Early Campaign Turks Start suggestions?

[Rik74]

Hi everyone,
I'm returning to mtw after a lot of time and it's my first game with SS, so I feel noob enough right now to ask for suggestions.

I'm playing a VH/H early campaign with Turks using vanilla SS 6.1 with Lusted new AIs and I'm at turn 1.

What initial strategies would you suggest?

What I can't decide is how many armies to make and where to strike, if I should build something at all at the beginning (like roads and the northermost castle) or spend on units and mercs. In other words, almost everything.

Any suggestion is appreciated and thanks in advance.
Rik

[Barser]

I just started as a turkish campaign and what i did was:
Take as many rebel settlements as possible.
Building all the infantry I can to take them.
Only building financiel structures and dirt rodes.

It have been a pice of cake so far.

[aarons got funky fresh]

Its pretty tricky in the Late Era, Army Upkeep is huuuuge from Turn 1. Im 20 turns in, in the red and only 2 provinces conquered

[Rik74]

@Barser: thanks! What odds did you accept for a battle? Turks start with distant groups of few units, did you wait to build reinforcements?

@aarons: as I said I'm quite a noob, but if I remember correctly Jihads could relieve upkeep cost. In early era you can't create one at the start, but maybe in late era you can?

[aarons got funky fresh]

@Barser: thanks! What odds did you accept for a battle? Turks start with distant groups of few units, did you wait to build reinforcements?

@aarons: as I said I'm quite a noob, but if I remember correctly Jihads could relieve upkeep cost. In early era you can't create one at the start, but maybe in late era you can?

Jihads arent worth it though, men begin to desert and stuff.

[Coxy]

Jihads arent worth it though, men begin to desert and stuff.

Not if you keep the army advancing each turn - I've never lost any desertions, you've just got to keep moving and they are fine mate

[Rik74]

@barser: Thanks for the info, I totally forgot the new factions!

Tried today for some 5 turns and discovered that if you go from the capital south to Adana then Templars Antioch blocks the way east... Will try again later. Terrain is really something to consider now.

Are you sure Turks shouldn't go for the thin line of northern provinces too? The Tblisi general has not much to do, after all, and I fear Byzantines circling me north, when most of my units are south and east.

Bodyguards are certainly impressive, but I am not very good at using them in cities, looks like they don't like following orders or keeping formation. I usually end with them slaughtered either because they didn't run or disengage when told to or stopped chatting while only one or two charged as ordered. Instead, looks like the computer can effectively micromanage disengage/charge combos.

Rik

[aarons got funky fresh]

Its pretty tricky in the Late Era, Army Upkeep is huuuuge from Turn 1. Im 20 turns in, in the red and only 2 provinces conquered

30 turns later and Im the largest, richest, most advanced faction

[Barser]

Rik74: I usually had odds 1/1 though the key is BODYGUARDS. Those guys can really destroy. Also remember to go for citys as they are more easy and not as defended as castles. I was a little aggresive at the start but not desperatly aggresive. There is a lot of settlement to capture try and expand aggresive to the east before the kwaresmian take the good citys.
the north is not so important.
South is the templers... try and get to edesa and adana. I was lucky to go a little further to antioc.
the west is the the byzies. Just go as far as you can and be ready incase they attack you... you will get them soon enough .

Actually in my campaign a crusade have just been called against constantinoble. Lucky for me my economy is finally ready to take them out at turn 20.

Just set up the defence you can afford when you get borders with the potentially dangourus factions.

Oh yeah remember to get alliences with kwarezmians and egypt.

[Barser]

Rik74: sure you should keep the mountain line to the north like in my screenshot but it takes some time for the other factions to go that way so it is not as important as securing the other borders.
Also remember watch towers.

I know bodyguards aint that good in citys but they have no problem taking out the week rebels.

In my current campaign I just took constantinoble and got the byzzies on there knees. They gave me rodohs for a siece fire. But surprice, surprice looks like my allies the kwarezmian have there eyes on my eastern territory.
Never would have guessed they would break our allience.

I am very rich right now in the campaign and possible the kwarezmians got jeloux since they didn't get anything from joining the jihad. I will try to get a siece fire with them again as I am not interested in getting any of there regions. Better have them as a buffer when the mongols arrive.

Oh yeah and I only occupyed settlements therefore my reputation is "Immaculate". I don't know what that means but I guess it is the best.