How do I destroy Papal States?

[Tabuu]

Ok good all factions are destroyed but the rebels: easy. Now what about the Papal States? All the troops are defeated, I killed the pope (successful assassination thank God) but it still says the Papal States are alive. I'm aware that inquisitors are part of the P.S. but when i kill all of them, Papal States is STILL alive!

[A Nerd]

I don't think you can destroy them like in MTW. In my experience, even when the Papal's armies and cities are all gone the pope carries on. He is represented by the pope general unit on the strat map and just stands there doing nothing. You can assassinate him as much as you want but a new pope is always elected. On as aside, I've had the college of cardinals down to two members. I wonder what would happen if the pope died and there were no cardinals to replace him? In that game no cardinals were being elected for some reason.

[Tabuu]

Yea but when I kill the Pope and capture Rome, he doesn't show up neither does the college of cardinals.

[A Nerd]

This might be because a new pope hasn't been elected yet. Wait a turn or so. The papacy might also have a province somewhere that you are not aware of, gifted or something along those lines. Also, I've seen the pope pop up in places other than Italy when all the papal states cities are gone. Spain for example, and other times I had no idea where he was because the region where he probably went was in the fog of war. He might go to where his last city was to to a region controlled by the faction from which he came when elected. This is my experience however, I could be incorrect, all I know is, that in my campaigns, even when all the papal cities were gone, the pope continued to exist (and what every army remained when the last city was gone. I don't think new family members are produced however, though this might change if a city was gifted or taken.

[Tabuu]

No when I capture Rome, the Pope doesn't appear period. All I see are random inquisitors wandering around Sofia or some other random province.

[A Nerd]

The pope will appear somewhere. It doesn't have to be near Rome. If you get no message a turn or so after all the papacy's cities are gone and the pope is dead that a new pope has been elected, then I don't know what to tell you. In all my campaigns that has never happened. That would be neat though if you could wipe out the papacy, always a fun part of MTW when the papacy would reappear with an army to reclaim their right to exist. In M2TW the pope can be so annoying!

[smooth_operator]

Papal States can NEVER EVER be destroyed. Even your cardinals that get elected as Pope get to be part of the Papal States themselves. Conquer Rome if you want. But still, the new pope will reappear next to it. If you managed to kill off any papal army however, the pope just appears as a single army unit. That's it.

[_Tristan_]

Papal States can NEVER EVER be destroyed. Even your cardinals that get elected as Pope get to be part of the Papal States themselves. Conquer Rome if you want. But still, the new pope will reappear next to it. If you managed to kill off any papal army however, the pope just appears as a single army unit. That's it.

What he said...

[Cute Wolf]

BLASPHEMY! HERETIC!!! MAY GOD KILLS YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE THO THE HOLY SEE!!!

now a bit serious, you COULD technically DESTROY the Papal States, as long as:
- You are either Muslim or Orthodox (so no catholic priests become the pope, nor high catholic region spawn the Pope)
- You allready killed every Catholic factions
- Took toggle_fow, and see if your enemy give away some regions for the Pope

* I once destroy the papacy with no new Pope being spawn - but still listed as alive, when playing as Byzantine

[Tabuu]

Cute wolf's "*" is what's really happening. THAT I can't understand.

[A Nerd]

That's odd. I can't see what purpose the pope would have if all the catholic factions had been destroyed. No cardinals, no crusades, etc. Must have been a programming oversight.

[Cute Wolf]

That's odd. I can't see what purpose the pope would have if all the catholic factions had been destroyed. No cardinals, no crusades, etc. Must have been a programming oversight.

they are basically the "senate" faction of M2TW, the faction who could give missions and enjoy some hardcoded bonus...

[Old Geezer]

You can "functionally destroy" the Papal States by capturing all Papal cities/castles. Killing or waiting for the Pope and all Cardinals to assume room temperature. If you are a Roman Catholic power, stop recruiting priests or assassinate one if he becomes Pope. Damage all other factions churches so no priests can be recruited or destroy all catholic factions. Assassinate all enemy priests and cardinals. A priest has to be level 5 to be made a cardinal. So although technically there will always be a College of Cardinals it will be empty and no Pope can ever be elected. I am not sure if all this is done - say you assassinate the last Pope who has an army with him - that the Pope's army disappears when he is killed and there are no cardinals. I don't think it does and you will have to destroy it, but I can't even remember because it has been a couple of years and is inconsequential anyway, except that the Pope's Guard is made of supermen who never falter of faint.

[lifesaver123]

I am playing with England.
I have all cities in the game.
I have no priests remaining.
I killed the last pope.
They weren't destroyed(When u click on Pope page, it just shows that the papal state place is vacant or something).
Conclusion: I played 120 turns for nothing :C

[_Tristan_]

Conclusion: I played 120 turns for nothing :C

Nope, you just didn't destroy an "undestroyably-scripted" faction... It is far from the whole purpose of the game...

[Myth]

I am playing with England.
I have all cities in the game.
I have no priests remaining.
I killed the last pope.
They weren't destroyed(When u click on Pope page, it just shows that the papal state place is vacant or something).
Conclusion: I played 120 turns for nothing :C

Is there a pope to give you orders or excomnnicate you? No. Do they have territories? No. They are effectively destroyed then.