Need help in a Venice campaign going south fast.

[Cleardream]

Spoiler for StratMap: 

I'm at turn 53 on a Venice campaign, and as you can see, I own Northern Italy, Dijon, Bern, Innsbruck and the standard ones to the east. However, I am being slowly overstretched in by attacks from the HRE, France and Hungary. The Byzies have also been threatening Ragusa and sending in spies. Until this turn however, I did have high rating on the popemeter and good allies in England and Poland.

But just hit the fan. I tried to assasinate the pope as he had Hungary and HRE as maxed on pope meter despite their attacks, it was 70% but my assassin screwed up. Now the papal states are at war with me with all my rep gone and a 3/4 stack near Genoa (ofc excommed as well), England and Poland have stopped our alliance, and I now face a 5 way war if England attack Dijon (as they have Paris from an earlier crusade), or 6 way if the Byzantines make a move. Any suggestions?

[Muagan_ra]

For your future reference, don't with the White Hat, especially when you're one of the Italian factions.

I'm sorry to break it to you, but in my experience at least one of these foes will be probably impossible to make peace with, it seems to be built in to the AI that Milan and Venice must die. All you can do is hold the strategic positions around the Alps, deal with the roaming Papal armies and beg and plead with him for a ceasefire and a reconcilliation with the church. You may have to give him a very one-sided monetary settlement to get this, but it is worth it - as it stands, you are liable to have a Crusade called upon you. Peace with the Papal States is priority number one.

Set your taxes as high as you can, and quickly deal with blockades and bandits blocking your land trade-routes, because money is going to get tight. Invade enemy territory and sack their cities, demolish everything there, and then leave, but that's only if you really find yourself cash-strapped.

[Imperator Romani]

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=278894

Post your problem here, along with screens. Alot of people will help you.

[Nazgûl Killer]

He already posted it here, so why not try and help him here?

Well, from what I've seen, from your screenshots, you have an AMAZINGLY strong army, so what I would suggest is that you use said excommunication.

Strike the factions you are at war with, strike hard, and take as many cities as possible.
Once you start running low on troops, give the Pope a huge sum of money and ask for recommunication, or just kill your king (Recommunicates you either way).

After doing that, make peace with a faction or two, getting them off your backs, and continue the war against the others, and STAY OFF THEIR LAND, let them attack you!
If they come into your land, fight them, if they don't, let them stay out!
You will lose reputation and Papal favor if you attack them on their lands - The lands you just conquered while being excommunicated will get you up and running, just hold the fort and start asking for peace, sooner or later, you should be fine.

If you want more help, go to the link provided by Infantry at his earlier post, or go to my guide (Signature link), I have a Venice guide there you might be able to use.

Good luck!

[Imperator Romani]

He already posted it here, so why not try and help him here?

Well, from what I've seen, from your screenshots, you have an AMAZINGLY strong army, so what I would suggest is that you use said excommunication.

Strike the factions you are at war with, strike hard, and take as many cities as possible.
Once you start running low on troops, give the Pope a huge sum of money and ask for recommunication, or just kill your king (Recommunicates you either way).

After doing that, make peace with a faction or two, getting them off your backs, and continue the war against the others, and STAY OFF THEIR LAND, let them attack you!
If they come into your land, fight them, if they don't, let them stay out!
You will lose reputation and Papal favor if you attack them on their lands - The lands you just conquered while being excommunicated will get you up and running, just hold the fort and start asking for peace, sooner or later, you should be fine.

If you want more help, go to the link provided by Infantry at his earlier post, or go to my guide (Signature link), I have a Venice guide there you might be able to use.

Good luck!

If my thread gets on it's feet, it will do a great job of helping people and keep from everyone starting a new thread for a problem that takes about 2 posts to solve. Just trying to be useful.

[Nazgûl Killer]

Well, to tell you the truth, Infantry, a thread draws far more attention than a post, thus, it is more likely that it will be solved (The question, that is) - Meaning, a thread is usually better.

I've seen dozens and started several threads asking for campaign help, and people are always there to help out, I agree your thread is a very good idea, Infantry, but a thread referring to a special problem is just far more effective (Sadly, it can create spam, this time, it didn't).

[John Doe]

In your shoes, I would take Staufen (it looks under garrisoned) and Metz as a priority. Don't know about this particular game, but HRE usually have a hard time with Poland and Denmark, so depriving them of two strongholds will take the pressure on the northern front. And you'll be able to train 9 units per turn in the centre of Europe.
Personally I would dig in Ragusa and Zagreb and go for northern France and England first (avoiding the Danes if possible). Given the chance I would go for Naples too, it’ll bankrupt Sicily.

After that, need more info on war between other factions, how old is the pope, the composition of the college of cardinal etc...

But judging from the map, you are not in a bad situation (7 cities and 3 castles, I had worst), and do not stop trying to kill the pope (even better: take Rome on your way to Naples).

[Seleucid king]

Ok, if you have lots of money, you can easily buy the Pope's favor. I gave him 10,000 and he immediately favourd me the most!

[Silent Assassin]

Build up 2-3 armies and attack 2-3 regions at the time choose either HRE or France, I would pick on HRE and ask Englands help against France. By taking more than one region at the time from your enemy will unbalance him alot be quick and swith, try to make HRE your vassals

[The.Selhor'EH']

Hey ClearDream,
First of all, it is clear that what is your problem now is actually "L-A-C-K" of funds to support your war as I only see a (227)under the pot of gold.
What you actually need now is FINANCE and not the diplomacy, so I will give you tips on what to do to boost your wealth and hence, conquer THE WORLD.
Regions to take: Rome, Marseilles, Staufen, Nuremberg, Metz(Turn 53-59)
Naples, Palermo, Cagliari, Ajaccio, Tunis, Tripoli(Turn 60-69)
Thessalonica, Constantinople, Nicaea, Alexandra, Cairo, Jerusalem(74-79)

Let me divide your domain into 3 fronts: North(Dijon, Bern, Innsbruck);East(Zagreb, Ragusa); West(Genoa, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence)
Let me touch on the North first:
Destorying the France forces at Dijon region,(*Note: the Pope is there, kill him once you are done with Sicily). Then mobilise your troops there to siege Metz(once you gotten Metz, sack the city and remove ALL their buildings this would gave you something like 20k+ that could enable your expendition towards the HRE and the Sicilians.
Sent your forces at Innsbruck to vanquish the german force(the second one on the right of Staufen and then sent your forces at Bern to conquer Staufen, build a fort at the forest at the location of where the German unit is standing at and garrison it with 1unit(the purpose is to stall the HRE general on top of Innsbruck) . Sack Staufen.
(Once you 1,000 florins , buy two forts at the pass of the left and right of Innsbruck)*IMPORTANTEast
You are actually being very stressed and worried by a possible Byzantine invasion on Ragusa, there is NOT A NEED to fear the Byzantines nor the hungarians from taking over Ragusa. From the florins gain by the sacks at North, garrison up AT ONCE Ragusa with mailed knights and heavy units.(I will touch on why later).
But what I want you to do at the Eastis to move the troops you have at Zagreb over to Ragusa and remove all the buildings you have their for florins and give the city over to the Hungarians for ceasefire, this would actually stop them from attacking you and have them set their sight on Vienna(once vienna is fallen, the Holy Roman treasury would depriate fast).
Another thing I would want you to do is to BUILT UP A STRONG NAVAL of at least 8-9 vessels from Venice and Bologna by the florins gained from the sacking of the castles in the Northand place them at the waters of Ragusa.
Lastly, Buy forts on every single pass on the region of Ragusa against Byz/Hun invasion.

West
You appear to be very troubled by the Papal general between Florence and Genoa, RELAX!!!your forces at Genoa is suffient to UTTERLY defeat it by itself. If you are not confident of it, get the combine forces of your garrison of Florence and Genoa and it's a 101% victory.
Once the Papal general and his army is dead, I want you to gather your garrison of Florence, Bologna and Venice and head them to CONQUER Rome.(Eterminate their population and remove all buildings such as farms and military buildings/ perserve the trading/public order buildings).
On the other hand, gather your garrisons of Milan and Genoa confront the french general at Marseillies region, defeat him (100% chance given your superiority in numbers and tactics) and CONQUER Marseillies(exterminate the population by do not touch any of the buildings there). Buy 2 forts(at each side of the bridge of which the french general is standing 'Marsellies region').
*I want you to raise a naval from Genoa, Florence and (later Marsellies)* IMPORTANT
NOW,
-Transport the garrison at Ragusa using the fleet I told you to construct earlier(By Venice and Bologna), sail them over to Palermo and assualt the castle
-Sent your forces residued in Rome to march down towards Naples.
-Transport the residued army at Marsellies to using the fleet I told you to constuct earlier(By Florence, Genoa and Marsellies) down the sea to conquer Ajaccio and Cagliari.
The residued army of
Palermo-Will sail down and conquer Tripoli
Naples-Will sail down and conquer Tunis
Ajaccio and Cagliari- Will sail westwards and conquer Algiers

That's all to keep you alive and running