How to win a crusade against unlanded pope ?

[Kaochi]

Hello everyone who pass by.
I have a little question, and hope than someone would have information in this regard.

Be me, playing a finish suomenusko feudal emperor, ruling over a third of the world.

I am currently under crusade from the pope, joined by every Italian duke, their king, the king of burgundy, and I can hope for other catholic to join one day or another. I have no chance to lose this war (the sunni tried to djihad me a few months before the pope, I crushed their armies and signed the peace), my armies are in position and number is overwhelming in my favor.

So I'm sure to win this war. But how ?
The pope is unlanded, which means I can't just occupy his territory. He "resides" in Rome, but a duke of mine conquered the Latium recently, so I can't rush the Papacy and force their surrender.
Is my sole solution to crush every allied army which cross my way and siege Burgundian and Italian provinces ? The warscore is growing, but rather slowly.
Is there some "trick" I could perform to speed up the war ?

Secondary question, for future crusades. How, if possible, could I vassalize the pope (so he stop sending crusades toward me) ?
I don't think I have this possiblity, but it's worth asking.

Thank for reading so far, everyone have a good day.

Edit : Forgot to indicate, I'm in 2.4.5, playing pre-Conclave.

 

[Zander]

The only thing you can do is win battles and wait. Once when crusaded by a small group and a landless pope, I actually went and conquered all the other crusade nations so I could just ignore the war until it finally ticked up to 100%.

 

[StarSword]

Allies' territory counts towards warscore too. You may not be able to occupy the Papal State, but you can occupy Italy or Burgundy. That plus trampling their doomstacks will be enough.

 

[grigorii]

Allies' territory counts towards warscore too. You may not be able to occupy the Papal State, but you can occupy Italy or Burgundy. That plus trampling their doomstacks will be enough.

IMHO it is not right, only main participants' territory is counted.

 

[StarSword]

IMHO it is not right, only main participants' territory is counted.

Really? Because I swore I got warscore from occupying allied Denmark when somebody else in Scandinavia launched a prepared invasion of Pictland (though I'll admit I might be misremembering)

 

[Kaochi]

Thank you three for the answers.

As I feared, punching allies and sieging their possessions is the only way to get out of this war. I wonder if after the war, I can give an island to the pope. In order to be able to invade him next time.
That old man hiding in some closet in Rome prevents me from starting new wars.

@StarSword, @grigorii : Sieging allies does give warscore, but less than against the primary attacker/defender. If I was attacking for a territory, I would gain more warscore when sieging in this territory. Since I'm the defender, I'll have the ticking bonus from holding the targeted-realm.

 

[Zarine]

Don't you dare even try to stop crusade against you !
That's like the best thing that can happen : +75 opinion with all vassals !

And yeah, killing the allies is the only way... or time...

 

[Kaochi]

+50 opinion in 2.4.5. But I don't have much use for this bonus if I can't go to war against someone else.
Beside, my emperor is rather appreciated, despite been dishonorable and a known murderer. Which, you know, just means I can murder without fear to be discovered now.

Having continued the game, seems I was wrong. Occupation of allies doesn't give warscore, only the successful defense of the targeted realm and winning battles does.

I was thinking of converting to catholicicism after the war, giving a county to the pope, setting an antipope and vassalizing the antipope. It should works, no ?

Edit : And done, the new pope is now my vassal and I went back to suomenusko. We'll see if it prevents the papacy to send crusades towards me.
I converted during the war, which ended it instantaneously. Lost a bit of time trying to get free investiture on the suomi empire instead of the suomi kingdom (where my prospective antipope was).

 

[Chunakun]

+50 opinion in 2.4.5. But I don't have much use for this bonus if I can't go to war against someone else.
Beside, my emperor is rather appreciated, despite been dishonorable and a known murderer. Which, you know, just means I can murder without fear to be discovered now.

Having continued the game, seems I was wrong. Occupation of allies doesn't give warscore, only the successful defense of the targeted realm and winning battles does.

I was thinking of converting to catholicicism after the war, giving a county to the pope, setting an antipope and vassalizing the antipope. It should works, no ?

Edit : And done, the new pope is now my vassal and I went back to suomenusko. We'll see if it prevents the papacy to send crusades towards me.
I converted during the war, which ended it instantaneously. Lost a bit of time trying to get free investiture on the suomi empire instead of the suomi kingdom (where my prospective antipope was).

He will not crusade against you anymore. In my current game as Latin Emperor the Sunni Caliph is my vassal and he Jihads other nations but not me because I am his liege.

 

[Kaochi]

I hoped it would work like that, so thank for the confirmation.

Thank you all again for your help.