Papal Shield

[jsgx3]

Anyone else use this strategy?

Playing as Sicily I was knee deep in taking on western europe. France, HRE, England/Spain/Moors, all were in my chilli. Next thing I know the Eastern factions are knocking at the door, Hungary/Denmark etc. What to do? Here's what I did, I took a line of privinces between me and the east. Then I gifted them to the pope in return for much favor. He then acted as a shield from the eastern catholics and gave me time to work over the west. an additional benefit was that the popes neigbors could not help themselves from attacking him now and again, getting excommunicated and giving me an excuse to crusade against them.

[Saibot]

I've never really tried it. Sounds like an interesting idea though. I'll give it a shot.

[snuggans]

those eastern catholics are going to get steamrolled when mongols and timurids come

[jsgx3]

those eastern catholics are going to get steamrolled when mongols and timurids come

I have yet to see that, so far all the Mongol hordes in my games have been in the south east.

[snuggans]

I have yet to see that, so far all the Mongol hordes in my games have been in the south east.

you have a little bit more luck then (unless you play as a faction close to the middle east) as you can get really powerful before they come and settle down.

in all my games, the mongols always bully around the byzantine empire and hungary. the timurids wipe the floor with the north (russia and some of poland mostly)

[The Good]

I use a similar strategy, I use the Pope to protect me when playing as Sicily, so that I can focus on North Africa first.

those eastern catholics are going to get steamrolled when mongols and timurids come

Quite possible, although the Middle East gets attacked more often by the Mongols and Timurids...

I have yet to see that, so far all the Mongol hordes in my games have been in the south east.

The Mongols and Timurids sometimes go to Russia, but that is pretty rare. Normally, it is just the standard Middle Eastern conquest.

[SteelKnight]

I'm playing Sicily now and I found the Papal States a bit annoying. There always putting an army right in the way where I want to be. I neve had to give them any territory as a shield but it sounds interesting. My advise would be not to go after africa right away. Get the 2 island territories on the left(Ajaccio etc.) and then go after Durazzo(important) on the Greecian mainland. This will give you a foothold on Greece and a doorway to the Turkish area. You can go after Tunis after getting these 3 because the Moors will normally be occupied with Spain and Portugal. They never put much military forces that far east.