The official Inquisitor thread

[DaCount]

So i hardly see people speak about or use inquisitors. Well in my last game (still progressing) i thought what the heck let's use em, for sure they will turn these muslim countries to christianity. I also thought hmm lets put a few in my home country to get the zeal up, so my crusades will be fully packed.

Anyway so i had this inquisitor standing in Castile (i played spain, and no it didn't get that +1 valour is should in castille), and i slowly saw in increase in the zeal (like 2-3% a turn). But then all of a sudden this inquisitor decides it's time for 'The Inquisition', after having killed a large portion of my population (if someone could explain to me if population drop has any influence on the game in way ??? as i couldn't notice it).
And guess what before the Zeal was in the 60's, after the inquisition in the 30's....... So euh besides using them in muslim provices i conquer (which are near 0% zeal) i hardly see any use for them ??

Also trying to get a enemy general down, is almost impossible as even with a lvl 4 valour inquisitor i get like 5% chance on a lvl 3 general orso ?!?!

So does anyone use inquisitors in a more usefull way ?!?!

[This message has been edited by DaCount (edited 09-04-2002).]

[dancho]

I just completed a long, exhausting game (from the early period) playing Spain on normal difficulty. I wanted to use the inquisitors so that things would be "historical." I don't think I did a great job, since I'm still learning, but I did manage to do some damage to the French with them, and every little bit counted as I just squeaked by the French to win it on points (GA).

Inquisitors are good for causing trouble in enemy held provinces. They tend to cause rebellions-- so they are useful in that kind of strategy, where you use spies, etc. to cause rebellion in the enemy provinces adjacent to your own as a defensive strategy.

It is possible to kill enemy generals-- but I'm not sure what makes some generals easy to kill and others difficult. It never hurts to dump an inquisitor on a general to see whats going on. You may be surprised that a level 3 or 4 general gives you a 40 or 50 percent chance of getting him convicted on a heresy charge. I kept my inquisitors in a wolf pack of six or seven, and sent them all after a general when I found a weakness. It takes time, but I managed to kill one 4 star, one 3 star and several two stars this way. Eventually, this did have an effect. Some provinces were left with zero rank generals because of the inquistion.

[Kingmaker]

As best I can tell, a genral's piety rating matters more than his valour when attempting to try him as a heretic.

BTW, if you REALLY want to nail those enemy genrals, use a GRAND inquisitor... I've decimated the command ranks of the HRE who were getting a little too frisky for my liking!

Kingmaker

[Vanya]

Confessions given in the absence of torture are deceptive to their core. Only through torture can the soul be cleansed of its sins.

GAH!

This is the essence of the Inquisition's practices.

GAH!

[DaCount]

Thx for the answers .
But a few more questions arise (without torture i'm afraid):

1) Can a Inquisitor incite a revolt in a province owned by a Catholic faction ? (which in my opinion shouldn't be correct, but then again i never saw a Incuisitor incete revolt yet)

2) Are they more effective then spies to incite revolts (guess so since spies tend to get killed much easier/faster)

3) Do V&V's have influence on a chance to inquisite a general (e.g. if he has secret heretic, will my chance to whop him be higher ?)

4) And if inquisitors aren't the way to increase Zeal... What is ?

5) Ah and if someone knows the fastest way to increase valour in an Inquisitor ??

Thx...

[This message has been edited by DaCount (edited 09-04-2002).]

[Vanya]

Quote Originally posted by DaCount:
...4) And if inquisitors aren't the way to increase Zeal... What is ?
[/QUOTE]


GAH!

An Inquisitor will increase zeal for a while. But, if left too long in a province, they turn bloodthirsty, and then DECREASE zeal. So, for improving zeal, you must leave them there just long enough but not too long.

I would think bishops and cardinals would increase zeal too...

Especially bishops and cardinals that flog themselves to cleanse their souls...

GAH!

[pdoan8]

Quote Originally posted by DaCount:
Thx for the answers .
But a few more questions arise (without torture i'm afraid):

1) Can a Inquisitor incite a revolt in a province owned by a Catholic faction ? (which in my opinion shouldn't be correct, but then again i never saw a Incuisitor incete revolt yet)

2) Are they more effective then spies to incite revolts (guess so since spies tend to get killed much easier/faster)

3) Do V&V's have influence on a chance to inquisite a general (e.g. if he has secret heretic, will my chance to whop him be higher ?)

4) And if inquisitors aren't the way to increase Zeal... What is ?

5) Ah and if someone knows the fastest way to increase valour in an Inquisitor ??

Thx...

[This message has been edited by DaCount (edited 09-04-2002).][/QUOTE]

1. No. He will actually help them out a little by killing off the heretic and non-catholic population.

2. No. Spy is the only option in incite revolts.

3. Yes. You will have better chance if the general's piety is low also. You can also send a spy to uncover the hidden V&V of the general.

4. The governor V&V such as fanatic will have big impact on the zeal level. Use combination of Catholic Bishop, Cardinal and Inquisitor to increase both zeal and Catholic percentage in the population.

5. Just have to let him practice. Use him on low peity (3 or lower) generals.

[Shiro]

When I saw this thread I thought I was in trouble for sure.

[Sultan]

It seems in the games I've been playing that if a target has been titled he's more resistant.

[DaCount]

Thx Pdoan8

Quote Originally posted by pdoan8:
5. Just have to let him practice. Use him on low peity (3 or lower) generals.[/B][/QUOTE]

So that means no XP for inciting inquisitions ? Only inquisit persons wil give me extra valour then ?

[Xiahou]

My favorite inquisitor experience is as follows:

As the Spanish, for almost the last 100years France had been my staunch ally. However, in the last 20 or so years I became greedy for land having conquered Africa, parts of the middle east, and Asia Minor, Constantinople, and GreeceSo. Around this time I begin sending in spies to incite revolts and sending Grand Inquisitors to try the French generals.

Finally, I get my break when the French get themselves excommunicated and the Pope asks me to lead a Crusade against them. I effectively split the French lands in half and everything is going my way, until the Germans kill the French king in battle. Now my plans of expansion are foiled since the new king isnt excommunicated.

In comes my Grand Inquisitor, in desperation, I send him to try the new French King for heresy. My inquisitor only has 4 valor and there's only an 11% chance of success- but it works! The French king is burned at the stake and he has no heir! The French are eliminated and their remaining provinces become rebels ripe for the picking.

[Cheetah]

Shiro, plz move this thread into PAF, unless someone takes up the discussion.

[insolent1]

Inquisitors are only really good for keeping provinces loyal, stamping out hersey & running inquistions in anothers province as this will lower the income due to the amount of people burned at the stake.I always send a few ahead of any of my crusades to raise the zeal. Grand Inquisitors are one of the strongest strategy piece as they can get almost any general, king or pope with enough valour.
I've 3 grand inquisitors in my latest game with the following valour 4,5 & 6
the 6 valour foucher de coligny is well on his way to going to 7 he has burnt 2 popes & 3 kings & loads of generals. The best way to train your grand inqusitors is to find them a victim every turn. I have a bishop in every province so at every turn i find them new victims. Look at the generals v&v's & his piety if he has a bad vice & low piety nearly any inquisitor can burn him.
I'm not sure on this but if you hold an inqusition in a province that year it will lower your chances of getting the general in that province to burn and don't go after the same victim each turn go for anotehr one & then come back for the original target. I also use the normal inquisitors on my generals that have low piety. It raises there piety but be careful as sometimes the inquisitor might get lucky.