France High:
seems really tough to me; why ? can really only produce troops in Ile-de-France, with other 2 provinces that cannot produce _any_ troops. Your first priority should be to build some inns in these (Normandy, Champagne).
Tough also because you'll inevitably be attacked by the English (very very soon), Germans, and possibly, depending on your luck and strategy, Italians and Aragonese.
You will also have to fight the Egyptians if you want to hold onto Antioch and Tripoli.
General ideas for Antioch and Tripoli: personally, I found that being too greedy and trying to get Edessa (which is also very rich) proved to be too much of a stretch, eventually leading to my being overwhelmed and losing both Antioch and Tripoli. However, when I pumped troops like crazy in both of them, I managed to keep them for over 40 years, without ever being in any serious danger even though the Egpytians would attack me every 2-3 years. A good thing is that if you hold on until about 1233, you're pretty much off the hook, because the Mongols will give them enough trouble and they won't have as many troops to send against you.
However, the hardest part will be well before 1230.
My suggestion is to immediately start pumping units in them, even UM's. This will most likely delay the Egyptians' attacks on you, and this, combined with the fact that your crusade troops that you start with are pretty good (at least compared to what the Egyptians throw at you), should last you long enough for you until you can produce at least Feudal Sergeants (FS), FMAA, and Xbows. that's really all you need, plus a few hobilars.
You should use each of the 3 provinces (Cyprus, Antioch, Tripoli) for building Hobbies, Xbows and UM's in the beginning. Then FS, FMAA.
Also keep in mind when defending that you will get excellent defensive positions both in Antioch and Tripoli. Make them walk all they way to your steep hill, and shatter them with concentrated fire from your archers. At least a few of their units will rout before engaging in melee, and you'll have minimum losses.
Following these lines I caused them huge casualties on Expert.
General ideas for the European part:
this is really tough. Obviously there are several tactics, and I will only give you one suggestion.
Q: What should your objectives be ?
A: Start with what you have. Look at your own situation, and at that of your neighbours. The English and the Germans will attack you rather sooner than later (esp. HRE).
Except for Ile-de-France, your other provinces are crap. Flanders is good because, well, it is Flanders, and it's gonna make you loads of money, but in the beginning it can't build any troops. You have to hold on to these two, no matter what.
That being said, this pretty much excludes a possible strategy aiming towards the rich and iron-offering provinces of Spain and Aragon. Why ? Because you would stretch into a line, practically having borders in each of your provinces, which requires lots of troops in each province, which you simply won't be able to afford.
Instead, look at the good provinces around you:
HRE: Burgundy is very well developed (esp. in terms of troops, which is all you'll need in the beginning; money you should get enoough from Antioch, Tripoli, Flanders and Ile-de-France), so it should be an objective. None of the other provinces that HRE owns is worth the effort of getting (and trying to keep) in the beginning, from several reasons:
- they are poor/undeveloped, right now your position does not allow you for long-term development, you need troops NOW to consolidate your position.
- they are small (Swiss, Tyrolia, Friesland, etc), this means more provinces that require defensive garrisons.
The English: their main province is Wessex. Only Aquitaine is capable to produce some troops, all their other provinces are crap. Moreover, if you struggle to kick them from mainland, you'll have a very hard time, since they will keep bringing reinforcements from Britain, where they produce them unhindered by anything. It will take you many good years and troops to chase them away, and when you have, that will leave you with their 3 continental provinces in shreds (consider yourself lucky if in the process of conquering them (and possibly losing them occasionally to the English back and forth) they can still build any troops in the end), and the English with a smaller army, but with the capability of building a larger one faster than you can in their home provinces, where they had all the time to develop in peace.
Keep in mind that you will at the same time be at war with the HRE, so you will be hard pressed for troops.
Yet another factor that should make your objective even more obvious is the fact that they can't get back troops _from_ mainland to their islands.
So your objective is Wessex. Let them flex their muscles in their 3 continental provinces, get many troops in Flanders from the inn(s) in Normandy and Champagne and from production in Ile-de-France and possibly Flanders itself, and invade Wessex first chance you have. They will have few if any troops (they reinforce their continental positions every chance they get). A few FK will get the job done, with a couple of FMAA. You can of course afterwards get Mercia one or two turns after Wessex, they will most likely retreat further north. That will leave them with practically no production capabilities in Britain, while you have secured a great province (Wessex) which will give you money and quality troops (instantly, minus what got destroyed when you conquered it, ofc), while at the same time cutting their reinforcements lines.
Some of their island provinces may also rebel, being cut from their King, who is on the mainland. This only helps you, of course.
Do not waste your time trying to get Wales, Northumbria or Scotland; Wales has a relatively strong army of rebels, and you don't have troops to spare. Scotland will require you to station a good number of your troops in there for a few years, and you don't have troops to spare.
Also, your situation is already stable and safe in Britain, and you should direct all efforts to make it the same on the continent now.
You will be very stretched for troops (and money, since you'll be using lots of mercs). You should make no economical dev, except for troop buildings.
At this time, if money allows you, you can start pumping out some ships to get some trade income in the North Sea. Most likely you won't afford it though.
Now that Britain is quite secured, your next objective should be acquiring Burgundy. You will have already been attacked by HRE, so you don't risk anything by attacking Burgundy. They won't dare attack IdF or Flanders (you're keeping them well defended, remember ? you lose either of them, and you lost the game in Europe).
Have no fear in letting the HRE get Champagne and Toulouse from you. This will only stretch their already overstretched forces even more, and leave fewer units in each province to defend it, making it easier for you to take it. At the same time, their number of unit-producing provinces will stay constant, but the number of provinces they need to defend will increase, because neither of those 2 provinces is any good at this stage (Toulouse can produce some troops, but not good enough). Anyway, their attacking and taking either or both these provinces will allow you to easily take Burgundy. Once you got it, hold on to it, because it's quite rich and you can produce good troops in it (CS, CMAA, xbows, etc).
This will also allow you to better defend your really important provinces, since if you have a lot of units in there, even if the AI does attack you, it will instantly retreat (decide that they can't win...)
Once you got Burgundy, the HRE's attacks will be quite feeble. Yes, they still have lots of troops, but they need them to defend their provinces, otherwise greedy hyenas like the Aragonese or Italians will steal them. And mostly their troops will not be too good quality, lots of UM and peasant troops.
Even if they do attack you, you should not have any problems fending off their attacks.
Therefore, the obvious next step is to get rid of the English pest, in order to not have to fight on several fronts anymore, and consolidate your strategic position.
You can take your time, most likely however they will attack you, but with the influx of troops coming from Normandy's inn, Flanders and Wessex which is now supplying you with troops, you should be able to defend until you build a large enough force to overwhelm them.
In the meantime, if you want it and can afford it, you can take back Champagne and also get Lorraine. Why ? It reduces your border (the number of border provinces): you'll only have to defend on Flanders, Lorraine, Burgundy and (later on) Toulouse or Provence.
Watch out for the Aragonese, they have stabbed me in the back and broken their alliance all the time...
You might get excommunicated when bashing the last remnants of the English. Ignore it, or deflect it by attacking the insidious Aragonese, who are likely to have less than half your number of provinces, and who will attack you eventually anyway.
By this time you're already a force to be reckoned with; don't overstretch by getting the HRE/Italian provinces in a rush, you won't be able to defend them. Many small provinces is bad, few big provinces is good ;)
well, this should help some, i reckon. good luck.
blodrast
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