Manipulating Crusades

[P014K]

So, I got myself in a tough diplomatic bind with Spain. (Playing 1.2 SS 3.2)

I allied France with 2 marriage alliances and I really wanted them as allies. I also allied England and Portugal. I start building up an army to attack the Moors and take them out of the Iberian. The turn before I am about to attack the Moors, Portugal and France ally the moors. Now, I though, hey, no big deal, I'll attack and they'll both side with me since I'm catholic and awesome. So I saved right before just to make sure. I attack and they both choose the moors. I was perplexed by this, but I theorized that they side with the non-aggressor in most situations. So...on the spot I came up with this stratagem;

I tried to get a crusade against Cordoba or Granada, that didn't work, but I did get one against Tunis. Now instead of joining the crusade and annihilating them, I waited. Next turn, England and France joined the Crusade. I quickly followed suit.

I have now taken out Cordoba, Granada, and Melili. And am on my way to Algiers (I skipped Marrashara (sp?) because of deserters...lots of deserters).

EDIT: This is pre-Jerusalem crusade (I got the first crusade off)

[Kip]

+Rep, nice handling of the diplomatic standoff.

Now just watch out for the Crusader armies returning through your lands...

[P014K]

+Rep, nice handling of the diplomatic standoff.

Now just watch out for the Crusader armies returning through your lands...

Yes, they are there, but I'm not too worried. I am going to time it so that they cross into Africa and then I'm going to blockade them off out of Europe. Also, all the armies coming toward me (England, France, and Hungary) are allies.

[Kip]

Yes, they are there, but I'm not too worried. I am going to time it so that they cross into Africa and then I'm going to blockade them off out of Europe. Also, all the armies coming toward me (England, France, and Hungary) are allies.

Good plan, just be careful. You never know when those allied armies will find an opportunity to lay siege to a weaker settlement, no matter how great relations are.

[Hex Khan]

smart move quite a cunning strategy I like , put recall england and france often side with the victim, doesnt mean they'll do anything, appeasement anyone?

[Recluse]

Not sure if it's always the case, but often the AI will stick with whichever faction most recently made an alliance with them.

One campaign I had a very long term alliance with Papal States with perfect relations, and those dirty Milanese made an alliance with the Pope, attacked me the very next turn, and the Pope broke his alliance with me.

[P014K]

Yea, I am trusting the new AI updates that SS 3.2 has to not have my alliances break. We will see, this is my first SS campaign.

[P014K]

UPDATE: So all the crusading armies went over my land and I blocked them out of Europe. However, France was sending its boat somewhere, and I was in their path so they went into my "red" zone, instead of continuing on, they decided (next turn) to attack one of my cities. So now I waged a total war against france. I have Marsaille, and about to take Torlouse. I've given up on the crusade (too many deserters), I exited the crusade and tried to rejoin, but its been forever since its calling, so I can't, too late. What pisses me off though is this;

Both armies have been sitting there for 4 turns, not attacking....WTF

[Vor]

I was able to use crusades to destroy a power block alliance that had been giving me hassle for nearly 50 years.

For 20 years I lived in relative peace, allied with Scotland, Milan, France, HRE, Spain, Portugal, Sicily and the Papal States.

But when Spain struck and alliance with the Moors and began invading Portuguese lands I was force to go to there aid and sent a half stack army to lift a siege of the Portuguese capital. This in turn brought about an end to my alliance with Scotland, Milan and HRE.

By this time I controlled all of modern day France except Paris, and all of modern day England and Wales. HRE was the only European Nation that could rival me for land owned, but Milan and Spain also had a lot of wealth and some fairly powerful armies.

When the HRE attacked I initially repelled them and was able to go on the Offensive taking 3 of their territories in 5 years.

The same with Milan who attacked a few years after the HRE, I was preparing an army in my Capital of Clemence to go on a crusade, but when Milan attacked I sent it instead to capture Dijon, Genoa and Milan.

On the Spanish front I was able to assist Portugal in taking over half of the Peninsula within 15 years, but thats when thing went wrong.

Scotland attacked Portugals Irish holdings, while also sending forces down to attack York as well as attacking Paris (the French had backstabbed me by this time, and so I'd taken their last region) and Metz with 2 full stacks that it had built in two regions it owned on mainland Europe. At the the same time Milan tried to retake the cities it had lost after its initial attack while also sending troops to attack Portugal in Spain. HRE just went crazy and attacked about 5 of my boarder towns at once.

My forces where spread thin at this stage, I had to assist Portugal both in Iberia and Ireland, and I had to try and break 10 sieges. Needless to say I lost some towns, and I was forced to pull my troops out of Spain to prevent an all out rout on my Eastern Front.

This lead to Portugal being overrun by Spain, Milan and the Moors and in the end being forced totally out of Mainland Europe. To this present day they only control the two regions in Ireland, and the former Scottish capital of Edinburgh.

I dont know where Milan and the HRE kept getting these armies from, but for the next however many years they kept coming and coming while my forces where ground down into the dust, the constant sieges where devastating my encomy and I was unable to produce enough troops to stem the tide. This eventually led to my total and utter retreat from the mainland but rather than allow my lands to fall into the hands of those damned Germans, Italians or Scotsmen I gave my lands to the Pope. I'd signed a peace treaty with Spain and the Moors after they had forced Portugal out - Spain then went to war with the Moors and now controls the entire Peninsual ajnd is moving into North Africa - so much for their alliance.

But this still wasnt enough, HRE and Milan refused to sign a peace accord and so, rather than being totally destroyed, I asked the Pope to call a crusade on the German lands. Thankfully it worked, every European nation except Mialn went to war with them and the army attacking London left. Sicily, still an ally of mine still it turned out, took the crusade target and then began an unexpected and very welcome rampage through the HRE lands, killing the faction leader in a siege of the capital. This lead to them being welcomed back into the Church, and also allowed me to destroy the Milan-HRE powerblock when the next crusade rolled around. This time I got it called on Milan, and HRE where the first nation to join.

I may have lost all of my European Holdings, I may have 16 Generals sitting in London doing nothing, Spain and Sicily may now be the European Superpowers, but at least in the end the HRE and Milan where devastated as much as myself and Portugal where during that epic war.

Sicily and Spain have both attacked the Papal states however, and the Pope never guards his settlements well. While they take his lands I'll build up my forces, then take back what was once mine.

Best game I've played so far I think.

[Marto]

Good story!

[P014K]

Agreed. Now I think its time you wage war on spain and land troops in the Iberian. Or if you have balls, try to reclaim all the land you gave to the pope with force That'll make things even more interesting.

[johnnyg]

Bravo Vor, well done.
In my experience, I've found that the HRE is the worst faction for backstabbing/to go to war with (right behind France). You start fighting them and all of Europe gets dragged into it, resulting in one very messy diplomatic situation.
Crusades, however, solve all problems. Managed to call one on Hamburg and took 3 other HRE territories before I took the target, effectively rendering the HRE useless anywhere south of Madgeburg. Polished them off withing 10 years, making for a very happy Europe.

[Paul d]

what mod is this? i see several references, but they are all abbreviated...

[P014K]

Stainless Steel version 3.2 for M2TW patch 1.2