El Diablo Campaign

**El Diablo** · 08-02-2006, 01:20

Okay had a look for the 2.01 patch but the totalwar site said that I would not need it as I obtained the VI addition from the Eras pack.

Can anyone confirm this???

**Vladimir** · 08-02-2006, 02:22

Just read what the VI manual says. I can't remember if it has the patch included but I didn't think it did. When you start the game the version should show in the upper left (?) of the loading screen; look for it.

**Peasant Phill** · 08-02-2006, 08:59

Thanks Vladimir

Which faction to choose

Byzantines: I haven't played them (come to think of it I haven't played any orthodox faction).
the reason for this is simple: in early not much of a challenge (jedi-generals, rich lands, best army from the start)
secondly you already have almost al their units from the beginning so nowhere to work to.
thirdly a lot of provinces to manage from the start.
Why choose Byzantium? easy start but gradually getting harder (at least if you don't go on a killing spree and get unstoppable before high) ideal to learn the game better and hone your skills.

Spane: my first campaign
why play? good defensive position if you conquer some provinces . Some easy battles in the beginning (rebels, Aragonese and French at Toulouse) to get the feel of your army. Easy access to European opponents as well as Eastern opponents. And of course the possibility to crusade to your hearts content without them marching 10 years before they get to their target.

**El Diablo** · 08-03-2006, 02:13

Righto then, a couple of things...

1. Checked last night and the MTW VI you get in the eras pack IS pre-patched to 2.01 so no need to sort that out.

2. For a couple of reasons I have decided to play the Spaniards. For one they have only two starting provinces and thus wont be too much of a task to run at the start, second it kind of goes well with the "El Diablo" moniker.

2. Spanish it is then.... now World dom or GA???

However I gave them a bit of a trial run on easy last night and although I won a couple of fights I am unsure how to use Jinittes. I am not the best with horses as it is (baring click and charge!!!!!). Are Spanish Javliners any good???

Any pointers???

Ohh and what would you (my advisors) recommend building?? I thought maybe a chapter house in Valencia (or whatever the capital is) or should I wait and build that in Leon with the iron???

Next who to crush first? Navere??? Aragon??? Saracens???

Ohh and the ever popular bribe El Cid or not???

Cheers in advance

**Vladimir** · 08-03-2006, 02:43

It's your choice. Explore and have fun! Jinettes are easy and perhaps the best unit in early. Just use the javelins and spam spam spam them.

**Peasant Phill** · 08-03-2006, 08:02

I would suggest that you read the guide for suggestions concerning strategy.

About Jinettes, if you use them right you will learn to love them. They are fast, their javelins are armour piercing and they can fight better then every other light cav unit. Just don't mindlessly charge them.

Try reading the 'how to use horse archers' guide and Frogbeasts unit guide for some pointers on them. There are also some Jinettes threads in the library.

My advise: use them on heavy armoured units like AUM or Ghulam bodyguards, or use them to disrupt their line. Don't charge them unless all their javelins are spent. And if you charge them don't do a frontal one, remember these are light cavalry

**Martok** · 08-11-2006, 00:34

Originally Posted by El Diablo

Righto then, a couple of things...

2. Spanish it is then.... now World dom or GA???

Excellent choice! The Spanish (Castille-Leon in XL) is my personal favorite.

As to which mode you want to go with, that depends on your preferred style of play. Do you want to conquer the map and have a ridiculously huge empire, or would you rather play your faction somewhat more historically and launch a bunch of Crusades to the Holy Land? (I personally have come to prefer GA mode over Dom mode, but that's me.)

Originally Posted by El Diablo

However I gave them a bit of a trial run on easy last night and although I won a couple of fights I am unsure how to use Jinittes. I am not the best with horses as it is (baring click and charge!!!!!). Are Spanish Javliners any good???

Ah, Jinnettes. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways....

First of all, train lots of them. Hordes of them. Carpet the entire land with them! (Okay, maybe not that many!) My exaggerating aside, though, Jins *do* give the Catholic Iberian factions a great advantage when utilized correctly. Just use their javelins to wear down the enemy's heavy infantry and heavy cavalry, and then charge them into the enemy's flanks and rear once they're out of ammo.

Originally Posted by El Diablo

Ohh and what would you (my advisors) recommend building?? I thought maybe a chapter house in Valencia (or whatever the capital is) or should I wait and build that in Leon with the iron???

Build your main chapter house in Leon. (That way your Knights of Santiago will start with a +1 bonus when launching Crusades from there.)

Your capital starts out in Castille. I tend to focus that province on churning out royal knights and religous agents. Build a monastary there so your Inquisitors get a +1 bonus. Use the "Inkies" to go and fry enemy Catholic generals, and/or take care of any of your own that are giving you trouble. (Assuming he's found innocent of course, a general's disposition can be greatly improved by a visit from the Inquisition!)

Originally Posted by El Diablo

Next who to crush first? Navere??? Aragon??? Saracens???

Ohh and the ever popular bribe El Cid or not???

Bribe the Cid.

Conquer Navarre as quickly as you're able.

Bribe the Cid.

Then take out Aragon before they have a chance to expand beyond their initial province. (If you invade them and then storm Barcelona Castle the next year, you won't get excommunicated by the Pope!)

Bribe the Cid.

Ready some Crusades in Leon to launch against the Almohads and drive them off the peninsula.

Oh yeah, and in case I forgot....bribe El Cid.

In addition to getting another excellent general, his duchy of Valencia is a pretty nice province in its own right as well.

Once you have Valencia, Navarre, and Aragon annexed into your kingdom, start pumping out troops in preperation for invading the Caliphate. Focus on training troops in your iron provinces. Don't bother with a lot of archers at first, and don't train more spearmen/feudal seargents than you'll really need. Concentrate more on Jinettes and whatever your best infantry is at the time (probably FMAA); they'll serve you better when going up against the Almohads.

Later on when your position is more secure, start working on building a thriving trading network in the Mediterranean. (I like to us Aragon and Portugal as my main ship-building provinces.) In addition to the huge amount of income you'll reap, it will also give you a way to quickly deliver Crusades to the Holy Lands.