Don't you really hate it when...

[Cowhead418]

Worthless heirs ascend to the throne? In my Portuguese campaign I have carved out a presence in the Iberian peninsula with Portucale, Castile, Leon, Valencia, and Wales in my possession when suddenly my king pops off (4-stars) and a new crap heir succeeds him (no stars, no dread, no acumen). He does have Killer Instinct and Secret Pride and my excommunication was lifted but I had 4 other better heirs including 2 great ones. I had considered sending him off on a suicide mission when he was my heir but I didn't want to play like that. Now my economy and loyalty are suffering and I can't wait till this bozo lies in his coffin.

[elbasto]

Assessinate him.

You could also send him to fight a suicide mission but make sure you unmount him first so that he can't run away...

Also high influence seems to affect the quality of the heirs. Not inmediatly, but I've seen it work in 2 or 3 generations. To use this, winning a couple (usually two are more than enough) of crusades or lifting your an ally's siege can help.

When able, I try to keep a non catholic rebel province inside my empire. After my king dies y crusade to it, take it, fall back, rebels came in and retake it by crusade... I repeat this every time a new king is elected.
Also, sending spies to an ally's province to generate rebellions, you can lift your ally's siege as needed.

[antisocialmunky]

Assessinate him.

You could also send him to fight a suicide mission but make sure you unmount him first so that he can't run away...

Also high influence seems to affect the quality of the heirs. Not inmediatly, but I've seen it work in 2 or 3 generations. To use this, winning a couple (usually two are more than enough) of crusades or lifting your an ally's siege can help.

When able, I try to keep a non catholic rebel province inside my empire. After my king dies y crusade to it, take it, fall back, rebels came in and retake it by crusade... I repeat this every time a new king is elected.
Also, sending spies to an ally's province to generate rebellions, you can lift your ally's siege as needed.

I rathe keep the good men since kings die with all their stars, but heirs die and their stats and transfered.

[Ironside]

I rathe keep the good men since kings die with all their stars, but heirs die and their stats and transfered.

The difference is that great kings supplies multiple generations of great hiers. I've gotten more 8-9 star generals than I need several times.

The most annoying thing is when the king dies, on the same turn his oldest hier turns 16, when that hier sucks. Suddenly all those younger brothers for the king stops being in the royal line and the new king will affect the quality of his brothers. It can ruin several generations of breeding if you're unlucky.

As elbasto said, high influence increases the chances of getting a better hiers, while low influence can really ruin them.

Assassination works well, as attacking with your king in larger empires gives loyalty problems. Best way is to letting the lousy crown prince have an accident before he ascends to the throne.

[The Darkhorn]

The difference is that great kings supplies multiple generations of great hiers. I've gotten more 8-9 star generals than I need several times.

The most annoying thing is when the king dies, on the same turn his oldest hier turns 16, when that hier sucks. Suddenly all those younger brothers for the king stops being in the royal line and the new king will affect the quality of his brothers. It can ruin several generations of breeding if you're unlucky.

As elbasto said, high influence increases the chances of getting a better hiers, while low influence can really ruin them.

Assassination works well, as attacking with your king in larger empires gives loyalty problems. Best way is to letting the lousy crown prince have an accident before he ascends to the throne.

I agree with both of you. I kind of do it in a cycle. I'll pay a lot of attention to the king for a while so his heirs get good stars, then keep the lesser heirs for later for their stars. Then wait a generation and do it again. However, I NEVER kill off a stinky heir when his brother has 5 or more stars. I'd rather have the general as long as I can hide his idiot brother somewhere where he won't end up leading a crucial battle (since king's automatically lead regardless of rank).

[Cowhead418]

Yeah I might just keep the great heirs because they would make great governors and generals. However, my King's brother who is currently in line for the throne would make a good fit for King. Hmmm, now all I have to decide is what kind of "accident" to have happen to my King and how to sell it to the media hounds...

[Cowhead418]

Problem fixed, it really wasn't an accident. I was settling down and was going to turtle for a while, tech up, and build up my navy when the stinkin' Almohads decide to blow up one of my ships. They were my allies and I was going to spare them for a while but now I want to wipe them off the face of the earth. Death to the traitors!

I had an inn in Leon and a Crusade in Portucale. First turn of the war I invaded Cordoba with a Crusade and 1000 other troops including lots of mercenaries from Leon. I also invaded Murcia with an army led by El Cid and then invaded southern Portugal with a rather rubbish army led by my king. I had a slim chance of winning but attacked anyway and my king was killed in the battle (not really intentionally by me) so it all worked out anyway. His reign lasted three years.

The Almohads retreated in Cordoba and but stood their ground in Murcia. I groaned when I saw I had to cross a bridge and thought there was little hope of victory but I decided to not back down. I marched my army to the left bridge and waited for the Almohad army to gather on the other side. I marched a few units a little across the bridge in hope of having their army chase them across the bridge but to no avail. All I managed to do was lose several men to their archers. Not giving up hope I marched to the other bridge and began marching my troops across. The Almohads took notice and began marching towards me with a few units. I engaged a Berber Camels unit with a Jinette and managed to rout it. With the rest of the army lagging behind, the Almohad Prince in charge marched alongside a Saharan Cavalry unit and together they engaged two Feudal Seargent units. I routed the Saharans and flanked the enemy general with my Jinettes. He tried to run away but was killed. With half of my army still marching across the bridge, I prepared to engage the enemy army but was surprised to see them march right off the field without a fight. I managed to get a few volleys of javelins in on a unit of AUM before they all routed off the field.

My only fear now is the AUM. I don't really have an infantry unit that can stand up to them but it looks like they fall easily under a hail of javelins. Any other tips on how to deal with them?

[Quietus]

My only fear now is the AUM. I don't really have an infantry unit that can stand up to them but it looks like they fall easily under a hail of javelins. Any other tips on how to deal with them?

It depends on what troops do you have and how many AUM you are dealing with as well as the ratio of your soldiers to theirs.

1) Soften the AUM with arrows or javelins.
2) Pin with a defensive units (Charge with spears). Then put on "hold".
3) Quickly follow with powerful charge to the back with a good cavalry (on wedge). Switch to normal formation.
4) It will rout. That's all you need to do.
5) If it fails for any reason, quickly Halt the spear then recharge. Then back off the cavalry (back on wedge) and recharge again.
6) If there are many AUM, then time your attack such that you can rout the AUM one-by-one, without having your defensive spears breaking first.

[Roark]

Good advice there...

It's best to heavily mob those AUMs and try to break their morale as soon as possible. They're not quite as brave as Ghazis, so pin them and charge their flanks and rear with the heaviest cavalry you own.

[matteus the inbred]

The difference is that great kings supplies multiple generations of great heirs. I've gotten more 8-9 star generals than I need several times.

this is mainly a Byzantine thing, and very useful it is too, especially when they become royal uncles and you can start giving titles to them.

The most annoying thing is when the king dies, on the same turn his oldest heir turns 16, when that heir sucks

on the crap heirs subject, i recently began a Danish campaign, and semi-intentionally got both fairly crap heirs killed fighting rebels. my king died on the same turn that my not very talented next heir came of age (phew). however, i could not find a bride. eventually he married and produced children, but once again died only a year or so after the next heir came of age. total lack of choice of heirs, which meant i kept getting fairly poor kings, disloyal generals and lack of province loyalty too...eventually couldn't do a thing as i had no money, and the French, in uber-psycho conquest mode, had taken everything west of Saxony...i quit shortly after.

[antisocialmunky]

As elbasto said, high influence increases the chances of getting a better hiers, while low influence can really ruin them.

Then launch a ton of crusades or jihads. Influence is one of the easiest things to improve isn't it?

[ajaxfetish]

The most annoying thing is when the king dies, on the same turn his oldest hier turns 16, when that hier sucks. Suddenly all those younger brothers for the king stops being in the royal line and the new king will affect the quality of his brothers. It can ruin several generations of breeding if you're unlucky.

Man I hate that. Sooo much.

Ajax