Pontiff's Inquisitor

"I don't ask if you ought to believe, but if you do believe."

— Bernard Gui, Practica Inquisitionis Heretice Pravitatis

In game

Pontiff's Inquisitor — Vital statistics
Pontiff's Inquisitor	Highly efficient scout unit trained by the Papal States; travels very fast, and has very good line of sight and enhanced range. Strong versus heavy infantry, light ships Weak versus siege weapons, buildings, melee cavalry
Prereq:	Build time	HP	LOS	Attack	Attack speed	Movement speed	Upgrade of
[3];	11.6s (175t)	110	11	16	2s (30t)	23
Cost			Created from	Armour	Weapon range	Specialty
Base	Ramp	Pop
: 50 : 40;	: 1; : 1	1		1	1–12	Strong versus heavy infantry.

Overall strategy

Because of the continuous threats that swirl around the vicar of Christ and the lands directly under his control, the Papal States has instituted the office of Pontiff's Inquisitor. Successful candidates are highly efficient scout units, capable of monitoring vast reaches of terrain, spotting units, and eventually halting heresy or the work of infidel European princes aimed at overthrowing Christendom. Pontiff's Inquisitors are even faster than other scout units, and also are able to use their counterespionage abilities better without draining them fully. As such, these units are often best used to reconnoitre land and to cover your costly chivalric orders (in which the Papal States has an advantage). Alternatively, however, Pontiff's Inquisitors can be positioned near enemy installations unguarded by scouts or outposts as "assistants" for the Orsini archer line to snipe enemy units. Use the Pontiff's Inquisitor to sniff out key targets, and then send in your Orsini archers for "sentry removal". The only issue that you would have is that the Pontiff's Inquisitor is fairly weak, especially against archers and also can't target some units, such as Asiatic Imperial Legates and Japanese Monomi.

Note, however, that unlike other factions' Scouts and Explorers, Inquisitors are not created at the Outpost but rather are recruited directly from Houses of Worship, and are the only surveillance units available to the Papal States.

Unit summary

• Men of the Cloth — Unlike normal scouts, these units are trained from the House of Worship.

• Zeno Has Nothing On This One — Pontiff's Inquisitors are even faster than other scout units, and also are able to use their counterespionage abilities better without draining them fully.

• Keeper of the Faith — For the Papal States, these units are often best used to reconnoitre land and to cover your costly chivalric orders.

• Targeted Inquisition — Place Pontiff's Inquisitors near enemy installations unguarded by scouts or outposts as "assistants" for the Orsini archer line to snipe enemy units. Use the Pontiff's Inquisitor to sniff out key targets, and then send in archers for "sentry removal". The only issue that you would have is that the Pontiff's Inquisitor is fairly weak, especially against archers and also can't target some units, such as Asiatic Imperial Legates and Japanese Monomi.

History

There will always be deviance as long as there are rules in any organised society with its own laws, culture and customs. By the 12th century, the rise of different heresies in Christian Europe soon triggered a response from Catholic authorities — the dreaded Inquisition. First convened in France to combat the spread of Catharism (which preached the renunciation of all that was worldly, especially social hierarchy), and whether for good or for ill, the Inquisition soon spread to the rest of Europe, as climate change brought on famine, disasters, and social chaos — which was popularly blamed on practicioners of dark arts. Luckless souls who were nabbed soon found themselves facing being burnt alive —or being publicly garrotted before being burnt in public. Although seen as cruel and unjust in contemporary eyes, burning was preferred for heretics in Christian Europe because the Church thought it was more humane as it spared the convicted of the fate of eternal damnation. By the late Mediaeval era the Inquisition became a convenient means of disposing of political opponents. Famous figures such as Jan Hus, Girolamo Savonarola and Joan of Arc can be counted among the numberless victims who were (whether correctly or otherwise) sent to burn at the stake for heresy.