Help in Byzantine Campaing on SS6.1

[blonkers1234]

Hi, just wondering if anyone can give me some advice as what to do now in my byzantine campaign as Constantiople is being besieged by the turks with 4 other Islam armies waiting for there turn to get some riches.

[Goofy]

I think that there's no much to do, unless you have a lot missile units and Guard Pikemen in Constantinople. Then you may try to defend your city.
As Nazgûl Killer said, Constantinople is Byzantium's strength but also weakness the same time.
I'd gift/lose the city to some faction, then make peace. Your situation is really troublesome.
Maybe you should decide yourself, what you are going to do and what not.

[blonkers1234]

I think that there's no much to do, unless you have a lot missile units and Guard Pikemen in Constantinople. Then you may try to defend your city.
As Nazgûl Killer said, Constantinople is Byzantium's strength but also weakness the same time.
I'd gift/lose the city to some faction, then make peace. Your situation is really troublesome.
Maybe you should decide yourself, what you are going to do and what not.

its about turn 60 and i have mostly peasant javelin throwers(using CBUR), quite a few archers, and some elite heavy infantry.
I was thinking of just getting the enemy caught in a bottleneck then just pinning em down with mass javelins as well as keeping fire on them with archers from the walls.

[blonkers1234]

Im preety sure the Turks only have light misile troops and missile cav so i rekon defeating them would be quite easy but im more scared of Egypt.

[Nazgûl Killer]

Well, what I can suggest to you is: Defend Constantinople with all you have, but don't expect anyone from the garrison to survive.
Don't sell Constantinople as you will want to take it back, and if you take it back after selling it your reputation will suffer a major hit (Major hit means from "Very Reliable" to "Despicable").

Just try to fight off the invaders, bring reinforcements and try to catch the Jihading stacks alone, but just hold on for a while.

Again - Don't expect anyone from the garrison to survive, expect Constantinople to fall, but start mass recruiting now, start mass recruiting so you can counter-attack and retake Constantinople and even use the momentum you gathered to lunge at the Turks.

What I would've done is let Constantinople fall immediately, why you ask?
Several reasons:
1) The computer does not exterminate.
2) The computer does not sack.
3) Once it has fallen, the Jihad will be gone.
4) If it does not fall it will take you forever to end the Jihad.
5) You can easily take it back once you start mass recruiting.

I wish you good luck, Blonkers.

[Tyrenia]

Hehehe... In my Byzantine Campaign, Constantinople is in a similar situation. Good luck, and let us know how the defense goes, as I am looking for any advice in how to defend the city from being overwhelmed by a similar number of Jihad armies

[blonkers1234]

Well, what I can suggest to you is: Defend Constantinople with all you have, but don't expect anyone from the garrison to survive.
Don't sell Constantinople as you will want to take it back, and if you take it back after selling it your reputation will suffer a major hit (Major hit means from "Very Reliable" to "Despicable").

Just try to fight off the invaders, bring reinforcements and try to catch the Jihading stacks alone, but just hold on for a while.

Again - Don't expect anyone from the garrison to survive, expect Constantinople to fall, but start mass recruiting now, start mass recruiting so you can counter-attack and retake Constantinople and even use the momentum you gathered to lunge at the Turks.

What I would've done is let Constantinople fall immediately, why you ask?
Several reasons:
1) The computer does not exterminate.
2) The computer does not sack.
3) Once it has fallen, the Jihad will be gone.
4) If it does not fall it will take you forever to end the Jihad.
5) You can easily take it back once you start mass recruiting.

I wish you good luck, Blonkers.

thank you for your awesome advice Nazgûl Killer

[Gnostiko]

You could try sending assassins after Jihad leaders - when they're dead, the stack's return to their own territory. Next version of RR/RC will remove Constantinople as a Jihad target.

[Nazgûl Killer]

You could try sending assassins after Jihad leaders - when they're dead, the stack's return to their own territory. Next version of RR/RC will remove Constantinople as a Jihad target.

Why...?
It's supposed to be realistic... Constantinople was THE target for the Turks, makes sense why it should be a Jihad target.

[Gnostiko]

Why...?
It's supposed to be realistic... Constantinople was THE target for the Turks, makes sense why it should be a Jihad target.

Because its about as realistic as making London or Paris a Jihad target. The Turk's attempt to take the City wasn't in the form of a Jihad.

[blonkers1234]

Because its about as realistic as making London or Paris a Jihad target. The Turk's attempt to take the City wasn't in the form of a Jihad.

but isnt the point of total war to make your own history? not just copy what happened?

[campbela]

Agree with blonkers, it was christian (and a crusade target ) so why not a jihad target if you and your fellow muslim nations are the power in the region. Or, if it is taken away as a jihad target, is any non-traditional crusade target going to be taken away as well?

Cheers

[Gnostiko]

but isnt the point of total war to make your own history? not just copy what happened?

I agree, but you have to strike a line between "likely to happen" and "pure fantasy" using historical instances. Like I said, if we're going to have Constantinople as a Jihad target, we might as well have London and Paris as a Jihad target, and Crusader armies roaming around Kharezmian territory.

[Sir Walter]

You could try sending assassins after Jihad leaders - when they're dead, the stack's return to their own territory. Next version of RR/RC will remove Constantinople as a Jihad target.

The thing to do. The leader dies, the army is gone. Get rid of them all and the Jihad fails, stopping them from calling another for 10 turns or something.

[delra]

You better have flamethrowers inside. :-)

Seriously though, retaking the city after it's conquered won't be very hard since most of this stacks will go away. So maybe it's worth losing just to end this silly jihad.

[Loose Cannon]

You should not have let the jihad get this far. The time to prepare your defenses was when the jihad was called. This means building ballista or cannon towers (I can't tell from the screenshot what era you're playing) and filling the city garrison with your best archers & infantry units, at a minimum.

But, as "the best defense is a good offense" you should build a full stack with mostly calvery units (HCs, HAs and GB) and bring the fight to them somewhere east of the city. I like Caesarea
The Greek firethrower unit, when used properly, works great against Eastern bodyguards.

[Staffen]

Demolish buildings that add to law, then sell the city to the most distant nation possible, preferably one that is not Orthodox. If that doesn't work, donate it to somebody.

Unrest will be huge for the new owner (distance to capital, different religion, enemy troops in the province, no governor, etc). Stuff the place with spies and have assassins nuke some buildings until the city rebels, then recapture it.

However, a valiant last stand of your city garrison is much, much more epic, whatever the outcome.

[AnthoniusII]

That's seams familear...
Anyway...Acontistae (levy javelinears)may become your saviors if you use them wisely..
Read my AARs to ake some ideas...
[1] Early campaign
[2] Late campaign

[BlutDolch]

I had this but worse..50 turns of jihad and even armies of moors and kwazarium. I just outlasted. I bought lots of chesap troops and fought every battle. Eventually I was able to bring all non essential troops inot tow armies that tried to intercept and weaken jihadist forces. One day it just ended, but many times it was very close.

[General Grievous]

I was in the same situation, but now, i am the master of egypt, grece, holly lands and anatolia soon.

How? in your situation, i have defeated the attac of turks. Then, i get my army out and destroy the egyptian army OUT OF MY CITY, in a land battle. In this case, yout city can generate some money, and with this money, you can start to make a little another army. (ps: egyptians are not verry dangerous)

Then, with this little army, take nicea (if you dont have it). It will decrease speed attac of the turks
Then, rush egyptian cities by exterminate their population (alexandria, cairo... they are the most bigger cities of egypt, and often time, they have a week garison). This will crash the power of egypt.
For the moors, they come often time by boats, so if you look at the sea, you can destroy their fleets before they land.

in the end of the djiiad, only kwarziaman empire continue to send armies. They are the most dangerous, but if you use your elites troops wisely, it's ok.

Then you have 2 choice:
- Push in egypte (if uou can)
- Push in anatolia
In this 2 cases, it is really helpfull to keep good relathionship with the kingdomn of the crusaders, cause they fight turks and egyptians

finnaly, It is strongly recommended to get alliance with holly roman empire and hungary, or it will be very difficult for you.