Morning All,

I am some turns into an Antioch game so I thought a few observations may help out.

So, you've chosen Antioch - you've got your reasons & you are faced with quite a spread of cities, castles & regions. The note above gives some advice on who to tackle next so I'll stick with a few pointers.

(1) Unit Mix - this could be a big problem if you are not careful - you've a real mix in there & if you don't get some sort of standardization you could end up with bits everywhere. Also be aware that some units are very costly & money needs managing!!! Decide on your mix of armies - noting where they can be re-trained etc.

(2) Krak de Chevaliers - be aware of it's importance to your units...you'll see why in the game - don't want to spoil it. Can easier be built into a super-fortress. Have a look on google at the real castle - nice...

(3) Alliance with Jerusalem - a Christian ally in the East. You need them so keep them sweet & honour the agreement.

(4) Help is on the Way - crusades will arrive to help you. Some great units but of course they also cost on an ongoing basis. Think about what you want to do with them carefully.

Overall, I don't want to give stuff away but prepare your mini-empire carefully. Merchants earn some but not much for me so far. Murder the Imans at will & train priests. Focus on your core cities - you've got some miles away, maybe cut them off for a bit - you can't build up/defend everywhere at once.

My one tactical tip is that the Turks have a much more robust frontline now, they have beefed up with some good heavy units so don't expect your men to just trawl through - heavy-style!

Good Luck

Henry