Sword of Islam: Strategy discussion

The save needs latest SVN version so most will not open it. Anyway, you can't get the title because Alp Arslan holds it, and he's dead. It's odd because projects/titles are removed when a civ dies or collapses, so I can't find anything wrong.

If you want to fix your current game, open Python console with ~ (shift+~, should say Python in the heading), type this and hit enter:
Spoiler :

gc.getTeam(13).changeProjectCount(2, -1)
Thanks a ton Edead!! I'll try to fix it ASAP; but I think I lost the build three wonders victory :(
Spoiler :
Stupid Ayyubids! :wallbash:


Don't know what's more weird, Ayyubids controlling the Levant and Eastern Anatolia in 16th c. or Sindh with capital in Ghazna.

Ya! Is there a way of stopping civs from lasting THAT long? I'm fine with the Sindh changing its capital to Ghazna, (Because Mansura was captured), but having the Ayyudids live forever and even worse, having the Timurds last THAT long, EVEN when the Shayabanids spawned, is just wrong. Can you at least give the Timurds a bigger stability hit with the Uzbeks invade?
 
They already get much bigger hit. I really don't want to make the game that deterministic - weird things are OK as long as they don't happen all the time.
 
Any tips for Kwarezm city placement?

Look at post #3, that has a VERY detailed explanation on how to beat the Khwarezm UHV's

In general though you don't need to build any cities, except for one. I would suggest therefore building Ortrar
 
Well, Urgenj and Khiveh should be obvious (although I recommend to not found them until Samarkand flips, makes for a more central capital). Then Otrar for the silk, and sometimes the city south of it is missing, it's worthwhile to found that as well.
 
You played on Caliph and got 3/3 with a giga-empire in 1000AD or whut?!?:eek:

That was on Sultan and I won 3/3 around ~1050AD. I am not sure what is considered as a giga-empire with Abbasids, so I would say it was a mediocre-empire.

After that I tried to make a new highscore on Caliph and got almost 69k.:D

Spoiler :
 
Here is my guide to the Ghaznavids:

1st Goal: have 3000 gold in 1180.
2nd Goal: 1 city each in Sistan, Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh, Hindu Kush, Khorosan and Tocharistan.
3rd Goal: have 10000 gold in 1300.

First put your tech to zero and leave it there. You will be able to trade for any techs you need. Botany is a good one to get first. The Abassids will trade it to you.

Build a fairground in Ghazna and start running a merchant as soon as you can. I used one great merchant for the 1st goal and one for the 3rd, both sent to Iraq with an escort.

Send your 2 settlers to found a city in Balochistan that captures the iron and one in Sistan that gets the horses. Putting these cities on hills is also a good idea.

Build Slave Markets and get a force of Ghulam Lancers ready. Build some hill-defender archers to block the pass N of Ghazna as the Ghorids will probably attack there. Also a good idea to build a madrassah for missionaries but if you do make sure the AI doesn't assign any scholars to mess up your great merchant probability.

Take barbarian Multan on the middle Indus early. It won't flip to anyone but if you wait one of the Indian civs may take it.

After the Seljuks spawn (1037) they will be at war with you and be holding Herat weakly, so take it and then make peace. Try to get open borders with them so you can send your great merchants there if the Abbasids collapse.

When Sindh spawns (1058) they will found 3 cities on the lower Indus. Be waiting for them, take the northernmost city and then make peace.

When the Ghorids spawn (1148) they will flip everything in Hindu Kush so if you don't want Bamiyan to flip to them disband it when it flips to you (trying not to feel like the Taliban as you eliminate the only Buddhist presence in Afghanistan.)

As 1180 appoaches, send you cavalry to Tocharistan and capture something, probably Balkh. The Samanids will be long gone. Also build a settler and found a city somewhere in Hindu Kush.

After that, just sit back and let the money roll in. Build fairgrounds and markets. As I said I only needed one more great merchant. If you get unstable pull your lancers back to you capital and give away a couple of outer cities, then after you collapse retake your first 2 or 3 cities and leave the rest.
 
I find the 3 initial Ghaznavid horse archers to be very useful in pillaging Samanid. They will be too weakened to attack your horse archers, or will at most attack with a catapult. This will be one of those few occasions where the Ghaznavid's UP will be of any use :mischief:.You might get lucky in snagging one of the barbarian-held cities in Tocharistan if you haven't used up your free barbarian kills quota.


With that aside, has anyone been able to fulfill Ghorid's 2nd UHV condition? It's the one where you have to be a saint by 1250 AD. It's a luck of the draw to not be swarmed with Kharewarezmid SOD AND Ajmer's SOD when spawning. I also have this pathological fear of Mongolian hordes after playing as the Kharewarezmids and Seljuks.
 
You're a bit dependent on Ajmer either not being too strong or being on the verge of collapse to have good start as Ghor. Building the Minaret of Jam ASAP (Peshawar is a very good city for it) helps with the 2nd goal.
 
I've just completed the 2nd UHV goal. The Minaret definitely helped as well as the random Mecca pilgrimage. Now I am having trouble with the 3rd UHV condition. Exactly what does it mean to control Hindustan from Punjab to Maharashta? Does it mean to take all of Hindustan except Goa (no vassals allowed either)? Although I failed the UHV when I vassalized Bahmani, I was able to fulfill the Sultanate of Rum control condition by vassalizing Zenegid (he took over Lesser Amernia, Anatolia).
 
I've just completed the 2nd UHV goal. The Minaret definitely helped as well as the random Mecca pilgrimage. Now I am having trouble with the 3rd UHV condition. Exactly what does it mean to control Hindustan from Punjab to Maharashta? Does it mean to take all of Hindustan except Goa (no vassals allowed either)? Although I failed the UHV when I vassalized Bahmani, I was able to fulfill the Sultanate of Rum control condition by vassalizing Zenegid (he took over Lesser Amernia, Anatolia).

"Hindustan from Punjab to Maharashta" means all provinces marked as "Hindustan" limited by Punjab and Maharashtra, in other words all except Duggar, Karnataka and Goa.

Vassals are allowed only if the UHV specifically states so (so not here).
 
Thanks for clearing that up. My stability was taking quite a dip and I had to WB many times to figure out why I wasn't triggering the UHV.

Besides the Egyptian and the Turkish civilizations, what other civilization(s) have conditional spawns? I'm wondering whether I should start a new game for the Mughals or continue on with my Ghorid game and switch when they spawn.
 
Besides the Egyptian and the Turkish civilizations, what other civilization(s) have conditional spawns?

Only these 3 Egyptian/Turkish civs are conditional. There are also conditional re-spawns for AI only (Cilicia, Karaman, Delhi, Uzbeks).

I'm wondering whether I should start a new game for the Mughals or continue on with my Ghorid game and switch when they spawn.

Up to you of course, but since you can build-up India for Mughals, it won't be much of a challenge.
 
Ah...thanks for clearing that up. I was always unsure if another 'Mamluk spawn' will happen to me when playing a civilization for the first time. I remember when the Mamluks first spawned on me when I was playing the Ayyubids. Boy was that an eye opener !:eek:!
 
I remember when the Mamluks first spawned on me when I was playing the Ayyubids. Boy was that an eye opener !:eek:!

LOL! Story of my life...... :lol:
 
I'm having trouble activating the one of the Ottoman's UHV conditions, specifically the one that requires you to control several provinces in 1660. Can someone look at my save game and tell me what I am missing? It's not the SVN but the current release.
 

Attachments

  • SOI Ottoman UHV.CivBeyondSwordSave
    1.5 MB · Views: 86
Looked through your game and could find nothing you left out either ...

By the way, why isn't Paphlagonia among the Ottoman's border provinces?
 
I'm playing as the Fatimids, (well I've played several games as them), and I'm able to beat their UHV's EXCEPT for the one about consolidating the Levant by 11XX AD. I just can seem to remove both the KoJ and PoA in such a short amount of time. Capturing the Hejaz is easy, but I can't do the other half! Do you guys try to capture independent Jerusalem before 1099, or do you just leave it alone? Basically I'm asking for some tips on Fatimid Empire openers.
 
From what I remember, Fatimid starts with theocracy which is extremely helpful. I build mass trebuchets in Cairo while the rest build axemen (if you could get alot of mercenaries instead then I would just stick with them). Once you have enough soldiers, build a settler (or more if you wish) then proceed to destroy the Levant :king:. I know the UHV says to conquer the Levant but since the Crusaders are going to arrive very shortly with their periodic reinforcements, its much safer (and easier for me anyway) to prevent PoA from spawning and severely weaken the KoJ. PoA can be prevented from spawning by destroying Edessa, Antioch, Tyre, and Humus(?) - the city right above Damascus. The KoJ flips Acre, Sur (the city above Acre) and Jerusalem as well if it fails to conquer it. Therefore, destroy Acre and Sur. Once the KoJ spawns, destroy their stack AFTER they are weakened from taking Jersualem but do NOT take Jerusalem itself. Take Jersualem after it has flipped to KoJ or a turn after KoJ conquered it. This way you won't risk losing soldiers to a KoJ flip. Once peace in the Levant has been established, insert irony here :lol:, quickly use your settler, or settlers, to establish cities in the Levant (personally I re-establish Antioch first since Cillia, Sultanate of Rum, and Zenegids WILL found cities in Northern Syria if you do not hurry).

The key to this method is speed. If you don't hurry in destroying the independent cities, the KoJ and PoA will end up too strong for you to handle in such a short timeframe. You should also keep an eye out for Zenegids as they are more likely than any of the others in founding Antioch ,and sometimes Tyre.

So remember, War is peace, Freedom is slavery, and Ignorance is Power :p.
 
Top Bottom