The Caliph/Counters (SHC2)

==Defense==
The Caliph is most dangerous in the earlier stages of the game, when the player's defenses are being developed. He likes to send groups of slaves backed with slave drivers, which can take quite a while (very early on nigh impossible) to fully take out by the time they arrive to your walls or buildings due to their durability. A combination of ranged troops and melee troops are needed to keep them at bay, intercepting their advance and holding them up until the slaves are slowly whittled down. Try taking out the slave drivers first with your archers in order to remove the defense buff.
Besides the slaves, the Caliph cannot or will not really muster a proper attack force. Much like the Shah, he will mostly send Arabian bowmen and Arabian swordsmen, backed up with a legion of slaves. His siege equipments are geared towards anti-personnel fire ballistae and protective mantlets, which means that a steady line of ranged defenders can repel him easily. 
Add a mixture of crossbowmen and Arabian bowmen/archers to rain arrows on the enemies until the mantlets break and everyone in the area is dead. Most of the time, the Caliph's ballistae will be busy moving into range, resulting in them being severely weakened and only unleashing a bolt or two at best. This force is also adept at crushing the groups of horse archers the Caliph may send up on you.
==Offense==
Much like in Stronghold Crusader, the Caliph has a castle layout where the thin, fragile lookout towers are most vulnerable. Due to defenders' range advantage and the severely improved effectiveness of fire though, his position is much harder to crack without careful planning. Haybale launchers, pitch ditches and fire grenades from oil pot throwers equals to doom for even the sturdiest troops under the Caliph's walls.
The Caliph can be easily dispatched with a few trebuchets deployed well outside his castle. Have them fire away rocks while you also add a few mantlets and a guard group in order to provide limited protection against the sorties the Caliph sends out (most notably those pesky Arabian bowmen). Target a group of lookout towers and any haybale launcher in range until pulverized, then move in with a sturdy group of crossbowmen and some heavy armor. Crossbowmen have a much higher attack value due to their bolts' penetration power, capable of one-shotting weak troops, so don't be afraid to send them in.
Once a hole appears in the walls, don't rush in just yet, as the rest of the Caliph's garrison still overlook your vantage point. Eliminate every ranged troop and try leveling the mercenary post in order to stop the Caliph's reinforcements, and to prevent hidden pitch traps from being lit as well. With a deserted line of walls, the Caliph should be easily killed shortly thereafter.
Category:Strategy Page