Help with Campaign thread

[Imperator Romani]

Thought it would be a good idea to create a thread for people to post their campaign problems. If you get stuck in a campaign or just want advice, this is the place to go. There are many here who will be glad to help(me included)

Anyways, for my question.

Playing as England. I take the Isles, withdraw from Caen, to avoid war with the French of course, and start an Iberian campaign against Portugal. I will eventually have to go to war with the French, and I thought a two pronged attack from two easily defendable positions would be best. But that's the problem. Easily defendable, and Portugal is at war with no one but me, so their armies are concentrated all in the Iberian. So I land many armies there, take some settlements, but by then their whole force is on me and I'm pushed off. Now they are landing on the Isles. I can push them off I think, but then what? Do I keep trying to take the Iberian, or take Northern Africa and start there. I'm not taking Denmark, for they are my best allies.

[ALZU]

a little more info on the campaign pleaz? btw the portuguese landed on britain and attacked you?? wtf in my game the ai never takes troops across water lol i have settled denmark in britain and i never fought a single battle of invaders. i think you should go to northern america, in case they take britain you will be safe there.

[Imperator Romani]

It's turn 45. Portugual owns all of Iberia and North Africa. They are pushing in France. On faction overview, they are richest, 3rd strongest, and the others aren't important.

My condition. Allied with France, Sicily, Hungary, Denmark, and Papacy. Own all of Isles. 5th richest, 8th strongest. I'm thinking about saving up about 100k florins, then using it to max out the recruitment tabs. That should give me around 4-5 stacks. Then move those stacks down to Africa, and working up. The problem is they have a stronger navy, so I can't just block the Gibralter strait with a navy. They also might sink my armies, but I doubt it as I will have all my ships congregated.

I'm also worried that they will send up an army to invade me while my armies are gone. They've not been holding back in their attempts and have tried 3 times already with good sized good quality armies.

[Ascarona]

Nice idea PIW, +rep.

[Imperator Romani]

Much appreciated

[Jexiel]

What are your thoughts on these?

1. Economic warfare. Sabotage their economy buildings, followed by churches, and finally L&O buildings. If you can transport the plague from some settlement even better (Bio warfare!).

2. Force France into the war. Get military access from France and start launching hit and run attacks from the Pyrenees. Try to force Portugal to cross that border near any French army and hopefully the Frenchies will join you.

3. Buy out the Pope. Get perfect relationship with him and call a crusade on Lisboa. Wait for some crusading armies to show up and ride their coattails.

1v1 is too costly. The supply line from England to Iberia is too long.

[Banzai]

Run for Toledo, take it, and hold it. Get France (and eventual remnants of Moors or Spain) to help you. While you muster more forces, they will keep on trying to conquer Toledo. (This strategy helps best when Toledo is at least fortress) This always worked for me, during the siege battles you just camp in the inner castle and wait for them to come, (The whole inner castle is city plaza, so your armies wont rout). They can't flank you in there.

[The Noble Lord]

Run for Toledo, take it, and hold it. Get France (and eventual remnants of Moors or Spain) to help you. While you muster more forces, they will keep on trying to conquer Toledo. (This strategy helps best when Toledo is at least fortress) This always worked for me, during the siege battles you just camp in the inner castle and wait for them to come, (The whole inner castle is city plaza, so your armies wont rout). They can't flank you in there.

I have fought few battles in and around Toledo and I must say do not underestimate the battles there.

[Imperator Romani]

@ Jexiel- Love number 2. Plus rep for that.

@ Banzai- Moors and Spain have been destroyed, so that won't work, U tried that though, but Portugal was too strong for them.

[Imperator Romani]

Someone else post one of their predicaments. I don't wanna feel like the only one who needs help

[PorknBeans]

Whats the best way to deal with the aztecs? I just got to them in my Venice campaign after conquering the rest of the Americas. However, their infantry hold up quite well against mine and their numbers are just ridiculous. I kill 1200 at their capital, and literally another 1000 more come from nowhere. I stood no chance and hot kicked out of South America. So now I'm trying to regroup. Any useful tactics?

[Imperator Romani]

Whats the best way to deal with the aztecs? I just got to them in my Venice campaign after conquering the rest of the Americas. However, their infantry hold up quite well against mine and their numbers are just ridiculous. I kill 1200 at their capital, and literally another 1000 more come from nowhere. I stood no chance and hot kicked out of South America. So now I'm trying to regroup. Any useful tactics?

They don't have calvary. So use that to your advantage. Try to kill them from afar, using gunpowder and other means. Use units with armor. I would think the best things to use against them would be mounted range units and gunpowder, even though I've never faced them in the main campaign. I have fought succesfully against them in the Americas campaign though.

Well, I do have a complicated situation. To express it lightly. Im playing as hungary, conquered the Balkan, all of Greece except Durazzo and Zagreb. I also have Cyprus. The destruction of the Byzantines didn't make me really popular (Untrustworthy). At some point a crusade for Antioch was called, and the Milanese marched through my lands. I was forming a crusade army myself (only the best of the best of course) but I didnt want Milan to take Antioch. So I tried to assassinate their general (95%) But I was freakin KILLED. ALL my alliances were broken. ALL relations with christian factions made a dive to Abysmal. Even relations which were once good. The very same turn I was invaded by Poland, Venice and Milan. Other factions are trying to reach me. Im excommunicated. But I have a supreme economy. CAN I win this? If there is a way, tell me plz. One wrong move will surely kill me :/

Wow, deep mess your in.
Bad news: it's gonna be tough
Good news: Your gonna make it through it quite easily.


Ok for starters. Use that supreme economy to get you out of trouble. I would say send gifts to all factions that have an impact on you. This will help your relations drastically. You might even be able to get several allies back.

Secondly. You are facing off 3 factions at once. Even with your supreme economy you can't fight all 3 at once.

But what you can do is defend on 2 fronts. Don't even think about taking settlements on those fronts. That will just stretch you out more, causing more recruitment, causing more money to be spent. You don't want that. So defend the Milanese and Venecian fronts, and destroy Poland, and let me tell you why those. If you attack on either the Milanese or Venetian fronts, that brings you into contact with more factions, that by what I've seen, do not like you. To add on that, those factions are strong. Attack on the Polish front, destroying Poland. This way you only come into contact with Russia(maybe Denmark), and if you have to, take out Denmark, as this way you can secure your back and fight on one extended front. Russia shouldn't be much of a problem. But if so, defend against them, and destroy Denmark as they are the bigger threat. Denmark is easily defendable and pretty rich, making it another reason to take it first. And lastly, from Denmark you can easily attack Russia's main cities and cripple the Black Sea trade.

I'm pretty sure that you will get through this easily, and 100% sure your gonna come out on top. Jus build up your reputation again, and get on the good sides of the Pope and the main factions.

Tell me if this helps.

[Banzai]

Well, I do have a complicated situation. To express it lightly. Im playing as hungary, conquered the Balkan, all of Greece except Durazzo and Zagreb. I also have Cyprus. The destruction of the Byzantines didn't make me really popular (Untrustworthy). At some point a crusade for Antioch was called, and the Milanese marched through my lands. I was forming a crusade army myself (only the best of the best of course) but I didnt want Milan to take Antioch. So I tried to assassinate their general (95%) But I was freakin KILLED. ALL my alliances were broken. ALL relations with christian factions made a dive to Abysmal. Even relations which were once good. The very same turn I was invaded by Poland, Venice and Milan. Other factions are trying to reach me. Im excommunicated. But I have a supreme economy. CAN I win this? If there is a way, tell me plz. One wrong move will surely kill me :/

[PorknBeans]

Sounds like your in deep . C'mon, wheres Rebel when you need him? (for once)

[Jianadaren]

Well, I do have a complicated situation. To express it lightly. Im playing as hungary, conquered the Balkan, all of Greece except Durazzo and Zagreb. I also have Cyprus. The destruction of the Byzantines didn't make me really popular (Untrustworthy). At some point a crusade for Antioch was called, and the Milanese marched through my lands. I was forming a crusade army myself (only the best of the best of course) but I didnt want Milan to take Antioch. So I tried to assassinate their general (95%) But I was freakin KILLED. ALL my alliances were broken. ALL relations with christian factions made a dive to Abysmal. Even relations which were once good. The very same turn I was invaded by Poland, Venice and Milan. Other factions are trying to reach me. Im excommunicated. But I have a supreme economy. CAN I win this? If there is a way, tell me plz. One wrong move will surely kill me :/

I think you should assemble an army really quickly and take Antioch ASAP. You should probably be able to take the city about five turns after you launch the invasion. If you take Antioch, the Crusade should end. If it doesn't, you could gift Antioch to the Papal states for reconcilliation (hopefully), thus recommunicating you. This will make the other factions much less likely to keep attacking you. It will also stop the other factions from maintaining and building extremely cheap armies.

Meanwhile, set-up defenses where you feel you can hold armies off. Build forts in front of and behind bridges and in mountain passes in order to delay any approaching armies. If you can't defend the fort, leave a token unit in it (like peasants) just so that the enemy needs to siege and assault it in order to advance (thus delaying the attacks).

You might have to surrender Budapest because it's very close to enemy lines and it's a very long fall back to Sofia, Bran, Corinth. Any settlement that you decide you can't defend should probably be sold before it's taken. Either give it to the Papal States for Reconcilliation, to an enemy for peace, to a neutral in order to make a buffer, or as a trade for more easily defensible locations.

Consider raising a navy to defend against troop transports across the Aegian.

Also consider bribing an enemy army. I was once at war with the HRE and Milan (who were allies). I bribed a relatively small HRE army (6 militia units) outside of Bologna and then immediately used it to assault Genoa (I had spies in it already). That was a huge turn in the war.

And for future reference, if you ever attack any crusading forces that exact thing will happen (all catholic factions relations will drop to Abysmal, you will be excommunicated, and your reputation will suffer).

[The1Unwanted]

Banzai, you could try going east taking over the Turks lands with your supreme crusading army and blocking the 2 routes with a fleet from the Constantinople area which connects west from east. Making it impossible for land armies to come across.

[Muagan_ra]

Well... the Hungarians where always naughty raskals, I wouldn't sweat it. It can be fun playing a game as a "pariah" state.

Bad relations is one thing, but it's not war. Best keep an army or two around your western Homelands, just to discourage the zeal of your Catholic neighbours. If I where you though, I would maybe hold off on Antioch - it's a nice prize, to be sure, but it's something you will have to invest in heavilly to keep a hold off, for the Mongols will surely come that way, as well as every other faction in the general vicinity. When things are tight, make your conquests defensible, places that can contribute to your economy, secure a strategic flank, but that you won't have to station a permanent and expensive army to defend. If you have a little colony in the middle of rival territory, it's a sure invitation to even more war - and surely undue aggression is something you're trying to avoid while you patch things up in Europe.

I say you go for Cyprus, Western Anatolia, Rhodes. Easy to take, and defend, and will give you a nice foothold for when you're ready to Crusade again.

[Imperator Romani]

You could also go for Antioch and sack it. Then bail out.

[Banzai]

Thank you guys, I'm gonna try PIW's strategy first. And maybe I'm gonna take durazzo (Small garisson, town) To protect thessalonika from the flank. Budapest is my economical center, so Im no gonna give that up.

Btw: +Rep for you guys.

[Banzai]

Alright small update on my campaign: Antioch is IMPOSSIBLE to take. The Mongols took it, but somehow they wont expand anyfurther. Result: 8 full stacks of experienced bastards near Antioch. Im at war with the HRE, but I took Durazzo and Ragusa, Milan cant reach me over land anymore. I destroyed and hunted for the WHOLE German fleet, thus eliminating any threat of being cut of from my sea trade. I expanded north, and almost completely crushed Poland, Im reconciled, and the pope is Hungarian! (I have 6-7 cardinals, a little assassinating before the last pope became 64 helped) But now come the tricky parts:

1. Russia. I never believed those Russians where that strong. 4 full stacks! all ready to invade my newly gained Polish territory. But the armies aren't that strong and Im an experienced general.

2. Public order. Constantinople and Zagreb civil revolted. Both were exterminated once I retook them, but there are still 'red faced' territories, and Constantinople is about to revolt agian. (because of SQUALOR! WTF???? I JUST KILLED 3/4 THEIR POPULATION.)