Has anyone used Leon-Castille?

[deuce985]

I want to know how diversified the Spanish are. No option to use them in Custom Battle...so I'm guessing they're not very good in unit options?

I don't want to pick them and then have a really hard time playing through the game on Hard because they lack units. How hard is their campaign? I'm Spanish myself and are interested in them. I want it to be somewhat challenging but not overwhelmingly restricted due to unit variety. Something that isn't easy like Venetians...

Also, any recommendations where I should start my wars? Obviously destroy the Moors but should I take out Portugal early too? Would marrying my Princess to Portugal and then settling for a Alliance make me not worry about them for awhile? I would rather not kill my brothers off so early but I fear they'll have no choice but to expand into me once the Moors are gone...

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

Here ya go, and btw the way playing any Iberian faction is always loads of fun and frustration...

http://totalwar.honga.net/faction.php?v=ss6&encode=en

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[deuce985]

Here ya go, and btw the way playing any Iberian faction is always loads of fun and frustration...

http://totalwar.honga.net/faction.php?v=ss6&encode=en

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Thanks!

Looks like they lack a variety of infantry...especially heavy. That could be a problem. Nice assortment of Cavalry though. I notice that site has the Papal States up. You can't pick them in SS though, do I have to modify files in order to pick them? That would be interesting to play as them because I'd imagine you'd control the Pope? And hes extremely annoying.

[Concrete]

Looks like they lack a variety of infantry...especially heavy. That could be a problem. Nice assortment of Cavalry though. I notice that site has the Papal States up. You can't pick them in SS though, do I have to modify files in order to pick them? That would be interesting to play as them because I'd imagine you'd control the Pope? And hes extremely annoying.

Yes, you must modify something.
I've seen various topics dealing with that question, I don't recall the exact method to do so, but it is fairly simple, just search around if somebody doesn't reply here.
Um, you /are/ the pope, you can backstab Sicily and it auto-excommunicates them.
As for Castille Leon, much of thier heavy infantry and cavalry is obtained in the late era.
Early game, you just have your normal roster, nearly the same as France, but with the addition of skirmishers and mounted skirmishers.

[sbroadbent]

Thanks!

Looks like they lack a variety of infantry...especially heavy. That could be a problem. Nice assortment of Cavalry though. I notice that site has the Papal States up. You can't pick them in SS though, do I have to modify files in order to pick them? That would be interesting to play as them because I'd imagine you'd control the Pope? And hes extremely annoying.

Playing as the Pope is as simple as changing a single file and starting a new game. More information in Post #17 in the AAR All Roads Lead to Rome (link below). Playing as the Pope is really easy (auto-excom for any catholic you don't like), so you sort of have to turtle to keep things interesting. You can't call crusades at your whim, but there's no reason you can't go on one. A long game is 130 regions for the Papacy

The Iberian factions are pretty strong, and with the Moors next door, it's pretty easy to maintain Papal relations. The Moors really have it tough. Castile, Aragon and Portugal all looking south. One crusade against you, bringing the entirety of Catholicism down on you.

I played Castile once in 6.1. Took out Portugal to face the Moors on my own, which may have not been the best idea, though as the Moors could raise quite the armies. Fortunately the Aragonese had established themselves to the east (had a marriage alliance with them), and so had joined in on the struggle against the Moors, though mostly a stalemate as they had at least four stacks to my two.

[Ichon]

If you want a challenge try fighting the Reconquista historically... advancing down the peninsula in a line leaving Granada and Murcia for last and dividing up the regions historically. It is much easier to simply raid the Moors by ship and then take out West N Africa with priests etc first as Moors don't really have the roster to match the Iberian factions... they just have lots of troops but fairly weak ones. Arab cavalry can be deceptively strong though so be careful with your generals...

As Crusader States and Iberian factions it is the only time I find it worth making max level of churches in a city. Otherwise the Moors will swamp you with Imams making sustained offensive very difficult.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sp...econquista.gif

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

as Moors don't really have the roster to match the Iberian factions... they just have lots of troops but fairly weak ones. Arab cavalry can be deceptively strong though so be careful with your generals...

In terms of late era units yes....But don't forget that the Moors were Iberia's predominant faction at the game's beginning so that is where there strengths will lie. Least we forget that their civil militia have the same stats as early era swordsman, combine them with the city spears and militia crossbowmen and you have a very formidable urban force. In addition to Arab cavalry don't forget the Grenadine Jinette's which are also feet afoot as well...

If you wish to claim the prize in the early era, please consider the Moors...

[Black_Nebula]

Leon-Castille is one of my fav's, thier javilin troops make up for thier lack of heavy infantry. Put a line behind a front wall of spears= win. Keep your Jinites harassing enemy archers while your crossbows do heavy damage.

[Ichon]

All the Iberian factions are quite strong. Maybe not France but very close. Javelins and units prices are the key points. Plus starting with Moors you can fight them for some time and be in good with the Pope... even if your fellow Reconquistadores betray you it just makes the game more fun. Being along the map edge is also easier... Occasionally England or Scotland might come down but your main enemies are close and obvious. Genoa or France gets involved later if either expands much but are usually easy to deal with. Aragon will probably be your enemy first of the Catholic factions but it depends on how things break down.

[Kawee]

Aye Aye. Early Game Moors is a powerful one. Late Game Moor is more challenging and to many, more fun. The Iberian Peninsula is a bit like Middle-Earth. You got one big baddie Moor/Mordor against three factions very loosely united through the sharing of one common enemy, but are also very wary of one another.

[JorisofHolland]

Moors can spawn endless hordes of Bedouin and other light units. You beter don't take out Portugal to soon, it might give the Moors an advantage. All depending on your campaign and also important (especially for Leon-Castille) skills, of course

BTW: On the Papal States:

It is very easy, but you'll have very limited options. In fact, the only benefit of being the Pope is that everyone you attack will be excommunicated. You won't be able to call crusades to your liking, nor will you be able to order ceasfires.
However, if you still want to play them: go to \Stainless_Steel_6\data\world\maps\campaign\imperial_campaign\ and open descr_strat.txt (using notepad or whatever). You'll see a list of factions under "playable" and a few others under "unplayable". Simply move the papal_states from the one to the other and you're done.

[RootsKW]

I like playing as Aragon and migrating to the holy land at the start.

[Point Blank]

Don't underestimate the Moors...

[Arbitrary Crusader]

Don't underestimate the Moors...

Yeah fought 5 stack of them as spain...........and they still keep coming with more stack.

[JorisofHolland]

They have a lot of save land behind them. And Cordoba, Marakesh and Fes are pretty rich, even in early campaign. Until Sicily or Genoa attack they are hard to bring down. Even when those guys help you out, Moors will still be a hard nut to crack.

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

Also remember that when the player takes the Moors, you then have the big three of the Persians, Egyptians and the Caliph...I my game ATM {turn 50ish} the Egyptians have blazed across Africa and stand merely one village away from the Moors starting African eastern boundary...


I think da Moors be hi-jaking dis thread.......
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[Concrete]

The Moors are an excellent faction.
And they also give me an excuse to destroy Italy early.
(Like I need one... )

[krshin1]

I remember just steam-rolling the moors in vanilla, now I'm playing as Castille for the first time, and I've fought five multiple stack battles over Corduba in the first fifty turns. Luckily I've got a crusading army coming back, so I'll be taking it soon.

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

Sub-mod and settings please... I'd like to know what's waiting for me when I play the Spanards...
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[krshin1]

Sub-mod and settings please... I'd like to know what's waiting for me when I play the Spanards...
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I'm using SS6.2 RR/RC, H/H.

I just now took Corduba, now I'm trying to finish them off in North Africa, shouldn't be too hard considering they only have one stack right now. Anyways, this is shaping up to be one of my favorite SS campaigns so far.