Strategically, HOW do you play the slow game

[A. Smith]

well, in my sicilian campaign, im now at turn 46. playing on VH/VH. I own only 12 provinces. i own northern italy (plus bern and zagreb; includes genoa, milan, venice, Bologna (which i took from venice, which they took form the HRE) and florence), Tunis, Ajaccio (corsica), the sardinia city, naples and, last but not least, Palermo, in sicily.

Now, the first few turns were quite simple. i took tunis, sardinia and then corsica. i took a city on the east coast of the adriatic, but i decided to give it to the papacy because i didnt want to get involved with the byzantine empire at the time.

I was lucky enough to empty Genoa (which belonged to milan) of its only unit, a governor (5 star general, with high loyalty and high chivalry), by marrying him to my princess, i recruited a few mercs and marched into the city unopposed. whats best is that they were excommunicated earlier, so it had no consequence.

Since then, i took valencia, while they took back genoa, which i took back again, and then i took bologna, milan and berne. when the venicians got excommunicated got excommunicated, i took that too. i even traded money, a trade agreement and an alliance with the hungarians against the city of zagreb.

during that time, i often suffered blocuses, sieges, and i sometimes lost a settlement or two (which i took back afterwards)

So, it is possible to play the slow game. sell alliances and trade rights with everyone and everything you meet. it wont stop them, but they might think twice before attacking you. keep one good army, and reasonable garrisons everywhere, then simply push back everyone's attack with the garrisons. if an attack is too big, use your good army.

Use that army for attacks again excommunicated factions. use the money you dont spend on units (and their upkeeps) to build up your markets, harbours and roads. accept merchant's guilds if possible. spend lots of money creating merchants- i have 4 merchants near vienna doing each between 150 and 200 per turn trading dyes and silver (two of each), and they acquire everything in thei paths.

you can never cease to be attacked, but simply push them pack everytime; dont bother attackign them if you dont want to. simply deal with their armies as they come.

especially since you are sicily, you will have plenty of income, simply keep building milities in attack areas, and youll have no trouble, since italian spear militia rox even in the middle game.

Oh, and welcome here! i'm more of a lurker, but heh.