Crusade!!!!

**Frodo52** · December 08, 2007, 11:35 AM

How does everyone like to structure their cruscade armies?

I have been having a lot of success with a general, some faction infantry, enough artillery to breach the wall, and as many mercenary Cruscader Knights as I can hire on the way. Maybe a few cruscader spearmen / fanatics to fill out the ranks. But mostly knights.

The general and his men pretty much just watch while the Cruscader Knights do the killing and the dying. They're too expensive to maintain after the war, so I use them as hammer, anvil, and sponge. If they get killed... Oh, well.

If any survive the Cruscade, I dismiss them.

It seems to work pretty well when I have a lot of ground to cover and can hire knights all along the path.

**Sher Khan** · December 08, 2007, 12:21 PM

Two armies: The Grand Army and The Killing Blow.

The Grand Army is jammed packed with Crusader Sergeants, crossbowmen, one or two Unhorsed Knights, and four Crusader Knights or their equivalent number in Templar/Hospitaller/Teutonics. A simple shield wall with Sergeants allowing my crossbowmen to fire with impunity will destroy the enemy army at range, while allowing any attempt at close combat to crash against the shield wall and be flanked. The Knights will clean-up enemy cavalry on the flanks before either charging home into the enemy rear or swamping their Desert/Turkish archers.

The Killing Blow is an entirely separate stack. Nothing but Crusader Knights, Mailed Knights, Feudal Knights, Templars/Hospitallers/Teutonics/Knights of Santiago, you name it. Line up in to ranks stringed across the front and charge home.

It's free upkeep, full heavy cavalry stack that will absolutely decimate any enemy stack. Heavy casualties, but the units that survive by the end of the crusade will be battle hardened and worth keeping.

**Old Geezer** · December 08, 2007, 01:12 PM

I like to take units that will benefit most from the upgrade because going up one level makes a huge difference. It also depends on the situation at and near the target and who the enemy is and what kind of forces I'll be facing. Cavalry and Horse archers are not terribly effective in an assault but may be necessary to beat an army to get to the target. It is really helpful to know what buildings are in the settlement so that you can tell what you will be able to recruit once you capture the city.

I usually grab every unit I can to take to the party, because the ones who get left behind become jealous and that's not good for my happy kingdom.

**J@mes** · December 08, 2007, 01:16 PM

1) A general with at least 6 stars
2) 4-5 st John Horsed knights
3) 6-7 Unhorsed Knights
4) 3 Spear Sergeants
5) 3 Crossbow or Long Bowmen

other units include at least 2 priests and maybe an assisin

**Old Geezer** · December 08, 2007, 02:15 PM

By the way, sending a single crusading army is a tad overly optimistic unless the silly AI has left a city with only a few units, has very few cities and units around, and no strong friends. I have done such with a single army but have reinforcements on the way if I intend to keep the settlement. Seaborne invasions can be pulled off rather easily as the AI never seems to see them coming. (I have taken Jerusalem when it has been defended by a single unit despite there being units around that the AI could have put in there. Does the AI not know that a crusade has been called?

**Cataclysm** · December 09, 2007, 10:35 AM

Huge amounts of peasants and crappy crusader units. I really don't like religious fanatics of any denomination, and only crusade to not lose favor with the pope.

**loquar** · December 10, 2007, 01:34 AM

I am not realy keen on crusading so I generally make 7 units of peasants and stick them with my least usefull general just to appease his popeyness.

Did this last friday in my polish campaign and sent the poor saps south towards jerusalem.... Noticed that only england had joined me and thought oh well, short crusade, quick death.

3-4 turns later and my 7 peasant units were knocking on the gates of jerusalem with only 1 unit of generals bodyguard inside! Hired 1 unit of mercenaries, Beat the generals heavy cav and took the city. Perfect papal relations, experienced peasants, a sacked city, destroyed all the destroyable buildings and ran for it.

Made close to 20K with 7 units of peasants and 1 spears very early on in the game...... starting to re-evaluate my position on crusading

**AngryTitusPullo** · December 10, 2007, 01:40 AM

I've always send at least 2 generals in a stack (both crusades and jihad). More if I have enough to spare.

I had once 2 stacks vaporized (both lead by a single general) right after I landed near Alexandria on a crusade call to Cairo when both the leader died...

**Old Geezer** · December 11, 2007, 07:17 AM

I wonder if the generals were assassinated? If a character is assassinated do you get a message to that effect or, as I did with a priest whom I suspect was assassinated, just get a message that he died (no mention of natural causes).

**loquar** · December 11, 2007, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by Old Geezer

I wonder if the generals were assassinated? If a character is assassinated do you get a message to that effect or, as I did with a priest whom I suspect was assassinated, just get a message that he died (no mention of natural causes).

I believe it is a mixture of the 2 depending on the assassins level of success. I have seen an assassin swing at a general of mine, heard him die and read in the messages that he died of natural causes, similarly I have read that they have been assassinated.

Similar kind of thins with spys when they are caught in cities, sometimes they get killed sometimes kicked out.

So IMO if the assassin does a 100% bang up job then you read that your general/diplomat died naturally but if the assassin messes up a bit you hear about it and auto DoW on the country concerned if your not already at war.

**nosjo78** · December 11, 2007, 09:37 AM

The way I do it is as follows:
1. Faction Heir, or Faction Leader (If hes 40 or younger)(Or if the Faction Heir is actually older than leader) This increases every one of his stats if hes successful. Biggest bonus of this is the Chivalry he will gain if you dont sack or exterminate the target.
2. The first 7 units I can get my hands on. Lets be realistic here its NOT hard to take any crusading target. Grab the first 7 cheap units you can get your hands on and get a move on to the target. Recruit on your way there.
3. Take the Crusade target, abandon it (after selling off most of the cities assets) and move on taking every town you can until your crusading army is nearly spent.
4. Sail your faction leader/heir home and either continue whatever war effort you were working on or park them in your capitol or other large city and watch his bonus chivalry and piety make that city great.