Why crusade?

**wwsd** · October 03, 2008, 10:03 AM

All right, so I'm playing England. At one point, a crusade is called, so I have my king form a grand army to join it. I get the troops on a ship, and I start the long journey to Palestine. But after only two turns, almost all units in my army have deserted, and I'm left with 5 units or so!

What's the point of crusading when your whole army deserts in a few turns?

**D.B. Cooper** · October 03, 2008, 10:07 AM

Your troops will desert if your army doesn't move directly to the crusade target, the reason being that it's only religious zeal keeping your army together and they won't remain with your general if he isn't moving with all haste to the crusade target. As outlined in the manual. Going by ship, around Spain, is not the most direct route. Just go by land. Select your army and right-click on Jerusalem or wherever, and the army will automatically begin the shortest possible march, even if it takes 20 or so turns.

**Kinshejsi** · October 03, 2008, 10:34 AM

Let's make some promotion for dateyourgame

He made a guide of crusades a while ago, quite interesting.

Part1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ur0Nd_ZiD0

Part2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD12auRX9So

**wwsd** · October 03, 2008, 11:04 AM

Ahh, that explains a lot. I didn't catch that part.

I'll try doing it properly later.

**Sorkenlol** · October 04, 2008, 12:31 PM

You don't have to crusade tho, you should avoid joining crusades in the middle east, egypt and such and wait for a faction to get excommunicated instead (meaning that they are victims to crusade) and then launch a crusade on them if they're close by.

**Sodbuster** · October 04, 2008, 03:29 PM

In my English and Spanish campaigns (one on M/M, the latter on VH/VH) I crusaded and took Jerusalem. At first it didn't seem like a good idea and I thought about pulling my men back, but I decided to take the nearest castle since it was lightly defended and then see what happened. The only problem I had holding the cities was when the Mongols showed up. On my VH/VH campaign, they managed to take Jerusalem from me, but they lost 4 stacks doing it and got it on the 5th try. Then I took it back the next turn. Egypt and Turkey were never a problem. Also, before the Mongols arrive it's a good idea to take that far south town in Saudi Arabia, and recruit the elephant mercenaries that are down there. If you use them wisely they'll last you the rest of the game.