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Thread: Hardest faction

  1. #21
    EarendilElenthol's Avatar Artifex
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    Default Re: Hardest faction

    ERE is quite easy, too close to the edge of the map, although I admit it is pretty hard to beat the 4th crusade before the CTD occurs (Frustrating, but I had them killed in time after some tries). I find the abbasids more fun, bordering many factions and with the allmighty Seldsjuks as the main enemy.

  2. #22

    Default Re: Hardest faction

    Makura is hard! I'm playing a campaign as them currently, and despite lots of expansion and investment into infrastructure, my economy is only just starting to build up. I've been sidetracked by a war with the Omani that i've been wining dispite slow progress. But my position is really fragile. I'm the only remaining christian faction, besides a couple of island provinces owned by the byzantines. The Ayubids have just stormed through everything, basically owning the entire medetteranian by the the time the mongls showed up. (they, coincidentally, have basically destroyed the Khawarziman Empire, and hopefully will check the Seljuk's power.) My diplomataic standing with the Ayubids isn't that great, and if they declare war, their infinite armies will basically destroy me, especially since i've been too poor to develop military buildings much.

  3. #23
    Jaytee's Avatar Miles
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    Default Re: Hardest faction

    Quote Originally Posted by Hissing Fauna View Post
    Makura is hard! I'm playing a campaign as them currently, and despite lots of expansion and investment into infrastructure, my economy is only just starting to build up. I've been sidetracked by a war with the Omani that i've been wining dispite slow progress. But my position is really fragile. I'm the only remaining christian faction, besides a couple of island provinces owned by the byzantines. The Ayubids have just stormed through everything, basically owning the entire medetteranian by the the time the mongls showed up. (they, coincidentally, have basically destroyed the Khawarziman Empire, and hopefully will check the Seljuk's power.) My diplomataic standing with the Ayubids isn't that great, and if they declare war, their infinite armies will basically destroy me, especially since i've been too poor to develop military buildings much.
    I found quite the opposite to your experience. You seem farther on in your campaign than I got (It crashed) however the Ayyubids were no more as I decided to invade them after a few years of their war with the Crusaders. I purposfully waited a few years so that they would move their armies North to fight the Crusaders where upon I started eating up their lower cities even giving one of the Egyptian coastal provinces to the ERE to get them involved, which they sure enough did, and soon the Ayyubids couldn't stop the progress of me in the South and the Crusaders up North, they were wiped out in no time.

  4. #24
    BesoC's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: Hardest faction

    Playing as Georgia on VH\VH. Nearly impossible. In first turn dismissed all horse archers, second turn - took Ganja and Yerevan and dismissed the rest cavalry units. Even after this it took me 8 turns to came out of debt. Right now, after about a 100 turns

    Finances - Somehow managed to suck Tabriz and Shamakha. Only with looted money I was able to build farms. Still balancing on a razor's edge, my profit is 1-3K per turn.

    Army - cannot build any units except ones that are given in Tbilisi at the beginning of the game. Ah yes, I can build an Uberunit in Yerevan - Northen axemen militia

    Politics - Completely surrounded by hostile muslim factions and all of them are at war with me. 2 battles per turn is a common thing to do. Diplomacy is useless - my sultan wishes you dead, infidel .

    Computer controlled players are blooming. Factions are jigging around with 2-3 half stack armies (on my frontiers only, also has a couple of full-stack armies each), while I can barely support 3-4 generals, 4 Georgian and 2-3 mercenary HA + 3-4 cheapest units in city garrisons. I've read somewhere in this forum that AI is being granted with quite a big amount of money each turn. This amount is a little too much, imho .

    Surviving only because Kipchaks are not striking (yet). When they will - and they WIILL -

    So Georgian campaign is very hard, guys, i mean it. Kipchaks are way much easier.

    P.S. Can somebody tell me, where and when can I recruit acceptable units, like Kartli spearmen?
    Last edited by BesoC; March 15, 2010 at 04:37 AM.

  5. #25

    Default Re: Hardest faction

    I tried a campaign with Georgia and it was not that bad, especially after building the mines in Kutaisi and getting some trade from Kutaisi and Ani. The Kypchaks usually grant an alliance, and then you only need to wait for the Turks and/or Seljuks to start a war with someone else and attack them in their back.

    Also, it is not too hard to go after the Seljuks at the very start, by destroying Turanshah's stack and then sieging Ardabil. The gets you a good castle, gets rid of the tough azeri horsemen and kills 2 Seljuk family members, leaving with only 1 general, as the Sultan dies at the end of the 1st turn. Such behavior in a single campaign is somewhat unsportsmanlike though.

  6. #26
    EarendilElenthol's Avatar Artifex
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    Default Re: Hardest faction

    With georgia, the key is as usual the cavalry. Shamakta, Ganja and Majar should be sieged (and taken in the first turns, then Sokhumi and then you end up in black figures, although with very slim margin. I always use sieges and their sallies which I crash with the cavalry. That costs much money (1000/settlement/turn) but is mostly worth it. I even managed to take Ani with 2 nearly full units of monaspa lancers (starting units) and 2 units of georgian cavalry, although I wouldn't tempt the gods by trying to do that again in another game.

    Kartli spearman are 3rd tier city units
    Last edited by EarendilElenthol; March 16, 2010 at 09:38 AM.

  7. #27
    Jaytee's Avatar Miles
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    Default Re: Hardest faction

    Quote Originally Posted by Kavhan Isbul View Post
    ...Such behavior in a single campaign is somewhat unsportsmanlike though.
    Made me giggle. haha

  8. #28
    BesoC's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: Hardest faction

    As I was predicting, united Kipchaks invaded with 2 full stack and several half-stack armies. As Khulagu Khan (I believe it was he) wrote - our warriors are as numerous as sand

    Started a new campaign. Unlike prevous one, I did not dismiss my armies. Instead, strike to rebel towns towards South, took Ani, Erzerum, Erevan and Ganja. Georgian Lancers are monsters!! The most exciting thing: if you siege enemy town and AI thinks that his forces are overwhealming, he will come out of town and attack you .

    Right now Georgia is allied with Byzantines, in war with Seljuk-i-Rum, Armenia and Kipchaks. Seljuks and Khalif are hostile neutral to infidel . My king with all his army is near Erzerum, protecting borders and destroying enemies' invasion forces. Good news are that Kipchaks have not become united (I'm very lucky), so I can beat their bands with what I left back in Tbilisi

    About finances: as in previuos camopaign, profit is 1-3K per turn. However, now I have far more powerful army and building farms and ports in towns. So 3-5K per turn profit is expected in the near future. Ani is the core to my wealth, with Silk Road and Wineyard built there.

    My advise to those who plays for Georgian Kingdom - strike first, take Ani and all the rebel towns nearby and pray that Kipchaks do not become united for at least 30 years. Good luck!

    Two strange things:

    1. I stormed a Seljuk-i-Rum's town, looted it, destroyed all buildings and left ungarrizoned because there was a full-stack Armenian army marching towards me. Armenians took the ungarrisoned city. In theory, Seljuks should try to return their city, but they don't

    2. Armenians do not want to make peace with me. Both factions' religion is Orthodox, we had trade rights before and I've never touch thier borders. In fact, they took my city. I beat their armies one after another, offered them single and regular payments (I was just curious) - no good. Looks like I have to build a good army and strike on the, perhaps then they will honour my diplomacy

  9. #29

    Default Re: Hardest faction

    Quote Originally Posted by BesoC View Post

    Started a new campaign. Unlike prevous one, I did not dismiss my armies. Instead, strike to rebel towns towards South, took Ani, Erzerum, Erevan and Ganja. Georgian Lancers are monsters!! The most exciting thing: if you siege enemy town and AI thinks that his forces are overwhealming, he will come out of town and attack you
    Yep, often the best way to begin a campaign is to just go for it. No guts, no glory, dude

    About the siege thing - you can often use this to your advantage. I once conquered a city that was defended by an entire stack of infantry, using only one general's BG and two cheap spearmen units with ladders.

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