Venice Short Campaign-Taking Out Milan

**Averroes19** · August 02, 2011, 12:51 AM

I have around 150 turns left in the short campaign and I just have a hard time taking out Milan. The moment I besieged Genoa (which I have taken with Milan), the HRE has been under perpetual war with me. HRE had an alliance with Milan and they just keep sending troops my way. At one point they took over Venice, but I have retaken it. The other cities I have taken are Bologna, Naples and Rome. It is very difficult to destroy the Milan faction, when I have the HRE constantly send armies after armies at me. It has been a drag just to move up north to the point where I have closed in on Nuremberg and Innsbrueck.
And now Hungary tried to grab Zagreb and am involved in a war with them as well.

The HRE asked me three times to become a vassal state, and I refused on all three occasions. The Byzantines are an annoyance too.

Any recommendations as to what I should do? Milan's remaining cities are Dijon and Metz, and I want to take Milan out before I march for Constantinople.

**13lackGu4rd** · August 02, 2011, 02:18 AM

no idea how you got into this mess to begin with, having 150 turns left means you're around 150 turns in the campaign, how is Milan still alive...? anyway, you have superior armies to Milan and to the HRE until they get all their elite troops out in enough quantity. Venetian Heavy Infantries are your go-to troops, bring along with crossbows and cavalry to support them and you're golden. get a full stack of Venetian Heavy Infantry for sieging duties(nothing beats them on the walls or in the city streets) and a mixed army to deal with the AI's inferior stacks. as long as you play it smart your losses should be minimal so you should be able to keep up with the AI's quantities and slowly push him back.

**=Bright=** · August 02, 2011, 02:24 AM

As for Hungary: Build up a stack, go for Budapest, raid it and totally destroy it and offer them a ceasefire + giving Budapest back. That could solve the problem temporarily.
As for Milan: Is Bern still a rebel settlement? If yes, take it over and leave Milan aside.
As for the HRE: Offer a ceasefire + giving Nuremberg back. They hopefully accept and with Innsbruck you have a great defensive point.

//
What happened to Sicily?

**Averroes19** · August 02, 2011, 02:31 AM

I do not know how Milan got away. In the early stages of the game I concentrated on getting Durazzo, and grabbing Naples. Then I offered Sicily a ceasefire just because the Byzantines were pressing hard. After that I just left Sicily alone. I then thought of taking Genoa, that is when this whole mess started. The Papal States attacked Florence and Naples, HRE starting amassing units around Bologna and actually besieged Venice. Milan continued striking at Genoa and the Byzantines took over Ithakalon (sp?). For around 60 turns I have been in war with 4 factions. I need to knock the HRE out of this war. They are annoying me. I have been also totally excommunicated for over 60 turns. By the far the most challenging campaign I have been playing.

I believe Bern is still a rebel settlement.

**tudor93** · August 02, 2011, 02:37 AM

nice story, I'm impressed you didn't quit, keep struggling and kick some Milanese asses

can you post a picture of the campaign map so we can see your current situation ?

**Averroes19** · August 02, 2011, 02:41 AM

I would love to post a picture, if I knew how.

**tudor93** · August 02, 2011, 02:47 AM

while in game, press the print screen button, then alt-tab the game, go in paint and pres ctrl+v (paste), save the picture (preferably as .jpeg for the small space it requires) and upload it with a site like imageshack (http://imageshack.us/)
welcome

**PrestigeX** · August 02, 2011, 10:58 PM

venice vs. milan, pretty even fight if you ask me!

Regardless that you didn't annihilate them earlier, if you still plan to, I am sure that you'll notice the type of army Milan tends to field.

Geonese Crossbows -- spear militia... random cav.

While Venice can produce it's own pavise crossbow militia, that can rival Milan's Genonese, your best bet is bring Cavalry and Infantry, and minimize your own missile component.

Split your cavalry into Heavy, to tackle all-round duties like flanking milanese infantry or cavalry, and then Medium/Light to hunt their archers...By now you'd have Stradiots those are great, or Mounted Sergeants (esp if you upgraded them to blacksmith armor).

The tactic should be obvious, you want to quickly engage so that milan cannot make use of its xbows. I find that standing up to the Milanese in a firefight is ... extremely unwise, unless you're England and half your army is Longbowmen.