Horde targets

**Avatar** · February 26, 2011, 03:05 AM

Basicallly, how many are there in vanilla? The Mongols in my campaign are currently knocking on the door of the HRE, having taken Kiev for about one turn and then just kept on riding. I was under the impression that they would try and take Kiev/Antioch/Baghdad or similar locations before expanding outwards.

**Stingray970** · February 26, 2011, 08:16 AM

In my experience, the Timmies and Mongols take control of a Holy City and then expand in any direction they like.

**rebelyell2006** · February 26, 2011, 08:30 AM

Smolensk, Kiev, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, those are the horde targets in vanilla.

**Avatar** · February 26, 2011, 09:52 AM

So therefore, when they have captured one of these cities, do they then just do as they please even if they lose that city?

**rebelyell2006** · February 26, 2011, 10:18 AM

Yep. They might circle back to retake their horde_target, or they might move on to a different horde_target. And stop to attack someone on the way.

**EP!anastasi** · February 26, 2011, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by rebelyell2006

Yep. They might circle back to retake their horde_target, or they might move on to a different horde_target. And stop to attack someone on the way.

So, do they definitely want to own at least one "horde target" at all times?

In my current campaign, they took Kiev first, and then started expanding all around it, destroying Poland in the meantime, they now own all those regions between Riga and Sarkel (including them)...

**Avatar** · February 26, 2011, 11:47 AM

At the moment the Mongols are somewhere around Staufen, they have no other cities under their control, and are basically primed to take a firm root in central europe. What makes this even more of a concern is that they have been outside of cities all the way through the black death so now have their choice of decimated settlements.

Fortunately I'm playing as Portugal in the current campaign so its not an immediate issue, but I fear I may have some competition for the provinces I need to get all 45 to win.

**Xellos_Moon** · February 26, 2011, 03:24 PM

Once the mongols take their target province, they then expand in all directions. That means their forces will be scattered the more they have regions. So in actuality they really are less of a threat the more settlements they own.

My favorite tactic when they go this far is to send in a couple of stacks deep into their territory and sack every village i pass by. Destroy all the buildings and move on. They will never be able to mount a few stacks to counter yours o you will have free reign.

**Silverheart** · February 26, 2011, 06:16 PM

IMO, the Hordes always go after Antioch or Kiev (especially if you´re holding any of them), but there is always a small risk (usually if you don´t have any of the two) that they might just settle in any of the regions that they sack.
If you don´t hold any of their two "main targets", they seem to have a fetisch for "Holy" cities, such as Constantinople, Jerusalem or Baghdad. But in that case, they might as well go after any settlement...

**Ishan** · February 27, 2011, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by Avatar

Basicallly, how many are there in vanilla? The Mongols in my campaign are currently knocking on the door of the HRE, having taken Kiev for about one turn and then just kept on riding. I was under the impression that they would try and take Kiev/Antioch/Baghdad or similar locations before expanding outwards.

After establishing their base, horde targets are not preferred exclusively they act like normal factions then and take whatever they spot if they have the strength to take it down.

**Avatar** · February 27, 2011, 11:01 AM

So the Timurids just arrived, and the Mongols are still wandering around aimlessly in central/eastern Europe. I have a strange suspicion that I'm about to get caught in the middle of a joint race towards Constantinople. Unless of course I get super lucky and the Tims also decide to just walk around in circles without attacking anything.

**Old Geezer** · February 27, 2011, 10:05 PM

Antioch and Kiev seem to always be the preferred targets. I have found that if you block a Horde from access to Kiev it will go for Smolensk; and if you block Antioch it will head for Jerusalem. I have personally never seen one go for Constantinople as its Home.

**smthhappy** · July 05, 2011, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by Old Geezer

Antioch and Kiev seem to always be the preferred targets. I have found that if you block a Horde from access to Kiev it will go for Smolensk; and if you block Antioch it will head for Jerusalem. I have personally never seen one go for Constantinople as its Home.

I did in my french campaign. The Mongols have taken it but at that time it was in hold of the venetians and after taking Constantinople the have 2 or 3 stacks left ... i have seen the hordes going to Antioch, Kiev, Jerusalem ass well but i've never seen them taking Baghdad they always sacked him

**FightInTheShade** · July 05, 2011, 02:22 PM

The Mongols have done nothing in my campaign. They just wander around in the same tri-region area near the Sarkel, Kiev, Ryazan borders. They made one attempt to take Ryazan from the Russians but were somehow repelled. Then they just pulled back to regroup with some newly arrived units before turning south-southwest.

**dannyalex** · July 06, 2011, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by FightInTheShade

The Mongols have done nothing in my campaign. They just wander around in the same tri-region area near the Sarkel, Kiev, Ryazan borders. They made one attempt to take Ryazan from the Russians but were somehow repelled. Then they just pulled back to regroup with some newly arrived units before turning south-southwest.

U must fear them when they all armies stacked together...and then... "Epic Battles"