Eliminating the Pope

[Qilue]

How often on average do you kill the pope per campaign game? The method is not important.

[Dhepee]

As often as I get excommunicated. I just send in a handful of assasins and somebody gets him.

[ToranagaSama]

Choice missing: NEVER kill the Pope

Why war with the Pope? The Provinces aren't exceptionally valuable, there's really nothing to be gained.

For me the Pope is like the Eightball in a game of Pool. The Last (or virtually last) ball in.

[ChErNoByl]

My first campaign game i took over the pope rather early, and i managed to keep him down until the end of the game. i just get many spearmen and billmen, and some archers and cavalry with a little men at arms for backup. I usually take the pope down pretty easily and keep him down. I have to do it to conquer the world, you know. That's just my style.

[Razor1952]

This is MEDIEVAL war in all its ugliness after all, I'm happy for the Pope to warn me, but if he excomms me I'm afraid I'm a vindictive old bugger and will invade/kill/ him however I can to get even.

If I invade I usually raise Rome at least to the ground and encourage a big rebellion, so when he returns he has to deal with the rebels first.

I also like c&u (cruel and unusual) punishments for the Pope if he steps out of line. Throwing him on a BBQ with an inquisitor is particularly fun. Though costly bribing his own guys is also fun to see them turn on their master.

I guess I view his arbitrary ways as a bit like a politician or lawyers.

You might have guessed I'm not catholic(though I have many catholic friends).

Yep if I come back in Medieval times , please god don't let me be a Papist peasant.

[magnatz]

When I play the Italians at some point I have to invade Rome
and stop him from meddling with my plans. Then I instigate a rebellion in Rome, and I train the rebels by sending my traitor generals against them one at a time. When the Pope comes back he has to deal with the rebels first and usually forgets to attack me, also I get to keep the Pope Provinces.

If my faction is far away from Rome I prefer to leave the Pope alone and wait for him to excommunicate someone, so I can step in and invade their lands.

[LestaT]

I've playsed as turkish once and before i invade the papal lands i send my alims there until the ratio of muslims a lot more than christions. Then i started to conquered tha papal land until the pope has been conquered. Built mosques all over the province and send assasins for any 'brave' catholic or orthodox priest who ventured. Keep the land secured and the pope never reemerged. Onece maybe during the first 10 years but after i get 100% moslems in the provinces then its all over for them.

The best thing is without the pope, catholics faction war with each other very often and make most of their provinces in rebbelious state. Easy target for me.

Try it then.

(never underestimate the power of religious agents)

[Shahed]

If playing a Muslim or Orthodoy faction, I always strive for Papal Colonies of Rome and the Papal States. No Pope no excom, no Crusades, no worry no hassle. The Pope never reemerged for me, maybe luck, maybe becuase I had 2,000 men in each area, 10-12 alims, 3 Imams, and all happiness buildings constructed.

When playing Muslims and orthodox the Crusades are a major irritation, if you are Ortho a passing Crusade can take some florins out of you, or worse. if you are playing Muslim factions, and have a healthy trade with Spain or HRE, it can get interuppted by a band of peasants roaming around the map for 10 years uselessly. You can lose a lot of trade income.

Hence out with the Pope.

[Pedders]

I always keep on the Popes good side. The advantages of crusading against an excommunicated enemy are enormous and can easily shatter an opponent for good. This is enough to keep me from straying from the fold myself.

Also in my current game I have received a papal donation of 1000 florins on over a dozen occasions.

[Shahed]

If playing Catholic faction, I keep in the Popes good books and take, at least Tripoli, Antioch, Edessa, Palestine, and Egypt by Crusading. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif Not that he ever donated anything, but least I got my influence all the way up and stated making vast sums of money from the Crusader Kingdoms, in the name of God no less http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[Stefan the Berserker]

I usually try to kill the Pope, just to have no more Pope. Oftenly he tries to return, but never has succsess...

I think the Pope should be banned from returning, I captured Rome as Byzantines and had 99% Orthodox population there. But all 5 Years or so he was back...

In Case the Pope is smashed and Rome is occupied by a Muslim or Orthodox Faction, he should return in a random Catholic Province and not in Rome or the Papal States...

[The_Emperor]

Given that I often play as a Catholic Faction I try not to waste the Pope unless he's being a right pain in my Royal Arse

When excommunicated I send in the assassins, or I simply invade kill the Pope and withdraw...

I work on a policy of containment and like ToranagaSama he is regarded as
Quote[/b] ]the Eightball in a game of Pool. The Last (or virtually last) ball in.

Given that I have been playing as the Infidel sides lately, with them I contain him and keep him weak and regularly raid him to keep him down. While it may be tempting to wipe him off the map his ever-growing re-emergences mean you cannot keep him out of the game and will take significant losses.

Better to fight off the Crusades and laugh as the enemy dissolves into civil war when their influence runs dry
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[Revenant69]

Quote[/b] ]Choice missing: NEVER kill the Pope

Why war with the Pope? The Provinces aren't exceptionally valuable, there's really nothing to be gained.

For me the Pope is like the Eightball in a game of Pool. The Last (or virtually last) ball in.


I couldnt have said this better myself. Absolutely agree that it is possible to win the game using the Eightball effect on the Pope. Whenever i played catholics, and b4 i learned of how nasty the Pope can be I used to make a lot of mistakes.

But now its simple, if you play Catholics build a LARGE invasion army. Plan your assault very carefully. Implement it (take 3-6 provinces). Next turn siege the castles. So that after the 2 year grace period is over the territories that you have assaulted now belong to you. Moreover, this gives you 10 years to improve the infrastructure and happiness in your newly conquered lands http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Al Shama'ar]

I rarely kill His Holiness.
I try to attack other catholic factions only when my king or the pope are near their finishing years. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/idea.gif
And I always have a lot of armies in each of my provinces, so when I get surprise attacks or get excomm'd and a crusade is lauched against me I'm able to reinforce my borders.
I think I've only killed him once or twice for fun, and only because we had a common border.

Try to get his money but always be prepared for his misjudgements. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

Al

[BDC]

Never. Just doesn't feel right. Dunno why... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif

Stupid pointless respect for authority. *grumbles*

Sometimes though I'll send a couple of grand inquisitors over and have a BBQ.

[mandt]

Quote[/b] (BDC @ Sep. 11 2003,12:16)]Never. Just doesn't feel right. Dunno why... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif

Stupid pointless respect for authority. *grumbles*

Sometimes though I'll send a couple of grand inquisitors over and have a BBQ.
Heh.

I usually save him for last. By then, after conquering most of the known world, I am convinced that I am Pope, and order that other upstart imposter to be put to the sword.

[gaelic cowboy]

I leave him he's handy for a few florins if you increase the catholic religon. Even in your own provinces I have found he will give me money. And as long as he is there neither Italy or Sicily get to big at least not the way I play.

[katar]

never bother killing him.

i time my campaigns and subsequent excommunications to coincide with the final years of my king.

when he kicks the bucket i`m home free. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

i know i`m exploiting the 56 year bug, hence it`s not P.C.

but excommunications annoy the hell out of me. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

[Bevan of Hertfordshire]

I only kill him if i'm the italians, only to unify europe.

After of course i've crusaded the hell out of the middle east and africa + moorish spain

[Benny]

I usually leave him alone unless if he is gonna work on my nerve http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wacko.gif

[BDC]

I discovered (at least with MedMod), that if at the start you start building a crusade straight away you become super-popular with his Holiness, and he will easily cover your costs within a few years.

[The_678]

I NEVER take on the Pope unless absolutely neccesary (ie. 100%) Of course I assassinate him alot but actual war. I don't see the point in attacking him because the lands are useless. I usually surrond him and have to defend occasionally when he attacks but that's nothing. p.s. Don't you find it weird when you can be at war with the papacy but not be excommed?

[bighairyman]

i rarly killed the pope, but it's due to my 1 or 2 star top assissans who can't finish thier job. but yeah, i would like to kill him more often.

by the way, does anyone know why i can't put emotions in my post even though i enable emoticons in my post. thanks