The Machiavellian Thread

[LuckyPistol]

A fun part of M2TW and its mods was the diplomacy, especially since you couldn't just summon up factions to talk to whenever you want as in ETW and beyond. As such I though it would be a cool idea to start a thread for people to post their political cunning to keep their kingdoms alive and growing! What underhanded tactics have you used?

One of my favorite moves was calling a crusade on Granada (owned by the Moors) as Aragon, then invading Leon while they emptied their lands to answer the holy call.

[Nylonbeast]

I guess my current scenario with France could be seen as "machiavellian". I'm basically turtling ahead (at 2TPY there is no hurry), and most of my time goes to obsessing about my family tree. The weirdest situation thus far is the fact that a deserter from my royal line is the king of britain, and I'm forging marriage alliances technically with my own blood, and trying to take "my own guys" (the deserter's children) away from the english royal family before turning against them.

I play a chivalrous campaign... never once chased down a routing army, or ransomed/sacked/exterminated anything. My diplomatic standing has been immaculate for the most time, except for few instances where I've had to attack a settlement that I've earlier on sold or given as a gift.

Last night the game told me that I was about to lose the campaign, because the Khwarezmians had conquired almost 50 settlements (I have around 25 and I'm not about to get any soon). They managed to get big because the Turks collapsed within the first 30 rounds and left most of the east in rebellion, and because it's 2TPY the Mongols haven't gutted them yet. So I asked the pope for a crusade to Baghdad, and sent *ALL* my armies (not counting militias) there in a hurry. I'm expecting the aragonese to jump on me now

[bigdaddy1204]

One of my most deadly diplomatic moves was to sweep in on dying factions and claim their last few settlements before they are overrun by the enemy, under the pretext of 'protecting' their lands.

I have also often sold territories in trouble spots. For example, when playing as the Byzantines, I once got so annoyed that the Hungarians had decided to attack me that I crossed into their territory, captured their settlements that bordered my own, exterminated the population and demolished all buildings, and then sold the captured provinces to my ally the Pope. I made huge sums of money and secured my northern frontier, all at once.

One of my favourites is the campaign where I assassinated the Kingdom of Leon's family members, to the point where there was just the King alone and no other surviving family members. When I saw the king leading an army out in the field some distance from the nearest town, I saw my opportunity and pounced. My Moorish army launched a devastating battle, in which the enemy king was killed. Instantly, the enemy faction was destroyed, and their last two settlements, Leon and Santiago de Compostela, turned rebel. They were easily crushed and added to my Moorish empire. Muahahah!

I often use war as a means of extorting money from the AI as well. Particularly with factions that don't border me by land, for example Sicily and Egypt often declare war against me when I play as the Byzantine Empire, but they will accept peace and you can often get them to pay 5,000 florins or more for peace. The fools!

[Seven of Spades]

I often use war as a means of extorting money from the AI as well. Particularly with factions that don't border me by land, for example Sicily and Egypt often declare war against me when I play as the Byzantine Empire, but they will accept peace and you can often get them to pay 5,000 florins or more for peace. The fools!

What about extorting money from your allies (or neutrals)? Seriously, sell them military assistance against enemies what you have or will have in common.

In my last campaing I made the Polands (neutral) give 1.000$ to me and the Venetians (allies) give me 3.000$ for attacking the HRE, then I took the city I wanted (Bologna), and almost immediately after I sold the super-triple-pack to the Germans, Peace + Trade + Reconciliation, as I am playing the Papal States.

[LuckyPistol]

What about extorting money from your allies (or neutrals)? Seriously, sell them military assistance against enemies what you have or will have in common.

In my last campaing I made the Polands (neutral) give 1.000$ to me and the Venetians (allies) give me 3.000$ for attacking the HRE, then I took the city I wanted (Bologna), and almost immediately after I sold the super-triple-pack to the Germans, Peace + Trade + Reconciliation, as I am playing the Papal States.

What mod are you using for Papal States?

[Duck of Death]

"For example, when playing as the Byzantines, I once got so annoyed that the Hungarians had decided to attack me that I crossed into their territory, captured their settlements that bordered my own, exterminated the population and demolished all buildings, and then sold the captured provinces to my ally the Pope. I made huge sums of money and secured my northern frontier, all at once." - bigdaddy1204


Shrewd

I love doing that sort of thing.

[logan93]

Playing as Holy Roman Empire, having war against France. Kingdom of England get suddenly excomunicated by my friend the Pope, then i call a crusade on one of theyr castles that i cant remember, maybe York. France is at war with England and more than apply join the crusade emptying they lands. Half of the France turns black and yellow in 3 turns.

[Seven of Spades]

This very same, SS 6.4, just edit the descr_strat file in C:\Wherever-you-installed-medieval2\mods\SS6.4\data\world\maps\campaign\imperial_campaign, remove the states from the nonplayable factions and put it with the others.

Then start a new game, you probably will have problems calling for crusades because the Pope have no standing with you, but apparently in SS 6.4 works better for that than in Vanilla or Retrofit. I am new in this mod, so I did not had enough time to test the thing about the Crusades. Good Luck!