Different tactics for the English

[Martok]

VI 2.1, XL mod
VI 2.1, Super mod
VI 2.1, Hellenic mod
VI 2.1, Napoleonic mod
I'm yet to try PM:TW

Why do you ask?

I was suddenly curious as to whether the phenomenon was specific to the original game (sans VI), given that it never happened to me after I picked up the expansion pack. Apparently not, though!

1) Not allow the crusade into Tolouse, just use regular troops (no new mercs) and perhaps *attack the Aragonese as well, but see if I have enough troops to hold my border in Toulose.

You do realize not allowing the Crusade through will get you ex-commed as well, right? (I just ask since it sounded like you wanted to avoid that fate if possible.)

2) Finish taking Venice to keep it and may still raid the neighboring Hungarian and Polish provinces until the Pope warns me off (one province each), but also disband the depleted merc units earlier as both the each of the neighboring provinces is weak and I don't need replacement units to defeat either of them.

3) Take Milan from the rebels (to connect Venice to my empire) , but using only my troops rather than mercs as the upkeep was too high (originally for taking Milan and assisting my 8 star general in Pope smashing).

I would probably go with one or both of those strategies for now, and then see where you're at once you've got northern Italy settled down. Milan is a decent province, and if by taking it you can connect Venice to the rest of your kingdom *without* having to go to war with anyone else, you should definitely do it!

[gaijinalways]

Have changed direction and decided to replay with avoiding attacking a crusade or the Pope. The Spanish sent a crusade out by ship (thus avoiding my provinces), and I have taken Milan. I have also reattacked the French in Anjou and Britany (will see if I can get a king ) and am cruising through Eastern Europe with the Hungarians and Italians giving away a province each (similar to before, no mercs this time ) and now am attacking the Polish and am considering attacking the HRE, who I am currently allied with (so much for friends)!

So, I am building up enemies very quickly, though I am also building ships for future trade and crusades (as recommended by some earlier posts). One odd thing, when I attacked the Argonese, suddenly the Spanish didn't like me anymore. Anyone know why, maybe allied, (though it seemed like they were eyeing their property as well)?

I have a decent amount amount of cash, and am adding extra troops slowly as well as building up my farming in Flanders and Isle d'France, so should see positive cash changes later. Will probably build up Wales and Switzerland further (Switzerland is further along right now and closer to the current action). I'll give you an update later

[Sensei Warrior]

So, I am building up enemies very quickly, though I am also building ships for future trade and crusades (as recommended by some earlier posts). One odd thing, when I attacked the Argonese, suddenly the Spanish didn't like me anymore. Anyone know why, maybe allied, (though it seemed like they were eyeing their property as well)?

It seems that way in most of my games. If I attack the Argonese or even if they attack me, the Spanish start getting downright mean, especially if they have given the Almos the boot back to Morocco(sp?). Of course it also seems that if Spain has given the Almos the boot, they decide the next smartest move is to push into Europe . Now why the heck would they want to do that?

[gaijinalways]

Well the Spanish are at least neutral now (I have no allies ), but I am slowing building up my farming and navy (except for one ship sunk by the Italians). This was used as a pretext by the Germans to stop being allies (even though the Italians had refused several ceasefire treaties over some 15 odd years), and they preceded to attack me in Venice (routed them) and Milan (another rout, read about it in the suicide and bait thread). I am also purging the Germans mostly with my own troops (added only 3 merc units, 2 cavs and a foot soldier) to raze German provinces as a payback, but it is helping with two matters, weakening the German production facilities (I don't always wait to seige the fort, sometimes many buidings are destroyed already) and fattening my kitty without any battles. Just raze, move, intimidate, and move again. They probably will battle me soon again as I approach their larger provinces, but the Germans have a lot of lower tech units (in Venice they invaded with 1700 plus men, but I don't know how many were peasants, though they had a fair amount of archers and spearmen), and their chances of getting higher tech troops are slowly being destroyed as well as any cash producing elements they had.

Basically I haven't added many provinces, though am considering taking some German weakened provinces later and Aquitaine (still held by the Argonese, who also refuse my regularly refuse my cease fire offers). Of course, the Argonese are a nice buffer zone to the Spanish at the moment.

[caravel]

It seems that way in most of my games. If I attack the Argonese or even if they attack me, the Spanish start getting downright mean, especially if they have given the Almos the boot back to Morocco(sp?). Of course it also seems that if Spain has given the Almos the boot, they decide the next smartest move is to push into Europe . Now why the heck would they want to do that?

The Spanish have a tendancy to backdoor you when you're at war with another faction. Such is the AI...

[gaijinalways]

Decided to drop the Argonese, who are at death's door now as we speak. The Byz, who I had no contact beyond where they roared into Croatia, suddenly attacked my ships. So I entered Greece (vis Crotia) and it took a while to crush it, those Kats and Byz soldiers are tough (luckily only saw 8 varagian guards). Loyalists keep sprouting up too! So now I am wondering if I need to send some troops to rescue them, which may be difficult at the moment as they are on their way out via Bulgaria (no chance for Constanople, a real pity). Have to consider it after the Argonese are snuffed , getting some more mercs is costly, but the HRE peasants keep trying to come into 'my house' .

[gaijinalways]

Took the Aragonese territories and now trying to stregthen my borders. The Spanish turned down my overtures to be allies, but at the moment they seem to be recovering from the last Aloamond reemergence. I have joined my merc troops with my uber general (8 star) and plan to invade going back to Constinanople. Earlier I was near there, but I want to crush it after fighting to standoffs in Bulgaria and Croatia (and semi-razing Greece). Have longbow- men coming as well as arbalasters in Wales . Billmen are the next project, with pikemen aways off yet.

[Sensei Warrior]

The Spanish have a tendancy to backdoor you when you're at war with another faction. Such is the AI...

Too true, although with my last campaign with the English they tried it while I was fighting off HRE. Little did they know I had a very effective army stationed in Anjou to trip them up. It was an attacking army to boot, which had a fair amount of Cav to mop up routers.

The general of that army made sure to send a message to the Spanish by not ransoming any of them back. It broke the Spanish. The Almos saved me the trouble of risking Excomm by picking up the pieces themselves.

Once I settled up with the HRE, I crusaded my way to Egypt with a Horde of Clansmen, Gallowglasses, and Hobbies. Although in the Almos defence it was a little tough getting to Morocco. I've never seen the Almos tech up so fast.

[caravel]

The general of that army made sure to send a message to the Spanish by not ransoming any of them back. It broke the Spanish. The Almos saved me the trouble of risking Excomm by picking up the pieces themselves.

I never execute prisoners on the field. The only thing you can gain from this is dread, and I never see my generals needing or lacking, this attribute. Dread is of no use on the battlefield it affects provincial loyalty and only applies to the faction leader and governors. The most important things to consider are that if you capture, e.g, 1000 men there are 2 possible scenarios:

1) The AI accepts the ransome and pays, this means:

a) You get paid, alot if nobiles or royalty are among those ransomed, you deprive him of funds.
b) He gets alot of battered demoralised troops to support and use again, with lower loyalty. He may have difficulty training new troops as he's just paid a big ransom and has to support this demoralised rabble and their general.
c) He gets back the, possibly, "good runner", and diminished loyalty general. As it used to say in Shogun "let this continue".
d) The rest of his forces aren't going to be happy with the defeat, add the low loyalty ransomed back force to this and you could have the recipe for a good old guerra civil.

2) If the The AI refuses to pay, he loses those men who may well not have gained any vices, and whose loyalty may not have been hit too badly, and it affects loyalty among his generals and could trigger a civil war.

If you had executed on the field the general would gain one of the "butcher" type vices ("scant mercy" etc) which are not all good as some of them affect morale.

[gaijinalways]

The AI has been refusing most of the ransoms this game, so I have executed a lot of the prisoners so I don't have to fight them again. It is true that their morale is generally reduced, though with a new general they may not be such soldiers. As to getting the butcher status, doesn't that also raise opposing armies' dread (with them more likely to flee before fighting)?

[Ludens]

c) He gets back the, possibly, "good runner", and diminished loyalty general. As it used to say in Shogun "let this continue".

True, but he also gets a "captured"-vice which lowers command but increases morale, especially at higher levels.