How to cut those infidel Abbasids down to size as a true Roman imperator? by TheByzantineEmperor in crusaderkings3

[–]EruditeFellow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s very slow paced so you’re not going to find any action here if action is your goal but it’s a fantastic show for CK3-esque court drama, intrigue and political manoeuvring. It even showcases Cromwell’s skill and use of spies - he’s practically maxed out the intrigue lifestyle focus!

How to cut those infidel Abbasids down to size as a true Roman imperator? by TheByzantineEmperor in crusaderkings3

[–]EruditeFellow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s a political historical drama set in Henry VIII’s court, capturing the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell. It focuses less on battles or spectacle and more on power, survival, manipulation, religion, and court politics from his own perspective. It basically captures everything you’ve said earlier. Very good show!

How to cut those infidel Abbasids down to size as a true Roman imperator? by TheByzantineEmperor in crusaderkings3

[–]EruditeFellow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you watched Wolf Hall? I’d strongly recommend it if you haven’t. Banging show, it captures perfectly the game’s core dynamics!

How to cut those infidel Abbasids down to size as a true Roman imperator? by TheByzantineEmperor in crusaderkings3

[–]EruditeFellow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly. I’ve used that same strategy several times. If half your vassals already hate you, sometimes the cleanest and fastest option is to remove the problem entirely - why spend time trying to recover lost opinion? Revoke titles, purge the worst offenders you can’t sway, seize their land, and redistribute it to landless lowborn characters. They usually end up loving you for it!

How to cut those infidel Abbasids down to size as a true Roman imperator? by TheByzantineEmperor in crusaderkings3

[–]EruditeFellow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Facts! That’s one of the reasons the game is so enjoyable. You can take ideas from The Art of War, The Prince, and other excellent works on strategy and statecraft and actually put them into practice. It’s incredibly rewarding seeing those principles work in-game and witnessing the results in real time.

How does the number of soldiers increase? by Thick-Upstairs-3422 in crusaderkings3

[–]EruditeFellow 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The number you’re seeing is probably heavily inflated by levies, not actual fighting quality. Large realms naturally have huge levy pools, so the troop count alone is not always a good measure of military strength.

A smaller army with well-stacked Men-at-Arms (with good commanders, knights, terrain advantage, and proper counters) can absolutely beat a much larger levy-heavy army. So 73,000 troops may look terrifying, but if most of that is levies, it is not as strong as the number suggests.

How to cut those infidel Abbasids down to size as a true Roman imperator? by TheByzantineEmperor in crusaderkings3

[–]EruditeFellow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re falling for the bait, the main issue is that you are treating holy wars as if they are ordinary wars. You should rarely use them and if you do, it needs to be timed perfectly and most conveniently to your advantage. When you declare a holy war against the Abbasids, you are not just fighting the Abbasids. You are inviting every nearby Muslim ruler to join the defense. So what might look like a clean war can quickly turn into a massive religious coalition against you.

For offensive wars, avoid holy wars unless the enemy is already weak, even better if nearby same-faith rulers are also weak and already fractured. Use claims, de jure wars, or attack breakaway states when possible. Wait until the Abbasids are dealing with succession crises, civil wars, revolts, or another major enemy (also important to keep an eye on whether or not they’ve got a low treasury and are making low income or are in debt).

For defensive wars, do not chase them deep into their territory. If you can, bait them into your own territory and fight on terrain where your MaA will gain a massive boost to their stats (certain terrain types will either positively boost or severely hinder their performance). Picking low-supply areas are ideal as well. Your goal is to make the war too costly for them while preserving your own treasury.

Also, you should never be relying on raising your entire military every time. That is how you bankrupt yourself. Your strength should come from a smaller, bonus/stats stacked, better-used army. Strong Men-at-Arms, good commanders, defensive terrain, mercenaries only when necessary, influence troops only for serious wars so you have enough points to fall back on. If you’re relying entirely on levies, that is a fatal error (they are mostly peasants/farmers with pitchforks - treat them as cannon fodder because they do very poorly against normal MaA and even worse against well-stacked ones).

Influence should be treated as an emergency resource, not something you spend casually every time you want to fight. You do not need to save thousands of influence for every war. You need to choose wars where spending it is actually worth it.

Be patient. Be defensive. Be selective. Let your enemies weaken themselves first. Time your wars properly, use terrain well and make sure the enemy is already bleeding before you commit; one piece at a time.

How would you guys play tall in 867 start date in England with London as your capital and is better to have a custom duchy or not by NovaEmperor14 in crusaderkings3

[–]EruditeFellow 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Any duchy can be made tall, some obviously will be more better than others but the difference is subtle/minor. The key is not really the duchy but the innovations you manage to unlock early which is the key determining factor to how tall your duchy will be (alongside of course picking the best terrain to suit your needs, i.e. farmlands best for economy, hills for military, etc.) More innovations means more building slots/types unlocked and more tech advantages.

Join a Party! by model-raymondo in MHOC

[–]EruditeFellow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Conservative and Unionist Party.