Conquering Regions without war?

**Diablo del Sur** · August 06, 2011, 04:20 PM

Hello, I've read in the forum, that there is a posibility to cause a city to revel against their faction and became a rebel settlement. I've tried some times to do this but i couldnt manage to succeed.

Which are the keys for achieving this? I've infiltrated 3 spies (8 eyes) and have 6 priests/cardinals boosting catholisism in a byzantin isle, with only 100 garrisoned men and an army of my own waiting to attack in case of a revolt but nothing.

Also, what is more valuable in the event of diplomacy trades, a castle or a city? I assume that depends on how develop it is, but generally speaking?

Thank you!

**Lowell43** · August 06, 2011, 05:10 PM

You might also try using some assassins to blow up/burn down 'moral' buildings.

**Garfield** · August 06, 2011, 05:19 PM

Yes, bring some assassins to sabotage the happiness/law buildings like town guard, city halls and such. They usually repair them after the next turn if they can afford it, but it might just lower the public order enough during the current turn so that there's a chance that the settlement rebels. If the public order is below 100% there's a chance that the people will rebel and which might eventually turn into a full scale revolt where they kick the garrison out and spawn some rebel units into the settlement. The lower the public order is the better are the chances.

The cities have always been more valuable in my campaigns, but I'm not sure if it really matters what type the settlement is. I think that the core value is based on the population and buildings and after that the diplomats skills and your relations with the other faction also affect somehow. I've also noticed that the regions I'm bordering are less value for the faction who owns them.

**Bearnest** · August 06, 2011, 05:39 PM

Actually, it's better to just take the settlement if it only holds 100 defenders.
I tried to make a city rebel a couple of times and I spent 20 turns or so waiting for it to happen (which never did btw.)
In the case that the populace does revolt, is going to spawn 5 or 6 units and is going to be harder to take it.

If it's your reputation you're worried about, just release the prisoners and only walk into the settlement (that is, don' loot or massacre.)

**Ichon** · August 06, 2011, 05:59 PM

It is much more difficult in 6.4 than in previous versions. Now the city pretty much has to belong to another religion and you need to convert to about 70% plus and then put several spies in and sabotage law and happiness buildings- final step is use an army to push heretic into their land if one is nearby.

I'm not sure if you can use it as a fellow Catholic which used to be the most common reason so Pope doesn't get mad. Maybe with high heresy it will work enough as if another religion. Also kill the AI general with assassins if he has good traits.

**SplaTt** · August 06, 2011, 07:04 PM

Yeah this is really hard now.
If you want to conquer without war, my advice is just bribe the settlement (if it has 100 garrison it should be damn easy; and it won't make you war with previos owner faction) or even better, buy city from the owner. You will spent like 10 000 for perfect relations and then 15 000 will do for most settlements, plus, you will get some basic units in there already, so you won't get like 0% public order.

**Liandro** · August 06, 2011, 07:15 PM

It's damn near impossible unlike 6.1, I bring lousy priests over and throw them there to cause heretics, heretics convert a lot faster than my priests ever do, then I throw spies and assassins at it to keep killing their priests and blow up churches, then maybe 30-49 turns later it will riot twice and cause some useless damage to the garrison, then it'll just remain in the factions hands that had it before, when you could just bring a general and bum rush the garrison instead.

**Ichon** · August 06, 2011, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by Liandro

It's damn near impossible unlike 6.1

I've only been able to with Mongols and Genoa in under a few turns. The distance from capitol has to be pretty large as well in 6.4 in addition to all the other stuff to have much chance in relatively reasonable amount of time.

**Angrychris** · August 07, 2011, 05:47 AM

i tried this as kwaz against mongols. assassins and imams did nothing against regional moral..

**Zigama** · August 07, 2011, 08:49 PM

It doesn't seem worth it to have all those spies (3 with 8 subterfuge? Nice...)and priests sitting on that island hoping to get it. I'd say just take it and send your agents to do more important tasks. That army could be used for other stuff too, so taking it as quickly as possible and then suing for peace (Byzantines usually have their hands full in my campaigns, so they should oblige) should do the trick, and free up your troops. If you really want to, you could try bribing them with a diplomat, I guess...

**k/t** · August 07, 2011, 10:28 PM

Go to the EDB and remove the public order bonuses the AI gets from buildings that shouldn't give public order bonuses.

**certoipus** · August 08, 2011, 12:18 AM

I'm wondering if anyone did it succesfully?

**Diablo del Sur** · August 10, 2011, 03:00 AM

Originally Posted by certoipus

I'm wondering if anyone did it succesfully?

Ive stopped playing for a while, but it make sense that if i go there with 2 or 3 assasins, and sabotage "happiness" buildings it may actually rebel. I'll do the experiment, but, i dont have buildings to train assasins yet, lol.

PD: Why do factions pay huge amounts of money to sign a ceasefire when they completely overpower me in almost every sense? I made around 50k in 5 turns, offering ceasefires to some factions that blockade my ports and to one i attacked on a crusade, it does not make lot of sense!

**cezarip** · August 10, 2011, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by Diablo del Sur

PD: Why do factions pay huge amounts of money to sign a ceasefire when they completely overpower me in almost every sense? I made around 50k in 5 turns, offering ceasefires to some factions that blockade my ports and to one i attacked on a crusade, it does not make lot of sense!

Possible reasons:
1. They/you are Reliable of Very Reliable factions and your relations with those factions are amiable. There are a lot of factions just send a boat to blockade one port. It's their way of getting your attention.
2. They are busy on another front and you don't have common borders with them.
3. You sent a skilled diplomat who got the agreement from a captain/unskilled diplomat/family member.

**Andytheplatypus** · August 10, 2011, 11:46 AM

It's very possible to make a enemy settlement rebel. I did it a couple of times when I didn't feel like taking it by force. You need a couple of cardinals or high level priests. At least 2 high level spies. 4 or so assassins destroying all the + morale buildings every turn you get. Also settlement will need to have a small garrison with no general present. It's also a good way to get that faction to waste it's money repairing buildings your assassins have destroyed. If there is a general present inside the settlement you have to assassinate him first. It will also take a long time in any case.

**kaliveult** · August 12, 2011, 03:15 PM

I tried it again in my game and it did not take a long time.

Playing h/h with BGR2. Many turns in so both me and my target empire are large and dominant. I sent "task forces" of 5 assass, 6 spies, 6 priests into two towns bordering my lands (target was ERE, Milan on his western front and Edessa in the east), and simultaneously went into action. I believe it only took three or four turns, and both cities rebelled in the same turn.

I had liberation forces standing by to swoop in and quell the chaos, of course.
It is amusing to do this to your own ally and only rival

.