Don't trust Papal armies

[Gugli3]

I responded to a Crusade for Jerusalem to get the Crusader points and arrived in the Holy Land expecting to see a crowd, but it was only the Papacy's 4k and my own 5k troops. I promptly beseiged the county next to the Papacy and waited for the Arabs to come screaming out of the dunes. It took awhile, but soon a 7k strong Caliphate army appeared on the screen, headed right for the Pope's army. He was doomed unless I left my position to reinforce, so I marched my boys through the burning sands and met the infidels as they engaged the Pope's army. It was a slaughter.

Having abandoned the first seige, I elected to sit with the Papacy to hurry their siege. As soon as the first Barony fell they moved. I don't like leaving enemy troops behind the lines, so I stayed to finish it off. Another 7k Caliph army strolled into the picture. As tghey moved towards the Papacy, I maneuvered again to reinforce. To my surprise (it was a bit more than that at the time) the Pope left me right before the Caliph hit, leaving me to die in the desert sun.

As it turned out, we finally won the Crusade, with me as biggest contributor. After declaring myself King of Jerusalem to see what benefits there are to that (do it if you can!) I gave away the Holy Land to.... the Knights Templar. It would have been the Pope, but never again.

Besides, I figure the Knights deserve whatever they can get after what happened to them on Friday 13.

[Tapscott]

yeah the ai armies can be real asses when they want to be. i always check that if im going to reinforce an allied army, that it isnt trying to move away from the battle.

[riknap]

you could have attached your army to theirs if that's what you wanted...

[Gugli3]

you could have attached your army to theirs if that's what you wanted...

I thought about that after the fact,and wondered if un-attaching after a battle is possible. I really don't like not having control. I guess that would have been the smart move if all I was after was the crusader points, I wouldn't even have to pay attention. Maybe next time.

Thanks riknap!

[Papaman]

In what year was that? Armies seem quiet small for war with the Caliphate.

[Gugli3]

In what year was that? Armies seem quiet small for war with the Caliphate.

I'm thinking it was 1225-1250'ish, I remember thinking that being King of Jerusalem that early was going to give me a good final score.

I was surprised by the smallness too... I felt suckered by my first several Crusades, strutting around with 10k troops until 3 stacks of 15 showed up ans massacred everybody. In this one, I noticed the Pope did turn down offers from my Dukes to join, which I thought was strange.

The Holy Land did look more chopped up than usual when I got there, maybe they had just finished a civil war?