The Spanish campaign(s)

**Tony Furze** · 06-12-2006, 15:54

Yeah,King. Once again you ve anticpated what I was beginning to feel uneassy about myself. My game was turning into Medieval Monopoly...
Nice to hear about the mercs who ve generally had a bad press.
Thanks for the timely advice.All the best,TF

**macsen rufus** · 06-12-2006, 16:55

There are so many layers to this game...

You didn't think it'd would be easy establishing a continent-wide empire, did you?

I'd second King Kurt's point, 100,000 fl is a LOT of money - no need to be struggling with that sort of war chest. There's a lot to invest it in, though. Tech up your provinces for top-notch armies, or get together a load of mercs for those awkward situations. They do get a bad press, and not without some reason, but they also have their uses.

Downside:
- expensive, both to buy and in upkeep
- loyalty can be a bit suspect (eg don't leave a merc general in charge of a big stack the year your king dies

)
- morale (not sure myself, but I've heard mercs have lower morale)
- can't merge or retrain units (except pre-v1.1), so they dwindle over the years

Upside:
- troop types that you can't train, and may desperately need (eg bows for the Irish, camels for Christian factions in the desert)
- available IMMEDIATELY, before the Crusade/Jihad/bad neighbours arrive....
- expendable, good for suicide missions or battles which you KNOW will have high casualties that you can't make good in your regular army, or sending in as a "pre-invasion force" to soften up the enemy before the REAL invasion, or breaking into castles the hard way (hacking at the gates etc)

Things to watch out for: some come well teched up, but rarely with any valour. Sometimes they're units disbanded by another faction because their leader is a scuzzball of some sort. Sometimes identical looking units have different upkeep costs, always check first!

Anyway, mediaeval monopoly is a valid game choice if you enjoy it, but sounds like you're getting a bit bored with that! I find in the early game I have to wage war just to make money; in the end game you need to wage war to SPEND it!

GL with the conquest

**Tony Furze** · 06-13-2006, 04:48

Thanks,all.
I was going with just the campaign map just to get used to the buildings aspect. Now Im back at 1186. What do you normally do with the "leftovers " of a Crusading army? 1 Fanatic, 3 Knights of Santiago, that sort of thing.
I was tidying up my trroops and some-mercs and Crusaders -can t be retrained.TF

**Martok** · 06-13-2006, 05:14

Originally Posted by Tony Furze

Thanks,all.
I was going with just the campaign map just to get used to the buildings aspect. Now Im back at 1186. What do you normally do with the "leftovers " of a Crusading army? 1 Fanatic, 3 Knights of Santiago, that sort of thing.
I was tidying up my trroops and some-mercs and Crusaders -can t be retrained.TF

It depends. If I have a castle that needs assaulted, I'll sometimes send in the Leftover Brigade to break down the front door, or perhaps send them on a suicide invasion against someone I don't like.

Occasionally I'll keep them around til my next Crusade, but only if I plan on launching one in the near future (e.g., the next few years). Often, however, I just wind up disbanding them, as they're not worth keeping around when there's so few men left in a unit.

As an aside, Tony: When you're ready, I highly recommend playing in Glorious Achievements mode. It gives your games a little more "flavor", as it encourages you to play your faction somewhat more historically. In addition, GA mode is nice in that you can win without having to conquer the whole frickin' map.

**King Kurt** · 06-13-2006, 12:35

I really like mercs and do not see why they have a bad press. I think the cost arguement is not strong as any extra cost is out weighed by the advantage of having an instant army, often with troops you can't have. To raise a conventional army needs time and some gathering of units while, if your inn is well populated you can get an instant stack. I also use it to generate a seige train when I need one.
Remnants are another problem - I am not good at reequipping/ retraining - I tend to run units into the ground and rely on merging to take care of numbers. Often my jedi generals are down to 1 man. I am too soft on merc remnants as well, often having small units left in because I like them. i am partial to Italian infantry and they always end up at about 2 men and a dog, but I don't disband them. They do make good garrisons for better castles as small, good morale and valour, forces can hang on to castles for ages in comparison to larger forces - especially as the AI tends to opt for seige as opposed to assault. I also see it as a bit of colour - the old salts doing their tour then back to a cushy number for the veterens of castle duty.
Finaly I always play GA - much more interesting - however, I still go for world domination as well!!!

**Tony Furze** · 06-13-2006, 12:45

Just been taking on the Egyptians this morning with the help of mercs. Funnily enough the Italian inf. were the only ones I kept in the "clean-up" after. They were quite impressive in their hold the line tactics.
I had two units, but I could nt merge them manually as you do normal units. However when I went to the next battle-defence against the Egyptians- there they were 100 men again.
Is it automatic?

**macsen rufus** · 06-13-2006, 13:42

I had two units, but I could nt merge them manually as you do normal units. However when I went to the next battle-defence against the Egyptians- there they were 100 men again.
Is it automatic?

I've never seen that happen in v2.01, so not too sure. All I can say is lucky you

As for the "broken" units (as I call them), I often make up a stack of these as a small army for special missions. Their main use is taking provinces with a small defending army, maybe a single unit. By using small units I can keep my army size down to something on a par with the defenders - so they don't run away to the castle - but also with enough tactical flexibility to win and ensure no survivors. Such a small units army can be very high valour, cos that's how the units got broken in the first place. Look on them as Mediaeval Special Forces

**Ciaran** · 06-13-2006, 14:50

Originally Posted by Martok

As an aside, Tony: When you're ready, I highly recommend playing in Glorious Achievements mode. It gives your games a little more "flavor", as it encourages you to play your faction somewhat more historically. In addition, GA mode is nice in that you can win without having to conquer the whole frickin' map.

Only that you´ll probably end up having conquered the whole map by 1453 (until which you´ll have to wait if you´re playing GA to get victory). For my part, I always have, especially when I start out in Early - I don´t recall a game starting in Early that reached Late, come to think of it.

**King Kurt** · 06-13-2006, 16:46

Just remembered a good use for mercs - crusades. Once they have been put in the Crusade stack, you don't have to pay for them. So you can use them to top up a Crusade - especially when it has just been raised - Crusades can be a bit weak with loads of peasants/ fanatics etc so a good influx of solid infantry and cav, ideally good desert types like gallowglasses, Mtd sargents etc, gives the Crusade a nice backbone.

**Tony Furze** · 06-13-2006, 19:03

Mercs start at zero too. When I put them in a Crusade with a resonably good general they get bonuses.

Nice idea, Macsen.

Thanks everyone.TF

**Martok** · 06-14-2006, 07:15

Originally Posted by Ciaran

Only that you´ll probably end up having conquered the whole map by 1453 (until which you´ll have to wait if you´re playing GA to get victory). For my part, I always have, especially when I start out in Early - I don´t recall a game starting in Early that reached Late, come to think of it.

You know, I don't think I've ever conqured the entire map more than twice. In Domination mode, I usually just go for the 60% victory; and I've never conquered the whole map in GA mode. Yes, my empire is always one of the superpowers left at the end of a GA game; but as long as I have a comfortable lead in points and like my borders how they are, I usually don't bother attacking anyone else (unless they start something with me!). Of course, I'm almost always a turtler, so that may have something to do with why I don't feel the need to conquer the map.

**Tony Furze** · 06-20-2006, 04:55

Got my first win as the Spanish-only on easy but a victory none theless (60%).
Thanks to all.
Martok-I ll take up your suggestion to try a GA next. Anyone any suggestions which ones best to try?