I'm currently playing an interesting game as Germany.
Relatively soon in game, a crusade for Antioch was called. I send a crusading army by land and it manage to seize Antioch. Then, I captured Acre to get a castle nearby.
I was then busy with continous wars against Milan, Siciliy, France and Denmark, until I crushed Milan and Sicily, built a strong Castle in Hamburg (that has successfully repelled many Danish attacks), and obtain a draw with France.
A new crusade was called, for Jerusalem. I send the emperor himself, but he found a mongol army north of antioch that blocked the road. The mongols with 3 armies, defeated the emperor who ran away with a few hundred troops. Before the mongols could pursue, the emperor went for the coast, bought a mercenary ship, and sailed for Acre. Hungary, my allied, capture Jerusalem.
The emperor took the garrison in Acre, went North to size Allepo.
Antioch, Acre, and Allepo were now fully garrisonned, when a huge mongol army came from the North and lay siege to Antioch.
The emperor came from Allepo, with a second army coming from Acre, and attacked the rear of the mongols, a few armies were beaten, with heavy casualties, but the mongols send another army, defeated again the emperor, who retreated toward Acre. The mongols then took Allepo and Antioch, and started toward Acre, where the Emperor was preparing to wistand the siege.
The first assault from the Mongols was hard. The German army was small, fortification were not finished. The Emperors sacrificed some Kwazarim cavalry in a suicide sortie to destroy the ennemy ram, but the mongols were to many, and manage to take the gate. The German spearmen, baddly outnumbered, were slaughter. The Emperor sent his crossbowmen in the inner castle, and personally lead several charges (his bodyguard were the only remaining cavalry) against some isolated ennemy cavalry, and then quickly retreated to the inner castle. The mongols send some infantry there, they were killed by the Emperor's guard and some turcopole.
At the end of the day, the mongols had to withdrew: they still had 500 cavalry, but there infantry was dead, and they couldn't take the castle.
The emperor had only 2 guards left, 1 crossboman and 3 pikemen...
As the mongols lifted the siege, the emperor went in the countryside to hire some mercenaries, and reinforcement were built, just for one turn before the mongols came back.
The siege has now lasted for 6 years, half a dozen Mongols assault have been repelled by the valiant German defenders. Always following a similar pattern: destroy the ram, kill as many as possible, defend the walls with spearmen and foot knights, withdraw to the inner castle, slaugther the mongols infantry with crossbowmen, then when they cannot take the walls, pincushionned the mongol cavalry trapped in the walls. If possible, charge of the emperor on isolated units. Wait for the end of the day if the mongols are to many to kills.
In the meanwhile, I had the Pope asked for a new Crusade toward Antioch, and a new crusader German army has just arrived and took a Mongols citiy North West of Antioch.
I think I will manage to break the siege and rebuild an army in Acre, and then the emperor will move again to the offensive!
The mongols will be destroyed!
