How do you Campain?

[Roman Legate]

Well, the title expains a lot. All I am wondering about other peoples strategy on the campaing map.

My strategy is to
1) build up my cities defences

2) build my cities trade/economic buildings

3) build a small, but very strong army

4) rush the unprepaired enemy

5) take their cities and deystroy their faction
note: I only try to attack one faction at a time

6) offer the enemy to become my vassal
accept: they stay my vassal decline: they are deystroyed

7) repeat the process after a wait of about 5 turns in between (in order to rebuild my homeland country)

Thais for Reading!

[Engrish]

1) Infrastructure

2) Military

3) Expansion

4) Trade

5) Rinse and repeat

[antaeus]

i cant be bothered conquering the map.. i play for reputation.

*mini expansion into neighbouring rebel areas, then convert all but one or 2 castles to cities.

*gain 2 alliances with non neighbouring enemies that border you. (less likely to attack each other!) if possible secure an alliance with the pope - secure it with an annual payment of 100 or so in cash indefinitely. he's unlikely to ever attack you, and those who do will be excommunicated.

*trade trade trade. build up roads, ports, warehouses, markets, send out merchants. trade is key.

*be an opportunist, take territory when attacked, but always offer peace and never sack cities or execute prisoners.

*concentrate on few really good units for your military, and use as many free garrison units as you can.. if you need to go on campaign, recruit mercenary soldiers on the march. your troops are your one biggest debt if you are lax on keeping numbers down.

- if you have set up your trade and alliances right, you should be able to pull in 10,000 plus a turn in north western europe, more in the mediterranean.. with your best cities heading upwards of 5000 a turn (or much more in the med).

[Old Geezer]

City defenses are the last thing I build and roads and warehouses the first. I recruit as many of the best units I can and attack as often as possible, usually. Roads speed the attacks and economy. Warehouses and field improvement give the best return on investment for taxes. Sack cities for cash. Bribe/ally with (if possible) the Pope. Do not autoresolve. Specialize cities for recruiting priests, assassins, siege equip., etc. Avoid building brothels. Do not recruit merchants until about turn 50. Use spies to open gates whenever possible. Taunt the enemy into attacking my ships so that it will get excommunicated. And, go on crusades as often as possible (if playing as a catholic faction.)

[Samir]

I distinguish between my core provinces and outer holdings

in my core provinces (the ones that make up the traditional home of my faction, i.e. Scandinavia for Danes, Scotland/Ireland as Scots, Constantinople, Greek and Nicaea for the Byzantines)
cities: farming, trade, public health and order
castles: at least 1 castle to recruit the best of the best at home and being able to defend the core provinces

outer holdings:
cities: I usually dont develop very much. I dont see why my danish leader should invest a single florin into a italian city. I squeeze them out as much as I can and trade them for cash to someone later on, or just let them rebel and take the next one

castles: I usually tear them apart or repeatly sack them so that the enemy cant use them later on. If it is a developed castle I will repair some troops, might stock up for a few turns and convert it or tear it apart.

special provinces:
Rhodes: is a province I just love. Its a perfect base for military endevours throughout the mediteranian. I fully develop the castle there if possible and try to hold it at all costs. very good island as a retreat for your faction

Cyprus: I often try to get it. Dont know why, the weather is appealing to me there. I like the people there so I send over a nice force, convert it to a city and often end up with my royal family there.

[antaeus]

Cyprus: I often try to get it. Dont know why, the weather is appealing to me there. I like the people there so I send over a nice force, convert it to a city and often end up with my royal family there.

i agree, there is something about cyprus. i think its cause it has good resources, and once you convert it to a city, it will grow astronomically.. its rarely attacked by anyone.. and rarely rebels.. i usually turn it into a merchant factory, killing off all my other merchants across the globe, i have a constant construction, and get the merchants guild in there as well, just across the sea, one turns journey away are some of the best merchant resources available around antioch, especially if you're a western european faction.

[Joel92]

first i try to upgrade cities and castles. then i build farms and roads. after that i recruit free upkeep garissons. then i focus on churches and trade before finally upgrading your military buildings. it works fine for me. then i rush and conquer the world.

i once turtled on the brittish isles as england xd. kinda funny though.

[clandestino]

All of that in the same time. In cities, trade and roads; in castles ( one or two of them), unit training facilities; alliances and trade rights with everybody possible; slow expansion first to rebel provinces and later against everyone who attack me first;making one or two elite armies and keeping free upkeep garisons in cities. I'm currently playing with Russians, it's year 1330, I have 27 regions, 4 armies, abundance of cash and I'm not in war with anyone. Mongols are taimed down and I'm preparing for arrival of Timurids.

[Harry Lime]

Moved to Battle Planning. It's for general strategies as well .