Capturing Rome

[Egbert]

I've noticed that one of the goals for the Holy Roman Empire in the long campaign is to capture Rome. When in the campaign should I do this (beginning, middle, or end)? What strategies and tactics can help when attacking Rome as the Holy Roman Empire?

Thank you!

[eggthief]

end, otherwise you'll be gangbanged the rest of the campaign.

[Arcinatus]

agreed with egg, take rome later on, or else you'll get excommunicated and hit from all sides for the rest of the game. (tried it, its horrible.....HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!)

[Random Emperor]

beginning
because pope hates hre most

[eggthief]

beginning
because pope hates hre most

and even a monkey can maximize it within 20 turns.

[Silent Assassin]

The end is better or you could try to exchange it with 2 or 3 of your own settlements with money anytime in the game. I was at war againts Milan and France, until I decide to give the Pope my 3 settlements that touched my rivals against Rome plus gave them 50 000 florins. This gave me Rome and my borderes were protected.

Rebel

[Sorkenlol]

Go for it if you get excommunicated or if it's the last goal you need (70+ regions, all other settlements captured)

[zligor]

It is best to leave this for the end of your campaign, but anything can happen. In one of my campaigns, Papal States have expanded and captured Florence and, I`m not sure on this, Genoa. While they were busy up in the north, Rome rebbeled and those rebels took control of the city. Sicily had big army nearby so they besieged and captured Rome from the rebels quickly. This way Sicily gained control over Rome without war with the Pope. What I`m trying to say, you should leave large army nearby at Bologna, just in case. You never know what may happen.

[Pinky333]

na zig i would have to disagree, if rebels would rebel rome their would be tons of troops in it so you would have to leave alot of bank going into those troops. my opion get your 45 settlements or w/e and then take it. its what i did =d

[Graf Nacht]

prolly better to do it towards the end, when ur so powerfull that you can either buy ur way back into popes favor or just not care about it at all. One very nice way is to gain the control of the collage of cardinals beforehand (easily done by sending hordes of monks into lands with little or no Catolics.) then when you take rome and kill the pope, your candidate gets elected, you become at peace w/ the pope and also get full crosses. You can later give him some far of province near your enemy's borders so that he doesn't bugg you for rome. Hope this works, it played out wonderfully for me.
PS: Be ready to garrison Rome w/ troops you can spare afterwards if you take it later in the game to pacify the population. It usually has the Theologian Guild HQ, which is excellent for controlling the college of cardinals, so you don't want to loose it by sacking/exterminating the city.

[eskrogh]

first take rome when you no longer have enemys at the west front, (france, spain and portugal)

or else it would be the first world war all over again