Ideas for the “Crusader” Civ for more Historical representation (DLC ideas)
We all saw the teaser image a month ago, and everything points to a Crusader Civ.
Considering the possibility that the civ is in development or undergoing final adjustments, and to add more ideas about balance, as well as historicity, I created this thread so that we can contribute information and theories before they officially reveal the name of the new civs of the DLC.
1) Kingdoms and Military Orders to choose for the Crusades
As seen in the teaser, there is a mechanic related to flags and possible Christian kingdoms or allied military orders to acquire unique units. Which ones will they be and how many in total? No idea.
So far the flags shown are from: France (Kingdom), Genoa (Thalasocracy), Teutonic Order (Religious military order).
For the sake of rigor, I will only refer information to kingdoms of the crusades in the Middle East, because there were also the Baltic Crusades, but only the Danes, Swedes and Poles participated, and they did not create kingdoms but rather expanded the territory of their own kingdoms.
Kingdoms that contributed to the Crusades of the “Middle East” and “Spain”:
- England: In the 1st crusade, Richard the Lionheart (3rd), Edward I of England (9th)
- France: They participated in the majority, and from the 1st. - Holy Roman Empire: 1st Crusade, Barbarossa (3rd), Frederick II Hohenstaufen (6th)
- Norway: Sigurd I made his own crusade across the world, including Spain and the Middle East.
- Flanders (Netherlands): Robert II of Flanders in the 1st Crusade, highlighting the Flemish pikemen.
- Genoa: They participated in almost all the crusades with naval support, forts and Genoese crossbowmen.
- Hungary: In the 5th Crusade
- Portugal: Alfonso I Henriquez (2nd)
- Italian City States: Although they were part of the HRE, in practice they governed themselves and sent soldiers. Many grand masters of the military orders were born in Italian city states.
Questionable mentions:
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Venice: They were supposed to help in the 4th Crusade, but they deviated to Constantinople, attacked Greece and founded the Latin Empire.
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Spain: They couldn’t participate in the Middle East, because they ALREADY HAD problems at home with the Reconquista, technically they were in a 700 year crusade.
“Military Orders that Fought in the Middle East”:
- Knights Templar (1119-1312)
They had a unique financial system, it could be their economic bonus.
- Order of the Hospitaller (Knights Hospitaller) (1099 → Order of Malta)
Their main job was to cure the sick, that could be their bonus for monks.
- Teutonic Order (Teutonic Knights) (1190 - present)
German warrior monks (technically, from the Holy Roman Empire), their main characteristic is that they were radically militarized in their structure. That could be one of their bonuses.
- Order of Saint Lazarus (11th century - present)
They cured lepers, and took in leper knights in their ranks. It would have an interesting mechanic.
2).- Why did crusades stop between 1300-1452?
It’s curious, there are three main reasons:
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Mongols: They were a threat just as strong as the Muslims, and they came to Europe right around 1223. Poland, Hungary and Lithuania were the ones that had the most problems dealing with them. Russia too, but since they were Orthodox, they didn’t count as a crusading ally (in fact, the Teutonic Order did crusades against them)
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Black Death: Brought indirectly by the Mongols (scientifically proven) by bringing a lethal strain of the Yersinia Pestis bacteria in rats that followed the horde of destruction they brought from Mongolia. The kingdoms were so weakened and lacking men, that doing another crusade was not viable, even the Muslims themselves fell victim to the plague, so there was something like an unannounced truce.
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Internal Conflicts: The Hundred Years’ War between France and England, the Swedish Wars of Independence against the Kalmor Union, the Hussite Wars in the Holy Roman Empire, the Italian Condottieri Wars in Italy.
On the other hand, only the crusades in the Middle East stopped, but in Estonia and other Baltic countries, the Teutonic Order continued to fight to completely take over Lithuania, although these had already converted to Christianity. And in Spain, the Reconquista also continued. More than anything, the Black Death and internal conflicts diminished the possibility of making large intercontinental voyages with a large number of men.
In the end, the lack of action by many Christian powers was what allowed the Ottomans to emerge from the Sultanate of Rum, allowed them to invade and take Constantinople and even the Holy Land itself and become the new enemy to defeat.
3).- Unique Units
Turcopolos.- Not from a military order, but they were mixed Byzantines and Turks or Arabs who converted to Christianity, hired by the Crusader states to fight with them. Many were horse archers.
4).- Mechanic ideas
I think they could have bonuses for collecting relics and for obtaining holy sites. Maybe they should be able to obtain holy sites in the Feudal Age, it would be a crime otherwise, technically that was the reason why they reconquered the cities of the Holy Land.
5).- More ideas?
Any ideas are welcome, this is for discussion. And when the DLC comes out we will have time to praise or criticize how many points were achieved and which ones were not or what could come next.
It would be good to add them now before important things are missing later:
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As in the case of the Japanese, who still do not have “Tanegashima arquebusiers”, have chinese wall model, and has a bug that make Mounted samurais attack with the blunt side of their swords.
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Or the Ottomans horse archers, who have only recently become a reality (“Akincis”) thanks to constant requests of the fandom.
Take care.