Venice Help

[KingsleyHunt]

I am playing a campaign as Venice and I'm unsure how to expand, who to ally with, who to make enemies, battle tactics....

This is what I've done so far:
It's about turn 12/13 I have declared war on the Byzantine Empire and my navy is blockading them and i have my men led by Alessandro (or something like that) besieging Corinth (sp) and others led by Christiano (or something like that) besieging Nicosia.
I have the following settlements: Bologna,Florence,Venice,Durrazo,Ragusa,Iraklion,Rhodes and Zagreb

Any Help Welcome including your expriences with Venice.

PS: All the Venice starting family members are pretty low in command and chivalry/dread, any tips on getting them up quickly?

[Avatar]

Assuming that you didnt take Bologna by force, I would ally with HRE and Hungary. Thats some pretty good expansion for the early game, so you shouldnt have any major money issues. Dread is easy to improve, just spam spies and assassins and use them liberally, and make a habit of butchering prisoners. Your faction leader with be the boogeyman in no time at all, and the other generals will gradually get more dreaded with each execution. Chivalry can be tricky to improve quickly, but a crusade (if possible) is perfect. Get as many generals as you can into a crusade for somewhere in the byzantine empire, and watch the chivalry rocket when you capture the city.

[KingsleyHunt]

How can i call a crusade on the byzantine empire because at the moment the only crusade targets are rebel or muslim owned?

[Medkirtys]

You can't agaisnt catholics, unless excomunicated, and as Orthodox can't get excom'd, not sure what he's talking bout

[Avatar]

You can't agaisnt catholics, unless excomunicated, and as Orthodox can't get excom'd, not sure what he's talking bout

Just to point out a game mechanic for you, Islamic factions cant be excommunicated either, and yet you can crusade against them....

Also I recommend reading up on the events of the historical 4th Crusade. Constantinople sacked by a force essentially sent by Venice.

[ChivalrousKiller]

Also I recommend reading up on the events of the historical 4th Crusade. Constantinople sacked by a force essentially sent by Venice.

That crusade was going to the Holy Land. The Doge of Venice fooled the French crusaders into sacking Zara and Constantinople (with some help from a Byzantine guy who wanted the throne). And so the Venetians were excommunicated for doing it.

[Leaf-Fan-Forever]

The cities listed as Crusade Targets are the top ones on the Popes list. The Byzantine Cities aren't as high on his list at the beginning, but the more you war with them, the Pope will dislike them more. Also the more Catholics that are in a non-catholic city will increase the chances of the Pope choosing it as a Crusade target.

[modog]

If you want to crusade against the Byzantines, do what Leaf-Fan-Forever is implying - continuously war with them (presuming you are in high favour with the Pope) and flood all their lands with priests, particularly Constantinople. However, this crusading tactic is certainly a long-term tactic, and you'd probably be better off simply taking Corinth and Nicosia and securing them, before resupplying and retraining your armies then striking at Constantinople and Thessalonica simultaneously, using the Corinthian army to siege Thessalonica, and the Nicaean army to beseige Constantinople.

[Il Medico]

Betray Milan before they betray you.

[Leaf-Fan-Forever]

I find the Byzantines pretty weak, so finish them quickly and prepare for Milan or HRE.