Does anyone ever let a faction get huge just to take them down?

**Budwise** · 10-01-2005, 10:37

Here is what I am up against

I ignored the persons advice on taking out the Egyptians earlier when they started getting big and now look. I figure they are the only faction that hasn't attacked me so I leave them alone and get this, I believe they are still allied to me. I have their navy outnumbered to at least 2/1 in most areas and in others, 4/1.

So, what year does the game end again, isn't it 1453? Also, can someone eyeball it and tell me how close to 60% I am?

Third, does anyone have any ideas on what to do next? I can already build Chiv Knights for the first time ever for me in a campaign.

**antisocialmunky** · 10-01-2005, 14:20

Well, yeah, if they ahve an interesting line up. For example, letting the Mongols, Turks, Byzantine, Germans, Italians, Swiss, English, or Russians get huge is fun because of their special units.

On the other hand, letting the Spanish or Eggys get huge is annoying becasue they just spam cheap units and don't have great special units to compensate for 1000s of spam camels or javelinmen. Lancers and Nizari are cool, but are almost never built.

As for you, well... spam Longbowmen and have a field day with raining death on the eggies. Too bad they dont' have enough heavily armoured units to justify alot of billmen.

**Mithrandir** · 10-01-2005, 15:12

Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

On the other hand, letting the Spanish or Eggys get huge is annoying becasue they just spam cheap units and don't have great special units to compensate for 1000s of spam camels or javelinmen. Lancers and Nizari are cool, but are almost never built.

camels rule! They beat lancers...

**antisocialmunky** · 10-01-2005, 15:22

Not when you're playing Britain and all you do is sitting there emptying 4 stacks of longbows while you're playing Carrhae with your billmen and Chivalric Seargents against a 12000 strong camel and 1000 infantry army.

or... you're playing against the Spanish and all but 8 units in 3 stacks are javelinmen...

That being said, if you look at the map, you'll notice, Hungary is still hanging on.

**Mithrandir** · 10-01-2005, 16:30

Camels still beat lancers...

ofcourse they don't beat billmen...

**Graphic** · 10-01-2005, 17:06

I'm in the same boat. Allied with the Byzantines also. Neither of us wants to take on the other. I'm thinking about finally taking on the Eggies all the way to Constantinople, then attacking the Byz's understaffed Steppe territories through the black sea.

BTW, those aren't my crappy units there, that's what they got in Morocco. I had to make this clear because I don't want people to think I'm a spammer =-D.

**NodachiSam** · 10-01-2005, 17:20

Budwise, I would prepare some crusade markers and wait for the pope's return. You both look at about 40%.

Graphic, I would hate to be in your situation and yet the big byzophile in me is happy to see them do so well and retain constantinople. What mod is that by the way?

**Graphic** · 10-01-2005, 18:02

It's XL.

**Dutch_guy** · 10-01-2005, 18:27

Never experienced factions getting that big , as in holding half of the map at least.

Should be quite a showdown to say the least.

In my vanilla campaign the Spanish have gotten quite big and strong, but not nearly as big as the eggy's and the Byz. in those screenies...

**Uesugi Kenshin** · 10-01-2005, 19:59

I don't usually "let" a faction get huge, but I often ignore factions to focus my efforts on gaining more profitable provinces, punishing backstabbers, or seeking other important provinces. As the Turks I generally don't ignore anyone but Russia though, I usually try to envelop the Med and maybe eventually take down Russia, other than them the English are usually the last to fall. It is just much easier to control trade, and the seas when you are the only one with a province on the Med and have 3-4 ships in the Straits of Gibraltar....

When I play as a Western European faction, or Central European faction I generally ignore the Byzantines, or whoever takes Constantinople.

**Budwise** · 10-01-2005, 20:05

Originally Posted by NodachiSam

Budwise, I would prepare some crusade markers and wait for the pope's return. You both look at about 40%.

Graphic, I would hate to be in your situation and yet the big byzophile in me is happy to see them do so well and retain constantinople. What mod is that by the way?

I have four all ready to go. I am now producing Longbows and awaiting the popes return. I have to be tricky about it because last time the pope came and kicked Egypt out, they swarmed back in to kill the pope two turns later.

**ajaxfetish** · 10-01-2005, 20:26

In my Italian (GA) campaign I decided to abstain from conquest, at least until I had gothic knights. I took Sicily and Naples, won some crusade goals, and otherwise just stayed in Italy trading, amassing a fortune, and teching up to ridiculous levels. By the time the late period roled around, the Spanish controlled pretty much the entire map except the Italian peninsula (which was me and the pope) and some Steppe provinces still held by the Horde, though the Mongols were being pushed back as well before the enormous Spanish armies.

I decided it was time to take the plunge and attack the Spanish, even though my armies were pretty miniscule compared to their plethora of stacks across the map. I went on a rampage of attack without conquest, just holding my core provinces and trying to engage his armies elsewhere. There were some huge and fun battles, but although he had the numbers, he didn't have any really high-quality troops, and mine were all specially tailored and upgraded ubertroopers, so after a few large engagements he just started abandoning the field all the time. Soon my only real option to get a battle (other than outright conquest which I didn't want to do) was to send in one or two very nice units only in my invasions. He had the cash and potential units available to make an incredible army, but instead trained a host of junk. Oh, well.

I fear you'll be facing similar battles with the eggies. A couple spectacular battles up front followed by many retreats and gazillions of junk troops (plus some camels that can tear apart your cavalry but against the rest of your army will be junk

).

**Weebeast** · 10-02-2005, 05:28

It's not that I let them to get huge but I just don't fight more than one faction at the same time. Usually there are 3 factions(one being my faction) that get big in near the end.

I play GA, as Egyptians, on high. At first I allied the other two muslim factions. The Turks took on Byzantine and French(invaded holylands), Almohads took on Spanish and Germany. French naval wasn't that strong so I just dropped 960 horses and Camels each to Tripoli and Antioch. I didn't bother to take over Cyprus because there's nothing in there and the occupying French was pretty much isolated (no ships).

Byzantine and Spain were taken out. I took over the Holylands and Greece, and French was busy with England, while Germany was busy with Italian. I built my cities, so did Russian and Turks.

While French was expanding in the west Spain emerged. Almohads, French, and Spain fought each other. Meanwhile, I was sending Jihad to Denmark( I bribed Sweden earlier, dumped it, and went to Denmark). My Jihad got intercepted by the Russian in Poland. The Turks backed me up and fought side by side with me in Poland. Unfortunately, the Poles chickened out. I and Turks won Poland, only to get beat by Russ the next round.

Then I decided to focus on my cities again but suddenly Turks attacked Edessa, Antioch and Greece(the main reason). I lost Greece while Turks lost Nicaea.

To be continued....

Basically French hold northwest region (from Scotland to Aragon) , Spanish hold southwest (from Leon to Lybia), Turks hold northeast (Volga-Bulgaria to Rum, to Hungary), and I hold small part of southeast, and Italy holds the center. There are 5 big factions this time.