Using the 2H fix, shield fix.

First try as a Muslim faction. Won on turn 120 using H/H, but it was pretty interesting at the end.
- I was very lucky in that the Mongols headed for Russia (#1 at the time) and never did wander down my way.
- I wiped out the first Crusade called against me (several factions), and never did have another one called against me. Seemed to be going to Toulouse, Rome, etc.
- Somehow I got "suckered" into taking Venice, as even though the Venetians only had 3 provinces they seemed capable of turning out "infinite stacks" and just kept coming. I say suckered as that caused a head-to-head with the Pope, and HIS stacks were truly awesome.

Bottom line is that I felt even my "best" stacks were heavily outclassed towards the end, and I was only winning battles by really focusing on favorable terrain, etc. The Pope knocked any cockiness out of me the first time we met with roughly equal numbers.

I won in the end by bribing a rebel castle just before taking Province #45. BTW, first time I've EVER been able to bribe a rebel city/castle. Tried it more out of curiosity than any hope of success.

So I won, but frankly wasn't all that pleased with myself. The Mongols stayed away, only 1 crusade, and at the end there were fairly impressive amounts of Catholic stacks loaded with high-level units (DFKs, etc.) headed my way. I rushed to get #45 rather than try and fight all that.

But hey-- a win is a win!