Rediculous odds whenever I try the moors.

[Inhuman One]

I tried to play the moors several times but somehow half the world declares war on me within the first 50 turns.

I am using the clouds accros europe mod which doesnt allow me to recruit high period units yet and puts in more factions.

The campaign I am in now is the worst. Everything was peacefull in spain and I send an army towards tunis from algiers in turn 1. When I got there the sicilians were besieging tunis already. I decided to move on to Tripoli. In the meanwhile my relations with sicily worsened somewhat because I was on their land when they captured Tunis. Then I besieged Tripoli and the sicilians attacked my besieging army with a bigger army. I retreated and recruited a mercenary fleet to sail to Tunis, and took the city the next turn since it only had a general left in there.

After that things got rediculous. First the papal states and sicily want to attack Cagliari which I quickly captured after tunis, then a crusade is called against tunis and usually only 1 or 2 factions join a crusade but this time it were the following factions:

-France, a full stack has arrived near tunis right now and will probably attack the next turn.

-Milan, they got a full stack crusading army next to Valencia.

-Denmark, I bribed them to get a ceasefire.

- Portugal, although I got a ceasefire their crusading army still exists and stands in the cordoba region.

-Kingdom of Jerusalem, probably another full stack going through the desert towards tunis.

-The Teutonic Order, havent seen their crusading army yet.

I am also at war with the papal states and Egypt. Egypt had managed to capture Tunis while I captured Caglian but they were driven out the next turn.

At the moment I need a strong defence in Spain and also at tunis and Cagliari. Its difficult to build this up with constant sieges. My navy is weak since I need those recruitment slots for soldiers every turn.

I did capture Timbuktu and the merchants there and the city itself are a gold mine and deliver me a great amount of cash.

One merchant makes 2611 each turn for trading gold with 6 points in finance. The others make less since they have less finance points but one makes almost 2000 a turn as well. the city is good for 2427.

I never had similar problems with the turks or egyptians.

If anyone would have good advice for this situation that allows me to keep a decent reputation and perhaps improve it even I would be gratefull.

I simply defend and do not attack for now. They seem to want tunis so badly that they didnt care that Jerusalem was taken in a Jihad seemingly.

[Captain Crimson]

I know you play a mod, but I find getting Timbuktu early is vital. At bout turn 70, i had almost all of Iberia and was creeping into Sicily.

Don't use infantry, use lots of javelin horsemen and light horseman: A full charge should break all the early units easily AFTER you have used all your javelins.

EDIT: Was also number 1 in the end of turn report 'competitions' permanently after turn 50. Be very aggressive.

CC

[Elric von Rabenfels]

Moved to Battle Planning, you will get more responses here

[Inhuman One]

alright thanks, any help with keeping my reputation good? I know that assasination, bribery and executing prisoners will work greatly for fighting so many enemies but that doesnt help my reputation.

[Recluse]

In my experience, once your rep goes into the toilet it's extremely hard to bring it back up.

And once your rep is in the toilet, it's like painting a target on your back. Everyone shoots at you.

The only way I've been able to get and keep a good rep is to play for it from the very start of the campaign.

For me it helps to make lots of alliances (especially marriage alliances), don't betray them, don't attack neutrals unless it's part of a crusade/jihad, don't use spies for anything except counterspying in your cities, don't recruit or use assassins, try for high chiv faction leaders, buy and trade settlements if possible, don't retaliate too hard against factions that betray you, don't execute prisoners, don't exterminate settlements (sacking is okay), do what the Pope tells you (Catholics only, N/A as Moors), and don't destroy factions.

I usually play 1.2 vanilla, M/M or H/H, 2yrs/turn, so as always, YMMV.

[Inhuman One]

I didnt do anything wrong in my opinion. I didnt spy, I didnt assasinate, I didnt even put merchants out of business. My leader and prince werent too chivalrous but not dreaded either. about 2 chivalry they had. I did forge alliances and I made peace between england and france this way by offering them both an alliance.

The sicilians attacked me though and I took tunis in return, I simply occupied it though. Thats the only thing I ever did. The silicians have no business in the destert though. I even made peace with the silicians and they did not join the crusade against Tunis. If they can forgive me why cant the rest of the world which I didnt have a problem with?

I really am getting tempted to go full dread on them all. Assasination, spying, exterminating cities, slaughtering all prisoners, it all becomes more and more tempting.

[bars]

I really am getting tempted to go full dread on them all. Assasination, spying, exterminating cities, slaughtering all prisoners, it all becomes more and more tempting.

Why don't you?
Rep means nothing later on in the game, everyone attacks you regardless of your rep.

[Recluse]

Why don't you?
Rep means nothing later on in the game, everyone attacks you regardless of your rep.

Not true on H/H.

In my current campaign (1.2 vanilla h/h) I control 70+ territories as England in the gunpowder age and a couple turns back every faction on the board was either allied with me or my vassal and I have a "Trustworthy" rep.

[Recluse]

It sounds like you got it for no good reason.

I know it's a little late on this campaign, but you might try an experimental campaign by using saves before you do something that might affect your rep, like for example attacking a settlement or using a spy, and then checking your reputation afterwards to see if it went down or not.

It may help you to better determine the little unknown things that can cause your rep to go down.

[Inhuman One]

True. I personly can understand that sicily could be angry at me for taking Tunis even while they have no business in africa, but everyone else shouldnt get mad at me for that. The papal states really are extremely aggresive. They took both islands next to Italy and have many fleats sailing around and have landed near tunis with several small armies now.

I really feel like exterminating all catholic factions now.

[Recluse]

See, now that's the spirit!!

[Inhuman One]

How come that everyone is far more aggressive against the Moors than against Egypt or the Turks though?

Usually the catholic factions only declare war to them if one of their cities happens to be a crusade target. And then usually just 2-3 factions go on crusade.

[Recluse]

I think it's because the Moors share borders with Spain and Portugal, and are the Islamic faction geographically closest to the Catholics.

[Inhuman One]

True but still, Denmark, the HRE, France, The Teutonic Knights and the kingdom of Jerusalem are not even close. Seemingly they suddenly obey the pope a lot better when I play the Moors.

[mbchudno]

Bah.... If you play as Moor, you should act aggressive. Being Muslim you will be in disadvantage in Europe always as far as politics go. But, you have cheap soldiers, free money and experience (from Jihad).

If you play really aggressive game first 10-20 turns, you can take all of the Iberia. Catch Portuguese off guard with early Jihad, load up on cheap troops, take both cities in one turn. Then take both armies, combine them into full stack and do same thing to Spain. Specially considering that AI is not smart enough to defend its cities so often.

Then move to 2 south African cities, dump all your merchants on resources there. With Iberia and Africa under your control, you will have nearly unlimited money. Whole world want to fight? Bring it on!

Start by making bunch of Imams and sending them deep into enemy territory so you can abuse Jihad more.

Create tones of early Arab and Desert Cav units (easily replaceable in most cities), send 2-3 large armies of them with generals (keep them mobile by hiring couple mercs to open gates for you). into europe to harass enemies, take, sack, sell buildings in undefended cities, plant spies into their cities, sabotage their order buildings, take couple merchants from Africa who will be very very rich very fast and go on Merchant rampage across the Europe, see how they will be able to mount any offense if they will be under constant attack.

Don't forget to use Jihad every opportunity you have. Free money, exp, chivalry, good units.

So far, every country who attacked me, got ether totally wiped out or neutered. Still under 100 turns, Portugal, Spain and France eluminated, Venice, Sicilians, England, HRE all getting serious whooping Controlling 20 or so regions, could hold more, but i had to let few cities go so I can sack them later again Interesting that nether Papal States or Milan (my only catholic allies) have not called war on my yet.

The only countries who like me are Muslim and Orthodox countries. I have not touched any of them... yet. Over all, its cool to see statistics that Moors are #1 faction in the game in every single category. Can't wait till i see my camel gunners.