Where are the Stradiots?

**BadGenome** · 08-10-2007, 23:35

They're pretty sturdy for fast-moving cav. I've seen them hold their own for a time against generals' BGs in a brawl, and they're certainly good enough to catch and pin them down long enough for heavy cav to arrive if it comes to that.

**Sun of Chersonesos** · 08-11-2007, 11:06

Originally Posted by BadGenome

They're pretty sturdy for fast-moving cav. I've seen them hold their own for a time against generals' BGs in a brawl, and they're certainly good enough to catch and pin them down long enough for heavy cav to arrive if it comes to that.

Well that's true now but before patch 1.2 they used to be almost amazing and they could beat a lot of knights in the late period. But since the patch the CA have fixed the light cavalry bug where lighter cav like Alans (Alan Light Cavalry) were more powerful and cheaper.

They used to be good in melee because they also have Armour Piercing so certainly before the patch they were absolutely amazing against knights.

Sun

**Per Ole** · 08-11-2007, 11:14

Seriusly, I don't get this... How can you *not* be filthy rich as the venetians?! Well of course if you got several full stacks just running around that's probably it, but normally I can afford even 4 stacks full of knights!

**Rhyfelwyr** · 08-11-2007, 11:56

I have a pretty stupid reason for not being rich at the moment. Basically, I got excommunicated and had the Pope call a Crusade to Rome (my capital). Practically every Christian faction joined the Crusade against me, and my Apline forts were soon under serious assault. With a bit of luck I found the Pope hiding on an island somewhere, and had to offer him my whole treasury plus most of my turnly income (around 15,000F) for the next 20 turns. I only need to pay this tribute for about 7 more turns thankfully.

The reason I never built many stables before was that they are so expensive and didn't appear to do much more than add a couple of units to the Feudal Knights recruitment pool. Still, now I know about the Stradiots I'll get building those Stables, thanks for the advice everyone.

**ReiseReise** · 08-11-2007, 12:19

Patch 1.2 also hurt stradiots because IIRC it fixed the bug where shields were not used in melee. Stradiots don't have shields, knights do. Ouch.

LOL "I got excommunicated." What did you expect to happen when you attacked the Pope. If you send a diplomat to the pope right away you can usually ally with him, it will increase your rank with him giving you a better chance of getting cardinals and therefore a Pope from your faction. But better yet, he will favor you in wars with other catholics. Therefore if you are in a war with another Catholic, he will tell you both to cease hostilities, and he will excommunicate the other guy if they violate, but he will only decrease your pope-o-meter if you violate. Let the other guy strike first and get excommed, then its Crusade time baby! Crusade against your neighbor and you can easily put all your generals in it and get them massive chivalry and command benefits. Plus the Pope will like you EVEN MORE for doing a crusade. It is not hard to keep your pope-o-meter between 8-10 if you know what you are doing, and he is the only ally worth having.

**Rhyfelwyr** · 08-11-2007, 12:29

I knew I would get excommunicated for attacking the Pope. But he took Florence and I really wanted that city! This is the first campaign I've had armies anywhere in Italy, and so I thought that if I took Rome, the last Papal City, then the faction would be defeated, and the Pope would just be a little guy that appears in that scroll next to the diplomacy section. I ruled the College of Cardinals at this point with my Bishops, so expected to install a puppet-Pope who would love my faction. But instead the Pople appeared on a little island next to the city of Cagliari, hiding on the woods with a strong Rebel Muslim garrison right next to him. The Pope wouldn't reconcille me. As well as the money I gave him, I had to give him also Ajaccio, which I conquered, and Magdeburg, which I previously bartered from the HRE. So apparently if you destroy the Papal States the Pope will magically reappear is some Rebel province, even if it is mainly Muslim. I couldn't have guessed that was going to happen, give me a break.

**joe4iz** · 08-11-2007, 20:26

Originally Posted by Caledonian Rhyfelwyr

I knew I would get excommunicated for attacking the Pope. But he took Florence and I really wanted that city! This is the first campaign I've had armies anywhere in Italy, and so I thought that if I took Rome, the last Papal City, then the faction would be defeated, and the Pope would just be a little guy that appears in that scroll next to the diplomacy section. I ruled the College of Cardinals at this point with my Bishops, so expected to install a puppet-Pope who would love my faction. But instead the Pople appeared on a little island next to the city of Cagliari, hiding on the woods with a strong Rebel Muslim garrison right next to him. The Pope wouldn't reconcille me. As well as the money I gave him, I had to give him also Ajaccio, which I conquered, and Magdeburg, which I previously bartered from the HRE. So apparently if you destroy the Papal States the Pope will magically reappear is some Rebel province, even if it is mainly Muslim. I couldn't have guessed that was going to happen, give me a break.

Give him back Rome and all will be forgotten.

I have never attacked the Papal States as a Catholic faction except as HRE and then only just for the win.

Sometimes another Catholic faction will gift him a province. You should have given him a site in the Holy Land so that he could meet and greet the new neighbors when the Monguls and Timurs arrive.

I always got the Pope involved in my wars. He would wander down and just as he was passing Milan or Bologna, I would attack that faction. They get excommed and I now have close Crusade targets.