How best to defeat the First Crusade for Jerusalem as 1066 Fatimids (Egypt)?

[eastcoastceojam]

I started as the Fatimid Caliph/Sultan in 1066. It is 1092 now, and I'm only 2 counties away from creating the Empire of Arabia, and BOOM- Crusade is declared against my vassals in Jerusalem.

I am not unprepared- I have 3,000 gold, two silk road trade posts in my demesne, and 17k levies between my personal and vassal troops. I also have the vassalized Mamluks adding another ~8,000 troops, and two Chinese strategists employed as commanders. My current ruler is a member of the Assassins, but he is still on the 1st tier, so I can't yet summon the Assassin armies. Shia MA is in the high 60s, and Sunni MA is about 70%.

I have no experience defending against a Crusade. Several pre-HF threads have said I should concentrate my forces on an amphibious assault on Rome; and let the other local Muslim rulers play whack-a-mole on the 50 different crusader armies rampaging through the Levant. Will nearby Sunni rulers will join in the defense, or can only count on Shia support against the Pope?

I am also hoping that I can capture at least one Christian King in battle, then assassinate him in my prison for the Unwelcome Visitors achievement.

Worst case, I lose Jerusalem to the Christians, then I can declare a Jihad for it a few years later. I assume that will be trivial for my ruler, since he is also the Shia Caliph.

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[fall back]

The crusaders will come at you picemeal so a well prepared army 10k plus malmnuks should be able to hold them off Sunni will not join Shia in a crusade defence if you have 3000 in the bank you can get some mercs (not the malmnuks) and go play Viking with coastal sieges what traits do your China commanders have

 

[junassa]

You can also try to go on the offensive and siege down Rome (been awhile since I played 1066 but I think that's the Pope's only holding.)

 

[Seskarl]

You'll face a huge army on the desert, use attrition to your advantage.

You can also try to go on the offensive and siege down Rome (been awhile since I played 1066 but I think that's the Pope's only holding.)

I think that occupying the Pope's lands no longer gives 100% warscore on a Crusade.

 

[Seclouds]

you should compair the costing and earning. If the crusader's target is not the full J kingdom, just apart of it, only content jaff, astorlon and other coastal lands. Just let them win the crusader, and u can get back by 2 or 3 normal holy war. If the target include the J city that will be dangerous bcs the fully kingdom has enough troops to defend normal holy war.

 

[Snake_Squeezins]

It's doable if you prepare, and it sounds like you are generally on the right track. You have an advantage because you know that Jerusalem is going to be the most likely target, and you know you have several years before it will happen. So save your money, and make sure to hire mercs when the war begins. If you have full-morale stacks waiting for the crusaders to hop off their boats, you can intercept them when they are at their most vulnerable. Make sure to have a couple of extra stacks to chase down and completely obliterate the stacks you send running from the coast (which will be easier if you disable shattered retreat).

 

[Naughtius Maximus]

Should be a breeze. Jerusalem is mountainous and filled with deserts, making the supply difference between defenders and attackers drastic.

Your blob should be large enough to deter their attacks, and strike at any isolated armies. If they are larger, just focus on unsieging counties and wait for attrition to do its work. Eventually, if you did not toss your army away while they are strong, you will win after siege assaults and attrition decimate their size.

 

[Urzhail64]

Bait them into mountain provinces with a smaller force with the rest of your army waiting in an adjacent province. Once battle is joined, move the main army in. You'll have terrain AND defender advantage. And it's a bonus if there's a river crossing penalty as well. And as Fall back pointed out, the Crusaders will arrive piecemeal. You shouldn't have much trouble destroying them in detail