A novel idea has came to me...

[Manstein]

So, I was playing the Alhomads, and one of my Christian provinces goes into rebellion. I send a giant army of over 2,000 men to crush it.

But, I knew that that province rebelled because of the fact that they were Christian and I was Muslim. Then an idea came to me.

I built a Mosque, and sent hordes of Alims to preach in Christian provinces. (I even sent 2 to preach in Rome!), and every year, the numbers of people practicing Islam grew and grew and grew, and then, a Muslim rebellion appeared in one of the French provinces, with about 400 men. They pressed the French out of the province, and then I intervened, and took the province for myself, without breaking the link between me and the French.

Cool.

As anyone tried that tatic?

[Odin]

So, I was playing the Alhomads, and one of my Christian provinces goes into rebellion. I send a giant army of over 2,000 men to crush it.

But, I knew that that province rebelled because of the fact that they were Christian and I was Muslim. Then an idea came to me.

I built a Mosque, and sent hordes of Alims to preach in Christian provinces. (I even sent 2 to preach in Rome!), and every year, the numbers of people practicing Islam grew and grew and grew, and then, a Muslim rebellion appeared in one of the French provinces, with about 400 men. They pressed the French out of the province, and then I intervened, and took the province for myself, without breaking the link between me and the French.

Cool.

As anyone tried that tatic?

Honestly I havent. I usually play christian factions or Orthodox. Sounds like a pretty sound strategy to me, as Alims are only 100 florins each. I would be curious to see how other christian factions react to your strategy particularly with a muslim rebellion in a french province?

Looks ripe for a crusade to me.

[OlafTheBrave]

This is a very sound stratagey that works. Before I invade a province of a different religon I like to soften it up first with some of my religous agents.

[Marquis de Said]

I have taken this strategy to the extreme. I have a special operations unit of 40 imams who travel together from province to province, forcibly converting the Christian infidels and raising zeal. When they hit a province with 0% zeal, zeal goes up to around fifty after one turn and then maxes out at about 70 - 90 percent on the next. I've had Muslim rebellions popping up even in Norway.

[_Aetius_]

Its a good idea but not the first ive heard of it i send alims to provinces that are already abit close to rebellion that are in christian hands but cant be bothered sending dozens out everywhere id rather cut down the vile barbarian christians with thy own blade

[doc_bean]

Yep, the pope still reappears in a 100% muslim Rome though :-(
(in an at least 90% muslim europe)

[Manstein]

Sadly though, this tatic takes a while to work...

I think my 10,000 man army is better than 100 Alims all over Europe.

[bretwalda]

I put one religious agent in each and every province this way

a) I have an effective spy in every territory so I see all
b) These "spies" are not caught by border forts and travel freely
c) They convert the populace to my religion

I add a few more agents to the soon-to-be-invaded provinces to boost the effect. If you can target a jihad to the given province and allah believers are over 50% the province is handed over without fight. Even better ;)

Btw., does that hold for catholics crusade, too?

[English assassin]

Yep, the pope still reappears in a 100% muslim Rome though :-(
(in an at least 90% muslim europe)

He does, but he usually gets a muslim rebellion which is funny.

I had this happen once, and the rebellion killed the pope, so obviously Rome stayed rebel. A few turns later the pope reappeared the the previously pope killing rebels decided to join him. So the pope had an army comprised of Muslim units like those murathingy javelin infantry etc.

I had to let him live with that weirdness going on.

[Hold Steady]

He does, but he usually gets a muslim rebellion which is funny.

I had this happen once, and the rebellion killed the pope, so obviously Rome stayed rebel. A few turns later the pope reappeared the the previously pope killing rebels decided to join him. So the pope had an army comprised of Muslim units like those murathingy javelin infantry etc.

I had to let him live with that weirdness going on.

Hmm, could you please keep informing us of this weird parralel universe of yours, it's very interesting IMO. How's the rest of europe doing?

[English assassin]

Hmm, could you please keep informing us of this weird parralel universe of yours, it's very interesting IMO. How's the rest of europe doing

The med is a Turkish lake, the rest of Europe is Balkanised with no one holding much of it, and large numbers of JHI are ready to push north. I don't really play campaigns to the end but its fair to say the Turkish juggernaut could push all before it.

Popey is still stuck in a Muslim Rome with his Muslim army. Allah is Great.

[el_slapper]

I put one religious agent in each and every province this way

a) I have an effective spy in every territory so I see all
b) These "spies" are not caught by border forts and travel freely
c) They convert the populace to my religion

I add a few more agents to the soon-to-be-invaded provinces to boost the effect. If you can target a jihad to the given province and allah believers are over 50% the province is handed over without fight. Even better ;)

Btw., does that hold for catholics crusade, too?

Same for me. I'll have to toy with those alims, though, 'cause I had never properly used the fact that they were raising piety too, unless bishops. Seems powerful.

[theadept]

that is a clever idea
one of mine is to hold up huge armies from exacting revenge upon your invasions while you gather more troops. Bribe a cheap unit in the province where the enemy is gathering and it will tie up their huge armies

[Saracen_Warrior]

He does, but he usually gets a muslim rebellion which is funny.

I had this happen once, and the rebellion killed the pope, so obviously Rome stayed rebel. A few turns later the pope reappeared the the previously pope killing rebels decided to join him. So the pope had an army comprised of Muslim units like those murathingy javelin infantry etc.

I had to let him live with that weirdness going on.

Thats a lot like the time when I had an Army of Ghazi Saracen and Knights Templar, and order of the foot. They were mercs and i couldnt pass up hiring them. I dont think thats realistic, but it was till fun. Knights Templar would never fight with muslims.

[Harald the ROCK]

Rarely have religious revolts in my games, if I do I put them down faster than the pope remerges in Rome :)

[{KotR}Lionheart]

I use this tactic in reverse when playing with Spain, very useful for reconquering and reuniting spain.