Milan/HRE Headache--Need Cure!!!!

**Indy1958** · 03-04-2007, 19:32

Dear Fellow Warriors:

Good afternoon from Canada!!! I hope this finds you and yours well.

Is there a kindly soul out there who can help me with my

Milan/HRE problem? Last night was a nightmare!!! Before I go into this, I wish to make an advance apology to those who are of German blood.

Okay, now that's out of the way, here's what happened: The Milanese and Kraut armies are all over France like the proverbial cheap suit. I used my assassin to send one of the German generals to meet his Maker. They're still coming at me, mainly around the town of Dijon. Neither country will accept a ceasefire proposal from me. His Hatness got on my butt and told me to gain a ceasefire from Milan before any more Christian blood is spilled. One can't really gain anything if the other side isn't willing to listen. I was about ready to throttle the Kraut negotiator when he arrogantly, "You have come asking the Kaiser's forgiveness?" When I asked for a ceasefire, he turned me down flatter than a pancake.

To me, there's a difference between quite aggressive and going overboard. Milan, not to mention the HRE, have overshot "quite aggressive" and have headed into "going overboard."

Is there a way to prevent this in future games as France?

Live long and prosper, take care and thank you kindly!!!

Sincerely yours always,

Indy.

**SultanSaladin** · 03-04-2007, 21:37

I think that Milan is programmed to attack Dijon sooner or later .. there is no escape from that .. at least in all of my campaigns they have done that ..

**HoreTore** · 03-04-2007, 22:11

Yup. Milan ALWAYS goes for Bern and Dijon, while HRE likes going west of Metz. You can easily turn the HRE away by causing trouble on the east, however.

Only solution I see regarding Milan, is to attack them...

If the pope threathens, just defend for 7 turns, then resume your attacks.

Aggressive action = attacking stacks on enemy province, naval battles and sieging a settlement. It does not include attacking someone on your lands, nor camping your army on his land(and defending there).

**TevashSzat** · 03-05-2007, 01:43

Do what Horetore says. There really isn't much you can do about aggressive Milan unless you drastically change playing style and have a marriage alliance, be more powerful than them, have large patrolling armies, and give them tribute every turn. Even then they still might attack you out of spite

**vonsch** · 03-05-2007, 01:58

While you are on best behavior with Milan, you also have a free hand with HRE. Take a city behind the lines and see if they will take it back for a cease fire. Then the turns will be up and you can make Milan pay.

On the other hand, that's all out of character for the French.

Enough obligatory French-bashing...

**Budwise** · 03-05-2007, 03:30

Its funny how everyone is having an HRE/Milan Problem, so am I. After being attacked by HRE and I am Denmark, I completely annialated HRE as terms of being a power at all and left them rot in a few hard to get right now areas. Well, Milan broke my alliance with them too and attacked me. So, I just am getting out of one war and into another. Although no Ceasefire has been declared, the HRE really can't hurt me much right now due to all the sabotage and executions of prisoners so let them rot. Oh, the pope really doesn't like them because England and I take turns being Pope and we are great Allies at this time. I took care of Scotland for them earlier.

**JJx** · 03-05-2007, 05:13

If the Pope is old, let him excomuniate you.
When he die, the new pope will rehabilitate you.
Only use if you can kill Milan soon.

**Suraknar** · 03-05-2007, 11:04

Well...

Milan went after Papal States in my Campaign, they now have most of Itally too.

And about 3 turns ago the Pope himself, washed on my Shores (I play Byzantines), I was like "hey that priest looks nice..opps its the Pope!...shall we invite him for diner in constantinopole's court or...will they think its a Prisoner parade? " ;)

Anyways...I just sent a diplomat and gave him some money (relations are important)...so a couple of turns later A crusade was announced and to my surprise to retake rome..from..the "Infidel"..which happens to be our Milanese catholic boys!

The Papal States have no territory whatsoever, and the pope is 60 yo...I dont know if that afction can perish all together or not (my first campaign)

Now, Milan and HRE are in war with eachother, they are two very aggressive Factions to say the least...the only way I keep em at bay is offer them 1000 florins allong with my map info every 5-10 turns or so as a gift.

**Suraknar** · 03-05-2007, 11:09

Ahh yes forgot the advice ;)

Offering a simple seasefire wont cut it in some situations, offering mucho dinero in the envellope helps, throw in some map info (they already know where you are anyways), and Trade rights to sweaten the whole deal and even if they are abysmal towards you this usually works, the only reason (by experience playing the series) that they would not accept at that point is

A- not enough dinero offered for em to consider it.

B- they know they are about to obliterate you and there is no price for that.

**llewellyn** · 03-05-2007, 18:09

yo man this worked really really well in my first french campaign. take all the modern france and holland and bruges make sure u have metz. pump out knight and spears absolutely no missle troops cus milans are better. then blitz milian taking florence and the two islands off the coast. then you have the money to dominate the game and an experienced army for you german campaign. only problem i found was the venice and sicily both attacked me within 10 turns so i had to take venice naples and palmero......pope hates me, but i am gonna bribe him

**ASPER THE GREAT** · 03-05-2007, 18:34

Yea Bro, your doing fine

Milan & HRE are both aggressive so now you have to decide attack 1 or the other or both at the same time!!!!

All the while keeping the Pope happy (bribe him before you do anything check your pope-o-meter if low throw him 500fl/1000fl) then go fight a battle or two or three with Mil, HRE, or both at the same time. Keep doing this so you don't get Xcom until you beat them.

**Mega Dux Bob** · 03-05-2007, 21:41

The best way is to look for a mod that set Milan’s personality to something less that rabid psycho conqueror it has now (I think it was that guy being eaten by a snake device that influenced CA in its thinking about Milan). Alternatively embrace the Milan inevitable Milan attack and turn it against them young Jedi; leave Dijon a temping target with a large army lurking in Paris ready to pounce. This will result in the slaughter of many Milan, they will become outraged and foolish. The Pope will excommunicate them for this. Then it is a crusade feeding frenzy time! Rich and fat Milan and Genoa will be yours to fund the punk slapping of the HRE.

**gardibolt** · 03-05-2007, 23:42

What worked great in my England game was that the Milanese were aggressive as usual, but they took Rome away from Sicily, who had driven the Pope out. This led the Pope to call a crusade on Rome.

I of course accepted the call, and my crusader armies accidentally killed all of the Milanese cities while on the way to Rome.

Wiped out the Milanese with a convenient crusade, gave the city of Rome to the Pope as a gift and you should see him smile on me.

And I was happy to have helped him out, because I was sick to death of Milan and their constant spies and assassins.

**TevashSzat** · 03-06-2007, 01:41

Yeah, Milan becomes a real pain in the ass late in the game by spamming assasins and spies everwhere. In one turn, venice went from 185 public order down to 65 public order just because Milan decided to send a crazy amount of spies into it while burning down my cathedral.