Need help crushing the reich.

[Arker]

I'm playing as Genoa on H/H and want some advice on how to progress. The Reich, tired of it's pitiful economy, has decided to turn it's sights south, to my wealthy cites and citadels. After pushing them back, I started taking German France, and called a crusade on Vienna, sending every possible general with a crusader army in every direction. Now, what should I do next? Should I buy a ceasefire after the crusade, or should I use swarms of militia armies, mixed with professional ones, to try and break the Germans?

[Ichon]

I'm playing as Genoa on H/H and want some advice on how to progress. The Reich, tired of it's pitiful economy, has decided to turn it's sights south, to my wealthy cites and citadels. After pushing them back, I started taking German France, and called a crusade on Vienna, sending every possible general with a crusader army in every direction. Now, what should I do next? Should I buy a ceasefire after the crusade, or should I use swarms of militia armies, mixed with professional ones, to try and break the Germans?

The only possible reason to buy a cease fire is if Moors or Byzantines attack you. Otherwise HRE will be your main opponent for some time. If you already pushed them back keep the pressure on. The AI will keep producing armies and unless you capture most of its castles those armies don't really change or get smaller... just a bit less numerous as they lose territory.

Really though it might be easier to leave France along and move into interior of Germany- less threat of attack from the flanks and closer to your Italian powerbase should mean easy offensive staging area.

[Spartan90]

^ I agree with above. Unless someone else declares war on you, concentrate on HRE. Also, don't even bother with their cities as the AI pretty much have an unlimited economy. Go for their Citadels to smash their ability to spam professional troops.

Genoa's roster is built to dismantle HRE. Because they are a slow, lumbersome, heavily-armoured war machine, use your infamous Crossbowmen to cut them to pieces. Doesn't matter how sharp their swords are when they've got a crossbow bolt wedged in their face As for their powerful cavalry, your spam armies of Italian Spear Militia will be able to hold their ground quite easily while your own weaker cavalry can flank the German Knights.

[k/t]

Doesn't matter how sharp their swords are when they've got a crossbow bolt wedged in their face

Just be careful, because if that crossbow bolt doesn't kill them, it will only make them stronger.

[rockman4417]

^
Try and get the Hospitaller guild in a couple places. That cavalry makes mincemeat of everything.

[Arker]

^
Try and get the Hospitaller guild in a couple places. That cavalry makes mincemeat of everything.

Toulouse

[Everto]

I think this could be of use

[HolyDevil]

I think this could be of use

Wait when the timurids come with their rocket launcher and cry "OMG CHEEATZ" at you

[Lord Lancelot]

You have pretty bad situation , there, i think you must invade britain , that can be good strategyc position to naval attacks.And yes, prepere your western and southern borders from muslim factions.

[DeMolay]

I had big problems too against the HRE in my SS6.3 campaign with Venice .

The main problem is that Venice and Genoa have not many units with high morale , whereas the HRE roster is probably the strongest in the game (they have the best spears , joint best heavy cavalry and best heavy infantry , no weakness ) , and since the AI usually has generals with 10 stars , it can lead to some unpleasant moment during battles beause the HRE ai use cavalry a lot (the weakness of Genoa and Venice until late period ) and mostly castle units with good morale at least

Urban spear militia is generally good against cavalry , but a 10 star general using an army with a lot of mailed knights will obliterate them quickly . I had much less problems when i had to face HRE with Aragon (during a crusade on Frankfurt) , because having javelinmen just behind my militias , heavy cavalry had no chance at all if the AI just charged randomly my militia . Javelins are really awesome against armoured foes , whereas crossbows are really slow to fire , you lose a lot of men before the crossbowmen starts to shine on the battlefield (providing they are well placed, whch takes time too )

My general advice would be to make sure you use a tactic on the battlefield that will get the ennemy general encircled and killed quickly if possible (i think in Marseille you can hire Breton cavalry mercs who throw javelins , they are fast like Jinettes and this is really a great unit for targeting the slow ennemy general )

But against HRE specifically , i'd say try to use spearmen from castles whenever you can (spearmen with good morale like sergent spearmen ) or use mercenary spearmen who also have good morale (With Genoa or Venice your money should be good even if you "turtle" with just 5-6 settlements thanks to sea trade ) .

In general against HRE , use castle troops and every heavy cavalry unit you can put your hand on . In my opinion , trying to beat the HRE with armies based on Genoes crossbowmen could lead you to disaster , crossbowmen are good against slow moving heavy infantry , but generally speaking the HRE AI use mainly a lot of spears and cavalry , and to beat that , you need troops with good morale , aggressive infantry like light men at arms to beat their spears , competent spearmen to hold ther cavalry and some cavalry for yourself in order to flank them and harrass their general , that is just my opinion though

[Spartan90]

Hmm, I understand what you mean about the HRE using cavalry, but once you tie them up, the HRE are a very slow moving war machine. Their weakness lie in the general lack of mobility and lack of archers. They're pretty much a more modern version of the Roman Legion.

Your strength lies in your economy. Being able to mass spam militia armies to combat the professional German war machine is your strategy. You will have big losses, but your losses cost a lot less than the Germans.

Tie up their cavalry with yours plus your spear militia. No matter what they do, some experienced spear militia crossed with some flanking and rear-charging cavalry from you will encircle them and make mince meat out of their knights. Remember, you shine in numbers, not in quality.

Crossbowmen aren't as bad as you say they are. They don't need to be that experienced to do some real damage. Let them fire a good three or four volleys at the enemy before they come so close you have to engage them with your foot soldiers. With their cavalry tied up, you can freely move your crossbowmen across the battlefield without any risk. Move them into the flanks of the enemy soldiers for absolute mass killing (make sure it's their right flank or rear, as they don't have shields to protect them).

Generally, they won't have many archers with them, so that shouldn't be a problem. Once the rout begins, your crossbowmen double their amount of kills when they shoot in the back. Just remember, pin their cavalry with greater numbers, and let your crossbowmen get to work.

[Arker]

Ok, it's one turn later, and I've lost 2 crusader armies already. I've taken 2 settlements through conquest, and bought the rest of France for 173000 florins a turn for 3 turns(Which I will cancel next turn, I can do that, right?) But now, the Moors have started besieging Toulouse, but it should hold for long enough to buy a cease fire. And due to my crusade, the whole of the Catholic world is charging to Vienna, which will fall in two turns, from either a Teutonic, Hungarian, or Scottish army.

[RollingWave]

I think after your crusade the HRE should be pretty broken anyway. I would adive just asking for peace and they'll probably accept since they're being screwed from every side anyway.

you should consider distance to capital with you expansions. and know that if you take the majority of the HRE land you'll just swap places with them, IE becomming the target or most other catholic factions.

in your situation, see what you can grab with your current crusader armies in the HRE land and leave it at that after the crusade ends (maybe consolidate those provice trap between yours etc), the HRE should be fairly broken anyway, and focus on the Moors, if they're already sieging Toulouse then chances are they already rolled over the other Iberian factions and is becomming a rising power you should watch out for, attacking them carry only positive benifits from the Pope , and their land is almost all conneted via sea trade to your primary settlements.

[Spartan90]

Don't cancel your agreement with buying the French settlements, your rep will fall so drammatically. As soon as your rep falls, your diplomatic abilities will be shattered, and you will be an open target for all neutral factions, and your enemies will not want to deal with you.

You've made the deal. In the long run it will be cheaper for you to pay up.

[Arker]

Don't cancel your agreement with buying the French settlements, your rep will fall so drammatically. As soon as your rep falls, your diplomatic abilities will be shattered, and you will be an open target for all neutral factions, and your enemies will not want to deal with you.

You've made the deal. In the long run it will be cheaper for you to pay up.

Oh... ah well, my economy will recover. So... forgive the HRE, and crush the moors?

[Alavaria]

Don't cancel your agreement with buying the French settlements, your rep will fall so drammatically. As soon as your rep falls, your diplomatic abilities will be shattered, and you will be an open target for all neutral factions, and your enemies will not want to deal with you.

You've made the deal. In the long run it will be cheaper for you to pay up.

Lol, lucky you. Still have rep.

My rep is always shot by having 10+ factions declaring war on me by "peasant brigade sieging a fort" or the famous "travel halfway around the world to blockade my port"

(Generally I only "buy" things directly with cash. Even if I'm at perfect relations, they don't expect me to pay up next turn, heh)

[Spartan90]

The HRE will be crushed eventually. By the looks of your map, they are terribly weakened and due to the amount of enemies they have, will probably never recover to anything other than a minor pimple on your ass.

The Moors are the threat at hand. Either declare war with them directly, or indirectly. Are there any other factions alive in Iberia? If there are, use your common religion to solidify relations with them (either Spanish, Portuguese or Aragonese) by either allying with one of them, or gifting them all some money. Regardless, the money will help them out tremendously at holding back the Muslim armies. More importantly, if you decide not to declare war on the Moors, send over some Priests and Spies to make their more important cities (not castles) rebel.

[Arker]

No Iberians left(see screen in first post). But the moors have as many enemies as the as the HRE.

[Spartan90]

Who exactly?

[Spartan90]

Also, just took another look at the shot. Egypt is another huge threat. Try and get the Moors and the Egyptians to go to war with each other. Ally with the Byzantines and gift them some money so they can keep the Egyptians at bay.