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Feudalism was not as dominant in Spain and Italy as it was in northwestern Europe. Both lands had unique characteristics that influenced warfare.
In 1050, more than half of the Iberian Peninsula was under Islamic rule, a territory known as Andalusia. After the fall of the Umayyad Caliphate in 1031, Andalusia was divided into several small Muslim states known as Taifa emirates. The Taifas often fought among themselves, leaving them no match for the larger Christian Kingdom of Castile, which was created in 1037 by absorbing the Kingdom of Leon.
This was the true beginning of the Christian Reconquista, which was not completed until 1492. To help stem the Christian onslaught, the Taifa emir of Seville invited the Murabit Berbers from North Africa to Spain in 1086. This did not benefit the Taifas, as after defeating the Castilians at the Battle of Sagrajas, the Murabites quickly incorporated most of the Taifa emirates into their empire.
In 1147, the Murabit empire was overrun by the rival Berber sect of the Almohads. These events were a serious blow to the Spanish Christian kingdoms, but they recovered and won a great victory over the Almohads at Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, which broke Muslim power in Spain forever. Soon only the Emirate of Granada remained, but as a vassal of Castile. Throughout the period, there were also frequent battles between states of the same religion, and Muslim and Christian warriors often did not hesitate to serve princes of the other religion.
In northern Italy, the major cities always tried to maintain a certain independence, and often fought actively against the attempts of the Holy Roman Emperor to impose his authority on them. They grew increasingly wealthy through trade, and by the end of the 11th century, their city militias had become the mainstay of the Italian armies, eclipsing the role of the feudal knights. In 1176, the cities of northern Italy formed the Lombard League and won a great victory over Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa at the Battle of Legnano.
This was part of the Guelph-Ghibelline Wars. The papacy and the empire initially disputed who had the right to appoint church officials, in what was known as the Investiture Controversy. The Ghibellines were supporters of the Holy Roman Emperor, while the Guelphs supported the Pope. Although the Investiture Controversy was resolved in 1122, the conflict between the Papacy and the Empire, and the Guelphs and Ghibellines, continued for hundreds of years.
In southern Italy, the Normans transformed themselves from humble mercenaries into conquerors, founding the great Kingdom of Sicily after retaking the island from the Arabs. After the Norman line of kings died without male heirs when William II died, the throne passed to the Imperial German dynasty of Hohenstaufen. In 1266, the Pope encouraged Charles of Anjou to attack the Hohenstaufen, and after winning the Battle of Benevento, he took the kingdom for himself.
- Another 20 nations and factions spanning Spain, Italy, and North Africa from 1040 to 1270 AD. These include the Andalusians, Almohads, Arabs, Aragonese, Byzantine Catapanatos of Italy, Castilians/Leoneses, Catalans, Granadines, Hafsids, Italian Guelphs, Italian Ghibellines, Italo-Normans, Lombards, Marinids, Murabites, Navarrese, Popes, Portuguese, Kingdom of Sicily, and Tuaregs. Each has its own historically accurate banner.
- An additional 41 units, allowing you to accurately represent the armies of all the new factions.
- 45 additional army lists, allowing you to create historically realistic armies for each of the above factions and their allies in different time periods, bringing the total number of medieval army lists to 103. In addition, armies can include contingents of historical allies. This gives you over fifty thousand options. You will never run out of new battle options to try.
- An additional 8 historical scenarios, covering key battles of the period on an epic scale. These include Monte Maggiore 1041, Civitate 1053, Cabra 1079, Sagrajas 1086, Legnano 1176, Las Navas de Tolosa 1212, Montaperti 1260 and Benevento 1266.
- Another 33 historical matches have been added to the Quick Battle mode, bringing the total to 98, and can be played from either side.
- 4 More historical campaigns covering the major leaders and conflicts of the era: El Kidd, Muhammad II of Granada, the Normans in the South, and Frederick II of Hohenstaufen.
- The Sandbox campaign has been expanded to include all new army lists, allowing you to lead any nation (and their historical allies) against any other nation (and their allies), giving you thousands of possible outcomes.
