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How are these units best deployed? Do you just send many of them into another region to stir up trouble? How about bishops, etc? Any advise would be appreciated. Also, what is the best way to use princesses? And how often should I accept offers of alliance? Everyone wants me to be their ally in the beginning....
Lots of questions young hobbit!
I'll answer the first one: yes you can stir up a lot of trouble with spies. I use groups of 10 mixed with 5 or 6 Bishops/Alims to really get the ball rolling. It is a very effective tactic, especially when you use it against a vastly superior foe that you are at present allied with. I had three of these destabilizing groups wandering around France while the Almohads and Egyptians tried to settle who was boss, and they both wound up having to abandon Europe. Not bad! Pull them out immediately, though, if you get a faction uprising or they will foment a rebellion against them, probably with the guys you were trying to kick out in the first place.
Quote Originally posted by Bilbo of Bag End:
How are these units best deployed?[/QUOTE]
My favorite use for spies sounds boring but has an underappreciated yet enormous impact: pacification. Spies don't cost any maintenance, but garrison armies do. Before I started using spies, I was having to maintain such large garrisons in some sectors that I was actually LOSING money on those provinces!
But now I just have one peasant in each province to hold the fort in event of an unexpected rampaging army and then maintain scattered stacks of reaction armies. I use spies to keep up the loyalty on all sectors now. It saves a lot of cash.
Using spies offensively enables you to drop the loyalty in an enemy sector, but this is too powerful to be realistic, so I hold myself to not more than 3 spies in an enemy sector. And even then I only do that sparingly... mainly to force the enemy to drop his tax rates or hold a large garrison in place rather than to induce revolts.
bif
I also use 'hit squads of spies', its a great way to build you their star rating...
Build a group of 10 spies, send them on a tour of nabouring provences and after they have incited 5 or 6 revolts, they will mostly be 3 or 4 star spies.. now retire them back to your own provencies on security (counter-spying) duties where there high rating will help...
Also, if you get a particularly good spy try sending him at enemy govenors and Kings to reveal hiiden vices.. it can be quite effective...
But, beware of the ground, enemy strong points like a citadel with border forts with probably have spies and assassins defending it and a large engough garrison near by to deal with trouble.. Sending your spies here with just get them killed for little gain...
As for princesses... Got a general that would make a great Governor other than his low loyalty.... A title (with at least +1 loyalty) and a marry to one of your princesses will sort that out...
I'm in the 1300's in my present game and partically every governor is married to a princess....(just one big, happy, Danish family)..
They are useful for early alliances with other faction, but of limited use later on..
Of more importance is the other faction's princesses and getting your heirs married before they become King...
And bishops, it is easy to forget that they are capable of creating aliiances too... and gain a rating from it.. but mosty I use them to prepare the religous ground for later 'take overs' and just to cause religious strife..
Nothing like seeing the end of a bishops good, and long work. A Catholic revolt in a former Muslim North African province where no Catholic army has ever set foot...
That's my take...
[This message has been edited by Bob the Insane (edited 10-07-2002).]