Castile Stratiges?

[ccollins]

Anyone have a winning Castile Strategy?

I have played several games as them now and the moslems just smack me around like a red headed step child.

 

[unmerged(12067)]

Anyone have a winning Castile Strategy?

I have played several games as them now and the moslems just smack me around like a red headed step child.

You need some luck so that the first wars are started between one of the moslems and one of the other kingdoms. When the moslem armies are away besieging other provinces you go in the back door and get all their demenses and dissolve the kingdom. Then you can pick off the "counts" at your leisure. Rinse and repeat.

Later let your vassals do quick campaigns with big merged armies to kill off enemy regiments and then siege with your kings army (possibly bolstered by a few other regiments merged with the kings).

I'm not a very good player and I have no idea what to do if I get jumped by one of the big boys until I'm big enough to put the smack-down on them.

 

[arcorelli]

Anyone have a winning Castile Strategy?

I have played several games as them now and the moslems just smack me around like a red headed step child.

Attack the more weak emirates. Almeria for example (4 provinces), although Oran or Canaries(independent sheikdoms) are better. Then I go for Zaragoza (it is weaker than the southern emirates and you can create a nice dukedom for your sons there)

And luck They start with larger and better armies.

 

[ccollins]

A good deal of luck seems to be a recurring theme so far.

Is it any easier to play as any of the other Iberian kingdoms?

I thought Castile would be a good choice since it does eventually become the core of Spain historically speaking. A merger with Leon shouldnt be too hard to pull off. If you can live long enough.

 

[unmerged(6105)]

A good deal of luck seems to be a recurring theme so far.

Is it any easier to play as any of the other Iberian kingdoms?

I thought Castile would be a good choice since it does eventually become the core of Spain historically speaking. A merger with Leon shouldnt be too hard to pull off. If you can live long enough.

As aragon it might be. Zaragoza usually attacks Navarra. wait a couple of days, then raise the armies and move them down to take their southern province while their armies is besieging Navarra (or their vassal). don't declare war to early as they may move to Jaca then. You have a small fortress so you can withstand some time of besiege and maybe take two of their provinces before they take your.

 

[lucaluca]

A good deal of luck seems to be a recurring theme so far.

Is it any easier to play as any of the other Iberian kingdoms?

I thought Castile would be a good choice since it does eventually become the core of Spain historically speaking. A merger with Leon shouldnt be too hard to pull off. If you can live long enough.

I'm actually playing the Kingdom of Leon, normal/normal: in 1161, with most of Iberia, all three iberian kings titles and some provinces around the mediterranean see (among which Byzantion...around 7000 men) nobody can stop you.
In the beginning, if you can't win, just try to make peace and give away money and provinces...you'll regain them later.

 

[aejira]

well, i think ive had a pretty good game as castille, with all of iberia, france, italy, north africa, egypt, heck the middle east, by 1220.

a few recommendations:

it may seem like a gay tactic, but kill the successors before you for the kingdom of leon, and then finally kill your brother. youll inherit all of leon, which will make the next step easier to pull off.

start taking apart the muslims in iberia little by little, and alliance by alliance, eventually you should control almost all of iberia. if aragon still exists, then you can just take them over or whatever. just keep in mind to control the richest provinces in iberia and give the poorer regions to your children and siblings

next, you can start taking over north africa via morocco and then sweep east. to help yourself early game, make kingships asap if possible since they will help your prestige alot. and early game, prestige is important for loyalty. also, whenever a muslim country asks for peace and offers something like 6000 or 8000 gold, TAKE IT, then immediately declare war (dunno how this fares in 1.01, but this is how i racked up about 100k gold by 1220).

when you reach egypt, replenish your armies, they should be pretty worn down, and remember not to press your regions while you take north africa, having a region rebel is not a good thing at this point since it brings your rep down and etc.

when replenished, take egypt and then start taking apart the holy lands. youll get offers from the hosplitars and other groups, you can try and vassalize them, and i think there is a good chance since the only time ive vassalized was with the grandmaster of the hosplitars. remember to give all your lands to your family as much as possible while doing all of this, having lands in the middle east exposes you too much. meanwhile, the enemy will be forced to go ALL the way back to iberia to fight you since they obviously can't find your army. when enemies approach your lands in iberia, use your vassal's armies for brief moments in deterring the enemy.

doing that little strategy will easily get you all the middle east, ukraine and crimea by 1250. i gained the french crown and united many of the italian lands by war. my capitol was located in ventia (-_-), so my personal army was about 15000 strong total