Well, Altaic culture nations, especially Tengri Altaic-culture nations, are particularly powerful due to the Horse Archer and special tactics for it...
Now it's Arab Camel Cavalry. Very powerful. Even before that, Longbows were somewhat better on a dollar-for-dollar basis, if leavened with a bit of skirmish to keep some really bad tactics away.
So I decided to switch to "The Stranger" Some Norse guy in the Southern Part of Russia. Quickly managed to form a Kingdom and am now focused on trying to become Reformed Slavic, which is hard when the convert to Local religion thing only applies to your character and not your family, and being unreformed Pagan it's a bitch to actually convert them to the proper religion. Still while I wasn't able to reform as Stranger I made good progress, it helps that you start on one holy site and are fairly close to two more. So when Stranger died and his son, Halfdan, took over I was ready. once things calmed down on the homefront I launched my subjugation of nearby Poland, my armies were vast and organized, Polands armies were pitiful and scattered, this was to be a cake-walk.
Then Halfdan died in combat in the first battle, against a force of thirty men, to himself. I'm not kidding, gods I wish I had screencap it but it really did say "Died in Battle against Halfdan SomethingsomethingSon", the only way I can make sense of that is if there was some fate/stay night shit going on and he lost a fight to his Future Self Archer or something like that. Reloaded to the last Autosave, Halfdan's son had good stats but I refuse to accept battle outcomes that break the laws of physics.
The Arabian's slowly expanded into Armenia, destroying the Miaphysite duchy. While the Emperor Makedon made sure to grab Kolonea and Karin in preparation for the oncoming war that he know's is inevitable. Finally it came when the Abassids invaded Georgia, Emperor Makedon raised his entire levee and immediately moved into the former duchy of Armenia, with another force landing in Tripoli in order to distract the Arabians. The war went badly for the Romans; despite some early successes, the Arabians mauled them in every single battle they found with the Emperor himself getting maimed during the battle of Tao. Hell; they even lost battles in which they outnumbered the enemy, in mountainous terrain, and were on the defensive.
My attempt at a second front ended up getting slaughtered by Levantine Orthodox rebels, despite taking all of Tripoli. But in spite of the numerous defeats, the Emperor devised a cunning strategy. He decided to bleed the Arabians with each defeat, which managed to eliminate half of the Arabian army when the Georgians retook Tao. But sadly; the Emperor died, thus pulling the Roman's out of the war and dooming Georgia as a actual power. Now the Georgians are a rump state, the Arabians appear almost unstoppable, and Makedon's rather crappy son has inherited the throne. Now his relatives are all acting up, the Doux's want to lower crown authority, and his incompetent half-brother want's the throne for himself.
The thing to do is conquer the Balkans and Sicily so that you have enough men to fight the Arabs. Maybe Africa, Mauritania, and Spain, too, if the Abbasids don't control those. That's what I always do as Alexios Kommenos in the Alexiad start, before starting to go after Rum.
Also, grocer's apostrophes: you don't need them. It's Arabians, knows, Georgians, etc. I don't think you actually need apostrophes anywhere in there...
The thing to do is conquer the Balkans and Sicily so that you have enough men to fight the Arabs. Maybe Africa, Mauritania, and Spain, too, if the Abbasids don't control those. That's what I always do as Alexios Kommenos in the Alexiad start, before starting to go after Rum.
Ehhhhh, I tend to end up with the Fatamids and/or the other Seljuks dog piling me, and then the levies and Varangians aren't enough. Or at least I did the last time I played as Alexios, which admittedly was quite a while ago. It's just safer to nab the Pechenegs and attach them to Bulgaria, then go after Sicily and Africa before throwing down with Rum; they're less likely to call in allies.
I once only survived the Alexiad scenario thanks to allying with the Franks, and hiring lots and lost of Mercenaries. Otherwise, the Rumans would have overwhelmed me.
Edit: don't waste your princesses, some of those alliances are killer.
For most (though not all) cultures it's best to build armies out of just their "special" retinues, or at most one, maybe two others. Not only do they get extra bonuses compared to others (even at tech 0, they have the same bonuses as levies from the corresponding cultural levy building--for instance, a tech 0 English/Welsh longbow retinue has +60% attack, just like the longbows from a castle with the maxed out longbow training ground--which isn't available until much later), but generally cultural generals have special, particularly powerful tactics associated with the units in their special retinue. The exceptions are mostly when the retinue in question is particularly weak, such as the African and Dutch levies with light infantry, or when there's some special reason to include a levy of extra units, such as the danger of having "Charge on Undefended Flank" if you have pure longbow retinues.
That being said, the Cataphracts are generally considered top-tier even by cultural retinue standards, mostly beat out by longbows and camel cavalry, and that due to high expense and retinue cap usage (although camel cavalry are rather powerful even ignoring that, as well)
Ugh, I just lost my Genius and Brilliant Strategist king in a battle. Now this would not be so bad however the enemy had an army of 1000 most of which was light infantry while I had an army of about 18000. I won the battle mind you but that death was plain bullshit.
So in my Dyre "The Stranger" Game, currently up to the fifth generation, it's about 1000 AD by the heathen Christian Calender. Dyre's grandson converted from Norse to Slavic and then founded the Slavic Church, though I'm sticking to Norse Culture because Russians look silly. Currently pushing my way into Northern Russia in the hope of one day forming the Empire of Russia (or whatever it would be called under Norse Culture), Though Volga Bulgaria is trying to muscle in on the same Territory as well while Regular Bulgaria and Hungary keep starting shit along my Southern Border. For the longest time the British Isles were one big Norse playground though the Irish managed to liberate themselves from Norway and their hilariously amazing King managed to Conquer most of Ireland (save Dublin) and Large Parts of Scotland. Most of the Norse in England have gone Catholic, though amusingly enough the House of Wessex has Converted to Norse Religion and Rule a Rump Kingdom of England. Denmark's currently ruled by a Dwarf Woman and Poland's currently led by my last king's Concubine (Elective Monarchy)
No, My king was having an affair with her and made her a concubine when the wife got suspicious. When my Eldest living son died (Last king live a hellva long time) my next in line couldn't be elected because he already had controlled a County way outside of Poland so I was going to lose Poland Regardless of who got the throne so I nomanted her as a joke and to my surprise, when my king finally bit the big one she was made Queen of Poland. She's been a pretty good ally and my ambitions at the moment are in the opposite direction so I haven't invade yet.
In my current Abbasid game I have found the whole Muslim kingdom subjugation casus belli that the Muslim Caliph has is rather powerful. Over the course of 4 generations I have used it to retake the entire dejure Arabian Empire and add all of the Persian Empire to my holdings.
(Before you say the borders are too neat for Paradox, I spent a couple hours editing the borders using console commands to make things look somewhat near so I can export a sensible world to EUIV)
This was my save that I imported into EUIV when it came out, I started in 867 as the D'Ivrea's in Burgundy. Ended up as Kings of France and I launched a series of wars attempting to re-unite Charlemagne Empire in the face of Christianity collapsing, the Byzantines fell fairly early on, ditto the Spaniards and England to the forces of Islam and the Norse Pagans...
It got so bad that the Seljuks conquered all the way to Bavaria across Russia and the First Crusade in this timeline was to drive the Muslims out of Hungary. However my Empire splintered upon the Death of Valeran the Great, into Francia, the HRE and the Kingdom of England (which I took from the Norse Scottish/Norweigian Merchant Republic in a series of brutal holy wars). France had an outbreak of Heresy as the Capets converted to Lollardy! and succsfully wrested Francia from me, leaving me the King of England...
Then the Aztecs invaded, and I lost the Kingdom of England and was reduced to the count of Bourgene yet again... however I got an invasion cassus beli on Italy and invaded using my massive cash reserves (30,000 ish gold) Luckily I captured the King of Italy in battle and then proceeded to strip every single noble of their titles and completely re-organize the country into North Korea mode, my old King Died then I parceled the land out as his 20 year old son and everyone loved me and I successfully reclaimed the HRE.
Meanwhile the Norse launched a Great Holy War to drive the Aztecs out of England (Thors hammer will strik down the feathered serpent, badass line by the way) and I took over them and had them form Britannia, and there territory has stayed mostly the same.
So most of Northern Europe is dominated by Scottish Norse ruling a massive trade republic empire from Edinburgh... they did lose control of Finland and Sweden.
Perm is a Russian Norse state that survived the Mongol invasions mostly I just neatened up the borders.
Ruthenia is the remnant of the Rus Russians who converted to Orthodoxy, however once the Byzantines collapsed they converted to Nestorian Christianity...
France is ruled by the Lollard Capets... my arch nemisis
Hungary & Poland are my "puppet" kingdoms ruled by Catholic rulers installed by my dynasty, in fact a seperate family branch rules Hungary.
Ak Sonqourid is the the remnants of the Seljuks who once stretched from Central Asia to Bavaria and across the Russian steppes.
The Aztecs have managed to hold on to Portugal despite nearly 4 jihads being declared on them by the Abbasid, weirdly enough they also conquered Egypt for awhile...
The Timruids are a scary Death Empire that controls so much territory, they outnumber my forces as the HRE (second strongest nation) 3-1
The former Byzantine Empire are divided between three different Islamic states, the Ummayads in Serbia, BUlgarian Muslism in Bulgaria and the Ibramids in Anatolia. Garfuzids also rule the former Georgia and another group Armenia...
The Abdulids are the third most powerful state in the world and after 100 years managed to reclaim most of spain from the Aztecs...
My most fun campaign was the start of a Norse playthrough that ended suddenly because my hard drive took that time to die. I think I enjoyed it the most because it naturally created so many in-game stories.
I started as (Petty) King Bjorn Ironside af Munso of Sweden, known to be a charismatic man. I conquered most of the de jure Kingdom of Sweden before passing on June 29th, 875. His son Erik I, a skilled tactician, inherited the kingdom before naming the former Swedish Norse Kings under his father's rule as the Jarls of his Kingdom of Sweden. Erik I spent most of his time conquering the various Finnish chiefdoms to the North and East of his Kingdom. His eldest son, then Prince Bjorn, joined the Varangian Guard to seek glory in Miklagard; Prince Bjorn would return to his father a blinded eunuch. King Erik, enraged by this offense raised the armies of Sweden-Finland and put Miklagard (Constantinople) to the sword whilst the Basileus was fighting in Armenia against the various Emirs and their protector the Sunni Caliph, the Romans would never forget the day that Norse Vikings poured over the Theodosian Walls looting and killing whatever they saw and they would never forget the punishment brought to those who unjustly treated a Prince of Sweden. King Erik I would die peacefully in his bed on April 1st, 887 after a lifetime of war and pillaging grand cities all along Europe including Constantinople, Paris, Venice, and even Rome.
The rule of Bjorn II (the game calls him Bjorn I because the Petty Kingdom/Jarldom of Sweden's regnal numbers don't carry over), also known as King Bjorn the Blind, was short one only reigning for shortly over four months he was slain in a duel by one of his own Jarls after they insulted him for his debility, his pride was his undoing, though he was greatly respected for his courage. Thus on August 23rd Bjorn's brother Karl was coronated King Karl I. Karl was a brilliant and inspiring warrior, leading from the front and center he became known throughout Northern Europe as Karl the Lion. His reign would add the Kingdom of Denmark to the titles held by the af Munso dynasty and he would continue the family heritage to raid and pillage the Southern European coast. Despite Karl's apprehension the King allowed Crown Prince Erik to seek glory and fortune in the Varangians, though this time the Byzantines would not fail to grant the young prince the respect due him and he served as Strategos of the Guard. After numerous wars against the Bohemian and Polish kings for the Pomeranian territories, the Lion of the North turned his gaze towards the German territories held by the Carolingians. King Karl would die in combat against the combined forces of East, West, and Middle Francia lead by King Bassiana I of Italy on May 25th, 925. Prince Erik by the time of his father's death had return to Sweden, the young Prince treated his wife and concubines with respect, however, he preferred to be amongst his soldiers (he came back from the Varangians a homosexual but that fertility penalty didn't stop him from siring a dozen little princes and princess, four boys and eight girls). His first goal was to end the conquest of Brunswick in his favor, the new King would call in his brother-in-laws to help him and the Rurikid Kings of Rus and Ruthenia were powerful allies indeed as they turned the war in his favor. King Erik I then set to carry on his legacy raiding Venezia as his progenitors for three generations had done. With the respect of the Jarls of Sweden-Finnland-Denmark at his command, Erik subjugates the lion's share of the Norway.
Erik I, having seen the splendors of the Roman Empire, declared himself Emperor of the Scandinavians and then Fylkir (Chief) of the Norse after watching the Anglo-French Holy Wars that wiped out the Norse Kingdom of Skotland. Thus he gained the title of Emperor Erik the Great. The first and greatest Scandinavian Emperor of the Scandinavians would lead a long life of conflict happily. The Fylkir's second eldest son, Kol, would die valiantly in battle as a member of the Varangian Guard as attested to the third brother Sigurd, also a Varangian. Sigurd would be named captain of the right flank of the Emperor's retinue of Huscarl's whilst Erik's eldest grandson Skuli, who was raised amongst the Huscarls, would be named captain of the left flank. Following his example many Norsemen united into an order called the Jomsvikings who would swear fealty to their Fylkir to combat enemies of the Norse faith. In September 24th, 967 the great Emperor would die in his bed and Crown Prince Thorfinn would be named Emperor and Fylkir. Thorfinn, though raised amongst his father's warband, was not the martial leaders his brother and son were and his reign would be short, dying only three years later from complications suffered by an injury in combat with the Kingdom of Lithuania. Thus is the rise of Fylkir Skuli I. Skuli was raised in war, guided by his grandfather in matters both martial and religious. The young Fylkir would declare successive Holy Wars, bringing the Kingdom of Lithuania and Germany under the banner of the Scandinavians. Now the young Fylkir sets his sight on the Frisia with a seventy-thousand strong army and seven-thousand strong band of huscarls and his son, Prince Thorfinn, at his side.
Obviously I took Frisia and Skuli I earned the title of Fylkir Skuli the Holy. He passed on during a battle taking the Bavarian territories and Thorfinn inherited the throne, the Jomsvikings and some of the various af Munso princes that had been put in charge of ruling Finland, Denmark, and Norway revolted because Thorfinn I didn't have great Diplomacy, so I used my Huscarl's overwhelming superior quality to quash their rebellion, released the princes, and usurped the Jomsvikings. So now in addition to 7.5k Huscarls Thorfinn also had a free 7.5k stack of even more heavy infantry. My HD crapped out the next day.
2: "Independent Realm" means you can't declare war on vassals--you have to declare war on independent states (there may be an exception if you happen to both be vassals of the same overlord, but don't quote me on that--I rarely play vassals). So if you're trying to push a claim on a county, you have to declare war not on the count holding the county, but the duke he or she's a vassal of. Obviously this plays into 1.
You can declare war on the other vassals of your liege as long as Crown Authority in the kingdom is Low or Autonomous Vassals. One of the effects of Medium Authority is that it disallows wars within the same realm, except for independence wars. That's one of the reasons that, IMO, you never want to be below Medium Authority.
Any wars still need a CB as usually, as far as I'm aware.
Ah, CKII... I'm currently in a Zoro game where I just finished recreating the Achaemenid Empire. The early years are quite hard, especially since I didn't broke any truce (though I did save-scum quite a bit), but once I formed the Persian Empire, it was a lot more easy. Still, by the time I was finishing the Abbassids, the catholic, Italian king of East Francia, Italy and West Francia inherited the Byzantine Empire, which formed a mega-blob with as many troops as I had. By the time I had conquered Constantinople (the Empire splintered into Byzantine and Italian empire by then), the Mongol arrived, and even if I had 2 time their troops numbers, they were extremely hard to beat because of the shitty supply limits of Khiva (where they arrive).
Aside from that, I had an Hindu Cumania in the north, which has unfortunately disappeared, conquered by the now catholic Golden horde. The Sunni, despite the Arabian peninsula being Zoroasterian, still is strong in Iberia, with the Iberian empire having formed and comprising of Iberia, Morroco, and part of Mali. There are horrible borders in Europe between the Italian Empire and the remnant of the ERE. Ethiopia still exist because I can't even bother wiping them off the map. Also the Prussian kingdom of Lithuania (which ruled over Poland for a time, before a Polish claimant won a revolt against them).
I have still 150 years before the end, so I might decide to play as another nation until the time to convert to EUIV come... (then I will play as some asian nation and try to face the Persian onslaught)
You can declare war on the other vassals of your liege as long as Crown Authority in the kingdom is Low or Autonomous Vassals. One of the effects of Medium Authority is that it disallows wars within the same realm, except for independence wars. That's one of the reasons that, IMO, you never want to be below Medium Authority.
Update: it's 914, and Navarre once again has a Sunni King. Oh, and Kazharia conquer much of the Steppe, but failed to spread Judaism and is now collapsing on all fronts.
Finally got some free time and about to delve into HIP. Can someone explain something for me, I keep hearing how SWMH and VIET Immersion are not compatible with each other but hear they've merged everything into one mod. Is this incompatibility still there and which one is better? I wanted to try out ClearCombat minimod in HIP but am unsure which link to download.
Also it looks like CK2+ is dead in the water atm. It never officially updated to RoI and the old version is stuck on 2.04. Which is sad since I never seriously played it, it was on my list of things to do. Hopefully someone is willing to take over.
Edit: just updated HIP, saw that both were still incompatible, what are the differences and which is better? The prompt in the installer implies SWMH is better so I'll try that out for now.
SWMH comes down to whether you don't like the current map, or whether you think the vanilla map is fine. (Personally I think it's fine because more provinces are just annoying headaches.)
Why do the British (English really, because let's face it the Irish are going nowhere, the Scots are never going to get enough trade, and the Welsh are perpetual swing voters) go after holdings in France?
Going just a bit further south (to Hispania) are a wealth of factionalized nations looking for allies, strong dynasties, plenty of holding slots, wealthy counties, and a veritable piety farm in the holy wars/crusades against the neighboring Muslims. I don't think I've ever had an English playthrough where a "Spanish strategy" didn't come into play at some point. I fuck around there to my heart's content, safe in the knowledge that no one has enough ships to retaliate, even if they do curbstomp my army. I forgot which one, but one of the nations there is basically a piggy bank for the entirety of the late 11th century and the Muslim holdings are cash until they kicked off the continent.
There is nothing quite so sweet as realizing you are getting your face beat in by the Byzantines so just surrendering before they can loot the shit out of your holdings and losing all of two provinces, then a few years later invading Bulgaria, eating all but one province, and then founding Hungary and getting three 22k stacks of troops because you took your damn time setting everything up and then going down to the Byzantines and calling out, "LOOK WHO'S LAUGHING NOW! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
I think I flattened Constantinople within a month, and got enough piety from smashing the infidels that I was able to found the Carpathian empire.
So yeah, I am now sitting pretty on Constantinople as my capital and most of Greece (only missed a couple provinces due to a rebellion at the time of the invasion) and managed to pull off a tricky reformation of the Tengri faith (it was a gigantic pain to get the CB for the needed holy sites). Now comes the fun and insanity of trying to get succession laws off fucking gavelkind. If my current king lives long enough and he manages to somehow sooth the egos of his vassals I might be able to avoid the titanic clusterfuck that is the incoming inheritance session (I had five sons before I became king and they all made it to adulthood, and they all had kids and now only two of them are left alive so the phrase splintering applies). Thankfully while that will royally fuck with my demense planning something fierce the overall integrity of the empire will remain more or less in place and I have a good 48k event troops still available (they're the 'oh shit' button, I do the majority of my work with my retinue), even after having to march to Rome to tell the Pope to fuck off.
Now I think my next target may be Bavaria, or possibly Bohemia. May also be time to chow down on Anatolia. So many possibilities.
I don't think I have ever seen this happen in a game before. It seem Catholicism is collapsing under the weight of the reformed Tengri and Norse. I mean they have been at 0 religious authority for the past 30 years at this point.
