Winning a Crusade for Jerusalem against the Fatimids

[Jephery]

Here is how to always win the crusade for Jerusalem against the Fatimids:

1. Wait until the Fatimids form a single death stack
2. Siege the holdings in the Emirate of Alexandria
3. Walk over Sinai into Arabia and siege the holdings in the Emirate of Mecca
4. Wait until the crusaders suiciding into the Fatimid death stacks in Jerusalem finally take a single holding in Jerusalem.
5. Win the crusade!

The AI tunnel visions enemy units in the area of the Crusade target, and after forming their death stack does not split it. That means that you can freely siege their other holdings without their death stacks bothering you, as long as the other crusaders keep suiciding into Jerusalem. Perferrably Alexandria and Mecca since they're far away enough that the death stacks can't walk from Jerusalem to you before another crusader suicide squad lands in Jerusalem.

Because you're sieging their other holdings, you'll keep the Crusade in the game even though they're just constantly dieing. Your contribution score from being the only person who actually sieged anything will rocket you to the number 1 spot.

Since the warscore for sieging a Crusade target holding increases over time, eventually just taking one holding in Jerusalem will be enough for 100% warscore, in addition your sieging of Alexandria and Mecca.

 

[grommile]

There is, in fact, a way for that plan to fail:

The Pope gets captured in battle.

 

[Isaios]

But does it give you enough Contribution?

 

[Jephery]

Yes, because you gain contribution each day for each holding you've taken, even if its outside the Crusade target. You'll rocket to first place once you've taken a few holdings.

 

[Isaios]

Ah! I was living under the misconception that it was only within the target. Thanks.

 

[name_here]

I've tried this, but I think you're overestimating the AI tunnel vision. Whenever I do exactly that plan the doomstack takes some time out of its busy schedule of wiping out my fellow crusaders to come over and obliterate my army and rapidly clear out my conquest. It's never worked for me.

 

[Yxklyx]

This worked for me too. I'd siege Alexandria or thereabouts and then later move on to the Beirut area. When the stack came towards me. I'd hop in the ships and move to the other section of coast. It would take the stack a long time to reach me. What's broken for the AI here is that it will not try to recapture the holdings that are not in De Jure Jerusalem even when it has the chance so you can build up war score and then for the final push take some Jerusalem holdings.

 

[unmerged(512658)]

So, you win the crusade, but basically capture nothing?

 

[Panzerschiffe]

This is what I always do when I'm trying to win the crusade. I throw my army in the crusade area so my generals get the crusader trait then I go to Alexandria and cause some trouble. When I see the doomstack coming towards me I get on a ship back to Jerusalem and siege a few easy holdings if possible. It's an endless game of cat and mouse they can never win. If it drags on too long or I get tired of doing it, I'll just let the crusade die out.

 

[Casiru]

So you win the crusade... then you get invaded and hand it back. You held on to it for like 5 years, good job. If you can't clear the deathstacks then you have no chance of defending.

Unfortunately the crusader AI seems even worse than the defenders AI. I was playing a game where I owned the entire north african coast including egypt, I'd destroyed the title so all the fatmids vassals were independent and the Catholics STILL managed to lose after I'd whacked over 100k regional troops in a separate war. Since I usually play Catholic I didn't realize quite how bad they are, 5 kingdoms an empire and a million dukes can't beat about five 4-7 province dukes.

 

[Jephery]

If you're independent, you can keep your relations high with the Fatimid Sultan (try not to usurp the titles he directly holders) so he won't attack you. Its similar to an Abyssinia game at that point.

If you're part of the HRE, help the Emperor put down rebellions quickly so the Fatimids don't try take back parts of Jerusalem during them.