How long should I expect crusades to last

[Hoplite7]

In my Poland campaign there is a crusade against me (Constantinople). Every faction except those excommunicated (Milan, Portugal, Scotland) is at war with me. I have no experience with crusades, but the good part is, it takes forever for them to reach Constantinople, as they have to go through my territories.

So far, my army has managed to beat back the HRE, Denmark, France and Venice. England and Spain have yet to arrive.

Do they eventually stop? It's fun wiping out armies as they invade, but it's put my world conquest on halt... if I beat one faction's crusade army, do they make more?


One more thing: A strategy I was thinking of trying was to use artillery to attack them as they cross through my land, and kill of the crusader generals, ending the crusade for them. That leaves full stacks of foreign troops in my lands. Will they return home?

[Xehh II]

A crusade without a general disbands.

[Hoplite7]

A crusade without a general disbands.

Are you sure? I've heard that on VH they do not suffer desertions.

Would it be best to just give Constantinople to the rebels rather than have to deal with it myself?

[Csargo]

Once you beat them down enough I think they'll disband. Not sure how much you have to beat them down though.

[Monsieur Alphonse]

There are usually nine turns to participate in a crusade. Every general joining a crusade must be killed. A crusading stack which loses its general becomes a normal stack and returns home. This means defeating stacks (and killing the generals) or assassinate the generals is enough.

[ReiseReise]

They can only recruit a crusade army for 10 turns, so generally by the time they reach you and you destroy them, they cannot build another. If they do not make progress towards you every turn, they will gradually disband, so if you have not seen them after about 20 turns, i would say you never will. Or you can use toggle_fow in the console (press ~) to turn the fog of war off and see if the crusade armies still exist or not. Use toggle_fow again to get your fog back.

Side note: I use toggle_fow once every few turns, I try not to cheat with it, but I get great enjoyment out of seeing how the AI is doing against itself. Its usually like watching two drunks in a barfight... it probably started for no reason and neither party has any ability to fight effectively, but every once in a while one will stagger, wind up a punch, stagger again, almost fall over, finally throw the punch, the other one still won't see it coming and gets clobbered, falls over, gets back up and returns the favor in the same manner. Repeat.

[WhiskeyGhost]

They can only recruit a crusade army for 10 turns, so generally by the time they reach you and you destroy them, they cannot build another. If they do not make progress towards you every turn, they will gradually disband, so if you have not seen them after about 20 turns, i would say you never will. Or you can use toggle_fow in the console (press ~) to turn the fog of war off and see if the crusade armies still exist or not. Use toggle_fow again to get your fog back.

Side note: I use toggle_fow once every few turns, I try not to cheat with it, but I get great enjoyment out of seeing how the AI is doing against itself. Its usually like watching two drunks in a barfight... it probably started for no reason and neither party has any ability to fight effectively, but every once in a while one will stagger, wind up a punch, stagger again, almost fall over, finally throw the punch, the other one still won't see it coming and gets clobbered, falls over, gets back up and returns the favor in the same manner. Repeat.

The losing of troops for not going towards the objective only applies to the player, not the AI. I've had AI stacks of crusader knights/sargents just sitting in my lands for 15 turns waiting for the crusade to be over to attack me.....:wall:

Yes, crusades can only be joined in the first 10 turns, but take note if you don't kill the general (as in he flees like a coward) he can always recruit himself some more troops if theres some in the region. There seems to be a time limit as well for crusades in general, but its something silly like 50 turns, because i've had a few young generals sitting outside the target city for a very long time and had the pope call off the crusade due to something about the cost of lives being excessive or something....

[Hoplite7]

So should I just leave Constantinople to the rebels then?

[icek]

i saw in one campaign that pope gave anouncement that if crusade will not succed after 10 turns he will end the parade.

[DVX BELLORVM]

So should I just leave Constantinople to the rebels then?
No. Why would you want to do that? :inquisitive:

It would be better, since you're playing a catholic faction, to improve relations with the Pope, and get yourself reconciled. If he refuses, assassinate him! When the new Pope comes, you will automatically be reconciled.

Once you are reconciled, the crusade will be called off.

[Betito]

You can do either what DVX BELLORVM recommends, or going the other way and getting your king killed. Unless, of course, he actually is a decent character worth keeping. That should get you reconciled as well, then the crusades end.