Beating Excommunication without hurting the pope

**Conqueror773** · 10-21-2005, 02:36

Does anyone have any idea how to do this? I really would perfer not to hurt the pope, even touch him in any way but as a German i cant really attack anyone without getting Excommunicated so it takes me three times longer to take over a country!

**ichi** · 10-21-2005, 03:00

I usually assassinate the Pope once he has excommunicated me, unless I think there are only a fe years beforehe will die from natural causes.

Since you have two years to attack you can try my 'pulse' strategy. Save up a few florins then pump out 3-4 stacks. I also build 3-4 arty for each stack, but I don't use them in the first wave. Attack across as broad a front as possible, taking 3-4 provinces. The next turn use the arty break any sieges.

Just make sure that you don't leave any troops in any provinces that have other Catholic faction troops at the end of that second year, and use the next ten years to consolidate your position. Then, when ready, pulse forward across a broad front again.

ichi

**Weebeast** · 10-21-2005, 03:35

I don't know any other way but to hurt him or to wait 'til he dies. Therefore I barbeque that man. It doesn't take that long. I did it three times in my current, normal, french campaign. I stationed about three inquisitors in Italian peninsula. One of them had 5 stars courtesy of german, heathen generals. I like to invade Papacy when I'm excommed but I prefer to just kill the culprit as I'm able to launch crusade through the new Pope's blessing.

**NodachiSam** · 10-21-2005, 04:37

Without hurting him you have to wait until your king or the pope dies. Of course to end a excommunication by means of violence, like mentioned there are three ways, by assassination, inquisition, and faction elimination.

A lot of people bypass the pope by attacking one enemy that they don't really want to take over, getting a warning and retracting, and then attacking a second enemy, the true target. This works because the pope will only keep track of one warning at a time. After a warning you have ten turns to campaign somewhere else. If you play it smart and keep track of your warnings, you can conquor and never get excommunicated. I'm not sure if they pope will still excommunicate you if you are defending yourself though.

The pope will for sure excommunivate you if you are sieging an enemy catholic but I am not sure about whether he will if you've cleared the province of enemies. The pope may or may not still consider that province as belonging to you enemies.

**Weebeast** · 10-21-2005, 05:50

I'm not sure if they pope will still excommunicate you if you are defending yourself though.

While this is just based on my brief observation, the 'defender' can only re-capture its homelands. It can't go for more or it gets an instant warning. Pope tends to back up the offender which is the reason why he doesn't live a good life despite he's the voice of god. LOL

**Ciaran** · 10-21-2005, 10:06

The pope will not excommunicate you if you take the province before his warning runs out. Which is handy, because the other faction often as not tries to recapture their province - and they end up excommunicated!

**Conqueror773** · 10-21-2005, 19:08

Thanks for the suggestions! I never thought of these!

**sbroadbent** · 10-22-2005, 07:13

Originally Posted by Conqueror773

Does anyone have any idea how to do this? I really would perfer not to hurt the pope, even touch him in any way but as a German i cant really attack anyone without getting Excommunicated so it takes me three times longer to take over a country!

You can always try using an emissary to bribe a garrison army. I did this once to the Polish. I got the warning from the pope, but by the time I would've normally gotten excommed, the game considered me to be the owner of the province and the polish to be the invader. The polish didn't get excommed, but neither did I. Best of all, once I booted the polish out, I retained the province without getting any of the buildings destroyed.