Defending the Holyland

[Flamestalker]

After a long and bloody crusade, the Christians have finally secured the holyland. With the Kaiser dying during the final days of the war, the prestigious task of ruling this troubled kingdom was given to me, Duke of Portucale.

Though I am happy to have won the crusade, the few times I have seen Jerusalem formed before it disappeared as quickly as it was created.
With a whole Kingdom of recently conquered wrong culture/religion holdings and only a small outside duchy to back it up, how do you survive as Jerusalem when the angry Fatimids want there land back? How long do I have before their inevitable assault comes?

I only have 1 ally I can call. The King of Castile/Navarra, and he has Muslim problems himself and to few ships to respond fast enough.
since my kids are still very young I have no way of forging new alliances quickly and the holy orders might be fighting elsewhere.
Speaking of holy orders, do you have to give them land when they ask for this. what are the benefits of giving them land?
Also, I have heard that the Hashashins like to stab the rulers of Jerusalem, will they be a problem?

 

[Hootieleece]

Try building a Retinue unit. and stationing it there.

 

[Flamestalker]

Try building a Retinue unit. and stationing it there.

Yeah I forgot to mention that I don't have LOR, so no retinues for me.

 

[Gunnarr]

Ouch..

can you put up a screenshot of the situation?

 

[Flamestalker]

Ouch..

can you put up a screenshot of the situation?

I'm surrounded by Fatimids and wont get any levies for the next 30 years unless I convert everything

 

[feastonthrones]

I had this problem. I was playing as the King of Scotland so my armies are miles away. And I had about a month before war was declared on me by the Egytian Sultanate and the Persian Sultanate. I was like HOLY MOTHER F****** GOD. I had spent all my monies during the crusade on mercenaries so that the Holy Land would be mine for sure and now I am going to have it all taken away from me. But no, there is hope. With the main religious wars fought for the Holy Land, the established religious order has been released from a previous contract. He will now fight for me for free as I am defending against heathens. It gets better, all across Christian Europe rulers big and small offer their support because they believe that a Christian Jerusalem is more important that petty territorial squabbles. I soon had the King of Leon and Aragorn as well as the HRE and other powerful nations (but not the pope surprisingly) all backing my war to hold Jerusalem. I could just afford some medium mercenaries after scrimping some money but I was shocked and still believed that even together we could not hold at bay the two most powerful muslim kingdoms. But with all our troops stationed in southern Jerusalem we stuck at the Egyptian Sultanate first, we managed to overcome him and he offered white peace, which I was eager to accept because the Persian Sultanate was ravaging northern Jerusalem. With only one enemy now to fight we quickly overcame him and even managed to wrestle a surrender from him, ensuring more stability in the region for longer. I hope this helps in some way.

 

[Gunnarr]

I had this problem. I was playing as the King of Scotland so my armies are miles away. And I had about a month before war was declared on me by the Egytian Sultanate and the Persian Sultanate. I was like HOLY MOTHER F****** GOD. I had spent all my monies during the crusade on mercenaries so that the Holy Land would be mine for sure and now I am going to have it all taken away from me. But no, there is hope. With the main religious wars fought for the Holy Land, the established religious order has been released from a previous contract. He will now fight for me for free as I am defending against heathens. It gets better, all across Christian Europe rulers big and small offer their support because they believe that a Christian Jerusalem is more important that petty territorial squabbles. I soon had the King of Leon and Aragorn as well as the HRE and other powerful nations (but not the pope surprisingly) all backing my war to hold Jerusalem. I could just afford some medium mercenaries after scrimping some money but I was shocked and still believed that even together we could not hold at bay the two most powerful muslim kingdoms. But with all our troops stationed in southern Jerusalem we stuck at the Egyptian Sultanate first, we managed to overcome him and he offered white peace, which I was eager to accept because the Persian Sultanate was ravaging northern Jerusalem. With only one enemy now to fight we quickly overcame him and even managed to wrestle a surrender from him, ensuring more stability in the region for longer. I hope this helps in some way.

How did you get all those kingdoms to help you? Just by marriage??? Sounded like a fun game!

 

[feastonthrones]

How did you get all those kingdoms to help you? Just by marriage??? Sounded like a fun game!

Not at all. I had no previous contact with some of these rulers. They just offered their services in fighting the infidels!!?? Its crazy but it happened. It is a fun game. I am writing a detailed history as I play based on events and my choices that I hope to soon upload as a narrative here

 

[xcrissxcrossx]

You might just want to give the Kingdom of Jerusalem to a close family member and wish him the best, unless you are having problems holding your home duchy as well.

 

[Gunnarr]

I'm surrounded by Fatimids and wont get any levies for the next 30 years unless I convert everything

oh dear...

well...

...

I am having much trouble thinking of any way in which you can survive, esp without any people you can send off to wed and have alliances with. About the holy orders, I tend to just give them some land anyway (They were made to protect pilgrims anyway!!! And some of them did have land in the holy land). They will always be free to recruit if they are not fighting someone else and I do not believe giving them land effects how many units are recruited when hiring them, as those units from their lands will just be raised when you call them to be from your kingdom. A benefit of giving them land in your kingdom is that they usually will not be so rebellious as normal dukes or counts (they do not have children heirs as they are "monastic" orders so they act somewhat like a bishop) Also giving land gives you quite a fair amount of piety

Hashashin have events that will at times kill your people so yes they will be a problem (though mostly just an annoyance once). This is, of course, only if they have land somewhere. If the Hashashin have no land, the event to kill people does not fire. So if you ever got a notification saying "The Hashashin have been scattered" or something then do not worry about it


EDIT: MORE THINGS

Some other things, try putting your spymaster to sabatoge relations. Find the most powerful duke of the Fatamids and try to sabotage his relations with his liege, so it is more likely that they will join dangerous factions/rebel/will not raise as much troops to leige in war. If the very powerful duke is at like 50+ relations though, don't bother because it will take much too long to possibly make it go bad relations, just go to next powerful duke and try that. The sabatoge relations only does -30 relations (or maybe it was 35 or 40, i cannot remember)

Cannot think of much else that can help

I must say, 80% chance you cannot win is my opinion ;P

 

[Gunnarr]

Not at all. I had no previous contact with some of these rulers. They just offered their services in fighting the infidels!!?? Its crazy but it happened. It is a fun game. I am writing a detailed history as I play based on events and my choices that I hope to soon upload as a narrative here

I've not had that happen to me before really, i wonder if it was just luck or if there is some code written that increases the chance they will offer to join war when Jerusalem is at war with a muslim country or something! I am very jealous of your game!

I just might read your narratives, even though I ussually don't read those kinds of things! (I always think people cheat in them, resigning and reloading all the time so they get a better story! ;P )

 

[Isaios]

Try (desperately) to get an alliance with the ERE, they look relatively strong. Plead, beg, bribe and flatter to get it done (Working towards going Orthodox?)

 

[Flamestalker]

I am having much trouble thinking of any way in which you can survive, esp without any people you can send off to wed and have alliances with.

I have 5 kids and a lustful ruler. the problem is that they are still very young, my eldest is 9. If I can just survive until they come of age I'll get the alliances I need.
that's why I asked how long I have before the Fatimids attack. The current Sultan despises me immensely, but he is old and has a very small personal demesne after I took jerusalem from him. his potential heirs have very few holding aswell, this might be enough to warrant a power struggle within the family when he dies.

try putting your spymaster to sabatoge relations. Find the most powerful duke of the Fatamids and try to sabotage his relations with his liege, so it is more likely that they will join dangerous factions/rebel/will not raise as much troops to leige in war. If the very powerful duke is at like 50+ relations though, don't bother because it will take much too long to possibly make it go bad relations, just go to next powerful duke and try that. The sabatoge relations only does -30 relations (or maybe it was 35 or 40, i cannot remember)

I assume you mean the Chancellor's sabotage mission not Spymaster's. Im not really sure how to use that mission. the few times I used he got caught after a few weeks when he targeted a mayor of the intended duke instead of the duke himself. Where do you place him to target a duke, the duke's capital or his liege?
also he might be more useful keeping my allies happy.

Try (desperately) to get an alliance with the ERE, they look relatively strong. Plead, beg, bribe and flatter to get it done (Working towards going Orthodox?)

That's my plan and they are indeed pretty strong. they have recovered from the loss of Anotolia and are now slowly pushing the Seljuks back.

Sidenote, does the Settler culture event include religion?

 

[Isaios]

The Chancellor would probably be better spent building relations with the EREmperor. His sabotage mission can be useful, but it has about the same impact as the Improve Relations mission, so strictly limited utility. It's also a bit too random. You might try to plot to kill the Sultan yourself. If you think that might spark some successions wars.

The Settler event only affects culture. There's an entirely different event for Religious Conversion (or more). But at least now the Settler event is independent of local religion, so you can happily convert the populace.

 

[whosthebestcop]

If you are going to be at war with Muslims a lot, I would actually try to acquire 2 holy order titles personally. You can then raise them whenever you want. No one else can hire them. And they don't cost maintenance or piety.

If you give them a one of your de jure duke titles that has the same culture as you, then assassinate 1-3 grandmasters, the new grandmaster will be of your culture and you can vassalize them. Then 1-3 more assassinations or plots and you will inherit the title for yourself.

They count as Duke titles so you will have to destroy any other Duke title that you own.

 

[Isaios]

If you are going to be at war with Muslims a lot, I would actually try to acquire 2 holy order titles personally. You can then raise them whenever you want. No one else can hire them. And they don't cost maintenance or piety.

If you give them a one of your de jure duke titles that has the same culture as you, then assassinate 1-3 grandmasters, the new grandmaster will be of your culture and you can vassalize them. Then 1-3 more assassinations or plots and you will inherit the title for yourself.

They count as Duke titles so you will have to destroy any other Duke title that you own.

That certainly works, but it's just a touch broken, no?

 

[whosthebestcop]

That certainly works, but it's just a touch broken, no?

I don't think it is broken making Holy Orders vassals is a part of the game. If you start as Kingdom of Jerusalem at a certain year, one of the Holy Orders is your vassal by game default. So it is part of the game mechanics.

 

[Isaios]

I don't think it is broken making Holy Orders vassals is a part of the game. If you start as Kingdom of Jerusalem at a certain year, one of the Holy Orders is your vassal by game default. So it is part of the game mechanics.

Obviously not what I meant. Vassalising them is entirely apropriate, it's nabbing the titles for yourself that's a bit of an exploit.

 

[NoobRage]

I had this problem. I was playing as the King of Scotland so my armies are miles away. And I had about a month before war was declared on me by the Egytian Sultanate and the Persian Sultanate. I was like HOLY MOTHER F****** GOD. I had spent all my monies during the crusade on mercenaries so that the Holy Land would be mine for sure and now I am going to have it all taken away from me. But no, there is hope. With the main religious wars fought for the Holy Land, the established religious order has been released from a previous contract. He will now fight for me for free as I am defending against heathens. It gets better, all across Christian Europe rulers big and small offer their support because they believe that a Christian Jerusalem is more important that petty territorial squabbles. I soon had the King of Leon and Aragorn as well as the HRE and other powerful nations (but not the pope surprisingly) all backing my war to hold Jerusalem. I could just afford some medium mercenaries after scrimping some money but I was shocked and still believed that even together we could not hold at bay the two most powerful muslim kingdoms. But with all our troops stationed in southern Jerusalem we stuck at the Egyptian Sultanate first, we managed to overcome him and he offered white peace, which I was eager to accept because the Persian Sultanate was ravaging northern Jerusalem. With only one enemy now to fight we quickly overcame him and even managed to wrestle a surrender from him, ensuring more stability in the region for longer. I hope this helps in some way.

Thats a Holy War, and you were lucky the HRE joined. If they declared an Invasion of Jerusalem, which is a Jihad that doesnt make the AI join you, you wouldnt stand a chance.

 

[Flamestalker]

Currently defending against an Invasion two years after the crusade. The old sultan has over 1000 piety so it was bound to happen.
Its going quite well, with both holy orders and my own 3.5k levies from portucale I have so far been able take down any army they threw at me.
The Knights Templar are especially usefull, their commander is 28 martial holy warrior. He eats muslims for breakfast!