The crusader kingdom on the Levant coast: few men, many enemies, and the military orders as its backbone. Its fate turns on the disaster of Hattin.
If you fall below 5 settlements, there's a 50% chance each turn of the Battle of Hattin. Your king's purse grows by 5,000 florins and, if you hold Acre, Knights Templar, Dismounted Templars and Templar Sergeants become available there. Once you're back to 8+ settlements the extra purse may be taken away.
If Jerusalem is lost while you hold fewer than 8 settlements, the nobles send 5,000 florins every turn until you retake it.
Kingdom of Jerusalem's own reforms. Each happens once its conditions are met; turns shown are typical.
usually around turn 143 (~1203)
Changes which Turkopoles and Muslim units can be recruited across the Levant.
The battle of Hattin took place on July 4th, 1187, between the Crusader states of the Levant and the forces of the Ayyubid sultan Saladin (Salah ad-Din). It is also known as the Battle of the Horns of Hattin, due to the shape of the nearby extinct volcano of Kurûn Hattîn. The Muslim army captured or killed the vast majority of the Crusader forces, removing their capability to wage war. As a direct result of the battle, Muslims once again became the eminent military power in the Holy Land, re-conquering Jerusalem and many of the other Crusader-held cities. These Christian defeats prompted reinvigoration of the support to the Latin troops in the Levant. Money and troops flowed once again to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the Third Crusade began two years after the Battle. GAME STRATEGY: The amount of money at the disposal of the ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem increases significantly.
Events that happen to everyone at a random point in their window, and what they change for Kingdom of Jerusalem.
usually around turn 97 (~1180)
UnlocksGreat Crusader StandardTrebuchetMangonel
Arabic sailors have successfully adopted an old seafaring trick from the Far East, using a plate of wood called a 'rudder' at the rear of a ship to change its path through the water. Some outlandish notions are being raised by some of the more eccentric military strategists that suggest that wars will one day be waged at sea, and that the rudder is a vital step toward their vision being realised. GAME STRATEGY: ports of the Muslim factions provide now more trade income.
usually around turn 141 (~1202)
UnlocksFeudal KnightsConstable of JerusalemUrban Spear MilitiaHeavy Sergeant SpearmenTemplar Heavy SpearmenFeudal Foot KnightsEdessan Guard
RetiresNorman Milites
New techniques in production of mail have reduced its cost, and now full body suits of mail armor are common. (c. 13th century)
usually around turn 211 (~1237)
UnlocksMounted Crossbowmen
The pushlever and ratchet drawing mechanisms of the crossbow have been invented. These are of great use for foot crossbowmen, and have led to an increase in new recruits for the mercenary crossbow companies. This new technology has also led to the development of new cavalry tactics and the introduction of the mounted crossbowman. (c. 13th century)
usually around turn 341 (~1302)
UnlocksChevaliers Du RoiChevaliers Du Roi Demontès
RetiresKnights of JerusalemLevy SpearmenFoot Knights of Jerusalem
Single plates of metal armor are now being worn over a full mail haubergeon in order to protect vulnerable areas. (c. Mid 13th century)
usually around turn 381 (~1322)
UnlocksVoulgierArbalest Militia
The use of a large oblong convex shield, said to be designed in the northern Italian city of Pavia, is becoming popular. Used mainly by archers and crossbowmen to protect themselves from enemy fire (especially during sieges), a typical feature is a central groove on the inside to hold a stake that can inserted in the ground to act as a prop (c. 14th century)
usually around turn 401 (~1332)
UnlocksBombard
A new way of working metal has been developed in the village of Lapphyttan in Sweden, and it is now being adopted across western Europe. Housed in a great building, mighty water-driven bellows blast air into a furnace that produces a blaze so fierce and unworldly that the iron from within the ore flows out as a stream of molten metal! Even though the raw iron that pours from this new furnace is very brittle, vast amounts of the stuff can be made with relative ease, which a learned smith can then easily treat to produce incredibly resilient weapons and armor. GAME STRATEGY: The mines will be more productive in the Latin Europe. However, what's probably more important, the Bombards will be possible to be constructed!
usually around turn 413 (~1338)
UnlocksMortar
Open hostilities broke out as French ships began ravaging coastal settlements on the English Channel. The French King Philip VI reclaimed the Gascon fief, citing feudal law, and said that Edward had broken his oath (a felony) by not attending to the needs and demands of his lord. King Edward III responded by saying he is in fact the rightful heir to the French throne, and on All Saints' Day, Henry Burghersh, Bishop of Lincoln, arrived in Paris with the defiance of the king of England. War has been declared.
usually around turn 441 (~1352)
UnlocksVoulge MilitiaGuisarme Militia
RetiresSergeant SpearmenLevy Axemen
Coverage of metal plates increases, with mail now often used only to protect vulnerable joints. (c. 14th century)
usually around turn 461 (~1362)
UnlocksPikemen
RetiresLevy Archers
Early handguns are short and stocky with a barrel length of 165mm and a bore of 15mm. Manufactures soon learn though that an increased barrel length allows the gunpowder to completely burn before the bullet leaves the muzzle, and guns become about 375mm in length with a bore of 21mm. Such weapons have no true stock, but are set on a wooden stave which is held under the arms while a smouldering match or hot wire is applied to the vent. (c. late 14th century). Later versions use a stock and a simple matchlock firing mechanism called a serpentine.
usually around turn 521 (~1392)
UnlocksTemplar GuardFrench Foot Archers
RetiresUrban Spear MilitiaLevy Crossbowmen
Larger and more complete full plates of armor had been developed. Many of them are masterpieces of workmanship and design. (c. Late 14th century)
usually around turn 597 (~1430)
UnlocksArquebusiers
RetiresFeudal KnightsFeudal Foot KnightsSergeant Archers
A simple matchlock (often called a serpentine) is essentially an "S" shaped piece of metal with a central pivot which is attached to the side of a gun. By pulling on the bottom half of the pivot, the upper half, which holds a burning slow match (hemp or cotton rope soaked in saltpetre), is lowered into a pan containing a priming charge of powder to fire the gun. This allows the shooter to place the weapon on his shoulder and use both hands to aim, thus allowing him to concentrate on firing, rather than a match. The firearm that utilizes this device is known as the Arquebus. (c. Mid 15th century) A separate variety of matchlocks (called the snapping matchlock) has also been developed. In these, the serpentine is strongly spring-loaded, and released by pressing a button, pulling a trigger, or pulling a short string passing into the mechanism. As the match is often extinguished after its relatively violent collision with the flash pan, this type of matchlock has quickly fallen out of favour with regular soldiers, but is still often used in fine target weapons.
usually around turn 641 (~1452)
UnlocksGeneral's Bodyguard
RetiresGeneral's Bodyguard
New designs for plate armor include reworked helmet and neckguard plans. Many of these new armors are masterpieces of workmanship and refinement. Examples of these different styles can be found made by the Italians of Milan, English of Greenwich, Serbians of Novo Brdo and Kotor, and of course in southern Germany (especially in Nuremberg) where the style is called Gothic. (c. Early 15th century)
usually around turn 757 (~1510)
UnlocksLate Arquebusiers
RetiresArquebusiers
At last an inventor has found a means to create a portable timepiece! Peter Henlein, a locksmith from Nuremberg, has created a small clock being dubbed the 'Nuremberg Egg' for its oval shape. Once the spring mechanism inside its shell is wound, the 'egg' will display the hour, for almost two full days! Despite still being large enough to leave an incredibly unseemly lump in one's pocket, being seen in possession of one of Henlein's Nuremberg Eggs has become 'the' trinket to be seen to possess - for the few that can afford one.
usually around turn 797 (~1530)
UnlocksDemi Lancers
New technologies and tactics have made firearms increasingly more effective. In particular, infantry units have begun making greater use of the pike to ward off enemy cavalry, thus protecting gunners whose fire can then shatter even the most heavily-armored of enemies.
Getting your king crowned stabilises the realm but costs 20,000 florins plus 5,000 a turn. How crowns work for every faction.
Diyar Mudar (Édessa) Halab Aš-Šām (Dimašqu) Antioch Tripoli Cilicia (Sision) Kýpros (Lefkosia) Galilee (Acre) Asqalān Jerusalem Oultrejordain (Aqaba)
Not needed with a Strong Legacy.
Diyar Mudar (Édessa), Aš-Šām (Dimašqu), Antioch, Tripoli, Cilicia (Sision), Galilee (Acre), Asqalān, Jerusalem
| Building | Effect | Uncrowned | Crowned |
|---|---|---|---|
| MintFinance | Needs a crowned king to buildOr instead: after the Bardi Bank event, Muslim factions, Byzantium | ||
| BankFinance | Needs a crowned king to build | ||
Sorted by when they unlock, then cheapest first. Click a unit for abilities, full stats and where to recruit it.
* still recruitable at a few special buildings afterwards; see the unit's table.
No units match.
Not recruited from buildings; these come with your generals and family members.
Conquered provinces can give you local troops, and generals can hire mercenaries. These are shared by every faction and have their own pages.