playing this campaign again but won't get a chance for a little while.

[Powerdbs]

Oh Kurwa