Peasant Pope!

**yesdachi** · 08-08-2005, 18:39

Here’s the deal, I started a new campaign as the Spanish, early/expert/GA with the rule not to attack unless attacked, except for the almos. This little rule has made me slow way down but I have not been at a lack for enemies. This year it is the Italians and they are really giving me a hard time in the water and the Pope warns me to layoff, So, I stop, trying to be good and stick to my rule. Well 7 or 8 years go by and the Italians move ships to block my trade down to the med. I forget what year it is and sink um! I get excommunicated.

The current Pope is only 35 and my king has only been in office a few years and has little influence or piety. I see the writing on the wall and know religious uprisings are just around the corner.

I have been dealing with rebellions a lot this game, more than ever before. My war with the Almos lasted a long time and stretched me real thin (at one point I was down to 2 provinces, but 2 rebel provinces flipped to my faction and I was back in the game). I see my only option is to hammer my way thru the Italians and take out the Pope and get unexcommunicated. I do and it was great! By the time I finely kill him he has asked others to crusade against me, so the timing is perfect. I stick around Rome a few turns and take out some of the offensive buildings then I leave. Anticipating his speedy return.

This is where the interesting part began. The turn after I leave 3 full stacks reappear in Rome but they are a peasant army and not the Popes forces. The next turn a stack of Italian loyalists (tough guys) appear in my recently conquered Tuscany I loose to them and get stuck in the castle. Next turn, the peasant army in Rome turns to my faction!!! I drop them in to Tuscany to save my guys trapped in the castle. Next turn, Peasant army wins, just barely, and another 3 full stacks of peasant army pops up in Rome. Still no Pope. Two turns later the Pope is back with a stack and a half, and they get beat by the peasant army!!! The info screen comes up saying that a puppet pope is now in charge; the puppet pope is a peasant!!

5 years later the true Pope comes back and gets beat by the same peasant army!!! Another 5 years and he finely comes back and wins but he has only a few hundred troops left with him.

I got to go almost 20 years

without the Pope holding me back from finishing off the Italians, I just pushed them onto an island, and punching the HRE and Hungarians in the nose (stay out of Venice or you’ll get another one).

**antisocialmunky** · 08-08-2005, 21:32

Screenies please.

**m52nickerson** · 08-09-2005, 00:00

Sounds like a fun game you have going on! I tend to do the same thing when I play as Poland, don't attack unless provoked. At least I do that at the start of the game, after I get enough money to make a few good army stacks, well thats another story.

**yesdachi** · 08-09-2005, 15:19

Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

Screenies please.

I went back in the game and tried to get it to happen again but couldn’t, so I recreated the same situation about 40 years later (not exactly the same but similar). I have a screen shot but can’t upload it from work. I’ll try tonight

**DensterNY** · 08-09-2005, 15:48

That's pretty interesting... I wonder if you razing the buildings in Rome has affected the quality of troops that the Pope returned with.. that would make sense I guess...

So far I've avoided making war against the Papcy but if the time comes I'll keep what you did in mind.

**yesdachi** · 08-09-2005, 16:05

Originally Posted by DensterNY

So far I've avoided making war against the Papcy but if the time comes I'll keep what you did in mind.

I don’t know any other quick way to get un-excommunicated.

**antisocialmunky** · 08-09-2005, 18:59

Setting your king in wedge formation and charging him head long into some Swiss Armored Pikemen* usually unexcommunicates you pretty quickly.

*Side effects can include rebellions, civil war, or a no-heir loss. Your results may vary.

**yesdachi** · 08-09-2005, 19:25

Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

Setting your king in wedge formation and charging him head long into some Swiss Armored Pikemen* usually unexcommunicates you pretty quickly.

*Side effects can include rebellions, civil war, or a no-heir loss. Your results may vary.

Humm

**yesdachi** · 08-10-2005, 08:11

Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

Screenies please.

Screen shot! I hope it works.
http://www.photodump.com/direct/yesdachi/spanish.jpg
This is 40ish years after what originally happened in my post.

You can see the rebels in Rome but this time the Pope has a pretty strong force. You can see a couple of my sweet generals and the looser Italian King too.

**edyzmedieval** · 08-10-2005, 08:15

What Peasant Pope?! He is a Royal Knight!!!!

**yesdachi** · 08-10-2005, 13:35

Originally Posted by edyzmedieval

What Peasant Pope?! He is a Royal Knight!!!!

This image is before the battle between the Pope and the rebels. After the Pope looses he disappears and the message about the puppet pope comes up. Because it is a rebel peasant army that beats the Pope and not another faction I have to assume that the peasant army makes one of there own the new “Puppet Pope”, as a result the Pope is a peasant.