Spain campaign

[SonOfThunder]

Ok, I'm still a relative Total War newb, so thought I'd ask you guys for some advice. I stopped my English long campaign because I controlled too much of the world and was tired of managing it. So I started a Spanish short campaign to see what the Spaniards have got to offer.

Anyway, I'm at about turn 5 and have just taken Valencia with my king and first general - it was a tough battle and I lost over half my men, sadly. Zaragoza is under siege by my prince and it should be in Spain's hands in a turn. One of my princesses and my spy died in an earthquake sadly, but I still have another princess.

Ok, so this is my question. For the short campaign, the Spaniards need to wipe out the Portuguese and the Moors and hold 15 regions. I don't want to fight two nations at once(I'm still relatively weak), so I plan on attacking one of them ASAP. Which one should I go for? Portuguese is Catholic, so I'm a little wary, but they're closer to me than the Moors. Advice? Thanks! Oh and one more thing - to keep my family tree more manageable, I'm trying to see if I can survive without adopting...so I won't have very many generals. So yeah, any tips on this campaign would be appreciated.

[Zodiac]

Use your Jinates. They will save the day. You can then use Heavy Mailed Knights to counter them. Oh yeah, and your Spear Militia will be your best shot at defeating anyone in the region, so get them nice suits of Armor.

Oh and Attack the Moors first. Their a Cakewalk compared to the portugese. When you go for the Portugese, it is essential you take Lisbon first. If you don't they'll summon a horde of Spear Militia/Crossbow Militia. Oh and good luck.

[Praetorian_Mossop]

In my Spanish Long campaign I blitzed both the Moors and Portugese at once, got me excommunicated but after 30 turns the entire Spanish peninsular was mine and I was reconciled. It really isn't too difficult as long as you recruit troops where you can. I never used Jinetes as well, they aren't my fighting style.

[Stildawn]

Yeah in my spainish campaign. I reckonmend to go completely broke, dont build any buildings and just pump out the numbers. When advancing only advance to the next bridge and sit on it if you see a large enemy army, they will attack you and you will slaughter them if you have archers and spear militia. Cavalry are useless in this tatic so keep them at a minium. I had over 6 heroic victories on the bridge between panapola and zakkorata (spelling lol) against the portugese, they had me both outclassed and out numbered, but its amazing what a small army of spears and archers can do on a bridge.

I just sat there until there huge army destroyed itself on me, then took them out.... Same with the moors. I love how theres so many bridges in spain : )

[Kietharr]

I always kill the Portuguese via agent spam, it's easier for the moors of course with imams changing religion causing more unrest. Since Portugal doesn't usually expand past 3 or 4 settlements it's fairly easy to just fill up their cities with spies one by one and bomb all of their public order buildings with assassins. It takes longer but in the end costs you a little less than fighting giant stacks of Jinetes that they love to spam and is kinda fun in its own special way.

[Volcan]

I hate attacking that castle with El Cid in it, way too hard. I always send Vaasco, not too sure on the spelling, to deal with Cordoba. I usually take it by turn 2-3 then blitz the next castle before any can arrive. I usually have the Moors off of spain in about 5-6 turns. By then I have my balista maker made in the most northern town and have my prince with a few spear milita attacking lisbon and getting it in one turn so the pope can't tell me to stop! I usually send my king to the smaller rebel settlement and buy two crossbow mercs to make taking it really easy.

By then it's not even turn 10 and you have spain basically cleared out. It's pretty easy.

Oh, and sorry if this sounds a bit off. I am really tired right now, and I need to get to bed.

[St Naffatun]

panapola and zakkorata

lol where?

Stick a boat between africa and spain, stops reinforcements.

[Hungary Horace]

You can't bribe El Cid, there was a post somewhere where this dude did the the money cheat and offered 100,000 florins and still no Dice.

if you play as Spain you will end up in a similar situation as England as homelands easy to defend.

I think he means Zaragoza and Pampalona.

[SonOfThunder]

Wow, all this sounds a lot better than the way I was doing it...I got the Moors off Spain within 15 turns and then I decided to chase them into Africa and eliminate them. I did, but it took me a while and I still haven't touched Portugal yet...I'm about 35 turns in now.

Thanks for all the tips! I've realized I have too much cavalry so am backing off on that and focusing on some spearmen right now to help take down Portugal in that upcoming war. I sorta like the agent spam idea, because both of my armies(king's and prince's) are retraining right now and I don't want to sit around doing nothing. I think I made some key mistakes early game(not going after the Moors faster), but oh well. Live and learn.

[Archus]

Bribe the castle with El Cid in it, he's a decent general to have if you want to take down Portugal.

Use jinetes for every battle. I'd say about 6 units per stack. They can defeat just about any cavalry unit and are fairly decent at flanking. (Y) good luck mate.

[Adhamh Ashashi]

I played as Spain to wipe out the Moors so I could play as them and I must say go for Portugal first because the Moors don't have the Technology they have!

But watch out for Timbuktu because it took me 10 turns to find when I first got the game!!!!!

Its a stupid place for a city
WHY IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.................WHY?!

[Lord Gothmog]

But watch out for Timbuktu because it took me 10 turns to find when I first got the game!!!!!

Its a stupid place for a city

WHY IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.................WHY?!

Timbuktu is at the intersection of an east–west and a north–south Trans-Saharan trade route across the Sahara to Araouane. It was important historically (and still is today) as a commercial center where goods are received for distribution, transshipment, or repackaging of rock-salt from Taoudenni. Its geographical setting made it a natural meeting point for nearby African populations and nomadicBerber and Arab peoples from the north. Its long history as a trading outpost that linked west Africa with Berber, Arab, and Jewish traders throughout north Africa, and thereby indirectly with traders from Europe, has given it a fabled status, and in the West it was for long a metaphor for exotic, distant lands: "from here to Timbuktu." - Wikipedia
Game wise it can give you a good income if developed right. Plus your merchants do not have to worry about being "killed" by other merchants way down there.

[SonOfThunder]

Again, just wanted to say thanks for all the tips...I won the short campaign so I've unlocked all the factions now. My last battle was against Milan on that island...Cagliari or something like that? Anyway, now I'm playing as the Danes.

[Internazionale]

I have started a new M2TW campaign as Spain and Im uploading every major battle to YouTube

Heres the first... A DEFEAT



The Second... A victory