How to lose or win against a crusade

The French have moved their 1700 man crusade laboriously up through central Europe, and into Hungary, intent on Antioch. My Turks have just taken all of the Byzantine lands except the islands and Greece, so we have a full stack army in Bulgaria of Desert Archers, Saracens, Turkoman Horse, and Armenian Heavy Cavalry to meet the first wave.
Success!! we defend against the army, cutting them down to 200 or so men and they are pushed back into Hungary. The next year they move in again, a crusade stack of 2000 this time. I have to pull resources from all over my small Turkish empire to get enough men to fill the ranks and push the 500 routers back to Hungary. Little do I know that I am just fooling myself.
The next year they hit again this time it is a 3000+ man crusade! Too late I realize I have won the battle, but lost the war. It is not a war of units, but a war of religions. I realize that I have been pushing them back into a land with limitless Szekely, Armoured Spear, Horse Archer, Spear and Jobbagy units of +2 armor, +1 weapon, and 99% zeal :dizzy2:. Every battle I win just makes me weaker and them stronger. But by the time I realize this I have fought and won 3 battles and lost just over 70% of my armies, and I have already wasted all my jihads taking back Tripoli from those treacherous Egyptians.
Folks, don't try this at home, let the crusades into your lands, and take them out in your second or even third country with your troops and your Jihads.

mfberg

Whoa... wow! I'll certainly be paying more heed to neighbouring zeal after that campfire horror story...

Nice one. Thanks.

Limitless Szekely... What a nightmare.

Whoa! What a story! I hate it when opposing Crusades go through my provinces, sucking away all my high valour units and leaving my army in disarray. Its most annoying.

Sounds to me like an investment into some Alim (parked in Hungary for a few years) would have been very beneficial. Crusades have just a little trouble recruiting reinforcements from mostly non-Catholic lands. :book: