Crusades, Jihads and Great Holy Wars

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At least some were last verified for version 3.0.

(Before patch 3.0) The 3rd Crusade for Andalusia, implying that they either lost the last two wars for Andalusia, it was quickly retaken, or that multiple rulers controlled sections of it.

Crusades, Jihads, and Great Holy Wars are wars called by religious heads. All rulers of the religion are called on to cooperate in conquering a de jure kingdom from a religious enemy.

When the religious head calls a crusade, all rulers will be notified and all rulers of the attacking religion will be pressured to join the war effort. The vassals of any independent ruler will get a relations penalty with their liege if the ruler chooses not to join the crusade, and this penalty is even larger with the clergy. The penalty disappears upon joining the crusade, and is replaced with a bonus.

From the moment of the call until the crusade ends, there is a special menu, the crusade screen (see 3., below). It will pop up when you decide to join the crusade. If closed, it can be accessed again by clicking on the banner that will hang from your character portrait (only before and during crusade). Hovering the mouse over the banner also gives information about the crusade, especially who its top contributors are at the moment.

By leading troops within the crusade target, characters can gain a religion-specific trait that improves martial skill and give permanent opinion bonuses with all clergy and other characters who share the trait. For example, Christians who arrive in the target kingdom can gain the Crusader trait. By swapping army commanders, you can ensure that your direct vassals and heirs gain the trait as well.

If the war is won, rulers of the attacking religion within the kingdom's de jure borders, and all rulers outside the de jure borders but within the de facto borders, are vassalized; all other titles are usurped. What happens with the seized land depends on the status of the kingdom title.

  • If the relevant kingdom exists and the title holder is of the same religion as the attackers, he receives all seized titles.
  • If there is no same-faith holder, the land will be given to a claimant determined by the strength of the claim and the claimant's participation in the Crusade.
  • Otherwise, whoever participated the most will gain the kingdom. Participation, as with other wars, is calculated by troops thrown into battle and the capturing of territory. If the victor is vassal to a king or below, they will become independent. If the target was Jerusalem, a Catholic victor might be compelled to give it up to the Knights Templar, which provides a large amount of piety.

If the targeted kingdom does not exist, it is created for free and given to the victor.

If the holder of the kingdom is not of the religion of the attackers but is involved in wars besides the crusade, the kingdom title will not be granted, though all vassal titles will. Once the holder is not at war, it can be usurped.

Note that new mechanics have been added to Catholic/Fraticelli crusades with Patch 3.0, thus distinguishing them from other GHWs.

Differences by religion[edit | edit source]

The casus belli for all the religions is the same, but has a different name and are called by a different character depending on the attacker's religion:

  • It is a Crusade for:
    • Catholic (Pope)
    • Fraticelli (Pope)
  • It is a Jihad for:
    • Sunni (Caliph)
    • Shiite (Caliph)
    • Ibadi (Caliph)
    • Yazidi (Sheikh)
    • Hurufi (Sheikh)
    • Kharijite (Caliph)
  • It is a Great Holy War for:
    • Zoroastrian (Moabadan-Moabad)
    • Jewish Judaism.png (Kohen Gadol)
    • Reformed Germanic (Fylkir)
    • Reformed Romuva (First Vaidila)
    • Reformed Slavic (Chernoban)
    • Reformed Suomenusko (Tietaja)
    • Reformed Tengri (Tengrikut)
    • Reformed African Reformed West African.png (Grand Saltigue)
    • Reformed Aztec (Tlatoani)
    • Reformed Zunist (Dastur)
    • Reformed Bön (Dalai Lama)
    • Reformed Hellenic (Pontifex Maximus)

The following religions do not have a crusade equivalent:

  • Cathar, Lollard, Waldensian Catholic Heresy.png
  • Orthodox and its heresies
  • Miaphysite and its heresies
  • Nestorian and its heresies
  • Zikri
  • Druze
  • Mazdaki, Manichean Zoroastrian Heresy.png
  • Samaritan, Karaite Judaism Heresy.png
  • Eastern religions: Hindu , Buddhist , Jain , Taoist
  • Generic Pagan Pagan.png

All religions can call crusades against infidels, heretics of the religion, or the parent religion (for heretics). Additionally, the Fylkir and the High Priests can declare Great Holy Wars on Pagans not of the same religion. Caliphs, however, cannot declare Jihads against Muslims of other denominations, unlike Holy Wars. If the Great Schism has been mended, neither the Catholic nor Fraticelli Popes can call Crusades.

Unlocking Great Holy Wars[edit | edit source]

Great Holy Wars become available to different religions depending on certain criteria. For instance, Catholic crusades will start by default in the late 11th century (as they did historically), but they can be called earlier if key Christian sites are in danger (based on the religion of the top liege). However, no Crusades or Jihads will ever start before 900 AD. Rulers of other religions should avoid triggering early Crusades as many Catholic holy orders are founded at the same time, allowing pious Catholic rulers to hire troops for their defence against heretics and infidels.

Religion Criteria MTTH
Catholic
  • Reclaiming the Holy Land:
    • Year is at least 1090 AND
    • Jerusalem not controlled by Christians
 10 years
Any of the following:
  • Byzantium Falling:
    • Year is at least 900 AND
      • Byzantine Emperor not Christian OR
      • Thrace or Ancyra not controlled by Christians OR
      • Neither Athens nor Corinth controlled by Christians
  • Fall of Rome:
    • Year is at least 900 AND
    • Rome controlled by non-Christian or by heretic
  • France Threatened:
    • Year is at least 900 AND
    • Provence, Toulouse, or Paris controlled by non-Christian
  • Germany not controlled:
    • Year is at least 900 AND
    • Cologne (Köln) or Braunschweig Christian but controlled by non-Christian
 3 months
Muslim
  • Caliphate Endures
    • Year is at least 1187 AND
    • Caliph exists
 10 years
Any of the following:
  • Fall of Jerusalem
    • Year is at least 900 AND
    • Jerusalem controlled by non-Muslim
  • Fall of Mecca
    • Year is at least 900 AND
    • Mecca controlled by non-Muslim
  • Center Collapsing
    • Year is at least 900 AND
    • Baghdad, Damascus or Cairo controlled by non-Muslim
  • Africa in Danger
    • Year is at least 1000 AND
    • Marrakech, Tunis or Al Djazair (Algiers) controlled by non-Muslim
 3 months
Pagan
  • Any pagan religious head exists AND
  • Either Christian Crusades or Muslim Jihads unlocked
 10 years
Zoroastrian
  • The Moabadan-Moabad is restored
 Immediate
Judaism
  • The Kohen Gadol restored
 Immediate

When playing from a Random World (or Shattered World) with randomized religion names, GHWs are instead unlocked when the year is at least 1100 and there are at least five independent landed king+ rulers.

Requesting a Great Holy War (GHW)[edit | edit source]

A religious head can call a GHW if:

  • The religion's GHW has been unlocked
  • The religion has not had a GHW end in the last 30 years
    • Hover the religion icon on any character screen to see when their religion can next call a GHW
  • Moral authority > 50%
  • Catholic/Fraticelli cannot call Crusades if the Schism has been mended
  • Catholic/Fraticelli popes cannot declare another crusade within 10 years of personally cancelling a Crusade for insufficient pledges (?)
  • The religious head meets the general requirements to Declare War, including: not bankrupt, no raised levies, not prohibited by liege's crown laws

The target for the GHW must meet the following criteria:

  • Target is infidel, or heretic vs parent religion, or pagan vs any
  • Target is not a revolt
  • Target controls at least 6 counties in the selected de jure kingdom, and also actually possesses the target kingdom title

A ruler can request a GHW if:

  • At peace
  • Not at war with religious head
  • Does not have an antipope
  • Not a vassal of target realm
  • No truce with target realm
  • Can spend 500 piety
  • Only Christians can request crusades (?)

Players can request crusades by right-clicking on an independent ruler, selecting "Request Crusade", and then selecting one of the kingdoms controlled by the ruler. The option will only appear if the Pope is immediately allowed to declare war, so check the first list above if it's missing. Note that you will suffer a severe opinion penalty with the Pope when you request a Crusade.

Patch 3.0 Crusades[edit | edit source]

The new Crusade Screen, where you can see how much money there is the war chest and how many rulers are pledged to join the Crusade.

With patch 3.0 installed, crusades begin two years after the date the Pope calls them. Rulers can pledge themselves to the crusade either at the announcement, or at any point during the next two years, after which they will be obligated to declare war on the defending realm when the crusade begins. They can retract the pledge at any point, but doing so will incur a relations drop with the Pope. During the two year waiting period, the player can spend piety to change the target of the crusade, and participating rulers can donate gold and artifacts to a war chest.

On a victorious crusade, the contents of the war chest, along with land and titles, will be granted to the participants of the crusade based on their war contribution.

Crusade beneficiaries[edit | edit source]

Each participant is encouraged to select a dynasty member as their crusade beneficiary. Beneficiaries must be:

  • A member of the ruler's dynasty
  • At least 12 years old
  • Unlanded
  • Not the heir to a title

The beneficiary of the highest contributor will get the kingdom title. The kingdom recipient also gains the Crusader King/Queen trait, giving +35 same religion opinion and other benefits, but disqualifying them from most elections. In the First Crusade only, the recipient also founds the Crusade Lord bloodline.

Beneficiaries of other contributors will be given lower titles (duchies, counties, minor castles) in order of contribution. All beneficiaries who gain titles gain a flag that ensures all dynasty members gain +1 monthly piety during their lifetime.

Players have the option to take the titles for themselves instead of for a beneficiary. However, selecting such a self-serving stance incurs a -20 opinion penalty with the Pope for the next 20 years, which will not go away if the player changes their stance.

Cancellation of a Crusade[edit | edit source]

When the time comes to crusade (about 2 years after the date the Pope calls it), if the relative strength of all participants of the upcoming crusade is less than 75% of all those supporting the target, the Pope will be very disappointed and cancel the crusade. As the Pope blames everyone for faithlessness, everyone will lose 100 piety. In addition to that, a new crusade cannot be called for a period of time. The religion of the Pope who called the crusade (Catholic or Fraticelli) will lose 10% MA for 10 years.

Crusades vs Nomadic Kingdoms[edit | edit source]

When victorious, a castle is automatically built in the capital and all other counties get a tribal holding. The Nomad Agitation modifier is removed from all counties.

Crusader States[edit | edit source]

During a crusade, if you are at least a duke and you occupy all the titles of a duchy that is not part of the kingdom target by the crusade (for example, if the crusade is for Jerusalem and you siege a duchy in Egypt or Syria), you can take a title decision (click on the crest of the province you want to be the new state's capital) and form the crusader state. You can decide to incorporate the state into your kingdom, abdicate your throne to rule over the new state or put your Crusade Beneficiary in charge (you can then play as the Crusade Beneficiary).

You must:

  • have at least 500 prestige
  • have at least 300 gold
  • occupy all of the de jure Counties of the duchy
  • have a Crusade beneficiary or someone who has the potential to become a Crusade Beneficiary
  • does not have the character modifier Settled Crusaders (starts when you create a Crusader state and lasts 15 years)

Other requirements:

  • the duchy must be coastal or neighbour a non-heretical Christian
  • all the de jure County title owners are fighting the Crusade

AND:
either

  • the duchy must not be the target of the Crusade

or

  • none of the de jure County titles are held by the Crusade target or its vassals[1]

The 'Crusader Lord' bloodline reduces the cost of establishing a Crusader State to 300 prestige and 100 gold.

Due to the 'Settled Crusaders' character modifier, it is not possible to create more than one Crusader State at once or a Crusader State larger than a single duchy, even if multiple valid neighbouring duchies are occupied. However, by opening two such decision windows at the same time it is possible to take a different decision with each duchy: one can be granted to your Crusade Beneficiary, whilst the second can be incorporated into your kingdom.

Once a Crusader State has been granted to your Crusade Beneficiary they will become landed as a tributary Duke/Duchess to you realm. As such a new Crusade Beneficiary should be chosen for the continuing Crusade.

GHW target weight[edit | edit source]

Below is a list of weights for various titles for each religion. Religious heads will usually call GHWs on the title with the highest weight that is not controlled by their religion. For example, the Catholic Pope will usually call a crusade for Italy rather than Jerusalem if both are held by non-Christians. Unlisted religions have no weighting, so the religious head makes his own call. (Checked for bön)

Title Catholic Orthodox Muslim Germanic Slavic Romuva Suomenusko Tengri West African Zoroastrian Zunist Jewish Hellenic
The Papacy 10000 10000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5000
Empire of Scandinavia 0 0 0 500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Empire of Carpathia 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0
Empire of Persia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 500 0 0
Empire of Rajastan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 100 0 0
Kingdom of Frisia 700 0 0 200 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Lotharingia 5000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Pomerania 400 0 0 100 500 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Bavaria 2000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Germany 5000 0 0 200 50 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Saxony 3000 0 0 500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Bohemia 400 0 0 0 100 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Greece 2000 5000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5000
Kingdom of Anatolia 75 300 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0
Kingdom of Armenia 0 300 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 300 0 0 0
Kingdom of Bulgaria 100 300 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Serbia 100 300 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Croatia 1000 300 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Sicily 500 50 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5000
Kingdom of Sweden 100 0 0 0 0 50 50 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Denmark 0 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Norway 100 0 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Finland 40 0 0 200 50 100 500 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Poland 100 0 0 0 500 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Great Moravia 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Lithuania 50 0 0 0 100 500 100 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Rus 0 0 0 0 500 100 300 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Ruthenia 0 0 0 0 500 100 100 100 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Perm 0 0 0 0 100 0 500 50 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Cumania 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 500 0 50 0 0 0
Kingdom of Volga Bulgaria 0 0 0 0 100 0 200 500 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Crimea 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 200 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Alania 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 200 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Turkestan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 500 0 150 0 0 0
Kingdom of Persia 0 0 400 0 0 0 0 0 0 4000 100 0 0
Kingdom of Iraq 0 0 400 0 0 0 0 0 0 2000 300 500 0
Kingdom of Daylam 0 0 400 0 0 0 0 0 0 500 300 100 0
Kingdom of Afghanistan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1500 1000 0 0
Kingdom of Sistan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1500 300 0 0
Kingdom of Transoxiana 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 0 2000 100 0 0
Kingdom of Mesopotamia 0 0 400 0 0 0 0 0 0 2000 300 500 0
Kingdom of Georgia 0 200 0 0 0 0 0 50 0 200 0 0 0
Kingdom of Wallachia 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Hungary 500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Italy 10000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5000
Kingdom of France 5000 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Aquitaine 5000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Brittany 300 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Burgundy 5000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Castille 250 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Aragon 250 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of León 250 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Galicia 250 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Asturias 250 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Portugal 250 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 25 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Andalusia 100 0 50 0 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Arabia 0 0 4000 0 0 0 0 0 0 500 0 0 0
Kingdom of Yemen 0 0 3000 0 0 0 0 0 0 300 0 0 0
Kingdom of Egypt 450 20 400 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 100 500 1000
Kingdom of Jerusalem 500 0 250 0 0 0 0 0 0 200 0 3000 0
Kingdom of Syria 0 200 200 0 0 0 0 0 0 500 0 0 0
Kingdom of Mauretania 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Africa 0 10 200 0 0 0 0 0 50 50 0 0 0
Kingdom of Abyssinia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0
Kingdom of England 300 0 0 200 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Wales 300 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Scotland 300 0 0 200 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Ireland 300 0 0 200 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Mali 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 500 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Punjab 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 150 0 0
Kingdom of Cyprus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 500
Kingdom of Epirus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2000
Kingdom of Trebizond 0 1000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5000
Kingdom of Thrace 2000 2000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5000
Kingdom of Romagna 10000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica 500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Estonia 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kingdom of Laponia 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Duchy of Uppland 0 0 0 500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Duchy of Thrace 125 250 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Duchy of Benevento 250 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Duchy of Capua 250 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Duchy of Apulia 250 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Duchy of Salerno 250 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Duchy of Calabria 250 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Duchy of Latium 750 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Duchy of Medina 0 0 500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Duchy of Jerusalem 250 0 250 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Duchy of Kabul 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 300 0 0
Duchy of Zabulistan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 300 0 0
Duchy of Baghdad 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 200 0 0
Duchy of Cairo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 0 0
County of Constantinople 250 500 250 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
County of Roma 1500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
County of Medina 0 0 500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
County of Mecca 0 0 1000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
County of Jerusalem 250 0 250 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Reddit - How to form a Crusader State Explained , https://www.reddit.com/r/CrusaderKings/comments/a954s4/how_to_form_a_crusader_state_explained/
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