defending against crusades as muslim(turk)

[garfalex]

first time ive played as a muslim faction (just love them longbow stakes too much). anyway would you just dive in and attck all crusader armies if theyre just crossing your lands or delay until last moment possible.
for example im playing as turks and egypt keeps fighting off armies attacking cairo and i want to take cairo too
will crusading nations all attack me if i take cairo?
is it just postponing the inevitable war with all catholic factions to wait until one of them takes cairo or do i get an advantage in that while cairo is egyptian no crusades will be aimed at me?
would appreciate opinions here

[FactionHeir]

While a crusade is active, no further ones can be called, so it can be both a good and a bad thing.
As you are a muslim nation, taking Cairo will result in you becoming the new crusade target.

Whether you attack the crusaders who have not yet attacked you is up to you. Usually not a great idea unless you really have a lot of forces ready.

[Alp Arlsan]

Declare the Egyptions Infidel! Attack Attack Attack! Unite the Moslem world and drive the Christian scum back to the West!

[garfalex]

consensus achieved then chaps hehe
i saved the game and i'm gonna play it both ways just to see
i guess that leaving cairo alone and just sniping any egyptian forces that move away from the city will have a better result
i'll let you know in a few days

[Marauder]

When playing as Egypt, I found I could never sue for peace afterwards (playing vh/vh). I would have to offer ~40k florins to a faction I was about to decimate. Oh well, being at war with every living faction is fun, no one complains when I attack them!

This is drastically differnt from my M/M game as England, where the opposition was constantly suing for peace after I attack, they'd even give me cities! Oh well, more fun take them by force. Good luck withstanding the Catholics! I'd be more worried about the Mongols.

[garfalex]

well my little game test shows that leaving cairo to the egyptians was by far the better option, as when the mongols arrive i was in the poo at war with 7 factions and struggling to beat back the crusaders.whereas leaving cairo alone led to steady expansion westwards and a few stacks in place for mongol bashing

[FactionHeir]

Told ya

[garfalex]

by the way guys im using the custom mod 2 which ithink is excellent
any way now the mongols are destroyed and i 'm just about at the gates of rome do i attack rome or by pass it on the way to the fleshpots of venice and milan?
what are the pros and cons to pope bashing as a muslim faction?
does everyone crusade against you if you do?
or should i use the same strategy as i did over cairo, ie leave it alone and go round it?
dont know which way to go
decisions decisions

[garfalex]

ive conquerd most of eastern europe , knocked out venice sisily and the byzantines poland has 1 citadel . i left the russians alone . its 1218 so i have about 30 years till black death and i have some very good stacks hardened by fighting mongols
need to use them quick get a toehold in central europe and then go prepare some timurid bashing forces

[anweRU]

what are the pros and cons to pope bashing as a muslim faction?

The Infidel-in-Chief must die!

I have never seen a problem with killing off the Papal States. Except that the Papacy (not the Pope) is indestructible. Eventually, a new Pope will rise, with a few units in his stack. If you don't want to leave a strong garrison in Rome, don't destroy this stack completely. Maul it. Let a few routers get away. Without a base to recruit/replenish, this stack ends up hiding somewhere in the hills.

If it gets in your way, then you might have to destroy it. Or you could chase it into AI territory.

[garfalex]

in the end i took rome sacked it and destroyed all buildings just let it revert back... solved a few problems for a while i think.
couple more thoughts on this campaign
ive never seen the moors so powerful before maybe as ive bashed all the catholics a bit?
also the russians have created more of a problem than ive encountered before
black death nearly over and i'm gearing up for the timurids now

[risker]

A little tip: keep a massive army on standby near constatinople. this can get you some great results against crusades...