Is invasion of a smaller country possible?

[BobbyDylan]

Playing as William the Conqueror, I decided I wanted to invade and conquer Scotland. In order to save up the prerequisite 500 piety, I reluctantly joined the crusade for Jerusalem. I end up winning that and now control the Holylands. Thought to myself, whatever, as I gave away all my counties (barring my 2 kingdom titles) to my heir.

I open the Diplomacy page to declare an invasion, but the game wont let me declare an invasion. Said my domain size is too big.

Is that because the Kingdom of England is too big? It now encompasses all of England, Normandy, Flanders and the holyland.

Is there a way around this?

[iamdanthemansta]

I think you can only get an invasion CB on a realm smaller than yours since the first patch.

[Leviathan07]

No, there is not. Your kingdom is WAAAAAY too big. You'd have to give away all of the middle east, England and Normandy and keep only one small kingdom for yourself. Then you would probably be smaller than Scotland... but where would the point be in that? And which kingdom do you own that is smaller than Scotland?

What you can do, is, give it all to your eldest son and heir, i.e. make yourself smaller than Scotland only until your son inherits, and then ask for the invasion CB. You might get it, and with your gold you can hire enough swords to be successful in the invasion. Scotland is not that powerful usually. Once your ruler dies, his son will take over and it will all be united again hopefully.

of course it could also go horribly wrong, your son could change the inheritance law to Gavelkind and die prematurely, or he could have a ton of revolts and lose it all before you take over.

[Blastaz]

In the top right hand corner next to piety and score there is realm size which is the total number of holdings that you and your vassals, and their vassals, and their vassals and their vassals have. This score needs to be smaller than the country you are trying to get an invasion CB on.

Alternatively you need to have a claim to the title.

So either marry your heir to a Scottish Princess in which case your grandson will have a claim, or give away most of your land and then a king title to your heir (so that he is independent of you).

To form Britannia as England marry one of your children to one of lwellyns children and press their claims on both welsh duchies. Fabricate claims/invite claimaints in Ireland and marry your heir into the Scottish royal family. Its arguably easier to do it as Ireland/Scotland as being smaller you can use the invasion CB on England...

[BobbyDylan]

Cheers for the tips, guys!