My case for Russia...

[lars573]

They blitzed through on their way south to reconquer the holy land for Islam. Being good Muslims and all.

[Goatbuster3000]

Does anyone know if the Mongols "invade" more than once. In my Russian campaign, the Mongols appeared with about 4 full stacks and one, I guess you'd call it a "retard stack". Anyway after I killed a few stacks and my military was the strongest in the world, I got a message telling me the Mongols were the strongest again. I sent some units to see what was going on, and the Mongols got more reinforcements. They currently do not have a settlement. Will they keep getting reinforcements until they settle, or is there something else? Great appreciation to anyone who can answer my question.

[IrishArmenian]

What strikes me is that the Mongols are considered an Islamic faction. They had no official religion. Temujin payed homage to the Mountain and the sky, while many of his soldiers were Christian and Islamic.

[lars573]

This isn't Temujin's horde. This is the golden horde. Who did convert to Islam. But not till after they pasted the Russians, Poles, and Teutonic knights.

[Quillan]

Goatbuster, a bit of history here. Temujin, later known as Genghis Khan, unified the mongols by about 1206 AD. He spent the next decade plus fighting against the Chinese, the Kara-Khitai, and the Kwarezmian Empire. In 1221, two of his sub-generals, Chepe and Subotai, were sent on a reconnaisance with roughly 40,000 men into Europe. They invaded Russia in 1222, spent the winter by the Black Sea, fought some more battles in 1223 (where Chepe fell ill and died) and returned back to the main mongol armies in 1224. Genghis Khan died in 1227, and was succeeded by Ogatai. Ogatai sent 150,000 men under Batu and Subotai back into Europe by the same route, dismantled Russia in 1236, spent some time consolidating, and they crossed the Dnieper river in the winter of 1240. In 1241 they crushed Poland and Hungary. They were planning on invading Austria, Germany and Italy that winter, but word reached them of the death of Ogatai and they withdrew back to Mongolia to choose the next Khan. The mongols continued to rule Russia as the Golden Horde for the next 150 years or so, until it was torn apart by civil war, then by the White Horde and Tamerlane. The invasion mechanics in this game simulate the advance scouts, the first reconnaisance in force, and finally the big invasion.