Oh hell, Bad timing Pope, bad timing

**MasterAdnin** · November 25, 2006, 04:31 PM

Okay, so recently a Crusade was called. So i created a fairly large army and are currently on their way to Jerusalem. Now my army only has 15 units, a rather large army, for me at least. I am sailing and am halfway there when I receive the death message.

The Mongols Have Arrived

Now the thing is, I am a good commander, I have destroyed large armies and have taken over France. The thing is, all the time I had an area to recruit troops from close by, when I get to the holy land and take Jerusalem, that'll be only one city and then the Mongols will be all around it. That too, I wont be able to recruit strong units from there, and also, it has only one ring of defense. So my question is, I've never fought the Mongols, what should I do to ensure I hold Jerusalem. I will be very very limited when I take over Jerusalem because as I said, it is not a military center, so I will be limited military wise.

Salaam,
Adnan

**Anaximander** · November 25, 2006, 04:39 PM

Acre's right next door, and more often than not it's a poorly defended castle, so take that. Easier to defend and can produce better troops. Failing that you could try and take one of the Islands nearby to use as a base, Cyprus being favourite if you don't mind upsetting the Byzantines.

**darkchariot** · November 25, 2006, 04:42 PM

As soon as you arrive I would recommend recruiting all th crusader mercs you can. With them you can:
A) Support siege of Jerusalem and hope to hold of the mongols or
B) As soon as you arrive remove your general from your 15 unit stack (so he can recruit max number of mercs) then send those mercs to take Acre (a citadel), only do this if Jerusalem has little-medium garrison.

Hope I helped, thats howI protected my sicilian conquests in the east from the mongols. (using Acre as a powerbase that is)

**The Strategy-Player** · November 25, 2006, 05:08 PM

Have you priests and assassins joining the crusade? I think it may be too tough, if you do not ensure you can handle the imams and the religious unrest. Religious unrest + far from your capitol + mongols at your doorstep = not good.

**Savage_Swede** · November 25, 2006, 05:10 PM

Depending on the size of Jerusalem, i would convert the city to a castle and then recruit all mercs i can and sit there and hide.

**Ambrosius** · November 25, 2006, 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by Savage_Swede

Depending on the size of Jerusalem, i would convert the city to a castle and then recruit all mercs i can and sit there and hide.

depends what faction you are. certain factions - for example milan - i would much rather defend a castle.

**Ambrosius** · November 25, 2006, 05:12 PM

most crusader troops are a complete ripoff in terms of upkeep. much better off to upgrade your militia buildings, garrison as much quality militia as you can, and fill the rest up with low upkeep units while you take acre and move south to gaza.

i would grab acre, and perhaps the island nearby... nicosia i believe. leave acre as a castle, fortify it, and itll protect one route of approach.

keep in mind that just because it says 'the mongols have arrived' doesnt mean they are a threat yet. you have many years befoore they start attacking anywhere near jerusalem.

**Trajan** · November 25, 2006, 05:13 PM

As Anaximander said, Acre should be your first target after arriving in the Holy land. When campaigning in far regions, you should always capture castles first so that you always have a place to gather reinforcements and a last retreat if things don't go your way.

**Trajan** · November 25, 2006, 05:19 PM

Exactly. I hate defending cities. I always loose a lot of men doing so. Whenever an enemy army comes near to one of my cities, I bail out and head to the nearest castle and send a field army to deal with the invaders.

**Ambrosius** · November 25, 2006, 05:36 PM

ermf, that was a typo.
i meant id much rather defend a city with milan

depends on the faction, honestly.
with the turks i think id rather defend a city as well.

**Sitarus Originalus PM-30+** · November 25, 2006, 05:46 PM

if you will see mongold coming your way after you get jerusalem and if you see you wont have a chance to defend it properly i suggest you to leave the city and destroy all buildings you can (to make money and to make the former owner of the city bussy and expencive keeping the city) ... then try to take a caste that is near or so with the army you will have available.

this is what i do if i have a chance =) ... make money and keep anemy bussy.

**MasterAdnin** · November 25, 2006, 10:53 PM

Nice suggestions, thank god the Hungarians got Jerusalem before i could. Problem solved, oh no wait!!! On the way back home, my ships got destroyed by an Egyptian fleet. Good bye five star, seven loyalty, five chivalry, three piety general and his 15 unit army. I will miss you soo.

Adnan

**2ltben** · November 25, 2006, 11:37 PM

Never go on a Crusade unless you have a Mediterranean seaport and at least 8 ships in a fleet. I once lost a full stack of very good units and my best commander before I even passed Sicily. Losing an army without even having a chance to fight back makes you learn VERY quickly.

**(insert clever name here)** · November 25, 2006, 11:26 PM

Wow that sucks horribly.

**General_olli** · November 26, 2006, 06:26 AM

Well, I was asked (England) to go on a crusade and take Antioch. But the HRE took it when i was about to arrive over there. So I took the castle of Acre first and then asked the pope for a crusade against Gaza ( also a castle). So now I have 2 powerbases and can attack Jerusalem. But with Acre and Gaza I have 2 good powerbases to stand up aganinst the Mongols an Timurids.

**General_olli** · November 26, 2006, 06:28 AM

Well, I was asked (England) to go on a crusade and take Antioch. But the HRE took it when i was about to arrive over there. So I took the castle of Acre first and then asked the pope for a crusade against Gaza ( also a castle). So now I have 2 powerbases and can attack Jerusalem. But with Acre and Gaza I have 2 good powerbases to stand up aganinst the Mongols an Timurids.

**General_olli** · November 26, 2006, 06:29 AM

Well, I was asked (England) to go on a crusade and take Antioch. But the HRE took it when i was about to arrive over there. So I took the castle of Acre first and then asked the pope for a crusade against Gaza ( also a castle). So now I have 2 powerbases and can attack Jerusalem. But with Acre and Gaza I have 2 good powerbases to stand up aganinst the Mongols an Timurids.