Desertion in the crusades

[PixelatedKnight]

I have just joined TWC and this is my first post!

I have a burning qeustion! What makes my men desert while my army is crusading and what can I do to stop them from deserting? I have recently played as Denmark and I lost my whole army to desertion... So that this wouldn't happen anymore I thought I would ask the more experienced players of medieval what to do! :)

[Silverheart]

Desertion in crusade armies is caused mainly by two things: slow progress and detours.
Slow progress: your crusade army must move closer to the crusade target every turn, otherwise your troops will become disgruntled by the lack of progress - and once they start grumbling, they're very likely to desert as soon as progress slows down again. Always make sure to make substantial progress moving towards the target every turn - no stopping to starve out settlements along the way, or getting stuck between two rival armies, etc.
You can, however besiege settlements along the way as long as you move a certain distance before besieging, and assault the settlement immediately the following turn - as long as the army makes progress each turn, the soldiers are happy.
Detours: it is of utmost importance that your crusade army is constantly moving TOWARDS the crusade target - in other words, in as straight a line as possible.
Consider the area between your army´s starting point and the target a graph, with a Y- and X-axis. Your army must move closer to the target along both, or at least one axis. What this means, more practically, is that you can't sail from England and try to sail around the Iberian peninsula (as you sail around, you'd be sailing further away from the target, which would cause desertion), or walk from Denmark and walk eastwards all around the Black sea (once again, doing so would cause your army to be at a greater distance away from the target, causing desertion).

As soon as your crusade army is completed, you should immediately plan out the travel route, and plan one that is as straight as possible, with only minor deviations to avoid getting stuck somewhere. Assuming your target is in the Middle east, the best route is southeast into the Balkans, down to either Greece or the Constaninople region, then recruit a mercenary ship to sail your army the rest of the way (or just ferry you across to Turkey, then move by land from there).

[lolIsuck]

What Silverheart said, really. I generally make my way to the Mediterranean and either recruit some ships from a port there if I have access or hire a mercenary cog. It is generally faster than land travel but one has to be wary of enemy fleets. This is a good plan for most factions in the west and around the mediterranean of course but for Poland, Hungary and possibly Denmark the Balkan route is probably the better way as you're moving the right direction on both axes.

[PixelatedKnight]

Thank you for your anwsers guys! I tried to sail around the Iberian peninsula... won't happen again!

[Speekerofages]

I said this in a different post about this topic and that is prepair your army but do not join the crusade until most or atleast some of your logistics is covered , example say your England , and a crusade is called for Jerusalem ( typical ) that's a long efin way away . So joining te crusade from Britannia may cause problems , so what I suggest is after the pipe falls the crusade quickly rally your force put them on a ship and send them on there way with out joining the crusade. You will have a certain amount of turns before you are no longer able to join , this is a critical movement time , as you can get atleast around the Iberian pininsula Nd into the Mediterranean ( usually I land I Tunis or Sicily to join te crusade , this means you join the crusade much closer to te target and minimize desertion to practically none,) also exploit all opportunity of logistics what I mean is , your England ? Sail your men to Spain off load at Pompola and Zaragoza region march them to Valencia and sail your ships around the coast ( they have more movement points with no army aboard ) . This will greatly decrease your travel time and turns needed its like cutting corners so exploit these tricks and crusades will be a laughing matter for you . Also there is such a tactic as an influential crusade . What I mean by this is stay in good standing with the pope so that you can call crusades that are eat suited for your factions interest this is especially ripe when there are excommunicated factions so France is excommunicated and I am England ? Ill influence the pope to call crusade for Paris or Rhiems . What best for my logistical practicalities and ambitions . I do this alot unless your relic hunting then the beguin I g of my play is best . Or do what I've done ice mod the game to play as the papacy ! Then it don't ig matter cuz your the pope ! He won't like you by the way lol and you won't be able to call crusades as you won't have enough " papal favor " yet your playing as the papacy lol so yea that's my suggestions
cheers

[PixelatedKnight]

Good idea Speakerofages! I will now do this every time when im on a crusade!

[Speekerofages]

Looked in my Portugal campagin. You have ten turns to join the crusade so use your first five effectively get that army on the move and join around turn 8 or 9 and ill be good cheers mate and happy crusading !

[misafeco]

If your general quits every turn and joins again, none of your troops will disappear. Of course you can only use this strategy in the first 10 turns of the crusade, after that you can't join. But 10 turns is more than enough for ships to reach Jerusalem with the crusade movement bonus.
Another good strategy: After your general joined the crusade, you can disband your other 7 units. When you reach the Holy Land you can hire mercenaries which are very cheap. The Crusader Knights are one of the best units in the game and they cost only $200.

[PixelatedKnight]

That is also a good way to reach the holy land and still have units Misafeco. Thanks for sharing!

[lolIsuck]

If your general quits every turn and joins again, none of your troops will disappear. Of course you can only use this strategy in the first 10 turns of the crusade, after that you can't join. But 10 turns is more than enough for ships to reach Jerusalem with the crusade movement bonus.
Another good strategy: After your general joined the crusade, you can disband your other 7 units. When you reach the Holy Land you can hire mercenaries which are very cheap. The Crusader Knights are one of the best units in the game and they cost only $200.

Unless you forget to join again and you lose half your force because of it.

[misafeco]

Unless you forget to join again and you lose half your force because of it.

Why would you forget it? It's two clicks on the same button. Also: reload.

[Iosif Stalin]

Crusade desertion is really annoying sometimes. And it seems to happen even when i'm heading directly for the target and using all available movement points. Like, I recently did a crusade as England, I went down by land to around Venice, hired some ships, and sailed for Palestine. I had desertion almost the whole way there. Admittedly I had to go around some enemy fleets, and got attacked once or twice, but at each turn I was closer to the target than I was before. But all these crusaders were apparently so mad about not teleporting straight to Jerusalem that they just jumped off ships in the middle of the sea. The game ought to give a bit more slack.

[Gigantus]

Siege engines slow down the progress below your min distance per turn (strat map movement multiplier in descr_campagn_db).