Holy Roman Empire

[Iavorios]

Unfortunately if you build more temples and kill of all the heretics on time, the inquisitors will only not appear in your land. But they will appear in another places and then come for you. Being bad christian will cos them to appear less, but been god will not stop them from coming out of nowhere. Althought in 1.1 and 1.02 they are a lot more passive and easy to kill from 1.0

[kingtiger]

my experience of the HRE on VH/VH have been somewhat different then those experienced here.

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From the gun

taking as many rebel provinces as possible while making as many alliances as usual. While doing this i gained the reputation of very reliable. I managed to ally with every faction around me except for milan and denmark. I also managed to capture every rebel Provence in central europe as well as 3 of the rebel Jerusalem regions from a crusade (not Jerusalem itself the 3 above it). Although these proved costly to upgrade they will serve a great purpose to me in later game!

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Peaceful Times

To my surprise i managed to keep at peace with every nation up till turn 60. During this time i had singed free army movement with most allies. But all was not well. My allies the French had recently come under siege from the blasted Milanese. I built 3 large stacks and sent them to my borders that used to be shared wit the French but now Milan. All my armies could do is but watch as the relentless Italians slay my poor allies while the council of nobles argue the cases of why we should or should not go to war. While the court argue and the French die my spies report vast expansion by my most faithful allies the Venetians they had just conquered all of Greece and was now pushing into north Africa and the Turkish occupied lands. While the danish were forced to push into Russia because of my early game expansion.

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A reason to Fight

After 60 years of peace and expansion the council decides it shall stay peaceful until the vile Milanese attack Switzerland. the King was currently staying in the alps enjoying the thick snow when he had to retreat to the castle with only 1/4 of a stack of units against a full army. The HRE was at war for the first time the prepared armies begin there march into Milan from every direction. One thing seemed to be certain that there would be alot of bloodshed over the next few years as the Milanese had one of the best standing armies in the world. As the armies closed in one gifted diplomat seeked an audience with the Milanese king. The panicking king accepted the HRE as there rulers and protectors before one man was slain in battle.

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Expansion, Expansion, Expansion!

the council happy with its new lands now required more. There scouts reported of rebel lands on some isles just west of the west coast. Two small armies were sent to conquer the top of Scotland and Ireland. The two kings of these isles had been to busy fighting to expand. The HRE now has alot of money and no enemies the king sends out some armies in ships to far away lands to look for unconquered territories. While this is happening there had been much talk with eastern allies and them needing the might of our armies against the largest threat to the catholic world the turks! The king strikes a deal to give assistance against the infidels for a small province in eastern Poland. The armies sent to look for new territories are ordered to unload and besiege the coastal cities of the turks the Jerusalem provinces also scrape together a great army to besiege the turks. With the idea in mind to gain a few provinces and sue for peace i decided to send a diplomat to the turks to see if they want to surrender. To my astonishment they declare me there ruler and protectorate. The great Turkish empire consisting of 12 provinces now belongs to the HRE.

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Foreign Ownership

Now the HRE owns 18 provinces through vassles. on top off the 22 they already own victory is within sight while still holding VERY RELIABLE statis.

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Summery of next 20 turns

- mongols invade russia
- England excommunicated for attacking HRE (irland)
- England (3 provinces) taken by the bulk of the HRE armies
- Denmark (russia) gets swarmed by mongols
- Denmark attack HRE
- HRE invade denmark (Scandinavia) while weakened with ease

Now with the required 45 provinces needed (vassles are included in this) all that is needed is th capture of Rome. with very reliable reputation in tact and only attacking after being attacked i betray the papal states to finish what would be the most enjoyable game i have ever played.

this just went to prove that war is not the only way with HRE (or the easiest)

Cheers

[Robespierre]

So, you want to be Kaiser, huh? Theres more to it than looking pretty, that's for sure.

I have just clocked onto what a good thing the teutonic knights are. the order/guild building means you can train what are in effect feudal knights in a city.you can leave your castles to grow, which is what they have to do fast to get to citadel level and start churning out imperial foot knights.

perhaps it is a good idea to have more castles as the empire expands. it could cut the cost of developing towns and help to focus cash on the Italian/German places. plus maybe some castles on the outside might help compensate for having no "natural borders". so turn 30 on, Italy done, if i seize a castle from a rival, it stays a castle.

[Robespierre]

wel i have given that Arhus ploy a twirl. it worked. the danes were eliminated, but i was excommunicated. do i care?
relations with the pope have become worse and worse,culminating in a unfortunate battlefield accident when his holiness, no doubt deceived by his evil advisers, took the field against Otto Von Kessel and was killed during a well-timed stray cavalry attack. the kaiser considers this to be a case of death by misadventure, or open verdict at the very worst. however the pope-o-meter is now at rock bottom. just to be very clear,the holy roman emperor is in fact the most righteous defender of the church and the most loyal servant of the pope. however sometimes the emperor may query the trajectory of their policies, and structure of their institutions. the emperor wishes to commisserate with the new pope following a streak of bad luck affecting officers of the Holy Inquisition, those inquisitors who survive are always welcome guests at postal inns across the empire.