The Holy Roman Empire (Medieval II: Total War)

For factions in other games associated with Germany, see Germany.

The Holy Roman Empire (Medieval II: Total War)
Leader	Heinrich the Chivalrous
Religion	Catholic
Appears in	Grand Campaign
Culture	Northern European
Starting regions	Frankfurt Region; Staufen Region; Nuremburg Region; Innsbruck Region; Vienna Region; Bologna Region

The Holy Roman Empire is a faction in Medieval II: Total War, unlocked at start of campaign.

Description

The Holy Roman Empire is a particularly misleading name for Europe's largest collective of kingdoms and fiefdoms, regardless of which way one looks at it. For starters, it is the Byzantine Empire that truly carries on the legacy of the ancient Romans, and the notion that the Kaiser (the Germanic name for "Emperor") truly serves the Roman Catholic Church is presently quite laughable.

A great rift in opinion exists between Kaiser Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII as to the legitimacy of the Papacy's recent move to do away with secular investiture, a change of law that has taken away all of the Kaiser's power over the Catholic Church. How the Kaiser should react to this is undoubtedly the biggest dilemma facing the Holy Roman Empire at present. When a ruler of nations allows a man of the cloth to dictate what he can and can't do, he sets a bad precedent. Of course, if he leads his people into open conflict with the church itself, he is arguably setting an even worse one.

With both extremes looking like perilous choices the Kaiser will need to find the best middle ground he can, very much the same situation he faces when looking at his borders. The Empire itself is Europe's middle ground, centrally located, with opportunities to expand in almost every direction, but also potential competition to come with each opportunity. It is a far cry from the days of Charlemagne when all of Western Europe answered to the Emperor. Now France is a seperate entity, Italy has become a formidable group of city states, the Danes block the route into Scandinavia, and the kingdoms to the East are more of a threat than a place to lay claim to.

Should the Kaiser successfully deal with the dissent that lingers within the Reich at present, there seems no reason the Reich cannot consolidate and expand into something to rival the first Roman Empire... Though this time it won't be a simple matter of bettering the barbarians.

Strengths

Strong all-round.

Weaknesses

Lacks the later period professional armies of England and France.

General Information

The Holy Roman Empire's unit roster consists of units that are strong all around, with specialized late-period landsknecht units and other heavy infantry. However, they don't have any archers except for archer militia, favoring crossbows instead. The Germans also have excellent cavalry in the form of Gothic Knights and pistol-carrying Reiters. The Holy Roman Empire also has access to the Teutonic Knights with the construction of their chapter house and fulfillment of certain requirements. The Empire is Catholic, with Frankfurt as their capital. The name "Holy Roman" hails from the fact that Germanic peoples including those of The Frankish Empire once ruled Rome and much of the Italian Peninsula.

Overview

• Religion - Catholic
• Long Campaign win conditions - Hold 45 regions, including: Rome Region
• Short Campaign win conditions - Hold 15 regions. Eliminate factions: Milan, Denmark
• Financial Start - Starting Purse 6,000 Florins
• Kings Purse- 1,500 Florins

Settlements

• Frankfurt (Large Town, Capital) - Town Watch, Small Church, Town Hall, Grain Exchange, Dirt Roads
• Staufen (Wooden Castle) - Bowyer
• Nuremburg (Town) - Town Watch, Land Clearance
• Innsbruck (Wooden Castle) - Bowyer, Mustering Hall
• Vienna (Large Town) - Town Watch, Grain Exchange
• Bologna (Large Town) - Town Watch, Port

Initial units

• 6 General Bodyguard's
• 15 Spear Militia
• 1 Sergeant Spearmen
• 14 Peasant Archers
• 2 Peasant
• 2 Mailed Knights

Ruling Family

• Emperor Heinrich the Chivalrous (Age 40; Faction Leader) - Command 3, Chivalry 4, Authority 3, Piety 4
• Prince Henry (Age 22; Faction Heir) - Command 2, Chivalry/Dread 0, Loyalty 5, Piety 3
• Leopold (Age 20; Family Member) - Command 2, Chivalry/Dread 0, Loyalty 5, Piety 3

Initial Agents

• Rainald Erlach(Age 20; Spy) - 1 Subterfuge
• Péter Scherer(Age 45; Cardinal) - 5 piety
• Agnes (Age 21; Princess) - 3 charm

Playing as the Empire

The Holy Roman Empire starts in Europe's Middle Ground. The French are a threat to the West, The Danes to the North, Milan and Venice to the South and Rebels to the East. It is surrounded by opposing factions. Taking Prague (Rebel Occupied) can be a good strategic move on the way to strengthening their position.

The Starting Regions of The Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire can have a hard time trying to keep its empire in one piece. The many enemies that surround it can attack at any moment. If the Empire can consolidate its forces and protect its borders from foreign expansion then it can absorb its neighbors quickly. The Emperor needs to make use of the devastating gothic and zweihander units to ensure the empire's sovereignty and security. The Pope can be a powerful ally, used to stage counter attacks on factions that have attracted the Pope's negative attention. The Pope could also be the emperor's worst enemy, calling a crusade on the Holy Roman Empire for all of Christendom to strike them down. The Emperor must be careful in how he deals with his holiness: the power he wields over the Catholic world is not to be trifled with, his requests should be honoured and relations kept above good. It is important for a leader to strike out in one direction with the backing of the empire.

Trivia

• The symbol of the Holy Roman Empire is based on the royal coat of arms of the Hohenstaufen dynasty as depicted in Codex Manesse, however, its colors are swapped.